#i don't remember what my museum tag is rip

[sharkneto]

why is the humble shrew your enemy?

lmao this is a niche museum opinion but northern short-tailed shrews' (Blarina brevicauda) skin is too well attached to their bodies so they're a pain to skin and make into study skins

If it weren't for that they are neat little animals, one of the few venomous mammals

[jimmyandthegiraffes]

Fic Writing Review 2023 🌈

Thank you sm @itwoodbeprefect for the tag!!!

I hardly published anything this year so if u wanna skip to 'projects for 2024' that's gonna be the most interesting bit >.<

Words and Fics (on ao3) 📚

words posted: 714 💀 but many more words were written, just not posted lol fics posted: 1 first fic/last fic 😅: King of the Eyesores - Doctor Who (1963)

Ships and Fandoms ⚓

Doctor Who - no ships really but KotE is Mike Yates-centric.

Top 5 Fics by Kudos 🏆

It's KotE again lol which is at 6 kudos. Of all time, tho:

After the Hour(glass) - Night at the Museum (Jedtavius)

Less Than Ideal Circumstances - The Man from UNCLE (TV) (Napollya)

When They Sleep - The Man from UNCLE (TV)

Dismiss Your Fears - Back to the Future

After All, I'm Only Sleeping - Doctor Who (1963)

Top 5 Favorite Fics 💖

KotE......... I do actually rly enjoy KotE I think it has potential in terms of where it's going. But since I only posted one fic in 2023, I'll do my top 5 of fics I've ever posted. Apart from the first one this is in no particular order

tickertape - The A-Team (TV) it's my baby it's all I thought about for months of my life, it's like an iceberg (i.e. most of it is in my WIP doc, and only a tiny fraction is published so far), it got me thru a difficult time, it's an exploration of mental illness and complicated messy relationships expressed in epic format (i.e. it's probably gonna be novel length when it's done)

Bullet Number Six - Starsky & Hutch (TV) it received criticism for being obscure and hard to follow bc it switches pov briefly halfway thru but idc i love it anyway

I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues - The A-Team (TV) it was my first A-Team fic and I still think for a beginner it nailed some p realistic in-character dialogue and addressed an undertone I wished I'd seen addressed in the ep it's a coda to.

When They Sleep - The Man from UNCLE (TV) it's kind of riddled with certain mannerisms of my slightly older writing which I personally find a bit annoying and have worked to iron out for the sake of elegance over the years. but I still think it's a cool little exploration of all my sleep headcanons for the pair of them in one place

King of the Eyesores - Doctor Who (1963) see it made it to the list after all! I kinda like it more for its potential than for what it is right now butttttt who cares.

special mention to Unbereft (Starsky & Hutch) which I really really like but I wrote it in one frenzied sitting and only remembered after I'd posted it that it was very like someone else's fic I'd read several years previously. I don't think it's too much like to be taken down and I've since mentioned the writer of the other fic (it was dawnwind, hello!) in the notes. that's the only reason unbereft isn't in my top 5 because I'm otherwise really proud of how well it's written. Not to tootle on my own trumpet.

Fandom fic events

none RIP but maybe this year!!

Projects for 2024

Okay here we goooooooooooo

priority 1 is to finish the unfinished works that I've already half posted: King of the Eyesores, Every Line A Comedy, OUTATIME, The Windhover, tickertape, The Hanoi Bank Job and Other Misadventures, 38 Hours. Bolded are my top priorities.

other works that I'm writing but which haven't seen the light of day at all yet:

Dear Mike - an epistolary between Jo Grant and Mike Yates following her marriage to Cliff Jones.

The Lark/Behind That Locked Door (working titles) - a 30-chapter 2/Jamie fic about season 6B in which Jamie suffers permanent memory problems after the War Games. It explores grief, social ostracism, feeling abandoned, undirected anger, guilt, and acceptance that healing sometimes is a process that is never complete. I've been working on it since about 2016 lol but I'm lazy I just need to press on.

hell valley au - as yet untitled lol. In which the Hell Valley!Marty (who is never seen in BTTF2 as he is in Switzerland) and Hell Valley!Doc (who has been institutionalized) break out of their respective situations and go on the run together. But there's a problem - they had to leave Einstein behind, and when they get information that Einie is to be used for a dogfight, they make the risky decision to go back to Hill Valley to rescue him. However, going back to the place they just escaped by the skin of their teeth also brings them face to face with the last person they expect to meet.

a changed man (working title) - a Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) fic from Jeannie's pov. mostly it's about their picnic excursions but it's also about Jeannie wishing Marty wasn't such an elephant in the room

mfu/rahd xover (untitled) - the first chapter of this is almost ready to go tbh. it's what it says on the tin lol, Napoleon and Illya go to London and get help from a rather eccentric private detective who has uncanny powers of solving impossible cases but also they think is probably clinically insane

to see him happy - VERY weird rahd fic. it's smut but its also about grief. might never post it because several of my family members have access to my tumblr and therefore my ao3 lol they dont need to see that

the winter of '62 - a study of jeff and marty's life when they lived together in a grotty bedsit and couldnt afford to put the heating on

star wars (untitled) - set during ROTJ, han pov. han's lost a lot of time and now everyone is one step ahead of him which isn't a sensation he's used to

skyrissian - what it says on the tin lol

the older gen (untitled) - jeeves fic about bertie's aunts and uncles and parents as they were as they variously grew up, got married, had children, died (or didn't), fell prey to alcoholism or insanity or petty crime, went to war, prospered (or didn't)... This is pretty unlikely to be finished this year tbh as it's very detailed but I can dream

a couple of long form fics about starsky & hutch and mfu respectively (the s&h one is set post sweet revenge, the mfu one takes place at various moments throughout the show)

x-files series - canon compliant until paperclip and then gradually diverges into how i think the show should have gone lol. another biggie

and a handful of tintin fics that im protective of and might never post but we'll see - one where tintin and chang go on holiday in london after picaros, one where the gang encounters rajaijah one last time (featuring a letter from didi, chang making a very daring crossing at the songolese border, and tintin taking about ten years to chop up a clove of garlic), and one where tintin gets shitfaced at an embassy ball and accidentally starts an Incident. haddock looks on, appalled.

i knoooooooooooooooowww this is a lot but i'm not realistically hoping to finish it all this year but it's nice to have lots of things to play around with lol.

unfortunately i have the eternal problem of not ever knowing which of my mutuals write fic and which of those havent already been tagged but imma tag @theteaisaddictive and genuinely if u see this and u write fic ur tagged i want to knowwwwwwwwwwwww <333

[ppeonppeonhan]

15 people, 15 questions

I was tagged by a new mutual zimmbzon in this fun little getting-to-know-you quiz.

Are you named after anyone?

Real name: Yes, a saint (first) and my grandma (middle).

Tumblr handle: It means "shameless" in Korean. Jungkook of BTS said that word perfectly described V, and it stuck with me -- and not many foreign words do. Plus, it perfectly encompassed the content I share here. 😜

When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday, thinking about Night potentially unaliving himself if he reaches his limit with Day's emotional abuse, and Mhok being triggered to remember his sister's death if he witnesses the attempt and tries to stop him. (#LastTwilight) In real life, making myself cry worrying about shit that didn't or might not even happen is my specialty. Anxiety perpetually at 11.

Do you have kids?

Do my parents count?

What sports do you/have you played?

If I were athletically inclined, I'd play soccer, baseball, tennis, volleyball, and hockey. But I am extremely accident prone, and deeply disinterested in anymore ER visits.

Do you use sarcasm?

My best friend gifted me this in college, so...probably.

What's the first thing you notice about people?

Whether or not they feel comfortable around me. It helps me gauge how much of my personality I should show. Am I starting at a 10 or a 2? I know we'll be good friends if I can hit 10 before we part ways.

What is your eye color?

I wish my eye color was violet or that eye color changed based on your emotions. This thought inspired by my recent viewing of both Dungeons & Dragons and the new Percy Jackson Disney series.

Scary Movies or Happy Endings?

Love a happy ending, but only if it makes sense and doesn't seem tacked on after a major unresolved conflict. I only do scary if it's a murder mystery, cause it's like solving a puzzle.

Any talents?

I don't panic under pressure. If anything, it's when I excel the most. Which...is probably a trauma response, but whatever. Lol I've also always been good at seeing the potential in people, whether they were famous or a work colleague. Like I can tell when someone is going to excel in life and what they would excel at.

Random example: Jesse Plemons. Who could've predicted him going from dorky Landry in Friday Night Lights to a respected character actor across film & TV? Me. I did. Who could've predicted he would marry Kirsten Dunst and have kids? Nobody. That one was a curveball. Lol I mean, his competition was Josh Hartnett. Be fucking for real.

Where were you born?

On the East Coast.

What are your hobbies?

I work too much to have substantial hobbies, but if I had time, I would do these more: skateboard, write fiction, photography, wander new cities/neighborhoods, make crafts, explore museums, cook new recipes, learn how to play the drums, and learn Korean + Thai + Tagalog.

Do you have any pets?

No, I'm afraid of having to bury them -- and I don't want to clean up poop. Lol But if I could have pets, I'd get a parrot, an iguana, a lot of different fish, and whatever breed of dog Henry Cavill has. For now, I'll stick to my 8 plants. (RIP to the previous 7.)

How tall are you?

Tall enough to reach things for all of my under 5'4" friends -- of which I have many.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Science, but I was very bad at it. Lol I excelled mostly at Math, English, and Spanish.

What is your dream job?

Storytelling in all its forms. But based on my career trajectory, I'd be happy to settle for a marketing job that allows me to craft very subtle product placement in a series or film.

I'm tagging... @my-rose-tinted-glasses, @wanderlust-in-my-soul, @gothicbarbie, @mikuni14, @heretherebedork, @liyazaki, @mooninagust to post their responses, if they haven't already.

But it's TOTALLY optional. Happy motherf*ckin' New Year! 🤸🏿‍♀️

[insertmeaningfulusername]

Tagged by @synthwwavve thank you sm 🥰

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not by first name, but my second name is my paternal grandma's (who I never met RIP).

2. When was the last time you cried?

I uuh I don't remember but I think it was recently. Probably when I finished S5 of TCW last week.

3. Do you have kids?

Hahaha NO. I don't want to traumatise little humans.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Sometimes? But I feel like its use mostly happens in negative contexts so I try to avoid it.

5. What sports do you play/have you played?

The most I've ever done is couples dancing and yoga.

6. What's the first thing you notice about other people?

Faces maybe? Or details, like an interesting hairdo or jewellery or clothing.

7. What's your eye colour?

Brown, baby. I'm Din Djarin coded.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary movies WITH happy endings :D

9. Any special talents?

I can cock my eyebrows separately.

10. Where were you born?

Good ol' Basilea ✌️

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing, reading, watching series and movies (mostly Star Wars atm), making and meeting friends, doing culture stuff like seeing theatre pieces or visiting museums, going for walks to stare at nature, sometimes fucking around with craft stuff.

12. Do you have any pets?

No but I wish I did 😔 Last year I had a jumping spider living in my bookshelf.

13. How tall are you?

6'

14. Favorite subject in school?

Biology and visual arts.

15. Dream job?

Unironically housespouse. Or marine biologist.

Tagging without obligation @hraishin @doublechocolate @elwenyere @insert-meaningful-username @krispyscreams @veradragonjedi

[natjennie]

gets down on one knee and opens a ring box. inside the box is a piece of paper reading "ghosts fic recs?"

are you sure you want to do this. you don't have to do this. because I just spent half an hour making a google doc. you've done this to yourself..

ghosts fics

general:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39788370 The Haunting Of Button House, what if shane and ryan buzzfeedunsolved investigated the house? it’s fucking hysterical is what if.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44176099 there til it’s gone, alison bumps her head again and can’t see the ghosts anymore and it’s exactly as heartbreaking as you think it would be

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33273475 And So On and So Forth, imagine a future where alison grows old and finally passes away so she can hang out with the ghosts for real. ok now try to stop crying.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33201640 when the smaller picture is the same as the bigger picture (I’ll love some littler things), alison thinks about the ghosts and it is um. tragic. did you know?

cap-centric bc im me:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47655670 …And A Rainbow! cap and kitty have a gay little sleepover! yippee!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36796477 Butterscotch, cap autism moments simulator. he gets overwhelmed at a party and pat sits with him

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46425295 The Dreams That You Dare To Dream, another one by spineless-lobster hello, based on an angsty text post I made, rips my heart out and it was MY idea. that’s just rude.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30025770 A man is not very tired, he is exhausted, idk how to describe this one like I can’t do it justice. the first tag is just “the captain remembers” and yeah that feels right.

capvers:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27044512 if rome hadn’t fallen, havers fantasizes about what can never be

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26857282 a soldier can sleep in any warzone, what if I never stopped crying. havers memories.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31028219 Exercise in Wanting, the most tender 2k blowjob you’ve ever read

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27875726 rabbits wrapped in velvet, cap and havers exchange christmas gifts. I sob inconsolably.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35163190 someday, sweetheart, one of a handful where havers is a ghost that somehow gets to button house, but also it’s christmas and they’re sweet.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167254/chapters/70371735#workskin I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted (ah, but I'm singing like a bird, 'bout it now), button house hosts a wwii museum exhibit, cap thinks of havers

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46311469 as no men love for long, what if havers was a wwi soldier who died and he ghost-ed during cap’s life? sure, why not!

patcap:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35568760/chapters/88672456 Out of Touch, okay sobbing crying wailing, absolutely touching relationship with pat and cap and daley, warning for child illness and death

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35665516/chapters/88925122 The Baker, an ultimate favorite, au where cap was like a secret agent hitman, he’s trying to escape that life, hides out in Button, a village where everyone else lives. it’s incredible I love it so much.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45870337/chapters/115444147 Flies on the Wall and Elephants in the Room, half the ghosts become invisible to the other half, they think they got sucked off, it’s heartbreaking

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37282168 forced proximity, the first of many by hounds_of_love, I’m obsessed with their work, basically cap is snowed in to pat’s house, features him being very autistic and also they fuck. and pat’s trans.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37460623/chapters/93486928 the quick and the dead, VAMPIRES!!!!! cap’s a vampire!!!! cap’s a vampire seeking a roommate and pat needs a place to stay and doesn’t see some very obvious red flags

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33225691/chapters/82495348 adored, the CLASSIC, pat and cap are teachers and they chaperone a school trip to france and hate each other and fail at trying not to fuck

capulian:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32169565 A Rainstorm, A Lightning Rod, CAP TRAUMA!!!!! and julian being less of an asshole than usual

chess husbands:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42132657 Made Our Cave An Everywhere, light sexual content but mostly some melancholy existentialism. yknow how it is.

I can't do anymore or format this better rn bc my gummy just kicked in, love and light.

[fuwushiguro]

what inspired u to create the plot of wusyaname? and what's ur favourite chapter that u have written for it so far??

I'm rooting for yn to stay w yuuji somehow but MAN idk how the hell they can stay together after all that and I have the bad feeling that yuuji is doing something slightly sneaky behind her back 🤨🤨🤨 I can see her getting with megumi but am interested to see how it would last aha

I genuinely didn't have any idea where I was going to go with it plot wise. I wrote the first chapter because I'd just created a tag list and I thought writing a series would be a good way to announce I'd made the tag list! (rip to the tag list it's so much work LMAO). But after the first chapter I didn't even want to write anymore bc I thought it sucked. I can't actually remember what inspired me to write chapter two!

I think my favourite chapter is either the one where Yuuji and yn are eating burger king on the hood of his car orrrrrr the one where Megumi and yn are looking around the art museum. I can't remember if that's the same chapter they go bowling but I love that one too 😅

AHHHH i hope it's all worth the wait, I'd say I'm almost done with the second act of the story! A few more chapters maybe and then the third act will begin! I hope you enjoy the ride and don't mind waiting for it all 🥺💕

[melodythebunny]

@ninjastormhawkkat I'm just now reading your response(s.)

I don't remember much of it. And I'm surprised at what I did remember whilst writing/rambling about it.

Im glad you like it. I've had other dreams in the past but this is the first time I've ever shared or documented them???

And as of rn. I only remember the last two parts....

😔 my brain is making me forget It rip unfair city dream

If anyone wants to read it also you can find it here undercut:

Due to the dumb 10 link limit just find the rest under unfair city au tag on my friend's blog

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

I am curious: what are your favorite scenes from your main ships (date, dair, derena...)?

scenes involving milo don't count, sorry!

for me, it's really not just scenes, but body language & just in general, how they are with each other, you know? dan and serena grin at each other and hug SO much, you can tell that being around each other in s1 made them both so happy, and even after that glow fades the way they look for comfort in each other... top level stuff. the way blair looks at dan... we never see her as radiant at any other point. she was not looking at anyone else like this. and gosh, dan and nate. they're both so comfortable around each other that there's absolutely nothing weird about like. discussing that one ex girlfriend whom they both share AND both were in love with. there is literally no other duo who trusts/enjoys each other's company so much that they're comfortable in a love triangle. (probably because they're more in love with each other than with the girl, but that is not the point. or is it?)

anyway, more specific answers. under the cut. this is one of the longest answers i've ever written on this blog possibly but you KNEW that would happen when you sent this ask, didn't you? (affectionate)

derena: i tagged one of my ds reblogs as 'the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one' and like. look at them! this hug from 1x10 kills me in the best way. they are both the literal embodiment of :D when they see each other! i love 1x10 as a whole moment, their entire thing at cotillion is so sweet and they're both so happy. the fact that he is talking about his chemistry teacher during this kiss in 1x07. that bit at the end of 1x05 when they talk about their siblings (being there for their sibling because of fallible parents being a derena parallel makes me simultaneously really sad and really soft, tbh). 1x05 gives me SO MUCH SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT but the way they walk off together arms around each other does something to me - these are two people who are still getting to know each other but who really like what they see, and who trust each other and. are just having a good time together! back when derena was my OTP, the 1x11 "your story's about me?" was absolutely a fave, too, and i still adore it, albeit in a different, more nostalgic way. i like a dan who writes cute stories about serena. no empty shell sabrina van skoneker bullshit. she is so much like you, daniel! you'd be shattered if she did this to you. don't do this to her. tbh, most derena moments from s1 are just A+ romance. the bit in 2x02 in the jitney is so funny, they're SO bad at being exes. the bit in... 3x03 i think?? i don't remember... on the contrary. when they're talking about dan's fling w/ georgina and serena's relationship with carter, the ease with which they talk and how happy/supportive they are of each other's new relationships... yeah. love to see it.

i also really like any instance of them having honest/open conversations. 1x13, talking about how serena is concerned about blair. 1x08, serena talking to dan about feeling jealous of vanessa. this bit from the touch of eva or whatever that episode is. 4x04 i think. this is the conversation everyone is trying to get dan to have and he's avoiding EVERYONE else. derena interactions in 3x21 (can't find a gif right now) - the fact that dan is with serena when her dad abandons them, the fact that he goes all the way there with her. 2x07, "i'm really glad you're nate's friend. he really needs someone like you right now" (though i'm cheating, that's technically a d/n moment too klhdflkgf). there's a bit in s4 where he's advising her against having an affair w/ colin, i don't remember the ep number, but the way he takes her side so easily and naturally and puts due blame/responsibility solely on her professor... yeah. 4x10 i think this ep is?? idk. but like my tags say, im sentimental about this moment because while what dan was doing was irresponsible, sneaking her out of the ostroff, he was the only person in this episode who was actually talking to her and listening to her and taking her seriously. nobody else was doing that!!

i probably have more moments i'm not remembering, but we're only 1/3 into this answer and LOOK AT THE WORDS, good lord, i'm sorry.

dair: my favourite dair episode is hands down despicable b (5x21) which i have heard is an uncommon answer. i just love the conflict resolution of it all, okay!!! 1x04 & 2x08 are like. standard answers any dair shipper will give, and i'm no different. i love dan being able to give blair advice and blair actually taking his advice even though they're not friends yet!!! be right back, yelling at the intimacy of it all!! 5x16, with their getting together (this little kiss and dan being so startled by it), blair admitting a flaw she genuinely does have and dan saying it's not awful because it's her, which is just. romance at its finest. those vows, good lord. 5x18.... they're having fun! blair showing up at the loft in lingerie for dan... the delight on her face.... (i know this moment blows up in their face but when she's there she looks so happy and proud of herself and this was like THE moment when i was like. oh. dair is really the heart of this garbage show huh).

i think for me, the thing that really sells dan & blair together is the serena of it all. both of them love serena more fiercely than anyone else, and that is what brings them together. (fwiw i definitely think nate loved serena this much and this deeply, too; the writers just wanted to pop the serenate balloon, which even i think was extremely unnecessary and ooc.) but (& i have so much meta about this) their relationship grows beyond serena. their entire s4 arc is SO good. i love how comfortable around each other they are, in such an adult way, in the sense of like. they both bring so much stability to each other? morgan tagged this edit "the marrieds" and like. yeah. b offers to help him shave. they're having breakfast & reading the paper together.

all the love declarations we got that weren't a simple 'i love you.' be your charming wonderful self (how could she not love you/ tell me what would make you happy, dan) i told chuck he doesn't have my heart anymore (you spent your life earning the keys to set you free when you were free all along!!!!) dan's pep talk to blair in 5x21 (already linked a gifset earlier, here's another one if you want i guess). there's definitely more... but honestly, the way the dair arc was executed was so good - while i do have my complaints, i also think keeping those aside, it was SO close to perfect. i love dan & blair's banter and gradually becoming closer and closer and closer. it felt very organic and real and GOSH. the way penn & leighton looked at each other while playing dan and blair...... it's just SO MUCH.

date: this is the hardest, because it's. *screams*. maybe you saw me losing my mind over those 2 seconds of nate handing dan a waffle? i love almost every scene with these two, even the hellish s6 breakup scene. my favourite episode for d/n (& also favourite gg episode in general) is 2x06 - i love the homoerotic subtext of it all. nate pretending to be dan because dan's name is the first name that came to his head. dan flirting w/ nate while tied to that thing, in his underwear. them becoming friends. and 2x07 as a follow-up to that! dan getting nate to live in the loft with the humphreys for a while. i am so soft.

4x09 is a terrible episode in general, especially for serena my beloved, but the d/n moments in that one? off the CHARTS. this weird overly macho flirting, in some ways THE most iconic d/n line. this entire finish each other's sentences nonsense. someone (i think it was ana but im not sure?) compared the energy of those scenes i just linked to the book blairenate love triangle resolution, blairena choosing each other over nate in the books, date choosing each other over serena in the show (if only! RIP.) after the saints & sinners ball, this cute little moment of 'youre the only one who understands me. please tell me they went home together. i mean. how could they not have.

3x07, them watching vampire porn together. a tag i used on ao3 (& also on here, once) is 'nate brings out the himbo in dan'. here is a prime example. 'is she levitating?' i don't fucking know, dan, what do you think?? (i was telling my partner that that's what i love abt dair vs date. around blair dan is an intellectual, a librarian, an art historian, a museum curator. around nate it's like dan is competing to be #1 himbo on the show. can my girlfriend actually fly? i don't know, dan. i can't believe you're seriously asking such a question.)

3x12 pep talk. (sorry about the shitty quality!) essentially nate telling dan that he (dan) is hot and that he shouldn't talk himself down so much.

dan making nate gay in his book. you know. his book from which blair found out he was in love with her. nads (who i will not tag in this billion word long gushy meta, because i value her sanity) once called inside "wish fulfilment' and. i mean. yeah

nate checking dan out at the derena wedding continues to be hilarious. hilarious in the same way as dan sexually fantasising about nate. canon really went 'let's give ivy some special easter eggs' and i appreciate them a lot!

i love the way they are around each other - so quietly attuned to each other. i showed my sister my date!husbands gifset, and she was like. yeah they're so married. and it's just stuff like how dan looks for nate over his shoulder, it's not even an active action, it's as easy and natural and intuitive as breathing, checking to see if nate is still there.

oh, that wasn't as hard as it could've been! okay. cool. im SURE there's more things i could scream about, because it's DN, the fact that they're non-canon makes me THAT much fiercer about them than dair/derena, to be honest. so many dots to connect!! anyway.

[beomglocks]

colors ; k.th

part of the badlands series!

colors: “you’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece.”

based off halsey’s badlands album.

warnings and other: museum curator!taehyun, old money!y/n, mentions of depression and grass smoking, little bit of angst i guess??

taehyun sighed as he took down the 11th painting this week. the museum hadn't been very busy in the past couple of weeks, maybe because the weather was getting colder. one part of him figured that many people just wanted to be bundled up at home watching holiday themed movies and drinking warm drinks rather than appreciating enchanting artworks.

he couldn't fool himself though, he knew the truth. today's generation didn't care about the fine arts anymore. a shame, seeing as everything around them seemed to be inspired by it.

kang taehyun worked at his local museum. he had been offered the position by the owner one night while roaming the place. this should've been a red flag looking back. the owner seemed desperate for someone to fill in the position since the previous employee had left without notice. nonetheless, taehyun took the job and didn't regret it one bit.

open 24/7, the red haired boy was always working on the clock. not that there was much to do seeing as most of the people his age or even a bit older didn't hang around museums purely for the joy of it. actually, his only job was to exhibit the newly arrived collections, clean and dust them off, and conduct regular tours and workshops for the public. due to this and the fact that not many people even came by he would take regular breaks.

once in a while you'd see the occasional old person or art expertee roaming around the small museum. if you were lucky, you'd see the local edgy teens posing next to a piece they didn't understand just to get an aesthetic picture. taehyun would also have the unfortunate job of shooing them away or scolding them for getting just a bit too close.

recently his boss, who was the museum manager and maybe the only other person besides taehyun that worked there, had informed him that due to funds and unfortunate unforeseen events, the museum would be closing down in about a month from now. this caused taehyun to fall deep into a depression since this was his only job and he loved it here. the museum was like his second home. he found comfort in the silent images displayed throughout the building. they always told him a story and when new pieces came in he would sit and stare attentively at the new anecdote being told to him.

taehyun smiled sadly at the piece he had just taken down. it was a painting of 2 people kissing however both of their faces were covered by white cloths. this was his favorite and he didn't even have a clue as to why. probably because of the uncertainty of what the other was feeling or because of the fact that the other couldn't see each other's faces through the cloth, that would've made the kiss more exciting in his opinion.

he stepped out of the museum and into the frosty air of the outside world. it was only autumn so why was it so cold? he thought to himself. he discreetly pulled out a prerolled blunt and his white lighter from his pocket. he lit it and stuck in between his slightly chapped lips.

maybe smoking dope wasn't the healthiest thing in the world, especially for a boy so young, barely 19, but it helped taehyun get his mind off the inevitably of losing his job and being homeless for the winter. he shuttered at the thought. he would have to room with one of his friends, he sighed shaking his head. no, he didn't want to be a burden, yeonjun had helped him enough as it is.

he looked at his surroundings taking in the cold autumn afternoon. the trees had long lost their leaves and were bare. the sky was a murky gray color as if it were threatening to rain any time soon. he noticed a girl bundled up in winter clothes near the entrance of the building glance at him. he smiled at her and she jumped at the eye contact, thinking that he wouldn't catch her. taehyun chuckled as he watched her rush into the museum. "back to work," he said out loud to himself.

once the blunt had been almost gone, he smoked what was left of it and headed back into the empty museum. he was feeling light-headed, the effects of the blunt finally taking action, but taehyun was used to it so it barely affected him as much.

he made his way to the girl who was now starting to take off her jacket and scarf. taehyun tapped on the girl's shoulder to get her attention. "hi," he smiled at the girl, showing off his dazzling smile. "if you'd like, i could give you a tour of the museum." well what's left of it anyways, he thought to himself.

"oh...no thank you," said the girl. she smiled warmly at the worker. "well not to be invasive of your decision but it's sort of in my job description," taehyun replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. the girl sighed in defeat, "i guess i have no choice then."

taehyun laughed as he took her coat and scarf to hang up in the public closet, "yep, trust me. they say im not that bad of a tour guide, im quite fun to be around if i do say so myself. i promise not to bore you too much." the girl nodded, not entirely convinced. "if i do end up bored i will hold you accountable..." she took a moment to take a peek at taehyun's name tag, "kang taehyun," she joked.

as they walked through the museum the girl couldn't help but notice that it was fairly empty. "why are there almost no paintings in here?" she laughed hesitantly. "i thought this was a museum?" taehyun stopped walking, turning to her with a sad expression on his face.

"the museum is expected to close in about a month or so," he stated simply. "oh...that's terrible. may i ask why?" the girl responded. "my boss says we've run out of funds or something like that," taehyun chuckled bitterly. "people don't really give a shit about good art these days anyways."

"that's a shame..."

they continued to look through the various paintings that were still up and occasionally the girl would ask to see the ones that were taken down and left on the floor. it seemed the two were lost in each other's company as night started to approach.

"thank you for the tour of this lovely museum taehyun. it was fun but it's a shame such a nice museum like this is closing down," the girl said softly. taehyun nodded solemnly, he just wanted to get this day over with and crash at his apartment. he didn't blame the girl before him but talking to her reminded him of his harsh reality. a notification coming from the girl's bag made both of them jump as they were both lost in their thoughts.

"ah, that must be my father. he's kind of annoying when it comes to my curfew," she chuckled, digging her phone from her bag. taehyun watched her with a bored expression until his eyes reached her bag. he hadn't noticed this earlier but she had been carrying a louis vuitton bag. his eyes bulged at the expensive item that was so close to him, they got even larger when she fished out the latest iphone from it.

taehyun wasn't poor per se, he had just enough to get by since he was living paycheck to paycheck. however, he had never been in such close proximity to any luxury items. he suddenly felt weird being this close to this girl.

"what do you mean by curfew?" taehyun asks hesitantly. the girl sighs, "my father is one of south korea's richest chaebol's, maybe one of the big three at his point." she rolled her eyes as if this information was nothing. "he's super strict with me because i guess i'm just his show pony daughter whom he can show off to say he's a good father."

taehyun gulped, had he just been casually hanging out with the daughter of one of the richest men in korea? he felt sick at this. she looked up at taehyun's uneasy expression, "oh my god im sorry i just dumped that all on you! i just needed to catch a break so i came here, i didn't mean to drag you into my life story."

taehyun fixes his face, laughing nervously, "no- no its fine really. we all need a break sometimes right? im glad you got to have that time here." the girl smiled up at him, completely misreading his nervous laughter, "im glad i got to spend it here with you taehyun."

"oh before i go!" taehyun watched her pull out a checkbook from her bag and his stomach dropped. he silently watched her scribble some stuff onto the slip and tear it out, handing it to him.

"there's not too much i can take out of my account without my father flipping out but i hope this helps even just a little. whether it be in your personal life or with the museum."

taehyun eyes the check and chokes when he sees 50,000 dollars written neatly on the black line. he swears he can feel sweat going down his face like in the cartoons. "i- i cant possibly take this from you." he moves to hand the check back but the girl refuses to take it back. "taehyun, you love this museum with your entire being. i see the way to look at the paintings and the passion with which you explained them to me. i'd hate to see that taken away."

"plus, if you're gone who's gonna give me the tour when i come back?" she laughs as if this is something casual. taehyun's hands shake as he pockets the check, "i seriously cannot thank you enough...you don't know how much you just helped the museum and m-"

the girls phone dings again and she grumbles, "ugh why can't he just leave me alone. sorry but i think i really gotta go for real before he tracks my location or something crazy like that."

taehyun nods wistfully at the mention of her having to leave. he was really starting to enjoy her company.

"oh by the way," the girl giggles as she pulls her coat on hurriedly.  "was that you smoking weed at the corner of the museum earlier?" the girl chuckled to herself again just remembering it. taehyun furrowed his eyebrows, "why would you say that kind of thing at out loud and at my job?!" he scolded in a playful hushed voice.

"i just thought it was funny and you also smelled of weed the entire tour, i didn't mind though so don't worry," the girl concluded. she was starting to walk away towards out the door now. "i'll walk you out," taehyun offers. "such a helpful employee. is this in the job description too?" the girl jokes, turning to him while a smile on her lips. "well, not exactly," taehyun says smoothly.

she shakes her head, "i'll see you soon taehyun." he watches her walk off into the darkness of the night when he suddenly remembers something.

"hey what's your name by the way?" he shouts after the girl. for some reason taehyun really was hopeful of seeing her again.

"y/n!" came the disembodied voice of the girl he had just met.

[marvelite624]

I'd put Rebecca to bed. She was exhausted by what had happened. Strangely though, I got the impression she didn't remember all of it. Like the disturbin' parts that might keep her awake had been erased somehow. She said her prayers, which included somethin' about watchin' over her friend in the dark...I let it go for now and tucked her in. The last thing she said to me, through a yawn was, "Don't worry, Mommy, it will all be okay. I just know it." She yawned once more as I reached for the light switch and then, rolled onto her side peacefully.

Back in the kitchen, Frankie and Gil were seated across from each other at one end of the table. They both looked like hell, especially Frank. I took the end chair between them and tried to relax. That wasn't gonna happen. The conversation had started without me. Gil was sayin' how he'd been gettin' these visions, flashes he called 'em, for years now. He was sayin' how they were painful at first but, he'd gotten used to them...they seldom hurt anymore. I felt like I was intrudin' but, this was affectin' my family, my child...I was entitled to know what was goin' on. I decided that I would stay put and hear the rest of the story. Gil continued to explain as best he could.

"Do you remember Mom's friend, from before we moved, the guy she was besties with, all through her school years?" "Yeah, Steve something, uh, Land..." "Buckland. That's him. He started his own interior design business, named it after Mom, 'Rose Interiors'. He always said, 'A rose by any name was still a thing of beauty!', even used it as a tag slogan for his business. Put it on his calling cards too. I always thought they'd been sweet on each other for a while. I was wrong. Steve was gay. He even did drag at some of the local clubs, called himself 'Ellavene LeVeen'. He was a favorite with the crowds who loved to watch him strut his stuff, really flamboyant, colorful...put on a great show!"

"Is this goin' somewhere, bro?" "Yeah, bear with me. When Mom.....after the accident, something just felt wrong. The story didn't gel for me, Frankie. You accepted it, no questions asked but, me, I was getting 'vibes', the first of many. My suspicions led me to Steve who had been here visiting when it happened. He stated that he was in his car behind Mom and Dad when a large, antlered deer darted out onto the road, Dad slammed on the brakes, swerved and lost control. According to him, they broke through the guardrail and plummeted nearly a hundred feet down into the treeline. The car caught fire." "I read his statement too, Gill. What was weird about it?" "Everything."

"I went to the scene, after measuring the front of their car, well, one just like it anyway. The rip through the railings just wasn't wide enough to support the story! How could the gap be a whole foot too narrow? It couldn't. And, just as suspicious, there were no marks on the road. If Dad had slammed on the brakes before the swerve like Steve claimed, there would have been skid marks, Frankie. Not one, not even one. The gouging in the grass and soil down the embankment didn't look right to me either. So, I paid Mr. Buckland a visit."

"You thought it was a field trip. It was a round-trip, to Buffalo and back. I'd called "Rose Interiors" posing as a potential client, set up a consultation appointment. When I walked in, looking around at the wall-to-wall antiques, displayed in colorfully dressed settings, hell, the place was a virtual museum, from the sign outside and what I was seeing inside, I had no doubt it was the right place. He recognized me, of course, and instantly became nervous, agitated. 'What can I do for you, Gilbert?', he asked. 'You can tell me the truth, Mr. Buckland, that's all I need from you.', I said. At that, he turned to walk away...I reached out to grab his shoulder."

"The pain that stabbed through my head was intense. Thankfully, it was also brief. I got flashes of Buckland and Dad, their mouths hanging open, aghast at something they were seeing. Dad was calling to Mom, 'Rose, oh my God...Rose!' He and Steve were looking up, in my confused state, eyes still closed, I too 'looked up'...I saw the light, I saw Mom...inside the light...they...were taking her!"

Gil had begun to cry then. His last words were disjointed. He forced them out, even as his voice was breakin' up. I stood and moved to his side, cradlin' his head gently. "Sh, sh, shhh. There, there, take your time, honey. It's alright.", I told him. But we both knew, it wasn't alright. He was relivin' a horror in tellin' this story...nothin' about it was 'alright'. "I'll be okay, Sarah, just give me a minute...just a minute.", he said, as he wiped at his eyes, collectin' himself. I hadn't seen him cry since Rose and Martin's funeral. I hated it then, I was hatin' it now.

Gil took a minute to focus as Frank asked if there was any coffee left. I nodded my head and he made a pretty-please/prayer gesture with his hands. I stepped to the pot as Gil began again.

"I almost hit the floor when that flash hit me, Frank. If Buckland hadn't held me up, I'm sure I would have. That was my first. I'd gotten 'vibes' that drew my attention to things but, never a full, ass-kicking flash. It scared the shit out me, for real" "Yeah, Gil, I got a piece of that mess durin' the 'transfer' earlier. That was NOT fun! I almost hurled apple pie right then and there." "Sorry, man, don't know why that happened."

As I was serving the coffee, Gil continued, "Thanks, Sarah.", he said, "I hope it's extra black." "Straight from the La Brea's!" My little joke was an attempt to lighten the mood, thinkin' it might make things easier somehow. Gil smiled at me and began his tale once again.

"I was afraid to touch him again but, I reached out anyway and locked on to both of Steve's arms, I yelled in his face, 'I know you're lying about that night. I saw it, lived it! Please!' I don't know what it was that convinced him so quickly, the sound of my desperation, the tears that freely flowed then, or maybe, it was just the guilt that he couldn't take. For whatever reason, he started over, with the truth this time."

"'Sit down, son.' He moved one of the antique chairs to me and began his tale. 'We weren't driving when 'it' happened. Your mother and I had been discussing a joint venture. With her magnificent talents for growing things and my instincts for design, we were hoping to open an interiors and gardens design shop. Rose had grown bored now that you boys were independent, Martin always at work; she wanted something to fill the emptiness she could no longer ignore. We were standing at a proposed sight for the show floor and greenhouses, discussing a future that seemed awfully bright at the time.' He paused for a few seconds, thinking about the irony of what he'd just said, maybe. 'She'd scouted the spot earlier and asked me to hurry down to see it.'"

"Then, he began to fidget, became listless. I could tell he was frightened, having second thoughts maybe. 'You have to tell me about the light, Mr. Buckland. The light!' 'Yes, that dammed light!', he started again, 'We barely had time to notice the humming, that deep, bone-vibrating hum, before the light shot down from out of nowhere! It was beamed right at her! Rose's head fell backwards, her body grew limp as a ragdoll's but, she remained upright, suspended. Martin and I both wanted to help her, tried but, we couldn't move. Our bodies weren't responding as we just stood there watching. She floated off the ground, slowly at first, then the pace quickened and, before we knew it, Rose was gone, taken... stolen.'

"He was openly sobbing now too, we sat there, the pair of us, re-experiencing the loss of someone we both loved very much. Mom had been taken by someone or something, I didn't know yet for sure, which. Steve told me how they'd related the story to the authorities who obviously, didn't believe a word of it. They made some calls and, before you know it, Colonel Albright was there, with his uniformed cronies." "Albright is a son of a bitch! We've met!", Frankie interrupted. "Steve told me how the colonel and officer-on-duty, Tom Curdy spoke quietly in the back. Afterwards, they so much as forced Dad and Steve to go with them."

"Steve told me they grilled him over and over about what happened. They made him tell the story of the accident by threatening to take his home, his business, and ruin him in the community. He was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they released him...he never saw Dad again. After apologizing several times, he grew as frightened as he had been only moments before. 'You can't tell anyone about this! It would ruin me...they'll come for me! Please, Gilbert...you can't!' The look on his face was unrelenting panic now, I felt so sorry for him. As reassuringly as possible, I told him that I would keep the secret, not to worry."

"I stepped out of the shop and heard the locks clicking behind me. Turning, I saw him flip the "closed" sign and draw down the door shade. Another shop across the street caught my attention. With some time left until my return flight, I ventured over and entered. They greeted me at the entrance, asked if it was my first time, offered to show me samples. I shook my head "no" and pointed to what I was after. It was right there in the window and I wanted it really bad."

That soup got thicker and thicker as Gil spoke. Apparently he and my husband's parents had gone through the same thing we had when Frankie disappeared. I did my best to stir my way in and wrap my head around all this, when he again, began to speak.

"You didn't even notice when I got home, did you, Frankie?" "Notice what? The tattoo? Sure I did brother! But I figured, if it was somethin' you needed to talk about, you would. You never did and I let it slide. I'd suspected somethin' was up when there was no consent form to return...for the 'field trip', dummy. Never knew the school to hijack students without proper permissions. Uh-huh? You weren't as slick as you thought. I almost followed you that day...decided against it, don't remember why now."

They found something to laugh about in all this. It was a relief to see them like that. I joined in, we chuckled for a few and I thought to myself, "Maybe my little girl was right. When she'd said that everything was gonna be alright." I sat there with the two most important men in my life and somehow, I just knew it too!

(to be continued in Part 12)

•This is an original work of fiction and labor of love, written by me, Terry G. Nunley.