#i actually miss when fashion was just ''its all item mall'' which it IS

[lumen-tellus]

i am apparently only just realising elsword has the worst fashion system ive seen in forever

[peachy-inserts]

𝕙𝕢 𝕓𝕠𝕪𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝

✉︎ request: n/a

✰warnings: none. fluff!

✎a/n: please i made myself cry over asahi during this i love him so much

➳ᴅᴀɪᴄʜɪ, ᴀꜱᴀʜɪ, ɪᴡᴀɪᴢᴜᴍɪ, ᴏɪᴋᴀᴡᴀ, ᴛᴀɴᴀᴋᴀ, ᴛꜱᴜᴋɪꜱʜɪᴍᴀ, ꜱᴜɢᴀᴡᴀʀᴀ, ʙᴏᴋᴜᴛᴏ, ᴋᴜʀᴏᴏ, ɴɪꜱʜɪɴᴏʏᴀ, ᴜꜱʜɪᴊɪᴍᴀ

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✰Daichi loves to bake with you. He hopes on the pumpkin spice wagon just because it means there’s an excuse for the two of you to make something together in the kitchen, but there are times when he just wants you to feed him. He’s an absolute glutton this time of year, both for sweets and for you. Also, coffee dates! Loves taking strolls with you in the crisp fall weather and warming up with a hot drink, though one time he spilled his latte all over his lap because he was so focused on the way your nose scrunched in delight and fingers tapped against your styrofoam cup at the sweetness of the beverage that he completely missed his mouth. Of course, this only ended with you spitting your drink out all over his front and the table

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✰Asahi always makes sure you’re warm. The sudden and drastic change in weather makes his bones ache, maybe it’s because of his old soul, or maybe (as you tease him) his body just can’t keep up with its own size. When you leave the house together, he takes his time to wrap the scarf his mother knit for you around your neck with care, tucking it gently into the folds of your jacket so the scratchy yarn doesn’t irritate your skin, already dry and chapped from the cold. He’s a human radiator, though, and often goes out with as little as a sweatshirt with nothing underneath, to which you call him a hypocrite for. You know, though, that you’ll end up clinging to him against the wind while he laughs and comments on how he isn’t at all cold while you shiver under his hold

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✰Iwaizumi takes you to pick out pumpkins. He drapes his heavy tan coat over your shoulders as you stand idly with your arms crossed and tucked under each other for warmth, him taking far too long and being far too picky in his selection process. He looks like a dad with the way he insects every pumpkin, knocking on it a few times before shaking his head and moving on. You can’t help but admire the way his biceps flex as he struggles to carry the numerous pumpkins you had chosen, despite your efforts to help him. You only carve a few of them, though, and the rest are placed around them. When they rot, you break them apart to discard and jokingly mention that he should chuck the pieces at Oikawa, but he takes you a little too seriously

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✰Tanaka takes you to a corn maze. On the way there, you take a tractor ride and he lays his coat down before you sit so that the hay doesn’t poke through your jeans, although he looks panicked in doing so, and practically rips his entire outfit off in his eagerness to be a gentleman for you. The ride is faster than anticipated, though, and now missing his outermost layer, he clings to you for warmth. You get lost in the maze and end up being yelled at by an old woman for cutting through the crops, so he hoists you onto his shoulders to scout for an exit. The two of you end up speedrunning the whole maze, and you laugh hysterically while teetering back and forth and clutching the top of his head for support, stealing his beanie for yourself.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Oikawa takes you on a shopping spree. You both indulge in the latest fall fashions, and although he intended to choose a few pieces for himself can’t help but search frantically for items that you’d enjoy, and that he’d certainly enjoy to see on you. He doesn’t let you leave the shopping mall without a new waist coat, one that matches his but doesn’t clash with your shoes and compliments your eyes, two pairs of boots, and a comfortable hat that you look absolutely adorable in, the cinch of it’s fabric material drawing your hair down flat beside your cheeks and accenting your nose, which he can’t go a day without peppering soft kisses onto; usually in the morning when the sun has just hit your face. He loves to see you glow like rudolph, and it’s one of his favorite features

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Tsukishima invites you to his family’s thanksgiving. It’s a big deal for him, who usually separates his interpersonal relationships from his home life, and although he’s flustered, does the best he can to make you feel welcomed in his house. Despite his typical cold attitude, something that you are not spared from, it’s better to be kind to you than be publicly lectured by his mother for not being courteous to you, especially when most of his family is meeting you for the first time. Not that he doesn’t mind being kind to you in the first place, but he’ll save the teasing for another day; right now, this is a test for him. When he walks you home after you’ve stuffed yourself full, he’s extremely relieved, and thanks you for coming along. You know this is a big step for him, and that it can only mean you hold a special place in his heart

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Sugawara learns to crochet, just for you. He stays up late watching youtube videos, and although the awkward positions he twists his hands into just to finally get a yarn over on the hook make his joints ache and cramp, he works vigilantly at making you a matching set consisting of a scarf, headband, and pair of mittens. The stitching is loose and uneven, and you can’t really tell if he actually used a pattern or not, but it’s so heartwarming and thoughtful that you simply can’t get by without wearing it at least once. The same night he presents you with this set, you go out to a haunted maze, and you’re wearing each piece proudly. He spends the whole time creeping behind you trying to get you to scream, though, with a phone in hand, and you’re reminded of his pesky duality and the tendency to wreak havoc and stroll away carelessly

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Bokuto takes you on a ghost trail. He takes you here with the intention of being your knight in shining armor, but you swear he’s going to break your hand with how hard he squeeze it every time there’s a particularly loud gust of wind, the kind that whispers behind your ears and rustles the trees. He’s caught off guard by its low hissing, and when a crisp red leaf falls on top of his head he yelps, hoisting you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and breaking into a run before you lower yourself and stop him in his tracks. You decide to leave, after that, and stop by the vendor at the entrance for candied apples. Hey, at least he took you with him instead of using you as a shield, right?

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Ushijima arranges a ride through the countryside. You clamber into the back of an old, rusted pickup truck with him, and he lets you use his hand as leverage to hop into the bed, which has been covered in hay. You pass by fields of corn, and excitedly point out every horse you see to him, and although his only response is a low hum, you can see the way he smiles softly, genuinely, at you out of the corner of your eye. You lean over the wheels a few times to get a better look at the scene, and he instinctively reaches out to steady your legs so you don’t fall over

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Nishinoya goes trick or treating with you. He’s planned out several routes in case someone calls him out for being so old and asking for candy, so you always have another place to go and start over. When he’s rejected too many times, he has the ingenious idea to drag Hinata along with you two and tell people that he’s your son. It doesn’t work out exactly that way, though, and you find yourself being asked if you’re really just babysitting the two. Hey, at least he got what he came for though, right?

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

✰Kuroo goes apple picking with you. When you mention how they would make a good pie, he somehow ends up rambling on about the chemical properties in the pie crust you find on pinterest, and how it’s more likely to burn, how you shouldn’t add that much brown sugar, and on and on and on until you finally find something to distract him. He pulls the branches down for you, but only after you’ve hopped up towards it a few times. He pulls a twig off and uses it to smack your head, teasing you for being so short compared to him

[theliterateape]

Why Keep Giving Facebook My Business?

By David Himmel

It was the day after Christmas, 1996. I was a senior in high school on winter break. My friends and I piled into Brad Feely’s red Jeep Cherokee—me in the trunk because there weren’t enough seats for all of us and I was the smallest and cramming into a car too small for the passenger load is what high school kids do. We were headed to the mall to return ill-fitting gifts and fuck around because fucking around at the mall is—was—what high school kids do.

Brad had some things to return or exchange at Abercrombie & Fitch. He was at the checkout counter with the young woman making the exchanges. The rest of us wandered around the store. I started throwing on shirts, coats, hats, scarves, and such and acted out a runway fashion show. My friends giggled. I went bigger with my one-man flash mob fashion show. Other customers stared, some laughed, some ignored me. I went bigger. My friends laughed harder. Other customers laughed harder and tried to ignore me. I had achieved my goal. I’d fucked around in a store and made people laugh.

I took off the clothes, placed them back on the racks and shelves and walked up to Brad still at the counter. The employee had stepped into the back to retrieve something.

“Almost done?” I asked him.

He whispered to me, “You won’t believe what this girl just said about you.”

“What.”

“She called you a ‘dirty faggot.’”

“What!?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re sure.”

“One hundred percent. She said it under her breath, but, yeah. I heard her say it.”

I waited there for the young woman to return. A few moments later, she did. She finished up Brad’s exchanges, handed him his bag of stuff and said, “Have a nice day.”

“Excuse me,” I said to her, leaning in so as not to make a scene. Because this scene wasn’t going to be funny. But I was sure not to be too quiet about it since I did want the store to know what was going on. “Did you see my fashion show?”

“Um. Yeah?”

“Did you like it?”

She smirked uncomfortably. “Sure.”

“So why would you call me a ‘dirty faggot’?” Her face went white. Blank. Her eyes wide. Mouth agape. She’d been caught. “Yeah. My friend here heard you say it. So my question to you is this: What was dirty about what I was doing? And what about what I was doing made me a ‘faggot’? And if you thought I was being gay, what’s wrong with that? And why would you refer to a gay person as a ‘faggot’? Seems a little hateful.”

“I… I…” she stuttered, still pale faced and surprised.

“Doesn’t seem like the best customer service, does it? Insulting your customers—or their friends—with homophobic slurs.”

“I… I…”

“Yeah. Mind your mouth. Don’t be such a hateful, homophobic asshole. Especially in a store filled with photos of what have to be the gayest modeling shoots in retail history.”

People were watching and I took the cue to go louder. “That’s right, everyone. This woman, this Abercrombie & Fitch employee called me a ‘dirty faggot’. Just know the kind of person you’re buying your clothes from.”

I saw one guy drop whatever was in his arms and walk out. My friends and I followed suit.

✶

I never stepped foot in an Abercrombie & Fitch store after that. And I’m proud to say I never owned or wore a single item of theirs after my impromptu fashion show. Yeah, sure. She was a bad apple, but still. It had turned me off to the whole brand. Fuck ‘em.

Did my not buying their mostly ugly clothes—country club grunge?—hurt their bottom line? Did it send a message? No. Certainly not. Did it change the mind and behavior of that employee? I have no idea. Maybe. Maybe she’s a super-duper social justice warrior today. Maybe she doubled down and tried to Stop the Steal. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that I experienced an insult to the customer and a group of people, and chose not to give that company my money.

I don’t shop at Hobby Lobby because of their treatment of workers—denying them birth control through their benefits program. I don’t eat Chick-fil-A because they oppose marriage equality and used to fund activities to suppress it. I wring my hands every time I order something on Amazon because I’m worried the worker filling my order might piss or shit themselves trying to meet their quota with my order. Or worse, get hurt doing so. Because we all know that Amazon treats its warehouse workers like demented mules instead of actual human beings with physiological limitations and full bladders.

It’s principle. I try to spend where my money will do the least harm because I know, in most instances, my spending won’t help much other than to keep someone employed at a shit job and make the owner that much richer.

So why haven’t I quit Facebook yet? Same reason I haven’t quit Amazon: It’s too convenient.

Also like Amazon, but far worse, Facebook is a monster. It was from the start. I joined under duress in 2008 because it was part of my job. When that job laid me off in the wake of the Great Recession, I killed the account. But Facebook gained more and more traction, and it seemed that I was missing out. Plus, it was a great way to promote the shows I was writing and producing. And I reconnected with old friends from lives past. Fun!

It became a reflexive way to procrastinate. Instead of standing up and stretching or reading a news story or going for a walk, I’d scroll mindlessly. Still, it was fun. It became a habit I wasn’t even aware of.

And it’s still fun, sometimes. I enjoy being easily—reflexively lazy—connected to those old pals I don’t see every day and probably wouldn’t communicate with if not for the ease of Facebook. But Facebook is bad. And when I say Facebook, I’m including Instagram, which I rarely use. (I have no issue with WhatsApp but I also only use that maybe once every two years.) They both suck. So it’s bad for our brains, bad for our body images, bad for democracy, bad for discourse, and so on. None of this is news. And this week’s whistleblowing of how actively evil Facebook leadership is reinforces the fact of how bad it apparently wants to be. And that’s insulting to all of its users and even non-users.

Because Facebook could still make millions of dollars a week and take active measures to be a better corporate citizen, a better steward of human decency. Like, has Facebook even added a pink ribbon to its logo for Breast Cancer Awareness Month? I don’t think so. Evil.*

I don’t need Facebook. The community groups are nice. And I really do like seeing those old friends I wouldn’t otherwise communicate with. And I take joy in the possibility that ex-girlfriends might occasionally poke through my profile and see how awesome my hair is. But I don’t need it. If I want to promote something, I can place an ad anywhere else. My god, what did we do before Facebook? And there are so many other digital ways to share our bullshit.

If I leave, will Facebook feel it? Nope. Just like Abercrombie. My aversion is less than a pebble drop in the ocean. But I’ll feel better. Right? I’ll miss my friends I wouldn’t otherwise talk to, but if they mattered that much to me, I could make the effort to text or call. But I won’t. Because the apparent truth is that having them as friends on Facebook is more about the voyeurism. So wait, are we even friends then? Jesus. Facebook has even warped our sense of friendship. 

I don’t know if I’ll leave it. But it’s been on my mind for a while now. Maybe I won’t go cold turkey, maybe I’ll start by deleting the app from my phone. Or maybe it’s best to pack up all my shit and walk right out. That’s the advice I’d give to someone else in an abusive relationship.

 *Just so we’re clear, this whole going pink in October thing that companies, local police departments, sports organizations love to do is dumb. It’s the bare minimum at best and limp virtue signaling at worst. If you really care about breast cancer, do a better job of caring about women. So, you know, pay better wages, offer childcare, don’t shoot them in their homes. Take your pink ribbon and shove it. Do better.

[mahou-queen]

Back at the beginning of quarantine, I got really into watching wish hauls on YouTube. This led me into actually buying some things from wish...in MARCH. The very last item arrived last week so I am finally going to review some of the things I bought. Today's review will be on items I bought from wish specifically for j-fashion. 

For those of you who don’t know, Wish.com is basically a HUGE online shopping mall of cheap stuff (where prices change all the time). However, it’s pretty common for the items you get to either be not what you thought they were, or of inferior quality. This is why wish reviews and hauls have become so popular, so that people know what the good stuff is and what is garbage. Wish also is known for having a lot of replicas and counterfeit items, so you really need to be careful shopping there. 

⚝⚝DISCLAIMER: DO NOT try to buy lolita fashion on wish. As you will see here, I bought some small accessories I plan to wear with lolita fashion, but no dresses, blouses, shoes, etc. It’s just not a good idea. The quality is not going to be good, and you’re very likely to get a replica. Please use a legitimate lolita fashion website or taobao reseller to buy lolita fashion pieces. (I’ll link some at the bottom of this review)⚝⚝

onto the review:

https://www.wish.com/product/5bebf218f8bc936a780b974e?share=web

The first thing I got was this FABULOUS goose purse. I saw this and fell in love. I paid $6.65 + $2.00 shipping for this bag. I am shocked at the quality. The lining is a little crunchy but this bag holds a terrifying amount more than I was expecting. I can fit my entire phone, small wallet, hand sanitizer, eos balm, and my keys in this bag without distorting its shape. It is very cute and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. Would buy again ★★★★★

https://www.wish.com/product/5df9efcd4f80d40f29c08b50?share=web

This furry heart cross-body cost me $9.00 + $3.00 shipping. I have seen this bag all over amazon for much more money, and frankly it’s not worth more money. When I first got the bag I was very unhappy with it because It did not appear to be heart shaped, however after messing with it I realized it was partially pulled inside itself. After a simple smoothing from the inside it popped out into heart shape so I am much happier now. It is true to color, I know it looks practically white in my photo (my lighting is bad today). The chain however is AWFUL and I plan to replace it. The chain it came with is plastic?? it’s very lightweight and cheap. And the D-rings don’t stay in place. I will be replacing those with O-rings. ★★★☆☆

https://www.wish.com/product/5e8d24215a44df0449af2144?share=web

Next is this black star themed puff key-chain, which I bought to wear on my gold star loris bag with black x gold star themed lolita coords. I paid $2.67 + $3.00 shipping for this. I like to add little details everywhere I can in my coords. This item is actually very nice, the faux fur is very soft and the puff is not misshapen. The hard wear is metal and feels decent and looks decent. Comparable to something you would find at a regular store at the mall or something. Would buy again.  ★★★★★

https://www.wish.com/product/58cb463d33b01a534f5a0e6b?share=web

This white key-chain I bought to put on my purse for my Cinderella bunny coord. Because it’s like a bunny tail, and the pearls go with the pearls on the dress and throughout my coord. I paid $2.78 + $2.00 shipping for this. The puff ball needed a little TLC as it was squished when it arrived, but I was able to fix it. The faux fur is soft, the hard wear is not as nice as the other key-chain I bought. It’s a bit light weight which makes it feel cheap but it looks fine. As you can see, the circular pendant is missing some pearls. I intend to try and glue new ones in. but if I can’t I will just remove that piece entirely.  ★★★☆☆

https://www.wish.com/product/5c73aa943156ff31c5866a07?share=web

I have been seeing these type of earrings everywhere and I really wanted some for some of my lolita coords I am planning. I got these free + $3.92 shipping. They’re pretty nice, they feel secure, they look like the picture. They don’t feel super high quality but they don’t feel really cheap either. I’d buy again. ★★★★☆

https://www.wish.com/product/5e7c06e156076e10cccdbdf7?share=web

This bunny necklace was also bought for my Cinderella bunny coord. I paid $1.71 + $3.00 shipping for this. I was actually expecting this to be unwearable. I thought it was going to be very cheap looking and plasticy. I was pleased to find out it’s not as gross as I was anticipating. It’s definitely wearable, however I fear the enamel will wear off in time. ★★★★☆

That concludes my review of some small items I bought on wish for j-fashion looks. I was able to do this because I have been wearing j-fashion for almost 10 years and can discern what is and isn’t going to work due to quality. Also because I watched a lot of videos on YouTube about wish that helped me learn how to shop more safe on that site. If you’re interested in learning more about shopping on wish I highly recommend Prettypastelplease , she has A LOT of wish hauls on her channel. Also if you’re new to j-fashion, specifically lolita fashion. PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON WISH TO FIND PIECES. here is a list of better places to shop:

bodyline.co.jp devilinspired.com clobbaonline.com fanplusfriend.com lacemarket.us store.lolitacollective.com Glittertale  wunderwelt.jp closet child I did a review of spreenow not too long ago, you can use spreenow to buy from taobao outside of China. 

I also have a series called “budget lolita” where I review and recommend items from cheaper shops.

I hope you enjoyed my review. This was not sponsored, I was not asked to review these items. Everything I reviewed here was purchased by me, for me. I was not asked or sponsored to mention any of the other shops or YouTube channels that I did.  Is there anything you bought on wish that was good for j-fashion? I’d love to hear about it. 

please stay tuned for the next installment in my budget lolita series coming soon!

[bigskydreaming]

So I’ve been going through all my old Scrivener files and rounding up all the various fics and updates I’m planning on queuing up to post during the month/however-the-fuck-long I’m bedridden after surgery in a couple weeks. Which includes Teen Wolf as well as Batfics, FYI. 

Anyway, came across this old WIP that I never ended up posting because I ultimately thought it felt too similar to both Where Wild Things Are and Lightning Crashes, just in different ways....not enough that any of them were derivative of each other, but enough that I wasn’t super inspired to continue writing it because the vibe I was going for with it, I was already getting from writing those other two fics.

But I still liked it and think there was some good stuff there, so what the hell. Here’s an opening from a never-planning-on-finishing-it Scallison AU, where things diverged from canon right after the Hale fire six years pre-pilot, and there was a different-from-canon McCall pack at war/trying to survive Peter’s pack in its attempts to stamp theirs out. 

The Scallison part starts out in the vein of the ABC show Revenge, where Scott’s initially just trying to keep an eye on the hunters in town/figure out where the Argents land in all of this, but then, y’know. The feelings happen.

Anyway, it was chock full of my favorite TW writing tropes - runaway/long lost Scott, pack politics, side characters turned main characters, scheming, double-dealing, Scott Is A Goddamn Genius and No I Do Not Accept Constructive Criticism On This Matter For It Is Wrong....you know, my usuals.

I did have a pretty extensive outline/summary for the rest of the fic and my plans for it, that I can post if there’s any interest in reading that and seeing where this was going. *Shrugs* Just let me know.

WHAT THE FIRES LEFT BEHIND

Scott McCall came home on a Tuesday.

For Allison, that didn’t mean much at first.  Her only context for the mass text was the bemused quirking of Lydia’s lips and a rather underwhelming ‘Huh.’ Then a shrug and a flick of her hair, and her best friend by default returned to ruffling through the Macy’s clearance rack with a vengeance.

“Awful. Grotesque. Needs to be set ablaze, immediately - ”

Allison nodded to herself and bore continued witness to Lydia’s evisceration of every hack designer of every fashion atrocity present, though sadly, the novelty of that had long since worn off. It was 7 pm on a school night. They’d been scouring the mall for something to meet Lydia’s approval for three hours already, and Allison did have trigonometry homework she could be torturing herself with instead, so….

Tough call. Hard choices had to be made. Allison steeled herself for battle and called Lydia Martin on her bullshit.

“Why are we here again? You hate Macy’s, and you absolutely despise clearance items.”

“I know that, and you know that.” Lydia emerged from a forest of polyester blouses wearing a look of disdain that had a ph level that would put any acid in the school’s chem lab to shame. “But I’m trying to see if I can find something here to start a trend with anyway.  Call it…a social experiment.”

“Hmm.” Allison nodded again thoughtfully. Briefly, she considered mercy. But she had just wasted three hours of her life. And mercy wasn’t really the Argent family way. 

She pulled the trigger. “You sure its not called Daddy cut your spending limit?”

Her melodrama-prone friend threw her hands up as if to express the whole world had gone mad and nothing made any sense. “It’s like he’s not even trying to buy my affection anymore!”

Allison coughed into her hand to smother a giggle. Being able to so easily rile up her friend when all others’ attempts dashed themselves harmlessly upon Her Majesty’s porcelain mask of perfection? Still her favorite sport next to archery. But certain social norms must be respected. One didn’t openly mock a friend in such obvious distress. She quickly changed the subject. For Lydia’s sake, really.

“So who’s Scott McCall?”

Lydia paused midway through working herself up to a truly tickets and popcorn-worthy rant, thrown by the sudden segue. “What?”

Allison waved her phone, flashing the mass text Danny had sent out to pretty much everyone in the Beacon County zip code.

“Scott McCall’s back. He just walked into the Sheriff’s Station. Stiles saw him himself,” she read out loud. “Who’s Scott McCall?”

“Oh. That.” Lydia tore her horrified gaze away from a leopard print mini-skirt and shrugged. “He’s this guy from our class who disappeared seven years ago. You know that Dunbar kid’s stepmom, Melissa? It’s her son.”

“Wait, seriously? And he’s our age? How have I never heard about this before?”

“I don’t know, Allison,” Lydia rolled her eyes. “Maybe because normal people don’t talk about things that depress them? It was a long time ago anyway.”

“I can tell it had a real effect on you,” Allison said, with just a touch of acid herself.

“I’m in the midst of a personal financial crisis currently. I’ll care when its over. Besides, its not like anyone has any details yet. Pointless gossip is for the peasants.”

“So what happened anyway?” Allison asked. Lydia shot her a look and she smiled innocently. “What? I’m comfortable with my peasant status. And I’ve lived here almost two years now and never heard a word about this. How can I not be curious?”

“Well this was an utter waste of time,” Lydia said under her breath as she gingerly replaced a sequin-studded monstrosity back on the rack, seemingly preoccupied once more. Or possibly just flat-out ignoring her. 

The menace of the malls then raised her eyes to the ceiling as if despairing at the world at large, heaved a sigh that was practically a soliloquy unto itself, and ran her fingers through her hair in some kind of ritual of self-composure. 

Once she’d observed the proper formalities for conceding her quest was officially a failure - at least, Allison was pretty sure that’s what she was doing, though she’d rather not commit to that, given that some of the intricacies of her friend’s habits still eluded her grasp - Lydia finally slung her purse over her shoulder and set off towards the exit with an imperious wave of her head. 

It was only when her brisk walk stalled out while waiting for the garage elevator that Her Highness deigned to address the lowly commoner’s curiosity. 

Allison just sighed internally. She’d long since made her peace with her friend’s little power games. They were entertaining as often as they were exasperating, so it was sort of a pick your battles type situation, and Allison preferred to err on the side of not waking the beast beneath Lydia’s deceptively dainty exterior.

“You know about the Hale fire, right?” Lydia asked.

Allison nodded. It wasn’t an everyday topic of conversation by any means, but it had come up at least once or twice since her family moved to Beacon Hills two years prior. Talk of the tragedy had even made an appearance in her own home, in a couple of muffled shouting matches between her parents that she’d only caught bits and pieces of.

“Yeah, my Aunt Kate actually lived around here back then. That was the fire that killed that whole family, right?”

“Right. So it was pretty much right around that same time. Scott went missing just a few days after. A lot of people even wondered if there might have been a connection, there were rumors the fire was arson, I don’t know. It was a whole thing, and we were only ten at the time, you know? Anyway, Scott’s dad was this hotshot FBI agent. There were search parties for like two months, but they never found a body or anything. Most people eventually figured it probably had something to do with one of his dad’s cases.”

“And now he’s back,” Allison prodded when Lydia lapsed into silence. The smaller girl just chewed on her lower lip, staring at the wall of the garage almost pensively.

“And now he’s back,” she echoed with a distracted nod of her head.

“That’s....interesting,” Allison offered tentatively. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the mood that had fallen over her friend, like a spell had settled upon her the moment she’d actually stopped and reflected on her memories of the events in question. 

It seemed somewhat conspicuous to her that Lydia made no mention of who Scott was beyond just the victim of some strange small-town mystery, and so she was uncertain just how cautiously she needed to tread here. Had they been childhood friends? Mere acquaintances? Something else, likely as baffling and unexpected as most things about Lydia Martin tended to be?

But the born and raised Beacon Hills native just shrugged one shoulder listlessly and twirled a strand of strawberry-blond hair around a finger.

“It’s something,” she said at last. The elevator arrived at their level with an almost cheerful-sounding ding that was at odds with the somber mood they stood draped in. Lydia shook herself, a full body kind of motion not unlike a dog drying itself off.

“Are you coming?” She tossed over her shoulder at Allison, sounding almost exasperated, as though she hadn’t been the one just standing there staring at the wall for a good ten seconds after the elevator doors had slid open.

Allison sighed and shook her head, but she held back any retort and instead simply followed her friend down into the lower levels of the garage. Now was not the time to pursue...whatever that whole thing had been, just now. 

Lydia Martin had just unwillingly displayed an emotional reaction in front of another person. It was too dangerous to prod for further weak spots in her armor without letting at least a day or two pass first.

The self-styled Queen of Beacon Hills had relieved commoners of their heads for lesser offenses than that.

[the-bridge-burners]

Perfect Gift

“Merry Christmas!” Spinel said, jumping up from the couch as Steven stepped into the living room.

“It’s only December 1st,” Steven replied with a chuckle.

“Yes, but that means its finally Christmas season!” She smiled wide, lifting her arms up into the air.

Steven couldn’t help but smile back, as always, her energy was infectious. “Yeah, I suppose it is. But uh… where are the other gems?” Spinel was the only one home as far as he could tell, though he’d just woken up so he could be missing someone.

“Amethyst went to get donuts and Pearl went to the barn to talk to Peridot about some invention they’re working on together. Garnet went with her. And you missed out on all this because you were sleeping.”

“Uh…” Steven glanced at the clock. It was less than an hour away from noon. “Whoops, I didn’t mean to sleep in that long. But um… anyway, speaking of Christmas I… haven’t finished my Christmas shopping yet.”

“Really? But I thought you went a couple weeks ago.”

“I did most of it. I got you and the other gems stuff and Dad and even Lion something but… I don’t know what to get for Connie.” And he’d been putting it off because he was nervous about it but time was closing in, he needed to get something for her soon.

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“That would ruin the surprise. And no, you can’t ask her either because she’ll know you’ll tell me and then the surprise is still ruined. And it has to be a good present so I can’t just get her any old thing.” After everything they’d been through together this year – most of it gem stuff and therefore something she’d been dragged into because she was his friend, by choice yes, but still – he owed her a good present.

“You… really like her, don’t you?” Spinel sounded almost a little sad? She was giving him that same look she always gave him every time he grew up a little more. The one that said she was afraid of him outgrowing his need for her despite his promise that that would never happen. Which was a tad worrying because why would she feel like that now?

“She’s my friend so of course I like her,” was what Steven said though. Confronting her directly about it would only lead her deflecting.

Spinel’s full smile returned. How real was it though? “Yes, and I’m sure you’re going to get her a great gift. Don’t stress about it.”

“Yeah, okay.” Steven nodded; optimism was good. “After I grab some breakfast or uh… I guess lunch, you want to head to the mall with me and help me find something for her?” He’d been planning to go alone but having someone else there to help keep an eye out for good gifts was probably a good idea. And it’d give him someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of.

“Sounds like a plan. I have nothing else to do today anyway.”

 -

Beach City wasn’t large but there were still enough people in it to crowd its little shopping mall. It wasn’t nearly as bad it would be come closer to Christmas time but it was still far more crowded than it was at any other time of year.

“She likes books,” Spinel said as they passed by a bookstore.

“Yeah but… I don’t know what book to get her. The next book in her favourite series doesn’t come out until next year. And of all the other series I know she likes, she already has all of them. And she told me that her parents always get her books every year. What if I accidentally get her one of the same books her parents are getting her?” Steven couldn’t think of a worst gift if that happened to be the case. It was a bit unlikely though – but still very possible especially since this bookstore was the biggest one in the city, meaning it was probably where Connie’s parents would be doing their book shopping – so… “But I guess if we can’t find anything better we can come back and get her a book.” It’d be better than nothing.

They passed by a few other stores with potential. A game store; Steven considered getting her a video game before remembering she didn’t have a console of her own, they always played on his. A store that supposedly sold swords among other various interesting items; Spinel pointed it out as a possibility before next pointing out that Connie already had a sword and it was it better than anything you could get in a store. Steven almost stepped into a fashionable clothing store before remembering he didn’t know the first thing about fashion and Connie wasn’t into it either. There was the pet store too but a) adopting was far better and b) getting someone a pet as a surprise gift was irresponsible. Which left them with not many options.

Steven sighed as they finished the loop of the mall. Just like back when he’d gone shopping for everyone else when it came to Connie he was pulling a blank. There had to be something he could get her that was special and that she would like but… what?

“Maybe… a stuffed animal?” Spinel suggested.

Steven turned his head to look at her. “You think she’d like one?”

“I don’t know.” Spinel shrugged. “But I do know that giant stuff animals are things people get for people that they really care about. I remember that on the first Christmas Greg and Rose were dating, he got a her a huge pink teddy bear. It was almost as big as him.” She sighed, her shoulders deflating as she looked off into space. “She loved it. I don’t know what she did with it though, probably put it somewhere special so she’d never lose it.”

Steven patted her on the shoulder. With how happy she normally was, seeing her sad was always jarring and felt wrong. “That actually sounds like a good idea.”

 -

Finding the right giant stuffed animal took a bit of work but when they found it, Steven knew the moment he lay eyes on it. It was so perfect it could’ve been made for her. It was a bit pricey even with the discount the toy shop owner gave him for ‘saving the city’ but it was worth it.

When they returned home, the other gems were back. But other than a quick ‘hello’, Steven and Spinel paid them no mind as they rushed up the stairs to wrap Connie’s gift. They didn’t have a box big enough for it so they had to wrap it as it was. Spinel’s stretchy arms came in handy when it came to manhandling the paper into place over the awkward shape. They put three layers over it to make sure the wrapping paper wouldn’t rip or tear on accident.

“I’m so proud of you,” Spinel said once they were done.

“Uh… thanks but why?”

“You’re growing up and it’s…” she put her hands on his shoulders, “… kinda scary. But that’s okay, I’m still happy for you. And I know things are gonna work out with Connie, you guys great together, basically made for each other. It’s great being able to see you guys grow together.”

Steven’s face was burning by the time she finished speaking. “Thanks, but me and Connie are just friends, we’re not… you know.”

Spinel raised her eyebrows. “If you say so,” she said in a tone that implied she didn’t believe him.

Steven quickly retreated before it could get any more embarrassing.

 -

“It’s huge,” Connie said as Steven carried his present down the stairs.

“Yup,” Steven said as he put it at her feet, in front of the couch. It was just the two of them in the living room. Connie’s mother had made it very clear she wanted Connie with her and the rest of the family all day Christmas Day and Christmas Eve night which meant this gift exchange was happening midday Christmas Eve instead. All the Gems had cleared out to give them some privacy. Which was fine with Steven because Spinel’s suggestive comments about how he felt about Connie were maybe not too far off from the truth. “You want to go first, or shall I?”

“Uh…” Connie looked down at the present she’d brought in standard sized gift box and then back up at him. “You first,” she said holding it towards him. “Because it’s smaller.”

Whatever was in the box was light weight. He gave it a small shake, holding it up to his ear. But there was nothing to hear nor was there anything to feel. So, with nothing else to do, he ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box.

Laughter bubbled up in and out of him as he pulled out the pink lion plush inside. It was honestly perfect, too perfect in fact.

“What’s funny?” Connie asked. “Do you like it? I couldn’t think of what to get you and then… I saw that and it looks a lot like Lion so I got it.”

“I love it,” Steven said truthfully as he hugged it to his chest.” But open your gift, you’ll see why I laughed.”

Connie gave him a speculative look before pulling his gift up onto her lap. It took her a couple seconds to get through the wrapping paper but when she did, she laughed too.

It was the same gift: a pink lion that looked just like Lion. The only difference was the size. The one Steven had gotten her was much bigger, nearing Lion’s actual size.

“I didn’t know they had bigger ones,” Connie said. “I totally would’ve gotten you one this big if I’d known they had them.”

“This was only big one there I saw.” Steven had seen a few smaller ones too but with the giant option available, he’d had to go with it. Meaning since they’d probably gone to the same store, Steven had gotten there first. So he wasn’t the last person to finish their Christmas shopping among everyone he knew like he’d thought he’d been.

“It’s perfect though,” Connie said as she hugged the stuffed lion’s head to her chest. “I’m going to name him Lion 2.0.”

“I’ll name mine Mini-Lion. We’ll have to show them to him, see if he responds.”

“If he does care he’s either gonna love them or hate them, my money’s on the former.”

“Eh, I don’t know, he can get pretty grumpy about things sometimes. But last I checked he was sleeping so we gotta wait on that. For now, you want to play some video games until your mom calls?” Steven had considered possibly talking to her about his feelings but… he wasn’t ready for that yet. Maybe he would be soon but not right now.

“Sure! Dibs on being player one.”

[blogsteveclark12]

Shopping Can Make You Famous

Every Sunday afternoon, shoppers descend on Bella McFadden’s Depop page for the chance to be dressed like ’90s cult film characters, “sk8r girls” and “Y2K mall goths.” Ms. McFadden, who is 23 and lives in Los Angeles, is something of a “Depop mogul”: Sales of her thrift-store finds have taken off on the popular e-commerce app, where she has more than 500,000 followers who admire her early-aughts aesthetics. They long to be styled by her. They know her as Internet Girl.

For $150 plus shipping, Ms. McFadden’s fans can name a visual theme or inspiration, send over their body measurements and astrological sign, and receive two to three outfits customized to their specifications, with matching accessories. The looks — pulled from a mix of thrifted items, dead stock and Ms. McFadden’s own designs — range from bubbly (a baby tee that reads “All this and brains too” paired with a Hello Kitty purse) to gothic (a black vinyl mini dress and a bat-adorned pendant). And the chance to be outfitted by Internet Girl is competitive. Only 20 lucky buyers can get the customized clothing kits (called “Styled by iGirl” bundles) each week.

Ms. McFadden, who has been selling on Depop for three years now, introduced this business model in early 2018, when she was still operating out of the house she was renting in Canada. “Because I was living in Winnipeg at the time, I wasn’t really getting any opportunity to do styling work,” she said. “I found when I was styling the products at home that I was pulling together all these iconic outfits. I was just like, ‘Damn, I should be selling this.’”

Founded in 2011, the social shopping app Depop has cultivated a following of millennial and Gen Z consumers and sellers. Individuals can set up shop by simply uploading photos of their wares, along with product descriptions and prices. It’s a lot like Instagram, insofar as users can follow each other, “like” pieces and find trending items on a discovery page. This year TechCrunch reported that Depop had raised $62 million in funding and that 90 percent of its active users are younger than 26.

Some well-known users, like the actress Maisie Williams, the YouTuber Emma Chamberlain and the photographer Alice Gao, built their considerable online followings independent of the app. Other sellers are using Depop to propel their internet fame. Ms. McFadden is among the top 20 most followed users on Depop, according to a company spokesperson, and the app’s No. 1 seller worldwide in terms of gross merchandise volume, or dollar sales.

Depop focuses on “curation by individuals that they can build a community with — some of them well known, some of them celebrities doing business on Depop, and some of them just individuals that have a flare, a flavor, a taste that builds a following,” said Stephen Laughlin, the vice president and general manager of global consumer industry at IBM, which published a report on Gen Z shopping habits last year. “You’re opting into someone’s style.”

And for Ms. McFadden, style is akin to brand. She’s built a following on Instagram  by modeling her thrifted wares and original iGirl brand merchandise. On YouTube, which she joined a year ago, she vlogs and documents the styling process behind the boxes. Her influence on the video platform has spawned its own cottage industry, with fans and critics alike uploading iGirl bundle unboxing videos in which they review their purchases.

Gabe Gieser, an 18-year-old YouTuber, saved up for a bundle after stumbling upon Ms. McFadden’s styling videos a year ago. “She’s created this persona for herself that is just very cohesive,” they said. “Everyone kind of wants a little bit of what she has.”

Mx. Gieser has purchased two bundles: the first primarily to wear and the second to unbox on YouTube (before wearing). “Basically, what I spent on the bundle I made up in ad revenue,” they said of their initial unboxing video. “It was a great way to grow my channel because the people who’re interested in iGirl bundles were interested in the content I was posting otherwise about Depop, fashion and sustainability.”

Simonette Boekel, 20, purchased a bundle inspired by the style of influencer Devon Lee Carlson. She hesitated at the expense of shipping to Australia but said: “I thought that at least if I wasn’t 100 percent happy, I could put it on YouTube.” Her unboxing video remains the highest-viewed post on her channel.

Though many of the iGirl bundle requests are guided by pop cultural references — popular themes include the movies “10 Things I Hate About You,” “The Craft” and “Clueless” — Ms. McFadden said the outfits aren’t intended to be costumes. Instead, they are meant to give her followers a chance to try out styles they may have missed when they originally peaked in popularity (sometimes before they were born). She added that some of the punk and goth-influenced bundles provide her fans with an accessible entry point into a subculture, and that she enjoys seeing her customers post about their new looks on Instagram and YouTube.

“My fans are super die-hard and amazing,” Ms. McFadden said. “It’s like this little iGirl cult that I’ve created.”

From a casual hobby to an actual way of making money, thrift store flipping has major potential. Be ready to do some digging! Visit thrift stores in Panama City Beach, FL. Who knows? You might be the next who turns up great treasures!

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You // Ben Hardy x Reader (Part 7)

A/N: This is probably the longest I've written in this series. Again guys, thank you for the support, your comments and likes mean so much! My tag list is always open so feel free to ask. And on a slightly heavy note: the next chapter could be really angsty. Just a heads up right there uwu

Summary: You had always loved Ben ever since you two met in university and became the best of friends. That feeling went out like a candle flame when the two of you parted ways until he re-entered your life...but this time with someone who has already occupied his heart.

Warnings: Angst, slight drinking, slight swearing, (yeah the fluff is still present)

W/C: 5k-ish

Tags: @haendel-me-with-care

@mrsdoradominguez-barnes

@mickmoon

@lakef

@mrsmazzello

@valeriecarolinaw

@queen-turtle-boiii

Edited// I forgot to link the previous parts

Parts: 6 5 4 3 2 1

(Got the pic from Pinterest hhh-)

Storing the luggage bag you've purchased for a fair price in the spare room, you come across a small box of sundries tucked in one corner with cobwebs clinging to the sides. Your eyes light up with curiosity spiking within you, you pick it up and dust the webs off, blowing the particles away from the top. You squat on the floor and open the flaps, discovering small yet familiar items that had been lost in time– one of them being a sepia-toned polaroid of you and Ben posing dramatically with hilarious doodles drawn on your faces. You forgot about this, feeling a little guilty that you had hidden it away in a drafty box without remembering doing anything of the sort. You flip the picture over and spot a date and an unfinished sentence written in faded ink on the bottom left part. This was taken on Homecoming night.

'I'm not going-' it says, clearly discontinued next to the date. Silly to think that the picture somehow represents a puzzle piece torn away from its board.

You were bound to graduate the week after and barely a day after, not see each other for several years due to your career paths and post-college choices.

You pull on the hem of your shirt, clearing the picture of dust and any more impurities, finally fitting it into your back pocket to finally treasure it the way it was always meant to be treasured.

The door clicks as you bring it close, your eyes gluing themselves at the hardwood floor seconds to having self-pity billow over you at how quickly your tears surface in the corner of your eyes from the memory of Ben spinning Rosy around - the exact way he did with you -and kissing her like she's a pouch full of life.

You clamp down on your bottom lip, trying your hardest not to stain your cheeks with your pooling tears. "Jeez, you just-" you pace back and forth in frustration, balling your fists as you gesticulate lazily, "you just don't get it, Y/N! Ugh, you're so- fuck, just get over it..." Knowing your harsh soliloquy would be getting you nowhere, you snarl strongly at yourself and roughly wipe your tears away with the back of your hand.

"He loves Rosy. F-freaking deal with it!" The reminder takes a hiss from your quivering lips for it to sink in; you have your own place in his life– a place behind the line you'd drawn in the years prior. The friend zone couldn't be any more hollow and cold than it already is.

And a polaroid pic is the only remnant left of how inseparable you and Ben were in the early days.

At the same time you're feeling your heart tear itself apart, Ben pulls out a picture - similar to what you've found - from the inner pocket of his old varsity jacket in the middle of rummaging through his wardrobe. He leaves his room in his pajamas and tosses himself on the couch next to a sleeping Frankie, softly apologizing to the little beagle for disturbing her cat-like nap. As he cuddles Frankie close, he scrutinizes the picture and it's also from Homecoming, but in it both of you are beaming widely with your arms slung around one another– the doodles ever-so-present on your faces. Behind it, the date and the continuation of the trailed-off sentence written at the back of your share of the memory.

'-anywhere at all.'- it ends in Ben's part of the duality. He grins fondly at the long lost picture, feeling twice as guilty for not keeping it safe and...close to his heart, just as he had promised you that night.

- - - - - - - -

In the convenience of Lucy needing some company to shop with for awards season just as she had returned from her get-away with Rami, she drags you along happily, having to pass through you insisting that you stay at home and study but purposefully ending up under her mercy anyway. You couldn't say no to her, she's basically your sparkly, glam counterpart and you're in need of her life-altering sparkles as of now. Especially since you're going to be tagging along with them, mainly as Joe's date cause you know, you're his 'girlfriend' and all.

You're at the mall, in a stylish boutique full of lines of voguish clothing and shoes that could span miles if not compressed together. For once in the hours you've spent scampering around the mall with Lucy to hoard dresses, skin products and make up, you admit that this is the most aesthetically pleasing space in the entire building.

You traipse along a section with black dresses fashioned into different forms, silently praying that what you have with you will amount to at least one of the varying prices.

Lucy's on the opposite side, ogling at the most colorful section in the boutique for a piece to wear. She peers over at you to make sure you've chosen your 'fighter'. A few swishes of the dresses lined up and you do, holding it up high to evaluate the appropriateness.

It's a sleeveless, halter neck satin that's just a few inches above the knee. Utterly backless but it ends right up the small of your back. The fabric is stretchy enough to move around and breathe in as it simultaneously hugs your shape. You love it but gulp as you prepare yourself for the price. Flipping the tag over, you suddenly wish you could let out the biggest, girlish squeal the human race has ever heard with how surprisingly affordable it is.

"Finally picked out yours?" Lucy pokes her head up playfully and you nod, quite speechless but giddy. She makes a grabby hand at your dress to examine it for herself.

Well she's the fashion guru so why not? You hand her the dress and as she trails her eyes from top to bottom, her mouth falls at the simple yet elegant details. "This is perfect! I highly doubt that it's not going to catch every exposed eye present at the event."

Your flush profusely at her comment. "Thanks but I'll be bringing a coat with me."

That triggered her, but of course you're only teasing. "You better effing not." She warns you and you chuckle, taking the dress from her and evenly brushing the skirt.

"I won't, you can sleep soundly tonight."

You assure her of the possibility. As you exit the boutique with a few bags you're not used to holding, Lucy takes out her phone and gasps, her face contorting with a little disbelief. "Uh oh, this might ruin your mood." She hands you the phone and you gape at her confusingly before taking a quick look.

Ben's posted some updates on his wedding preparations, shockingly tagging you, Joe, Gwil and Lucy in one photo. He's pretty busy alright; unable to text or call you for days but miraculously tagging you out of nowhere.

You come to disregard it until you notice one minute but important detail hidden in plain sight in all of his posts– there isn't a single one with him and Rosy together alone. None of such as well on his new ones.

The only post he's had with a close girl is the one with you, which is at the very bottom of his Instagram feed. You won't admit it but it warms your heart a little. Actually, a whole lot despite wondering why there's none of him and his fiancee. You hand Lucy her phone back and tilt your head to one side, suddenly finding the eagerness to go on shopping. "Let's go."

The following week comes as a radial blur contrasted to the slightly moderate one you just woke up from; your manager phoning you up to take the earliest shift you've had in years at the expense of your allotted time to rest, the heavy workload and rush hours in the upcoming hours followed by the slowest progress of filing your travel documents and visa needed for your departure on the 26th. You've got tons of missed calls from your parents and Joe, who's requested for you to pack up early since you'll be leaving for LA with Lucy on the day of the awards but earlier.

Also noting that you still need to double check the costs for flying to LA and back, ruling out the one exclusive for your flight on the 26th.

For mere days you feel as if you could lose your sanity as your life spirals into madness with everything you're required to do– whether or not you're obliged to do it.

But they are effective distractions for that problem you are still very much preoccupied with. That's a matter noteworthy of later discussion. Amidst all the chaos happening, part of you wishes for Ben to reply to your messages or even talk to you in the slightest. You never bothered to call this week since he's tied up but the least he could do is let you know how he's doing, if he's thinking of you once in a thousand passing seconds.

You give up for a day waiting on him and drown yourself in work.

- - - - - - -

Securing your phone between your tilted head and your shoulder as you indulge in your talk with Joe through the line, you crouch and zip your luggage bag close. Your eyes fixating themselves on two, separate luggage bags for two, separate travels.

"Was that all of it?" Joe's disembodied voice asks. You spring up and take your phone between your fingers. "Pretty much. I better have a kick out of something by the time we touchdown tomorrow– it's my first visit to the US." You inform him, leaping into your bed and landing comfortably.

He chortles softly and ensures you. "I know and you can be sure to expect a good par- ow! Bad kitty!" His smooth transition to a yelp amuses you for split second.

"Are you alright? "

"No. I'm finally feline food to my kid." He refers to his pet cat that has taken a small nibble on his finger, in which Joe returns with a light ruffle to its fur. You can't help but giggle heartily at him.

"Anyway, I'm picking you and Lucy up from LAX tomorrow." He gives you that heads up and you bring your hand up to your forehead. "Where will we be staying?"

"I've booked a hotel earlier so you've got nothing to worry about the moment you land." A faint crunch can be heard from your end and you mind to ask Joe about it. "Are you- are you eating?"

To answer your question, he bites down on his food sloppily and guarantees you of what you heard. You smack your lips together as your eyes narrow in bewilderment.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Sometimes you make it easier for me to hit you with a pillow."

"Is that how you treat your boyfriend?" He taunts at you and cackles, his distorted voice bouncing off of the walls of your room. You sigh, defeated by the fact that this charade is still going on. It's silly and immature yet you and Joe somehow managed to stick to the act.

"Speaking of boyfriend though– would he be furious if I told him that I couldn't be there on his wedding day?" Since you're rested and got nothing else to distract you, you pop the question to Joe.

"Ben?"

You hum softly.

"There are two scenarios that we need to consider," on his end, Joe taps his finger on his lips as he thinks of said scenarios, "Best case scenario- he would get discouraged and slightly unmotivated, and obviously sad, but he'd still support you cause that's your dream."

You sit up and twirl the ends of your hair around your finger, swallowing. "And worst case scenario?"

Joe falls silent before exhaling harshly. "You'd crush his soul, heart, everything ranging from physical to spiritual and it would take a toll– and I mean a substantial toll on your friendship."

"Joe, don't make it sound like a prospect! "

"That is, " he adds strongly, "if he finds out that you had meant for him to be oblivious to it." And he's right. But you had a reason. You still do. Even if you do end up telling him and he supports you, you need a great deal of space to move on.

As long as he's committed to Rosy and you're in the sidelines still in love with him, it's just something toxic. You couldn't love anybody they way you do Ben and you feel like you'll never love someone like him ever again. Albeit how clueless he is sometimes and clumsy, you both had survived every storm and wave. So sticking around to witness him give his hand and heart to someone else is torture for you.

"I'm gonna be direct and say-" just as you begin talking, your phone shrills to another caller, cutting you off from Joe.

One look at the screen and your heart begins racing. Speak of the devil. You reserve an explanation for cutting off and answer Ben, clearing your throat. "You're late."

Ben's gruff chuckle welcomes you back. "I know, I'm so sorry. Busiest week I've had and the lady at Starbucks signed my cup like a snail."

"What are you doing tonight that requires coffee?"

"Call me dramatic- or do so, given that I'm an actor- but I just want to stargaze right now." You hear a light rustle coming from his end, like he's seated out on his lawn.

Silently giving him the 'oh really' look, you spread one side of the curtain to let some moon light in. "Ben, you're leaving early tomorrow."

He hums, seemingly enjoying himself. "But that's not an excuse to not enjoy the night." This boy can not get any cornier. You cast your gaze upon the moon, sighing profoundly. "How did the wedding planning go? Good?"

"Hm, yeah. Church wedding, big reception. Whole lot of booze binging planned out. And a killer bachelor party the day after the awards. " He jokes through the line and you tell him off in a playful chide. "Benjamin Jones, you better-"

"I won't. I won't." You sense his gentle smile from your end, checking the time and reluctantly coming to the decision to hit the hay since you'll be leaving early as well. As much as you want to recreate those late night conversations you once had with him, you can't.

"Hey?" You coo somehow.

"Yeah?"

"I gotta sleep. I have to meet Lucy at the airport at 5."

He gives out a throaty grunt as if he's pulling himself up. "Tragic. I'll see you in LA then, love."

Your lips curl up into the gentlest smile with the moonlight blessing it from the window. "You too. Tell yourself and the rest- especially Brian and Roger- that I'm gonna be rooting for you guys to get up on that stage."

"I will. Thanks for the motivation, Y/N. All the words coming from you just mean so much to me. To all of us." And in his voice, you can hear his utmost sincerity and fondness just highlighting his tone.

"Anytime. Now let me sleep, you bloke. "

"Haha, alright. Love you tons, love."

Shifting your eyes to the sky once more, you reply, allowing the words you're about to say to mean more.

"I love you too, Ben. Good night."

- - - - - - -

24th

You had promised Lucy you'd arrive 10 minutes earlier than her and you really didn't hold on to that promise. As soon as you arrive at the airport nearly bathing in sweat and deaf from the multiple rings Lucy has given you, you both take off to the waiting area with your heavy luggage where you spend an hour and a half waiting for your flight to board. Joe has sent two texts telling you that he's still in the middle of having coffee and it's a questionable action since he's 8 hours behind you and is expected to be asleep by now.

You reply with a simple, "See you there" before heeding to the call of your flight number from the speakers.

All the rushing and you haven't had a bite of breakfast yet. An eleven hour flight doesn't sound so bad, as long as you make sure you don't reel everytime you get up to use the bathroom and acquire jet lag the moment you land from a direct flight without any pit stops. The flight is long as you are awake but by the time you fall asleep in between hours, it shortens the duration. The pilot announcing your arrival wakes you and Lucy from the latest nap you've had on the plane. After gathering your luggage and answering a couple of phone calls on you way down the plane, the arrival area is where you spy Joe behind the red tapes, a scarf around his neck and an eager look plastered on his pale skin, just waiting for you and Lucy to step in. His eyes crinkle as he sees you both treading towards him with a handful of luggage. He greets you both with a tight hug and ushers you to his car, assisting with the transport of your things.

He's booked you in the hotel he's staying in to, of course, avoid some minor inconveniences especially since the awards start at 7 pm and you drastically need Lucy to help you prepare. Upon reaching the hotel, he leads the both of you up the second floor and into the hall for your rooms.

Apparently you and Lucy will be sharing which is the great and Joe will be staying in the room right across yours.

After giving yourselves a brief tour of the room, you settle in and unpack your essentials.

"Y/N, bring out your fighter!" Lucy declares with a giggle, pulling the dress she's chosen from her suitcase. It's a purple, off-the-shoulder, crepe satin and black velvet gown that cascades gracefully against the stable air.

Your eyes widen in awe at how it looks against the light. "No need for a match, Luce. You win," you raise your hands up in surrender, "that's- that's catching more eyes. From Rami of course."

"Oh shut it. You'll look smooth in black." She clicks her tongue and smoothens it at the edge of the bed. You whip out yours and hold it up high, wavering a little at how you'll look like in it tonight. How fortunate you were to find 3-inch, black pumps closeted when you were 'panic packing' the night before. You take it out from your suitcase and set it aside before striding towards the blinds, pulling it up and beholding the breathtaking view of Hollywood before you.

Your first visit to the US and you're already headed to the Oscars. This isn't the real life. This is just fantasy.

- - - - - - - -

"We're having a dinner party afterwards, I don't see any reason for two sandwiches before the ceremony." Staring blankly at how Joe's handling waiting for you and Lucy to emerge from your room, Rami purses his lips quizzically– he's come by to pick up his girl as well. The two men look dashingly handsome in their black tuxes and slick hairstyles– their individual charm strong as they highly anticipate for your appearances.

Joe swallows the chunk in his mouth before speaking. "I'm stressed."

"About what?"

He bites down on his last sandwich, dusting his hands off crumbs as he reasons out. "It's the Oscars. Biggest ceremony of the year."

With a shake of his head, Rami opens his mouth to protest but pauses as the creak of the door behind them butts in their conversation. Lucy - exquisite in her cascading satin gown and look dotted in light to moderate make up - emerges with her purse in hand and eyes heady on Rami.

Joe wishes he could loosen some hinges in Rami's jaw since the latter has got his mouth agape at her girlfriend's evening look. To him, she is his ultimate award and he wouldn't have it in any other way.

"Hey, babe." Lucy smiles delicately and kisses Rami's cheek, to which he responds with a breathless, "Luce, you look..." His starstruck silence finishing his compliment for her. Joe hums, agreeing with crossed arms. "I wish I was as pretty as you, Boynton."

"You boys look handsome, too." Lucy giggles softly and Joe begins to wonder. "Where's Y/N?"

"She'll be out in three...two..." As Lucy deliberately pauses her countdown, you come out of the room, head down as you feel a bit hesitant to continue but you regain your confidence and look up timidly– your appearance putting Joe in the same position Rami was just in with Lucy. The dress really agrees to your form, contouring every curve of your body in a semi-sensual way, guaranteeing that you'll be snagging some looks tonight. Your (H/C) hair frames your face intricately with your light make-up emphasizing the color of your eyes and lips. The light brush of air against the skin of your exposed back makes you clutch your purse tighter, deeming it uncomfortable.

Lucy smiles proudly at her work and that is you. "Well, how does she look Joe?"

Joe lets out a hitched exhale, hazel eyes wide as a sinkhole and a slacked jaw struggling to budge. "Like my girlfriend."

"You wish." You can't help but retort playfully and he brings his finger up to his lips, hushing you. Rami compliments you as well and you thank him as the four of you make your way to the elevator– your arm on Joe's and Lucy's on Rami's.

You've taken a limo for the sake of convenience, since Joe and Rami wanted to propose a pre-toast - with the champagne present in the vehicle - to their successes and hard work in the past year. You have faith they'd bring home an Oscar; considering how spectacular their work was portraying the members of Queen. You're also thrilled that you're about to meet Brian and Roger.

The limo parks just across Dolby Theatre and the four of you climb out, making your way arms-in-arms into the place crowded with paparazzi and attendees. You see yourself as a small fish swimming in a sea full of majestic dolphins. This is the big leagues right here and you're not even one bit of a celebrity– at least you feel like you aren't one. After a couple of shoulder brushes with either familiar and unfamiliar faces and escaping the blinding flashes of the cameras, the four of you reunite with Gwilym who has Roger and Brian present by his side. You are introduced to the two Queen members by Joe and you couldn't be any more happier to meet them in person. A couple of moments of interacting with the rest of the crew and cast, Ben joins the 'party' looking sharp and admittedly drop-dead gorgeous in his white tuxedo blazer and slicked back hair with Rosy by his side.

Before he could even reply to the greetings of his friends, he lays his eyes on you and for a while– his pupils dilate and his expression flits faster than he can command it to. He can't believe what or who he is seeing before him amidst all the glam. Letting go of Rosy's hand for a minute, he steps close to you, indescribably captivated. "Y/N...h-hey."

You keep your composure, musing back. "Hey. You look left out, outfit-wise, and a like a million bucks."

It takes him nearly five seconds to reply with the way hes has his eyes transfixed on you. It's like he's seeing you for the first time. Your evening look setting him back to Homecoming night and something inside him just tweaks. You avoid his mindless gaze and break the silence, trying your hardest not to flush. "Ben, please talk. It's just really-"

"You look...beautiful." He breathes out like he had just gotten up from under water.

[sultrysirens]

The DJ [Part 22]

Universe: Teenage Mutant Teenage Turtles (Paramount movieverse)

Rating: PG (light swearing)

Characters: Michelangelo, Lisa (OC)

Tags: interspecies, romance, fluff, hip hop, disc jockey, original character, shameless pwp, sex

[<<<FIRST<<<]

[Part 21]

[Part 23]

On the way to the mall, Jocelyn called up Cassie, inviting her to come along. Lisa was alright with that. She liked Cassie; the redhead was a lot less...intense than Jo was, making her a much more preferred companion to have around for lengthy amounts of time.

No offense to Jo, of course, it’s just that Lisa couldn’t handle too much of Jo’s specific personality. And although Mikey had a similar energy to him, Jo was flirty while Mikey was affectionate. It was totally different.

Besides, Mikey had learned how to read Lisa and dial things back if she was getting overwhelmed. Jo had no such dial.

Cassie, by turns, was just plain calm.

Meeting them at the mall, Cassie joined the group and off they went. There was a lot of idle chatter about subjects Lisa didn’t generally follow -- fashion was a prominent one, and the girls stopped by every jewelry store to gawk at the glimmering gems, both things which Lisa had little passion for. Despite her multiple piercings, she just wasn’t into this stuff -- she had one accessory for each hole she’d punched into herself and that was all she needed, she thought.

Jocelyn and April, in particular, were of wholly different minds, and even Cassie perused the pretty earrings and necklaces at length. But while Lisa didn’t join them outright, it did make her think....she didn’t really like her brow piercings. She’d been thinking of taking them out, and maybe replacing them with a nose ring instead.

She wondered what Mikey would think of her if she came back with a cute little ring in her nose and her brows rings missing.

Ultimately Jocelyn couldn’t resist the lure of the shinies and got herself a pretty ruby pendant on a delicate silver chain, even wearing it out of the store. Cassie had convinced her not to get the matching ruby earrings -- yet -- by pointing out that they didn’t match all that well, anyway. And then the procession moved onwards, and Lisa found herself going from clothing outlet to clothing outlet as her companions gleefully went through racks of pretty, stylish things Lisa didn’t particularly like.

At first she just offered weak comments and opinions on the things the others held up and tried on -- until Jo went out of her way to drag Lisa into things.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like any of this,” Jo said, dumbfounded. She waved at the whole of the store, elegance in every corner; it was fully her style, Lisa thought.

But those skinny jeans and button-up blouses and sundresses were not Lisa’s.

Shrugging, she replied, “Not really? I mean, look at me. Unless you can find t-shirts with witty comments or baggy shorts and hoodies, I’ve got nothing to do.”

Jo gave her an appraising sort of look, then said, “I got a feeling there’s a hidden stylist in you, Lisa. You just haven’t let her out. So try again -- for me,” she prompted. “Take another look. Anything catches your eye, just try it on, see how it looks.”

When Lisa remained doubtful, Cassie threw in, “It’s just for fun, Lisa. No pressure to buy anything unless you really, really like it.”

Sighing, Lisa sent a look to April, wondering what the older female thought of all this; April just smiled back, shrugging.

“The point of coming here was to have fun,” she pointed out. “Go on -- give it a shot. Dress up, and if you don’t enjoy it, we’ll drop it. Right?” she added towards the others.

C-J nodded, so in sync Lisa couldn’t help a dry laugh. Those two really were just like sisters, she thought, and it gave her a pang right in the heart. Someday she hoped to have such a relationship, as well -- sure, she had Sam, but he was even less into the mall scene as she was.

Now, sighing, Lisa obliged, starting to prowl through the racks with a more discerning eye. And she could immediately tell how different her mind was to Jo’s; where the blonde meticulously perused the racks, holding up similar articles to compare them, Lisa just grabbed stuff that kind of looked okay.

She was quick to a decision -- maybe too quick, she thought. After all, Jo always looked like she’d walked right out of a fashion magazine, whereas Lisa looked like she was just plain poor. Maybe she should be more picky.

The other females trailed after her as she went, offering comments on the feel of this fabric or that pattern, and Jo even took and held the hangers Lisa pulled off the racks for her. And when Lisa realized she had given Jo a full armful of items, she hurriedly stopped the procession to head to the changing rooms.

The count came out to fourteen pieces, and she felt ridiculous as she started trying them on -- and wincing as her reflection kept showing a girl whose breasts were too big to comfortably fit into anything. Damn it.

She was about ready to call it a day when Jo called out, “Well, you gonna show us or what?”

Oh. Right. That was usually part of this, haha. Lisa was supposed to go out and do a pirouette for her friends -- her friends who had no idea she was a full f-cup (though, granted, that was her measurement, and actual bras sometimes failed to accurately reflect that).

Shit.

She opted to put on the least-defining ensemble she’d picked, then came out, careful to hunch a little so her tits were less noticeable.

She may as well have tried to hide a watermelon; all three immediately dropped their gazes to her chest and stared, thunderstruck.

In a snap, Lisa was back in the changing room with a tiny whine, thinking to herself that this was weirdly even more difficult than standing before Mikey had been. Having his gaze glued to her chest had made her want to run, too, but the point of the reveal had been to let him see it -- so she could get over her self-doubt and be more open with him. It was more of an exercise for herself than it was a gift for him, really.

Standing before the shocked eyes of April, Jo and Cassie had no such benefit.

“Whoa, hang on!” Jo called, yanking back the curtain as Lisa closed it.

Arms crossed over her chest, Lisa retreated, snapping, “Jo! Get out!”

Instead, Jo stepped in, pulling the curtain closed behind her. Then, facing Lisa, she lowered her voice, saying, “Okay, let’s back up a few steps here. First -- have you seriously been hiding those all through high school?”

When Lisa gave a stiff nod, feeling cornered and suddenly scared, Jo coughed out a laugh.

“Okay -- and why?” Jo prompted.

Giving a pathetic whimper, Lisa confessed, “Cause girls are mean.”

Understanding dawned, Jo nodding as she got the picture. “And I suppose I didn’t make it any better, barging in here?” she checked.

Lisa shook her head. Right then her mind was actively confusing Jo for Sarah, and she found herself unnerved and wary, as if she was expecting a hidden camera or sucker punch to the jaw. 

Both events had happened before.

“Okay, well -- stand up straight,” Jo directed, pulling on Lisa’s arms to make her stop hunching over. “Two things: one, you have nothing to be ashamed of,” she coached, “and two, you have nothing to fear. We’re friends, right?”

Hesitant, Lisa nodded, though she was unable to let go of her instinctive fear of pretty blondes at the moment.

“That means,” Jo told her, “I’m going to support you. No matter what. Now, what do you say we try this again? I’ll go back out,” she said, inclining her head at the curtain, “you wait a second and come out. I promise, no one will be staring. We’ll critique the outfit and nothing else. Okay?”

Desperate to be done with this confrontation, Lisa murmured, “Okay.”

Pleased, Jo nodded and backed out, and Lisa heard her explaining things to Cassie and April. Using the time to its full benefit, Lisa coached herself in calming her rampant, nervous heart and telling herself to straighten up. She didn’t need to thrust her chest out in the air, but she wasn’t going to let herself slouch, either.

And, she admitted to herself, this was probably a perfect opportunity. She trusted Jo and Cassie, and she believed April was a good person -- she knew they’d protect her from any kind of unwanted or hateful attention. All she had to do, then, was teach herself to quit hiding all the time. Luckily, that was her goal, anyway; now that she was out of school and away from immature children she desperately wanted to let go of her bullied past, to get over her fears and embrace who she was...and what nature had given her.

It was just ridiculously hard to follow through on that.

This would be good for her self-confidence, she knew it. The only problem was actually stepping back out there and letting the others really see her. She couldn’t imagine what they were thinking -- or, rather, she could, as she’d heard plenty of voiced thoughts during her early teens, and that was the main thing holding her back, now.

Ugh, what a disgusting girl. Must have daddy issues. Need more attention, bitch? How’s this? Have some self-respect. Haha, what, you tryin’ to be the most popular girl in school, whore?

The worst part about bullying, she mused, was how deep the words could cut -- and how it lingered for years afterwards. She wondered if those bullies would’ve still said all those hateful things, had they known how devastating they could be.

Probably. That was the nature of bullies, after all. 

Snapping herself back to reality, Lisa gave an inward shake, refocusing. The past didn’t matter -- Mikey had said so multiple times, now, and she believed him. Now all she had to do was follow through and let go.

Then walk out of the changing room and stand still, letting her friends eyeball her chosen clothing. Hah -- yeah, still hard, she thought, eying the curtain warily. It felt like there were crocodiles on the other side.

Treat it like a one-time event, she told herself -- again. No regrets. It was a strangely helpful mantra, and she repeated it over and over as she faced the curtain. Pulling it aside with difficulty, she stepped out, awkwardly gave a spin, and waited.

Jo, she saw immediately, was staring at her pants with a drawn brow. Cassie kept glancing between her shirt and pants, above and below her waistband, as if comparing the colors, and April seemed more concerned with Lisa’s choice of shoes. She was wearing her yellow Converse, as usual, and it clashed badly with the khaki slacks and blue long-sleeve blouse she’d picked.

Ugh, she looked like a fashion disaster, she thought.

After a moment Jo spoke up, declaring, “Okay, new rule: Lisa and brown don’t mesh. No more of that,” she told Lisa firmly. “And I think long sleeves aren’t flattering. I’m thinking halter top and booty shorts.”

“What?!” Lisa snapped, horrified. Booty shorts?!

“Trust me, you’ll look so hot,” Jo told her.

Lisa squeaked, she was so distraught. “I-I don’t want--”

“You have killer legs,” Jo interrupted. “Now do you wanna show them off or hide them away?”

The fact that Lisa couldn’t even answer that was apparently answer enough. And, taking that as her cue, Jo clapped her hands and then disappeared into the racks again.

Lisa looked pointedly at Cassie. “What just happened?” she demanded.

“You became Project A,” Cassie answered dryly.

For the next two hours, Lisa was dragged from one clothing store to the next, her three friends swarming her with suggestions, comparisons, and a full rainbow of color. In the end, Lisa didn’t buy a single thing -- she was too uncomfortable with it, on top of still being too poor for a shopping spree -- but Jo went ahead and got her something as a gift.

Lisa damn well tried to reject it, but Jo was adamant in this. “You deserve something gorgeous, something that accents your features,” Jo told her, “even if all it does is collect dust in a drawer.”

The chosen pieces? A halter top and booty shorts. Lisa had only put them on to placate the blonde, but Jo had immediately cooed over them, calling Lisa a “hot mama” -- a term that had gotten Lisa to quickly strip them right back off as she blushed to high Heaven.

And now they were in a bag, and whether she liked it or not (she kinda liked it), she was taking them home. Y’know, to gather dust in her drawer. Nothing else. She’d never actually wear it anywhere.

Ever.

But aside from the forced clothing shopping (resulting in one parcel for Lisa and multiple for each of her three companions), it really was fun. They did a ton of talking, learning a lot about one another as they went (excluding Cassie and Jo, who already knew everything about each other), and there was a lot of laughter involved.

Twice a group of males tried to hit on them and Lisa got to watch Jocelyn and April verbally throw a smack-down on the haughty guys. It was kind of hilarious, though Lisa did feel a little bad for one of the men -- he turned beet red, looked mortified, and afterwards he slunk off, clearly nursing a bruised ego.

She hoped he’d think twice before engaging with a group of queens (and one cockroach) in the future.

Noon rolled around and they had lunch in the food court, then made another round through the mall, poking their nose into each outlet and pointing out cute or pretty or interesting things they found. At one point they were in a Spencer’s and Jo, snorting, displayed a penis-themed drinking straw.

And then -- and Lisa had no idea how this had happened -- they went out for drinks and she ended up with a fuzzy navel. Being just barely over eighteen and never having consumed alcohol before, she was understandably wary, but she went ahead and tried it anyway.

Her conclusion: fuzzy navels were amazing. It tasted so good, and maybe that was because she overheard April directing the bartender to make each drink “light”; either way, she got a strong flavor of orange and loved it.

Though she was surprised that the bartender hadn’t carded the whole group -- technically, shouldn’t they have been thrown out? Three of them were eighteen; only April was over twenty-one. Evidently the guy either didn’t care or just really wanted a sale, because he left them alone.

And, Lisa noticed, whereas April let the girls order what they wanted, she only had one drink and followed it with plain waters. By the time they were out of the bar -- now well past noon -- the drinks had gone to Lisa’s head and all she wanted anymore was to just go with the others wherever they wanted. With April as their chauffeur, they hopped from place to place, stopping wherever anyone wanted to stop.

Among the list: two specialty clothing stores, Grand Central Station, a movie theater (nothing interesting was showing) and three more bars. April was responsible, keeping away from any alcoholic beverages and even stopping the others from drinking after a certain point -- which was good cause Lisa was feeling weird by the end.

She kept having blackouts of activity and coming back to find herself (usually) in the same place she’d been when it started, which she recognized was good, but while logic dictated she should feel alarmed by that, she didn’t. At some point she realized she’d taken off her hoodie and tied it around her waist, and was surprised to notice she felt no fear or embarrassment.

It was liberating as hell, and she enjoyed it while she could.

Overall, their group just kept getting louder with time -- Jocelyn’s was the biggest voice, but Lisa soon climbed to a close second. Cassie was constantly holding Jo’s hand, too, and after a while Lisa joined in by taking Jo’s other hand.

The blonde clearly loved it, grinning and swinging their joined arms.

But, eventually, the crazy date ended. April drove Cassie home (she’d taken the bus, thankfully, and had no vehicle to retrieve), then the remaining trio went back to the Lair. They sang along with the radio on the way back, and were still singing as they climbed out of the car and faced their respective boyfriends.

Casey was clearly amused, smirking at the females, whereas Raph was struggling to hold back laughter. He immediately took Jo’s bags from her, hoisted her up over his arm, and carried her off as she giggled madly. April, being sober by now, just happily went up to her man and kissed him.

Lisa barely noticed, her admittedly spotty focus zeroing in on Mikey. She was oblivious to the shocked looks she was getting as she tossed herself at him, having forgotten about her hoodie by now.

“Miss me?” she giggled, grinning.

Mikey was clearly surprised. “You’re drunk?” he demanded.

“Nuh-uh!” she denied. “I’m buzzed. April said so.” She thought.

He didn’t seem to know how to react to that. A little concerned, he tugged her hoodie from her waist, saying, “C’mon, you should put this on.”

She whapped it away when he tried to put it on her arms, whining, “Uh-uh, it’s hot. Don’t want it.”

“Lisa,” he said, holding her chin still to keep her focused on him, “I’m tryna help you. You’ll regret this later.”

Probably, but right then she didn’t care. Stepping back, she tossed out her arms and declared, “Maybe, but right now I just wanna be free, okay?”

He didn’t look any happier, she noted. Geez, she thought, why can’t he just be happy? Raph was happy with Jo...

Sighing, Mikey came up and hefted her up in his arms. She couldn’t help a delighted laugh from the move, the rush tickling her. She was immediately confused, though; why was he taking her into the tunnels?

Perking up, she demanded, “Hey, where’re we goin’?”

“Takin’ you home,” he answered, sounding weirdly grim.

Seriously? She didn’t want to go home -- and why was he so displeased? She’d had fun all day, and now he was clouding her high.

She wriggled, trying to extricate herself from his solid grip; he gave her a sharp look, and the surprise she felt right then halted her struggles. Okay -- what the heck?

Starting to feel her eyes fill, her good mood crashing, she murmured, “What’d I do...?”

He stopped, face falling. “I just...this isn’t you,” he told her.

Says who?! Her heart was starting to ache, getting this from him. “What’s ‘this’?” she demanded, hearing her voice crack. “Me being happy? Not feeling all ashamed of myself all the time?”

“Kitten,” Mikey whined, “that’s not what I mean. You’re not--”

“--confident, powerful, or happy with myself?” she cut in.

“No--”

“I don’t wanna be that stupid girl anyway, why can’t I be someone else for a little while? Why d’you hate that?!”

“I don’t -- you’re getting this all wrong,” Mikey told her, starting to panic.

“Right -- because I’m so stupid, I can’t figure out--”

“You are not stupid, Lisa!”

Well, she certainly wasn’t smart enough to understand what he meant, was she?!

“Put me down!” she snapped, anger erasing her sorrow.

Reluctantly, he did so, and once she was on her feet she snatched her hoodie from his grasp. Once she had it on and zipped up, she spread her arms, feeling angry tears brimming as she blurted, “Happy?!”

He looked like he was going to cry, actually, and though she felt bad about that, it was too weak to battle her pique.

Scoffing, she turned and went back to the Lair, wiping at the wetness in her eyes as she went. She sought out April again, getting the other woman’s attention with a choked, “H-hey, c-can you take me h-home?”

Concern radiated off April as she got up from her seat to approach Lisa. Though April was shorter, she was also wearing heels, bringing the two up to eye level. And, as she reached out to cup Lisa’s cheek, she asked, “Are you okay? What happened?”

“Don’t wanna talk about it,” Lisa muttered. It made her chest hurt even thinking about it, anyway. “Forget it. A-anyway, can you?” she prompted.

This sucked. She’d wanted to enjoy the rest of her day with her boyfriend, had envisioned them goofing off in the skate room and challenging his brothers to WiiU games and kicking their butts. She’d wanted it so bad -- but she couldn’t be here anymore.

Knowing Mikey didn’t like her feeling uninhibited made it too painful to stay.

“Of course,” April assured her, voice gentle. Giving Lisa’s arm a tug, she led them down to the car again. It was just as well, Lisa thought; her bags were in the car, anyway.

But when she reached for the door handle, her hand was suddenly caught and pulled; Lisa found herself getting spun around, and before she had herself oriented enough to figure out what was happening, lips crashed into hers in a desperate, frantic kind of kiss.

She heard herself squeak from surprise, body locking down as her previous anger battled against affection for supremacy. She knew, without thought, that this was Mikey kissing her and that he was apologizing, in a way, and her instinctive reaction was to immediately forgive him.

She wanted to -- but her heart ached too much to just give in. She yanked her face away, covering her mouth to prevent another such apology.

Undeterred, he just held her a little tighter, moving to kiss her cheek and temple instead. Just this was persuasive enough to get her to accept him, her free arm sliding around his neck in a loose but insistent hold.

“I’m so sorry, Lisa,” he told her between pecks to her face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was just feeling scared, is all. But, hey, if you forgive me, I’ll let you beat me in Smash Bros,” he offered with a weak smile.

God, he made her want to cry. Her eyes felt like they were going to overflow any second, making him look all wobbly.

Sniffing, she muttered, “You were gonna get rid of me, though.”

Shocked, he blurted, “No -- I just wanted you to be somewhere safe while you recovered. Honest.”

“It isn’t safe here?” she pressed, her voice started to rise in pitch as her battle against sorrow steadily lost its footing.

She could feel him starting to panic again, and he actually did a little bounce in place as he fought with himself. “Well, yeah, of course it is -- b-but, y’know...it’s different,” he offered weakly.

This wasn’t helping her fragile emotional state at all. She whined, “Y-you just don’t wanna see me like this!”

Ugh, god, that was a crushing realization -- her own boyfriend didn’t want to see her as anything but the broken, weak, mousy little roach that she was! He’d just as soon get rid of her the moment she felt confident in herself!

With a panicked whine, he denied, “No -- I don’t want my brothers to see you like this!”

Like that was any better?! “Why?” she demanded, her voice rising to a sharp snap. “You think I’ll suddenly be like -- like hey, Leo, wanna shag?! You know I wouldn’t--”

“I don’t want you doing anything you’ll regret,” he told her firmly.

“Like what?!”

“Like -- I dunno, like stripping and running around naked or something! You’d regret that, you know it--”

Horrified, she shot back, “You think I’m so drunk I’d go streaking?!”

“No, but -- I dunno, I just--”

“Enough!” she snapped. “Might as well just say you don’t like me being happy with myself, cause that’s what you mean!”

All at once he looked pissed. But instead of saying anything, he instead yanked her against him and kissed her, his tongue delving past her lips.

A coil of hunger threaded right through her, undeniable even with her as incensed as she was. A part of her wanted to just bite down, teach him a lesson -- the rest of her just moaned, so easily seduced by his kiss it was pathetic. She kept trying to fight, but instead of pushing him away, she clung; instead of turning her face, she angled her head for better access; instead of making him stop, she kissed him back.

And it sent hot, needy pulses through her, coalescing between her legs and making her want to crawl up him like a vine. She might have, if he didn’t have such a strong grip on her.

By the time he drew back, she was feeling dizzy in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol she’d consumed. And though she tried to follow him, lifting his head was all it took to get out of her range. She whined, trying to pull him back down with what feeble strength she had.

Now much more calm, he murmured to her, “I love you, Lisa. You know that. I love you when you’re cute, when you’re lost in your own world, when you’re sexy, when you’re taunting me, when you share your stories with me -- and when you’re drunk. That won’t change. But I also want what’s best for you,” he added more solemnly, “and right now, that’s being somewhere where you can’t do anything to harm yourself -- physically or emotionally. That means going home. Okay?”

And now she felt like crying again -- because his words pierced her right through the heart, as real as being struck by Cupid. Sniffling, she replied, “And all I want is to be here, with you. I wanna stay. I’ll do whatever you say,” she promised with another sniffle, “I just wanna be with you.”

Now Mikey looked on the verge of tears, too. He paused, seeming to think it over, before giving her a tentative smile. “You sure about that? What if I said you gotta do log rolls from one side of the Lair to the other?”

Straightening up, she made to walk over to the main exit tunnel, ready to show him how serious she was; he caught her, keeping her from going even half a step.

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled, “you’re serious. I get it. And fine, you can stay -- but I’m so gonna take advantage of this right you just gave me. I hope you like giving shell rubs, cause you’ll be doing that for the next three hours.”

“Should I get the hot oil first?” she retorted, starting to smile.

He grinned. Then, sobering, he directed, “But first: water. Wanna get you sober again.”

“Aww,” she whined, even as she followed him, hand-in-hand.

[>>>NEXT>>>]

[bugheadgivesmelife]

Cherry Bomb - A Bughead Fanfic Part 4/??

after taking a break for a while, I decided to continue this. I’m sorry it has been so long, and I’m sorry if it isn’t what you guys were hoping for. thank you so much if you’re reading this, and I really hope you enjoy it! <3 anyways, without further ado…

———————————————————————————————————–

Betty stood before her antique, white-colored desk, glancing at her tall reflection with a little frown. After returning to her house, Betty’s mother ninja attacked her with questions on her whereabouts. Even though Betty had told her exactly where she was going and what she was doing. It’s like every time the prodigy mechanic/journalist waltzed through that red door, Alice was waiting like a predator, ready to pounce on its mostly innocent prey.

Still, the blonde teen had somehow managed to wiggle out of her mother’s ferocious interrogation like she always did. She slipped out of her greasy work clothes (an oil-stained tank top and cuffed blue jeans) and pulled on a pale, baby blue t-shirt which tucked smoothly into a cream pleated skirt. Betty nervously tugged at the hem of her skirt, uneasy with her fashion choice. Although, she could hardly consider it her fashion choice. Her mother was so controlling that she went to the length of reining over Betty’s wardrobe. While Betty could pick a limited number of garments, they still had to be approved by the strict fashion police, which just so happened to be Alice (who assigned that role to herself, of course). It was pretty insane, really. It was like that woman wanted to cover up Betty’s every flaw, polishing over it with preppy clothing - which only made Betty’s imperfections even more present. Alice was a control freak, not only over herself, but over everyone close to her. She had to be perfect, they had to be the perfect family.

That was one of the multiple reasons Betty was so self-conscious, and one of the reasons her job was so great (she actually enjoyed her work clothes, they fit her style better). She felt like the clothes Alice picked out didn’t fit her personality whatsoever. Still, she had to maintain the whole ‘perfect, good girl’ thing - at least, that’s what her mother said. Of course, those weren’t her exact words, what she actually said was ‘you have to look clean and tidy Betty, appearing organized is attractive.’ Yet, that was the one thing Betty wasn’t, and hasn’t been for a long time. The only reason Alice allowed Betty to wear her work clothes was because, hey were, in fact, for work. Plus, it’s not like Betty could do oil changes and tune-ups in a skirt. Even then, it took a lot of pleading and persuading to get her mom to let up - and she was still bitter about it. Whenever the topic of Betty’s job was brought up, her mother would make a sour expression - pursing her lips into a pout as if she tasted a tart lemon. Alice didn’t care for Betty’s part-time occupation - as if that wasn’t obvious - but it made money, and for that, the stuck-up woman couldn’t complain. 

It didn’t help that whenever Betty reluctantly agreed to going to the mall with Ronnie, <i>every time, it was like torture. Her best friend would urge her to buy something for herself, squealing about how good it would look on her. And Betty would be tempted, simply because it would feel so good to do something for herself for once - to buy something she would feel confident in, something she could wear and feel like Betty.

One time, Ronnie had managed to drag Betty to the mall since she needed some good digs. The pair had strolled from shop to shop, Veronica’s hands getting even more full with every stop. It turned out when the posh, raven-haired girl had said shoes, she meant an entire closet. At one point, they stopped at a shop because Ronnie had seen a dress on display that she ‘simply had to have’. Something on a rack had caught the Betty’s eye - a leather jacket the color of sunset in autumn when the days are on the brink of becoming shorter. She had even allowed her yearnings to take her as far as trying it on.

Looking in the mirror, Betty felt like a new person. Someone so self-assured and confident, she didn’t even recognize herself. She fell in love with the item immediately. When Veronica saw her in it, she went mad, jumping about and screaming her approval. But, much to Ronnie’s disappointment. Betty didn’t commit to it. Betty would never cave, simply because if she actually did give in to temptation and purchase something she craved, Alice would have a heart attack, but not before throwing a fit and disowning her. Betty wasn’t ready to stir that pot, not yet.

Clothes shouldn’t be used as an excuse for being shy, or anxious, but it was just one of the numerous things that Betty wished she could change about herself. So, as Betty silently judged herself before her mirror, she worried over the upcoming events of the evening that had yet to take place. She had told a bit of her past interactions with Jughead to Veronica, although, the girl had been too tied up with Reggie to give much insight. Betty had summarized the Pop’s scene, and the motorcycle fix-up, but she left out the whole drive-in scenario. She felt like that was kind of personal for Jughead, and it wouldn’t be fair of her to gossip about his family issues and whatnot. Veronica was still excited about Betty actually interacting with the male species. The social butterfly seemed to think she gave the best advice (she broadcasted it so often), and multiple times before, she had told Betty that she’s ‘missing out’ and should ‘get some action’.

Romance had never been Betty’s top priority, and she wasn’t sure if it ever would be. There had been one time, back way when - when she still played on the playground, and jumped in puddles, and climbed trees. When everything was easier and the world was still a mystery. All her childhood, Betty had pined for the boy next door, who just now happened to be her co-worker. The good-hearted ginger had been the love of her life, the one she devoted her first story to. He had been her prince charming, her knight in shining armor, her happy ever after. It was cliché, and it was pure, and it was foolish - so, so foolish. Young Betty thought he hung the moon and painted the sky, but when she couldn’t handle the tremendous weight of the truth that hung over her shoulders, everything changed.

Freshman year, Betty confessed. She had decided to do it in a public place, thinking maybe it would be easier to do it that way. When it finally came down to it, and she released the secret out in the air for all to know, Archie had brushed it away like a speck of dust. He didn’t return her feelings, apologizing for it. He gave her all he could, words of consolation, but none of it matched up to what she had given him, the one thing she had to call her own - her heart. Betty had never been so broken. After Archie had said his piece, Betty kept up her composure like she always did, but as soon as she excused herself politely and got herself to a private place, she let it all out. It was when she first started using her pain as a release, sinking her nails into the flesh of her palms. It had taken months for the blonde to talk to Archie again, but since they began to work together, Betty had to get over her grudges and adorn her perfect smile.

Betty was sure that the next time she would see Veronica, the dark-haired girl would be all over her, asking for info and details about this ‘mysterious boy’. That would be hard to answer when Betty hardly knew how she felt herself. She literally just met the brooding Serpent in the last 24 hours, and still, he was occupying a large quadrant of her mind that she should be using for writing articles and other things. Betty kept telling herself the reason she was thinking about him so often was because she was about to -possibly - see him again. She didn’t let herself think about how interesting he was, with the classic, dark style. She didn’t let herself ponder about his quirky beanie that appeared to be glued to his inky locks.

Betty quietly made her way out of her room, tip toeing down the wooden stairs with focused caution. Maybe, just maybe, this once, she would be able to escape the house without her mother butting in. But…as predicted, the woman with the hearing of a bat appeared. Abruptly, Alice slithered right before Betty’s path. Betty gasped in surprise, which nearly snowballed into a frustrated scream. She curled her fingers tightly, feeling them fit perfectly into the familiar crescents on her palms which have been worn in after years of pent up emotions screaming to break free. Betty continued to clench her hands into fists, gritting her teeth as her nails dug into the tender flesh. Betty forced a fake smile, eyes hard.

“Where are you going? It’s late,” Alice snapped in a curt tone. 

“I’m going over to Pop’s with Veronica. We wanted to catch up over a milkshake,” Betty lied smoothly, this wasn’t her first time. Lying wasn’t bad when it was for the greater good, right? This article was important, and Jughead needed an explanation on some things. Plus, she had to see him again, especially after the latest interaction. Betty had the urge to make sure he was okay, or, at least in decent condition. He had looked so crushed before, nothing like his usual cocky self.

Alice gave her a skeptical look, eyes squinting as she looked her daughter over. Betty shifted her weight from foot to foot, impatient for her answer. God, did this woman know how to torture people. Finally, Alice gave Betty a begrudging nod, signaling her release. “Fine, but you have to be back by no later than 11:00,” Alice ordered, wagging a threatening finger in Betty’s face. While most children would groan at the early curfew, eleven was pretty flexible considering who Betty’s mother was. Betty gave her mother a genuine grin in response, bouncing to the door. She left with a little wave, ponytail swinging as she shut the door and skipped down the stairs. Betty hopped into her red Camaro, waking it up with the turn of her keys. It was a ten minute drive to Pop’s, but that day it felt like an hour since her nerves were so high.

When Betty arrived, she rushed out of her rickety car to the front door of the diner. She had to calm herself before opening the door, her hands were shaking with anticipation. Betty scolded herself for the way she was acting, you would think she was about to go skydiving or something. She took a deep breath as she scoured the inside of the building, ignoring all the people who weren’t wearing a crown like beanie. Jughead wasn’t there yet, after glancing around the room three times, she finally gave up and sat down at a booth by herself. Betty reached up and separated her ponytail into two parts, pulling them apart to make it tighter. The little act soothed her a bit, making her feel more put together.

After fifteen minutes, Betty started to become antsy again. She bounced her leg under the table, causing the seat to shake. A woman on the other side of the seat, sharing the booth opposite from her turned around to give the distressed girl an annoyed stare. Betty ducked her head, immediately putting a halt to the vibrating. She apologized hastily, only to find Jughead sitting on the other side of the booth when she turned back around. Betty let out a little gasp, bonking her knee against the table when she jumped, heart racing. A hand flew to her chest, as if she could steady her uneven pulse by pressing a hand to her heart. Jughead’s eyebrows inclined in inquiry and slight amusement, a small smirk charming his brooding features.

Betty scowled at him, wondering just how he materialized out of thin air. “What are you? A magician?” Betty barked in irritation, heaving a huge sigh. Jughead leaned back retrospectively, crossing his arms over his chest, smirk growing wider. Although, his notorious cheeky grin wasn’t as authentic as it usually was. Betty chided herself for noting the difference, she was just supposed to be here to talk about the article, not get invested in his emotions. Once again, she had to remind herself that she had only just met him the other day.

“Actually, I’m a wizard,” Jughead corrected sarcastically, but his voice was slightly gravelly - as if he hadn’t gotten any sleep that morning and his exhaustion stuck with him all day.

Betty rolled her green eyes, shaking her head, which caused her blonde ponytail to swish back and forth. She tried not to let her mild concern show. Jughead leaned forward, resting his crossed, leather-clad arms on the table. The weary smirk left his face, suddenly becoming serious, and just a bit sullen - another emotion which Betty regretfully noted. Jughead was the first to speak again, addressing the elephant in the room. “So, why did you tell me to come here, Betty?” Jughead inquired, staring her down with his slate grey eyes. A shiver walked down Betty’s spine without her authority and she shrugged, unable to form words while staring into his gaze. She looked away, trying to grasp a coherent sentence, but the slippery words didn’t want to piece together.

“I’m writing an article on the drive-in and its shut down. I wanted to ask you some questions, but not before filling you in on what I know. After what happened before…” Betty trailed off hesitantly, before continuing. “I just thought you’d like to hear some things, I don’t know how much you’re aware of.”

Jughead just stared at her quizzically, before nodding nonchalantly. Betty took that as a green light, and told him what she knew - about how when she went to the drive in to investigate, FP told her he was there to shoo away customers. His reasoning was so that it could be sold easier, thus meaning he could maybe get Jughead to come back home considering that was where he was staying temporarily. Betty still couldn’t get over that fact - that he had been living in a drive in by himself. It broke her heart and revealed a new part of him that she had never seen before. FP had said the buyer was anonymous, and no one knew who actually purchased he property, which was one of the major answers Betty was digging for, although, she highly doubted Jughead knew.

Betty told him about her article, and why she was writing it. She wanted to fight back against the new owner of the lot, force them to realize that there were people who didn’t want to drive in to be taken down - people who cherished memories of breezy summer nights, the musty scent of dust that was somehow comforting, classic movies that never got old, and even, the thrill of a first kiss. Jughead nodded along to her speech, which had somewhat transformed into a rant once she really got into it - her passion for the place blindingly clear. She wanted an example of someone who adored the drive in for what it was, which Jughead fit perfectly. Once she finished explaining, Betty started her casual questioning. She didn’t want him to think this was like an interrogation of sorts, so she tried to keep it light, staying away from sensitive subjects.

“So, how long have you been going to the drive-in?” Betty asked as she pulled her pen and paper out of her khaki cross-body purse. Jughead shifted in his seat, either out of discomfort or in an attempt to get comfortable. 

“We used to go when I was a kid - my family and I - ever since I could remember. It was something we did every Saturday. I guess you could call it a tradition. It was always my favorite part of the week, it was what I looked forward to. When we were actually there it always lived up to my expectations, the dirt that wedged it’s way into the crevices of our clothing no matter where you sat, the licorice twists and stale, buttery popcorn, the flickering of the projector as the wheel began to spin - most of all, the anticipation of the lights dimming and the movie starting. Back then, it seemed magical. It still is, but not for long,” Jughead relinquished in a distant voice, obviously reminiscing childhood memories, while Betty scurried to jot down each and every juicy word. It was exactly what Betty had been looking for - gold - and it was only the first question. If she hadn’t been supposed to write everything down, she’d be in awe at his way with words, almost like it was an art. To be honest, the blonde journalist was a bit envious of this skill that he kept behind closed doors. That was definitely not what she had expected from the Serpent.

Betty nodded, glad to find that her mouth hadn’t fallen open in surprise. Although, her features did display a faint hint of shock, her green eyes a tad bit wider than they had been before his recollection. Jughead was too caught up in memories of the past to notice, grey eyes stormy with clouds of time gone by. She noticed a hue of wistfulness, as if he yearned to go back to being a child. Sometimes Betty wished she could, too. Back then, everything was easier. The monsters stayed away and the world was good. That wasn’t the case anymore.  Betty cleared her throat quietly to hook Jughead’s attention, before volleying him another basic question. Yet, she figured after that detailed response he gave, she wouldn’t need much more. Betty had prepared for the brash, witty Jughead she had met not long ago - not this complex stranger sitting before her. 

“What do you think of the drive-in closing?” Betty inquired, yet the answer was obvious. Jughead raised an eyebrow at her, arching it in a way that said ‘you’re kidding, right?’ Betty bobbed her head, urging him on. She needed his response to put in the article, having a quote (especially from him) would help with stimulating the article. A waiter brought a coffee to the table, leading Betty to the conclusion that he must’ve ordered it before seating himself and startling the living daylights out of her. Jughead took a long sip, before leaning back once more and sighing deeply. He readjusted the knit beanie atop his head, then delved back into it.

“I think it’s bullshit.” Jughead stated offhandedly. Betty made a disapproving sound, glancing up from her pad to toss him a sharp glare. Jughead’s eyes were narrow slits, rolling them in frustration. “Oh, my bad. I forgot the princess was present.” Betty flinched at his words, her knuckles turning white as she harshly gripped her notebook. She hated that name, or any name similar to it. Betty was far from perfect, and far from a princess - and she despised acting like it, being someone who she wasn’t. It was like someone mixing you up with the wrong person, but thinking that’s who you were for all your life - calling you by the correct name, but with completely unrealistic expectations. The notebook was improvising as a shield for her palms, so carving her nails into the paper as a substitute of her skin would have to suffice. She bore her eyes into her notebook, staring hard at her scribbled handwriting. Noticing Betty strain, Jughead’s taut features softened just a bit. He sighed again. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you, okay? I’ve just been having a hard time is all. That doesn’t mean I have the right to let it out on you. Let’s just wrap this up,” Jughead withdrew. Betty nodded, letting out a ragged breath as she loosened her iron grip. He was right. She didn’t know how much pain he was in, especially after everything that happened to him. He had the right to be upset. Hell, he had the right to be angry, furious even. Betty knew she would be.

“You can swear, I’ll just have to censor it out. Sometimes kids read the paper, and I just don’t want them to learn new potty words from our paper, you know? Anyways, you can keep going when you want,” Betty disclosed, reasserting her pen and paper. Once she was situated, Jughead started for the last time.

“It’s unfair that the drive-in is being shut down without the consent of the town. There should be a vote of some kind, or something more democratic. I wasn’t even aware of the drive-in being sold until it was already bought, and by then, it had been too late. There are still people and families who enjoy spending time there and watching old school films that aren’t on TV anymore. If we lose this part of Riverdale, we lose a part of its charm, a part of its history. It would be a shame and a waste and I find it revolting that someone could tear it down without batting an eye at what’s at stake,” Jughead huffed out. He hadn’t realized he was leaning so far forward that he was practically out of his seat until he reeled himself out of his second rant, this one much more vehement. He seated himself rightfully again, leaning against the window and looking out of it until Betty finished writing.

When Betty was done, she glanced up to stare at Jughead, completely in awe. This was the last thing she had expected from him, and she was delightfully surprised. She found her heart beating rapidly against her chest, enthralled by his fierce drive and motivation - much similar to hers. Betty had the sudden desire to pull him close to her, comfort them both in a way that they both so desperately desired. Yet, she fought her immediate urges to get close to him, instead putting up her notebook and pen. When she finished, she called out to him to get his fragmented attention.

“I’m gonna go…” Betty trailed off, wanting to add so many things. Like, ‘when can I see you again?’ and ‘will you be okay?’ and ‘you’re attractive,’ but instead she went with “This article should be finished soon. I’m planning on finishing it either later tonight or tomorrow morning. Should I let you know when it’s done?” 

Jughead shrugged coolly, then nodded. “Sure, why not. Maybe I’ll swing by, say, at 8:00 in the morning? Is that enough time?” He asked in a way that almost made it sound like a date. It was foolish and hopeless, especially considering the circumstances and the fact that it totally was not a date, but Betty’s feeble heart twirled around, doing a little dance. She grinned a little too much, beaming somewhat, and Jughead tried so hard not to give her his melting heart right on the spot - but, as it turned out, it was already hers anyways.

Betty stood up, gathering her things. She faltered, hesitating before the booth as unspoken words that needed to be said filled her head. She had so many things to tell him, so many things to ask him, but none would pass her lips. Jughead attempted to help her out, giving her a curious look. 

“Is there something else?” Jughead asked.

“I just wanted to…uh…thank you for coming here. You didn’t have to, but you did anyways, and that was nice of you. So…thanks,” Betty blurted out, her words all rushed and stumbling over each other. It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind of saying, but at least it wasn’t something completely idiotic.

Jughead smiled, really smiled, and it was the first time Betty had ever seen that genuine expression light up his dark features. It was all teeth and bright eyes, lopsided just a bit to the point where he nearly resembled a puppy. It made her knees weak, her stomach lurch out of her abdomen, and her heart go ricocheting all over the place - throbbing like crazy. Betty’s breath hitched, and she prayed to everything good that it wasn’t audible. He shrugged again, like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Only for you, Bets. Trust me, I wouldn’t have come if it were anyone else. I know the drive-in’s in good hands with you,” Jughead vouched, his face and words both capsized by honesty. Betty wanted to throw her arms around him, and squeal with glee at the same time. She was so flustered, and the red blush burning her cheeks and neck spoke for itself. Those words meant the world to her, and for whatever reason, it meant even more coming from him. It felt so amazing to have his approval, yet she had been so unaware of it. Betty couldn’t hide the goofy, but slightly shy smile from spreading across her face heated. 

“Thanks, Juggie. That means a lot,” Betty affirmed, unable to keep the giddy grin off her face. She wanted a way to show him just how much it meant to her. Betty fumbled around for a moment, just standing there as she tried to find a way to display her heartfelt emotions. On a whim, she leaned quickly leaned forward and pecked a chaste kiss on his cheek, just above one of his cute moles. She gave him a bright smile and dashed away before her action could register to either of them. When his brain started functioning again, the stupidest smile took ahold of Jughead’s face. Even as he walked out to his bike, it wouldn’t go away. She had kissed him, Betty had kissed him. His world was crashing down around him, but none of that mattered. Betty was there, and she was everything he could imagine and more. She was his light, and he was so ready to blindly follow it to the end of the world.

[my-words-are-light]

Knowing (a Dame Daffodil fanfiction)

So I’ve been reading Dame Daffodil for a while now. I can’t exactly remember how I found it but I am most certainly not complaining; it’s just the light, fluffy, heroic and optimistic magical girl story I was looking for. Not that such adjectives stopped me from writing this but I enjoy the webcomic all the same.

So I dedicate this fanfic to @sakura-rose12. Thanks, Hayley! Every Monday’s a pleasure with Dame Daffodil!

Anselmo had little choice but to keep waiting in front of the grocery store. He liked spending his weekends doing nothing but this was a lot more tiring and painful than normal, primarily thanks to the bags hanging from his arm. Plus, Anselmo doing nothing typically involved being on his own, not standing in the middle of a shopping mall looking like an idiot. It was much better to do nothing back home.

Sadly, there was another piece of baggage he needed before he could leave: Charo, his little sister.

Where did she run off to this time? He told her to meet him right here after she got back from the toilet. He wouldn’t put it past her to get distracted but the mall was a big place; who knows where she could have gone?

A quick scan over the shuffling sea of heads failed to find that of Charo’s. A pair did catch his bored attention, though; a little boy talking with a middle-aged man—probably his dad—in front of a claw machine. He couldn’t make out what they were saying but, judging by the boy’s bright red tear-stricken face and the dad thrusting his open palm forward in a ‘Stop!’ motion, he imagined he wouldn’t be too far off the mark in guessing the kid wanted to play with the claw and his dad was saying no.

Anselmo thanked his lucky stars. He couldn’t hear the kid crying from all the way over here. A shame the stars weren’t helping him find Charo.

... Wait, there she was. In the distance, Charo was walking towards the boy and dad. His happy-go-lucky sister, completely oblivious to his (admittedly distant) shock, walked up to the machine and put a coin in it, most likely a coin he gave her to use on something for herself. She then waved goodbye to the child and parent, who had stopped crying and being angry respectively, and strolled merrily back to her dear big brother.

“Hey Momo!” she greeted in her usual sickeningly saccharine style with that stupid nickname. “Did you get every—”

“Where have you been?” he asked her.

“I went to the toilet, like I said. Took a while.”

He looked down at her palms and knees. They were scuffed all over. Sure she went to the toilet. You always got scuffed from going to the toilet.

“I tripped.” Playful as she was, she was observant enough to notice him looking at her new injuries. He was very certain they were new; no way could she pull the ‘I had them before, you must have missed them’ junk again. At least she had the good grace to not try.

But they’ve danced this dance before. He knew she wouldn’t say a thing no matter how much he prodded. It was better to bury it and move on. “I have been here for ten minutes.” He lifted the grocery bags up to her face. “Do you have any idea how heavy these are?”

“Hm...” Charo narrowed her eyes at the bag and rubbed her chin. It was hard to tell if she was really into it or if she was making fun of him. “Well, a hero bears the weight of the world on their shoulders so... I guess it’s kinda heavy?”

He still couldn’t tell. “Close enough. Let’s go.”

The two of them disembarked and made their way to the mall’s exit. On the way there, Charo looked this way and that at every store, every stall, every person, and every other thing with the same level of enthusiasm she had when she first came here with him so many years ago. She—and he as well—hadn’t been in many of the stores but she’d walked through here many times. Even so, she still smiled with an enchanted satisfaction like she was making a new discovery.

Not like everyone else. The other folks near them were impatient and quick, frowning and grumpy, focused and inattentive of their surroundings. Well, not the kids; they were fresh and excited for the most part. But the adults had somewhere they knew they wanted to be and they didn’t make time for anything else, probably because they only had so much of it before their parking expired. They didn’t look around or take in the mall like Charo did. They didn’t care at all.

“Ooh! Hey, Momo?”

Oh no.

“Momo?”

Oh no. “What?”

“Can we have lunch there?”

Anselmo took a deep, mentally-preparing breath before he brought himself to look. What restaurant caught her eye?

Sushi Supreme! said the six-foot sign above the entrance, displayed entirely in white letters and surrounded with red and blue. Is nothing sacred...?

“Why there?” It wasn’t even new. The pair had passed by it every time they came in here and it never failed to make Anselmo inwardly cringe at how loud and extravagant it looked. Yet Charo was looking at it so intensely, leaning slightly forward all the while, that you’d think it was her first time seeing it.

“Because I haven’t been there before.”

“Same, and that’s the problem.” The big brother turned to the little sister. Not that she’d listen to him any more for it but it just felt right to him. “I’m hungry, annoyed, and tired. Therefore, I want to go somewhere I’ve been before so I can rest easy knowing I’ll enjoy what I get. I don’t want to roll the dice with something I might hate.”

“But it could be an adventuuuuuuuuuuuure!” Charo’s eyes had a habit of sparkling when she wanted to be heroic or adventurous, which was so often that Anselmo wasn’t unconvinced his sister wasn’t some adopted fusion reactor. At least she tried to appeal to the dead sense of adventure in him, as poor and blatant an attempt as it was. Most kids just sulked or cried if they didn’t get what they wanted. Case in point, the claw machine earlier.

... Oh what the hell. That’s the sort of attitude you reward someone for.

---

Most people like to talk while they wait for their meal. Not Anselmo; he preferred to be left to his thoughts. Speaking was strictly reserved for things that needed to be said, and they had to be massive fire-breathing elephants in the room to warrant being talked about. He liked his quiet time; he wished he got more of it. Too bad Charo sapped it away like a mosquito.

Rather than let him be, Charo captured his brother’s attention with how she used one of her chopsticks (tacky bright red and blue chopsticks with giant red balls on the end, at that; this place was an abomination) to go through the menu’s items one by one, carefully reading each. Without fail, every single one would make her smile in an I-can’t-wait-to-eat-this kind of way. Much like everything else, every single food was a new discovery just waiting to be discovered.

Alright, he couldn’t resist. He cracked a small smile.

“What are you going to have?” she asked.

“I’ll have the soy chicken rice.” Truthfully, Anselmo glanced through the menu precisely once and picked out the one thing he could understand that he’d hate the least. He could’ve asked Charo for a recommendation if he cared enough. “You?”

“I dunno...” She tapped the side of her chin with her chopstick. “I’m stuck between the norimaki-no-umiou, the... um...” After squinting at her menu, she sighed in resignation and turned it to show her brother while pointing at an item with the same chopstick. “Do you know how to say this one?”

“As it turns out, no.” He didn’t actually take a deep look at the words—partly because the chopstick was insanely distracting—but he was very willing to guess they were far beyond his ability to pronounce.

Charo looked around at her surroundings. She didn’t have that lustre of discovery about her, though. Well, you can’t be excited about everything. “You know, this doesn’t really feel like a genuine Japanese restaurant.”

“What gave you that idea?” Anselmo himself got it from the chairs, which felt like they were ripped right out from an ‘80s arcade. Their poles even had swirling red and blue strip—

CRASH! went somewhere out in the mall as a tremendous rumbling shook the restaurant. Anselmo held tight to the table whereas Charo wisely prioritised gripping her chopsticks.

Anselmo looked around as the aftershock rattled on. “What was—”

“ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” wailed several shoppers that ran by their window away from the roar. Some stumbled and tripped and most of them were left behind by the others to fend for themselves, with the exception of more fortunate trippers that were approached and summarily helped up by someone else before they ran off together.

Through the window on the opposite side of the restaurant, Anselmo and Charo saw a black shape that they couldn’t see the top of thanks to the thick window frames. All they could see was that the shape widened the higher they looked and its tendrils, seemingly prehensile, danced and coiled as if searching for something to touch. Both the tendrils and body were sprinkled with dirt and ceramic. It must’ve burst from the ground.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding...?!” muttered Anselmo, pushing back into his chair as if it would help protect him. It was stupid but he wished his little sister would at least try something for self-preservation; she looked over the back of her chair at the beast as it impaled the ground with its tendrils and lifted itself up, probably out of a hole it made.

Ding-ding-ding! rang the bell at the counter. “Don’t panic, people!”

Everyone in the restaurant looked towards the speaker, the attendant woman with her black hair in a low bun. She held up her hands flat, a gesture widely understood to mean ‘calm the hell down while monsters are afoot while you’re not yet underfoot’.

“Stay calm. You’ll be okay,” she assured in an assertive yet gentle manner. “This shop has an emergency exit. Take your time and leave in an orderly and timely fashion. I promise you, it will be okay.”

The instructions were clear. Reasonable, too. And the woman must have had plenty of experience with situations like this, given how she handled it like a professional. Really, the delivery couldn’t have been any better, so it was hardly surprising that the customers didn’t hear anything beyond ‘emergency exit’ and ran for it like water down a funnel. Eh, points for effort on the attendant’s part.

“Come on, Charo!” said Anselmo as he gripped his sister’s hand and pulled her along after the others.

“Wait, Momo! You forgot the shopping!” He was never quite sure how she could worry about that at a time like this but it never surprised him.

“I’ll buy it again later! It costs less than a doctor’s visit!”

“Ugh, Momo...! All our meals for the week are in there!”

“Not really that big of a deal right now!” He made it out of the restaurant. She was still inside but only by a single step so she was figuratively out.

“But I can—”

“CHARO!” He turned to roar in her face. “We are leaving this place and we are leaving NOW!”

They came to a stop. He was outside glaring down at her. She was inside looking up at him, aghast and still. He had never yelled at her so angrily. He’d shout, like when he called everyone who saw a monster a drunk. He’d hit her, like when she got her daffodil hairclip and he left her with a swell so big and round that she put a beanie on it just to see what it would look like (it was tacky but cool).

But not once had he ever been angry and... spiteful towards her.

“Momo...?” she said so quietly.

“Charo,” he began again with a cleaving voice, “we’re going to the car and we are driving away from here and going home where it’s safe. This is not up for debate.”

“But...” Normally, she was much more passionate about this. She shone when she was needed the most and her excited spirit would carry through her voice. But Anselmo hammered her down with just eleven words. “They’re right in there. I can just duck in—”

“You will not go in there and risk your life. This is not up for debate.”

He was being so cold to her. Honestly, it... annoyed her. “What is your problem? Just trust me on this!”

“Trust you? Why?” He was inflamed again. “You’re getting hurt and coming home with new injuries every week and I have no idea where they’re from! You don’t tell me anything! I’ve let it go so far but, if you think I’m just going to let you run back in there with a monster, then you know me as much as I know you!”

“Momo—”

“Shut UP! I DON’T CARE!”

As he was about to yank on her arm, a crack from above caught their attention and not a moment too soon because the wall was coming down. They both backed away, with Anselmo covering his eyes with his arm.

“AHH!”

Anselmo’s eyes snapped up. That was Charo’s scream. She wasn’t there. A pile of debris had fallen. Dirt and gravel had kicked up, irritating his eyes. The emergency exit doorframe had fallen and the door itself had huge dents in its sides. What used to be an ordinary looking exit door had become a misshapen hole around a ruined door and a pile of broken bricks and mortar.

But he couldn’t see Charo.

He couldn’t hear her.

Where...?

“Charo?”

He muttered the name quietly, more as a password to himself than a call for her. Fittingly so, it activated him from his shock.

“Charo?! CHARO!”

He leapt right into the debris. He dug his fingers into any loose piece he could find and flung it away. However sore his fingers got, however much they ached or bled, he tore into the pile that separated his sister from her.

“ARE YOU OKAY?! CHARO, ANSWER ME! PLEASE!”

---

To Charo, everything was muffled. After the debris fell, everything sounded like she was underwater. Her head ached too; something must’ve fell on it, maybe a loose stone or something. Whatever it was, it gave her a massive headache and it was probably bleeding.

Oh yeah, and her foot hurt as well. It got caught under the debris but it didn’t break. How lucky was she? It was still hard to get it out, though.

“Nngh...” She couldn’t hear her own grunting. Something else was drowning out all the sound, like a current beating against her knocked mind. She forced herself up—well, to the best of her ability, anyway—and looked around.

Everything was blurry. She blinked a couple of times. When that didn’t work, she gave them a rub. Everything was still blurry but slightly less so. That would have to do. At least she could make out the black mass beyond the broken windows. That white mesh of cracks really made a good contrast with it.

Alright, enough with appreciating coincidental aesthetics. Time to be a hero.

---

As she left the mall, victorious in her battle, Dame Daffodil could feel the phantom pains from her head and foot. It’d be risky to transform back and suffer a potential trip and fall but, once she found Momo, she could simply relax as they drove home together.

Momo... Although Momo could be a bit stubborn and opinionated and a grump who told her she couldn’t just save people because he was a meanie, he was always... ‘big brotherly’ about it? Wait, no. Well, he always cared... No, that doesn’t sound right either. The thing is, he was never hostile. He looked after her when she was sick, right down to getting emergency chocolate and hot water bottles. He would never yell at her... so what happened now?

She’d have to think about that later. Right now, she needed to transform back and get to Momo... who just flew around the corner and came to a sudden stop, killing that plan in its infancy. She almost wished he didn’t look at her. Yet again he wore an uncomfortably new expression; his eyes were wide and his complexion was pale. His fingers were covered in grit and his fingernails were dark, like they were bruised or bleeding.

‘Dame Daffodil...’ he mouthed before speaking the words proper. “Dame Daffodil! Did you see a little girl inside?”

“Huh?”

“Brown hair, brown eyes, brown hair in a ponytail, kind of like yours but darker.”

As he listed off Charo’s most identifiable characteristics at a frenzied rate, Daffodil hoped as strongly as she could that he didn’t make any connections.

“She...” In his mania, it was only now that it occurred she wasn’t responding to him. “You didn’t see her...?” His eyes began to widen again. Oh no. She could tell what conclusion he was about to reach.

“Hey, hey, don’t worry!” she intervened, grabbing his hand. Although it felt weird to be cheering him up like this, she smiled at him. “Now that you mention it, I saw someone like that running through the mall. She was probably running away. That’s it!”

Upon hearing that, Momo... was still really tense, actually. But in a different way. He was excited from sheer panic but the panic started to subside. “She’s... alive? You mean it? You actually saw her, okay? Unharmed?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” she answered while crossing her heart. You have to be committed to what you say if you’re a hero.

“But... why isn’t she here...?”

Okay, how to answer this one...? Ah, easy. “I wish I knew. But I think she’ll just be at home waiting… for...”

She drifted off. He wasn’t listening to her anymore. Well, at least she thought he wasn’t. He was beginning to bend over while clenching his eyes shut and holding his chest. She took a step back when he fell on his knees.

“Whoa! Are you okay?” she asked.

“Just...” He took a breath. “The... emergency exit... It fell on her... I th-thought...” He took a shaky breath. “She’s really alright...?”

“Y-Yeah... I promise...” Daffodil hoped he didn’t take her hesitation as lying. The truth was that she had never seen him so hurt, so close to breaking. He was so cool, so composed, so tall and witty; she thought he was insurmountable. And yet here he was crying over the ground. This wasn’t the Momo she knew...

“Hey, you might want to go home,” she suggested. “And drink some water, too. You need to keep hydrated with the way you are now.”

Without raising his head, he slowly nodded.

“...” She crouched down next to him. “Are you going to be okay? I can stay as long as you need me to.”

“No... I’ll be fine. I’ll take your advice, just... go home, see my sister, relax...” Momo pushed himself off the ground, even if it was kind of shaky, and stood up. His eyes were calmer than before but that somehow made them all the scarier. It was like they were close to death. “And I wouldn’t want to keep you from important things, anyway.”

“Hey, don’t worry about that. Everyone’s important! But, if you’re sure you’ll be okay, then I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, alright...” He turned away and raised his hand in a half-hearted wave. “Bye.”

The first thought that came to mind was that it would be nice if he treated her with a bit more admiration, seeing as she was a superhero. The second thought was... she didn’t know what word described it. She just saw a side of her brother that she didn’t even know existed.

But she couldn’t afford to dwell on it. She told him she was home and so she needed to be. But the first thing she needed was a safe place to transform back. She could use her empowered state to get home more quickly but that was risky; she was the celebrity superhero Dame Daffodil, after all, and people would approach her. She’d have to risk the painful walk.

---

Getting home took even longer than Charo thought it would. It occurred to her shortly after transforming back that a teenage girl limping home on a sore foot would probably get someone to call an ambulance or something, so she had to be careful to not be seen anyway. At least it attracted less attention than the illustrious Dame Daffodil walking the streets.

But it worked out in the end. Finally, after almost an hour of walking/limping, she was in front of her home… but Momo’s car wasn’t in the driveway. Did he go somewhere?

She’d find out. She opened her front door and announced herself. “I’m home!”

No answer.

“Okay…?” The house was eerily quiet. Or maybe the house wasn’t eerie itself but only because of what happened today with her and her brother. Or maybe her house was haunted! That’d be cool. Inconvenient, because she lived in it and she didn’t want to smite the evil that was where she slept and ate, but it’d still be cool.

She decided to look around. First things first, the kitchen because boy was she hungry. Nothing was out of the ordinary. She got a slice of bread out of the cupboard and a slice of cheese from the fridge and folded the bread on it. It wasn’t much but it was a nice snack for idling or wandering.

She made her way to the lounge room. Still nothing out of the ordinary. Their mugs were still on the coffee table (on coasters, mind you, because markings are gross) from when they watched TV that morning.

After she dropped the mugs off at the kitchen sink, she made her way to the bedrooms. She opened the door to her brother’s and peeked inside. She didn’t step inside, though, because that would be an invasion of privacy. Still no sign of her brother.

Charo scoured the house from front to back. Not a single thing looked different from when she and Momo left. Did he even come home? She went to the lounge room again and sat down on the couch. Jeez, her foot was killing her. It’d be best for her to stay home for a few days while she healed up. She knew Momo would say as much. Not that she took such messages to heart.

... With a monster running rampant and people in danger, someone needed to do something, right? So why was Momo holding her back? Then again, she was just a sixteen year-old girl who had no business getting involved with that kind of thing. Ostensibly, anyway; she was Dame Daffodil, after all, and she could hold her own.

She could never tell Momo that. It was her secret identity. So when monsters ran rampant and needed to be taken care of, she came up with different excuses for why she suddenly had new injuries. ‘I fell off a tree trying to help down a cat’. ‘Someone dropped their keys down the drain and I scratched my face on the gravel trying to get them back’. ‘I wanted to pet a cat and it bit me’. She started keeping a list of excuses on her phone so that she wouldn’t repeat them and get suspicious.

Just then, the door opened with an accompanying sigh and slow, lumbering footsteps.

“Momo?” Charo called out.

A moment’s pause. Footsteps rapidly travelled to the lounge room and, sure enough, her brother came in. His eyes widened as he saw her lying on the couch, safe and sound and serene. “Charo...” he breathed.

Deciding to take a tactful approach, Charo softly lifted her hand and waved. “Hey. Where’ve you been?”

“I was out looking for you. Everywhere.” He must’ve been driving around town instead of going straight home like she told him to. “Where have you been?”

She bit her lip and wiggled her foot. “Just got home.”

He looked at her foot and his brow furrowed. “How...?”

“The debris fell on it.”

Momo’s harsh gaze moved back to her face. His chest rose and sank with every deep breath through his nose.

In spite of that, Charo managed a grin. “Hey, Momo—”

“Why did you go back in there?”

It was painful to meet her brother’s eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the bags...”

Momo pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course he would; he never agreed with anything like that. “Charo…” When he removed his hand from his face, he bore the same expression she saw back at the mall when she was Dame Daffodil. This time, however, his eyes were soft with relief. He got down on his knee, making himself level with his resting sister, and placed his hand on her shoulder while looking at her with a shaky smile. “I don’t care about the bags. I’m just so glad you’re okay…”

A method of restraining a cat was to hold it by the back of the loose skin around its neck, which typically left the cat immobile. Charo certainly felt that way; this was incredibly gentle by her brother’s standards. Not that she minded affection but the context was unfamiliar to her. “Um…”

“I’m four years older than you. That means I’ve had four years to relax without you and the other sixteen were spent making sure you didn’t cause a traffic jam pileup by running after birds on the road.” His grip tightened on her shoulder, not painfully but securely. “I know I can be a bit rough… I’m sorry for what I said earlier… but I want you to know that I have never regretted those years.”

“What… What are you trying to say?”

“Charo, when the wall came down, I thought you... died. I thought that, after looking after you for so long and watching you become who you are now… I thought… it was all gone… and that I failed to protect you…”

Charo was taken aback by her brother’s incredibly sentimental attitude. She managed a smile and placed her hand on his gripping her shoulder. She gave it a firm and reassuring squeeze. “Sorry for making you worry, Momo. But I can handle myself. I’ve told you that.”

With a sigh, Momo withdrew his hand. “You tell me a lot of things.”

He stood up and lumbered towards the wall away from her. He balanced himself against it with one hand, holding his forehead with the other. Charo could only see his back as he collected himself, whereas she rested on the couch with a sore foot which she got from an accident that, truth be told, could have claimed her life right before Momo’s eyes.

“… Wait, Momo.”

Her big brother looked over his shoulder at her. She swung her legs off the couch and stood up, wincing as the pain from her foot flared up.

He sighed again. “You didn’t even bandage that. Hang on, I’ll go get the—”

“No, Momo, please,” she asserted. “You’re right. I have been lying to you. I was doing it for you, I promise you… but I didn’t want to make you feel this way. I’m sorry. I don’t want to do that again. So I’ll show you the truth, for the both of us. I don’t want any more secrets.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Momo raised his eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. But she said she’d ‘show’ him the truth, not ‘tell’. He didn’t pick up on that but he’d come to know what she meant.

Time to be a hero.

With that thought in her mind, warmth bloomed from her daffodil hairpin and ran through her entire body, soon to be accompanied by a bright light that encompassed her form and illuminated the room. The warmth and light draped her and her clothes like a blanket, and her form changed accordingly. She couldn’t see it for herself but the edges of the fabrics she casually wore changed; the feeling of her sleeves on her biceps or the legs of her shorts on her thighs became the feel of straps on her shoulders, ruffles of her dress on her thighs, and bands on her wrists.

When the light died and Momo stopped covering his eyes with his hand, the brown-haired girl had vanished from the room. Standing in her place, at the exact same height with the exact same face and the (almost) exact same hairstyle but entirely different clothes and hair colour, was...

“Dame Daffodil…?” Momo exclaimed. “But Charo was right there… Wait, but… Do you… Oh…”

Daffodil had to stifle her giggling. Her transformation had a glamour effect that stopped people from recognising the obvious similarities between her and Charo. For obvious reasons, she never showed her secret to anyone else. Looking at her brother’s bewildered eyes gradually widen in realisation, she knew it was a true pity she’d only enjoy this once.

“YOU’RE DAME DAFFODIL?!” Momo screamed.

“Hey, shh! Neighbours!” she hissed.

He immediately covered his mouth. “Sorry, sorry…! But… You’re Dame Daffodil?”

She nodded. “Sorry to just spring this on you. No pun intended, because spring and flowers and—oh forget it.”

“No, it’s… oh…” He walked over to a seat and fell straight down into it. “So this is why you get a new injury every day?”

“Yep.”

He massaged his forehead. “And this is because of a hairpin you just so happened to see in a shop window for three pounds?”

“Yep.”

He looked up at the roof—presumably beyond it towards the sky—with great indignation. “What? Are you bored up there?”

With that introduction out of the way, Dame Daffodil transformed back into Charo and lied back on the couch. “So that’s pretty much it. I’m… really sorry for lying to you. I hope you understand.”

Momo lied back against his chair. “… I do. That’s the sort of thing you need to keep secret from everyone so they don’t blab to anyone else.”

“No, no, I should have told you…” Charo rolled over, turning her back to her brother. “I trust you. I really do. I just… I got so into this superhero thing and everything that came with it and I didn’t think it through. I’m really sorry, Momo…”

“Charo. Look at me.”

She rolled back over.

He gave her a small grin. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It’s water under the bridge. Like your time of the month.”

She snorted. “Only this won’t come back.”

“Well, now that you mention it, it still needs to be dealt with.” Momo’s Serious Face was back as he continued. “I think you should tell Alesea. She worries about you almost as much as I do.”

“Oh, she knows. She’s Lady Lily.”

Momo’s face turned into such a fallen-jaw, shrunken pupil masterpiece of surprise that she wished she had her phone to take a photo of it. “What?”

“Yep.”

“Alesea?”

“Yep.”

He blinked.

“Don’t blow a fuse now.”

“First you, then Alesea...” He leaned forward at her. “Is Tom a superhero?”

“If he is, I don’t know anything about it.”

“Oh thank everything…” Momo put his hand over his heart and sighed. “This is probably the worst day my heart’s ever had. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish.”

“We should probably spend the rest of the day inside, then. Watch some TV and just chill out. What do you say?”

“Best idea I’ve heard all day.”

“What about Sushi Supreme?”

“The worst.”

“And going back in the mall?”

“Wasn’t a bad idea. You’re Dame Daffodil, after all… and I’m going to need a lot of time to digest that.” Momo stood up. “I’ll go get some snacks. And jugs of hot chocolate, while I’m at it.”

Charo stood after. “Leave it to—ach!” Oh right, her foot was sore.

“Hm. I’ll get some bandages as well. Wait right there.”

Momo scurried off into the hallways, leaving Charo alone. She lied back down on the couch and, with the softness supporting her, smiled. The wrongness that pervaded the day—indeed, the last several months she had been Dame Daffodil—had left her like a bad breath. Now she felt like she could breathe easy. She could only imagine how it felt for Momo…

He popped his head in. “Crackers or cookies?”

“Cookies!”

He gave her a thumbs up and disappeared again. Like there was nothing wrong.

Maybe there wasn’t.

Not anymore.

[yehet-sebooty-ohorat]

Buying Kpop Merch Tips from me

A small disclaimer from me first. This is just what I typically use. I know where are lots of other places you can order things from (like korean mall and kmall24) but I thought I would give some tips since a few people have asked me in the past few days 

Also I will try to include as much information as possible but I may forget things.  If you have questions you can send me an ask and I can try to answer them 

Long post ahead 

Places to buy from online(excluding ebay and Facebook):

Asia based: (these are in order of how much I use them)

Ktown4U 

http://ktown4u.com

This will require you to make a login but don't worry about it 

They carry pretty much all artists and almost all of their discography. Often they will sell tour goods as well 

Is mainly just Kpop no drama stuff 

Shipping is charged by weight and size

When you are checking out there are like 10 shipping options. Don't be too nervous about the cheapest one saying “untraceable” and “20-40″ days. I have found that they are very reliable and your package often comes much sooner than that. 

Also sells some cosmetic stuff 

Im pretty sure sales count for the Hantaeo/ gaon charts

Has fairly good customer service that gets back to you in a couple days at most if needed 

Doesn't really save your cart but idk maybe I'm doing it wrong

Credit card or papal checkout 

Mwave Shop

http://mwaveshop.interest.me

requires you to make a login

Primarily for Meet & Greet -> you can get signed albums from artists that are absolutely genuine because meet runs it. They also usually do a live stream. For every album you buy from an artist before a stream too you get a tile and have the chance to win special photo cards 

It can take a long time to prepare the signed copies because of artist schedule and shipping can take a bit too 

It is a bit hard to navigate to see shipping announcements. I usually get the email that it has shipped before it actually does. 

Reliable 

KpopTown

 http://kpoptown.com

Requires that you make a login 

Carries pretty much everything including ost (but not DVDs)

Will usually offer packages of all posters or album versions just before or shortly after an album is  released

Confirmed counting on the Hanteo/ gaon charts

Sells accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, food, and fashion as well 

Will often have signed albums for sale as well as cheap posters. 

Album prices are low but you also have to pay shipping which is weight based. For them whey have teirs so you have to be careful, like a poster could change shipping from $7 to $25 really quick depending on the other goods you are purchasing

Sells SUM goods usually 

In my experience their shipping was relatively fast

Credit card, paypal , western union

CDJapan

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp

You can checkout without an account by using paypal but then you can't use discounts or gain points 

Focused on J-pop and ships from Japan

Does sell Kpop stuff too

Prices are relatively cheep as is shipping

Shipping time is a tossup because of customs. For Coming Over for example I got my albums in about 10 days but my friend got hers in 20 or so. 

Don’t worry about untraceable shipping it is trustworthy 

The user interface is a bit wonky but its functional

YesAsia

For US buyers - http://www.yesasia.com/us/en/home.html (they have a different site for different places around the world)

Requires that you make a login

Has Korean, Chinese, and Japanese stuff 

Free shipping over $40 

Has a wide variety of albums, merch, and Dvds 

Has some tour stuff but its hard to tell if it is still in stock. 

Prices are higher than other Asian based sellers but you can get free shipping fairly easily 

Has some SUM goods and things like that

Are kind of slow in checking stock and restocking when necessary.

Ships relatively fast 

Be careful when ordering DVDs and stuff that you check the region code on them and make sure you will be able to actually play the disc 

KpopMart

 https://kpopmart.com

requires that you create a login 

Searching is a bit weird and using the menus is often better than the search bar

albums, some goods, drama stuff, cosmetic stuff, clothing items, accessories, J-pop

Pricing is low but not super 

Shipping fees are sorta high and they only have 2 shipping options

I have heard they are kind of slow but still reliable 

Most people prefer kpoptown over kpopmart 

CatchopCD

https://www.catchopcd.net/en/

Requires that you make an account to order

As far as I can tell they do not do preorder stuff

Shipping is done by weight and they tell you that and how much weight you have. It is a little expensive. 

Pricing for albums is relatively low

Only really sells music no goods or accessories. 

US based (includes not online that I have been to):

Music Plaza ( online and physical)

http://www.music-plaza.com

Requires that you make an account to purchase online

Allows tracking and such. Charges US domestic shipping fees. 

They carry pretty much all albums, allow pre-order, and have some goods and magazines

They are located on Korea Town Los Angeles and I went there while I took a trip for the EXO’luXion. The store is kind of small but the amount of merch is not it is full to the brim. 

Customer service is absolutely amazing. Missing a photo card? Need help with something else? They respond quickly and resolve your problem quickly. 

Always includes an extra gift with purchase 

Prices are more expensive than ordering from Korea due to the items being shipped over 

They don't remove out of stock items from their site so you have to check. 

Often will make bundles of all versions or posters of an album

Kpop Shop of Chicago - Chicago  (physical only)

This store was very nice. Full of official and unofficial goods and a great atmosphere really. 

If you are in Chicago it is located in Chinatown 

Reliable and fair pricing

Albums, manmade goods, official goods, wall scrolls, shirts, etc 

A bit unpredictable in open times 

Very nice staff

Koryo Books - NYC (physical only)

They are actually a bookstore in Korea town in manhattan.

They have a little section of the store where they are stocked with the albums for most Kpop groups. 

posters, some unofficial merch, and some magazines and newspapers. 

Very nice people. 

What I buy where typically

Typically I will shop around for albums to find what works best and ends up being cheapest. Recently I have been ordering most of my albums and stuff from Ktown4U and most accessories from eBay. 

Keep an eye out for group orders too (typically Facebook or twitter) . Often they are good ways to get merch that you would not otherwise be able to get. 

If I am in a major city I always make sure to visit a kpop store if they have one because I love the atmosphere and kpop is playing and people there love the same things as you and its so great to pick up albums yourself and hold them all. 

Ebay tips

Ok first : eBay is the land of fanmade goods. 

While this is true you can still buy albums and stuff off here as well as goods and expect them to be official. 

The majority of fan-made goods are going to be clothing and plush stuff. Albums are almost always genuine as are posters and photo cards. 

I would say though that you still need to be careful. Always check seller descriptions to make sure they aren't fan-made and to be sure that if you order clothing you will get the right size. 

READING SELLER DESCRIPTIONS IS A MUST

if they don't have a good one they become less trustworthy 

If you are buying signed goods that is when it is more tricky. There is really no way to tell for sure if something in genuine but if the seller got it from the Mwave meet and greet or something like that you can probably safely assume it is genuine. 

Shipping

Typically shipping will only be free if you are buying from the country you reside in. Really you need to decide for yourself if extra shipping cost is going to be worth it or not. 

Also if you are shipping from a seller in Asia and you are not in Asia it will still take 1-5 weeks (depending on method though usually about 2) for it to get to you 

Facebook tips

For photo cards and such I find that Facebook groups are one of the best places to look. Typically you will get people selling or trading just about anything you could want and it is a good way to fill in your collection. 

Be aware that some people do scam on Facebook, especially since there is no garuntee because Facebook is not a site typically used for selling goods. Really the best thing you can do id pay attention to what other people are saying. If someone says someone is trustworthy they usually are and if someone says to stay away from a certain person then you should probably do that as well 

Amazon Tips

I don't use amazon like at all because things can be more expensive there than they need to be. It is still a good source though but like I said, usually unnecessarily expensive

Photo card tips

Photo cards are really exciting things to buy and trade but you have to be careful because fan-made cards are also relatively common

1. Know exactly what the official ones look like both front and back. Really if the card doesn't even look official then its not. Be aware though that photo cards do not only come in albums. There are often tour photo cards as well as ones for other goods that an artist may endorse 

2. Search around a bit 

Really you should never pay more than $15 for a photo card (unless it has a special circumstance like the ver A of EXO MAMA photo cards because those are limited and could go for more). Typically you should be able to buy one for about $7-12 

The best places for doing this are ebay (just boring) and Facebook groups (buy and trade). If you happen to live near a kpop store you can also usually trade there with other people. Many stores will offer places to trade. 

Poster tips

For me I have found that it is best to just pay $2-3 extra when buying an album to get an unfolded poster as well. It is much cheeper than buying a poster on its own later on. 

KpopTown will sell posters for $0-2 a lot but you still have to pay shipping and often people on the internet will sell for $8-$20 depending on the poster. 

Tour posters will either have to be purchased at actual concerts or searched for on eBay and Facebook and are typically acquired for the largest amount of money. 

Shipping price tips 

Really shipping comes down to your preference. 

If you are shopping from Asia shipping is something that will be paid. There are many teirs of shipping, typically tracking EMS is the most expensive but also the fastest. 

If you don't have the money though don't worry about getting the cheapest shipping option, even if it says untraceable. A lot of times you can ask the seller and they can help you if you have questions, though a lot of times they cannot take responsibility for mail getting lost. 

For SUM merch and stuff like that 

KpopTown definitely is most likely to have it. It will usually be kind of expensive though but still around the price it would be sold for in the actually Coex Arutm or SUM shop or company specific store. 

Ktown4U will sometimes have things though they have very limited quantities and often sell out quickly. 

eBay is also a good place to check. If you are searching here make sure you know keywords and exact names for goods like “Lotto Postcard Set” or “EXO Melody Fairy Badge” and make sure you try multiple searches because you never know what sellers will name things. 

Yep thats all I can think of right now. Like I said if you have any questions my ask box is open and I can try to answer them. 

Hope this is helpful!

- Alicia (Sehun trash and certified merch hoe)

[drennalynspast]

[ austin and bewilderedness ]

Friday, May. 02, 2008

[ austin and some good news ]

so around friday early evening we left to go to austin.  jacob and shagun were the ones who were driving.  ricky (jacob's cute queer roomate) also came along too. on the highway, there was a stupid semi that stopped in the middle of the road. the car in front of us was stopping and we had to quickly change lanes so we wouldn't slam our brakes.  >.>  we almost ran into the car next to us too..if the other car hadn't changed lanes.  ricky had a gps thing on his phone.  it helped us a lot in navigating.

we arrived in austin around 12 am lol.  we drove to find this street where there was a lot of stuff of eateries and shopping strip (that was close to the UT campus). then, we searched for a hotel to stay for the night.  of course we wanted a relatively cheap hotel.  around  $50-65.  we figured, 'let's go to a super 8 motel'.  we drove in the parking lot and there were cop cars all around with the lights flashing.  and we saw some sketchy black person outside  lolol.  we didn't get a good vibe.  "uhmm...let's go somewhere else. " "i agree"

we went somewhere called the 'rodeway inn".  we looked at the parking lot and there appeared to be nice cars around.  one of the guys walking in the rooms seemed well kept.  so we decided to try it there for one night to see how it goes.  the room was okay.  later on, we turned on the light and we saw this  EFFING HUUUGE cockroach that crawled up the wall.  it was soo disgusting. it was the largest cockroach i have ever seen. and you can see its antennas. ricky and i were freaking out.  

jacob and shagun were like..oh wow uhh.  we had to go to walgreens and get some supplies.  i forgot my toothbrush, retainers, and phone charger >.>  so i got a toothbrush.  we got a can of raid too to spray our room with also.  we found another dead cockroach near the toilet seat and one under the bed.  O_o..... we pretty much established that we are sleeping with the lights on.  (cockroaches supposedly dont' come out in light).  damn, i wanted to get duct tape and tape my mouth shut.  just in case one were to crawl on me *shivers*

luckily we survived that night. the next day, we packed our bags outta that hotel.  next, we went to go to that one street near the campus with the shops and food places.  we mostly looked through the stores.  we wanted to go eat sushi in downtown austin.   the jap restaurant  was closed during the afternoon.

after that, we drove to red rock.  a place close to austin.  it had a recently new outlet mall in there.at red rock, we were disappointed in the stores.  we didn't feel like browsing through a lot of stuff and the clothes were pretty shitty.  (since outlet malls sells the 'defective' items that were made in the factories for a cheaper price :/)  lol we were joking, hey there's a starbucks here.  "it's cheap because it's irregular". red rock outlets wasn't amusing after we tried it look through it.

after outlet shopping, we went to find another hotel.  the night at rodeway, we were on our laptops researching where to find the next better hotel and getting directions.  we decided to go to holiday inn.  it was more expensive..like 30+ more.  but we wanted something better to compensate for our bad night at rodeway.  cockroach free. it was okay.  been a while since i stayed at hotels.  it felt weird being in one.  somehow, i just don't care about semen on sheets anymore lol . i just don't want cockroaches and bedbugs. >.<  if i get pregnant soon, you'll know why x_x. 

we chilled at the hotel for a while and headed out to go look to eat dinner somewhere.  we went back to that same street near campus and ate at a vegan place.  it was pretty good.  i ate some of ricky's sushi that he ordered lolol.  after that, we stopped by this one store where jacob's UT friend helped prepare the opening for.  this guy is like in PR or whatever.  we all said hi to the guy and left.  after that, we walked around the UT austin campus at night. 

zomg, the ut campus was soo big and pretty.  everyone [jacob etc] felt so ashamed for being at ou.  >.>  man, imagine how i freaking feel. c'mon, i go to swosu. :/  they had a lot of stuff. like a bowling alley and pool tables etc in the lower student union.  zomg -this computer lounge area was so awesome.  hmm some random culture rooms above the union.  nice architecture structures all around.  ut campus is obviously right in the center of the austin capitol city.  along that shopping/dining strip, you see a lot of diverse kind of people. some of the people were way too happy riding bikes.  and you see random hippies on the street.  (lol at the weird shirtless guy on the street O_o).  people actually had some style going on in their fashion too.  we took some pictures of us around campus and stuff - running around at night heh.

after the campus browsing (which wasn't much, soo huge and so little time.  i wanted to see the dorms, but it was farther >.>)/ , we went to starbucks and chillaxed.  then, we headed back towards the hilton...i mean, holiday inn.  we went to bed pretty early lol 10:30-11:00 pm ish.  and we woke up around 10-10:30 am.  we were dead tired.</p><p>on the drive back, we still slept. there was nothing else to do.  we ate lunch at luby's cafeteria.  there wasn't a lot of luby's in oklahoma, and ricky missed eating there as a child.  we went there.  there was a lot of old people there..and kids... but the food was good (expensive too :/).  we were so full though.  i couldn't finish my cheesecake arhghhg.

yepyep------------------------------------

[monday]  so after classes, as usual, i was browsing on my computer.  my roomate comes in the room and says the college of pharmacy sent me a letter.  i was thinking, 'omg...so soon!?" x_x.  i wasn't sure what i was feeling at that time.  i knew that if i got rejected, i wouldn't be disappointed.  it was as if i was preparing myself to be rejected somehow.  i opened the letter and stared at it.  i kept reading it over and over again.

>lolwut?  “Dear Ms. XXXX:I am happy to inform you of your conditional acceptance to the College of Pharmacy for the Fall semester 2008"

at that moment, i was flabergasted, bewildered, weirded, and elated.  seriously, omfg, i got accepted.  deep down inside i felt lucky.  obviously i have this inferiority complex where i was skeptical of my acceptance - i don't have an amazing gpa ...hell..even my pcat score is non remarkable.  i was surprised how other people i knew weren't called for an interview etc.  

i feel like people could hate me if they knew of my academic status. but...fuck damnit. screw it all - whatever this inferiority complex i have.  somehow, the admissions committee saw something in me that stood out.  maybe it was autobiographical sketch? maybe it was my interview (which i actually felt pretty confident i did well in)?  maybe it was something in my persona/character that stood out despite my academic blemishes. maybe god is watching me and telling me not to give up?

nonetheless, i feel like i have a reason to believe in myself more. i think i should be more motivated now. i still need to do well in organic 2 during the summer to actually be formally accepted in pharm school.  damnit, i can't screw up this time.  i really want to try hard not to fuck this opportunity. ashdjahfds i really hope i can survive organic 2.  i'm so scared. T_T i just need to make a 'c'.  in pharmacy school, i believe my gpa will be a clean slate. so, there is time to redeem myself. i have to prove to others that i am academically capable and deserving of my admittance - also, i need to improve my character as well -_-.

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

[ random disappointment(s)?] - for some odd reason, i was feeling sad on thursday.  it was quite a trivial thing.  i think the reason was just a dumb one. i happened to finish some random pieces of art i was working on, and i posted the works online.  i was hoping to receive some feedback and recognition on them.  though, i didn't really get much response. >.>

why am i not getting any comments damnit? maybe because my art sucks/they don't like it, i'm not popular, people don't know what to say (or they are lazy to say anything), or they hate me?

after brooding, a nap, and working out, i don't feel [too] sad anymore about it (at the moment anyway:|)   ohwait. still kind of irked.  i just hate it when i put hard work into these art things and receive no feedback from them.  it pisses me off rather. i'm not talking about wanting appraisal..but just critique comments that help me improve and shit.  i actually don't complain about it publicly in my art galleries. i don't want to cause a scene. though, i'll rant/vent about my frustration here. XD

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

[ehhh sure] - i bumped into an 'acquaintance friend' the other day.  he asked me how i was doing. he asked for my number, and wondered if we could hang out sometime.  i was kind of reluctant to really hang out with this person.  but i gave my number and agreed to hang out later on sometime.  

he called me to confirm the time and stuff and he asked me what things i like to do/what i do in my freetime. me: uh...browse online...workout...  o_o?.....him: i can see that you have a lot of friends. me:...>.> yeah i know i don't have much of a life.

seriously, i don't think i have much of a life.  i don't watch a lot of movies.  i don't play sports.  err...i like to do art and stuff... but who the hell does that kind of hobby?  not a lot of people....sometimes i hate ruining people's expectations of me.  like..somehow people usually seem to be fascinated with exterior sides of people and not no a clue of who the person is really like.  i admit, i can be that kind of judgmental person too.

anyways, i feel like it is going to be awkward hanging out with this guy. i can anticipate myself holding back in how i express myself >.>. ughhg seriously, why am i picky when it comes to hanging out with people? sooo laem.

[michellelewis7162]

Obtain the greatest Restaurant Deals as well as Tips for Choosing the very best Restaurants for Dates

Obtain the greatest Restaurant Deals as well as Tips for Choosing the very best Restaurants for Dates

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[survayzfordayz]

*** Girly Do you like the color pink?: + -- It’s alright I guess. What have you spent more money on: a purse or a pair of shoes?: + -- Probably shoes?  Do you ever wear heels?:  + -- I’ve never been able to wear heels. Exercise is the only form of physical punishment I will put myself through voluntarily. Heels HURT. And to me, it’s not worth wearing them.   What are the most stylish but uncomfortable shoes you own?: + -- I mean.. I have a pair of running shoes lmao. Do you have any shoes you mostly only wear for photo shoots?:  + -- This is truly a stereotype, hah. Anyway, I don’t take selfies or pictures of myself because no filter is going to make my ugly ass look any better. What's your all-time favorite lipstick (brand and color)?:  + -- Lipstick is way too heavy for me. I can barely handle chapstick.  Do you buy drugstore make-up or high-end make-up?: + -- If I bought makeup, it’d be cruelty-free and of decent quality, so it’d be a little more expensive than some brands I guess. What dog breed do you think you look the most like?:  + -- I don’t know. I don’t think I look like a dog, but I’ve been told otherwise, so who knows. Do you like light blue jeans or dark blue jeans better?: + -- I don’t have a preference. Jeans are jeans to me. What are your favorite type of pants to wear?: + -- Umm. Baggy sweatpants. Hah. What's the last good love story you read?:  + -- Ikigai by Lanse. If you like Naruto, it’s worth a read. I’m not usually a fan of romance because it’s hard to relate. Who is/was the most romantic of your friends?: + -- I don’t know. Have you ever had a magical kiss?: + -- Are they supposed to be magical? They’ve always just been messy and wet to me... Do you like kissing or hugs better?:  + -- HUGS. But only from one person. Retro Do you own any records?:  + -- No. Do you own a pair of bell-bottoms?: + -- No. Have you ever tie-dyed anything?: + -- In school, once or twice. What's one oldies song you like?: + -- I like a lot of ‘oldies’.  Do you think Disco is a cute name for a boy?: + -- CRINGEE Do you own a lava lamp or disco ball?: + -- Nope. Did you own a disco light when you were younger?: + -- Nope. Have you ever put a dime in a jukebox?: + -- I’ve put money in, but I don’t specifically remember how much. When was the last time you went to the roller rink?: + -- Hmmm. 5th grade? I went to an all-night skate and I haaaaaaated it. I just wanted to go home. Do you wear hoop earrings ever?:  + -- Nah. Do you own a kaleidoscope?: + -- Nope. Have you ever done hard drugs?: + -- Nope. Tumblr What are three of your favorite Starbucks drinks?:  + -- I actually don’t like Starbucks drinks... Do you have photos on the wall in your room?:  + -- No. If you own/owned a Polaroid camera, which color would/do you have?:  + -- I don’t care. It’s a camera. Its importance lies in its function. Have you ever done a craft with a record? if so, what?: + -- Nope. What's one of the best Tumblr-inspired craft projects you've seen?: + -- I have no idea. Do you have a Tumblr account?:  + -- Wh-  WHAT IS THIS SORCERY Which do you like better: Tumblr or Pinterest?: + -- I can barely use either.  Do you have a mandala tapestry hanging in your home?: + -- Nope. Do you own any succulents?: + -- Nah. I’d love to own some plants, though. Fake succulents or real succulents?: + -- EITHER.  Do you doodle on your notebook paper?: + -- I doodle on everything. Do you own Sharpies?:  + -- Yes, they’re in a drawer along with my other art supplies. What's your favorite Sharpie color?: + -- None. I don’t use them often because they smell too strongly. What color are your Converse shoes?: + -- I miss having Converse. They hurt my feet though. Have you ever made an inspiration board for your room?: + -- Nope.  Who is the best-looking male celebrity?: + -- Uhhh. I don’t know? I don’t really ...think that way? I kind of have to know someone before the physical attraction sets in. Ahah.  I DON’T BELONG HERE IT’S ALL OVER WAAAAH Boho Where would you like to travel to next?:  + -- ANYWHERE LET’S GO RIGHT NOW List three more vacations you would like to go on: + -- FINLAND, Alaska, ... okay anywhere I don’t care. Hah. Where are three places you go to relax?: + -- I don’t... Why do you think elephants are a boho/hippie/free spirit icon?: + -- I don’t really stereotype myself..

Are you a musician, artist, or writer?: + -- I’m not PAID to do any of those things, but I do write and draw.  Do you believe in truth, freedom, and love?:  + -- I’m sure most people believe in this to a degree..? What is your favorite store at the mall?: + -- I don’t know. Probably anything relevant to my interests. Anime figurines? Would you hitchhike if people were generally trustworthy?:  + -- If forced. I hate relying on other people. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?: + -- I can’t think of anything right now. Moving cross country with no prior knowledge of where I was going, maybe. Would you ever belly dance at a faire?:  + -- PFFF I’d be laughed off the grounds. If you became famous, would you change your name to something exotic?: + -- N...no?  What are five exotic names that you like?: + -- I don’t know. I like plenty of names but I wouldn’t just change it to something without first knowing the history/culture behind that name. Do you own a dreamcatcher?: + -- When I was little, I did. But not now. I feel like that’s kind of treading on grounds I shouldn’t? I’m not part of that culture so I’m not sure if I should own one? Don’t get me wrong - they’re very pretty and I love looking at them, but I don’t think I need one either. Do you feel closer to God in nature?: + -- I’m definitely happier out in nature, and there might even be some spiritual connotations to that. But not specifically ‘God-related’. Fashion What are five things that were in style when you were in high school?: + -- Ohhh boy. You’re asking me to go back a LONG TIME. Honestly I think the scene trend was just starting to kick off. Tripp pants were a big thing. I can’t think of anything else. What does your favorite scarf that you've made look like?: + -- It’d be fun to make a scarf, but I’ve never done it. Do you wear scarves?:  + -- Rarely. They’re bulky and get in the way. List the different colors of jeggings and/or skinny jeans that you have: + -- I don’t own a single pair of skinny jeans because I hate them. Heh.  What color is your favorite pair of shorts?: + -- I don’t own any shorts either. Okay, I have one pair of basketball shorts I stole from my husband. Does that count? What color is your favorite sweater?:  + -- I don’t have a sweater. Ahaaaa. Do you think Lularoe is overpriced?: + -- Not really? I mean it’s kind of a name brand isn’t it? I don’t have a problem paying more for something if it means the money is going to a good place, but I don’t know anything about Lularoe. List five people whom you think have great style: + -- Honestly I don’t work that way. If it’s comfortable (and horror themed) it’s good. List five of some of the worst trends you've seen: + -- Fur. Leather. Other clothing made out of animals. List five items on your current wardrobe wish list:  + -- I would like some cruelty-free clothing.  Where do you shop the most for clothes?: + -- Depends, honestly.  Do you own anything leopard print?: + -- No. I wouldn’t wear it in real life, so it would feel strange to pretend to wear it? Do you wear earmuffs?:  + -- Nope. What color are your favorite pair of boots?: + -- Don’t have any. Music What song makes you cry?: + -- Honestly I have to be in the right mentality for that. What could be the theme song to your life?:  + -- I answered something similar to this already. What is a good break-up song?:  + -- I don’t knooooow.  What song makes you want to dance?:  + -- A LOT OKAY. What is one of your all-time favorite songs?:  + -- Buckethead - Welcome to Buckethead Land. What is your current favorite song?:  + -- Hmmm. I’m really into Gert Taberner right now. Which show has a great theme song?: + -- /shrug Which song is so catchy it's easy to get stuck in your head?: + -- Poison songs.. heh.  Which song is used in a lot of youtube videos?: + -- I don’t know. Which song is sad?:  + -- Lots. Who makes great song covers on youtube?:  + -- I don’t knoooow. Who is one of the best songwriters?:  + -- There’s a lot, I don’t know. Who has a beautiful voice?:  + -- Plenty of people? Who made it big fast?: j + -- Meeeehhh Arts and Crafts List five DIY youtubers you love to watch:  + -- No one in particular. Who makes the best craft videos?: + -- Aaaaaaaa Have you ever painted rocks and hid them in your town?:  + -- Nope. I’m starting to dislike this survey though. What craft project is harder than it looks?: + -- Most DIY projects are harder than they look.  Have you ever got hot glue stuck to your hands?: + -- Yeah. Are you messy when it comes to painting?:  + -- I’m messy, period. What color is your cutting board?: + -- I don’t have one. Would you rather build something or decorate something?:  + -- Either sounds fun. Have you ever painted something on canvas?:  + -- Yes. List a few of your favorite painters:  + -- Van Gogh, uhhh Do you love the brand Natural Life?: + -- S’alright. Do you love the brand Lisa Frank?: + -- Nostalgic, but I hold no attachment to it. Oil pastels or chalk pastels? Which do you prefer, and why?: + -- I’m not into that. Glitter gel pens or regular gel pens?: + -- Don’t care about those either. Colored pencil or regular pencil?: + -- Depends on what I’m doing? Charcoal or colored chalk?: + -- Neither. I hate the sound. Painting or drawing?: + -- Drawing. Or digital painting. Painting that shows brushstrokes or painting that looks like a photograph?: + -- Either. Knitting or crocheting?:  + -- Either. Sewing on a machine or doing embroidery by hand?:  + -- Machine. Color or black-and-white?:  + -- Either. Digital photography or film photography?: + -- Either.

[homestylesdecor]

The Ultimate Guide To Vintage Shopping In Chicago

When it comes to vintage shopping in Chicago, you can shop til you drop, take a disco nap, rally and shop some more. It's also safe to say I shop for vintage…a lot, and therefore I receive quite a few emails that go something like this: “Hey Kyla, I'm visiting Chicago, and I was hoping you'd share some of you favorite places to shop vintage.” Of course I oblige. Shopping for vintage is my jam.

Now, before you bombard my inbox asking to be sent the coveted, super secret list, keep on reading this post, then promptly bookmark, save  to Pinterest, and engrain it in your brain because today I'm sharing the mother of all lists…House Of Hipsters ultimate guide to vintage shopping in Chicago and surrounding suburbs!

MORE AFTER THE JUMP…

Some people like to keep their vintage sources on the DL, but e-ghads! What fun is that? As my ride or die gal Marianne says, “there will always be more vintage”. I guess that is what makes her such a great thrifting buddy. Back in 2014, (lawdy how has it been that long ago?), I wrote a post about vintage shopping in Chicago, but after looking back on it, realized just how out of date the information was.

Let's get started with my favorite vintage shops in Chicago and then we can move our way out to the burbs. Yup, told ya this is the mutha load, trash to treasure list. Buckle down the chin strap and hold on. Here we go!

BROWNSTONE 5234 N Clark St, Chicago Blink and you'll miss it. Brownstone is located in Andersonville, right next to Tilly's…one of my favorite places to shop for vintage jewelry (more on Tilly's below). This place is a pickers dream and and OCD clean freak's nightmare. Piles of vintage precariously stacked on top of piles of antique furniture. If you have time to wander and don't mind a dig, you'll surely find a few treasures.

One thing to beware of, every time I go in, I don't get all the feels. What does that mean? No one is super friendly, but walking in knowing that, you might be pleasantly surprised if you actually receive a hello LOL. So why do I shop here when I don't feel all that welcomed? The prices keep me coming back for more.

BROWN ELEPHANT RESALE SHOP 5404 N Clark St, Chicago Although I don't shop here as much as I'd like, every time I stop in there's something different. You walk in through a large hallway and round the corner to vintage heaven. You'll find some Mid-Century Modern furniture, killer vintage clothing (look closely and you'll find some high end designer pieces), home decor, and art. What's even more amazing is that all the proceeds benefit the LGBTQ health and fund care for the uninsured at Howard Brown Health in Chicago. FYI, if you're looking to donate gently used items, this is a great place to do so.

BEEHIVE CHICAGO 2501 W Chicago Ave, Chicago A great little gem of a shop with treasures galore! This space is a shared showroom and workspace for many local Chicago vintage dealers. With home decor a plenty, you won't leave empty handed, and I guarantee you'll be back for more. You'll also find some great vintage fashion and jewelry. Last time I visited, I was greeted by a pair of stunning Maitland Smith tessellated stone side tables and MCM loungers.

DIAL M FOR MODERN 1136 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago If you love Mid-Century Modern decor, this Chicago vintage shop is for you! Find classic Milo Baughman chairs mixed in with quirky and fun 70s funk. Tim (the owner – and also one of the nicest people on the planet) just moved the shop to a new space…which I have yet to see…but I've heard it's killer cool. He has a great eye for incredible furniture and if you live near by and ask pretty please, Tim will usually help get that chair delivered to your home. One thing to beware of though, if something catches your eye, jump on it. Superb quality and fair prices has furniture flying out the door.

LAZY DOG ANTIQUE STORE 1903 W Belmont Ave, Chicago This vintage shop has been on my hot list for a few months. New to me, I stumbled upon Lazy Dog via Instagram and have yet to shop this place in person, but because I've purchased from here online, I still  wanted to include it. Loads of drool worthy MCM furniture, killer barware and home decor…plus vintage jewelry. If you get there before me, please report back and tell me what you think.

THE SAVOY FLEA 2621 W Grand Ave, Chicago Like I said above, Marianne (the owner of The Savoy Flea) is my ride or die BVB – Best Vintage Buddy. Her shop is open by appointment only, but don't be intimidated by that. When I first visited this studio, I thought “open by appointment only” meant this shop will be way too damn expensive. Quite the contrary. Marianne is out and about scouring the universe for new vintage treasure for the studio. And if you've

When arriving, be on the look out for a plain white warehouse with zero signage. Told ya it was a hidden treasure. Park in the driveway and if the main door is locked, text, call, or ring the doorbell. After making your way passed pallets of movie props, you'll see a set of double doors. Prepare yourself for an eclectic mix of Parisian Chic, Art Deco and Hollywood Regency glam.

STEPHANIE SCHOFIELD 2621 W Grand Ave, Chicago Walk towards the back of the studio at The Savoy Flea, and you'll find Steph Schofield's Chicago location. Steph has this  is a secret source to some seriously famous designers which is probably why her other showroom is in High Point, NC. Yes, I spotted Carson Kressley shopping at the HP location last Spring.

Steph has an eye for unique, one-of-a-kind, unexpected finds you may never see again. Her pieces are 1st Dibs level yet completely obtainable, and most of the time, surprisingly affordable. She was recently featured in Domino magazine and gave a pro tip to vintage shopping, “When I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy something, I visualize tv he piece in a space. Almost anything can be cool in the right context.”

SOUTH LOOP LOFT 685 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago This is the place for one-of-a-kind vintage statement pieces for your home. South Loop Loft recently moved, and the new space is a showstopper. Cheap? Absolutely not. This is not a store for pickers. However, if you're design obsessed and looking to add some wow factor, South Loop Loft is the place to go. Just be prepared to covet everything. The space is so inspirational and the lighting is on fleek.  There's a reason South Loop Loft was featured in Elle Decor.

STRANGELOVELY 2511 W North Ave, Chicago Keep your eyes peeled for a shop window that reads, North Avenue Collective. This is where you'll find Strangelovely. I'm not quite sure how to describe Kim's style…maybe funky, glam granny? Is that a style? First and foremost, if you're looking for a killer Chesterfield sofa or wingback chair, Strangelovely is the place to find it. While wandering around this gorgeous shop, be sure to look down. The rugs are on fleek! Because Kim shares this space with Hopscotch & Soda (vintage clothing), the place feels more like what you want Anthropologie to be. Carefully curated real vintage.

TILLY'S 5232 N Clark St, Chicago Tilly's might me the smallest shop on this list, but the amount of merchandise is overwhelming! If you're into vintage jewelry, handbags and clothing, you must stop in. It's packed to the gills with haute vintage couture and beautifully curated jewelry. Side note, the earrings I wore to meet the creators of Consort Furniture…the guys want to make sconces out of my earrings from Tilly's…ya, incredible finds. Not quite sure where to start, ask the shop's owner Susan Lynch. She basically gives you a once over and starts pulling pieces she knows will fit.

VINTAGE QUEST 1105 N California Ave, Chicago This tiny shop sits in between Strangelovely and the Savoy Flea, so if you're going to either shop, make sure to stop into Vintage Quest. It's a small shop that packs a serious punch. Upon arrival, you're going to think to yourself, Kyla, you sent me to a cross between a man cave and Wisconsin bar. But humor me and have a looksy…yes, that IS a Milo Baughman chair…yes, that IS a DIA swivel table…yes, that is a Togo sectional…and yes, that IS the price.

WOOLLY MAMMOTH 1513 W Foster Ave, Chicago Are you looking for something ultra weird? Victorian hair jewelry? A painting by serial killer John Wayne Gacy? How about a shrunken head…ummm, yes, it's real. I've only stopped into Woolly Mammoth a few times, but if I'm looking for oddities, this is THE place. It's right down the street from Brownstone, The Brown Elephant , and Scout, and it definitely marches to its own beat when it comes to vintage shopping. Word to the wise, you might want to sage yourself on the way out. LOL.

Phew! You still with me? If you are, then you shall be rewarded with a few antique malls, favorite flea markets AND a couple super secret burb locations I only share with nearest and dearest…yup, you're that special.

EDGEWATER ANTIQUE MALL 6314 N Broadway St, Chicago If you're into Mid-Century Modern and Industrial, this is the place to be. Lots of small booths made up of about 40 local vintage dealers. You'll find everything from chairs to doll arms here. As with any antique mall, the prices aren't picker prices, but everything is still quite affordable.

BROADWAY ANTIQUE MALL 6130 N Broadway St, Chicago If you're a vintage shopping local, you probably refer to Broadway Antique Mall as BAM. It's larger than Edgewater, and right down the street, so I usually stop into both when I'm in the area. The front area is mostly glass cases…I cruise through there fairly quick and wander to the left. There's where you'll find booths and nooks where individual sellers can set up vignettes. You'll find vintage cameras, globes, vases, ashtrays, old photos, maybe a pinball machine or two…I also tend to giggle in the aisle of “old porn”. Don't forget to go upstairs. They have a nice selection of MCM furniture.

HERITAGE TRAIL ANTIQUE MALL 410 Ridge Rd, Wilmette, IL See, I told you we'd hit the burbs! Over on Chicago's North Shore, there's a great antique mall in Wilmette. Again, this is a mall, so you will not find picker prices. But what you will find are tons of bonkers good vintage that is highly curated. No doll parts here. One of my favorite booth owners is a shop by the name of Redefined Decor. They carry some of the most eclectic and coveted pieces in the mall and have a couple of booths in the space.

Be sure to head upstairs where you'll find even more awesome. A couple of my other favorite booths belong to PeAk Stuff Vintage and Scene Vintage. I'm constantly watching these Instagram accounts for new arrivals.

BTDubs, Redefined also has a studio in Chicago's West Town neighborhood that I really need to visit one of these days (it's near The Savoy Flea in case you're looking to hit two birds with one stone). You can check out some of the inventory here.

VOLO ANTIQUE MALL 27640 Volo Village Rd., Volo, IL If you want to kill a day antiquing, this is your one stop shop. Just a few miles away from the Wisconsin border sits 4 large buildings chucked full of pretty much everything and anything you can image. Over 400 local dealers in multi level barns. Volo is not highly curated, but you will find anything from formal antiques to Mid-Century retro to mantiques to industrial to primitives to collectibles.

Because this place is so vast, you have to checkout in each building…meaning don't carry items from mall 1 into mall 2. I tend to find quite a lot here, so I start piles at each checkout counter. The very last building sits over a garage filled with vintage cars and tends to have a strong odor of gasoline which gives me a headache…so I tend to skip that particular building. Oh, and one other thing to mention, if you get hungry, head over to Fratellos for lunch and a lemonade.

Ready for some fleas?

KANE COUNTY FLEA MARKET The first weekend of every month is the Kane County Flea Market. You'll walk through barns and buildings full of primitives and mostly traditional antiques. It's massive. You'll also find shabby chic crafts and handmade items…along with some tube socks. Because I'm more of a Mid-Century glam gal, this is not my favorite flea, but I do tend to walk away with some vintage items. Be sure to dress for dust and dirt…this flea is held at a traditional fairgrounds.

GRAYSLAKE FLEA MARKET The Grayslake flea is held the second weekend of every month, and many times it is themed. I just happened to go to the MCM themed weekend and can I just say that flea was on fire! This happens to be one of my favorite fleas…mainly because it's small and low key. It also helps that it's minutes away from my house. So what do I mean by low key? When I go to a a flea in the city, almost everyone is dressed to impress. Grayslake I could walk in my jammies and no one would bat an eye. Also, every once is so nice. No one is pushing past you trying to get to something first…it's just very chill.

WOLFF'S FLEA – ROSEMONT If you've ever driven down the Kennedy Expressway on a Sunday during the summer, you've probably seen the flea in Rosemont at All State Arena. Because this flea is held in a parking lot on blacktop in summer heat, it can be absolutely brutal. The vintage shopping can be very hit or miss depending on the weather, so I usually keep my eye on their Facebook page. Don't miss the farmer's market section of this flea. The plants and produce do not disappoint.

RANDOLPH STREET MARKET There's nothing more unique than antiquing in an open air market in downtown Chicago, and Randolph Street Market takes party to another level. This flea is one of my favorite haunts for vintage shopping in Chicago. Every time I leave, my car is packed to the gills with treasures and I venture home with a smile on my face. In fact, I would say it's a bucket list flea.  You're going to find a highly curated group of vendors selling quality over quantity.

It's also one of my favorite fleas to attend especially during the summer months. Why? Well, the parking lot of course…and no, I don't mean for my car (they have a valet service for that). During the months of May – September Randolph shows shows off some srsly jazzy furniture in the parking lot and pack it full of food trucks, live music, fresh roast coffee and my favorite part…booze. Yes, the mimosas are flowing at this vintage bonanza. This flea is held every 4th Saturday and Sunday of the month and is not to be missed.

Now, for my super secret local shops. The antique shops in Barrington where I live and are near and dear to my heart. This quiet little town is becoming more and more a hub for antiquing. In fact, I'm marking my calendar for this event in September.

PINK GERANIUM 829 W Northwest Hwy, Barrington While driving down Northwest Hwy, on the other side of the Metra tracks is is Marble and Granite warehouse…and on Thursday – Saturday, you'll see a tiny hot pink sign. Crank that wheel, cross the tracks and turn right. You've arrived at Pink Geranium.

Treasures upon treasures, nicely curated. You won't find piles of furniture, but there's still plenty to look at. The owner Katie and her staff are sooooooo incredibly nice, and they usually have a treat or tiny snack at the checkout counter. I usually pop in once a month, and never leave disappointed. This place is a gem.

STEEPLECHASE ANTIQUES When we were looking for a home I spied with my little eye a sign that said “antiques”. MY PEOPLE!!!!! Steeplechase was the first local antique store I visited after the move, and I've made quite a few purchases since that day. In fact, the owner Karrin took me under her wing a bit after I lost my job. For a few months, I helped her style the shop…I don't think she will ever know how much she helped me mentally. I cherish her friendship.

Okay, enough with the mushy stuff…Karrin curates antiques…no MCM here. Lots of wood and brown tones. When I was styling, it felt like all these beautiful pieces were growing up, and out of a beautiful garden of ivy and topiaries. Beautifully patinated wood tables, oversized urns, trophies, trunks, books, and old leather furniture. Her store has this look that's stunning and ever changing. Yep, she's one popular lady and flips that store pretty much every week. So if you see something you like, you better snap it up, or it'll be gone in a flash.

FRIENDS OF PEPPER ROAD The 10 major antique shops (including Steeplechase and Pink Geranium) in Barrington teamed up, and they host open house events. Every 4-6 weeks, they stay open late, and vintage shoppers can make the rounds, store to store. It's so much fun. A couple that I like to pop my head into are The English Daisy and Winterberry.

PARIS MARKET ANTIQUES Last one…and this shop I have to thank Karrin for or I'd never know it was here. Back behind Jewel is the Icehouse Mall…this is also where we had our first Thanksgiving in Barrington…cuz I know you really needed to know that. Anyhoo, wander down the hall of this building and you'll stumble upon Paris Market Antiques…and it's huge…and packed. I've only been there once, but I think the people who own it, also own a local estate sale company. Which makes sense with the inventory size…but don't quote me on it. It's hidden, quiet, and a total and complete gem of a find.

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