#i have cassis orange to finish

[boinin]

Just had a very dark, very spooky idea for a bllk Halloweek fic and I'm very excited to write it... when I get time 🫠

[rubyroboticalt]

QBLR QUARTERLY part 2!

That's right, this report needed two whole posts. Onto the news!

Who let wizards on the server? Zpca's laboratory is discovered in far-off salt flats. Ruby terraforms a black sand beach and takes possibly the worst screenshots of it ever. My liege, you have advanced darkness on. Cheez returns home after a long while away.

And now, a reading from r/malelivingspaces. Orange acacia walls. Shroomlight peeking from above the ceiling and on the lower wall. Orange sandstone ceiling. Meaty red floor. Large desk on the right wall. Single acacia chair at the desk. Unidentifiable orange metal in the wall. This has been a reading from r/malelivingspaces.

Brie reaches a milestone of over 500 deaths, only 1/4 of which are the result of player kills. Dollie participates in a magic ritual with friends! Hivi crafts every single attainable plushie thrice. Ladel has some family bonding time.

Glitch finishes their gardens. Splat and their family convert an airship into a spaceship with airlocking and amenities! On the last two days of play, the Void Worm is unbanned. Residents jump at the opportunity to kill such an elegant beast. Berry organizes a room full of all the flowers in the game.

The mysterious salmon receives some hugs and love from Appie and the bog. Sweetpea tries and fails to go to heaven. Gummy shares the longest playtime of the server, totaling over 45 and a half days. Moo finishes a chapel for their religion.

Inc finishes a tower with which to escape impending apocalypse. Apple finishes the portalfolks garden and invites guests to leave a note in the guestbook. Popcorn celebrates a birthday in the last day of server time.

Oh my lord, audience, do you remember the call to keep a lookout for Spamton after the court case special? It's a good thing we did -- he tries crashing Popcorn's birthday party! And who is there to stop him but WD Gaster himself! I don't believe it!

In the last hours before the end, residents make final arrangements to escape to other worlds. Chunks begin to be consumed, as the Dark Magician harnesses the magic power and energy put into this world for one final clearing of things.

And with that, I'd like to thank Grace, Levlies, Crow, Lim, and Qrth for being an all-star admin team keeping the server running smoothly. Thanks to Ven, Vern, Angel, Cand, Elli, Jay, Mack, Neon, Niko, Percy, and Val for being a super-attentive super-supportive mod team making sure bugs got fixed and lost items were returned. Thank you to Mira, Danny, Jace, Inc, Roy, Glitch, Solaria, Appie, and Cassi for being an amazing bog commune. Thanks to all the other players I haven't mentioned for making the server such a beautiful, lively place. And thanks to you, humble viewer, for coming on this journey with me.

link to part 1

[turbotaxevasion]

Trying my hand at writing a little drabble:

Robin is honestly quite glad that he has Cassie's number when the guy he got half a date with becomes possessed.

Based on this post by @chamiryokuroi , thank you Cham for answering my ask :) this was fun. 10/10 will ask again

The flash of a knife as it plunged deep into a tan chest. Shocked gasps and held breaths. Then…

The thrum of drums. The whistle of panpipes. Thick purple fog rolled through the crumbling remains of the warehouse.

Robin watched as the body on the stone altar rose, the distorted laughter of two voices in the singular body echoing in his ears. He watched as Bernard, the young man he had been on a date with not even 24 hours ago, opened his eyes to reveal glowing orange.

“Oh, how I missed having a body,” he drawled, the two voices distorting his words. “It has been a while since I’ve been given a proper sacrifice.” He chuckles darkly. “Ooh! This will be fun!”

Robin sighed before reaching into his utility belt and pulling out his phone. The blonde tilted his head as he watched the hero dial a number and put the device up to his ear.

“What are you doing?” the distorted voices asked.

The dial tone ended as the other side picked up with a click.

“Hey Cassie,” he began.

Orange eyes widened, black sclera on full display. “Wait. Wait!”

“What’s up, Rob? You rarely call from this number.”

Robin glanced over at Bernard, the current vessel of Dionysus, as he waved his borrowed hands.

“I’ll leave, promise! Just, please. Pick anybody else!” he begged.

Robin sighed again and rolled his eyes. “We’ve got a situation. Can you get to Gotham? Fast? Your uncle is in my b– uh, friend’s body.”

Cassie groans. “Damn, which one?”

“Dionysus.”

The man in Bernard’s body shrieks. “Don’t tell her that!”

“Can you help?” Robin asked.

“Yep, be over in two.”

“Minutes?”

A gust of wind blew past him as Cassie landed.

She smirked. “Seconds.”

Across the stone room, there was a groan and a flash as Bernard’s body split, separating him from the new consciousness invading his mind. Bernard stumbled to his knees. Robin ran over, helping the disoriented young man up. When he looked up, Bernard’s arm slung over his shoulder, Cassie was shouting at a young man with orange fringe and pointed teeth.

“I can’t believe you!” she screamed, dragging him away by the ear. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is having to drag your ass back to Olympus!?”

“Ow. Ow. OW! Lighten up on the ear!” the young man screeched.

Cassie growled as he whined. “You better hope that grandfather is nicer than I am.”

“No, wait–”

Cassie disappeared in a flash, taking Dionysus with her. Robin and Bernard watched, one much more aware than the other. Robin sighed, his back slouching. He looked at Bernard, who was looking around with confusion. He smiled lightly, face softening as the blonde tried to find… something. Robin wasn’t quite sure.

“Let’s get you home,” Robin told him.

“Wait wait!” Bernard cried, flailing in Robin’s hold.

Robin slumped as Bernard writhed. “Woah! What? What is it?”

“I just… Can you tell Tim… Tim Drake… that I wish we could’ve finished our date?”

Robin hoped he wasn’t blushing, feeling his throat tighten and his cheeks warm. “Uhm… Y-yeah. Of course. Though, you’ll probably get the opportunity to do it yourself…”

Bernard grinned. There was a glint in his eyes that Robin couldn’t quite place.”

“I sure hope so.”

Just a quick little brain dump. If you want to read some of my more polished works, check out my ao3

[spider-jaysart]

Hi!! I saw you reblogged the character ask game so can I ask for both Damian Wayne and Peter Parker? I love those boys and I'm curious 😊

Thank you and take care 💖/p

@zephyrwrites2

Aww you take care too and yes, you certainly can get both :)

Damian Wayne

1. sexuality headcanon:

Demipan

2. Otp:

Damijon💕

3. Brotp:

Damian and Jon

4. Notp:

Any batcest one and the canon ships with Mar'i and Cassandra Cain, plus any ones that have adult characters paired up with him, including the adult ones that were aged down just to be with him too, like Raven, Cassie, and Cassandra

5. First headcanon that pops into mind:

Besides sketchbooks, he also owns an expensive drawing tablet that Bruce got him for one of his birthdays. He makes good use of it, but he still prefers traditional more though since that's what he grew up with, so it's not something he stopped doing after getting an art tablet. He just loves the good feeling of getting out all his pencils, brushes, paints, and having fun expressing himself with them right there on his canvas or in his books. Another reason he perfers it more is because he can actually travel with a sketchbook too and just draw wherever he wants and especially because he also hates it whenever a digital drawing he's working on just suddenly deletes itself because of some error while he was in the middle of drawing it, which upsets him VERY much all the time. Most times when that happens, he just really needs a moment for himself to calm down, plus, process and mourn his erased piece that never got to be saved and truly finished.

6. Favorite line from this character:

"I'm from Earth. I'm ticked off. And I'm looking for a clown." From Adventures of the Supersons #7 (This is one of them that makes me laugh lol)

7. One way in which I relate to this character:

Okay, so remember that one Wayne family adventures chapter where Damian is struggling so much to socialize in school and it's all just so awkward for him? Well, that's me too, because I relate too hard to that lol (there's also the fact that we both love art and draw all the time too)

8. Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

Nothing

9. Cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Problematic fave but one that I love very much💖

Peter Parker

1. Sexuality headcanon:

I usually just see him as straight, but I'm not against any other kind of sexuality for him at all though

2. Otp:

Hmmm, him and MJ are sweet (the Rami version of it is definitely a mess though), but I also really like Peter x Michelle from the mcu and Peter x Gwen from the Amazing Spider-Man movies too hehehe

3. Brotp:

Peter and Ned. I just love how silly and fun they are with eachother lol

4. Notp:

Black cat. She's a villain who loves living the thief life, plus, I just don't believe she's right for Peter since she's more in love with his Spider-man identity and always sees things like a game, which just doesn't work for a real relationship

5. First headcanon that pops into mind:

He got braces in middle school and would always pick orange and yellow for the bands when he got them changed every month

6. Favorite line from this character:

"What's important is not standing by and allowing someone to suffer or die because you do nothing. If you don't get that, then you don't get the first thing about being Spider-man." A line he says in the video game Spider-Man edge of time

7. One way in which I relate to this character:

We care for others a lot and always want the best for them

8. Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

Nothing at all

9. Cinnamon roll or problematic fave:

Cinnamon roll frrr💗

Thank you for the asks! I enjoyed answering them!!

[elecman108]

"They do get a bit... quirky, but there's so many of them that, in all honesty, if you get sick of one there's bound to be another that will piss you off even more." -Vincent, probably, to some new hire

Fuck! I finished the Fazbear Crew and almost forgot Manora Mouse from Popgoes! There's a few from Popgoes that I skipped over (Cody Coyote, Lillie Lamb, Holly Robin, Morse Mole, Owen Owl), some mainline characters I skipped (Jeremy Fitzgerald, Fritz Smith, William Afton, the Mimic, Map Bot/Staff Bots, Music Man, there's probably more I'm forgetting), and some that I do have that are missing for specific reasons (eg. Lefty missing bc Marionette is here, Fredbear missing bc Goldie is here, Spring Bonnie missing because Springtrap/Vanny is here*), and some other Fangame characters I probably would want to add, but this is already like, seventy characters. I'm taking a break from them lol.

You're insane for clicking the readmore by the way. All characters, in order of left to right, by colour set:

PINK: Helpy, Cindy, Pigpatch, Pete, Mangle, Bonnet, Cupcake, Chica, Cyan, Katlynn, Minirena, Bidybab, Electrobab.

RED: XOR, Bane, Roxanne Wolf, Foxy, Ned Bear, Stone, Ray, Eclipse, Circus Baby, Ennard, Cassie Stevens, Ella, Marionette.

ORANGE: Sun, Penguin, Gregory Fazbear, Freddy Fazbear, Bloodmoon**, Jackal**, Grimm**, Jackie**, Orville, Manora, Fen, El Chip, Wendy.

YELLOW: Deedee, Doug, Blake, Princess**, Springtrap, Goldie Fredbear, Blank, Plushtrap.

GREEN: Popgoes, Happy Frog, Lolbit, Virtua**, Dreadbear, Chester, JJ, Montgomery Gator, Glitch.

BLUE: Mike Schmidt**, Reiyn, Vanessa, Ballora, Carnie, Bonbon, Lolzhax, DJ Music Man, Candy, Sara, Moon, Balloon Boy, Bonnie, Stanley, Liz Schmidt**, Discord, Vanny, Monika.

PURPLE: RXQ**, Rachel, Saffron, Mystie, Mr. Hippo, MXES, Shadow**, Vincent.

*Vanny AND Springtrap are both technically "Spring Bonnie", as Springtrap is the original Spring Bonnie and Vanny took over the appearance as the "original" Spring Bonnie given Springtrap had transitioned decades ago.

**Everyone with this has an alternate name, so in order: Jack-O-Moon, Jack-O-Bonnie, Grimm Foxy, Jack-O-Chica, Nightmare Cupcake, Delilah Afton, Michael Afton, Elizabeth Afton, Alex/RWQFSFASXC, Steven.

And, for anyone wondering about the relationships across the board with so many random Bisexuals...?

(Shit Pic Quality is my passion <3)

Mystie divorced Mr. Hippo forever ago and she's well over it because she has so many kids (the adult Animatronics like Cupcake, Foxy, Monty, etc) and grandkids (the kid-like Animatronics like Minirena, Bonbon, etc) to take care of. Mr. Hippo is still sad about it and keeps trying but it ain't working.

Katlynn and Wendy are my favourite girls, yes they're OCs, but they're in my AU so they go here. <3

Shadow and RXQ are my two favourite dead spectral idiots who are kind of like sandpaper against everyone else but each other. They're the perfect flavour of weird for each other yet grate the nerves and invade the privacy of everyone else around them on purpose just to get a rise out of them.

Foxy and Goldie are like hell together - they're in love, then Foxy's over here flirting with every man at the bar and Goldie's in the arms of DJ Music Man and flirting with Sara for some reason. They are both entirely unfaithful to each other yet still keep the other in the loop of their actions and it's a disaster. They've been besties for so long and the mutual pining for sixty years is REAL.

Baby and Ballora met each other once and decided to be essentially married. They have been together since their location had it's opening night, and have three kids (Minirena, Electrobab, and Bidybab). They're essentially like Freddy and Bonnie, but well before Freddy and Bonnie even existed. They're the ultimate power couple.

Doug and Rachel both owned a business and are actually married. Rachel jokes that her coworkers (Ray, Bane, Pete) are kind of like her kids because she's always telling them off for antics, and Doug is just madly in love with his rabbit wife.

Vincent died once. Springtrap got a new lease on life. They're both exes of the disaster couple that is Foxy and Goldie. Springtrap tries to be smooth and Vincent ignores him, but the second Vincent is mildly romantic Springtrap overheats and faints and requires repairs. They are the true disaster duo.

Chica and Roxy are absolutely out to be gay do crime insult Moon and get away with it. Chica is the buff chef and Roxy is the shockingly good driver and enjoys cleaning. They probably have unofficially adopted Cassie too, don't get them wrong.

Balloon Boy is that one weird kid who hangs around his nerd Marionette and somehow they're perfect for each other. Marionette is the most normal of the Toy Series aside from Mangle, and Balloon Boy eats batteries. Need I say more?

Freddy adopted Gregory as his son. Bonnie adopted Bonbon and Bonnet when he learned that the rabbit kids' dad (Funtime Freddy) and his boyfriend (Funtime Foxy) were scrapped. You ever play Dream Daddy? A similar thing is going on here with these two dads.

There are some former relationships that I didn't include (Delilah and William, Mangle and Toy Chica, Lefty and Rockstar Foxy) because one side of the relationship is very destroyed. There's a lot of relationships where both sides are destroyed too. Also Delilah/Virtua totally divorced William's bitch ass before he murdered her and turned her into a robot in my AU.

--

And, because it's Pride Month and I probably don't have more art for you, here's a bonus D&D Crew Set!

I think there's an additional one since the last time I posted about my D&D PCs, but that'd be just Cyrus. I have another one I'm cooking up (maybe an aasimar of some sort) but I'm gonna think about it some more before posting about them.

[tari-makes-drinks]

Due to popular demand (and my own need to categorize and sort) I have decided to enumerate everything in my bar. You do not, by any means, require this to have fun. It's not a finished product, and I expect that it'll grow and shift as my tastes change.

Base liquors

Whiskeys:

Evan Williams Bourbon Evan Williams 1783 Famous Grouse Scotch Drambuie Jameson Orange

Vodkas:

Grey Goose Stolichnaya Smirnoff Raspberry

Brandies:

Christian Brothers VS Christian Brothers VSOP Christian Brothers Honey Pierre Ferrand Ambre Remy Martin 1738 Laird's Apple Brandy

Rums:

Kula Toasted Coconut Gosling's 151 Cruzan Aged Light Bacardi Gold Captain Morgan Spiced Cruzan Pineapple Malibu

Gins:

Tanqueray

Tequila:

Lunazul reposado Exotico blanco

Liqueurs:

Cointreau Campari Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Creme de Violette Domaine de Canton Goldschlager St. Germain St. Elder Midori Cherry Heering Jaegermeister Frangelico Five Farms Irish Cream Bailey's Irish Cream Kahlua Cafe Lolita coffee liqueur Bol's Blue Curacao De Kuyper Blue Curacao De Kuyper creme de cacao De Kuyper creme de menthe Luxardo Pernod Creme de cassis Shankey's whip DOM Benedictine Di Amore amaretto Rumplemintz HRD peach schnapps Everclear

Bitters:

Angostura Angostura Cacao Peychaud Fee Brothers Black Walnut Fee Brothers Orange

Syrups:

Simple Grenadine Demerara Simple

Mixers:

Bundaberg Ginger Beer La Croix Sakura La Croix Tangerine La Croix Lemon Fentiman's Rose Lemonade Fever Tree elderflower tonic water Red bull Schweppes' Ginger Ale

Tools:

Espresso machine (Breville BES870XL) Boston shaker (Koriko) Hawthorne strainer Sodastream Bar spoon

[the-missann]

Previous Post

Now, it's time to introduce the characters!

First up, is my main main character

Larson "has a last name but doesn't want to share it"

Larson is a young man who regularly hates people. At first he thought these were just his normal feelings, but he finds out it's actually because he's not even a human, so of course he hates humans!

Well, Larson hates everyone but humans have a special place at the top. His high school career has him spending most his time trying to find any information about his real species.

When his work is left stagnant, that's when he meets someone he didn't expect to.

Here's a scene to showcase his wonderful personality

At the moment, they were at lunch ready to discuss their ideas. Cassie was sitting at the lunch table with her plate full of foods that weren’t good for anyone, including herself. She wiped her hands clean of the bright orange grease from the pizza she finished and now, she was currently eating a sandwich from her lunch bag.

She munched on this food while Larson told her their best odds.

“I don’t know if you can hear me over all that noise you’re making, but if this is screwed up, I won’t think to leave you in a heartbeat.”

Cassie swallowed what she was eating and spoke. “You must really think I’m not in this the same way you are. Look, just because I’m not frowning and getting my big girl pants on doesn’t mean I’m not serious.”

“Could have fooled the hell out of me.” Cassie ignored that and moved her tray over to him. “Why?” Was all he said.

“I’m offering you some. You don’t eat at all, at least whenever I see you, you’re not.”

“Because we don’t get hungry often.”

“I know, but we still have to eat so why not just eat anyways?”

“I eat when I have to. Nothing more.” Larson stated.

Cassie snickered. “You must eat like a salad and some water huh?” Larson grabbed her wrist right before she was about to eat something causing Cassie to drop it. Her other hand grabbed it before she complained to him. “I must be right if you thought to do that.”

He let her hand go and rested his head in his hand. “You’re so fucking annoying.”

“Thank you!” Cassie returned to eating, but stopped suddenly and looked behind Larson.

He turned his head—curious by what she was looking at—and he saw a girl smiling at them both.

Larson groaned. “What do you want?” He turned back to face Cassie.

Cassie looked at the girl and offered her an apologetic smile.

“Uh, well, I wanted to invite you two to a party I’m throwing…” she trailed, “it’s kind of far from here so if you don’t have a ride-”

“We’re good,” Larson said cutting her off.

“B-but, you can bring each other if you want!” The girl pleaded.

Larson opened his eyes and looked at Cassie. Cassie just kept eating without saying a word. He then sighed and got up facing the girl.

“I know what kind of angle you’re trying to pull here, but I’m not interested in spilling my seed in some worthless being. Not even her,” he said pointing behind him at Cassie.

“Ew.” Cassie mumbled.

The girl's eyes widened. “I-I wasn’t asking you to-”

“Really?” The girl pressed her lips together to Larson's comment. “I mean besides the fact that you always stare at me, you’ve slept with pretty much half the school. So I must be next on the list, huh?”

The girl’s mouth opened and she just took off to the door of the cafeteria. Larson scoffed and sat back down.

Cassie stared at him for a while and eventually Larson let out a groan. “I’ll gouge your eyes out if you keep staring at me like that.”

Cassie clicked her tongue. “See? Like that.”

“What are you talking about now?” He was exhausted.

“You could have declined her in a more… human way.”

Larson watched as Cassie reached for more food. He sighed and spoke while putting his elbow up to rest on the table. “If I did that, then I’d be leading her on and I don’t have the slightest intention of doing that.”

“You wouldn’t be leading her on if you just said you’re not interested.”

“Yes I would. Humans always think there’s a chance for them to get one in just as long as you’re not taken.”

Cassie just shook her head, “speaking of which; not that I want that, but why aren’t I ‘worthy’ of your seed?” She then laughed at herself after saying that, Larson just stared at her. “Okay, I’m sorry, but I still want an answer.”

Larson sighed. “It’s pointless either way. So I told myself I’d never reproduce.” He simply stated.

“Why?”

“I just said why!” He grew agitated.

“Okay, maybe it’s pointless, but wouldn’t you want to see what a little you would look like?” She spoke happily at the idea.

“Yeah, my parents have baby pictures.”

“Boo, you’re no fun.”

Next Post

Not so fun fact: That friend of mine told me Cassie was annoying and I should change it, someone else did as well and it made me sad (though I never told them that) but then I thought about other characters like this and realized they only thought she was annoying because she was a girl. Prime evidence: Spongebob from season 1-4 was "annoying" but we liked him for that. Also, they didn't find Larson in need for a change despite my intent to make him unbearably mean sooooo idk I think their bias was showing.

Fun fact: Larson gets some scars on his face at the end of the 1st book, so if I ever draw more, he's suppose to have scars, but I forgor sometimes.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Daily Planet Classifieds

Fandom: DC Comics, Superfam, Young Justice 98, Titans

Summary: Laney Hausler is currently attending classes at Metropolis University when he sees a boy with his face in the library. At first, he thinks he's seeing things. Later, he starts to realize something strange is going on.

Conner Kent lives off-campus with his friends, but he sees a boy who eerily resembles him, and he hires a private investigator to look into the life of his doppelganger.

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Jonathan Lane Kent, Conner Kent, Eddie Bloomberg, Rose Wilson, Bart Allen, Cassie Sandsmark, Cissie King-Jones, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Meloni Thawne, Vic Sage, Slade Wilson

Relationships: Past KonBart, Clois

Additional Tags: Father-Son Relationship, Father-Daughter Relationship, No Powers AU, Found Family, Stalking, Family Secrets, No Powers AU, No Capes AU, Complicated Relationships, University AU, Roommates, Private Investigator, Twins, Multiple POV, First Person POV, Obsession, Psychological Drama, Complicated Relationships, Unrequited Love, Platonic Relationships

Chapter Four: The Nightmare (Conner's POV)

I woke up from a nightmare. It was the last night of the first week, and I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I climbed out of bed and looked out the window. The sun hadn’t come up yet, so I dressed. I put my shoes on in the living room. “Hey, Conner,” Cassie smiled. She sat at the counter eating a breakfast burrito. It was bigger than her head. “Want half?” I nodded and sat beside her.

She took a knife and sliced it in half. I wrapped my half in a napkin. “Goin’ out?” I asked.

“No. Couldn’t sleep… Same as you,” Cassie replied.

“Wanna walk around campus for a little bit? I was gonna walk through the garden by the dorms. It wouldn’t be like-.”

“I get you. Hey… There’s this girl in my class on masculinity, right? She’s completely insane,” Cassie interrupted with a full mouth. I tried not to giggle while she spoke. “She said I’ve got an aggression problem. That’s rich coming from a spaghetti strap-wearing army brat.”

“What’s wrong with spaghetti straps?” I asked. I didn’t care, but I figured it’d be funny to get on her nerves.

She struggled to find an explanation for her insult before shooting me a violent glare. “Shut up,” Cassie replied.

“You didn’t like Cissie when you first met her. I bet you guys will be best friends by the end of the semester,” I smiled. Cassie shook her head. “Aww, come on, Cassie. Are you scared of a little female friendship?” I squeezed her face, and she swatted my hand away.

“What could I possibly have in common with her?” Cassie snapped.

“Your major for starters… And who knows, maybe more,” I replied. I liked being sensible when she was irritated. It took everything in me not to laugh. “Wouldn’t it be funny if you guys had the same career goals? You might end up being coworkers. Or teammates.”

“Yeah, and I would sooner choke to death,” Cassie replied. I knocked on the legs of the wooden chair.

“Can’t be too safe, Cassie-pillar,” I grinned as I kissed her cheek. I loved Cassie even though I liked to give her a hard time. We were like family. “Did you wanna come with me?”

Cassie nodded as she took an abnormally large bite of her burrito. I grinned and covered my mouth with my hand. She finished eating before me and downed a glass of milk. “What’s bothering you?” Cassie asked. I pushed my glasses up with my wrist and shrugged. I didn’t know how to explain my twin to people, so I kept it a secret.

*

The sun rose while we walked to the juice bar across the street from the school. “I’ll have a white chocolate latte with a triple shot of espresso, a Blue Moon, and two orange basil smoothies,” I ordered, “Oh, and two breakfast burritos and a panini.” Cassie pinched my cheek.

“So, how long are you gonna intern at the Planet?” Cassie asked.

I chuckled. I wasn’t an intern, but I helped by bringing my parents' breakfast or lunch or helping Jimmy move camera equipment to and from the van. It gave me an excuse to check in without seeming homesick. “Not long… Just-. Maybe until-. Until my parents don’t need it anymore,” I replied. She pouted playfully, still teasing me about sticking close to home. It wasn’t malicious. It couldn’t have been… It’s not like she knew. The barista called our names after a few minutes, and Cassie helped me carry breakfast to the Daily Planet.

“I thought your mom was cutting down on coffee?” Cassie asked.

“She is. She used to get four shots of espresso,” I replied casually. Jimmy caught me first.

I handed him his smoothie, and Cassie sat the bag on the counter so I could give him his breakfast burrito. “Hey, Kiddo,” Jimmy smiled, “How’s school?”

“School’s good… Is Pop working on a story this morning?” I asked. Jimmy shook his head. “Good. I need him to proofread a paper for me. Is he in a good mood?”

“I’m in a great mood. Hi, Conner. Hi, Cassie. You’re early,” Pop smiled. I grinned at him. “Share the file with me… I’ll read it right now.”

I looked at Cassie, and she nodded. “I’ll stick around,” Cassie replied, “Your mom’s probably working on something cool.”

She followed me and my pop to the office, and I gave my mom her drink and burrito. “Morning, Mom,” I smiled.

“You kids look cute this morning. I thought you didn’t have school on Fridays,” Mom noted.

“I don’t. I wanted to see you,” I replied. Pop logged into his computer, and I pulled up a chair. He never made a big deal out of it, but I always felt self-conscious about him reading my papers. He always skimmed my essays first, then a deep read, followed by a third in-depth read, where he corrected everything I did wrong.

I hugged my knees and waited for the last part. “Conner, this is great. You need to switch the last two sources, but other than that, this is perfect,” Pop explained, “A little alphabetical disorder.” I laughed even though it was a horrible joke. Seeing Pop smile was worth it.

Mom and Cassie discussed the article in progress while I used Pop’s computer to print a physical copy of my film analysis. I finished my smoothie and sat closer to Pop than I usually would. I yawned without meaning to. “Tired, sweetie?” Mom asked. I shook my head. The stupidest lie.

I finished my smoothie and tossed it out before asking if Cassie was ready to go home. She said no, but I decided to leave on my own. There was no reason to wait because I didn’t want her to know what I planned. I walked home and took my car to Mom and Pop’s. I let myself in and went straight for my old room. I tossed my jeans on the chair, climbed into bed, and fell asleep. It was the first real night of sleep I’d gotten all week. I probably would’ve slept most of the day if I hadn’t woken up to the sound of my parents having a five-alarm freakout. “I called Bart, and he said he hasn’t seen him,” Mom half-yelled.

Pop sounded like he was crying and hyperventilating. I realized it was dumb to sneak into the house to nap, but I didn’t think they’d find out so fast. I climbed out of bed, still rubbing my eyes as I opened the door. “I wanted to take a nap,” I announced. Pop ran toward me at full speed and picked me up. I didn’t expect to feel so small in his arms. I lost my footing and held onto him for dear life, feeling painfully guilty over my little white lie. He set me down, and Mom pulled me in for a hug.

“You didn’t have to lie… This is your home,” Mom whispered, “You scared us half to death.”

“I know… I’m sorry. I just-. I haven’t slept much this past week and thought no one would worry if I went M.I.A. for a few hours,” I explained, “I’m sorry… Now, please text my friends and tell them there’s nothing to worry about.”

[kabretoss]

OC-tober 1: Evan

A parka and no gloves or hat, sneakers and jeans, lazy gestures at winter wear. A melted circle around a fire that licked lovingly at a night sky painted heavy and low with rolling clouds, themselves stained dirty orange-purple to the north with the lights of the city. A log, rather than the nearby bench, a thermos, a textbook, and a boy.

On clear nights that sky was full of low-hanging stars, made huge and bright by the clear-aired prairies, and he’d be looking up at them. Tonight was biology homework, though: a sheet of lined looseleaf was crammed at a slight diagonal on the page opposite the one he was reading, filling slowly with crabbed little notes, clumsy for the angle and in the darkness. It was a bubble of quiet, the little scratches of his pen and the lazy pop of the fire kind companions to his concentration.

“Hey, nerd.”

He almost kicked his thermos over and was immediately embarrassed by his own surprise, frowning it over his shoulder at Cassie. “What?”

She circled around and sat beside him, picking up the thermos cup-lid and stealing a sip of his hot chocolate and wrinkling her nose at him right back. “Seriously? I can sneak you out some schnapps or something to put in this. A big sister always provides.” Doing a little flourish she sketched a shitty little bow, a pitch-perfect imitation of their dad.

She was twenty-one and he was sixteen, and this was a familiar dance. “I’m good. I’ve got homework.”

“You’re so fucking boring.” She made a face at him and he made one right back. “Half the wolves are drunk off their asses already. It’s the same thing every month. I’m so bored. They’re playing charades,” Cass whined.

“What time is it?” January in Alberta meant dark at like four, which played hell with the technicalities of a werewolf’s shift cycle. If they were still human enough to be playing charades and boring Cassie, it couldn’t be much past seven. Soon the pups would be under Evan’s mom’s babysitting house-arrest, and the adults would be partying it up drunk on the moon rather than on schnapps. A thought occurred. “Is Nora going out with the adults tonight?”

“I don’t fucking know, she’s your friend, not mine.” Cassie stole the half-full thermos and more of his hot chocolate. She was giving him a good solid gimlet-eye, some horrid thing dawning behind her judgy gaze. “You want I should distract that meathead brother of hers so you two can sneak off and make out?”

Firelight and cold gave great plausible deniability for blushes, but Evan was the easiest read in his family. “No, um, I’m good. We’re not, uh. And I have homework.” He patted his palm on the textbook, as if its friendly presence would save him from meddling sisters.

Cassie leaned back, almost far enough to topple, and groaned. “Come on, little man, give me something to work with here. You’re the worst! I’m going go to tell her you’re out here pining and playing with fire! You know she loves that shit, she’ll come running.”

“Don’t you dare, you absolute nightmare.” He straightened urgently.

“I’m doing it.” Cass was up again. He’d made a mistake: she’d gotten a reaction out of him and now she was a dog on a bone, grinning at him all teeth as she backed out of the comfortable circle of the fire, which was crackling with increased urgency itself. “You’re never gonna make a move. You need that big-sister magic.”

“I hate you so much,” he moaned, heart rabbiting away in his chest. She laughed as she kicked her way through the snow back to the farmhouse; he looked at his textbook and wondered if he could finish his chapter before he had to find out whether or not Nora would come out after him if she knew he was here.

[lunyre]

wbl (gen 1); under the orange sun - episode 3 / part 11

bella: yes. i’m sure. i have to finish this proposal in time for the meeting, because lord knows jacques is expecting everyone else to do all the work. cassie will be home soon, and i have to go through everything with her so she knows what to expect. it’s too important.

mortimer: you mean, it's more important —

bella: not tonight, mort. you know what my brand means to me.

mortimer: fine. whatever you want.

[boinin]

love how cassis orange ended. Loved the bitter moments as much as the sweeter ones here and there, it felt like a perfect conclusion to what had been building up (had a Moment tm during the last scene) but also the more I think about it the more I wonder about the other characters' relationships (Nagi and Reo not being as close as they seemed had me shocked, Bachira's frustration with Isagi, Hiori's whole deal with Rin and Shidou). It hasn't left my mind, so I wanted to thank you for writing something so engaging.

Hi anon, and thank you so much! 🥹 this was lovely to read, and I'm delighted to hear my writing had such lasting impact!

The latest chapter had its ups and downs for sure. The angst was building up, since they're abysmal not only at being honest with each other, but also with themselves 💀 So, I'm happy that the last scene was cathartic for you as well as the others who've been reading along. It was cathartic writing it! Still one more chapter to go though, to tie up Kunigiri's loose ends! ✨

As for the others... you've clocked that not all's well in the wider world of Tokyo 2034. Kunigami and Chigiri catch glimpses of what's going on, but not the full story. The drama in their friend circle is only starting. Kunigiri will be sitting back with popcorn (it's what they deserve), because it'll be the others' turns to suffer. 😈

I'm wary of overcommitting, as longfics take up a lot of bandwidth, but I will say there's more works I'd like to write within this AU. Since you're interested, these would include:

Exploring the origin and outcomes of Nagi's publicity contract with the Mikage Corporation... and its CEO, Reo. Reo-centric, with insight into the dinner and festival scenes from CO!

Addressing the car crash that is Hiori-Rin-Shidou-Sae. All I'm willing to say about this is, there's one other character involved (unbeknownst to Chigiri 👀).

Lastly an Isagi-centric fic, where he endures a crisis in the midst of the WC tournament. It'll feature his friends and rivals—most notably Bachira and Kaiser. Still angsty, but more reflective than the others. It's the final story I have planned for this AU.

It won't follow the same structure in each case, and I don't think any of these fics will run as long as CO... but, I do want to address the hanging questions and give every character a conclusion they deserve. Can't give a time frame, and I can't commit to finishing each one, but it's something I'll be working towards as long as I have the drive to continue writing for this fandom.

Thanks again for such a sweet message! I'm grinning 💜

[kakivino]

ArPePe 2009 Valtellina Superiore Riserva Grumello Sant’Antonio

Restrained, unhurried bouquet, shy even. Boasts darker shade of red fruit with more concentration and structure than Buon Consiglio, yet bears similar marks of camphor, flinty minerality, savoury orange zest and balsamic inflections. In a pensive mood notwithstanding the sleek texture and refined tannins. Unlike its Langhe brethrens, seems to favour the intimacy of tête-à-tête over rowdy interrogation of a blind tasting party. — ★★★½

Appellation: Valtellina Superiore Riserva Region: Valtellina, Lombardia, Italy Subzone: Grumello Cépage: 100% Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo) Abv: 13.5% Production: 7,183 Élevage: 45 days of maceration in 50hl tini, 5 years in 50hl casks, 2 in cement tank and bottle Distributor: Vintry

Critic Reviews:

Camphor, wild rose and red berry aromas mingle with botanical herb. Taut and focused, the palate has structure and precision, delivering dried cherry, blood orange, star anise and a hint of clove set against a vein of savory mineral. It's balanced, with tightly wound, fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Kerin O'Keefe (Wine Enthusiast, 10/2020) 95

This is a new cru from the upper part of Grumello at between 450 and 500 m. ‘We used to have less than one-third of this vineyard. But in 2009 we bought and rented a little more and finally we had enough volume to bottle it separately. The vineyard is below the Sant’Antonio church and the soils here are a bit deeper.’ Great depth and concentration on the nose and with minerally hints. The same impressive depth on the palate with beautiful, fine tannins and vibrant acidity. Still tightly wound and compact. Walter Speller (Jancis Robinson, 11/2019) 17.5

The 2009 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Sant'Antonio is gracious and polished to the core. Sweet red cherry, orange peel, mint, star anise and spice notes all lift from this super-expressive, compelling Valtellina Superiore. All the elements simply fall into place as this gracious, alluring red shows off its considerable pedigree. Wow! Drink: 2020-2039. Antonio Galloni (Vinous, 05/2020) 95

The 2009 Valtellina Superiore Riserva Grumello Sant'Antonio reveals a compact and well-delineated core of tight fruit, cassis and wild berry. I am impressed by how fine and pure those Nebbiolo (or Chiavennasca) aromas are presented in this wine from the Grumello subzone. Those delicate fruit tones are followed by flinty aromas of gravel and crushed granite. I would argue that this wine's mineral side is more pronounced compared to the other new releases from Ar.Pe.Pe. The tannins are magnificently integrated, and you are treated to a long, silky finish. Some 6,000 bottles were released. The Grumello cru is located up to 500 meters above sea level. Monica Larner (Wine Advocate, 12/2018) 94

A very long ageing. This Ar.Pe.Pe Reserva is held 60 months in chestnut wood, in order to enhance the potentialities of this wonderful vineyard, with a majestic fruit intensity, instead of weighing it down uselessly. On the nose, it reveals violet petals, wild berries aromas along with a rich balsamic fragrance. The tasting is led by a vigorous tannic texture but it still remains stylish, crunchy, and with a very long persistence. Luca Gardini (The Wine Killer, 04/2019) 92

[unwillingwriter]

Unserious [Drake & Josh]

Pairing (Technically): Drake & Josh (Platonic)

Ages: 18

Summary: Drake Parker is a very unserious person, whether it’s by choice or coincidence which makes people like Josh or Megan want to strangle him. Here are some occurrences of him being such.

A/N: Originally Posted on A03, I do not own Drake and Josh. Rightful owner to the characters and sitcom is Dan Creepy Schneider and Nickelodeon productions.

———

Drake Parker is an unserious person, an unserious person who downplays a lot of things. Whether it’s school and his grades, getting grounded, not remembering a girl of the week name, or importantly her eye color for some reason: seriously what’s so important about remembering such a small thing? Okay, maybe remembering a name isn’t such a small thing… but still! Eye color shouldn’t be that big of a deal in his opinion besides, he did remember Michelle’s eye color! Or was her name Sydney?… no no it was Cassie!

Anyway! Drake's point is!! He did remember her eye color. They were a deep sea blue with small hints of swamp green surrounding the pupil, melting into the blue like oil and water— see he could be poetic— and remember a simple eye color, so he didn’t understand why a cup of soda was dumped onto his head, for!.

“You’re wrong,” Josh says after making a buzzer sound that mocks one from a game show when the contestant says the incorrect answer. He sounded eerily close to one that Drake thought he had a buzzer under the counter that he was wiping down with a rag.

Drake squints at his brother as he picks apart his sticky hair, wincing when he seems to rip apart a knot that somehow formed, streaks of dried orange crush coloring his face.

“How am I wrong?” Drake asked, wiping his face with a damp paper towel Josh kindly gave him with his signature half smirk he gets when something happens to Drake. Only small things, of course, Josh isn’t a sadist. Aside from the doom buggy accident— but he wasn’t happy about the fact that he got hurt he was happy and excited about the endless possibility of Drake getting in trouble with Audrey and Walter. But of course that blew up in his face and had to take care of Drake for two weeks.

“First of all, her name isn’t any of those. Her name was Rochelle and second of all her eyes were green” Josh replies as he stacks the candy in an orderly fashion.

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Drake says in a Duh tone, finishing up with cleaning his face and looking at the orange stain that seeped into the paper towel.

Josh stops stacking, looking towards his brother with a raised brow.

“What?” Drake questions.

“Do I still have soda streaks on my face?” he continues, touching his face in search of a sticky substance. Josh shakes his head at Drake, in both disappointment and amusement.

Drake never fails to amaze him.

“No, you still got stupid all over your face though,” He says with a shrug.

“Oh okay,” Drake smiles, then frowns.

“Hey!” He squeaks out, voice cracking.

Josh laughs, getting a damp paper towel thrown at him, the material smacking him in the nose and falling to the floor.

“Ew, I don’t want your Drake cooties!” Josh grimaces as he leans down in his station, picking up the discarded piece of tissue between his index and thumb fingers. Throwing it into the small waste bin under the corn dog machine. Josh’s personal touch, beat going around the counter every time.

It was Drake's turn to laugh.

“Cat-like reflexes my butt” He snickers, trying to run his fingers through his hair. Flinching when he feels small bits getting ripped out his skull saying a string of ow’s and owies.

Josh rolls his eyes at Drake.

“Where did you get that kind of eye color from anyway?” Josh asks, genuine curiosity peaking.

“I don’t recall any of your past girlfriends having those”.

Drake shrugs his shoulders, both not knowing or caring.

“Beats me, hey wanna watch a movie with me? It’s terrible movie Tuesday” Drake says with a small grin on his face, eyes sparkly. As if he didn’t just get soda dumped on his head just three minutes ago and had a huge dark stain on his brown shirt, hair sticky with the smell of orange crush soda.

Josh gave his brother a face.

“What?.”

“I’m working,” Josh says, his tone screaming ‘duh isn’t that obvious?’.

For Drake Parker?, Nah.

“When do you go on break?”

“In ten minutes but-”

“And how long is your break?” Drake cuts in.

“An hour, but Drake-”

“Perfect, then you get to start your break early. Ain’t that awesome?” Drake asks with a smile on his face as he hops over the counter grabs Josh by the bicep and drags him to Theater One where DragonBall Evolution is playing.

“Drake if Helen finds out”

“She isn’t gonna, she never finds out that Gavin sleeps on the roof and he still works here. Crazy Steve is crazy and still works here. You work the hardest out of them both without having something mentally wrong with you, so if she fires you it’s her loss man— you put out 110% all the time and that’s way too much for a simple position.” Drake practically rants, while he drags his stepbrother through the double doors ignoring the blonde employee whose name he doesn’t care about remembering. If you work at the Premiere and you’re not Josh he’s not remembering your name.

Josh smiles at his brother, a soft somber secret smile that he only shares with Drake if the teen happens to say something that ruffled his feathers in a good way.

“Wow Drake, that's a pretty nice thing to say…”

“Besides, if she fires you, no more free tickets for me. So I’m hoping she doesn’t find out.” Drake adds, snorting through his nose.

Aaaaand moment ruined.

Josh could feel a familiar throbbing in the side of his head. Eye twitching. He thumps Drake in the back of his head with his free hand, not too hard but hard enough. Drake lets go of Josh's arm when they reach aisle three, rubbing the back of his head.

“Ow!” He groans glaring at his brother.

“What was that for?!”

“For being you,” Josh says bitterly, Drake thumps him on the back of his head in return making Josh cry out, rubbing the back of his head. He huffs.

“Headaches!, you give me headaches!” Josh shouts as he points at his temple, a big frown on his face. Drake keeps the glare.

They stare at each other for a while till they scream in sync and collide with one another, the shadows of their bodies big on the walls of the theater as the commercials on the giant TV play, illuminating a gentle white then blue light. Drake knocks a few hits in Josh’s head till his brother picks him up and practically body slams him on the floor, Drake swears he sees stars. A blossoming warmth of pain took over the back of his head, sinking through his brain and shooting out to the front of his forehead. He’s pretty sure his head connected with the arm of one of the theater chairs before he hit the ground while he and Josh are having a slap fight on the floor.

If Josh wanted, he could’ve been a wrestler. Screw the fancy science shit and math and some other smart stuff Drake has no idea about and doesn’t care for.

After some time Josh tries to help Drake get his head out from the chair he manages to get his big head stuck in between, trying to unclip the backboard of the chair. Drake lets out a strangled sound.

“Got it yet?” The teen wheezes out.

As he says it, Josh loses his grip and its normal weight squishes Drake's neck making the boy sputter out air.

“Ack!— Josh!”

“Shit— Sorry— why did you try squeezing through there?!” Josh hisses out, loud explosion sounds echoing through the empty theater while two teens looked like absolute buffoons. Josh hooks his finger around a piece of metal on both sides of the seat, pressing his thumbs against the metal button that’s used to change the height of the seat.

“I’m skinny!” Drake throws out there as if it changes anything and it doesn’t make his grand idea any stupider.

“Yeah, Skinny, not small. You’re not five Drake” Josh bites back. His legs are on both sides of Drake's body as he pulls on the backrest, digging his finger into the metal ball ignoring the burning pain that printed into his skin— turning red.

“You scared me okay! you hit my rib”

“Because you kicked me in my nuts!”

“Well excuse me for saving the world from tiny Joshies” the Guitarist wheezes, his face turning red while trying to pull his head out. Seriously though, what was he thinking?

“Think I’d be returning the world a favor if I leave you stuck here?” Josh asks in a calm voice, threatening, evidence somewhere within’ his voice but his continued action on getting the backrest off his brother's neck meant something else.

Drake keeps his mouth shut.

After successfully getting Drake unstuck after about fifteen odd minutes (with the help of Crazy Steve— if Drake claims that he didn’t pee a little on himself out of fear, he didn’t) the boys managed to finish the rest of the movie after an hour, after that hour Josh went back to work and after two more hours Drake waited for Josh to finish up work so he could drive him home.

Silence filled the car, while they cruised down the road passing streetlights and freeways. After a bit, Drake starts to snicker to himself as he pulls up to a red light drumming his fingers against the wheel. Josh cranes his neck to look over at his stepbrother. His brows drew together with a small smile creeping onto his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling a bit.

“What’s so funny?” He asks his voice light and joyful.

“Oh, nothing it’s just that, my head being stuck in between the seats reminded me of something,” Drake says, talking under his breath like he’s embarrassed, which is news to Josh— Drake doesn’t get flustered much, he makes it his mission to make others flushed.

“What did it remind you of?” His brother questions, seeing the way his head tilts a bit in his preveal vision. The street light casts a soft glow on his face.

“Don’t hit me.”

“I’m not gonna.”

“You don’t know that”

Josh snorts through his nose.

“Just tell me.”

“Well… it kinda reminded me of this porno where this smoking hot mom gets stuck in the dryer and her stepson or was it son in law?… anyway he supposably tries to help her get unstuck but of course, it’s a porno so the plot doesn’t make sense, and she could obviously get out by herself and him fucking her doesn’t make sense with how it’s supposed to help her predicament but— anyway I’m getting sidetracked— my point is—.”

“You have a point?.”

“Shut up— anyway— my point is that me getting stuck like that just gave me that image, the only difference is that you actually helped, not saying that you wouldn’t have but— I mean— I’m gonna stop talking” Drake finished with a huff feeling as if he’s digging a grave for himself the more he talks, eyes still on the road, feeling the burning gaze of his brother on the side of his face.

Silence fills the car again, Drake could feel his cheek start to color. When is this light gonna turn green for crying out loud?

“Drake… you are the most unserious person I know…” Josh says, voice soft and quiet. Soft out of disappointment or amusement? Drake doesn’t know. He can’t really tell sometimes.

Drake side-eyes Josh. Josh is looking dead at him.

When the light finally turns green, Drake doesn’t hesitate to start driving again. After some time when the boys reached the curb of their house, Drake noticed that Josh's eyes were deep sea blue with specks of swamp green around his pupils.

He doesn’t bother to think about why he confused Rochelle’s eyes for Josh’s.

Drake Parker is an unserious person, so when Josh tells Drake that he’s gonna start working out again. Drake couldn’t help but laugh from the top of his loft, looking down at his brother who was wearing his old gym clothes with dumbbells by his black sneakers. Josh's jaw slack eyes squinted searching for the secret joke Drake seems to only be aware of.

“What’s so funny?” Josh questions, his eyes squinting more to the point Drake couldn’t make out the color anymore.

“You wanna work out,” Drake says, still laughing a bit, his cheeks heating up from how hard he was smiling. His hand gripping the neck of his guitar, one leg kicked over the other like a weird-looking P.

“Yeah… Why is that so funny?”

“I just don’t see why you would want to, you fucked up your foot last time. It looked like an angry grape that disliked being attached to you” Drake laughs, imagining Josh's messed up foot from two years ago.

“The only reason why my foot got messed up was because you shot me with your potato launcher!” Josh explains, flailing his arms in a wide motion trying to make Drake see the bigger picture.

“Which you gave to Megan, thanks a lot by the way” Drake replies sarcastically.

“I didn’t trust you with it” Josh huffs as he begins to bend over to grab the dumbbells readying himself as the instructor on the TV speaks.

“And yet you trust our evil prankster little sister with it instead, Ah yes ‘cause that makes perfect sense Josh” Drake scoffs not understanding Josh's logic sometimes, he was supposed to be the smart one out of them.

“Why are you working out anyway? you look perfectly fine to me” Drake shares, facing his attention back down on his guitar as he messes with some of the strings, trying to find a new tune. Singing a few words in his head as he strums along like there’s no issue.

“Because I’m getting big again” Josh lifts the barbell on the count of three holding the object above his chest and holding his breath.

Drake snorts “Yeah, sure, and I’m malnourished— Breathe Josh”.

Josh gasps, taking a deep breath. Soon dropping the barbell, without crushing his foot this time taking lines of air through his nose and out his mouth.

“You know what malnourished means— actually scratch that, you know the word malnourished?” Josh asked, sounding genuinely shocked. Which makes Drake roll his eyes in subtle annoyance and irritation.

He knows those words probably mean the same thing but he doesn’t care much about that little fact.

Yes, he does.

He knows his grades are shit but Jesus Christ a little faith would be nice.

“Ha ha you’re so funny,” he says giving Josh a sarcastic smile as he looks up from his guitar, flashing all his white teeth. It was Josh’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Anyway as I was saying, you look fine to me, sure you’re getting chubby around the face but so what? You look fine man so if someone is giving you a hard…” Drake slowly stops talking when it hits him, he starts to squint at Josh who seems to think the floor under them is interesting now.

“Josh”

“Hm?”

“Is someone… making fun of you dude?” Drake asks as he stares at his friend, tilting his head.

Josh looks up to meet Drake's eyes, opening and closing his mouth trying to get words to come out only air leaving his lips as he sputters.

“Who?” Drake asks.

“No one I just wanted to—.”

“You’re not big Josh, you just got a bit wider that’s all,” Drake says his brows drawing close to each other, he lays the guitar on his bed, leaning forward making the box spring squeak from the shifting weight. “So I’ll ask again, who’s making fun of you?” Drake says with more authority.

“No one.”

“Ah yes ‘cause I’m supposed to believe that after three years of building confidence and wanting to lose weight on your own accord and reaching that said goal someone didn’t manage to Wiggle their way into that large head of yours after you gained the slightest bit of weight from eating— which by the I don’t see at all, so I don’t know what they're seeing” Drake speaks. It didn’t make sense to him, Josh looked fine, he was just getting fat in his cheeks, and that was mostly because Josh started to eat unhealthy for the last week.

After Mindy broke up with him, again.

And Drake asked Megan to ship her to Australia, again. Josh didn’t need to know that of course.

“Drake” Josh sighs, eyes closed while he rubs his temple.

“Come on man— don’t look at me like that— Josh— hey! don’t walk away from me!” Drake calls after as he hops down from his loft chasing his brother out of their room.

It took three weeks, including some help from his devious little sister. But Drake found who was making his brother feel shit about himself, like yes okay. When Drake first became brothers with Josh he thought he was a geek— a nerd sure and he would make fun of him for it but he never once made fun of Josh for his weight, he understood how self-conscious he was about it even when he would seem confident with it. How he would walk the halls with that big goofy smile that Drake came far to adore, smiling himself when he would see it. It was an innocent sweet smile, it was better than Drake’s and his mischievous smile along with his charming one, he won’t tell that to Josh out loud of course— he still has a reputation to uphold.

What was saying?

Oh, right!

Drake never made fun of Josh for his weight, and he found out who was the jack-off who had been making fun of Josh’s newly gained weight— which again, wasn’t bad! He’s only a little wider! And has chubby cheeks again! he’s a fucking semi teddy bear!.

Clark Housewhite was the asshole's name, he was a senior with no brain— which leads to his first question, who the hell has a last name like Housewhite? What was his ancestor’s thinking? Drake stood by his locker looking for the tall brunette, Drake had Chemistry right now but couldn’t bring himself to care for which he knew he’s gonna get an earful from Josh and their teacher for later. Clark usually went to the bathroom around this time and that was the perfect time to strike.

Drake was in the middle of clipping his nails when he heard the sound of heavy boots hitting the floor, making Drake's head shoot up, flicking his head to the side to move his bangs out of his face. He’s taller than Drake gave him credit for but hey, fuck it.

Drake clears his throat when Clark nearly passes him. Clark stops in his tracks and slowly turns towards Drake, Drake’s still leaning against his locker as he watches the jock's eyes meet his. The guitarist gave the larger gentleman a smooth smile.

“Clark, can I talk to you for a second?” Drake requests, holding onto the strap of his backpack as he pushes himself off from the lockers not breaking eye contact.

“Um… sure? Whatcha need dude?”.

When Josh got home he instantly rushed upstairs to tell Drake something, shouting a quick hi to his parents over his shoulder as he stormed up the stairs greeting Megan who was in the middle of exiting her room, screaming when Josh nearly ran her over, calling him a boob. Josh wasn't phased, he was more attentive in telling Drake the news not being able to do so sooner since Drake disappeared from school around chemistry. Josh throws open their room door with a giant grin on his face.

“Drake you won't believe what happened, some moron thought it was clever to start a fight with Clark Whitehouse— which by the way is a weird last name but hey, anyway, he had the meanest black eye ever. No one has ever once landed a hit on him, whoever did has a mean fist—.” Josh said excitedly while he was setting his book bag down on his bed taking out his textbooks and assignments that were due in a week, stopping mid-sentence when he looked up toward his brother's bed dropping a textbook on his mattress when he took in Drake's current appearance. Drake's back was pressed against the wall of his bed, arm in a sling and cast, face battered and bruised a split lip— his left eye swollen shut, the right almost unscratched but also closed. Did he fall asleep like that?

Josh slowly walks over to Drake’s bed climbing the ladder. He was careful to not make too much noise if his brother was sleeping.

“Drake,” he says softly, Drake doesn't react. Josh places a hand on Drake's ankle, softly shaking him.

“Drake?” he says, keeping his voice gentle. Drake groans in response, slowly opening his eyes— well eye… his good eye.

“Wha?…” he asked, his voice groggy and filled with exhaustion.

“You were the wise guy who got into a fight with Clark?…”

“…No”

Josh smiles, that knowing smile that has Drake avoiding eye contact. Which makes him grimace in pain.

“Thank you, Drake” he smiles warmly.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” the teen said in a monotone voice, not looking at Josh still, ignoring that kind smile he knows he doesn't deserve half of the time. His heart drummed in his ears.

Josh shakes his head climbing up the rest of the ladder to help Drake lay back on the bed. It was the least he could do for the guy after getting his butt kicked by a guy who was twice his size. Drake grumbled a thank you, hissing when he twisted incorrectly.

Josh doesn't question how Drake knew it was Clark, but later when he brings up a can of doctor fizz for Drake and sees Megan sitting on the bed near her brother brushing his bangs from his face in a gentle manner, it helps with his hypothesis on how Drake found out. A smile creeps on his face when he hears Megan say something about shipping Clark to Ohio by tomorrow morning, watching Drake give the young girl a lazy smile, shoulders shaking in weak laughter while he says something to Megan that he can't quite hear but judging by Megan's pout. Drake said no. Megan lifts Drake's hand slowly and carefully— his good hand and presses a soft kiss on his red knuckles, blowing air on them.

If Josh's memory serves him correctly, he remembers Drake telling him a story about how when Megan and himself were kids– when Megan still loved him he claimed— when Megan would get hurt and cry and run to her big brother for comfort, Drake would kiss her booboos then blow on them, and gift her with a huge smile and ask ‘Pain Gone Meg Meg?’ and she would nod and hug him tight. Seeing the way Drake's eyes get glossy, he could tell the motion brought back those memories.

Josh silently backs away from the room leaving the Parker siblings alone, it was always nice to see the two get along. Maybe not when they're messing with Josh.

Drake is an unserious person, just not with Josh’s weight apparently.

Drake is an unserious person so when Megan ends up telling Drake about some dude named Jacob Reff who broke up with her— seriously what's with dudes and having weird names?

He busted out laughing, one hand on his stomach and the other on his knee. Wheezing, tears in his eyes as his laughter continues— lungs burning from his joy. Almost cackling. Megan stares at Drake, still sitting on the couch of their living room, her puffy red eyes squinted at him, watching the way her brother seems to lose it over her pain. She guesses it's deserved.

Drake coughs and hacks a couple of times, Megan raises a brow while he does. Drake wipes a tear from his eye, seeming to get himself under control. Clearing his throat as he pats his chest.

“I’m sorry, I'm sorry,” he says trying to keep a straight face but snickers nonetheless, shoulders shaking as he breathes heavily from his nose.

“You done?” Megan asked, her tone annoyed.

“Nope,” Drake answers truthfully as he resumes laughing all over again. Megan huffs as she wipes her tear-stained face.

“Did he finally find out that you're a she-demon in disguise of a thirteen-year-old?” Drake questions, taking deep breaths. Shit his side hurt from laughing so hard. Megan glares at him, a strangled sound making itself known in the back of her throat as she stands from the couch, walks up to her brother, and kicks him in the knee hard replacing Drake's laughter with a grunt.

“You are such a boob” she bites out, masking her hurt with anger as she brushes past Drake and towards the stairs to hide away in her room.

“Hey, it's not my fault you decided to date some idiot with a stupid name. He didn't deserve you anyway!” Drake calls after her, but his words fall on deaf ears, Megan is too mad to hear her brother's stupid words. He's a jerk. He never takes anything seriously.

The next day at school Megan walks towards her locker to get her books for homeroom after she collects her items she readies herself to start heading to homeroom stopping dead in her tracks when she hears rattling from around the intersection of lockers, on normal days Megan would mind her business but for some reason this time she wanted to see what the commotion was. Megan walks towards the corner peeking her head around the corner, eyes landing on Jacob who was struggling with getting his locker open. Megan wanted to duck back behind the corner of the lockers and carry on with her day, seeing Jacob filled her with unwanted pain and resentment, an old saying from Drake floating in her head.

"We're Parkers, we don't get our hearts broken. We break them instead” That was after a girl Drake liked— someone he actually saw a future with broke his heart. Amelia Tomson. Megan hated her. And still hates her, she feels she's the thing that set a change in her big brother's personality, not just their father who walked out on them.

Megan didn't like this feeling, this angry twisting feeling in her chest, continuing to watch Jacob struggle with his locker, the preteen sighed about to walk away but gasped at what happened next. It all happened within a second but for Megan? That shit was in slow motion.

When Jacob finally managed to get his locker open, his jet-black hair was suddenly covered in deep red liquid spreading out from the impact, painting the area around him, from the inside of his locker to the floor to a bit of the ceiling. Other students stopped and gawked at Jacob. Megan's jaw was unhinged, deep brown eyes wide as she stared. She looked past his profile looking at the note that was taped on the inside of his locker door, seeing a small handmade gadget that even a five-year-old could make. Megan read the note.

“I heard that you like red”.

Megan looks at the floor noticing a sharp pencil discarded on it, catching a red glimmer on the tip, a purple rubber band loosely wrapped around the metal part of the eraser— wait— her brain stops for a second, a rubber band, a makeshift gadget that looks like a slingshot, a sharp pencil preferably sharpened to a shorter length, odd liquid… all that was missing was… Megan looks up towards the ceiling above Jacob's locker. And yep there it is!, a ripped blue balloon that was securely taped by three layers of tape on the mouthpiece. There was only one person she knew who would pull such a thing, who taught her that prank when she was only four and it had her laughing for days that she advanced into her own with a paintball machine.

Drake.

Wait… if Drake did this doesn't that mean that he…

Jacob screams in disgust. “Raw fish!!” the boy yells as he runs down the hall taking chunks of meat out of his hair and racing to the bathroom. His face was stained with droplets of liquid, the smell of raw seafood following the boy. Megan scrunched her nose laughing to herself, if Megan was guessing the right fish that her brother picked, Jacob wasn't gonna get that smell out of his hair or off him anytime soon.

Since the show was sadly over, Megan starts to head to homeroom, slowly stopping when she remembers what Drake said last night, what she blocked out when she was aggravated at him for being an ass.

‘He didn't deserve you anyway!’ Drake's voice echoes in her head, bringing a small smile to her face.

When Megan returns home and walks down the hallway towards her room, she stops and turns on her heels heading towards Drake and Josh’s room, she enters the room unannounced, Josh is doing his homework on his bed and Drake is sitting on the couch messing with his guitar like he usually does on Friday afternoons. He seemed to be playing something somber at the moment, it's a blurry memory but she believes their dad used to play that tune. Megan silently walks up from behind towards her brother, wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders, pressing her cheek against the top of Drake's head, tightening her arms just a bit around him, and pressing a kiss on top of his head after. His hair tickling her nose, smelled a bit like lavender, he must borrow Josh's bath soap.

Drake presses a hand on Megan's arm, softly rubbing it as if this isn't something new for them.

“You alright Megan?” he questions cautiously, like something was gonna happen like Megan was planning something and it was gonna happen after his baby sister either let him go or didn't. The thought made Megan laugh a bit, smiling.

“Yeah, I just love you,” she says in a soft voice, one Drake and Josh aren't used to. It makes Drake uneasy but that doesn't stop Drake from… comforting his sister?.

Megan gives him one last squeeze before she releases him, messing with his hair, and walks out of the room without another word.

Megan wasn't too far, she could still hear her boobish brothers talking.

“Is she sick?” was the first thing Josh asked

“I don't know… is a piece of my hair missing?” Drake followed up which made Megan snicker, of course, Drake would worry about his hair.

“I feel like I just got the touch of death… if I die bury me with my guitar,” Drake says, sounding a little freaked out.

Megan rolled her eyes fondly at her idiot brother, but in her own way, she loved and adored him. Josh as well but you get what she means.

Her amazing, unserious brother. Who can get pretty serious when he wants to.

Drake Parker is an unserious person. And it bites him in the ass. But truthfully, he feels like this time it's not even his fault.

Drake rubs his eyes tiredly from beneath his glasses—don't laugh at him— his head hurts and so does his body, his brain feels like it was on a stove in a pot filled with boiling water. It felt too stuffy for him. Drake Parker, musician and singer a teen who could write nearly a hundred songs within a day couldn't write a simple fucking essay on what gives his life meaning and what brings him peace and warmth when he feels like he's gonna sink into the depth of darkness that creeps in the back of his mind like a toxic ex that would visit him in the debts of night, that would attack him on the day a certain deadbeat left his and Megans life forever, shit the giraffe on his back burned from thinking about him.

A lot of people would say and claim that Drake was a free spirit, he gets through life with his charm and good looks alone. But he knows the hidden message behind those words. He's nothing special and no one special, so what if he can sing and play the guitar, even the drums? That's not gonna help him in the near future…

What if his dream doesn't work out… it's not like he had a backup plan, he wasn't like Josh or that creature that wears a skirt, Mindy.

School wasn't made for Drake, so what would make him believe that he could survive college?

Ugh, when did he get so depressed? Jesus.

What was he doing? The blurriness begins to clear up after he blinks a couple of times meeting with the blank page of his paper, oh, right, his essay…

Something that makes him happy… Something that gives him meaning and that warm feeling. He could always write about music but that feels like an obvious statement that would land him a big fat F anyway with Ms. Hayfer and her booger-infested nose. Truthfully it doesn't matter what he writes, he’ll get an F either way since the old bat just fucking hates him that much, even when he does get the answers right. It's amazing that for the past four years, none of the teachers ever noticed that he was practically failing at a class not because he was simply bad at it but because a sad pathetic woman who needs to get the attitude screwed out of her or something hates his guts for no real reason.

The next thing he knew his notebook was flying across the room from his bed toward the door, which for some reason Josh decided to walk in at the worst moment ever, the black school notebook hit Josh right in the bridge of his nose making Josh face switch from that happy go

lucky look to a look of pain, groaning as he held his face, Drake flinched when it hit Josh, grimacing at the sound of impact.

“Ow, dude what was that for?” Josh questions, pain in his tone and irritation ringing somewhere in there. His eyes are hard as they stare at Drake then ease up when he watches the expression on his face. Drake's eyes were red and puffy, bitterness swimming in those dark brown eyes, cheeks red, the vein in the center of his head bulging out.

Josh leans forward picking up the abandoned book, striding across the room towards Drake’s bed.

“Sorry, why was your face where my book was going?” was the first thing Drake said when Josh reached the ladder, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses again, and letting out an uneasy breath. His head was throbbing.

Josh ignores the comment, more concerned about why his brother looks like he is on the verge of crying, Drake wasn't one to cry. Hiding his more troubling emotions with charm and charisma, bad puns, and childish games.

“Wanna talk about it?” Josh questions, handing Drake back his notebook, the musician gratefully taking it from his hold mumbling a thank you as he tosses the book somewhere on his bed. Running his fingers through his hair pushing his bangs back.

“No, it doesn't matter man”

“You assaulted me with a notebook and my nose hurts”

“How was I supposed to know you were gonna open the door as soon as I threw the book?”

And they were bickering. It only lasted three minutes due to Josh climbing up the ladder and pressing his hand over Drake's mouth to shut him up.

Drake's eyebrows go up to his hairline, squinting at Josh after.

Josh removes his hand slowly, not breaking eye contact, eyes laser-focused.

“Gonna ask again, what's up?”

“This stupid essay man, it's half of my grade and I have no idea what the hell to write. It's not like it matters regardless since Ms. Hayfer makes it her life goal to make mine a living hell— failing me every chance she gets. Might as well not write anything at all” he says, his face going through the motion of every emotion he's feeling at that exact moment— Josh watches with an unchanging expression.

“Drake…”

“No! It doesn't matter, Josh. No matter what I write I'm gonna get an F and fail and go to summer school then fail summer school and repeat the twelfth grade as you are at some big shot college like Stanford or Yale or Harvard or whatever smart college for brainy yacks like yourself and that creature along with Craig and Eric and not be my manager anymore ‘cause you'd be busy doing something better for yourself and forget all about me as I'm some loser who couldn't graduate on time because I didn't take school seriously and some sad teacher has it out for me!” he blurts out as he shoots up from his bed-hopping off the side of the large platform, landing gracefully on the floor with a thud. Heading towards the door slamming it behind him when he exits.

What… What just happened?

Josh was left stunned.

Drake Parker is an unserious person, so when he receives his diploma from Ms. Hayfer herself he has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face, his burgundy cap snug on his head, the tassel tickling his ear. Hand on the other side of the diploma, that his teacher seems to be having a hard time giving him, a small game of tug a war happening between them, Drake manages to rip it out of her hold with one last firm tug, his smile never changing. Ms. Hayfer gave him a bitter forced smile, making Drake wanna double over in laughter, enjoying the struggle the witch was going through watching him graduate on time— which is mostly thanks to Josh who made sure he didn't give up after his little break down a month ago.

“Say it,” he says, a smile still present on his face.

Ms. Hayfer lets out an annoyed sigh, her face souring.

“Congratulations” she mumbles

Drake cups the back of his ear leaning to her a bit mocking an innocent look.

“I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that, mind repeating that?” Drake asks, puckering his lips the way Josh does when he knows he's being a little shit. He could hear his peers behind him snicker at his silly comment.

“Congratulations for graduating Drake Parker,” she says, sounding like she was choking on the words as she said them.

Drake's arms shoot up in the arm as he does his battle cry reaching pitches no other normal human could reach. Cheering.

“WOOHOO! I MADE IT BABY!!” He cheers happily making everyone laugh, bowing to the audience, the laughter growing.

Right as Drake is about to step off the stage, he hears it before he sees it. A high-pitched whistle then a wet splat, his jaw drops when an orange paintball hits Ms. Hayfer right in the side of her face, making her cry out, small drops landing on her black blazer that had gold stripes. Drake couldn't hold it in, he let out a high-pitched laugh pointing at the woman with his diploma, the auditorium filled with laughter from students and families. He runs off the stage before she can even grab him, laughing the whole way down the steps, circling the stage cheering, family, educators, and students joining in his cheer as he races to his assigned seat, high-fiving Trevor who sits next to him. Drake notices Josh a few rows down smirking, following Josh's view he notices Megan who wears the same smirk down in the audience, holding something small and silver in her manicured hands.

Oh, oh he loves them.

After the ceremony, students are standing with their families outside of the school hugging one another and cheering. Drake was just finishing up hugging Audrey and Walter— squeezing his little sister for the first time since forever— she let him— pressing a firm kiss on the crown of her head, earning himself a soft punch to his rib, making him laugh.

He hears him before he sees him.

“Hug me brotha!!” Josh says in that weird goofy voice he does like he's making an announcement. Drake curled his head so fast that he could feel the muscle in his neck sprain. Eyes wide and bright racing to Josh in max speed practically jumping in his arms and hugging the other tight, as Josh held him up in the air hugging him just as tight, like when they were fourteen and first became brothers and instead of screaming out of fear, Drake screams out of excitement and pure joy. Josh proudly held Drake up in the air, Drake for once not caring if anyone saw them, this moment was one that he will forever remember. And he had no issue with that.

“We made it dude!”

The sound of a camera going off happens, but neither one could care less. Just happy. Giant smiles on their faces.

March 8th, 2015, Drake Parker is twenty-four and is still a very unserious person. Not by choice, he came to realize that on his own. Maybe a little .

Drake was currently sitting in a leather seat, elbow resting on the arm of the chair, mouth kissing his knuckles, attention fully on the stage before him. He could feel his heart jackhammering against his chest plate, threatening to break through and let itself known to the world like some scene out of a horror flick. Now he wants to watch a horror movie when he goes home. Nice.

Drake counts back from ten all the way to one, practicing his breathing exercise that his therapist taught him after his car accident back in 2008. Drake takes a couple of deep breaths, flinching— nearly jumping out his skin when he feels a gentle hand rub his arm in a soothing manner.

Drake opens his eyes again looking towards his left where his little sister was sitting, Megan was looking at him with a gentle expression. Smiling at him in a way that reminds him of their mother— which he’s thankful for— kind tender eyes on her newly mature features, it feels like it was only yesterday that she was nine and tormenting him and Josh. Drake looked past Megan to see their parents talking in hushed tones but they seemed happy enough, unaware of how nervous their son seemed to be. Drake closes his eyes for a moment again, exhaling and opening his eyes again. He nods towards his sister, she returns the gesture removing her hand folding them together on her lap, her posture remaining straight. Smoothing out her white dress after a bit, checking herself out in her compact mirror checking if she had any loose strands of hair in her high ponytail. Putting it away when she doesn’t find any. It almost makes Drake laugh.

And she says he’s obsessed with his hair, little brat.

Drake shakes his head, paying attention to the stage again. Listening for who won a Grammy from each category of music.

That’s right you heard him. Drake Parker is sitting in a chair at the Grammys in Hollywood. When Josh got the call and told Drake, Drake couldn’t believe it. He still can’t.

He never thought he would officially meet the queen herself, Beyoncé!. And don’t get him started on the Princess of Pop Britney Spears. When she first spoke to him on the red carpet Drake felt as if he was on cloud nine, and when she hugged him, it was all over— Drake thought he was gonna pass out, if Josh was with him he knew his stepbrother would’ve laughed at him. Especially if he got to witness how red he turned when Beyoncé told him he was so handsome.

If anyone was to ask Drake if he was a Yoncè and Britney fan instead of just rock and roll— the blues, a bit of jazz and classical music, the last one thanks to Josh. He will deny it till the day he dies and just say he respects them and their craft.

Drake clicks back into focus when he sees Bruno Mars walk up to the podium after Selena Gomez performance, clapping along with the crowd, even though he has not a single clue what she sang.

“Thank you Selena for that wonderful performance” Bruno Mars says, with his charming smile clapping with the audience, his tan skin somewhat red from the beating lights.

“And now with great honor I would like to announce the Grammy winner for best selling song for rock, number one best seller, top of the charts on build boards!” Everyone holds their breaths, Drake tenses up in his seat watching as Bruno opens up the golden envelope, his smile never changing.

“And the Grammy goes to… rising star Drake Parker I Found A Way!!” Bruno announces with a cheer, Drake jaw drops as everyone else around him cheers, clapping the starting intro of the song starts playing. Drake looked around, his mind not keeping up, Megan was shaking his arm in excitement telling him to go. Drake stands cleaning his throat as he fixes his black suit and navy blue tie adjusting his circular glasses that framed his face perfectly— Megan’s personal touch. The navy tie, Josh’s idea. The shiny dress shoes his mother helped with.

Drake hugs Megan who pats his back, pressing a soft kiss against his mothers cheek and shakes Walters hand with a big grin on his face pulling away as he walks out his row and down the aisle towards the stage fixing his side bangs as he walks up the steps of the stage walking towards Bruno, accepting the Grammy in one hand shaking Bruno’s hand in the other side hugging him stepping up to the mic. Looking at the hundreds rows of celebrities, staring up at him and smiling at him in encouragement.

“I… heh” Drake clears his throat, a watery smile climbing his face.

“Shit I honestly don’t know what to say it’s just that— I didn’t think I would win y’know? I didn’t think I would make it, thought I would have to wax surfboards and probably work at a run down diner that no one really knows about but has the best pie” Drake says, laughing a bit, causing the rest to laugh with him.

“I.. listen I downplay a lot of things and I take a lot of things unseriously but this? This moment right here? Is the most serious thing that has ever happened to me, besides becoming a big brother, becoming a brother to someone else and having to share my room for five years with that person. Actually making it through high school and graduating on time”

Drake wipes his eyes from under his glasses.

“Stupid tears”. That earns another chorus of laughs.

“Sorry sorry, anyway this Grammy doesn’t just count as my achievement and success. This Grammy counts as an achievement for the best manager and step brother in the whole entire world. Josh Nichols who sadly can’t share this moment with me tonight since he had a highly important test today— get that degree bro. I wouldn’t have made it up till now without you brother thank you! I love you!” Drake holds the Grammy up with a giant smile, tears running down his cheeks freely, voice cracking.

“To all the people that didn’t in believe me, fuck you I made it you hating ass bitches, special shout out to my English teacher Ms. Hayfer and the creature that wears a skirt and claims she’s a girl Mindy Crenshaw. Much love to my biggest haters couldn’t have done this without ya either” He chuckles, everyone claps and cheers.

“And Josh if you happen to be watching, I would say I’m sorry but come on… we both know I’d be lying. Thank you Hollywood and my family goodnight!” He finishes off, walking off the stage as his song plays again as he holds up his Grammy while the people laughed and cheered making his way back to his seat.

Was Drake Parker still an unserious person?, yes. Was he still petty after a couple of years?. Yes.

[maddiem4-writes]

Reposado - Chapter 3

It took willpower to go inside. And I was hungry, it’s just that a full cafeteria is full of people, some of whom are complicated to be around. I was less alone in the hallway this time, because even now, there was a final trickle of random students. I had to figure some got stuck in conversation, some had a thing or two to finish up, but… nobody was in a rush. Lunch was still on, but the rush was over.

I recognized a few people, like Leon. We weren’t enemies or anything, but we used to be better friends. Stevie, who cut her hair real short last year and then had to grow it back out again. Paul - ugh, fucking Paul, has there ever been a good Paul? Who’s named a kid Paul in the last twenty years? This motherfucker’s parents I guess, and it was the beginning of the end for him, fucking Paul.

There was still a line for the food, and that’s always weirdly nice, it means you don’t have to start the line all over again and carry the pressure of the line behind you. It’s not so awkward with the food ladies. You just show up and participate in the pattern in progress, and who gives a crap? That’s how I felt about it. Just say what you want and pay for it.

So I found myself staring out at the crowd, tray in hand, looking at the usual tables. And yep, there my friends were, waving for me, and it’d be rude not to join them. I think by then, I was starting to put together that the pain of having to leave someday was bleeding into a pain to be around them. But nothing more than that. It’s hard to say now.

I picked a free spot on the end and slid in laughing, and you know what, that was a genuine laugh. When I actually got there, it was easy to be my usual self. I went straight for my fries, I caught up on the gossip, presided an impassioned debate on whether stereotypical viking helmets are meant to be a visual pun about how horny a person famous for raping and plundering would have to be. Steph was convinced (well, silly and insistent) that this theory was 100% true, and any claims otherwise are cowardly. Caleb thought it was a horns of alcohol thing, which sounds more historical, but who am I, the Viking whisperer? It was fun to hear them argue, and across the table diagonally, I saw Mara grinning along with me. It was a nice moment, and I felt a little lighter.

“Well, Lees, you break the tie. Horny or boozy?” Steph asked, waving her hands dramatically.

“Uhhhh… yeah, I’m gonna say horny. Point goes to you, Steph!” She clapped her hands on the table in smug superiority, and stuck her tongue out at Caleb. And like, what are we, five? But it was fun.

I looked at Mara again. We were riding that same high. Being part of the group, but also kind of a participating audience soaking up every minute of it. She laughed and took a bite of her ham sandwich, and I watched the way the fluourescent lights played off her strawberrry blonde ponytail. It was the second time in a minute that I lost track of what people were saying around me.

“…so gross, like who did it…”

I blinked. “Sorry, what?”

Bree looked at me. “The handprint. You know, in the lady’s…”

“Oh right, shit! Yeah, I saw that. I have no idea who did that, but you’re right, it’s gross.”

Cassie squirmed and raised her hand. “Sorry, that was me, my bad. But I’ll have you know, it’s not what it looks like, I swear! It actually looks a lot worse today.” Groans resounded the table. “Noooo, no don’t tell people! It’s not period blood, it’s from my nose! It’s a nosebleed, it got on my hand as I was running to get toilet paper. That’s all. Jesus.”

Steph looked concerned. “Cassie, I don’t get nosebleeds so I don’t know what’s normal, but that was a whole-ass hand worth of blood. Are you okay? For real, girl.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. I got a little pale on Friday, but here I am, doing great, full of kale and orange oil and whatever else my mom throws at me. I’d probably survive a meteor strike right now. Although… uh-oh… oh shit it’s coming back it’s coming back it’s coming back…” She dunked her hand in her raspberry jello, then reached out like a zombie and grabbed Steph by the wrist. Steph shrieked like a field mouse. “oh noooo, I’m dying, oh nooooooo, save yourselves……”

Steph wriggled free as the table fell apart laughing. She gave Cassie a steel-hardened glare, and without breaking eye contact, defiantly licked the jello from her wrist and hand. “Bah, mere plague? Please, you’ll have to do better than that!” Caleb looked at me and shook his head in his usual can you believe this shit style, grinning ear to ear.

Cassie, of course, played right into the theater. “You say that now, but in ten days we’ll see who lives and dies! PLAGUEEEEEEEEE!” And… I don’t know, maybe this is a trick of how I’m remembering it all now. But I feel like I saw a flicker there for a moment, that Cassie was… surprised that she said that? Or that she phrased it the way she did? And… again, it’s not like I can ask her now, for obvious reasons. But it’s something I’ve wondered about many times since then. Ten days. It’s just… I dunno what to think about that.

You know what, I do remember something specific, although I don’t know how much it’s useful. Yes. This was the moment where it really hit me that Mara and I were on opposite corners of the table, and I looked at that distance and… it hurt. Not like I’d been wronged, at all, just… I looked at how much table was between us and I processed it as pain. It’s something I’m 100% certain I felt before, but this moment? This was the moment I acknowledged it.

It was destabilizing. It hurt at the edges of whatever fucking hole was inside of me, like a candle flame through a sheet of paper. I remember trying not to show it, and being mostly unnoticed… but you can tell when someone’s looking at you. And I didn’t have to meet her eyes. I knew, in that little fugue moment where I gave up and looked at nothing, that Cassie saw me from directly across the table. I felt her… worry.

And I shook it off. Another fry, finally get a bite of my sandwich, life is good, huh? Yeah. Life is good.

[yourghastlycloseness]

13/10:

1. cook salmon & mushrooms (?) for brunch. finish up hard seltzer [done]

2. pay phone bills [nope - do tmr]

3. make time for japanese self-study (particles for 乗ります and 降ります、何を v 何が v 何です、write down some of the new 漢字 i’ve learnt this week) [done somewhat]

4. make time for communist manifesto [read a lil of in praise of shadows instead]

5. visit kai [done. i love him. gotta try harder]

6. grab a simple, affordable early dinner or late lunch [done]

7. movie night w H [done]

8. run at night [nope]

14/10:

1. send pants for altering

2. possible cook again for lunch—chicken and mashed potatoes? i will allow myself to some cider or fruity alcohol. might want to try making a calpis sour or cassis orange (?) [i suck at cooking but it’s fun]

3. make time for japanese/communist manifesto [done - time for jp, not CM sry marx]

4. call up driving centre to see where to start [researched it]

5. possibly swim/run at night [haha]

6. ukulele fun [hahaha]

7. try to map out finances. to include monthly expenses on contact lenses, total course fees shd i continue with japanese classes, if a japanese language exchange is wise, kai’s vet bills and preventative care [hahahaha ok i have some idea of this just need to write them down properly]

8. pay phone bills [done]

-

i literally did nothing as planned for 14/10 bcos im so tired lmao but all’s good

[lunar-insanity]

PKMN Black 2: PSYCHONAUTS EDITION

Hoooo so hey remember when I first put out the sketches for Emboar!Helmut and Levanny!Bob?

Yeah I finished the rest of the team! I also had the idea to like little “Trainer Journal” entries so those will be down below.

First up! The first two members of the team: Helmut and Bob!

These two are def one heck of a duo. Emboars are already hard hitters but Bob was also one of the powerhouses on the team. I also just... I like fire as an emotion signaler? So Helmut get flamin brows and colourful fire! Bob took a couple tries to get right but I’m real happy with how he came out.

Next is Cassie and Compton

Cassie being an Excadrill is more circumstance. I told my friend that I’d be finally playing through all of Black 2, and he asked if he could suggest a mon. He suggested Excadrill, and I found a female one, and thus, she’s now Cassie.

And boi Excadrills really are terrifying. So she ended up being Powerhouse #3. Now Compton! Tiny tiny fluffy boi. Compton was never going to be a part of my battle team, but it felt wrong to leave one out. So Compton became the Minccino you get from the first Hidden Grotto. If we were in Kalos he would 100% be a Meowstic.

Next is FOOOOOORD

One of my rules for this game was that I wanted to use poke’mon I never had, mostly. I needed a flying type, and I was suggested Sigilyph. So congrats Ford! You are officially the ONLY Psychic type on the team and one of the weirdest poke’mon.

Now we start getting to the big ones. In Size

LUCY! Y’all know Jellicents are bleedin huge? So, She and Cassie are the ones I took the most liberty with in terms of design, like shrinking down that head and turning most of the fluff into her headscarf.

She and Ford are also one of the more fragile team members. Given the chance, they can deal with things, but for tricky fights, the 3 hard and tanky hitters will take the brunt of damage.

And last but not least.

Otto

HE’S FUCKING HUGE

I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW BIG ELEKTROSSES ARE HOLY SHIT. So... yes I raised a Tynamo as soon as I got to Chargestone Cavern. Yes it took a long time. I needed an Electric type xD

These were real fun to make ahahah! Now then, I will leave you with their heights all stacked together, and the journal notes under a cut.

Enjoy!

{Trainer Journal}

Bianca and Professor Juniper wanted me to do something extra along side filling up the Pokedex. Apparently the Pokedex has all generalized data and not much on variations and mutations that could happen naturally. So they asked that I keep an eye out on my journey. Not a problem!

{Helmut}     =Tepig

-So far so normal. He is pretty new to the world after all. He has taken a shine to the Sewaddle I caught a little while ago. Does not like the Azurill... I mean... I kinda get it. Little gal is real angry.

   =Pignite -First variation. According to the Dex, Pignites have these curl designs and straight bands, but Helmut’s got like... leaf cut outs and the bands are like... arches. His fire’s weird too. It’s got green and pink in there sometime. 

-Second variation. We just got a Drilbur, and I named her Cassie. Helmut’s really friendly so he bounced on over to her. Aaaand pretty soon after I think I saw more orange in his fire. I thought it was weakening but nope, just can be a more orange fire. Weird.

-Random note: Helmut saw a beanie in Castelia. He rocked the Bug gym, as I expected, so I figured why not. Thank Arceus they had one that was fire proof. Pros: He’s happy and immediately bounced over to Bob to show him. Cons: He will not take it off anymore. 

- Third Fire. Got a Sigilyph, and now his fire’s got blue and green in them now. Professor what does this mean.

   =Emboar

-FIRE HIS DAMN FIRE IS A RAINBOW. -Does not have the large curly designs on his chest. Instead it’s more leaf patterns. He’s also way more hued in colour than most Emboars.

-Do Fire types’ fire normally react to their emotions like this? If he’s with Compton, his fire turns purple sometimes. It also turns purple when he’s stressed. It dies down if it’s blue, and it tends to be green and pink around Bob.

-Also Helmut definitely has a crush on Bob. And I think it’s reciprocated. I am worried about their typings but wow it’s cute.

-Helmut’s eyebrows are on fire.

-It seems like Helmut’s really influenced by the team. They each gave him a new colour for his flames, and I think he’s building a small psychic resistance. Not a lot but it’s there.

-I don’t think there’s any way to replicate this kinda of variation. Helmut’s always been sensitive to his surroundings. Might just be a him thing.

{Bob}    =Sewaddle

-Little guy took a shine to Helmut really quickly. Woulda figured the type matchup wouldn’t let that happen too well.

-His attacks aren��t... totally inaccurate but I’m a bit worried. It’s not too bad right now but seriously no other Sewaddle has this issue as far as I’ve seen.

-According to the dex, the only difference between males and females is height. We’ll see dex. We’ll see.

   =Swadloon

-Glasses. He needed glasses. What- how- Professor did you know some mons need GLASSES???

-He’s made his own by using twigs he got before we left for Castelia and is using the harbor water as lenses. I am taking him to an eye doc for proper lenses.

-Now that he can see his own reflection in windows, he keeps scratching at his chin and face. I wonder what he’s thinkin.

//He wants what you humans call a beard// -FORD GET OUT OF MY NOTES

   =Levanny

-Shit. Ford was right. Good for him then.

-His leaf hood looks a bit more like a mane hahah. He looks good, got a tie, his legs have faint stripes (Makes me think of plaid stuff) and he has a flower tucked on his chest. Helmut gave him flowers so he seems to just switch them out.

-He’s taller than an average male Leavanny. Thicker too. Just as fast though.

{Cassie}    =Drilburr

-I’m concerned about that giant hole in the sewers. Ah well, caught a Drilburr. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except some slightly loose skin at the top. Like a Purrloin.

   =Excadrill

-... Okay... That pattern is WILDLY different than normal Excadrills. Where’d the yellow come from? Helmut??

-The loose skin makes more sense now. She can flip her top drill up and down like a visor.

-Thinner than most Excadrills, according to the group.

-Clay has an Excadrill, so I asked to compare. Wow males are WAY tinier than males. Also the visor helmet thing is apparently singular to Cassie.

{Ford}

-We were out in the Relic Castle desert, and I kept coming across Sigilyphs. And then we came across one that looked... Like it had a moustache?? T’was also bigger than the others. Turns out it’s because he’s male. I call him Ford now.

-He’s pretty grumpy

//Oh like the Swadloon ain’t.//

-The grumpy eyes are on the body as well. Mismatched too. They’re also green instead of blue like normal ones.

//Not a word about the eyes.//

-Sigilyphs are weird.

//Why you-// (the ink scribbles to the edge)

-I KNEW IT! FORD OUT OF MY NOTES!

//IT’S MY JOURNAL ENTRY I DESERVE TO WRITE IN IT//

{Compton}   =Minccinno

-Okay so... This little guy is beyond skittish. I didn’t even dare to fight him. No way, nope, bad time. I’m just gonna leave him alone. -Scratch that he got even more anxious when we tried to leave. I am at an impasse.

-Okay so Ford and Cassie managed to make him calmer. Good. Maybe we can get out of here now.

-Nope he’s latched onto Cassie. Okay buddy here’s a ball.

-No way I am letting him be a part of the main battle party but he could be nice to have around. He’s got a cute bowler hat too.

-I got to check his tail. It’s more curly than normal I think.

-I may let him fight a bit, just so he doesn’t fall behind the team too much. In case there’s bad situation.

  =Cinccinno

-Well he certainly poofed out. His white fur is all poofy and curly instead of straight.

-He’s... really well versed in berries and teas. Made some good stuff. -How is this mon better at cooking than me. He’s cooking from now on.

//For the best.//

{Lucy}   = Frillish

-I spotted her back in Virbank ages ago but I couldn’t surf. Moment I could, I had Ford fly us back her to find her. What do you know, she was still there.

-So normal Frillish have a collar around their neck. This one has a hood apparently. I wonder if she’ll keep it. 

- Eyes are a teal green instead of red.

  =Jellicent

-... 

-PROFFESSOR

-Wildly different from normal Jellicent. No huge head for one. She did keep the scarf hood, all that fluff that is normally there turned into that. She’s super flowy.

-She’s got little... dashes in her hood, almost looks like raindrops.

-Man the dex entry. I can see how.

-Ford quit making goo goo eyes with the ship sinker.

//No.//

-Great I have two of them now.

{Otto}   =Tynamo

-This little guy annoyed Ford for a good while before I chucked a quick ball at him. Now the two are getting along pretty well.

-Seems to have more fins than a normal Tynamo.

-The EXP share is going on you buddy boi.

  =Eelektrik

-THE FACE! HAHAHAHA!

-The spots aren’t circular. Looks more like a toddler drew them on.

-Definitely has more fin frills than normal. It almost looks like a mullet.

-He found goggles. I don’t know where but he did.

-He got chewed out by Compton after he messed with the food. I think he was trying to experiment.

  =Eelektross

-SWEET ARCEUS ON TOAST

-HE’S BIGGER THAN EVERYONE HOLY SHIT.

-Antenna is... jagged. More like a thunderbolt. The fin there is spikier too. Makes me think of a thunderbolt. As if he wasn’t electric enough.

-The spots turned into a swirl on his big fish mitts. Looks cool.

-Blue eyes rather than red.

====================

Out of all of them, Helmut had the most changes. I wonder if it’s because he went through the whole adventure compared to the others. But he was also way more sensitive to the world.

Maybe that’s his mutation. Almost like Eevee but not quite.

How I ended up with such a bizarre team I don’t know.

Wouldn’t trade ‘em for the world.