#i love going under the ground to take the worlds fastest bus

[nyanryan]

survived public transit n made it to the hostel! there is no ac and its like 30°c out so. rip me but i will survive

^obligatory hostel selfie

[cajunquandary]

The One with Red Sky at Morning

Pairing: Dean x Reader, Sam, Castiel

Summary: After a difficult hunt, you and the Winchester brothers want nothing more than to rest. As fate would have it, things don’t go so smoothly.

Warnings: Natural disaster, a little flangsty.

WC: 2300

A/N: This was written for @smol-and-grumpy​ “NAT’S SUPERFRIENDS TITLE CHALLENEGE.” My title was “The One with Red Sky at Morning.” I actually wrote several versions of this but settled on this one. A very similar situation happened to me when I was very young, out hunting with my father deep in the woods of South Georgia. All we had was a four-wheeler and a lot of quick prayers. To this day I don’t know how we made it out alive. Enjoy my first writing back from a three-year hiatus! This might get rough. Suggestions welcome!

Also, sorry not sorry, I was feeling giffy~

“Faster!” You yell, a shriek threatening to escape your core.

“C’mon, Baby,” Dean prays through gritted teeth, both feet forcing the accelerator to the floor. The speedometer stops measuring past a hundred and twenty. You gulp as the RPMs reach past the point of no return.

“We’re not gonna make it, Dean,” Sam goes pale, breaths quick and shallow, voice breaking as he spoke his brother’s name.

In the rearview mirror, you can just make out beads of sweat tracing the concern lines on Dean’s forehead, a black abyss behind him. You grab onto Sam from the back seat, burying your face into his flannel. Dean’s string of curses is soon overpowered by the ghostly sounds emanating from the beasts on your tail.

The air is hot and electric, raising every hair on end. When you hear the crack, your blood runs cold.

This must be it, the end.

You stumble sleepily out of the slight motel bathroom and over to the coffee maker. Without so much as peeking, you masterfully load the grounds and water and press the magic button. Oh, how you love that button. Scratchy bedsheets stir behind you, but you pay no attention. A shadow of a smirk creeps across your face. The holy bean water is ready. You take the much-too-small Styrofoam cup with you to sit at the table by the window. Lifting the chalice of your soul to your lips, you inhale as if you’d been starved of oxygen all night. Your eyes gradually open, adjusting easily to the low light of the room. The sweet scent helps to knock the cobwebs from your mind, the warmth radiating from your palms to the depths of your bones.

What a week it’d been. But right now, you don’t want to think of the vamp nest or their victims. Right now, you revel in the tranquility. In the bed near the door, Sam is rubbing the sleep from his eyes, no doubt about to share some coffee with you at the table. On the couch, Dean’s limbs are sprawled in awkward positions, but he still snores gently.

Finally, a smile graces your lips as you watch Dean. He’s so peaceful. There’re no lines on his forehead or forlorn frown below his freckle dusted cheeks. You almost wish he could stay like that forever—at peace. You also wonder what it might be like to touch him, hold him. After the hunt and almost losing him, being more than a few inches away from the man actually hurts. You couldn’t imagine never again seeing those deep, loving eyes, or the way he sings in the car, or dances when he thinks no one is around.

Catching you just before you jump off the deep end into thoughts and memories of Dean, Sam finds his seat next to you. Trying to brush the obvious daydreaming off as nothing, you take a gulp of coffee, only to grimace in pain as it burns all the way down, leaving your upper lip and tongue tingling.

Sam chuckles. “You know it’s hot, right?”

“Yeah, thanks.” And so is something else in the room, you can’t help but to think to yourself.

You set the rude drink upon the table and stand to open the curtains. With a thrust, the stubborn things release and reveal the world outside.

“Oh, shit,” you gasp. You stare for a moment just to make sure your eyes aren’t deceiving you. You rub them. You stare a moment more, then rub them again. Red skies morning, sailors take warning.

You look over to Sam, your body rigid.

“What is it, Y/N?”

“Sam, check the weather. Now.”

As if on cue, Dean’s phone is the first to sound the alarm, shortly followed by yours and Sam’s.

“It’s a weather alert—severe storms coming,” Sam stood from the table to look outside as well.

Dean groans from the space behind you, “Well then let’s get a move on.”

You don’t even bother getting dressed, instead throwing one of Dean’s old flannels over your thin t-shirt and leggings. Just like your days in EMS, your boots and pack stand ready next to your bed.

Within a minute, everyone slides into the impala, coffee forgotten. As Dean pulls onto the highway, you and Sam map out the fastest way to get home to the bunker with the least amount of bad weather to drive through, looking for a place to stop for food if possible.

Around two hours in, the drive is going decently well, with only a few patches of hail and heavy rain. You begin to doze off to the comforting lull of the Impala and the Allman Brothers.

Your body betrayed you as it twitched violently. Still on edge after the hunt, you jump from the action, accidentally hitting Dean in the shoulder.

“You good?” He glances quickly in your direction, adjusting his hand on the wheel.

Heart beat loud in your ears, you lean back and return a quiet “yeah, I’m okay. Sorry.”

No rest for the wicked or the hunters, you suppose.

Dean hums along to the music. You are powerless watching the vibration of his neck, wondering what it might be like if your lips were to touch the spot where his pulse rippled the skin. You look down at your phone in an attempt to distract yourself.

Pulling up the weather app, you report the developing spot just up ahead. The brothers take note, then you lean against the window and watch the blur of pine forests and rolling fields. Even overcast, the landscape is breathtaking. You reminisce on your days in the back of the “bus,” what it was like when the tone would drop and in seconds you’d be flying down the road, lights and sirens, mentally preparing for the unknowns waiting for you on the scene. After ten years, there wasn’t much you hadn’t seen. This knowledge and wisdom helped but still couldn’t prepare you when a changeling become your patient.

You catch yourself, not wanting to remember the details of the attack, the ambulance rollover, or the death of your partner. You don’t want to imagine what would’ve happened if the Winchester boys hadn’t shone up when they did, or if you’d stayed in that town after the bodies were found.

Wiping an unwelcome tear from the corner of your eye, you refocus on the trees, enjoying their dances under the influence of wind lines.

Until one fell, bending until it snapped, twisting off halfway. Then another, and another.

“Uh, guys?” When had it gotten so dark? You check your phone for the time again. Almost three in the afternoon.

You don’t need to look behind you to know what it is. You don’t get the chance to tell Dean to floor it—he already is. You grip the seat tightly as the car lurches forward, shaking under the speed and the wind force.

It’s as if an invisible giant is stepping down on the forest on both sides of the highway. Oncoming traffic has ceased, some people have already bailed from their cars, seeking scant shelter in the ditches. Leaves and branches now swirl through the sky, littering the road ahead. Dean takes the next exit, not slowing down a bit.

You are so close to the bunker now, but the echoes of the angry titan behind you threaten to devour the Impala before you even have a chance for safety. You hazard a glance behind you.

No more than a mile behind the racing car, the tornado swallows the whole world, preceded by the biggest cloud of debris you’ve ever seen.

“Faster!” You yell, a shriek threatening to escape your core.

“C’mon, Baby,” Dean prays through gritted teeth, both feet forcing the accelerator to the floor. The speedometer stops measuring after a hundred and twenty. You gulp as the RPMs reach past the point of no return.

“We’re not gonna make it, Dean,” Sam goes pale, breaths quick and shallow, voice breaking as he spoke his brother’s name.

In the rearview mirror, you can just make out beads of sweat tracing the concern lines on Dean’s forehead and the rotating black abyss behind him. You grab onto Sam from the back seat, burying your face into his flannel. Dean’s string of curses is soon overpowered by the ghostly sounds emanating from the beasts on your tail.

The air is hot and electric, raising every hair on end. When you hear the crack, your blood runs cold.

You are covered in glass from the back window, the wind sucking the breath from your lungs. Sam reaches over and pulls you into his lap, holding as tightly as your eyes are shut. Dean masterfully swerves in an out, dodging unknown obstacles and navigating winding roads.

You recognize these turns. The bunker!

Castiel is already perched at the edge of the garage when you open your eyes. Still at full speed, Dean swerves the car inside, causing it to slide sideways and leave thick rubber tracks. Castiel struggles against the wind and grabs Dean as he bails from Baby.

“I can’t close it! We have to take cover, now,” Cas yells over the train whistle screams of the tempest.

Not missing a beat, Sam grabs you and doesn’t even pause to set you down. The alarms in the bunker sound off, competing with the storm.

You all finally tumble through the door and slam it locked behind you. You grunt as your ears pop from the pressure change and rub your jaw.

Heavily breathing from the ordeal, the four of you trade nodding glances, indicating that everyone is okay.

You are the first to break the silence, shaking bits of glass from your shirts. “I need a drink.”

Castiel and Sam follow you down the steps, but stop to sit in the war room. Dean trails on your heels, also eager for a drink. You grab the bottle but keep walking, ready to be in your own bed already.

Dean protests. “Hey, you gonna share?”

“Sure, but you’ll have to follow me.”

Once in your room, you take a long draught from the already open bottle of whiskey, then turn and hand it to Dean.

“Close your eyes, Winchester.”

Dean does as told, bottle already suspended at his lips.

You pause for a moment to admire those lips and the way they purse when he swallows. It catches your breath but you turn away, stripping the glass-ridden clothes into a pile on the floor. You curse under your breath as you realize the clothes that other than the ones still in the car, the rest were in the laundry room, several wings down.

You grab a pillow to shield yourself just in time as Dean opens his eyes to see what the matter is. He apologizes quickly and turns away. “What’s wrong?”

“No clothes.”

Without hesitation, he shrugs the shirt from his shoulders and extends it in your direction.

“Thanks.” You are so glad that his eyes are still averted so he can’t see your red face, the blush stretching through your whole body. You quickly slip inside the shirt and bottom it, thankful that it reaches nearly to your knees. You pause at the collar, lifting it to your nose and nearly fall as the heady scent of him fills your senses. Dean, standing now, catches you just in time, closer to you than ever before. His hands rest gently at your sides, and he chuckles sweetly as he leans in to kiss your hair. The whiskey still warming your bones, you wrap your arms around him, interlocking your fingers and burying your face into his bare chest. He pulls you in tighter, squeezing.

The stress of almost losing him on the hunt to that fang and of nearly becoming flying sky trash slowly falls away within the shelter of his embrace. He leans onto the bed and back farther, taking you with him until you’re both under the blankets completely intertwined.

The dim light provided by a small lamp in the corner casts just enough shadow that you can count the freckles dusted on Dean’s cheeks and get lost in the hazel green folds of his eyes. Could this really be happening? Is the hunter you’d be pining for silently for over a year really holding you this closely—in your own bed?

Your breath mixes with his when he leans in even closer and brushes your lips with his. You close your eyes and relish in the warmth and comfort and safety of his arms, the softness and taste of his lips, stubble grazing your chin.

You can still perceive faint sounds of the raging storm outside, but you have no more fear. You pull away slightly to enjoy the sweet smile on Dean’s face until a passing shadow crosses it.

An elated “finally” can be heard near the doorway. Sam winks and closes the door, retreating footsteps resonating down the hall.

A new storm blooms in your core as you surrender yourself to the ease of being so close to Dean. Together, you trade secrets and promises in the intimate moments before slowly falling asleep to the comfort of his voice.

Red skies morning, sailors take warning. Red skies night, sailors delight.

With the red flashes of the bunker floodlights filling the air, you did certainly delight, safe at last. Any wreckage could wait until morning.

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*To be added or removed, shoot me a message

[therainroguefanfiction]

⁂ Push Your Limit (Initial D) Act 1

📑 Table of Contents

Genre: Comedy, Friendship, Slice of Life

Word Count: 2,559

Pairing: Reader x ??

World: Initial D

Author’s Note: This is the author’s note I posted once upon a time when I posted this on Quizilla lol

“Alrighty, what did you guys think of ACT 1? Did it catch your interest and make you want to check out the anime, if you haven’t already? Did it re-ignite the flames of Initial D fans that had forgotten or not seen the anime in so long? If you haven’t watched it already, I highly recommend you do so. It’s much better than my boring, un-actiony version. Let’s hope it did atleast a little something to you people who read it. I appreciate the support from you all, even if I don’t know who you are (minus a select few, of course). With that said, I bid you adu, Quizilla.”

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Mt. Akina

The roads coil around the hills like a snake poised to strike. A deadly mountain where one wrong move could send you flying towards certain death. Treacherous and challenging roads, where you prove whether or not you have what it takes to tackle the mountain and not find yourself upside down in a ditch wondering what went wrong – if you’re lucky. To act cocky or overconfident is a fool’s bet.

You knew these facts well, having run the mountain with your best friend on his tofu deliveries for the past 5 years.

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Knock, Knock.

“Y/N?” the brown-haired teen stood in the doorway of your bedroom, hand still on the doorknob.

“Tak?” you raised an eyebrow in question, turning your attention away from the empty desk to the teenager standing at your bedroom door.

“Iggy roped me into going to Mt. Akina tonight to hang with Cole. Wanna come?”

You shrugged, leaning back in your chair and pulling out a cigarette from the pack, “Sure. Got nothin’ better to do.”

“Cole’s picking us up at the bus station at eight,” he announced before turning around and leaving the room.

“Hmmm. This may just turn out to be an interesting night.” You mused, taking a puff of the cigarette.

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“You goin’ out this late, Tak? Y/N?” Tak’s father asked, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading. He was leaning against the window outside, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.

“Yeah. Iggy and I made plans to hang out for a while. Y/N is coming with us.” Tak answered, turning around to face his dad.

“You two going out at night doesn’t concern me. You getting up in the morning does.” Bunta responded.

You chuckled, a grin on your lips as you looked away from the two. Bunta had a very good point. Neither of you were really morning people, you less of one than Tak. It was tiresome and troublesome for the pair to wake up so early, but it was something that you had been doing for a while, something you didn’t have much choice in. You’d think the two of you would have gotten used to it by now.

“Don’t freak out about it, dad. You know we’ll get up.” Tak turned back around. “So, I guess we’ll see you later.” he started to walk off and you followed close behind.

“See ya, Bunta~” you grinned, folding your hands behind your head.

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“AHHHHHH! AH-AAHHHHHH!!”

“Will you please shut up for five seconds!? He’s trying to concentrate on driving!”

Tak was screaming like a little girl, clutching tightly onto you as if his life depended on it. Cole was driving with a smirk on his face. Iggy was sitting in the passenger seat, both hands clutching the handgrip above the passenger side door. He was busy yelling at Tak, thoughts of him being uncool clear through the expression on his face and the tone of his voice. You and Tak were sat in the back seat, Tak freaking out and you getting a headache because he was screaming into your ear.

Your eye twitched as said male clung to you, arms wrapped tightly around your neck. “How the hell did I get stuck with this moron?” you muttered under your breath, eyes cast towards the window. You loved the blur of the browns, the silvers, and the greens as they passed at a speed far above normal. It was one of the things in life that you adored, held close to your heart. Though, you’d never admit that to anyone else.

“Yeah, whatever! I’m trying to concentrate on staying alive!” Tak retorted, voice filled with panic.

“Chill out. Everyone feels like they’re going to toss their cookies the first time they ride with a street racer.” Cole grinned, clearly enjoying the scene in the backseat, “Hang on. We’ll take the hairpin in second.” He shifted gears and floored the gas pedal.

“AHHHHH!”

“Can’t you scream a little quieter?!”

You sighed before grinning at the two best friends. They were a trip when they were together, but you couldn’t help but notice how Iggy’s eyes were snapped shut, beads of sweat on his face. He was just as worried, he was just being quieter than Tak was.

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Tak was sitting on the ground, back leaning against the railing, slouched over and breathing heavily. The SpeedStars, Iggy, and you were standing around him, worried looks on all of your faces.

“You okay? Man, Tak, I had no idea you were gonna freak like that. I know I was pushing the car a little hard tonight but, come on!” Cole stood in front of Tak’s hunched form, hands on his sides as he leaned over the heavily breathing teen.

Iggy huffed, kneeling down to get next to Tak. “You’re a wimp! Even worse, you’re a girl!”

You growled at that statement, eyes narrowed at the moronic teenager who either didn’t notice your glare or didn’t care. You made a mental note to kick his ass about that one later.

“Don’t tell me you’re the type that spazzes out on a roller coaster!”

“I don’t think roller coasters are scary at all, okay? That has nothing to do with it. Why don’t you mind your own business?” Tak responded, having calmed down. “I don’t know, Iggy. Even if I were to try and explain it to you, I don’t think you’d get it. I have this fear.” his voice lowered, almost to a whisper.

“Huh?” Iggy cocked his head to the side confused. You listened in, leaning against a nearby street light and lighting the cigarette that hung between your lips.

━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━

“Looks like we got a few visitors,” Cole announced, hands in his pockets as he looked over at the arriving cars.

Tak was back on his feet, acting completely normal with Iggy at his side. You stood in the back, hat pulled down over your eyes. You could smell the trouble beginning to brew and it was a fine smell indeed.

The group of cars stopped in front of the group, the doors opening to reveal their drivers. Cole stared at the team name written in red on the side of the yellow FD. The RedSuns? Those guys are the fastest team in Akagi! The door to the yellow FD opened and out stepped a blonde-haired male.

You pushed your hat up slightly with your index finger, eyes narrowed at the blonde. You knew full well who he was. Most people did if they knew anything about street racing.

The door to the white FC opened and out stepped a blue-haired male, older than the first. He nodded to the younger male who seemed to take the lead. Though, you knew he wasn’t the leader, even if he acted like he was.

“All right, listen up! We’re members of the team known as the Akagi RedSuns. Now don’t get your panties in a bunch, but we’re here to find out who’s the fastest team, or who’s the fastest driver on this mountain. We want the top dog.”

You scoffed, pulling your hat back down. ‘Cocky rich bitch.’

Cole, who stood tall and proud, spoke up, catching the attention of the RedSuns drivers. “We’re the Akina SpeedStars. You want the fastest on the mountain, you’ve found ’em. So what do you want to do about it?”

You attempted not to laugh. Cole was acting so tough, but he didn’t know who he was dealing with.

The two brothers looked at each other, smirking before turning their attention back to the group. Clearly, they were just as amused. “Chill out there, ace, no biggie. We’re just looking for a little friendly competition. To be fair, we’ll even set the meet on your course.”

The SpeedStars were shocked, confused as to why the RedSuns would agree to race on their turf when they’ve never even driven Mt. Akina before. It gave them confidence, made them feel like they stood more of a chance to win but you knew that would be their downfall. No matter what the condition, overconfidence will get them in the end. Just like karma, it’s a real bitch.

“Wow. This is going to be unbelievable.” Iggy grinned, eyes sparkling and hands clutched in front of him. Tak was looking on with a bored expression, having no real interest in what was happening around him.

“Here’s the deal,” one of the other drivers stepped forward. He looked like an advisor for the team, “We usually run only with dudes we know, but it’s gettin’ kinda stale, ya know? We thought that running against other teams would give us a new challenge. We can hang with some new drivers, maybe pick up a few tips, who knows! It might help us all polish our skills. Starting out, we’ll all run together. Then each team will pick one driver to represent. They’ll compete in both the uphill and downhill. Whoever wins, wins. What’s important is developing a bond between the two teams. So, what do you think? You boys up for it?”

“Che. Bond, my ass.” You scoffed, looking away from the group. You didn’t notice the blue-haired male staring over at you with curious eyes.

The SpeedStars were looking cautious. The deal sounded too good, after all. “I guess when he puts it that way, it makes it sorta hard to say no.”

“Yeah.” Kenji nodded in agreement.

“Cool. Then what’d you say we meet back here next Saturday at… ten o’clock?” the advisor spoke up.

“All right, we’ll be here.”

“What do you say tonight we take it easy on each other and take a few practice runs?” The blonde suggested, an air of arrogance surrounding him.

“Did ya hear that, Tak?” Iggy flipped out, holding tightly onto Tak’s plain white t-shirt. “How cool is this?!”

The RedSuns took off first.

“They’re just trying to intimidate us!” Kenji said, fist held out in front of him. “Let’s show ’em what we got.”

“Yeah!” the rest of the team agreed. Everyone got into their respective vehicles and took off, determined to show up the so-called fastest team in Akagi.

“So, now what, Cole?” Iggy asked after everyone else had taken off.

“Now I use a microscope on the dudes known as the fastest in Akagi; the Takahashi brothers.”

“The Takahashi Brothers? You mean the famous street racers who were written about in all the magazines?!” Iggy asked, shocked.

You stood at Tak’s side, listening in on their conversation. Of course, you kept your smart ass comments to yourself, even though you had a few colorful words to utter about the famous Takahashi brothers.

“That’s right. They’re also known as the Rotary brothers.” Cole hopped into his car, feeling pumped and ready to show them up.

“Hang on a sec, Cole, we’ll jump in.” Iggy reached out for the door handle but stopped when Cole spoke.

“Sorry boys, when I make a serious run I have one rule: no passengers. Wait here, I’ll come back and pick you up later.” With that said, he took off, leaving the three of you alone in the dark.

“Awww!” Iggy groaned, kneeling down and clutching his head, “Oh man! This seriously blows. We’re the only losers in the world without a rig.”

“Yeah. Hey, Iggy? What’s the big deal about street racing, anyway?”

“Huh?” he looked up at him.

“I just don’t get it. Everyone gets all flipped out about it.”

Iggy stood up, hands balled into a fist as he stared at the clueless Tak. “You hear that sound, right? Tires screeching, engines blaring, the cars so close to each other the drivers can smell each others’ armpits! Are you having a brainfart, what’s not to get amped about?”

You facepalmed, muttering under your breath about how much of an idiot he is.

Tak blinked, still confused about what his best friend was saying. “Yeah… I guess…”

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The SpeedStars had returned from their run, currently grouped together where they had previously met, earlier that night. They had been smoked by the RedSuns. Even their second-stringers were too good for the SpeedStars.

“They’re amazing. They’re just so much faster than we are.”

“I can’t believe we got schooled as bad as we did, especially on our own turf.”

“They put serious jack in their suspensions and they got power. Face it, there’s no way we can compete with the RedSuns.”

“But we can’t turn down a challenge on our own turf!”

“He’s right! We can’t back out now! We’ll be the laughing stock of the whole region!”

“Yeah, well, unless you have a better suggestion, we’re gonna get our butts kicked.”

After listening to the team’s comments, Cole finally stepped in, gaining the undivided attention of the group. “Look, it’s getting late, guys. Why don’t we all hook up tomorrow and talk about our options?”

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Cole was taking the trio home. Iggy in front, with you and Tak in the back. He was driving normally, clearly bummed out about not standing a chance against the RedSuns. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to you. You knew all about the Takahashi brothers. They wouldn’t be on a team that was easily beat, if at all.

“Street racers don’t take to losing too well. It’s a feeling that never goes away. There’s nothing worse than losing to an outsider on your own home ground. There’s an unwritten law for street racers: protect your turf.”

Iggy was really bummed, as well, unhappy about how his dream team was going to lose in such a horrid manner. You and Tak were listening closely, absorbing every word, but not really thinking about the letters that he uttered.

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The roar of the engine… the smell of the exhaust… the burning of the tires… the cheer of the crowd…

These are the sights and sounds of street racing, modern-day steel chariot gladiators who test their own limits while rocketing towards the finish line and road glory. But of all the roads in the world, none are as treacherous and challenging as the mountains of Japan, where the roads coil around the hills like a snake poised to strike. On these treacherous roads, there are only two outcomes – you either got game, or you find yourself upside down in a ditch wondering where it went wrong.

Enter Takumi Fujiwara, mild-mannered tofu delivery boy… and undisputed king of the Akina roads.

For Takumi, drifting around a 90-degree bend or slipping by an opponent with mere inches between him and a thousand-foot drop is as effortless a feat as crossing the street. Takumi and his infamous finely tuned AE eight-six not only rule the highways of Akina but other provinces, as well.

But it isn’t all wine and roses, even for a racing god, because off the road, Takumi is just a shy teenager still uncertain about his future. He has girl trouble, problematic friends, and most of all, challengers coming after his throne. Being number one only means there’s a number two with aspirations of becoming the next drift king. So for Takumi, defending his crown is a full-time job. Now if only he can find time to deliver tofu as well…

This is Initial D.

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[daybreak-academy-fanfic]

Daybreak Academy: Chapter 72

Linchpins

Summary: In which Brain and Anora get lost in the woods. Word Count: 1,694 First | Previous | Next ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆

Ephemer, try as he did, could not stop Anora from going on the field trip. He begged and pleaded, but no one truly gave him the time of day. At some point, someone reminded him that everyone was partnered with another to reduce the chances of someone getting lost. That was when Ephemer petitioned to be partnered with Anora. He was shot down again due to the rule that Seventh Year students were to be paired with Eighth Year students. Something about it being a peer leading exercise. But Ephemer fought long and hard; he suggested Anora be paired with Skuld, then. Or Strelitzia. For their own reasons, both girls refused.

A compromise was eventually reached, however; Brain would be partnered with Anora. Anora herself didn't quite notice or seem to care about this arrangement. She took control of the map and happily led them through the walking trails. More than once Brain noted that she took them off the marked path, but he didn't say anything about it. If Anora noticed that they were, good. If not, then he'd redirect her. Somehow. It was rather hard to say no to her excitement for the most mundane things.

After some time, the two came to a fork in the road.

“We need to take the upper path.” the young man said to her. “It's the fastest way to the outlook.”

But the little look Anora was giving him illustrated that she thought differently. Brain was not amused in the slightest by the opposition.

“Anora, if we get lost...”

Anora shook her head before starting to head toward the lower path. She even made a little hop over the ditch before turning around to urge him to follow her. Brain tried very hard to stay focused. Was she purposely being this adorable, or was it simply a quirk of being a selective mute? Regardless, and despite his better judgment, Brain followed her. The two walked for two hours through the trees; Anora had a hard time concentrating on the path, distracted by every bird or woodland creature they came across to nervously jump away from it. Brain was too callous to really notice where they were going either. It was only when they got to a clearing that they stopped.

“We're lost, Anora-bird.” Brain announced, rather bitterly. “I told you we should have taken the upper path.”

Anora shook her head, sure that they were on the right path, as she looked at the map. Brain observed her for a moment before looking up at the sky. He gave a small tsk in noting that it was almost time for sunset.

“It's just domino after domino with you, isn't it?” Brain huffed, folding his arms as Anora continued to pour over the map. “Wouldn't listen to me so now we're lost. Had to go and waltz into a three day coma so Ephemer could make me babysit someone who clearly doesn't need it. Jiminy Cricket, Anora, even that kiss you had with Lauriam's sister somehow led to you being with Mister 'I-can't-even-let-my-girlfriend-breathe-without-me' to begin with! How does everything problematic decide to happen around you?”

Everything in Anora's body suddenly turned to ice. She looked up at him, her eyes widening, and her grip on the map tightening enough to almost crumple it.

“What did you just say?” she asked, almost in a whisper.

The young man's eyebrows lowered. He wasn't going to take back what he said; he never took back anything he said, ever.

“You're a linchpin.” he accused without a hint of shame. “Everything everyone says or does comes back to you.”

But Anora shook her head. “What about the kiss? About leading me to Ephemer?”

“It's nothing.” the young man decided with a callous wave of his hand. “Doesn't matter now anyway, does it? You two are just so lovey-dovey in love and all.”

Again, Anora quickly shook her head at him. “What about the kiss, Brain?” Anora repeated- a sense of urgency rising in her voice now. “Was there something else?”

For a subtle moment, Brain's entire body stiffened.

“Anora, we don't have time for-”

“Tell me!”

For a moment, Brain found himself recoiling at Anora. She must have been at least half a head smaller than him, but at this very moment, the fury in her eyes was enough to make her appear a foot taller.

“Fine.” Brain growled. “I'll tell you. Do you remember when Strelitzia invited you for a walk? The one where she ended up kissing you on? She didn't do that because she wanted to- she did it because I told her to.”

Anora's face paled slightly at hearing this, but her eyes were still stone cold. Brain took it as a sign to continue.

“I didn't expect her to kiss you.” he went on, “I didn't even plan on apologizing if it wasn't for Lauriam going brother bear on me.”

“But you did.” came the certain rebuttal. “Why? You could have ignored him.”

“Why?” Brain repeated. “Because watching two respectable kids trip over themselves for some clueless mute was getting tiring. Are you really just that dense, or do you enjoy stringing people along like that?”

The map in Anora's hands was almost a ball at this point.

“Why do you keep thinking that?” she questioned. Her voice was hard- Brain should have known then that he was overstepping. But the fire had been started, and there was still fuel to throw at it.

“Because you have no place here.” came the cold answer. “Because you shouldn't stand out but you do. Because everything in this world revolves around you, and there's no escaping it! I'd tell you to get lost, but it looks like you've already got us there!”

Anora blinked once, then twice. Her eyes were starting to gloss over in tears, but a silent fury was embedded within them.

“You jerk!” she finally screeched before tossing the map blindly to the side.

She launched her whole body at him, but Brain simply side stepped out of the way. Anora, surprised, tried to turn back around to face him, but at the same time she tripped over a large tree root. The girl fell head over teacups on herself -something that surprised Brain with a jolt- before her back and head smacked the ground. She remained there for awhile; stars swimming in her eyes and a growing, throbbing pain in both her back and her foot.

When she could finally regain her senses, she carefully started to sit up again and found that Brain was now standing over her. His face all but obscured by the shadow of his hat. Anora shrunk at his presence, suddenly fearing what he would do to her. But, whatever she feared he would do, or whatever he was thinking at that moment, passed when he asked her, “Are you alright?”

Anora nodded, albeit a bit too quickly, as she looked away from his gaze. It seemed to be as good an answer as any to him, so he turned away from her.

“Come on.” he decided. “We can still get back up to the trail if we don't waste any more time.”

Anora nodded before she started to get up. The moment she put her weight on her right foot, she went back down again in pain. Brain heard her let out an odd squeak and turned to look at her.

“You've got to be kidding me.” he grumbled under his breath.

Anora didn't give him any mind as she sat back down on the ground. Brain took a place near her foot. He located a moderately sized rock to elevate her foot slightly after taking off her shoes for her. Anora flinched as he did it. How come her foot was deciding to hurt now?

“Let me know if anything hurts.” Brain informed her. Anora nodded, allowing him to gently press against various areas around her foot and ankle. When something hurt, Anora let him know with a warning hiss or a sudden exclamation of surprise. After a few minutes, Brain moved away from her, but his eyes were still trained to her foot.

“It's sprained.” he informed her. In a vague tone, he added under his breath, “You're one heck of a hot mess, you know that?”

Anora flinched. In a small voice she said, “Sorry...”

Brain glanced up at her for a moment before shaking his head. “Just tell Ephemer that this was your fault, and not mine. Not that he's going to listen or anything...” With a hard sigh, Brain started to get out sports tape from his backpack. Anora wondered for a moment why he had it, but knew better than to question it right now.

“Sprains are common during hiking.” Brain explained, as if he could read her mind. “Although, to be honest, I didn't expect you to be the clumsy type. Or infuriatingly stubborn.”

For this, Anora did not apologize- she did give him a small nod of acknowledgment though. Brain didn't notice as he wrapped her foot and ankle tight with the sports tape. He took his time while doing so- once or twice he actually pulled the tape back up to readjust it.

“There.” he decided when he was done. “That should do the trick until help arrives. But now it means we're staying here for the night.”

“Why?”

Brain shot Anora a look so cold, a chill ran up the young woman's back.

“First of all, you're indisposed.” he informed her in a short tone. “Second, look up.”

Anora raised a curious eyebrow before looking up at the sky. The sunset was fading into night time darkness. Seeing it made Anora's heart race. Even Brain looked a bit distressed at the sight.

“If anyone notices that we're not on the bus, we may be found tonight. If not, we'll be here awhile. Do you have any camping experience?”

Anora shook her head. “It was always too cold.”

Brain grimaced. “I trust the rumors of you being a fast learner are true?” he asked her. “Because you're gonna need that skill. It's going to be a long night.”

[dark0angel13]

Something To Die For

So this if my first attempt at this pairing so I do hope you all like it! This is for you, @rosechi

Everything happened so fast, it’s as if his body is moving in slow motion while the world around him races at light speed, and his blood runs cold in his veins. How did it come to this? How had things gone so wrong? His mind is fogged with question after question, but without an answer to them, he’s left to rethink his entire life in the span of seconds.

“Where are you?” His voice cracks as the call rides the wind, but it’s drowned out by the overwhelming echo of sirens. Around him, buildings lay in crumples of concrete and glass, and his heart jumps into his throat. There is only one thing he longs to find, one thing that brings his life meaning and if he lost that, he’s not sure if he could go on living.

The dribble of blood on the side of his head brings him from his thoughts and as the adrenaline fades from his system, pain takes over and he’s doubling over, struggling to remain upright as every nerve ending in him is alight with white hot agony. Voices reach him before the bodies come into view and for the briefest of moments, he expects to see her, lopsided grin and eyes bright, but his hopes are dashed when his eyes settle on a limping man. He knows he needs to help, but he can’t bring himself to do it. It’s his job, it’s what he was paid to do, but right then, he couldn’t care less about wounded stragglers or victims. He only wanted one thing, only needed one thing.

“Where are you?” he screams until his voice is hoarse and his throat hurts but the only thing that comes back to him, is the rush of flames from what remains of the building before him. The hospital—a place of healing—was standing no more. Instead the walls are crumbled, the windows shattered and laying in jagged pieces littering the ground like a sick, twisted, version of confetti. His stomach lurches. This was her place of work, where she saved lives, and healed the sick. She was good at it too, he knows this, having seen her masterful hands at work many a time, content to just watch her from afar.

The sight before him now though—the tattered remains of a place he knew almost as well as his own house—was enough to reduce him to tears. She was his other half, the healer of his violent heart. When he would bring in a criminal for interrogation, she was always there to patch them up when he was done. When his work brought him to dangerous places, she was by his side, ready for the moment when her skills were needed and having her at his back made him confident in his own abilities. He wasn’t complete without her, and the mere thought of her absence was enough to drive him mad.

He moves with purpose, checking bodies as he goes, noting the ratio of survivors to deceased growing smaller and with it, his hope of finding her alive. The entire block looked like a war zone and if he bothered to check his phone, he would no doubt have dozens of missed called from his chief. He knows he should be aiding in rescue attempts, in trying to save as many lives as possible, but until he found her, until he knew she was alright, everyone else could go fuck themselves. Please be alive…please be alive… it repeats in his head like a mantra and when he sees the that all too familiar head of hair, his entire body goes rigid.

“No…” This can’t be happening right now! His panicked mind screeches to a halt, because with her unmistakable hair, he also sees the all too familiar crimson spreading out around her from her place under the collapsed ceiling. She’s not moving, he’s not even sure she’s breathing and just like that, his dreams of a future seem to fly out the window.

“Levy!” he’s at her side in seconds, flinging debris off her in a hurried attempt to extricate her from the undoubtedly heavy weight. She needs to be alive; she needs to survive. It’s entirely too long before he finally frees her and the severity of the situation finally kicks in, hitting him like a punch to the gut. Her mangled leg sends mind into survival mode. He’s stemming the bleeding with a tourniquet and checking for other serious injuries. Hell, he probably checked for a pulse four times before he finally grew brave enough to lift her. “Stay with me shrimp, I got ya.”

He’s not sure why he’s talking if he’s being honest with himself. She’s unconscious as he pulls her into his arms but talking to her seems to keep the panic from rising within him. She would always tell him that talking to patients in a coma was helpful because their subconscious could still hear them. So now, with her battered body in hanging limp in his trembling arms, he talks like it’s just a normal day, praying to God that she can hear him.

“I’ve got ya, just hold on Levy. I’m gonna get you some help.” He winces as he walks but his pain is nothing compared to the ache in his chest. “You’re safe now. You had me worried there for a second.” He’s rambling now but that’s okay, because it helps keep his head clear. He knows what he needs to do. The sight of the ambulance has relief washing over him and his eyes brighten, his words of reassurance hanging on the wind as he kept the unconscious woman in his arms up to date on what was happening. The men greet him with a salute, but he waves them off, barking orders before they even ready the stretched.

“She’s got a bad lac on her right leg,” he’s running on autopilot now, the words coming from him robotically. “Possible concussion and internal injuries. I pulled from under a collapsed ceiling, so she’s most likely got a few broken bones.” He watches them like a hawk after he sets her on the stretcher, her hand still clasped within his own

“Pulse is thready, she’s going into shock— “

His mind is racing as they rush her into the back of the bus, stopping only to determine the fastest way out of the area and his mouth is as dry as the desert suddenly. Were any of the roads blocked?

“Sir, you can’t come with us.”  A hand blocks his path and his thoughts. They try to argue with him but the look in his eyes show a man on the verge of a complete breakdown, and if they don’t let him on with her, he’s going to rip them apart. They concede after a string of curses leave his lips and as they speed off, her hand becomes cold in his grip. No, he thinks. This can’t be happening.

“Hey, do you morons know what the fuck you’re doing?” He snaps when one paramedic fails to start an IV. He could have done it better blind folded. “This woman means more to me than all your lives combined, you got that?”

“Please calm down sir,” the blonde who has been watching up until his point finally speaks and moves to help his partner. “Administering emergency aid in a moving vehicle is difficult under normal circumstances. Add to the fact that she’s in critical condition, and this bus is moving at twice the legal limit, do you think you can do a better job?”

Gajeel feels his body go stiff at the call out and even as the medic speaks, his hands move expertly to start the drip and something inside him relaxes. It seems at least this medic wasn’t completely incompetent. His eyes shift back to Levy, her pale feature sunken in and framed with unkempt and blood matted hair. Her body is riddled with gashes and bruises and even with the flow of oxygen from her mask, her breaths are shallow at best.

“She’s having a hard time breathing. Do something about it.” He barks, but the medic is already moving, opening her airway the best he can given the current situation and he lets out the breath he’s been holding. This man clearly knew what he was doing.

“The only thing we can do now is monitor her vitals and get her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. We’ve arranged for a medivac to meet us if her condition worsens.” The words flutter through his mind but Gajeel doesn’t hear them, instead the only thing that runs through his mind is every possible way this could end badly. What if she dies en route? What if she loses her leg? What if… he can’t even think about it because if he does his heart is going to explode in his chest.

“Shit,” the small explosive word uttered from the medic makes his blood run cold and he’s watching the medic drag his stethoscope across her chest. “Get me a scalpel and some tubing. She’s got a hemothorax.”

He’s been around Freed enough to understand what the man is saying, but it doesn’t stop the surge of anger that rises within him when he watches as they cut into her side. He’s on his feet, hands balled into fists at his sides when they shove the tubing into her, and he watches the blood slowly drip out and onto the floor.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He’s seething now. How knows they’re just doing their jobs but god dammit, this is the love of his life.

“We need to get the blood out of her lung. That’s why she’s having trouble breathing. This should help. You need to trust me.” The medic speaks matter of fact but Gajeel can see that deep down, past his bravado, past his cold detachment because of his job, this man loves what he does, and he knows Levy is in good hands.

“Just save her…”  He collapses back onto the seat, unsure of how much more of this his heart can take. Nothing else matters now. Not his condition, not his pain or anxiety. The only thing that matters to him right then, is Levy.

-

-

-

“Hey,” his eyes have bag under them from lack of sleep and his body is covered in bandages but when she opens her eyes, his entire world brightens. “How ya feelin’ short stuff?” Her groan of pain goes right to his heart.

“Hey,” she croaks out and he can’t help the tears that well in his eyes. “I found you.” Its her usual way of greeting, like nothing ever happened.

“I found you too.” He takes her hand, afraid that if he’s not touching her, she will disappear, and he can’t even fathom that thought.

“What happened?” her question hangs in the air for entirely too long because he’s not sure he knows himself. He’s still trying to piece it all together if he’s being honest.

“Honestly, I don’t know. The chief has been on a rampage the past few days, but we’ve yet to get any answers. Only thing we do know, is that they suspect it was a terrorist attack.” He speaks with a heavy heart and the fear that flashes through her eyes, tug at his heart strings. She didn’t deserve this, no one deserved this.

“I see… makes sense with Magnolia General Hospital being the only trauma center in the city, it’s the heart of Magnolia.” She speaks automatically now, and he cant help the smile that grows on his face. She always rambles when she’s deep in thought, and her intelligence was only one of the many reasons he loved her.

“Take it easy, you’ve been out for a few days now. Had me worried half to death too.” He forces a chuckle, but she sees right through his act.

“How bad is it?” Her expression deflates when her eyes settle over the thick bandages on her leg.

“Bad…” he whispers with a tight throat. “I almost didn’t get to you in time.” He leans down to rest his head against her own, and the trembling takes over. “They’re not sure if you’ll be able to walk again.”

“Is that all?” her sigh leaves him confused and he’s looking up to meet her eyes. “I was worried for a second there.”

“Levy,” he can’t believe she’s so calm at a time like this. “Do you understand what I’m saying here shrimp? The building crushed some of the vertebrae in your spine and you have a few damaged nerves. You may not walk again.” He doesn’t even want to recall his reaction when the doctor told him all this. He almost killed the man.

“I heard you the first time Gajeel,” she says matter of fact, and her bubbly voice does things to him. “I’m alive though, that’s all that matters.” Leave it to her to see the silver lining in this dismal moment. Just another reason for him to love her.

“This is serious Levy,” he pleads with her, placing a hand on her right leg, watching and waiting for a reaction. She makes none and it only serves to confirm his fears. “You can’t feel this can you?”

“No,” she agrees softly and his jaw clenches. “But that’s okay because I still have you.”

“Dammit Levy, this is serious!” He’s on his feet, tears streaming down his face as he tries to get her to see the severity of the situation.

“Gajeel calm down,” her voice soothes him. “Whatever happens… we will face it together.”

He drops to his knees before her and does the only thing he can think of, he hugs her. He wraps her in his arms and holds onto her like his life depends on it. Her body is warm against his and though she grunts in pain, her arms entangle around his neck and he feels her calm wash over him in waves. She’s always keeping him grounded, always driving him forward and supporting him and its all he can do not to collapse against her, to let his emotions run wild because he had almost lost her in the accident.

“If I had lost you…” He can’t even finish the sentence and her hand rubs soothing patterns up and down his back.

“I know…” and she does. She knows him better than anyone. She’s his reason for being a cop. She’s his inspiration and motivation when he feels like the world is crumbling around him. She’s his rock.

“I love you Levy.” He leans in and kisses her gently, loving the way she melts into him and his heart skips into overdrive.

“I love you too.” Her words are what drive him forward, what give him the confidence to put his life on the line every day, and her very existence gives him life.

She’s his breath of fresh air when he’s struggling to breathe. His sunshine when clouds threaten to ruin his days. She’s the yin to his yang, and he want’s nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her. She’s his reason to live when he loses all hope. She’s worth every sliver of pain in his body, every ache in his chest and he would take it all in spades if it meant he could save her from her own agony. For reasons he can’t explain, the words of his late father drift into his mind and he finds himself smiling.

“I’ve found it, Dad.” The words leave his lips and she looks to him with a raised brow.

“Found what?”

“Something to die for.”

END

I hope I did Gajevy proud because I think they are soul mates and I just love them together! Let me know what you all think! Any and all feedback is strongly encouraged! By the time I got around to finishing this, the ending was more rushed than intended, but I couldn’t keep you waiting any longer Rose, so I hope it brings a smile to your face!

[snoozejoon]

Too Much | Park Jimin

pairing: park jimin x black female oc (ft. jung hoseok.. again :))

genre: angst, fluff, a whoole bunch of lovey-dovey stuff n heartbreak

warnings: mental illness (specifically bpd - borderline personality disorder), mature scenes, vulgar language and mentions of suicide and depression.

word count: 3.3k

Solace Wright just wants to remove herself from her overbearing job and find some genuine joy in her life on her own terms. She didn't exactly expect to land in South Korea to begin making an acclaimed name for herself, and she definitely didn't expect to fall so easily in love. She knows what she came to do and isn't exactly fond of having such a large distraction, but her heart softens without her permission and leads her to experience things she never imagined for herself.

Did she want this? No. Will she stay anyway? Yes.

She may have bitten off more than she can chew.

PREMIÉRE

Past.

HOSEOK hated the heat. He hated L.A too. He loathed the bright, smoldering heat that made him have nightmares of lava eating away at skin before he fell asleep; accompanied by the restless sounds and people that enshroud him everywhere he seemed to turn. And if one more droplet of sweat dared to drip down his face one more time, he'd hop on the fastest plane to Korea within the next hour. 

The moment his skin made contact with the summer sun here, he immediately regretted even coming. Why his father sent him out of all the other nice, heat tolerant people he has employed at his aquarium was beyond him. Beyond him. Literally. He knew little english, despised American food, and random foreigners that couldn't mind their business, so this was the worst job his dad could possibly give him.

The only liable reason he can come up with is that his father trusted him. Which was kind of a given, seeing as he was the only child he had that considered marine biology as a career path. He was also his dad's only child, so there was that aspect too. Hoseok was being sent to one of the biggest sea life aquariums in Los Angeles to sign literally one slip of paper and shake some probably cold hands just to confirm the conversion of the aquarium into the Jung corporation, due to horrible reviews on the well-being of their sea life, and poor treatment of their customers — and employees. 

So naturally, sales dropped, and prices ran cheaper, but people never seemed to want to visit anymore. Hearing about their children's favorite killer whale dying the day after the family went to visit wasn't exactly the best look . . . at all.

His father, noting that every other company tied within the U.S simply refused to lend a helping hand, stepped in on his own. Being a businessman was his best attribute; this simple encounter alone was going to add millions to his company, evidently putting himself even more on the top of the marine world than he was already. He'd do his best to add more revenue to the aquarium under his ownership; since all of the 4 aquariums he owned in South Korea were healthily successful, he only expected the same outcome for the one here; but that would take time. A very long time.

That was great and all, but did it require a whole suit and tie ensemble? In black? He almost wants to cry, but for one: he'll for sure taste the salt in his tears and it's too hot for that, and for two: he's not trying to explain to an American the reasoning behind his tears in his kindergarten level English on this bus that was going way too fast for his liking. So no crying. He could sit and be pissed though, so that's exactly what he does.

It takes a good forty-five minutes to get to his hotel, just to fumble with his key to his room when it was handed to him, lug his too-heavy-for-a-week-stay suitcase into his room, and eventually fall into some strangely comfortable sheets and fall into the arms of a power nap. Jet-lag was yet another thing that Jung Hoseok hated, and he refused to let it hinder the pace at which he could actually leave this place. He had a big day tomorrow.

Hoseok knows that the sun is necessary for life and energy and whatever else, but waking up to it shining directly into his irises wasn't the plan. The universe just seemed to genuinely enjoy messing those up though, so who can really say that this wasn't expected anyway? The meeting was at 10, so he got up at 7, quickly regretting that decision as well; U.S time and Korean time were sworn enemies. But Hoseok prevails and tries his best: studying and trying to absorb every English word he could in the textbook he brought, he even got the mobile app so that his phone could speak to him while he fumbled with his tie. He practiced masking his accent — and evidently failed, but that's okay — and eventually said fuck it, grabbed his suitcase, and left his hotel room.

During the bus ride to the aquarium, he tries to mask his nervousness by continuing to study and attempting to make somewhat of a script for the meeting he had later. He tries to answer in his head any question that could possibly be asked — which shouldn't be many — until he's memorized just enough to get by. He's almost positive that he'll stutter more than necessary and say something incorrectly by default but he decided that was the best he could do.

After a long and almost unbearably bumpy bus ride, he finally arrived at the aquarium, and when he heard about the decrease in visitors, he didn't think it would've been this much. The aquarium was open for sure, but without looking inside, you would've thought it was during closing hours. No one was even remotely interested in the activities occurring outside; which was saying something, because it was a whopping 102 degrees today. The only people actually outside where the employees with the animals, feeding and bathing their assigned sea life.

The aquarium was huge. 2 long pillars held the building up from the sides, accompanied by the various games and activities surrounding it. An array of ticket booths stood outside as well, with less than about 15-20 pedestrians per line. Hoseok felt like he was at the entrance of a movie theater, much less a famous aquarium. Hoseok literally stops in his tracks; just standing to take it all in. admittedly, his father's aquariums were better, but this one was still something to admire. A shame, it was that it wasn't selling well. He knew his dad would fix that though.

As he entered the large building, he immediately makes eye contact with one too many sea creatures; they seem to literally stop and peer at what he's doing and silently ask why. His footsteps falter at his paranoia; was he serious right now?

Let's not make this visit longer than it has to be, Hoseok, he thinks to himself. Please don't.

Hoseok picks his head up, wipes his sweat with the sleeve of his blazer — unprofessional, but he doesn't care — and eventually just takes the jacket off. He wouldn't be forced to suffer anymore because he really couldn't feel the aquarium's supposed "air conditioning" at all. After doing this, he ignores the scrutinizing looks from the fish surrounding him, and begins his quest for the administrative's office to meet with the CEO. Not even five steps are completely taken before he's almost ran over by a woman with a box that definitely had no chance of lasting long in her hands. Way to not make this visit longer, huh?

The collision is heavy, but more so on his part; she actually remained standing, and the sound Hoseok made at his fall was too loud to simply apologize and not worry about potential injuries. 

"Oh my God!” The woman exclaimed. “I'm so sorry-"

The box she held is safely placed on the ground before she reaches out to help pull her victim up — he hadn't even attempted getting up, but sprung up easily with her help. 

"Thanks," he grunted, noting at how soft her hands were, and peeking at her white lab coat. Her eyes were a wide mahogany, matching her skin, and her hair was kept in a high and unruly bun. He decided that he had been irritated enough since he got here, and getting angry — angrier — would only slow him down. 

"I'm fine," he inwardly grimaced at how his voice sounded, "I, uh. I think."

She kept rumbling off with apologies, because what a great way to end her last day here. 

"I'm so, so, sorry! I was just moving out from my room and you were walking in front of my office and—" she blinked rapidly, taking in his appearance and then really looking for injuries, "wait, you look important, a-are you sure you're okay?" Her hands roamed his shoulders, head, and arms before he interrupted her with an embarrassed cough.

"Um." Immediately her hands left his arms, shooting behind her back and interlocking in embarrassment. She couldn't help it, he wore more than her rent and she was not about to get sued today. He felt his cheeks grow hot at her actions; he definitely wasn't used to that. He cleared his throat, loosening the collar of his shirt — was it hot in here? Significantly hotter than usual?

Eventually finding his composure, he directed his speech to her as carefully as he could. "You are okay." Her eyes met up to his, her heart was pounding too damn hard for a Tuesday morning. "Sorry, uh, my English isn't very good — I'm Korean. I'm trying though."

Her brows rose, and Hoseok had to stop himself from thinking the worst before she spoke, "Oh really? I studied marine biology in college, with Korean as my minor, I know the language, if that's easier for you?" She reached down and struggled to pick up her box completely; but Hoseok noticed and helped her to stand.

He couldn't even completely understand what she said, but he heard Korean and easier and put two and two together. 

"Really? Yes!" he coughed, lowering his voice, "Ahem. Please. I have a meeting with your Ceo and I'm not sure how far I'll get." Pleading eyes bore into hers, trying to get his point across.

"I'm Jung Hoseok, by the way," he said, before she could reject him.

The woman's hands wrapped over the box tightly, and her lips turn to blow escaped hairs from in front of her eyes. Noting that he mentioned that Korean would be easier, she quickly remembered the honorifics. 

"Hi Hoseok. I'm Solace. So, you need a translator?" She finally settled her box firmly in her hands and looked at him expectedly.

Solace. It was a beautiful name, it swelled nicely under his tongue when he repeated it. Her Korean was good; her accent was obviously apparent, but still understandable. "Yes," Hoseok answers hurriedly, "If you're not too busy."

Solace shook her head, "No it's fine, today was my last day anyway. Let me run this box to my car really quickly and I'll be right back." Hoseok can barely respond with his gratitude before her heels find their speed and she leaves the building.

When she returned, she also had to direct him to the administrative's office as well, he didn't exactly have a directory to the aquarium. While she was showing him the way, Hoseok had the opportunity to observe the aquarium fully; dwelling on how his father could fix this, and tweak that. And that was all before they even got to an elevator.

He tried small talk too. She was granting him a favor, so the least he could do was get to know her a little. Random questions that popped into his mind, he wanted them answered. He was still in need of a distraction; nerves were never something to be messed with.

"So," he raised his voice as he stepped in the elevator beside her, "did you quit? Is- is that why it's your last day? Or -" his eyes widened with interest, "were you fired?" 

He saw her face turn to him quizzically, she couldn't possibly figure out how that was any of his business, but she let it slide. She clicked the circular 5 button for the fifth floor, and the elevator ascended upwards.

"No, not fired. I quit." she looked down at her fingers, "the reviews written about poor employee service weren't wrong."

"Oh."

Hoseok nodded, not exactly shocked by her answer; it only added to the things his dad could fix once he signed the contract. And maybe it was the close proximity of the elevator, but Hoseok knew the scent of a mango when he smelled it. There was something else in the air too — something tropical.

He didn't know if it was perfume or what, it just smelled amazing. So amazing that his body made decisions he probably shouldn't have; like leaning in towards the area of the smell — which was Solace. He only sacrificed a small sniff, but it was one sniff too many apparently — she tensed up immediately. Did he just? She didn't even see him do it; her attention was on the elevator door waiting to open.

Hoseok hasn't noticed her noticing him, and moved back to where he originally stood, unbothered. He realized that it was her hair that smelled as nice as it did, a dash of coconut and hibiscus scents accompanied the mango too; adding a nice, beachy smell. But Solace noticed, and didn't exactly know how to react either. Her head turned to him swiftly, an amused but weary expression residing in her eyebrow arch and smirking lips. 

“Did you just smell me?"

Hoseok — looking embarrassed as ever and face so red he almost looks sick — Seriously debates acting as if her Korean was so accented he couldn't understand her. Too late for that, of course; but the suggestion still ran through his mind. He wonders if he should just lie, claim she was hearing things, but that would get him nowhere.

"I-I'm sorry! Something just smelled really good so I just-" his ears burn even more at the sound of her small laughter, she reached her hand to cover her smile.

"It's fine," she giggled some more, "does my hair smell that good?" Hoseok releases the breath he didn't realize he was holding when the elevator finally releases an anticipated ding and the doors separate from each other.

Solace disregards Hoseok’s small yes as an answer, and gracefully leads him to the Ceo's door. A closed door with a frosted window awaited Hoseok, who just stood in front of it beside her, frozen. Solace looked to him expectantly, but halted, realizing how nervous this guy really was. When she thought about it, she'd act just like him, let the roles be reversed. So reassuringly, she placed her hand on his shoulder, waiting until he turned to her.

"I got you, Hoseok. You've got this." She smiled, and Hoseok gulped. How embarrassing, Hoseok, really.

"Thanks," he said, before lifting his hand to knock.

"You did so good!" Solace smiled at him from across the dining booth. She was right; he greeted the Ceo and his associates with ease, Solace had to help him with just a few things. And after he signed the few documents he needed to, he took her out for lunch as an expression of his gratitude. And solace never says no to free food, so she happily obliged.

He had asked her what she wanted, so she went to the nearest restaurant that had chicken and waffles; she had been craving them, and Hoseok never had them. So she was in front of him now, indulging in her delicious chicken and dipping her waffles in maple syrup alongside it. Hoseok was watching what she was doing, trying to replicate her etiquette. He blushed for the nth time that day, hearing her bellows of praise. He wasn't complaining, though.

"Thank you," he beamed. "You were a really big help, I'm happy you were there today." He finally tasted his chicken with a syrupy waffle, and Solace watches his eyes widen with astonishment — that's almost everyone's reaction to the treat. 

"Wow."

Solace looked knowingly back at her own plate. "I know."

After Hoseok drew himself back from waffle heaven, he asked curiously, "Wait, so where do you go now? Since it was your last day. Do you have like, a backup job? Something you're interested in?" He looked back at his plate, popping a piece of chicken in his mouth.

Solace chewed slowly, heeding his words while relishing in the simple calamity of the restaurant: the clinking plates and glasses, loud and quieted voices. This was a question she didn't necessarily have an answer to, so she silently searched for some sort of answer to tie him over.

She looked back up and him, frowning a little. "No, not really. I guess I'll just stay with my stepmom for a minute — like, literally a minute, the woman hates me — until I find something . . . else." She shied her face from Hoseok's worried gaze. She just couldn't stay at that aquarium, it payed fine enough, but damn, if it wasn't tiring.

Hoseok swallowed slowly after hearing what solace said about her job, and noting how uncomfortable she was talking about it. Great going, man. A thought crossed his mind — granted, it was a crazy, stupid thought, but a thought nonetheless — that consisted of inviting solace to her dad's aquarium back home.

He almost facepalms just for thinking it. In what world would that make sense? He finally removes it from his train of thought completely, but he sees her expression as she fell silent and looked outside the window beside her. She looked lonely, for a moment, although he was right there in front of her. He wished he couldn't relate so well. Maybe it would've kept his mouth from rambling off.

"You- you know, my dad just had a new aquarium built in the last, like six months. Since it's so new, we're a little short on employees, so if you want — since, you know you're fluent and all —" he gulps seeing her eyes widen, and her body suddenly becoming alert.

"Really?" Hoseok really wished he was kidding when he said she was fluent, just the way she said that one word made her sound like a native. "You are? I mean, it's a little far-fetched, but dammit I'll take just about anything." And he believes her, her heart had amplified it's beating, her excitement from his words noticeable like a star upon obsidian.

His face is burning roses, but his cheekbones raise in a smile; he wasn't lying, he just didn't even know she'd agree so fast — was she thinking this through at all?

No, just like your stupid ass, Hoseok.

Hoseok finds relief in the ice water that was placed next to him, he really couldn't let her down now. finally finding a voice, he breathes, "You sure about that? It might take a little while, but i'll see about getting you down there a little quicker. perks of being the director's son, heh. And you’re a nice enough girl." It was the least he could do. Literally. He won't allow himself to offer anything else.

Solace clutches her lab coat she didn't take off harshly, barely even believing his words. It would take a while, and who knows how long she'll actually be down there for? If she actually got the job? But she knew she wouldn't exactly miss being here. She wouldn't miss her stepmom, she wouldn't miss the loud, bustling people in L.A, and she definitely wouldn't miss that job. The only thing she might actually miss was these damn chicken and waffles. And she'd get to travel. The pros outweighed the cons, to her.

“It does sound nice, but where would I even stay? I’d be broke as soon as I got there," she said, sadly biting her nails.

He knew the answer a little too quickly. "I'm friends with a landlord in the heart of busan, right next to the beach. It's nice. Cheaper than most. I can’t promise anything, but maybe I could persuade him to lend you a room. If you'd like."

Music to her ears. "I'll take it."

Hello again! As I edit and prepare for the newer chapters of Fools, I decided to drop this one to hold you guys over. This is a Jimin fic, but I decided to start it off from Hoseok’s standpoint, because this is how Jimin and Solace’s stories begin, and that’s with Hoseok. At the beginning you will see the chapters fluctuate between the past and the present until they eventually meet up. I hope it’s not too confusing, but my inbox is always open if it is! As mentioned above, this story deals heavily with the themes of mental illnesses, but specifically borderline personality disorder, aka bpd. Jimin is the character with this disorder, so please be aware of that as you continue to read. I also want to point out that I absolutely do not condone romanticizing mental illnesses, so be assured that none of that will be included here. Thank you for reading, and I really hope you enjoy this!

[master-sass-blast]

Authority Issues

Well, well, well. What do we have here?

(AN: I’m not abandoning Strong as Stone. This was just my entertainment for the day.)

Long story short: I had a dream with Piotr Rasputin/Colossus in it last night. It was glorious. I might’ve kissed him.

Like I said. Glorious.

And thus, after kissing the dream Colossus, I woke up inspired to write some fanfiction loosely inspired by my dream.

So, essentially, welcome to my latest hyperfixation.

For the record, I haven’t seen the Deadpool movies. I haven’t read the X-Men Comics. I haven’t seen the X-Men movies.

Yes, you got that right, this is undoubtedly the crackiest fic you’ll ever read.

Or maybe not. I’ll let you be the judge.

So, loosely based in the Deadpool Movieverse/X-Men universe, I present you this: a self insert pic with Colossus.

You’re welcome.

Also, @colossus-and-cable, I blame you for suckering me into this hyperfixation! Because of your brilliant writing, I can’t get enough Colossus content!

Well, they say create the content you want to see.

Rating: M for kidnapping, mentions of abuse, sexual assault, sequences of terrifying action (nightmares), and stong language.

Pairing: Reader x Piotr Rasputin.

Alright, so, it wasn’t your fault. Technically.

Remember that ‘technically.’ It’ll come in handy later.

For context: you are the latest trainee/recruit/refugee at the Mutant Mansion a la Professor Xavier is really stinking rich to afford the utilities bills for this group.

You’d seen the X-Mansion briefly, two years ago, on a newscast that your mother had turned off as soon as she’d seen you watching it, then forced you up to your room to ‘pray for protection against the ungodly lures of the outside world.’

Ah, the joys of growing up in the middle of Bumfuck Nowhere --zero tolerance of the queers, people of color, and mutants.

You’d read about the X-mansion’s purpose --taking in and training mutants to control their powers--in a newspaper article a few months later --well after your parents had decided that TV was ‘too great a portal to temptation’ for someone of your ‘unnatural, hedonistic tendencies.’

You’d been shocked. You hadn’t known that there was an actual group out there that was willing to take in mutants, much less train them.

Your father had ripped the paper out of your hands a few moments later and tossed it into the burning fire, stating that the X-Men were nothing more than heathens upsetting the natural order of God’s holy creation.

Perhaps with some great amount of foresight, your parents had decided to lock you into your room that night. Not that it mattered; the lock on your bedroom door had always been easy to pick.

No one ever said that foresight and practical wisdom were the same things.

You’d packed a bag of everything that mattered --clothes, toiletries, a stuffed bear, your state ID--then crept downstairs and broken into the family safe. You’d taken all of your paperwork --birth certificate, social security card--and all the cash that your parents had kept in there, and left.

Looking back on it, you were incredibly lucky the universe had gifted you with the powers to control air and wind. Instead of having to plot out a route via bus and train routes --thus risking being caught by the authorities and shipped back home--you could simply fly to the X-Mansion, stopping to buy food and rest as needed. Within a couple days, you’d found the X-Mansion, dropped yourself on their doorstep, knocked, and asked if you could stay.

Which, apparently, they were used to, because they’d just said ‘sure’ and let you in.

Two years later and look at you now!

A --still, technically--trainee on account of your difficulty controlling your powers and hot, hot issues with authority, under the tutelage of the X-Men. Free room, personal bathroom, three hot meals a day, and the fastest WiFi the world has ever seen.

And, well... a boyfriend, too.

Piotr Rasputin, code name Colossus, with the real secret to his identity being that he was a massive marshmallow with a heart of gold. He’d wooed you in his own sweet, subtle way as he’d helped you adjust to your new life at Xavier’s, taking your poor impulse control and hot, hot issues with authority in his patient, gentle stride.

It had been a good two years. The best two years of your life.

Which wasn’t to say that everything was perfect...

Right, so this is where the ‘technically’ comes in. And, as with ninety percent of your ‘technically’s, Wade Wilson is along for the ride.

You and Wade get along like a house on fire --compatible in all the wrong ways and usually resulting in some sort of damage to persons and/or property.

Wade, also known as Deadpool, also known as the Merc’ with a Mouth, also known as ‘the Obnoxious Red Dildo,’ has widely known and accepted authority issues, zero impulse control, and a daddy kink a mile wide that he likes to remind everyone of at any given moment --which is all of them.

You, the formerly repressed and abused mutant who has had their first taste of freedom and are itching for more, are --unfortunately--all too willing to help Wade execute any sort of prank, joke, or hijink, because for fuck’s sake, people, live a little!!!

Cue today’s incident.

It had started with a bet. Wade had bet you that there was no way in hell you could use your powers just right to launch a lit firework into Scott Summer’s --aka Cyclops’s--room.

The man had given you kitchen duty for being fifteen minutes late to morning training. The loser had to buy the winner pizza. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up!

You're just about to light the firework when something lifts Wade off the ground and hefts him to the side. A large shadow falls over you, and you look up with a cheesy grin. “Hi, babe.”

Piotr stares down at you, arms across his chest. He’s in defense mode, which means he isn’t here on the friendliest of terms. “What are you doing, myshka?”

You look down at the firework in one hand, the lighter in the other, then up at Scott’s open window. “Uh...” You look back up at Piotr and give him the most convincing look you can muster. “Arts and crafts?”

He isn’t convinced. “Professor Xavier sensed your plan.”

Ah. Well. That would do it.

“Hey! Russia’s Greatest Love Machine!” Wade interrupts, madder than a hornet and a little more crooked than the human body usually looks. “Stop fucking throwing me everywhere, you giant metal dildo!”

“Wade, watch your language, please.”

“Suck a cock!”

“In my defense,” You interject before Piotr can go off on his usual spiel about rules and ‘appropriate language,’ “it was Wade’s idea.”

“Hey!”

Piotr is still unmoved. “You are capable of making your own choices, dorogoy. Wade did not force you.”

“He was going to buy me a pizza, Colossus! How do you expect me to refuse?”

“Hey, that was only if I lost!”

“Yeah, well, you were gonna lose!”

Piotr sighs, shakes his head, then extends a hand to help you off the ground. Even when he’s busting you for misbehavior, he still treats you with the utmost respect and courtesy. “Come. We need to talk to Professor.”

You sigh and trail after him. This is gonna suck.

It does, in fact, suck. Talking to Xavier --again--sucks like a vacuum cleaner gone prostitute that’s hellbent on sucking its client’s dick off.

The professor, as always, is patient with you in talking about rules and your struggles with following them.

Scott Summers, who must have a serious anal kink considering how far he has a pole wedged up is ass, is not. “I’ve just about had enough of your acting out! Either act your age or--”

“Or what?” You interrupt with a roll of your eyes. “You’ll kick me out?”

“No,” Professor Xavier interjects firmly before Scott can speak. “You will always have a safe place at the Institute, Y/N.”

Scott scoffs. “Safe for her and no one else.”

You narrow your eyes at Scott. “Says the guy who has to wear glorified sunglasses all the time or he’ll blow a hole through the wall. You look like a tool, by the way.”

“Your destructive tendencies are way out of hand!” Scott snaps.

“My destructive tendencies? Logan goes through four phones a month and cut your bike in half because you drank one of his beers! How come he always gets away with it?”

“We’re not talking about that right now!”

You sit back and your chair and nod, feigning amicability. “Ah, I see. You’re a misogynist.”

“Y/N--”

“No wonder Jean’s always looking at Logan the way she does. You must be a pain in the--”

Scott’s hand smacks down on Xavier’s desk, cutting you off. “Are you looking for extra kitchen duty? Because I’ll be happy to provide it for you.”

You refocus on Xavier. “Okay, I have an administrative question. Why’d you make the actual tyrant in charge of punishment duty?”

“I run a fair and understanding system!”

“You gave me three nights of kitchen duty after I was late for morning training! By fifteen minutes!” You look back at Colossus, who is standing post in the back of the room. “Does that seem fair to you?”

Piotr flounders. “Well... being on time is important...”

Your jaw drops. “You’re not honestly siding with him.”

“I think things have gotten out of hand,” Xavier says, reasserting control over the room. “And I think I need some time to speak with Mr. Summers about his ‘system.’”

Scott recoils. “What?”

You pump your fist in the air. “Ha! Suck it, dickhead!”

“In the meantime,” Xavier added with a stern, if somewhat amused look in your direction. “Mr. Rasputin, I’m discharging Y/N into your care. I’d like to keep her separated from Mr. Wilson until she and I have had a chance to talk about the root of her rebellion.”

Your mouth falls open at the Professor’s orders, and your shock only mounts as Piotr actually accepts. You’re so shocked that you let yourself be ushered out by the metal man himself --ever gentle and respectful of your space--into the hall and away from Xavier’s office.

It isn’t until you’re halfway down the hall that it hits.

Rage. Red hot and burning. Rage at being chastised by Scott, rage at Piotr’s refusal to defend you, rage at being unfairly separated from your best friend. You were an adult, for fuck’s sake! You could make your own decisions!

You storm ahead of Piotr, ignoring his concerned calls, and march to your room.

Like the exposition said: hot, hot issues with authority.

You manage to grab the essentials --bag, wallet, ID, phone--and make it halfway to the front door before he catches you.

Technically, he’s already waiting there for you, in his human form.

Well, that would explain how he beat you there and why you didn’t hear him.

Piotr looks up at you, expression patient if somewhat admonishing. “And where I are you going, dorogaya moya?”

“Out,” You say. No point in denying the obvious.

Piotr sighs and shakes his head. “I do not think that would be wise.”

You shrug. “Arguable. I just need some time to blow off some steam.”

Piotr presses his lips into a firm line. “Y/N.”

Uh-oh. You recognize that tone --the ‘we need to talk as serious adults about serious things in a serious manner.’

Right now, it’s just seriously annoying.

“This is fifth incident in as many weeks.”

You roll your eyes. “Okay, can the record please note that Wade and I have been trying to scale back our ‘escapades?’ The car blowing up was a complete accident, not that Scott cared --oh, by the way, thanks for sticking up for me back there.”

That one lands hard, you can tell by the way his shoulders tense. “This behavior is irresponsible.”

“What, exactly, is with the vendetta against having fun?”

“Throwing firework into someone’s room is dangerous, myshka. Someone could have been hurt.”

You roll your eyes again. “It was a smoke bomb, Piotr. Not a 4th of July finale piece! Remember was I said about ‘scaling back?’” You finish descending the stairs and reach for the door handle.

Piotr reaches out --not much of a reach, he’s still a giant in his human form--and places his hand against the door. “No, myshka. You stay here.”

You bristle as you glare up at him. “I don’t remember for asking for you permission.”

Piotr exhales through his nose, the first sign that he’s actually getting frustrated with you. “The Professor--”

“Is not my dad.”

“--has asked me to watch you.”

“Well, I mean, if you want to come with me, I wouldn’t mine.” You grin up at him. “It could be a date.”

“I have things to do here.”

“Of course. Well, in that case...” You yank at the door, but Piotr is unmovable. “Look, Piotr, I’m an adult. I can make my own choices.”

“My instructions are to look after you. I cannot do that if you are not here.”

You narrow your eyes at him. “And how are you going to keep me here? Lock me in my room like my parents did?”

The comparison hurts him, you can tell by the way his blue eyes flash, but it’s enough of a distraction to suit your purposes.

While he’s still reeling from your words, you rip the door open and dart onto the front lawn. You can hear Piotr pursuing you, shouting your name, but outrunning him is easy, even when he’s in his human form. You simply manipulate the air around you to propel you forward. Before he’s even taken three strides, you’re over the wall and out of sight.

You grin as your feet hit the ground outside the wall that borders the grounds of the mansion and run towards the city.

Freedom.

The first thing you do is find a diner and order a heaping plate of food. A massive, greasy cheeseburger with extra bacon, a small mountain of fries, fresh out of the fryer, and a thick, sugary chocolate milkshake that comes in a glass bigger than your head.

It tastes like heaven. Junk food is in rare supply at the mansion, what with Piotr’s obsession with proper nutrition. You love him for it, but you miss your guilty pleasures.

The next thing you do is find that arcade Wade took you to for your birthday. You still have the credit card he bought for you, and you spend the day switching from game to game as you please.

It’s early evening when you leave, and it occurs to you that Piotr is going to be absolutely --you’d use the word furious, but you’re not sure if that’s even genetically possible for him--upset with you when you get back to the mansion, so you stop by the chocolate shop he took you to on your first date and pick up some fudge for him. He rarely treats himself, but you know it’s a favorite.

As you start walking the path back to the mansion, you get the eerie sensation that you’re being watched. Maybe it’s just the unfamiliarity of the city after growing up in a small town, maybe it’s just being a woman in an unfamiliar place while the sun is setting, but--

You look behind you, trying to find anything out of the ordinary.

A man, wearing a black sweatshirt, quickly turns to look in one of the store fronts.

You watch him, anxiety churning in your stomach. You catch his eye, he nods, and starts walking in the opposite direction.

You sigh in relief, and resume your progress back to the mansion. False alarm.

A few blocks later, and that creeping sensation on the back of your neck is back with a vengeance. You turn around again, unable to shake the suspicion that was curling in your chest.

The man in the black sweatshirt was back, standing about twenty feet behind you.

You grit your teeth as you pick up your pace. You focus on trying to find a place where you can duck out of sight and use your powers to run back home, back to the safety of the X-mansion, back to Piotr’s waiting arms --because even when you’ve been an ass, he’ll still oblige you with buckets of affection.

You spot an alley ahead --not ideal, but out of sight enough that you should be able to levitate yourself to a roof top, then hide there until the guy goes away and fly home.

You glance over your shoulder to check the pace of the guy following you and nearly have a coronary.

He’s now five feet behind you. 

How did he catch up that fast? You break off into a run, desperate to reach the alley before the guy reaches you.

A man steps out of the alley, grinning malevolently at you. “Going somewhere, doll?”

You barely have time to skitter to a stop before something hits you in the back of your head, knocking you to the ground.

Your last thought before you lose consciousness is how bizarrely empty the streets are.

“Hey there, doll. Open those pretty eyes for me.”

You come to in some sort of basement, dirty and littered with crumpled beer cans and other garbage. You’re tied to a chair, arms tied to the arms and legs to the legs, with another thick rope tying your waist to back of the chair. There’s a gag in your mouth and odd weight hanging around your neck.

The man that jumped out at you is sitting in a chair in front of you, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. “You’ve been difficult to track down. Lucky us, you decided to step outside your precious fortress for the day.”

You’d smirk at the man if you weren’t gagged. Apparently, for all their efforts to find you, they didn’t research your powers very well. You flick your fingers, ready to send the man flying across the room with a gust of wind.

Nothing happens.

You try again, then again, stomach sinking with dread as the man’s grin grows.

Nothing.

The man leans forward and taps at the weight on your neck, a soft metallic sound resulting from the press of his fingernails. “Suppression collar. No powers for you.”

Shit.

Left with nothing else, you try to yank yourself out of your restraints. You thrash and struggle to no avail --no amount of training was going to make you as strong as Piotr, even in his human form.

“They told me you were feisty. Apparently, you tried to run away from home several times before finding the X-Men.” The man leans forward, watching you with a lurid gaze as you struggle.

You growl at him through the gag. Just wait, motherfucker. I’ll get out of these ropes, and then I’m going to beat your ass stupid.

“Not gonna lie. It’s pretty hot.”

You try to flinch away as he reaches towards your face, but are ultimately subjected to the unpleasant sensation of his fingers caressing your cheek.

His touch is nothing like Piotr’s --it’s too rough, too forceful, and nowhere near loving enough.

“Now, we’re supposed to just take you back home--”

Your eyes widen at the mention of home --the small town you grew up in--and you start your struggle to free yourself anew.

“--but maybe we should have some fun first. After all, we’re not in any hurry.”

You stiffen and stare at him as your mind puts together what ‘fun’ might mean, then thrash around violently, almost knocking yourself over in the process.

The man reaches out and grabs the chair, forcing it back into its normal position. “Of course, I’d have to untie you for that, and I don’t want to risk you running away...” He turns to look at the other man --the one that had been wearing the hoodie. “Go get me the paralytics.”

You watch, horrified and on the verge of tears as the other man walks away and up the stairs, and let out a muffled scream.

“Oh, it’s alright,” the man said, leaning in to run his tongue over the shell of your ear. “You’ll be doing a lot of that later, and you’ll be loving it.”

You’re about to headbutt him, but are distracted by the sound of several heavy thuds on the floor above you.

You and the man look up in unison, both trying to discern the source of the noises.

Then, there were several brief bursts of gunfire, accompanied by several metallic pings.

Silence follows.

The man growls under his breath and pulls a gun out of his jacket. He points it at your head. “Don’t go anywhere.”

You watch him ascend the stairs, then start trying to work yourself free. In your efforts, you cant the chair sideways and fall on your side, back to the stairs. You wince at the impact --your arm’s going to be bruised as shit later.

You flinch at the sound of another gunshot.

Everything’s silent for a minute, and then there are footsteps on the stairs again.

You start crying, tears streaming down your cheeks, and you try anything to wiggle your way free.

Then, there are a pair of hands on your shoulders, pulling you up and turning you around, and--

Piotr kneels in front of you, resplendent even in his human form, smiling reassuringly. “It’s alright, moya lyubov’. I’ve got you.”

You draw in a sharp breath and moan at him through the gag.

“Hang on.” He pulls the gag out of your mouth --carefully, the man is always careful--and lifts it over your head.

A cry bubbles out your mouth, followed by a breathless apology. “Piotr-- I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry--”

His thumbs are already wiping the tears off your cheeks while his lips press sweet, gentle kisses along your hairline. “It’s okay, myshka, I’ve got you. You’re safe.” He leans back and flashes you a crooked grin. “Let’s get you out of here, da?”

You nod, already itching to be out of the chair and in his arms. “Da. Yes. Si. Now, please.”

He chuckles and pulls a knife off his belt. “I need you to hold very, very still, moya lyubov’. Can you do that for me?”

You nod again and focus on holding still while he works at the ropes holding you in place. “How did you find me?”

“Tracker on your phone. Men forgot to turn it off.”

You manage a weak, half-hearted giggle. “Idiots.”

He chuckles back, mostly because it’s clear that’s the response you wanted. “So, what did you get up to before all this happened?”

“Oh, you know.” You tip your head back to try and hold back the tears that are threatening to reappear. “Got a bite to eat, smashed Wade’s highscore in Pac-Man at the arcade.” You manage a wavery smile as you tip your head forward to look at him. “I stopped by that chocolate shop you took me to on our first date, got you some fudge.”

“That was very sweet of you, dorogoy.” He’s done with your legs and waist and already halfway through the ropes on your left arm.

Your laugh comes out less as amused and more as hysterical. “Yeah, well, I figured it’d pay to have a bribe.”

“Bribe?”

“To get back in your good graces after being an ass.”

He smiles at you, soft and sweet, as he tosses away the rope that had been holding your left arm in place. “You don’t have to earn my ‘good graces,’ Y/N. You’ll always have them.”

It’s serendipitous timing that he finishes freeing your right arm in that moment, because you want nothing more than to be in his arms after that comment. You launch yourself at him, winding your arms around his neck. You sob, the weight of what could’ve happened hitting you full force, and press your face against his chest.

Piotr is forced to temporarily abandon his knife, tossing it off to the side so he can wrap his arms around you. He’s massive, exceedingly so, and it’s easy for him to curl himself around your --much smaller--body. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“I’m so, so sorry, Piotr! I shouldn’t have run off, and I shouldn’t have said those things, and--”

“It’s okay, dorogaya moya, it’s fine.” He presses his lips against your forehead. “Let’s get you out of here, then we talk. But first.” His hands turn to the solid steel you know so well, and he presses his fingers against the suppression collar. “Hold still.”

You keep yourself still as he tears the collar off of you, then let out a relieved breath, sending a gust of wind throughout the dusty basement.

“Much better,” Piotr murmurs as he rubs his hand up and down your back.

You press against him, trying to close every tiny gap between you and him. You’re shaking like a leaf in a gale, body trembling with adrenaline and relief. You let out a tiny squeak as he lifts you into his arms and wind your arms around his neck as he starts carrying you up the wooden stairs. “I half expected you to come down in full metal.”

“House is very old,” Piotr grunts as he navigates the rickety steps with ease. “I am surprised I did not fall through floor.” He pauses halfway up the steps to look at you. “You may want to close your eyes.”

You oblige him and lean your head against his shoulder. “A grisly scene, unfit for the eyes of a lady?”

A puff of laughter ghosts over your cheek. “There was struggle.”

You can’t resist the temptation to peek at the scene as he carries you through the house. You open your eyes and gasp at the sight of bodies crisscrossing the floor, riddled with bullet holes.

“I thought I told you to close eyes.”

“You should know by now I’m not good at listening.”

That finagles a chuckle out of him. “Stubborn girl.”

“Well, duh.” You peer at the bullet holes --some in the bodies, some in the walls--then check Piotr over for any sign of injury. “How’d you survive the shooting?”

“I came in defense mode. I was not sure stairs would hold me, so I changed.”

“They should’ve thought about the ricochet.”

“Da.”

The sun is almost done setting as he carries you outside to the awaiting jet.

You wince as your eyes adjust to the fading natural light, then blink as you realize you couldn’t have been captured for more than a few hours. “How did you know to come looking for me in the first place?”

“Professor Xavier got letter from intelligence operative. Said your parents had hired bounty hunters to find you and to keep you at X-Mansion until coast was clear.” He clears his throat and ducks his head, looking sheepish. “My... over-protective instincts got the better of me.”

You can’t help but tremble in his arms at the mention of your parents or the fact that they hired a fucking bounty hunter, good God. Your stomach churns as the memory of the hired man threatening to rape you and asking for paralytics, and you cling tighter to him. “Well, I’m glad they did.”

“So am I, moya lyubov’. So am I.” He carries you onto the jet and sets you on one of the seats. “Stay here. I will come back when we are in stable flight pattern.”

You try to stay in the seat as he starts the take off process, but you can’t help but stumble up to the cockpit after him.

“Yes, I found her.” Piotr looks up at you as you press yourself against his arm, and pauses to kiss your forehead. “She is alright, a little shaky.” He pauses again as he pilots the jet high enough to clear the top of the trees and surrounding buildings, then nods as the voice in the pilot’s headset speaks. “Da. We are on our way back now.” A few more exchanges between him and the voice in the headset, and then he’s setting the jet on autopilot and taking the headset off. He turns to face you, flashing you a crooked grin. “I thought I told you to wait.”

You try to reciprocate, you really do, but the past few hours as catching up with you. You lower lip starts trembling, and you slump against Piotr, crying quietly.

He wraps his arms around you and presses a gentle kiss to the top of your head. “Come on, dorogaya moya. Let’s get you checked out.” He carries you back into the main bay of the jet and --with a gentleness that completely belies his sheer size--deposits you on one of the seats. “How did they capture you?”

You lift your hand to the back of the head, wincing as your fingers brush against a small lump. “They hit me. Knocked me out.”

Piotr’s lips are set into a tense line as he pulls a flashlight out of his suit pocket. “Look at my nose, myshka.”

You stare straight ahead as he checks your pupil response to the light. “Piotr... I’m really sorry for being such an ass at the mansion.”

He chuckles. “It is alright, dorogoy. I need you to follow light with your eyes now.”

“And...” You add quietly as you track his light with your eyes. “...I’m sorry I compared you to my parents. That was... royally unfair of me.”

“It is okay, Y/N. I forgive you.” He clicks off the light and turns his attention to the nice, ugly bruise forming on your left forearm. “How did you get this?”

“I knocked myself over trying to escape.”

Piotr chuckles as he carefully prods the bruise. “That’s my girl. My fierce myshka.”

“Getting herself bruised,” you mutter with a wince. “That sounds about right.”

“Am I hurting you?”

“Well, it’s a bruise and you’re poking it. What do you think?”

“I am trying to ascertain if it is broken.”

You shake your head. “I’ve broken my arm before. It just feels like a bruise.”

He stops prodding at your forearm in favor of encapsulating your hands with his massive ones. “Did anything else happen? Anything you can remember?”

“No, I was out for most of it.”

“What happened when you came to?”

“I tried to use my powers to throw them across the room.”

Piotr snorts --actually snorts. “I suppose, for them, it was good thing they had collar. You would have kicked their asses otherwise.”

“Good for them, pain in the ass for me,” you mumble, annoyed. “He pointed out the collar, so I tried to yank my arms free.”

“I figured. You have rope burns on your wrists.”

You have to stop to force down the bile creeping up your throat before you can go on. “He said I was feisty. Said it was hot.”

Piotr’s hands tighten around yours. “Anything else?”

You start shaking again. “He said that he had to take me back home... but that he didn’t have to rush. He... asked for some paralytics... said he was going to make me scream.”

Piotr’s jaw clenches, and he pulls you into his arms, holding you tightly.

You giggle hysterically against his chest. “You came in the nick of time. He’d just sent the guy up for the paralytics when you crashed in.”

“Bozhe moi, I am grateful. I am grateful I found you when I did.”

“Me too.”

He presses his forehead against yours, taking deep, shaky breaths. “Was there anything else that happened, lyublyu?”

You frown. “Yeah. He touched my cheek and licked my ear.” You rub your cheek, then your ear. “God, that was gross.”

Piotr is quiet for a moment. Then, he lifts his hand to your cheek, rubbing his thumb against your soft, supple skin. “Like this?”

You lean into his touch, smiling weakly. “Yeah. Yours is better, though.”

“I would hope so.” He’s quiet for another moment, then leans forward.

A shiver runs down your spine as he presses a soft kiss against your ear. “Piotr,” you sigh.

He presses the side of his face against the side of yours. “Better?”

“Yeah.”

And, oddly enough, it is. It was as though Piotr’s touch erased the traces of the bounty hunter’s harassment. Sure, you could remember it happening, but you couldn’t quite remember how it felt. All you could feel was Piotr’s loving, tender touches and the affection he so willingly lavished upon you.

You turn your head towards him and press your lips against his.

He kisses you back for a moment the way he always does --with a tenderness that never fails to make you weak in the knees--and then pulls back. “I must apologize for my behavior earlier. I was too controlling. You are an adult, and I need to respect that.”

“Eh, I think I need to talk to Xavier about that one more than I do you.”

“Still, I am sorry--”

“I forgive you, Piotr. Stop beating yourself up.”

He ducks his head, smiling sheepishly. “Khorosho. I also want to apologize for not defending you in front of Scott. He was out of line.”

“It’s alright. I’m just glad to be with you right now.”

“As am I, myshka. As am I.”

After one of the resident medics gives you a thorough check over and a blood test to ensure you hadn’t been injected with anything while you were knocked out --at Piotr’s worried insistence, and you were too worn out to put up too much of a fight--you're given a clean bill of health and instructions to rest for a few days.

Piotr escorts you to the living space side of the mansion, his hand a warm and soothing presence on your shoulder.

The two of you are met by Professor Xavier and one very pissed off looking Scott Summers.

“It’s about time,” Scott snaps. “We have jobs to do, you know. We can’t just waste our time keeping up with your outbursts.”

You roll your eyes. “Geez, Scott, who rusted the pole up your ass?”

Before he can retort, Piotr steps in between the two of you. “Enough,” he says, voice deep and hard. “She has had long day. She needs rest.”

“Yes,” Professor Xavier agrees. “We’re glad to see you back safely, Y/N. Rest for now. We can resume our discussion when you feel more recovered.”

You nod and let Piotr escort you to your room.

“The medic cleared you for concussion, so you can sleep on your own tonight.”

You bite back a frown. You would rather stay with him --in general, yes, but especially tonight, given the circumstances. Dammit. Why couldn’t I have a concussion? “Okay.”

Piotr cups your face in his massive hands. “If you need anything, come wake me up. Time does not matter, okay?”

You nod, then roll up onto your toes to kiss him. When he tries to break away once, you grab onto his shirt and cling to him.

He humors you for a few moments longer before disentangling your hands from the material of his shirt. He kisses both of your hands. “Sleep well, myshka.”

You manage a smile for him, but it dissipates as soon as he turns away.

You’re not sure sleep will come easy tonight.

You’re not sure it’ll come at all.

The needle glints in the glaring overhead lights of the basement, sinister and clinical.

You wrench at your restraints, but you’re stuck, frozen in place.

The man in the hoodie holds you still while the man from the alley stabs the needle into your arm, slowly injecting you with its malevolent contents.

You try to fight, try to free yourself, but you can feel yourself quickly becoming sluggish. Your limbs are heavy, stiff from the dose of the paralytic.

You can only watch, frozen, as they cut your ropes away. Tears trickle down your cheeks, but you can’t so much as flick a finger.

You’re helpless. Completely at their mercy.

You’re laid out on the dirty stone floor without any decency or preamble.

The man from the alley laughs as he cuts your pants away from you, laughing at your tears and the sight of your shame. He leans towards you, close enough that you can smell the beer he drank while waiting for the paralytic. “You’re going to love this, doll.”

You stare at the ceiling, crying as you try to will your useless limbs to move --to fight.

You jerk upright, breathing hard.

You’re in your room, lonely and terrified in your bed. The darkness around you feels oppressive, like it’s choking you.

You try to calm yourself, to still the tremors in your hands. You use your powers to draw more air into your lungs, to try and quiet your nerves.

You can still smell the beer on his breath...

You can still feel your limbs going numb...

You bolt out of your bed and fling open the door --screw anyone who complains about the noise. You dart down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of Piotr’s bedroom door. You rap your knuckles at the door, trying to stay upright while your knees knock together. “Piotr! Piotr!”

A light flicks on his room, the glow creeping out from around the edges of the door. There’s the thud of footsteps --too light for him to be in defense mode--and the door swings open to reveal Piotr’s confused, sleepy face. “Zdravstvuyte? Hello?” You must look worse than you thought, because the exhaustion drains from his face in seconds. “Myshka, what is it?”

“I had a nightmare,” you whimper.

Piotr ushers you into his room, closes the door behind him, and kneels in front of you. “It’s okay. You’re safe. They can’t reach you here.”

You sniff and slump against him. “I dreamed that you didn’t get there in time, and that they injected me with the paralytics, and--”

Piotr wraps his arms around you and holds you against his chest. “Sh, lyublyu, it’s alright. You’re safe, I’m here.”

You wipe your eyes with the back of your arm. “Can I stay with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”

You hadn’t asked earlier to avoid making him feel awkward. Piotr was such a stickler for rules and ‘appropriate behavior,’ and you had no doubts that he would consider sleeping in the same bed --especially since your relationship was still fairly young--to be inappropriate, to say the least.

However, he doesn’t so much as hesitate when you ask. He simply presses a kiss to the top of your head and whispers, “Of course, dorogoy. All you had to do was ask.”

You wrap your arms around his neck and let him carry you to --and set you on--the bed.

There’s bit of shuffling as Piotr finds a pillow for you, and then he shuts his bedside lamp off and lays down next to you.

You wiggle across the bed until you’re pressed up against him.

Rather than mind the invasion of his space, he simply winds his arms around you, holding you against his large, muscular body. “I would’ve have offered earlier, but I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

You can’t help but smile at his sweetness. “Well, I would’ve asked earlier, but I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. Politeness gets you nowhere.”

He huffs out a soft laugh and runs his fingers through your hair. “You don’t mean that.”

No. You really don’t.

Rather than admit defeat, you opt to trace your fingers over his chest. He’s wearing a loose t-shirt, exposing his collarbone and the tops of his pecs. His skin is warm and soft under your fingertips.

Something in the back of your mind registers satisfaction at the shuddering gasp you pull out of him when your fingers graze over his collarbone, but you’re too tired to let the thought manifest past that.

By all means, it’s really soothing. Piotr’s fingers playing with your hair, his comforting embrace and warmth, the way his skin feels under your fingers. It’s almost enough to lull you into sleep, save for one nagging thought--

You tilt your head back to peer up at him. Piotr’s face is near indiscernible in the dark, but you can make out the shadowy outline of his features and the soft glint of his eyes. “What happens if I have another nightmare?”

“I will wake you up and comfort you.”

That --the promise that you won’t be left to suffer alone--is enough to finish calming you down. You close your eyes, lay your head on his chest, and let yourself fall back asleep.

You wake up --but not in the place you fell asleep in.

You’re in your room --not the one at Xavier’s, but in your old room, back in the middle of nowhere.

You bolt out of bed and race to the door. You yank and pull on the handle, but it doesn’t budge.

You try the windows next. You rip the curtains away, only to find that you’ve been sealed in. The windows are boarded over; not even a trace sunlight peeks into your room --your cell.

You pound your fists against the walls, desperate to find a way out. “Help me! Please, help me!”

A bright light floods the room, seemingly from nowhere. Someone grabs your shoulders--

“Y/N!”

You jolt awake, mid-scream.

Piotr is holding you by your shoulders, expression pinched.

Oh. That’s right. You’re in Piotr’s room. Not at home.

The relief hits you like a brick to the chest, and you start crying.

“Oh, myshka, what happened?”

“I dreamed was back home, trapped in my room.”

His arms slid underneath you and lift you off the bed. “It’s alright, love. I’ve got you.”

You draw in shaky, uneven breaths as you press your forehead against his shoulder. “I know. I’m just happy that I’m here, instead of stuck back there.”

“So am I, lyublyu. So am I.”

You sit at one of the many window seats, staring out at the cool, rainy day. Normally, a view like this --gray skies and damp grass--would leave you in a foul mood. Today, however, you were simply grateful to be seeing it.

It was horrifying to think that if Piotr hadn’t started looking for you, or if you had left your phone at the mansion, or if the bounty hunters had turned it off, or --a thousand other things, who knows. Point stands, you would be on your way back to your parents, never to see Piotr or the other X-Men again.

Or, maybe you wouldn’t have been underway to see your parents by now. Maybe the bounty hunters would’ve kept you in the basement, torturing you however they pleased.

You’re so lost in thought that you don’t hear Piotr sneak up behind you. You shriek as he lifts you off the seat and spins you in a circle.

“ Zdravstvuyte, myshka.”

You can’t help but smile at him as he settles you into his arms, bridal style. He’s in defense mode, which makes things a little uncomfortable, but you don’t mind. “Hey, yourself. I didn’t heart you coming.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”

“I was lost in thought.”

“Good thoughts, I hope?”

Your smile fades. “Not really, no. I was just thinking... what would’ve happened if I hadn’t had my phone on me...”

Piotr’s grip on you tightens. “Easy, dorogoy. There isn’t much to be gained by those thoughts.”

“I know. It’s just kind of horrifying.”

He kisses you gently, then carefully sets you on your feet. “You need distraction. Have you had lunch yet?”

“No.” You intertwine your fingers with his --a near impossible task when he’s in defense mode, but you manage. “But, I can think of a couple other things if you really want to distract me.”

He ducks his head and chuckles. “Perhaps another time, myshka. Skipping meals is not healthy.”

You smile and let him lead you out of the library and in the direction of the kitchen. “Of course. Heaven forbid we mess up our meals.”

[anywhereyougothereyouare]

20170825 monument to the final frontier

First proper day in new York going solo. And I have one real objective: to see the Intrepid Air and Space museum, AKA the USS Intrepid. An aircraft carrier dating back to the end if world war 2, converted and modified throughout the cold war, and now laid docked to a peer as a museum ship hosting a plethora of rare, famous and vintage aircraft.

The walk there was long, but also the first time id actualy seen the quiet, residential, homely part of new York. I got to see times square morph in to restraints, into homes, then into garages and industry just before I hit the shore.

And the first thing I saw was the naked exhaust apertures of an A-12 peeking playfully over the bow of the carrier. It was enough to light my fires. Fires the 20 minute wait I.  The queue couldn’t dull, despite it being just an hour after opening. Fires that the four under ten year olds in front if me, bantering away with their adorable adolescent primary school humor about how excited and bored they were couldn’t dull. And then I was in.

Now, to be fair, what I thought I saw initially was an SR-71 Blackbird, a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft famous for being the fastest and highest flying jet in the world and, along with the F-22, the plane any scrub says is their favourite aircraft when they haven’t looked too far into it yet. But, when I arrived on the flight deck, noticed it’s smaller stature and solo cockpit, I correctly guessed my error before I was close enough to read the info pannel. 

And what a cast they had! tomcat, Falcon, Kifir, Iroquois, Talon, Entard, and those are only the names I remember! Beautiful beasts they were. And some dirty internals exposed to the crowds too! Most of these were carrier aircraft (but not all), and folding wings give you some intimate looks into the folding mechanisms. I’ve been sure to get plenty of raunchy close-ups for my upcoming video journal ;)

But enough softcore, that was the fun stuff. Taking shots of these sweet fighters and helicopters. Next was the main course. Next, was Enterprise.

When NASA was designing the space shuttle launch system, they created several mock-ups, structural frames and prototypes. The last and most advanced of these was visual almost identical to the finished product. It was launched from the back of the carrier 747 for glide testing, literaly flying the shuttle to the runway.

It was only ever a prototype. There seem to have been several vague plans to refit the body to become space worthy, but none of them ever came to fruition. But that wasn’t the end if it’s life, becuase this prototype did something that no other orbiter ever realy did with such flair and charm: it captured the public’s imagination and joy. It went travelling to show off what NASA could do for the world, to show their amazing new space plane! But to that it needed a name.

It was going to be Constitution, and revealed as such on constitution day. But a massive fan letter write in to president Regan changed the plan.

It became known as OV-101 Enterprise. The first official space shuttle in name, if not function.

It’s in an enclosed hanger built atop the stern of the intrepid. You walk in through a small room where they can take your photo introit of a blue screen, then a short tunnel where you listen to the radio chatter of the test glide flights. And then when I arrived inside I saw I was standing beneath the starboard wing of this giant. Black ceramic tiles meters from my head tapering forwards in its delta wing, revealing the bone white hull, illuminated with spotlights, focusing on the black lettering upon its side that changed this engineering testbed from footnote to inspiration. “ENTERPRISE”.

You walk forwards, and all around are displays talking about the shuttle program, the other orbiters, the creation of the museum. They even have a series of star trek fanzines preserved, opened to the pages celebrating their success alongside the official declaration and photos of the original series cast present at its inauguration.

I read all of those later. Much later. It was all I could do to make my hands move, get my camera out and try and take some decent and interesting photos showing framing and detail. 

There is a gantry built in front of the nose. Stairs take you up to nearly the level of the cockpit windows granting you a view over the wing and of the entire ship. I could see some hinges on the payload doors looked a bit dinky and oversized. It’s not space rated so they probably didn’t care about that as much.

I just had to stare. I don’t know, the ground zero museum didn’t have this affect on me. Graduating high school didn’t, seeing times square didn’t.

It was just… There. In front of me. Right there. 

Of course there were security guards keeping tight watch and constantly catching people who tried to touch the orbiter. Id be lying if I said I didn’t want to. But the Enterprise doesn’t need a grubby hand print of a child on it any more than it does mine. And touching something isn’t the only way to make something real.

Two laps and plenty if photos later I exited to check out the Concorde before I left. It’s a lot smaller than I would have guessed, not much longer than the shuttle. I walked underneath and remembered where the fuel take was that caused the accident that killed one of these birds. I did a project on it in high scool, I remove the shape of metal that caused it.

These posts were supposed to be like one ir two paragraphs, geeze, let’s hurry up!

Bought a shirt, saw a salvation army thrift store two blocks away and had to ignore it becuase I was pressed for time. I was tasking an uber to Central Park to meet Elen. Needed her signature for a hilarious joke at a friends expense. Let me tell you, you have not lived unless you’ve requested an uber using only free wifi spots that drop in and out. One of them was an actual coach bus that drove off as soon as my uber got close.

But we got together in the end. I found Elen, we reminisced, got icecream, signed the thing, saw central park, and with one final selfies I bid goodbye to the last of Heathers tour group.

Meandering home I found McGee’s pub which was the inspiration for the show How I Met Your Mother’s pub, I found the Nintendo shop and bought a blastoise, gave the finger to yhe lego shop becuase of a convoluted in joke, had an excelent subway sandwich not from the epinonymous store.

And then I watched phatom of the opera again in theatre and had a lovely dinner from a quiet and excelent Italian diner down the road from me.

I’m super tired and can’t believe I did so much in a day. I need to do less so I can write these faster!

[thehungrykat1]

Exploring Taipei and Okinawa on Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo

The best thing about going on a cruise is that you can get to your travel destinations without having to endure the long arduous waits at the airport. The journey itself on Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo was already such a fun and thrilling experience, but what makes it even better are the exciting cities and countries that you can explore even for just a day. During our Star Cruises vacation last summer, where my sister Angel and I got onboard SuperStar Virgo as it made its homeport in Manila (Read: An Exciting Asian Voyage at Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo), we got to visit two cities on two separate days of our cruise, starting with a tour around one of the islands of Okinawa, Japan. 

SuperStar Virgo arrived at Ishigaki city in Okinawa on Day 3 of our 6-Day cruise at around 8:00am. Guests have the option of just staying inside the boat or going down and exploring the island on their own, but it is advisable to just book any of the shore excursions and tours available for an added fee, especially for first-time cruisers. What’s great about this specific cruise is that there is no need to get a travel visa for both Japan and Taiwan for those arriving on SuperStar Virgo. We booked the Ishigaki Round Island Tour (HK$880 per person) which includes a 6-hour tour around the islands plus a lunch featuring Ishagaki Beef, one of the best beefs in the world. It’s pretty obvious why I chose this particular tour.

Our first stop was at the Uganzaki Cape which offers one of the most spectacular views of the island. This is Ishigaki’s westmost point where the Uganzaki Lighthouse is located. It was a short walk going up to the observation platform but the magnificent view of the Ishigaki island was worth the hike. There was a continuous drizzle throughout the day but that did not stop us from enjoying our trip around the island.

Next we headed to the Ishigaki Yaima Village which is sort of a theme park where you can experience the Yaeyama culture and history. The village is an authentic replica of a Yaeyama Island style village as it would have been before modern influences. 

You can get a feel of the local culture and lifestyle inside this village, complete with costumes and props to make you feel like a real Japanese girl. We had fun taking photos around the village, which also had live animals roaming about. 

Now it was time for the highlight of the tour for me, the Ishigaki Beef lunch. Ishigaki Beef is considered one of the best beefs in the world, similar to Kobe and Wagyu beefs. After walking around the hills and villages of Ishigaki all morning, I was really famished so this lunch is a great reward for all that exercise.

The restaurant was just a small and simple establishment, but just looking at their menu really made our mouths water. I wasn’t able to get the exact name of the restaurant because it was in Japanese and I was so excited to eat. We got a table for ourselves that had a small grill and enjoyed a set lunch of Ishigaki Beef with appetizers and dessert.

Just look at the marbling on the beef! Kobe Beef is usually regarded as the best beef in the world, but few people know that 1,500 kilometers away you can find a Japanese beef that is just as delicious. The beef is served yakiniku-style so cooking it is part of the fun.

The beef literally melts in your mouth because of its high degree of marbling or fat content. This makes the beef so tender and flavorful. The cattle in Ishigaki are actually pampered throughout their lives. Ishigaki provides a perfect environment for cattle, who can graze and stretch their legs every day outdoors under the sun all year round. Their food is also carefully selected so only the best goes into these sacred animals.

The best way to eat Ishigaki Beef is just by itself. There’s no need for any other seasoning or sauces. We just paired it with some vegetables and rice and we had one of the best steak experiences of our lives.

We had one last stop before we went back to our ship. Aeon Max Valu is the largest supermarket in Ishigaki and this is where we could shop for souvenirs for our short Okinawa daytrip.

You can find different kinds of products inside the supermarket like clothes, skin care products. electrical goods, and most especially local Japanese food items.

The supermarket is not really that big but we were happy to find all sorts of Japanese items for “pasalubong” that we can bring home. I even found some Japanese whiskeys and sparking sake, but unfortunately, alcoholic beverages are not permitted to be brought inside the cruise ship. 

After all the guests finished their tours and got back to the ship safely, SuperStar Virgo left the Okinawa port late in the afternoon and headed for its next destination, Taiwan.

We were just in Okinawa, Japan yesterday afternoon, and now we wake up to find ourselves in Taiwan! That’s the beauty of going on a cruise. Our call time for the Taiwan shore excursions on Day 4 was at 7:00am so we had a quick breakfast at the Star Dining before disembarking at the Keelung Harbor. This time we booked the Keelung Taipei Fantastic Tour (HK$830 per person) which will run for 7 hours which included the one hour travel time from Keelung to Taipei city.

Our first stop in Taipei was the landmark Taipei 101 Observatory. Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world in 2004 until it was ousted by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2010. Standing 508 meters, it is an iconic part of the capital’s cityscape and remains to be the most popular tourist spot in Taiwan.

The first five floors of the Taipei 101 building is occupied by the Taipei 101 Shopping Mall. This is also one of the most popular high end shopping areas in the city but unfortunately, it was still too early when we got there so the stores were still closed. I would have loved to shop around the mall.

Tickets for the Taipei 101 Observatory can be purchased at the 5th floor which can get pretty crowded during peak days. The observatory itself is found at the 89th floor so we rode the world’s second fastest elevator to get there. At speeds of around 60 kilometers per hour, it takes a mere 37 seconds to get from ground level to the observation deck.

Guests have a 360-degree view of Taipei city from the deck and could glimpse the Taiwan Strait to the west and the mountanous areas to the south. The 91st floor has an outdoor observation deck that is also open to the public if weather permits.

Our next stop brings us to the National Palace Museum which houses the world’s largest collection of priceless Chinese art treasures which spans China’s 5000-year history. 

Most of the museum’s 620,000 art objects were part of the Chinese imperial collection which began over 1000 years ago during the early Song Dynasty. These relics are a treasured link to China and Taiwan’s common past so a trip to the museum is always a good way to discover a country’s history. Our tour also took us on a few other stops for lunch and at the gift shop for souvenirs.

From Taipei city, we rode the shuttle bus back to the port of Keelung, but we had one more stopover before we went back to the ship. Keelung Miaokou Street is a street market well-known for its great diversity of affordable food. It is located in the downtown area just a few minutes away from the port, so we are sure not to get lost and be left behind by the ship.

There are so many street food stalls selling local delicacies and products, but one item I really wanted to eat was their Xiao Long Bao. Here in Manila, these are usually served only in the best Chinese restaurants, but in Taiwan they are just sold in the streets. I ordered a basket of Xiao long bao for myself and was surprised with the quality of the dimsum, especially since it was priced at around half of what it costs in Manila.

Our Taiwan shore excursion comes to an end and it is time to go back up inside SuperStar Virgo for our departure heading back to Manila. I’m really happy with all the memorable experiences we had in Japan and Taiwan, combined with all the other exciting activities we did on the ship. Star Cruises is definitely a relaxing way to travel, and I’m sure I will be back for more adventures to other exotic locations soon.

Star Cruises Superstar Virgo

836-6080

www.starcruises.com

www.facebook.com/starcruisesphilippines

[descentintobandom]

I’m Gonna Ask Her to Marry Me

Title: I’m Gonna Ask Her to Marry Me Chapter: One-Shot Pairing: Ben/Clary Rating: T Fic Summary: Ben has a surprise for Clary while at Warped Tour. Author’s Notes: It seems like none of my Ben/Clary one-shots can be under a page and a half.

We were walking around the grounds because it was a nice morning and the venue wasn’t open to fans yet.

Alexandria was on the AA bus with the guys so Ben and I could have some alone time.

We walked past one of the stages and heard All Time Low sound checking.

Well…more like goofing off.

I pulled Ben over to the stage. I’d met the All Time Low guys a couple of times, but we didn’t really run in the same circle. Out of all of them, I was closest to Jack, being that he had the exact personality as the Asking boys.

“Hey Clarissa”, he said. He was the only one I let call me by my birth name. When we had met for the first time, he told me that my name was beautiful and that I shouldn’t shorten it.

“Hey, can you guys play Remembering Sunday?” I asked them.

“Sure”, Alex said. His tech handed him an acoustic guitar.

I wrapped my arms around Ben’s neck as Alex started to sing.

He smiled down at me as I hummed along.

When it got to the part where Juliet is supposed to sing, I sang it softly to myself.

When the song was over, Ben gently kissed me.

The ATL boys jumped off the stage and ran towards us.

“So why Remembering Sunday?” Alex asked.

“It’s my favorite song. It’s so beautiful and sad”, I told them.

“Would you like to sing it with us?” Jack asked.

My mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

Alex laughed and said, “Yeah. Juliet’s not coming this year, because Black Veil isn’t touring”.

I tried not to cringe at the name of my ex-boyfriend’s current wife.

It’d been 6 years, but it still kinda hurt considering we had broken up while we were on Warped Tour.

“Where’s your bundle of joy?” Rian asked.

“On the bus with Cam and James. They’re the only two I trust with her”, I told them.

Alexandria was nearly a year old and Ben was an amazing father to her.

The AA boys loved to spoil her, especially Danny and James.

It was actually surprising how much people enjoyed having a baby around on Warped.

Austin Carlile and Oli Sykes took turns making funny faces at her and making her laugh.

Chris Motionless couldn’t stop himself from stroking her little cheeks and cooing at her.

She was the most popular band baby on Instagram and Twitter.

Part of me wished Andy was here.

He was wonderful with Alexandria and loved her more than anything in this world. He would have been and will be a perfect father.

“Speaking of Alexandria, I should be getting back to her. Getting her down for a nap is so hard around the guys”, I said.

“You head back to the bus”, Ben told me, “I want to say hi to some of the other bands”.

“We go on at 3, but Remembering Sunday is usually towards the middle of our set”, Alex told me.

“Then I’ll see you at 3”, I said.

“And bring your daughter”, Rian said.

I giggled and said, “Okay”. I kissed Ben on the lips and started to make my way back to the AA bus. As I stepped on the bus, I got a Facetime call from Andy. “Hey you”, I said.

“Hey, where’s my beautiful goddaughter?” he asked.

I playfully rolled my eyes and made my way to the back lounge. I took Alexandria from Danny’s arms and made my way to our bunk. “Lexa, say hi to Uncle Andy”.

A few garbled words came out of her mouth.

“Listen to you. Pretty soon you’ll be talking up a storm”, Andy told her, “How are you?”

“I’m good. Warped isn’t quite the same with a baby, but everyone loves her”, I said.

“Wish I could be there”.

“You need to focus on putting out that new record. There’s always next year. Oh, All Time Low have invited me to sing Juliet’s part in Remembering Sunday”.

“You’ll do great. You always had an amazing voice. I hope Alexandria sings like you one day”.

“Who knows? Maybe she’ll scream like her Uncle Andy and Uncle Danny”.

Andy laughed and said, “I’d pay to see that. It’s almost two, isn’t it time for her nap?”

“Yeah, but Ben’s out with the other bands. Would you sing to her?”

“Umm…yeah. One second”.

I heard him say something to the guys.

A couple of seconds later, he was in another room.

“The best things in life, come with a price. The star that burned so bright faded the fastest…” Andy sang.

By the end, Alexandria was fast asleep on my chest.

“Thanks”, I whispered.

“I have to go”, Andy said, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

I nodded.

“Bye Clary”.

“Bye Andy”, I said and clicked the end call button.

The curtain to the bunk was opened and Ben stood there. “Hey”, he said, lightly pecking my lips, “You got her down”.

“Yeah, Andy called and I had him sing to her”, I told him.

“Like mother, like daughter”, he said, playfully rolling his eyes.

Ever since Alexandria’s birth, Andy and Ben had gone back to being friends and there was less tension between the two.

Ben squeezed into the bunk next to me, placing his large hand on Alexandria’s back as she slept. He set his head on the pillow next to mine and closed his eyes.

Around 2:45, Ben, Alexandria, and I made our way to the stage.

The boys were goofing off and getting rid of last minute jitters.

Rian came over to us. “She is just so adorable!” he cooed, taking her from my arms.

I normally didn’t let anyone outside our small group of friends hold her, but I trusted Rian and the ATL boys.

“She looks just like you”, Alex said.

“What are you talking about? She’s cuter than Clarissa”, Jack said.

“You can tell she’s a Bruce, look at those curls!” Zack said.

Their set intro started playing.

“Go on. Stop fawning over the baby”, I told them.

Rian handed Alexandria back to me and the boys went on stage.

Halfway through their set, Alex called me on stage.

“For this next song, one of our friends is going to help us out. Everyone please welcome Clarissa Rose!” Alex announced.

I walked out on stage as the audience cheered.

“Now at the end of this song, we have a small surprise for you”, Alex said.

I looked at him confused as he started singing. I sang my part when it came, but instead of Alex coming back in and singing his part, I heard Ben’s voice.

“Marry me”.

I spun around and saw him down on one knee, our daughter at his side. I was frozen.

“Clarissa Rose, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me these past few years. I remember the day we met. You were dating Andy and I wanted nothing more than to sweep you off your feet and steal you away from him. So when you broke up, that’s what I did. I became your rock and you became my reason to come home. Now, 6 years later, you’ve given me a beautiful daughter and you two make every day an adventure. I want the rest of our lives to be the same, so marry me”.

I was speechless and despite the screaming fans, all I could hear was the beating of my own heart. “Yes”, I said, “Of course I’ll marry you Ben”.

He stood up and slipped the ring on my finger.

It was a black diamond and it fit perfectly.

I could not believe it. I was going to be Mrs. Clarissa Bruce. I picked up our daughter and held her to my chest as Ben wrapped his arms around us.

We were finally going to be a family.

[kadobeclothing]

500 Atlassians Worked Remotely for a Week — Here’s What We Learned

Like most companies, Atlassian has a mixture of people who are working from home full-time (like me) and those who grab an ad-hoc day when the plumber is coming or they can’t stop sneezing. But our collective WFH muscles got a major workout recently when 500 of us went remote during the week-long gap between moving out of one office space and into another.

I talked to colleagues in several departments at Atlassian and dug into my own bag of tricks to bring you this collection of tips for working from home. And because working from home came with a few surprises, I’ll also share some little-known facts and a classic blooper – don’t miss these if you’re thinking of transitioning to full-time remote work.

Working From Home Tips 1. Dedicate a work space and make it your own. Yes, this tip is at the top of every other list of working from home tips you’ve ever read. There’s a reason for that. When you work from an office, your commute helps your brain shift into “work mode”. At home, you can create that same mental shift by dedicating a spot for working. “I have a separate desk at home that is pretty much only used for work,” says Miles, a marketing manager. “This helps me focus because I think of that area as a mini office.” If you’re short on space and have to use your couch or kitchen table, no worries. Just be consistent.

Trick out your home office space on the cheap, with the help of flea markets and a bit of DIY ingenuity. Don’t just stop once you’ve acquired a desk, though. Give your space some personality with wall art, framed photos, a desk lamp to die for, or an essential oil diffuser if that’s your jam. 2. Pace yourself. Y’know how running to the office kitchen to refill your coffee “real quick-like” typically results in a 10-minute hallway convo about your big new project? I didn’t understand the value of interludes like that until I went remote. At first, I would blast through my tasks for the week in about three days because there were so few interruptions. Sounds great, except I’d be completely out of gas by Thursday. And Fridays were, umm, less than productive. Your work week is a marathon – not a sprint. I quickly learned to sprinkle a few 5-10 minute pace breaks throughout the day, away from my desk if possible. For my teammate Claire, her furry friend makes all the difference. “I take my dog for a walk before I start work, at lunch, early afternoon, and after I’m done for the day. It’s a great mental break.” Not to mention healthy. Do ten push-ups or hold yourself in plank pose. Pick up your guitar. Make your grocery list. Your stamina (and your team) will thank you. 3. Be brutally self-aware. While some people (me included) absolutely love working from home, others love the idea of working from home… only to find the reality doesn’t suit them. And that’s ok. “It’s tough to get started, and it’s tough to set things aside when I’m done for the day,” says Jim, a developer on the Bitbucket team. “I also feel isolated from the rest of the team.” That’s a common sentiment, so don’t be afraid to own it. If transferring back into an office isn’t an option, self-awareness will help you find your WFH groove. Develop some strategies for staying connected to your team and understand what will help you focus vs. what will distract you. Have an open, on-going dialog with your team and check in with yourself regularly. Conversely, if you love working from home, take the time to reflect on why and make the most of those aspects. 4. Stock your kitchen with food you can be proud of. For those of us who’ve been spoiled by posh perks like company-provided meals, providing your own coffee and breakfast and lunch and snacks is quite an adjustment. A few days into his week of remote work, customer support analyst Orpheus (who is every bit as cool as his name suggests) lamented his lack of grab n’ go gnoshables: “Folks who work from home need a snack food budget.” Regardless of who pays, the logistics are on you. If your lunch game involves anything more complicated than warming up last night’s leftovers, you’ll need to build prep and clean-up time into your workday routine. For maximum efficiency, pick up a full week’s worth of supplies each Monday morning (unless a daily walk to the store is your pace break of choice). Choose brain-boosting superfoods like almonds, broccoli, berries, beans, eggs, and salmon. Remember, working from home tends to be more sedentary than office-based work, so skip the Oreos. 5. Dress as if you were going to the office (almost). Full-blown business attire probably isn’t necessary, but do make yourself presentable. You’re going to end up on a lot of video calls, for one thing (more on that later). More importantly, getting dressed is another important part of the mental shift into work mode. But don’t stop there. Establish a morning routine that is as close as possible to your routine when you’re going into an office. Here’s mine: 6:00 – Wake up, brush teeth, exercise. 7:00 – Get kids up, brew coffee, shower, get dressed (including hair and make-up), unload the dishwasher, help my daughter do her hair, curse at the stray Legos I inevitably step on. 8:00 – Take my son to preschool. 8:30 – Start work. Rituals allow us to make transitions with minimal mental and emotional turbulence. Yours might be totally mundane like mine, or you might mix it up by working for an hour before you shower and dress. The important thing is to find a routine that works for you and step through it consistently. “The routine of physically getting ready for work is one of the most important things I did to make my week of working from home productive”, says Cameron, who leads an engineering group of more 250 people. 6. Get over your hang-ups around video conferencing. Many of us have scars from struggling with video calls in years past – the struggle was real. That may explain why people new to working from home, and their teammates in the office, are often skittish about vid chat. The good news is that now you can jump into a video call in a matter of seconds using Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, BlueJeans, or similar services. “Being comfortable with quick video chats saves a lot of time compared to trading emails or instant messages,” says dev tools marketer Alyss. That face-to-face interaction also does wonders in terms of building relationships with co-workers. However, be prepared to coach your co-workers a little as they learn to embrace the impromptu video call. Their instinct will be to go find an empty conference room, which just wastes time. If you walked over to their desk in person, you’d have the conversation right there and been done in under a minute. Nobody would think twice about distracting people at neighboring desks because ambient noise is just part of being in an office. Video calls should be treated the same way. Once my teammates got accustomed to that idea, it made working as a distributed team a lot easier. And while we all want to present an aura of perfect professionalism, I encourage you not to stress about it overly much. There will be a time when the doorbell rings or your cat walks across your laptop, right in front of your camera. My kids sometimes pop into view on evening calls with people across the Pacific and I allow it because they seem to enjoy the extra glimpse into my world. (Your mileage may vary, of course, but we can all thank “the BBC guy” for breaking some serious ground on our behalf.) And now, a few surprising things about working from home full-time … Although I felt I’d done my homework before going remote, there was still a lot to learn. If you’re considering going fully remote, take these tidbits into account. There’s a good chance your boss would rather keep you on as a remote worker than replace you. Recruiting, interviewing, and on-boarding new employees is a lot of overhead. Many managers feel having an established teammate go remote is far less disruptive on the whole – especially if you’re crushing it lately. Supporting remote employees is not trivial from an HR and tax perspective. In the U.S., a company must have a tax entity set up in every state in which they have a full-time employee. For this reason, many companies restrict full-time remote work to states where they already have offices. Benefits administration gets complicated because many insurance carriers operate regionally instead of nationally. And it’s just good business sense to adjust remote employees’ salaries to be in line with where they’re living. Figuring all this out takes time away from work HR could be doing that might benefit more people. So if you meet resistance from your employer about going remote, don’t assume they’re trying to be evil. They’re just trying to be practical. There are hidden costs to remote work. You’ll need the fastest, strongest internet connection money can buy. You’ll be paying for (and taking the time to procure) all your coffee, snacks, and meals. Your utility bill will go up because you’re no longer tuning the heat and/or air conditioning down during the day and you’re keeping more lights on. For most people, however, these new costs will be offset by the fact that you’re not gassing up the car or paying bus fare as often. Sharing a workspace with a roommate or partner feels less isolated, but has its own challenges. My husband works remotely too, and when we moved, we made sure to buy a home with an office we can share. It was a great way to start the transition to remote work. Soon, however, he was working almost exclusively from his recliner. We could never agree on what temperature the room should be, and we both tend to be vocal participants in meetings. So now we work in separate rooms and send chat messages to each other even though we’re 50 feet apart. Which is kind of pathetic, but there it is. Extroverts actually do quite well as remote workers. The key to staying in the loop and feeling connected when you’re the one remote member of your team is initiating communication. ABC, baby – always be communicating. We extroverts tend to do this instinctively anyway. Interpersonal interaction is our default setting. So we get a “two birds, one stone” synergy bonus. Getting everyone to take the meeting via video is kind of awesome. When only one person joins remotely, it’s easy to (unintentionally) leave them out of the discussion and harder for them to contribute. But when everyone dials in, even if it’s from their desk at the office, we’re all in the same boat and on our best behavior. We raise our hands to speak. We wait until the other person is done talking before chiming in. We’re less likely to let one person dominate the conversation.

All-remote meetings + Halloween = good times. Besides: you know who enjoys being the one giant head on the TV during meetings? Nobody. This working from home thing isn’t for everybody. Although I’d love to tell you the WFH week was universally loved, it wasn’t. Max from marketing said it was “only the best week ever”, while Mary, a product owner, missed the higher level of social interaction and felt like the week was something she “just had to get through”. For others, it was a big empathy-builder. “Be mindful of our remote colleagues and how easy it is for them to feel (or be) left out,” says Adam from technical account management. Your experience working from home will involve plenty of twists, turns, fails, and wins. Be patient as you and your team adjust, expect the unexpected, and just roll with it. At least you can rest easy knowing you won’t be the first remote worker whose toddler makes an unplanned cameo on international television. This article was originally published on Atlassian.com and republished with permission.

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[worldpackingcanuck]

I fucking new it…..

I kept telling myself that as I started the second hour of an unsuccessful hitchhike / walk in the middle of nowhere-China. Still 8 more hours of walk to go to get to the city of Pingshan, where hopefully I could take a bus back to Shijiazhuang the next morning so I wouldn’t miss my flight back home……it was only 3PM.

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When I woke up that morning, I didn’t want to go. I really didn’t feel like hiking again (I had gone to Cangyanshan the day before under a 30°C sun).

I looked at my phone.

6:45AM

I stared at the ceiling for a minute, second-guessing doing a second hike in 2 days. Still feeling tired from the day before, I wasn’t really in the mood for a long bus ride back and forth. I had a flight the next day to go back home, so staying the night anywhere wasn’t an option.

You’re already awake, and you came here for this……. Alright, fine!

I got up, showered, and made my way to the bus station to catch any bus to Tiangui mountain.

It was 8:00AM when I got to the bus station. I went to the ticket window and bought a ticket to Tiangui without even thinking of asking at what time the bus was leaving. It was only once the ticket was in my hand that I thought of looking at the time.

Departure time: 10:40

Fuck!

For a moment I thought about going back to the hotel, not wanting to wait 2 hours for the bus. I didn’t even care about the 40元 I had just paid. I sat down for a while, thinking about my options, and reluctantly, decided to stay.

For whatever reason, the bus decided to leave 1 hour earlier than scheduled. I didn’t ask any questions and just got on, considering myself lucky that I wouldn’t have to wait another hour with nothing to do.

As it was to be expected, the bus didn’t take the most direct route to Tiangui Mountain. In fact, the damn bus took an immense detour. 2 hours after leaving, I was still a full hour and a half from Tiangui. I began to worry that there wouldn’t be any buses to come back to Shijiazhuang.

And that’s when the sit in front of me came flying and hit me in the face……

To think that I was staring at this just 24 hours before……

What the fuck?!?!?! What happened??? Did we hit a cow??? What the fuck?!?!?!

I looked at my hands to see if I was bleeding….. nothing.

The bus had made an extremely abrupt stop in the middle of the highway, my head hit the sit in front. It felt like a punch on the nose.

Once I came back to my senses, I heard people rushing outside of the bus. Still not sure what was happening, I followed everyone out.

And that’s when I saw it.

The body of a person on the ground, bleeding.

I looked around for anything that could tell me what had just happened, and I found it.

A piece of motorbike on the side of the road gave me the answer I needed. My guess was that this person tried to outpace the bus getting back on the highway, and didn’t.

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It was noon when all this happened. Neither the bus or the driver were in any condition to continue. There was now no way that I could make it to Tiangui and come back the same day now, so I looked at my phone map to see where the hell I was.

Nowhere.

There was really nothing nearby. I had just been left stranded in the middle of highway in nowhere-China….. The only thing close was some sort of museum the bus had apparently passed by 10 minutes before.

I decided to go there, hoping there would be some bus or an overly expensive taxi that could take me back into the city.

The day was hot. It was humid. It looked like it was going to rain.

I told you to stay in bed!!! This is all your fault!!!

That was just me talking to myself……I had gone crazy.

It had been almost an hour of walking and cursing, and I really began to wonder what if I couldn’t find any means to get back today.

Can I get a Didi (Chinese Uber) here? How much will that be? Do I hitchhike?

But when I got to the museum, a sigh of relief.

People! And buses!

I went around and saw a bus with the Chinese sign of Shijiazhuang, and asked what time he was leaving.

2:00PM

Alright! Everything was solved! And I still had about one hour to look around this place for a little while.

Maybe my day wasn’t completely lost after all!

I learned that I was at the Xibaipo Memorial Hall. To this day, I’m still unsure what I was looking at or what the place was about, but first impressions were not great. I digress…..

I went back to the entrance 10 minutes before 2:00PM and looked for the bus. I couldn’t find it.

I walked around the entrance, looking like a little kid who lost his parents, hoping to find a bus that would go my way.

There was nothing but tour buses around.

I asked around to see if any of them could take me.

Nope!

I asked if there were any buses going back into town.

Nope!

What the fuck do I do now???

After 20 minutes of full-on consideration, I said fuck it! and began to walk.

The plan was to try to get somehow to the city of Pingshan, the next biggest place with a bus station, and the only place where I could take a bus back to Shijiazhuang, hopefully on time to catch my flight the next day.

The only problem was that Pingshan was a 9 hour walk from where I was standing……

So I began to walk faster.

I stuck out my thumb, hoping that someone would take pity of me and offer me a ride.

20 minutes later…….nothing.

As I walked, I considered myself lucky that I had remembered to fully charge my battery charger for my phone the night before.

At least I won’t get lost

40 minutes later…….nothing.

I began thinking about all those misadventures I’ve had during my years of travelling around the world. I remembered almost dying in Ecuador during my first scuba-dive a few years ago, and I remembered ending up in 2 police stations in 2 days in China just a few months back.

How does this shit always happen to me? 

The view from the outside of the museum, not too bad a place to be stranded in 🙂

After 60 minutes of failing at hitchhiking, the map said that the fastest route would be to walk through a side road and leave the highway. This was a big bet, as I would think that had better chances of being picked up on the highway.

But considering that I had been mostly ignored for the past hour, I decided to go through the small road.

I fucking new it…..

I kept telling myself that as I started the second hour of this unsuccessful hitchhike in the middle of nowhere-China.

As I kept cursing myself, an old lady rode by me with her motorbike before stopping a few meters from me.

What are you doing?, she asked.

(Really? As if it wasn’t obvious). I’m lost and need a ride to Pingshan. Could you take me?

I’m not going that far.

Until where are you going?

Sujiazhangxiang.

I looked at my phone. the place was about 2 hours walk from where I was.

Can you take me there?, I asked with the most pitiful Chinese accent and puppy dog eyes I could possibly make.

No, I don’t have space (she did).

(Thinking, why would you even stop then?) Please, I’ll pay you some money.

I really can’t, I just wanted to make sure that you were OK.

(Did I look OK?). I’m OK, thanks.

And off she went……

So I kept walking…

At that point, I would make it to Pingshan sometime around 11PM. Hopefully, I would be able to find a hotel that accepts foreigners near the bus station, so I could take the first bus back to Shijiazhuang in the morning. Then, I would head to my hotel there, shower, pick up my things, and off to the airport I’d go.

It was the best and the only plan I had……

As I kept thinking out loud, another motorbike passed and stopped in front of me. A lady looked at me and asked me:

Where are you going?

Pingshan.

Why are you walking?

(Really? As if I had chosen to walk…). I told her the whole story.

Would you mind taking me to Pingshan?

I could bring you to my home in Huojiagoucun, then take my car to Pingshan.

I was relieved! Not only did it seem that I’d be able to stop walking! But I’ll also be able to sleep in a decent bed!

I’ll charge you 150元.

Fucking a……

I let a sigh out, and jumped on to the back of the bike……

Ever been stranded while on the road? I’d love to read about your story 🙂

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A Bus Crash & A 9-Hour Hitchhike In China I fucking new it..... I kept telling myself that as I started the second hour of an unsuccessful hitchhike / walk in the middle of nowhere-China.

[universeinform-blog]

Anime, Video Games, and Funk Flow Together In Thundercat's Drunk

New Post has been published on https://universeinform.com/2017/03/14/anime-video-games-and-funk-flow-together-in-thundercats-drunk/

Anime, Video Games, and Funk Flow Together In Thundercat's Drunk

Thundercat is a bassist who blends video games into the whole thing he does, and whose modern-day album situates references to Mobile Suit Gundam and Sonic at the coronary heart of latest electronic soul track.

Drive around Grand Robbery Vehicle V’s Los Santos for lengthy enough and you would possibly hear Thundercat’s falsetto blurt out “I’m on ecstasy.” In all likelihood wedged between Aphex Dual’s “Window Licker” and Outkast’s “Elevators” on the sport’s FLYLO FM radio station, the rhythmic mania of Thundercat’s “Oh Sheit It’s X” will pour out into the polished matrices and impressive skyboxes of Rockstar’s open international parody of existence imitating games imitating art. A tune approximately capsules and dancing at 3:00 AM within the morning, it’s properly proper to a recreation unequaled in its ability to offer up interesting locations just so you can Drive proper beyond them.

Born Stephen Bruner, the virtuoso bassist who’s toured with Snoop Dogg and collaborated with Kendrick Lamar for 2015’s seminal rap album, To Pimp a Butterfly, is as comfortable ranking the satisfactory anime as he is discussing the finer points of mid-century Jazz. Human beings had been calling Bruner Thundercat ever when you consider that his middle-college days when sporting a T-Shirt of his favored cartoon for several days in a row earned him the nickname. If there are constants in Thundercat’s lifestyles, it’s video games and bass gambling, interests which might be as herbal to him as respiration air and which compliment one another instead of detracting. His modern album, Under the influence of alcohol, is a great living proof. Twenty-three tracks stuffed into less than an hour, the track is going from riffing on anxiety approximately social media in one music early on to sharing Thundercat’s love of Johnny Cage by the time “Pal Region” hits. Even outside of any tune’s lyrics, the rhythms and-and playful layering of funk beats with synth melodies speaks to a deeper fusion of the two worlds. “From the minute I wake up I’m staring at the display,” Thundercat sings in “Bus In Those Streets,” a music that doubles as public provider declaration stimulated with the aid of

Top Suggests Like Log Horizon (Anime)

Log Horizon. By some distance one in all my preferred Indicates, for a couple of reasons. If you are unexpected, the show is set a bunch of players of a popular Memo that all at once appear internal the sport, besides, it’s not a recreation.

One way or the other, the world they knew as “Elder Tale” has grown to be a reality, and they should learn how to live to tell the tale in this global. Between mastering to fight with their new our bodies, that resemble their old avatars, to identifying the way to manage the connection Among Adventurers (gamers) and the People of the Land (NPCs). Log Horizon covers all of it, and it does so brilliantly.

So what makes it so top? For me, it’s the information. Unlike maximum Suggests, Log Horizon drills the information home, and I really like it because of this. The truth of the matter is, they’re interior a recreation international.

The writer explains the story from the player’s angle of game enthusiasts, the usage of terms like “birthday celebration” or “raid.” However, it’s also their new reality.

We get to look the characters struggle Between this “fact” and questioning that it’s nevertheless “only a game.” Extra importantly, the display closely goes into player interactions, to the factor of self-governing. At the back of it all is Master Shiro, likely the quality major character I’ve seen.

So… that’s all best and accurate, however, you’re possibly reading this because you know how incredible it’s miles. You want to realize what you may watch in an effort to give you that same feeling. I got you. Let’s get to the listing, shall we?

Sword Artwork Online

Where there may be Log Horizon, there is SAO; this is just how it is. Even though, I’m placing it in here for a slightly specific cause. SAO and Log Horizon are comparable, but awareness of different elements. SAO has the “sport” feel that Log Horizon does, but takes it to the following level based totally on the reality of death being absolute. SAO enacts the drama side of being trapped in every other world certainly well, that is why I assume you’ll adore it.

Of direction, there may be Extra to SAO than that, however, I need to focus solely on the primary season (Aincrad). We get Greater of the tremendous fights that are some distance and few Between in Log Horizon; in particular, boss raids. Although SAO does not move into as plenty detail as Log Horizon on these raids, the fight scenes are nonetheless pretty cool.

I’d suggest you finding out SAO, as a minimum the primary season, In case you are trying a More drama out of the show, and don’t thoughts being stuck to the primary man or woman (In contrast to LH Where we comply with many characters).

No recreation No Life

So that you like Log Horizon because of the intensity. you are in love with it, as am I. properly, you may possibly like No recreation No Existence. In case you go loopy, the fun lady over a number of Grasp Shire’s plans, then you definitely virtually will like this show. I am now not going to lie, that is Greater of a comedy display, but the intensity of the games that the principle characters play is second to none.

How A lot Does A Video Biography Price

I’m going to will let you in on a few pricing secrets with regards to video biographies or “circle of relatives history documentaries”, as they are every so often recognized. How A whole lot must you count on to pay and what can you wish to get to your tough-earned video biography money?

Video biographies are gaining in prominence as a characteristic item for an anniversary, reunion or an enormous birthday. Regularly there is no such event, just a desire to seize Mom or Dad’s stories, or some family tree, earlier than it’s too late. As a current survey by Allianz Insurance discovered:

“80-six percentage of boomers (age 47-sixty six) and seventy-four percent of elders (age 72+) agree that circle of relatives stories is the most important aspect of their legacy, in advance of personal possessions (64 percent for boomers, 58 percentage for elders) and the expectation of inheritance for monetary nicely-being.”

So, in case you are analyzing this, you probably need no convincing about the significance of a video biography (or “family documentary video” in case you select that terminology) and you are starting to get severe. But how Much does a video biography Fee? No point inquiring for something you cannot have enough money, proper?

How Celtic Scotland Games Help in Group Constructing

The Celtic Scotland Games are more like an old subculture within the united states of America, which no longer handiest ensure excessive enjoyment fee, however also constitute energetic amusement. Being a part of it, you’ll adore it; being a part of the target market, you may without a doubt be spellbound.

That being said, the Scotland Celtic highland Games are a really perfect choice in relation to company Team Constructing. Regardless of if you run an IT commercial enterprise or an insurance employer, there’s no want to the appearance in addition than a Celtic castle setting, which allows you organize an amusing Team Constructing pastime or sport.

As a laugh as the Celtic Scotland Video games are, they are also brilliant for encouraging conversation and institution paintings amongst your employees. Crew spirit revives with these super and attractive Video games held in Europe. Earlier than even you comprehend, the humans for your Group learn to cooperate, and construct leadership talents as nicely, thereby helping different Group contributors in Building their morale.

Celtic Scotland Video games are for everybody. Deliver your younger or vintage personnel to these Games and allow them to enjoy the feeling of working and playing together in a group. On the grounds that, anyone for your Team gets a possibility to have interaction and bond with others sans any styles of disruptions.

Earlier, highland Games were held by way of Clan chiefs to assess their groups for particular abilities. They, then, decided who become meant for what type of an undertaking. For an instance, they declared the strongest individual as a bodyguard or the fastest one as a messenger. Although you get to combat the clans now as nicely, you fight your Team participants like gallant combatants.

The Games on highland majorly aim at elevating each person’s spirits to participate in them. Thus, physical contracts are normally dotted with non-physical assessments.

Commonly, all participants are segregated into ‘clans’, which consist of 12 people at a time. To make distinct ‘clans’ compete in opposition to one another, a rotation gadget is used. This heartens everybody in every Team to participate actively and win in opposition to different teams. but, the aim of the Celtic Scotland Video games would not shake. The Games allow for breaks in among so as to bolster the sensation of gambling in a set.

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Switzerland

This morning, we were off to Lucerne, which is a city in Switzerland. I am not too sure of anything that happened on the bus ride, but I do remember theamazing mountain views. A missed a lot of them because he is an expert snoozer, but he managed to get a few sights in. I’m telling you, the weather we experienced this entire trip, and that is in every country, was wonderful. Italy was terribly hot, but I’ll get to that eventually. 

Now this is terrible of me, I know, but I’m about to describe one of our stops,and not provide a name, because the sad thing is, I don’t remember the name of it. I know it was in Switzerland, and we were relatively close to Lucerne, but that’s about it. We arrived to do one of our excursions, which was a ride up to the top of a mountain in a train/cart thingy. I honestly don’t know how to describe it. I imagine they have things like this in California, but I’ve never been so that is just hearsay. We all pile in and take about a 45 minute ride up the mountain and experienced some gorgeous sights and some of the freshest air I have ever breathed in. I remember the smell of fresh flowers and grass. As we get closer to the peak though, it gets more rocky and barren, and we being to see very small patches of snow that are still thriving in heavily shaded areas, out of the sunlight’s reach. We arrive in a visitor center and are given free reign to explore the mountain top. Keep in mind, I’m on top of this freezing ass mountain without a jacket, but being the hero that he is, A lends me an extra jacket he was smart enough to bring along. We took some amazing photos, walked around the trails a bit, but had to be at a giant ass gondola at a certain time to get off of the mountain, because if we weren’t we’d be stuck there, as we were scheduled on the last one for the day. We all get in this gondola, and if I recall, it’s the fastest one in the world. It really was fast , which made it scary as hell. We then get about halfway down the mountain and get off, only to then split up into groups of four and get into tiny gondolas that don’t look reliable at all. It was really nice though, getting to ride those gondolas over houses and farms on the mountain, getting a peak into the lives of the people that lived on this random slope in Switzerland. 

We finally arrive at the bottom and board the coach, making our way to Lucerne. We get to our hotel, and take our bags to our room. We were going to be staying there for two days, so we unpacked more than usual, trying to make ourselves feel comfortable. This was A and I’s first time sharing a bed. People kept mistaking us for a couple, so we kept ending up having to share a bed. I really don’t mind, I’ll share a bed with about anyone, as long as I get some sleep. A did though, he had a girlfriend at the time and I know that he probably viewed it as something that she wouldn’t approve of. It’s whatever, we weren’t going to do anything. Or maybe he is just repulsed by me and that is why, also an option. Anywho, once we unpacked we were given some dinner and allowed to do whatever we wanted. A lot of the group got some drinks locally, seeing as that we weren’t staying too close to the downtown area, no one really ventured that far. 

Let me make this note. A and I, as I have discovered, aren’t too exciting of travelers. We talk this big game that we are going to go out as much as possible and party hard, but only end up doing that a few times each trip. We are like an old couple who’s been married for 25 years and has seen it all and value sleep over fun. 

A and I did not go out with them. I do remember hearing that some members of our group almost got kicked out of the hotel for being too loud, but that wasn’t going to be my problem. My problem, however, ended up being that I was starting to get sick. Yes, just a few days into my dream vacation with Contiki, I contracted the Contiki Cough. Let me tell you,she is a BITCH. I was the second person to start getting sick, and just a heads up LO, you were going to be sick the rest of the trip, as well into a month later once you get home. The Contiki Cough fucked you good. I was going to power through this though, I wasn’t going to let this ruin my time. So the next day, we were given a tour around Lucerne by the lovely Jake, and were taken to some shops where they make watches and chocolate. Then, we were given the afternoon to explore, go get lunch, and take in the sights. Lucerne is such a hidden gem. The water here is GORGEOUS. We grabbed some lunch with a fellow Floridian, and then walked around the town. A and I explored an old graveyard (a hobby of mine) and then we went down to the lake. The lake is STUNNING. We sat there for a good hour, taking in the view, which I can best describe as something off of a postcard. It wasn’t too hot, there were lots of lovely boats and ducks. Then we had a boat ride that was an extra excursion that took us around the lake. God what a wonderful experience that was. 

After we disembarked the boat, we were taken to a dinner show. That was also an....experience. It was a fondue style experience where we enjoyed wonderful cheese and chocolate which we dipped many a thing in. There were some traditional musicians there playing local instruments, and we crazy ass cow that comes around and scares you at your table when it runs around. We were then allowed to either ride the bus back or stay in town to go out. A and I decided to stay in town, but we changed our mind and decided to head back, so we caught a train? Above ground subway tube thing? Idk. I was sick so I didn’t feel like doing too much. I was hoping that this was something I could sleep off. Boy was I wrong. The next day we were headed to Austria, and I was so excited to finally go back. Just like Germany, I couldn’t remember the time when I had last visited, so this was going to be special for me. 

Here’s a little anecdote for you, I snore. Knowing that I snore, I brought earplugs along for myself and A. The last morning in Switzerland, A woke up, and we began packing our things. He was looking all over for his ear plugs, which always seemed to fall out of his ears during the middle of the night. Ok, no problem, I’m helping him look for it. He uses the light on his phone and spots it under the bed. He reached under and grabs it, pulls it out and looks at it. Screams. Throws it across the room and we both start dying of laughter. It wasn’t his ear plug. It was a crusty old used one that had grown rock hard over time. God that was so funny. 

That’s all for today, more memories tomorrow.

-traveLO-