#i love the switch from colored to black and white in the discover pack too when he meets the other Minho (assumedly)

[minhoinator]

okay not to be me and read too much into this but this being part of the "discover" pack of pictures, and it's him + his reflection.....discovering himself, chasing himself...does this mean that Minho is the villain of his story as well as the hero, and he has to overcome himself? is that what's happening here or is this just a picture of him and his reflection alsdkfa

[thesightstoshowyou]

Hurt Me

John Ryder (The Hitcher 2007) x F Reader (NSFW)

Summary: Your car breaks down along a deserted stretch of road. The man that stops to pick you up might be the best or worst thing to ever happen to you.

There is a disturbing lack of content for this man and I intend to remedy that.

Warnings: Dubcon, masochistic reader, mention of family death, knife play, blood play, fear play, fingering, slapping, violence, blood, creampie

 ~~

            Smoke billows from under the hood of your 1999 Piece of Garbage Accord. You curse under your breath, hitting the steering wheel with your palms as though that will stop the inevitable death of the engine. With a final, guttering sigh, the car rolls to a stop along the endless stretch of New Mexican highway.

           Stupid fucking car.

           You’d done as the signs had instructed. You hadn’t run the air conditioning all day, instead leaving the windows down so miserably hot, desert air could blow your hair into a rat’s nest. Still, your shitty car had decided to die anyway.

           After banging your head against the steering wheel for a solid minute, you pop the hood and slip out of the car. You stare at the innards of your smoking vehicle, wondering why the hell you’re even bothering. You know nothing about cars. You don’t even know what’s wrong let alone how to fix it.

           The sun had set about two hours ago, and the heat had gone with it. The thick layer of sweat that had accumulated over your entire body like a slimy shell is now chilling you to the bone, your thin jacket doing little to keep you warm. A breeze picks up too, making you shiver and hunch down further in your coat.

           Scrubbing a hand down your face, you walk to the yellow line along the side of the highway, looking despairingly back and forth. You are alone, the rushing of wind and chirping of crickets the only sound. You’d maybe only seen about three cars all day and even if someone drove by, the likelihood they would stop to pick you up is minimal. No one picks up hitchhikers anymore.

           Your cell phone had croaked last week and you had yet to acquire enough funds to replace it. So, your options are to walk until you find a gas station or wait in your car for…for what? A miracle?

           Decision made for you, you retrieve your keys and wallet and head east. You can’t remember what the last sign had said about the next service station, but you have a sneaking suspicion it is much farther than you’re comfortable walking. You wore the wrong shoes for this.

           Hours passed and you’re still plodding along down the road. Your hips and knees ache and your shoes have rubbed your ankles raw. You’re just beginning to hope a pack of coyotes will come and kill you when you hear it; the rumbling of an engine careening down the road toward you.

           You twist around and see a set of headlights approaching quickly. You wave your arms and try to look as distressed as you can. Please, please, please stop….

           The car slows. You can feel the noisy roar of the engine vibrating in your own chest. A black Trans Am rolls to a stop ahead of you.

           “Jesus, thank you, thank you,” you repeat, running to the open window. Bending to peek inside you find a lone middle-aged man, caramel colored hair trimmed short, copious stubble peppering a strong jaw. He flashes you a disarming smile, white teeth almost abnormally straight.

           “You okay? Was that your car I saw back there?” he asks, voice deep and smooth like bourbon. Your eyes flick to the wedding ring on his finger. If he’s married that might cut down on the chance of him being a murderer.

           “Yeah, the old bitch died on me.” The man chuckles and you can’t help the smile that pulls at your lips.

           “Hop in, I’ll take you to the next gas station.” He seems nice enough, but that’s how they get you, isn’t it? But what choice did you have? Keep walking until your feet bleed or until you freeze to death? What are the odds he’ll hurt you, anyway?

           “Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.” You slip into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut. The engine roars and you’re off, speeding down the road at a speed you’re not entirely comfortable with. You’re loath to say anything, though, lest you lose your ride. You buckle your seatbelt instead.

           “I’m John,” he says, quickly throwing another charming smile your way before turning his eyes back to the road. You tell him your name and fight the blush creeping across your cheeks. He’s handsome, no denying that, but something feels a bit off. It’s his eyes. They’d looked…empty. The smile hadn’t reached them.

             It’s warm in the cab, much warmer than outside. You slip out of your jacket, John unabashedly watching as you do. Married, you’re married, dude….

            “Where you headed?” he asks, fiddling with the stereo. Some sappy love song croons through the speakers. John switches it off, instead letting the hum of the engine fill the car.

            “Amarillo. My, uh…my aunt passed. Her funeral’s tomorrow.”

            “Oh, sorry to hear.”

            “Thanks. How about you?” You’re anxious to change the subject before you recall too much of the conversation with your mother you’d had earlier in the week. John hums in thought at your question.

             “Wherever I end up.” You find that answer odd. What about the wedding ring? Doesn’t he have a wife?

             “No one…no one to get home to?” you inquire, unease beginning to settle in your belly. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches you glancing at his ring. His lips twitch up in a smirk.

             “No.”

             “Oh,” is all you can come up with. You swallow, regretting your decision to get in this car. So, he doesn’t have a wife? Or something happened to her? You don’t understand, but you’re afraid to ask, afraid to know the answer.

             Glancing at the passenger side door, you find there is no door handle. Your heart stutters. There’s no visible lock either. John must notice because he chuckles again, low and dark.

            You shriek when he slams on the breaks, your seatbelt catching you hard in the chest but saving you from smashing into the dash. John cranks the wheel, whipping the car onto a dirt side road. Your nails dig into the seat as the car thunders down the uneven path before skidding to a stop.

            There’s nothing around you but an endless stretch of moonlight desert, no one around for miles and miles. No one to save you. You’re alone, completely alone with this man. Get out, run.

            You scrabble at your seatbelt but as soon as it slips off your shoulder there’s a click to your left. You freeze when cool steel meets your throat. A knife. You release a tremulous exhale through your nose and settle back into your seat, your heart slamming against your ribs so loud you think he can probably hear it.

           “Good girl,” John purrs, killing the engine and unbuckling his own seat belt. The sudden silence is unnerving, no noise around you but for your shallow breaths. He reaches under his seat and pulls the lever, sliding the seat back as far as it can go. “C’mere,” he says, spreading his legs and patting his thigh.

           You stare at him fearfully, eyes wide. You can’t believe this is happening, can’t believe your shit luck. Out of all the people in this entire state to pick you up, it had to be this psycho.

            You hiss when he presses the knife into your skin just hard enough to prick and draw blood. It’s a warning. As scarlet trickles down past the collar of your shirt, you suppress the shiver the stinging pain brings, clench your thighs to stop the pleasure that zings up between them. Not now. That is the last thing you need.

            Sweat beading along your brow, you clamber over the center console to straddle his legs and settle into his lap. That smile is back, friendly, pleasant but for his eyes. His eyes are dead, empty as he drags them down your figure. You quickly look away, not wanting him to see the flush in your cheeks.

            Out of the corner of your eye, you watch John’s eyes narrow curiously. Knife still pressed against your flesh, he grips your chin with his free hand, turning your head until you’re looking at him again. You tremble in his grip, two parts terrified of him, one part fearful he’s going to discover your little secret.

            He knows something is up. You can see it in the way his eyes study your rosy cheeks and heaving chest. Leisurely, he drags the knife lightly down your sternum, between your breasts, past your waist before lifting the hem of your shirt with the blade. You squeak when he exposes your bra before stuffing the edge of your shirt in your mouth.

           “Hold that,” he orders before turning his attention to your abdomen. In a flash he cuts you, blade slicing horizontally through your flesh, deep crimson spilling down your stomach and soaking into your jeans. As hot, sharp pain morphs into sticky pleasure, your muffled scream tapers off into a warbly moan. You flush a dark red, hating yourself for allowing that noise to escape you.

            “Interesting,” he murmurs before ripping your shirt from your mouth, sawing through the fabric and tearing it away from your body. You screech and thrash, falling still when the knife returns to your neck. The metallic scent of your blood fills the cab, sharp and pungent in your nose.

            Once again, blade meets flesh and John carves a sloppy line under your collar bone. You grunt and try your best to stifle the mewl that slips off your tongue, but he hears it anyway. John lets out a breathy laugh, smearing the blood leaking from the newest slash up your neck with the palm of his hand.

            “Never seen that before,” he comments, more to himself than you. Tears prick at the corners of your eyes, your bottom lip quivering under his bloody thumb when he caresses the skin. He continues, speaking directly to you now, “You like it.”

            You shake your head, another scream ripping from your throat when he traces a rib with the blade, splitting your flesh open until you’re leaking crimson. You can’t mask the shaky moan, the “Please,” that sneaks from your mouth and you hang your head in shame. Between your thighs, you’re burning, soaking your underwear, quivering and needy. Desperate for friction, you grind down into his lap, pulling a startled grunt from him.

            “Fuck,” John mutters, fisting a hand in your hair and yanking your head back, latching onto your neck and dragging his tongue through the blood smeared across your skin. He bites you under the jaw, hard, probably hard enough to break the skin. You whine and arch into his mouth, hand flying to the window to brace yourself.

             “How far have you taken this?” he asks, tilting your head back down until you’re looking into his dead eyes. There’s a spark there now, curiosity and a little heat. You release a haggard breath and shake your head to calm your racing thoughts.

             “U-um, I…have—haven’t, really,” you stammer. Why are you telling him this? John’s eyes narrow. He’s connecting the dots.

            “No one knows,” he says, mouth splitting into a grin, “Do they?” It isn’t a question. He can read you like a fucking book. He groans under his breath when you look away, blinking away the tears pooling along your bottom lid.

            “It’ll be our secret,” he murmurs, tapping the flat of the knife against your lips. He releases your hair, fingers going to the button of your shorts and snapping them open. You tense and whimper when he pushes his hand inside to drag his fingers along your drenched slit.  

             “Fucking Christ,” he exclaims, pulling his hand from your panties and forcing you to look at your slick coating his fingers. He meets your heavy-lidded gaze and sucks the wet digits into his mouth. You inhale sharply, biting the inside of your cheek.

             His hand returns to your underwear and he pushes two fingers past your folds, curling them delightfully. You keen, hips bucking into his hand when he massages that tender spot within you. His other hand goes to your hip, urging the roll of your hips.

             “Fuck yourself, good, like that,” he instructs, hand leaving your hip to slip the knife under your ear. You can help the pleased little noises that escape you as you grind down onto his fingers. Delicious heat curls in your gut and, deliriously, you wonder how many shades of fucked up you are to be enjoying this.

             “You want me to hurt you?” John asks, pulling your face down until your lips are inches from his own. You pant, only hesitating a moment before you nod. “Ask me,” he says through gritted teeth, huffing quietly when your wet cunt squelches around his fingers.

             “P-Please…please h-hurt me, John,” you whisper. Christ, what if he kills you? Had you just signed your own death certificate?

             “Polite,” John comments. Lightning fast, he twists and sinks the blade into the hand you have splayed out on the center console. You scream, tensing, riding out the putrid agony as it immobilizes your arm and groaning noisily as the pain is slowly replaced with feverish pleasure. You clench around the fingers inside you, feeling the heat curling into tight pressure.

             “Jesus, you’re gonna cum, aren’t you?” He sounds shocked and almost…excited. You don’t hear what he says next as that pressure within you implodes, shock waves wracking your core. You sob, bowing forward as your hips twitch through mind-numbing climax.

             John gives you no time to come down from your high. He rips the knife from you hand, pulling another shriek of pain from your throat. You cradle your mangled palm to your chest as he throws the car door open.

             He shoves you hard and you tumble out the door with a muffled cry, sprawling on your ass in the dirt. John quickly follows, digging a hand in your hair and hauling you to your feet with the other hand under your armpit. Half shoving, half dragging, he forces you to the front of the car and shoves you down over the hood. The metal is still warm under your uninjured palm as you brace for the inevitable. Your heart races in your chest and you know you would beg for it if he wanted you to.

             John rips your shorts off your hips. You hear the hasty slide of his zipper and the rustle of clothing and then you feel him at your entrance, hot and hard. One forceful thrust and he buries his cock completely within you.

             You shout, the sweet ache of such a sudden intrusion making your stomach muscles clench. John wastes no time in hammering you into the hood of his car, heedless of any pain you might be feeling. He’s trying to hurt you, after all.

             “Fuck, that’s tight,” John groans, using the hand in your hair to wrench your neck back painfully, too far. Your grunts of pain turn high and girlish, every brutal snap of his hips making the line between pleasure and pain blur until you can’t tell which is which anymore.

             Drool and tears spill from you face onto the golden wings of the Firebird beneath your palms. You feel John’s fingers sneaking up your waist. He digs his nails into the gash on your ribs and your scream echoes across the quiet desert. Your vision narrows to pinpoints and your head lolls, falling against the hood with a quiet thud.

             “No, not yet,” John growls, pulling out of you and flipping you onto your back. He slaps you across the cheek and your eyes snap open. You blink wildly, trying to orient yourself, but he’s already throwing your legs over his shoulder and lining up again.

             “Look at me,” he orders, gripping your jaw and forcing your gaze to his. You see stars when he fucks into you, pitiful whimpers spilling from your parted lips.

             “Yeah, yes, please, John, please, god, god, oh god—

             You’re speaking, you think, but you’re not sure what you’re saying. Maybe you cum again, but the pain is finally starting to win out, your torso and hand throbbing in time with your fluttering heart. You’re dizzy, the Earth lurching horribly when you turn your head. You’ve lost too much blood you think, or maybe you’re still reeling from the orgasm.

             Finally, John’s hips meet yours with one final, harsh thrust. Distantly, you hear him moan your name, feel the warmth in your cunt as he paints it white. Your eyelids droop and you reach out to clumsily pat his forearm.

             John drops your legs. Without him to hold you up, you slip off the hood, landing in the dirt a second time with a grunt. You shiver, the ground cold against your bare skin. Cold, and so, so tired….

**

             You awake to bright, piercing light behind your eyelids. You blink, scrunching your eyes. There’s an IV pole above you, bags dripping into a pump. You follow the line down to your arm. Scratchy hospital sheets grate against your legs, the stiff gown sagging down your shoulder. You ache in so many places, the deepest of which is between your legs.

             “Officer, she’s awake!” Blearily, you look up as two cops enter the room. They look uncomfortable, glancing to one another, silently deciding who will speak first.

Memory hits you like a punch in the gut. John. He hadn’t killed you after all. What happened after you passed out?

             The officers kindly explain you were assaulted and dumped, bloody and half-dead behind a motel along the highway. They ask if you remember anything. You tell them the wrong make and model of vehicle. You say you were unconscious the rest of the time. You don’t remember.

             “Nothing at all?” You shake your head. They ask a few more questions, none of which you answer with anything useful. Once you’re alone again, you lift up the gown to inspect the stiches on your abdomen, gently tracing the wound along your ribs. You flinch when it stings and a small smile creeps across your face.

[nerdpiggy]

Tell us about your ocs!! I'm genuinely curios bc of the tags

[ID: Meme of Hatsune Miku smiling. Top text reads "Thanks for sending me a message". Bottom text reads "You're very cute and I will be replying to you".]

Robin "Robbie" Fuller: The character i play in a DND campaign.

they/them pronouns. they're nonbinary and asexual and don't care to label their romantic attraction.

They're 22 years old and 5'9" (175cm)

Their birthday is November 12th. they're a scorpio

They started off as a Mundane MOTW character and they're now a level 7 warlock in DND. They're a human

They live in a small coastal town in massachusetts called Holyoak and they go to the local college to learn culinary. They live in a single dorm and they have a cute widdle black cat named Chickadee

One day (for various reasons) their life was flip-turned upside down with discovering the existence of monsters, portals, different dimensions, and rifts in spacetime

One of the reasons for them discovering all of this was them meeting a man named Thomas who's a human from a different dimension called the Palisades. He's a well-known Judge over there. (Thomas is @bevtastic 's character)

Robbie gets an offer to join the Interdimensional Defence Agency (IDA), says fuck it and accepts, and Robbie and Thomas stay friends by virtue of their similar jobs.

Robbie is tasked to go to a different dimension (A half-medieval half-wild west desert town called Argyle) to stop a threat that was growing there. Threat turned out to be a massive mind-controlling dragon who wanted revenge for the rest of her dragon species that were killed off by medieval "heroes". Robbie was not cut out for this as their first job. They (with help) subdue the dragon eventually but not before she burned down multiple towns including Argyle to a crisp. Robbie feels very bad about this.

Robbie, Thomas, and the rest of the party receive a mysterious letter leading them to an old abandoned mansion in Holyoak and get roped into a rescue mission to save Thomas's old friend Percy who has apparently been bodysnatched by a bad guy and trapped somewhere for what felt like thousands of years. This is the arc where we switched from Monster of the Week to DND, and Robbie gets connected to a nature deity Adelaide through a purple necklace. They also get a familiar, who is an owl with pitch-black feathers and glowing yellow pupilless eyes that Robbie named Mr. Muffins.

Robbie and Thomas become very good friends :)

Thomas dies.

Robbie goes to the Palisades to find out what happened to him. Turns out he wanted to reveal the secret of interdimensional travel to the public and work to make it open, free, and safe. The people in charge did not allow him to do this by legal means so he aimed to do it illegally, which was when he was murdered by a group of bandits.

On top of that, one of the main reasons why he wanted to reveal the different dimensions is because there is a HUGE interdimensional threat coming our way, and we need to act on it if we want to live.

Percy finds Robbie and asks them to help with this threat, who apparently is a singular person named Siris that has been locked in a prison for thousands of years and somehow got out. Robbie doesn't have much of a choice and accepts.

In the Palisades, there are monsters called Behemoths. they emerge from people who get bitten by a behemoth or who touch the black tar-like substance that runs like rivers in certain areas of the Palisades. During a battle, Robbie gets bitten by a Behemoth, and now they're a candidate for Behemism (aka turning into big giant monster syndrome).

Because Robbie has Behemism and Siris is part of the reason for Behemism existing, they're mind roommates now. Robbie and Siris do not get along very well.

There's more to Robbie but this is their main backstory!!!

[ID: a drawing of Robbie holding a chrysanthemum. They have short pink curly hair, and they're wearing a yellow floral button-up and a purple necklace. They have bandages on their freckled face and they're looking down at the chrysanthemum with a neutral expression.]

Emile Azarel: A character i play in a different campaign that does MOTW.

He/him pronouns, he's trans, demisexual, and demiromantic.

He's 19 and he's 5'3

He doesn't know his actual birthday but the day he celebrates is January 23rd

His MOTW class is The Expert. He's a fire genasi

He was born in central Russia but he doesn't know his parents well because when he was ~8 months old there was a big monster attack that unfortunately killed his parents. A monster hunter named Avery Azarel found Emile, took him in and raised him.

Emile learned to hunt monsters with Avery and the two traveled around together as monster hunters.

Eventually Emile wished to have a solid place to live rather than constantly traveling, because he wanted friends. He found a town in the pacific northwest called Salmon Peak that had everything he wanted: Russian culture, a fairly small easy-to-get-around layout, and some very weird mysteries going on. (Just because Emile wanted to settle didnt mean he wanted to stop monster hunting!)

He moved to Salmon Peak and has met a bunch of new friends! He's also learning more and more about the town, which is turning out to be somehow even weirder than he expected.

Emile is a very sweet, polite boy, but considering the fact that he's only ever been around one person mainly for his entire life, he has a bit of a ways to go when it comes to interacting with people. The monster hunting life means that when there's a monster, you kill it and that usually solves all your problems. Emile has transferred this logic to people as well (if they're a monster, kill em!) and he's learning through friend influence that maybe human lives are a bit more sacred than that.

His favorite color is blue because he loves the sky!

A lot of people underestimate his skills because he's little and looks very young, but he is a very good monster hunter. Because of Avery (the best monster hunter in the biz), his last name has a bit of a reputation.

Emile is blind, autistic, and has vitiligo!

I have much more planned for Emile but I can't say it here because it is MAJOR spoilers!

[ID: a drawing of Emile walking forward. He is wearing a blue shirt with stars on it, blue jeans, a fluffy white jacket, a belt with a star on it, star earrings, a moon necklace, and black shoes. His blue hair is swaying behind him and he's holding a white cane with a red tip. He's smiling slightly.]

Avery Azarel: Emile's parent! I've not played them as a character yet but I've made a character sheet for them.

they/them pronouns. They're agender, aromantic, and pansexual

their age is (???) and their height is 5'7

they have a birthday but nobody knows when it is

Their MOTW class is The Chosen. they appear human

They're widely considered the best monster hunter in the biz. Their name is well-known and they're requested for help all around the world

Because of this, they're constantly traveling and having a house would not make sense. They just pack their things, stay at motels/hotels/etc., camp in the woods and move around to wherever people need them.

Since they've been pretty much everywhere, they always seem to know at least one person from each town. They never seem to get too close to anyone, though

They are fluent in many different languages!

In the past they were paired up with another monster hunter and they made a great duo. That was a couple decades ago; they go solo now.

Years ago, an unexpected and incredibly destructive monster rampaged a small town in Central Russia. Avery came as fast as they could (they were nearby in the area) but they still couldn't finish off the beast before it tore the whole town to shreds. Dozens of homes were crushed, but surprisingly most people survived, with the exception of a couple of people who died under the rubble. Avery felt awful (this was their biggest failure in a while), and as they were searching through the rubble for any more casualties they found little baby Emile, miraculously unscathed. They took him in and raised him from then on.

Nobody, not even Emile, knows very many details about Avery's childhood, their family, their age, or really any information about them. (Emile has been trying to figure out Avery's birthday for AGES so they can celebrate, but Avery has refused to budge)

Their main weapon is 2 pairs of bolas! those are those chains with 2 balls on either end, usually made to be thrown at people's legs to restrain and trip them. they use the bolas both as restraining tools and as their main weapon, because i think weapons where you spin them really fast in front of you are cool

There's a scar over their left eye; whenever someone asks how they got it they always spin a different elaborate tale of an epic monster battle. Nobody knows which (if any) is the true story

there is a WHOLE LOT that I am leaving out if you couldn't tell. There's a huge chunk of their past that I'm leaving out because it's all a big bundle of spoilers. Someday I will be able to elaborate more on Avery!

[ID: a picrew made by djarn of Avery. They're smiling, their head is tilted slightly, and there's a scar over their left eye. Their hair is tied half-up half-down. They're wearing a black shirt with "òwó" on it and a blue jacket with an aromantic flag pin and a pansexual flag pin. the background is an agender flag.]

These are my main OC's! I have more (Orion, Nottwyrm, "Noodlearms", etc.) but these 3 are the main ones that I post about. :3 thank u for asking!!!

If you have any questions about any of my characters I always welcome asks!!! 💖

[atths--twice]

A Remarkable Christmas  1b/8

Chapter Two 

Christmas Morning 

It’s Christmas morning and Scully is playing Santa before she and Mulder take the time to spend the early morning together. 

Mulder jerked in his sleep, a snore escaping as he did, and Scully grinned. She knew he would not wake when she left the bed. Regardless, she got up quietly, pausing at the door to be sure he was still asleep before she left the room. When he did not move, she smiled again and walked down the stairs.

Heading straight to the kitchen, she let the Christmas tree be her only guiding light. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she took out the ingredients needed for pancakes, humming softly to herself as she mixed up the batter, readying it for the morning.

Covering the bowl with plastic wrap, she placed it in the refrigerator, and took out the pack of strawberries. She rinsed and cut them, still humming as she heard Bella move around in her bed, whining softly in her sleep, then breathing deeply once again. Smiling, she finished her task, placing the bowl of cut strawberries beside the pancake batter, and cleaned up the mess she had made.  

Turning around, she looked at the room full of decorations and shook her head with a smile. All of it was so beautiful and while it was a lot, Mulder had been right, they had needed every item from the bins. The new ones had been added and Faith had loved all of them.

She took a strong liking to a wooden gingerbread girl that had big green eyes, long brown braids and a sweet happy smile. It was like the pumpkin at Halloween; carried everywhere and brought into her bed at night.

“God, she’s really going to be a hoarder isn’t she?” Scully had groaned and Mulder smiled with a nod.

“We’ll get an extra shed for all the things she finds important: leaves, rocks, notes from friends, schoolwork…”

“Mulder, please stop. I… I feel itchy just thinking of the mountain of stuff we will have if we get an extra shed. You have enough crap in this house and out in the shed already. The basement too, Mulder…” She had moaned and he had given her a sheepish grin.

“Okay, okay. No extra shed,” he had laughed, pulling her close and keeping her in a tight hold. “We’ll just have to put up a storage system in her room.” She had tried to get away, huffing in mock exasperation, but his grip had been too tight. He had kissed her, causing her knees to go weak, and she had forgotten about anything else but the taste of that kiss.

Shaking her head once again, she walked over and listened as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Hearing him snoring lightly, she knew she had time to carry out her surprises.

Stepping into the office, a place that had not been used in a long time, she bent down and reached under the overstuffed chair to take out the wrapped gifts she had gotten for Mulder. Knowing he would have found them in any closet, on purpose or accidentally, she had hidden them under the chair, knowing he would never think that was where they would be.

It was just a few gifts, but she knew he would love each of them. Placing them under the tree, she walked back to the office and opened the closet door and took out the gifts for Faith from Santa: a small dollhouse, little chunky bodied dolls, and a doctor's kit which would be used properly and not in any naughty manner, as the one had in the past.

They had also gotten her some clothes, a couple of stuffed toys, and a new green fuzzy blanket with black alien faces on it. Faith would not understand the day, nor all the gifts, but they would.

Taking the wrapped gifts first, she set them beside Mulder’s under the tree. Going back to the office, she made two trips to set the unwrapped Santa gifts in front of the tree. Standing back, she smiled, thinking of all the parents who were doing the same thing tonight; adding magic into their child’s life.

She thought of her parents and how it must have been to keep the magic of Santa alive for four children of different ages and temperaments. Thinking of her youth, she remembered the happiness of Christmas morning; coming down the stairs, the rainbow colored lights of the tree so beautiful and calming, the pile of presents which had appeared in the night, and the smiles on her parents' faces as they opened them.

Sighing contentedly, she went back into the office one last time, took out the bag of stocking stuffers and walked over to the stairs. A new stocking had been added this year; a red and green one, smaller than the others, with a black paw print and the name Bella written in gold inside of it. Mulder had insisted on it, of course.

Into Bella’s stocking, she put a pack of bones, some treats, and a new chewy ball on which to gnaw. Faith’s stocking received some puffy snacks, a squishy snowman, and a small plastic snow globe which held Rudolph and Clarice together in the woods. Into Mulder’s stocking went a small bag of sunflower seeds, a new penlight, and a Sasquatch family magnet for the refrigerator. She smiled as she added that, knowing he would find it very funny.

She stared at Jackson’s stocking and sighed, the familiar tug of sadness pulling at her heart and settling into her stomach. Not knowing him, not really, she decided that she would add a letter to him every year at Christmas, telling him of what had transpired over the year. The likelihood of him ever reading them was low, but she thought that if he actually did, he would see that his presence had been missed.

Putting her letter inside the stocking, she patted it and took the plastic bag to the kitchen and put it away. She set the table, readied the coffee, and placed their mugs by the pot. Nodding as she looked around, she smiled. Walking past the snow globe, she turned it over, and set it down, watching the snow falling silently inside.

After it settled, she walked up the stairs and slipped back into bed, seeking warmth and cuddling close to Mulder. He mumbled in his sleep and put his arm around her, drawing her closer. Smiling, she felt her breathing match his and she fell asleep.

_________________

“Scully! Scully, wake up!” She heard him saying softly in her ear. “Scuuulllyyyy… come on, wake up.” She moaned and he laughed, the motion felt within her own body, at the position they were laying.

“Mulder…” she sighed and opened her eyes, discovering it was still dark outside. “Mulder! It’s not even light out yet. What is our Christmas rule?”

“We get up before our girl so we can have our Christmas first, at least for as long as we can before she wakes us up. Come on, I’m pretty sure Santa has been here,” he said quietly, holding her close and kissing her neck.

“Mmm, okay. I’m up,” she sighed, as she stretched, not exactly sure she was ready to leave their warm bed.

“Good. Let’s go!” He jumped out of bed and she gasped at the cold air that entered and then laughed at his excitement. She moved a bit slower, having been up later than he had.

She used the bathroom and brushed her teeth as he waited for her in the bedroom. With a sigh of finally, he handed her her robe and some socks, already wearing a zip up sweatshirt himself, and waited impatiently as she put them on. Reaching for her hand, she smiled and stopped him, leaning up for a kiss.  

“Merry Christmas, Mulder,” she whispered and he kissed her again.

“Merry Christmas, Scully,” he whispered back. “Now come on!” They laughed quietly as they went down the stairs and into the rainbow lit living room.

Bella shook herself awake, standing up and stretching, her tail wagging as she saw them. “I’ll take her out,” Mulder said, opening her crate and clipping on her leash.

Scully stopped by the stockings on the way to switch the coffee on, taking out the bag of Bella’s chewy bones, and then walked over to the tree, waiting for them to come back inside.

“Mulder,” she whispered, with a smile and a shake of her head, when she saw that a four piece alien family had been added to the dollhouse family.

The door opened quietly and he shivered as he and Bella came back inside, shutting the door behind him, and taking off his coat and boots.

“Smells like it might snow again. We could keep that white Christmas after all, or it could end up being far too warm and it all melts away… that’s climate change for you.” He unclipped Bella and she ran over to Scully, licking her good morning as she bent to pet her.

“Merry Christmas, Bella,” she said, rubbing her soft ears. Bella wiggled and licked at her nose and Scully laughed, opening the package of bones and giving her one. She took it and ran over to her bed to chew on it.  

“Mmm, that coffee smells good,” Mulder said, as he walked into the kitchen.

“I saw your addition of gifts to the ones from Santa,” Scully said, joining him by the coffee pot.

“I don’t know what you mean, Scully. I didn’t add anything. What’re you talking about?” he asked innocently, pouring and preparing their coffees.

“Nice try,” she said, taking the mug he offered to her. “That has your name all over it.”

“I seriously don’t know what you mean. It must have been Santa and the magic of Christmas,” he said with a smile and she grinned back. “Come on, let’s open gifts!”

She laughed as she followed him to the couch and set her mug on the coffee table. Walking over to the stockings first, she reached to take Mulder’s down, when she saw that an additional letter had been added to Jackson’s stocking. Her eyes filled with tears as Mulder came to stand beside her.

“I liked the idea, and I wanted to add my own letter to him as well,” he said softly, putting his arm around her. She nodded, squeezing his hand on her shoulder and reached again for his stocking as he reached for hers.

Looking at him quizzically, he shrugged. “I told you, Santa must have been here.” She smiled as they set the stockings on the coffee table and he continued over to the tree, gathering their gifts for each other.

He set them on the coffee table next to their stockings and sat down beside her on the couch. Looking over at her, he smiled and reached for their coffee mugs, handing hers to her. Clinking their mugs, they sat in the silence of the room, staring at the tree.

“I think we should do this as long as we can, take this time for us,” he said quietly and she nodded. “It’s not about the gifts, as neither of us needs anything, but this quiet before the Christmas morning truly begins, I enjoy spending it with you.”

“Good thing you married me then, huh?” she teased and he laughed, nodding his head.

“Okay! Open your stocking!” he said, setting down his mug and taking hers, putting it back on the coffee table. He picked up her stocking and laid it on her lap.

“This feels heavy,” she told him, lifting the stocking and finding it was quite hefty.

“Santa must have known you’ve been a really good girl this year,” he said with a shrug.

She smiled and reached inside, finding a handle of sorts, and frowning. Pulling out the item, she discovered it was a compact black umbrella and she chuckled softly. Remembering many days and nights spent under one like it, she turned her head and smiled at him.

“Open it,” he said, smiling back.

“Open it? Inside? And risk the bad luck?” she asked, astonished at his suggestion.

“It’s a superstition that I don’t believe in, Scully. Open it.” Smiling, she undid the Velcro strap and loosened the umbrella, pushing the button to fully open it.

“Oh, Mulder…” she whispered, holding it above their heads and looking up. While the outside may have been a plain unassuming black, on the inside it was as yellow as a sunny day. “It’s beautiful.”

“To remind you that the gray skies won’t be around for long,” he said softly and she sighed, meeting his eyes and smiling.

“I love it. Thank you.” She kissed him as he took it from her, closing it up again.

“Keep looking,” he said and she reached in the stocking again.

A dark chocolate bar and a pair of socks with flamingos in Santa hats. Laughing, she set them aside and picked up his stocking, handing it to him. He dug in excitedly, exclaiming over the items he found, jumping up to put the magnet on the refrigerator.

Coming back to the couch, he handed her another weighty gift. “Your turn,” he smiled and she ripped the paper off of the package.

“Mulder…” she said, lightly touching the book he had given her; a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

“It’s not exactly a first edition or anything, I mean I do want our daughter to go to college one day." He laughed and she smiled. “But it is old and I knew you would like it.”

“I love it. Thank you.” She flipped through it and read one of her favorites out loud, smiling as she closed it. “Okay, your turn. The middle one in your stack.”

He smiled as he took the one she said, tearing open the paper and lifting the lid from the box. Inside was a new pair of black gloves. He tried them on, nodding appreciatively.  

“I foresee many snowmen being built in our future and I felt it best you were prepared,” she explained and he chuckled.

“They’re perfect, thank you.” Taking them off, he handed her the next gift with a huge smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him and he pushed it closer to her, bouncing slightly as he bit his lip and grinned.

“Oh, I’m a bit nervous,” she said, holding the small box in her hands. She tore the paper carefully at the edges, as he chuckled softly. Ripping the paper off completely, a white box sat on her lap and he huffed.

“Open it!” he demanded with a laugh and she did so slowly, lifting the lid carefully. “Oh my God, Scully, you’re killing me.” He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs, sighing loudly as she giggled.

The lid off, she pulled back the green tissue as slowly as she had opened the box and he muttered menacingly under his breath. When she had finally opened the tissue, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“What in the hell is this?” she asked, staring at the shirt that lay in the box and then at him. He grinned wider than ever as she looked back at the shirt, taking it out of the box, completely speechless.

It was a white shirt with a black box frame in which a gray smiling alien was centered, a red heart near its left cheek. Underneath the pictures in white typewriter font were the words: He abducted my heart, with a black arrow pointing to the right.

“Isn’t it perfect?” he laughed and she opened and closed her mouth, not sure what to say. “Wait! You haven’t seen the best part.”

“The best part? Does it also glow in the dark?”

“Ohhhh, that would’ve been good, but no, it’s this.” Unzipping his hoodie, he showed her the shirt he was wearing underneath.

“Oh… my God, Mulder,” she breathed and then burst out laughing.

His shirt was black with a gray box frame, the same alien, but with the heart near its right cheek. The words written underneath were black and in the same font, but they said: She abducted my heart and the arrow pointing to the left, was white.  

“Huh? How perfect is this?” He pointed back and forth between them and she shook her head, taking off her robe and putting it on over her long sleeved pajama top.

Holding it out, she looked down at it and then at his. “It’s the most perfectly ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen." She laughed and he nodded as he looked at them together.

“It absolutely is, no question. Which is exactly why I had to buy them, it’s the perfect gift. I think I beat you, my gift is best.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s a good around the house only shirt.” He looked shocked and she stared at him. “Mulder, no way I would walk around wearing this outside.”

“Would it change your mind at all, if I said I also have one for Faith?”

“What?!”

From his sweatshirt pocket, he pulled out a light green shirt. A black box frame held two larger alien faces and one smaller one, two small red hearts under its face. In white letters it said: I’ve abducted both of their hearts.

“Mulder,” she whispered, taking the shirt from him, and scrunching her chin. “I love this so much. But the answer is still a firm hell no.” She looked at him and he laughed with a nod, admitting defeat. She leaned over and kissed him, thanking him for her gift.

“Open the top one now,” she said with a grin, knowing what was inside of course, and realizing it would be a bit of tit for tat after her gift.

He laughed as he took the two teal colored bags with the large orange fox on them, out of the box. Black acorns, leaves, and swirled designs were drawn on the bag. In white letters, interwoven between them, were the words Stay Foxy.

“I thought you might enjoy using something with your own name on it so as not to rely on Bob all the time,” she teased and he laughed again.

“So, I’m supposed to take these to the store and other places, use them, but the shirts are too much?” he teased back and she laughed.

“One hundred percent. No one knows your name unless you choose to tell them. These shirts are very cute, but we’re not a matching t-shirt family. At least not in public.” She smiled and he nodded.

“I know. I’m just teasing and perfectly happy to wear them here.”

“Of course, Faith’s is pretty cute…” She shrugged and he grinned.

“I’ll convince you yet,” he whispered, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, you’ve got one more.” He handed her a large, thin envelope sized package and she gave him a curious look.

Sliding her finger under the tape, she opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was printed information about a vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard. A small bungalow right on the beach had been rented for a weekend in the middle of January. He had included pictures of the town and an itinerary that did not exactly appear to include Faith.

Looking at him questioningly, he smiled. “Skinner and Rachel have agreed to watch Faith for that weekend.” She raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded, his own eyebrows raised.

“Wow, that’s…”

“I know. We’ll have some alone time…”

“I was thinking more like that’s a big step for them,” she mused, looking at the papers again. “I’m both elated and completely terrified.”

“I’d say that is the general consensus, judging by the amount of phone calls I’ve had from Skinner." He laughed and she sighed.

“I love this, and it might sound crazy, but I’m happier they will be having the time with Faith.” She looked at him and he raised his eyebrows.

“I did add amazing sex to the itinerary, didn’t I?” He took the papers from her and searched through them. “Yup, it’s here in bold, so it’s definitely a top priority.” She laughed as she took the papers back, seeing where he was pointing, and had indeed written amazing sex in bold.

“Thank you, Mulder. This will be wonderful. For all parties involved.” She set the papers down and held his face in her hands, kissing him softly. His tongue licked at her lips and he pulled her easily onto his lap.

“Hmmm… you have one more gift,” she murmured against his mouth and he kissed her again, nearly causing her to forget, but she wanted him to have the gift before Faith woke up. “Okay, let's pause this for later, I want you to open the last gift.” Kissing him once more, she climbed off of his lap and stood up, shaking her head, smoothing her hair, and breathing hard.

“Sure I can't persuade you?” he asked, looking rumpled and delicious. The desire to continue what they started was strong, but she had planned this and Faith was due to wake up very soon.

Turning around, she picked up his gift and handed it to him, sitting on the coffee table, instead of the couch. He looked at it and then at her.

“Open it,” she said softly, and he began to do so carefully. She watched him as he opened the box, feeling nervous about how he would feel about the gift and the idea that had been knocking around in her head.

“It’s a journal,” he said, and she nodded. “A really nice journal… but I… I’m sorry, honey…”

“I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly, taking the leather bound writing journal from him and thumbing through the blank pages. “I know you started the journal for Faith, and I love it, but I’ve been thinking about something else.” She looked at him and he smiled, waiting for her to continue. “You should write a book, Mulder. A children’s book.” He looked shocked and she laughed softly. “Hear me out.”

She handed the journal back to him and took a deep breath. “You’re an amazing writer, always have been, and I think you should take the stories of our cases, and put them into a children’s series.”

“Scully,” he said with an incredulous laugh. “They are hardly stories for children.” She smiled and nodded, knowing full well that most of the cases would not classify as child friendly.

“So, you change things a bit. Make it funny or just a little scary,” she said with a shrug. “I know it’s sometimes easier to type away on the laptop, but for me, there’s something about seeing your own handwriting filling a book with ideas that seems to make it real.” She looked at the journal and opened it to the first page, where she had written an inscription.

He looked down and read it out loud. “For the beginning of your journey. Write it down. Put it in a book. Love, Scully.”  He raised his eyes to hers and she smiled, remembering the last time she had said those words to him.

“I know you can do this,” she whispered with a smile. He stared at her and then closed the journal, setting it beside him and pulling her into his lap again.

“Thank you. I love it and I love you,” he whispered as he held her close.

“I love you too.”

A cry from upstairs broke the silence of the room and she pulled back, kissing him softly and leaving his lap. He picked up the journal and stood beside her with a smile.

“I think this will be a great idea,” he said, looking into her eyes.

“I know, that’s why I got it,” she teased him, and he laughed as Faith cried again.

“You wait here, I’ll go get her,” he said, and she agreed. “Oh!” He turned around and grabbed the alien shirt for Faith, kissed Scully’s laughing mouth, and ran up the stairs two at a time.

Smiling, she looked around the room once more, taking in its beauty. She heard Mulder speaking to Faith, telling her about the shirt he was putting on her and how much Mama truly loved it.

Shaking her head, she looked down at her own shirt; at the gray alien with a red heart, and she smiled.

He abducted my heart.

Yes, he surely had, she thought with another smile, as she heard them on the stairs, and Mulder announced they were coming down. Excitement bubbled in her stomach as she waited, ready to experience the wonder and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of her daughter.

________________________________________________

Oh, I just love them happy and being normal and loving. I hope you enjoyed this story. My friend Cheyenne created the picture of the shirts mentioned in the story. I saw that and HAD to add it to as a gift. It is SUCH a Mulder type of gift. 

Also, I saw the bags Scully gives Mulder in Michael’s during Christmas time, when the world was still normal.... I had to include that as I think she would enjoy teasing him with something like it. ❤️

Here’s a picture of the shirts in case anyone was curious about them. Well, the ones Mulder and Scully wear anyway. Faith’s was not a part of it until I added it into the story. 😊👽

[221brownstone]

Vulture: Elementary’s Joan Watson Is the Best-Dressed Detective on TV

In the seventh and final season of Elementary, Joan Watson is blonde. The character’s style has constantly evolved alongside her detective career and partnership with Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), but in all her years on the show, there has been very little change to Lucy Liu’s locks. With just 13 episodes left, though, Joan has drastically altered her hair, which in turn means one last style shake-up for the best-dressed detective on TV.

Credit for that goes to costume designer Rebecca Hofherr, who has worked on the CBS procedural since its second episode in 2012, and who has guided Joan’s transformation from predominantly casual-leaning clothing to more structured menswear-inspired pieces. Hofherr spoke to Vulture about the narrative and fashion influences behind Joan’s costume evolution, including how they put their own stamp on an iconic duo and the sartorial challenges of shooting a 20-plus-episode season in New York City.

Joan’s styling was much more relaxed in the first year of Elementary. As his sober companion, her relationship with Sherlock was initially a professional commitment. She was not yet a detective and she was very much in the background of the investigation scenes. “Her clothing was very casual because that’s what the job called for,” Hofherr says. As Joan got more versed in the crime-solving world, her role shifted from sober companion to Sherlock’s protégée. By the second season, her costuming moved toward a slightly more sophisticated and buttoned-up approach. “As cheesy as it might sound, you need to put on a little more armor when dealing with the NYPD and all these criminals,” says Hofherr.

Joan’s wardrobe isn’t an either/or between suits and dresses, or even casual and business attire. She didn’t become a detective and suddenly stop wearing comfortable clothing. The suits reflect a change in Joan’s status and independence as an investigator, but dresses and sandals are still a vital style ingredient. During one Hofherr’s first conversations with Liu, they agreed Joan should “feel like a real New Yorker.” Expanding on this, Hofherr included staple items such as blazers or sandals, which most women have in their closets to dress an outfit up or down. “It was really nice to be able to incorporate them into a professional world for Joan,” she says.

Discovering the true cost of a TV character’s wardrobe is an eye-opening experience. Joan’s closet is definitely packed with high-end items — Hofherr’s go-to favored designers for Joan include Victoria Beckham, Saint Laurent, Isabel Marant, and Stella McCartney, with Rag & Bone as her signature bootee choice — but to ensure her clothing reflected that New Yorker aspect, Hofherr also shopped at Zara and H&M. “It was really important to do a mix,” she says. “I think that’s pretty much how everyone shops. I don’t think it’s realistic to only shop at high-end stores.”

Noticeable costume repeats tend to be outerwear, but Hofherr also uses staple investment pieces such as high-waisted black pencil Victoria Beckham pants. (Dressing them with an inexpensive top, she adds, is “a great way to get a lot of outfits out of a really expensive pair of pants.”) There is an aspirational element to Joan’s garments, but the high-low mixing reflects how a lot of people shop. Hofherr also notes with a laugh that “pretty much everything Lucy wore from Zara, I also own. I was like, Oh, I can afford that.”

The one item that has appeared in all seven seasons? Joan’s red men’s Elder Statesman “house sweater.” Most people have a cozy garment that they only wear in the comfort of their own home, Hofherr explains, and Joan is no different. Sherlock and Joan’s brownstone home doubles as their office, but she wouldn’t be wearing suits at all hours of the day and night while solving a case. As Liu has worn this sweater so many times on the show, Hofherr says that not only has it molded to her body but it also has the pulls of a well-loved garment. It is also a color Joan doesn’t typically wear, which visually makes it a “nice change.”

Joan doesn’t eschew color, but a black-and-white motif runs through the first season to the last. Regardless of whether it is a suit, skirt, or a more casual outfit, sticking with the same color tone allows for experimentation with pattern. In the above outfit from season four’s “The Games Underfoot,” she wears a Saint Laurent polka-dotted tie with a checkered J.O.A. skirt and polka-dotted Ji Oh blouse. Sometimes the costume choice reflects Joan’s career, but on occasions like this one, it shows that Joan has a “fashionable side” too. “She can throw these things together and look really cute,” Hofherr says.

Two big style turning points emphasize Joan’s drive for equal footing with Sherlock as a detective. First came the ties, introduced at the end of season three. Suits followed, making their initial sartorial stamp in season five. The message is clear: Long gone are the days when Joan was Sherlock’s student. As with a lot of Joan’s costuming, she doesn’t stick to one specific suit-and-tie combo. In fact, the Marc Jacobs shirt above (which Hofherr got from one of her go-to sites, Shopbop) is a bit of an optical illusion, as it doesn’t even include a tie. Vests were thrown into the mix after Hofherr made the decision to stick with suits. It is also a nod to her relationship with Sherlock: Up to this point, Hofherr points out, vests have been Sherlock’s thing, so this costume mirroring is “a little nod to her respecting him so much.”

“I went to all ends of the Earth!” Hofherr laughs when talking about the many ties Joan has worn on Elementary. Men’s offerings were out of the question for someone of Liu’s stature, as they are just too wide and long. She snapped up everything Saint Laurent and Gucci had on offer, but she also shopped at uniform companies, bought a few kids’ ties, and even made them in-house. Maybe a Joan Watson tie line should be next? “If all these designers are going to sell women’s suits, I would love for them to start making women’s ties,” Hofherr suggests.

Another later costume addition was the Victorian-style Isabel Marant blouse. In part, this outfit was a hat tip to the original Holmes and Watson, but it also added another variation on the suit theme. One of the biggest challenges when doing a show with a full 20-plus-episode order is obtaining enough clothing, particularly for a fashion-forward character like Joan. Hofherr says that she needs 50 outfits a month — on average, Joan has five changes per episode — and costuming was made trickier because designers don’t typically replenish their collections between seasons. “We end up making a lot of clothes based on designs we love and change a few things because I can’t find 20 Victorian-style blouses or 20 men’s-style blouses,” Hofherr laments. “I can find five, but then that’s it for four months.”

Fashion seasons are not the only Elementary costume challenge, as shooting outside in New York City from July to May means having to find clothing that fits all weather cycles. (The 13-episode final season was a bit easier, though, because they only shot until December.) Sherlock sticks to the same styles — “This guy would buy 20 of the same shirts, the same sport coat, and the same pants,” Hofherr says — and he has also worn the same Tom Ford winter peacoat for seven years. On the flip side, Joan has many changes, but she isn’t going to have a different coat for each outfit, as that is neither practical or realistic for either the character or the designer. Hofherr’s preference was to have between five and ten on hand: “If we got the coats fitted and ready to go we could just recycle them episode after episode.” Outerwear is something that is repeated across various seasons — including the Alice + Olivia coat above — but accessories like hats, gloves, and scarves are switched out to keep things fresh.

Sometimes the weather also dictates the type of hat required: “I originally got that hat because we were shooting outside one day in the rain and they didn’t want to have umbrellas,” Hofherr says. The wider brim of this Barneys-brand men’s hat has since been worn on a number of occasions, as has the tie-waist Marissa Webb windowpane check coat (which will reappear in the final season).

Of course, the story also dictates what Hofherr chooses for Joan. At the end of season six, creator Rob Doherty didn’t know if they were going to get renewed, so they shot two different endings. This particular Diane von Furstenberg dress fit both the ending we saw and the alternative they filmed — though Hofherr couldn’t provide any other details without spoiling the end of season seven as well. “I wanted it to be timeless, as I didn’t know if it was the last time we were ever going to see Joan Watson,” she says. “It was a little bit of an ode to all the Joans we have seen throughout the seasons. I felt a suit would have been a different look for that final scene.” No surprise, then, that it is also one of Hofherr’s costume highlights.

Hofherr couldn’t pick a single favorite outfit, but this one she considers to be the most significant. At the end of season three, Sherlock has almost killed a man and relapsed, but Joan’s loyalty doesn’t waver. “This is where we start to see the Joan that we will forever know,” says Hofherr. “And I think this is the best version of Joan too.” The pink skirt is by Roland Mouret and the shirt is Uniqlo, which is another high-low outfit mix. It also happens to be the first time Joan wears a tie, which is a huge style turning point.

Hofherr also spoke in depth about working with Liu, not only as an actress but in her role as a director. (She has stepped behind the camera six times on Elementary.) Referring to Liu as “one of the most inspirational women I’ve had in my life” — she also did the costume design on the Liu-starring Netflix rom-com Set It Up — she says Liu is “willing to take risks, but she knows exactly when to take them.”

Which brings us back to the blonde mystery. Hofherr had already FaceTimed with Liu sporting her new hair color, but the styling was a task of its own. “She walked in for her first fitting of the final season and I didn’t recognize her,” said Hofherr laughing. They did plan fewer outfits than previous seasons’ fittings, she adds, “because we were figuring out what works with the blonde hair and what doesn’t.” Don’t worry: There are still plenty of outfits to come, particularly in the last two episodes. (Hofherr teased that Joan will have ten-plus changes.)

The signature black-and-white motif remains, including these fabulous Stella McCartney palazzo pants. “I always know it’s a really good outfit when all the crew members ask me what it is,” Hofherr says. That is the exact reaction Liu got when she stepped on set in this particular costume.

[etherealwaifgoddess]

Maybe I Am? - Chpt.2

Characters: Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes

Summary: Steve takes a risk and the guys go out on a “date”. Master list HERE

Content Warning: first “date” cuteness, making out 

Word Count: 2.5k

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! Today is one of those days where I am eternally grateful for having a “draft” option. Because honestly, ya girl is exhausted. So yay for drafts! Enjoy chapter two. I’m honestly too tired to give ya’ll a better note right now. :-\   XOXO - Ash

Chapter Two

Steeeeve [9:32:08PM]: Hey, it’s Steve.

Bucky Barnes [9:32:47PM]: hi steve

Steeeeve [9:33:15PM]: I had a lot of fun meeting up today.

Bucky Barnes [9:33:39PM]: me 2

Steve huffed staring at Bucky’s second generic response. He was usually so much more lively. Steve took a long sigh and started texting what he needed to get off his chest.

Steeeeve [9:35:21PM]: I’m sorry if I came off as confused or misleading. 

Steeeeve [9:35:26PM]: I didn’t mean to do that. But I am kind of confused right now. 

Steeeeve [9:35:35PM]: I spent so much time liking the idea of you, and you in real life was even more amazing than I could have expected. But I’ve never dated a guy before and I never expected to want to. And now I think I do. 

Steeeeve [9:35:49PM]: I’m sorry. This probably isn’t any less confusing. I’m apparently really bad at this lol. I guess what I’m trying to say is, will you go out on a maybe-date with me? I want to try and see how I feel. I don’t want to string you on, but I want to try.

Bucky stared at the flurry of texts coming into his phone. Damn, serial texter much? He read and re-read Steve texts a few times, chewing nervously his bottom lip, trying to find a response. He wasn’t willing to let his heart get trample on again, not after Brock. But he really liked Steve and if there was a chance Steve might like him too, it was too good to pass up. He had a distinct feeling he was going to regret it, but he tapped out the only honest response he could think of.

Bucky Barnes [9:44:13PM]: i like u 2 steve. i get that ur confused. lets try ur maybe-date and see how it goes? if it goes well cool, if not no hard feelings. k?

Steeeeve [9:45:20PM]: Thank you. Really, thank you for being so great about this. Can we get dinner one night this week? 

Bucky Barnes [9:45:55PM]: im free any nite but tues

Steeeeve [9:46:10PM]: I can do Friday night around 7. There’s a really great Mexican place a few blocks over from the gym if you’re willing to schelp all the way over to Park Slope. 

Bucky Barnes [9:46:31PM]: sounds good. see u then

Bucky sighed, putting his phone away into the pocket of his favorite old hoodie. He had a date. A maybe-date, but for some reason that felt good enough for him at the moment.

xxXxx

Steve discovered the best part of being able to text Bucky wasn’t just that their chatting was no longer limited to when they were both near a computer, but that they now had a full range of emojis, memes, and GIFs at their disposal. He could now send Bucky random funny things he found during the day and he felt a little proud when Bucky would send back a string of laughing emojis, knowing he had brightened the other man’s day a little. He had worried with their maybe-date looming things might be a little awkward but if anything they were going even better. By the time Friday came Steve was genuinely looking forward to their maybe-date. He had even gone out on Wednesday before his shift at the gym to pick up a set of clothes that were distinctly not gym wear. He couldn’t remember the last time he bought a button up shirt but he had to admit the blue and white checked shirt looked nice on him. He was trying not to stress over the maybe-date but he felt this gnawing need to know, definitively, if he was truly interested in Bucky, or just the fantasy of WinterBae. 

Steve raced home Friday to shower and change, hoping he’d left himself enough time to do all that and still make it over to Los Aztecas in time. Taking the time to slick back his hair and do a quick shave, Steve was hustling out the door only to realize he’d forgotten the bottle of wine once he got outside. After a fast double back for the wine he was on his way, making it to the tiny authentic Mexican restaurant with three minutes to spare. He had barely stopped walking when he saw Bucky hopping out of an uber. Steve felt a little flutter at the sight of Bucky and he took it as a good sign. 

Bucky looked amazing in his dark skinny jeans and a silky looking black shirt. A minimalist necklace was around his throat, the simple bar resting just below the wings of his collarbones. Steve noticed Bucky had swapped out the cheery beaded bracelets he’d worn on Sunday for a set of sleek silver and leather ones. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine and Steve felt ridiculous in what Sam had teased was his bible salesman outfit. 

“Heya.” Bucky greeted warmly, extending an arm for a half hug.

“Hey,” Steve echoed, hugging back with his free hand. “Ready for the best Mexican food of your life?” 

“Definitely, let’s go.” 

Steve led Bucky inside the little restaurant, its cozy decor making the place feel intimate instead of cramped. Steve had called ahead for reservations so they were whisked off to a table as soon as he gave the concierge his name. Bucky was looking around fascinated, taking in all the colorful decorations. 

“It’s really something, huh?” Steve prompted with a smile.

Bucky nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it’s beautiful. So much art packed into so little space. Thanks for bringing me here, Steve.” 

“It’s one of my favorite places in the area, mostly for the tacos but also for the art. I got my degree in fine art before I switched gears and went back to get certified in exercise science.” 

“That’s quite a switch.” Bucky laughed.

“Art will always be my first love, but it’s not exactly profitable. And once I got healthier I knew I wanted to help other people do the same. I was really sick as a kid and didn’t hit any major growth spurts until I was almost 21. After that, I worked out a lot getting used to my new body and fell in love with the gym.” 

“Wow. I’m glad you were able to get healthier, and it’s sweet you’re trying to give back to others with that.” 

“Do you go to a gym? I won’t be offended that it’s a competitor, I swear.”  

Bucky barked out a laugh, “No. God, no. I am perfectly happy with not having abs or a totally flat stomach as long as waffles exist.” 

Steve couldn’t help his eyes dropping to Bucky’s stomach which honestly couldn’t have had more than the smallest layer of padding across it. “That’s okay too. Waffles are pretty great.” 

The waitress stopped by to uncork their wine and drop off a basket of fresh tortilla chips and salsa verde. 

“What did you bring?” Bucky asked as he took the glass of white wine Steve had poured him.

“Albariño. A waitress here recommended it a few years ago and now it’s my go to. It’s light and crisp, and kinda citrusy? I’m not a wine snob but it’s damn good and goes really well with tacos. I hope you like white wine, I forgot to ask.” 

“I’ve yet to meet a white wine I didn’t like, so you’re safe.” Bucky sipped the wine and his eyes lit up, “Oh yeah, this is good. I’ll be hunting this down next time I go shopping.” 

“You can get it over at the little wine boutique near the farmers market in Sunset Park. They always have this kind.”

“Nice, I’ll have to check it out. My sister will love this the next time she visits.” 

The conversation flowed as the basket of tortilla chips disappeared, only ebbing when their platters arrived and they tucked into their food. Steve had ordered his usual taco platter while Bucky opted for the taquitos platter, an assortment of slow roasted meats wrapped in thin crispy shells. He let out a groan at his first bite that had Steve’s heart stuttering in his chest. The maybe-date had mostly felt like a friend-date up until that point, though Steve had to admit there was a tiny flutter of like there too. But the noise Bucky made and the expression on his face had Steve thinking anything but friends only thoughts. 

Bucky caught Steve staring at him as he licked a dribble of sauce off his bottom lip. He hadn’t gotten a distinct date-date vibe from Steve but the look on the blonde’s face was priceless. Bucky thought he probably had made a similar one the first time he saw Devon Sawa in Wild America when he was 12. He had never stood a chance of being straight after that. Testing the waters a little bit, Bucky smirked at Steve, making it abundantly clear he’d been caught staring. Steve flushed and Bucky’s smile widened. There might be hope after all.

Steve wasn’t sure if it was the wine or too many tacos but by the time dinner was over he felt glued to his seat. He hated knowing the evening was coming to an end and wanted to do something, anything, to prolong it. The waitress dropped off the sales receipt with a pen and Steve tried to steady his hand as he signed his name. He knew he needed to muster up his courage or he would be saying goodbye to Bucky in mere minutes.

“Thanks again for paying.” Bucky said after draining the last of his wine, “This was really nice.” 

“It was.” Steve agreed, seeing his chance, “You know, I have another bottle of this wine back at my place if you wanna come over for a bit. Maybe you could help me find that movie app you were telling me about for the Fire Stick?”

“Sure, I’m happy to help. I won’t say no to more of that wine either.” Bucky stamped down the hopeful cheering in his chest that Steve was inviting him over. The poor guy probably didn’t mean that anything would happen other than wine and tech help but Bucky could always dream. He would be respectful though, he resolved to himself. He’d never dated a guy who was questioning his sexuality before and Bucky didn’t want to push too far too soon. Bucky figured it was best to let Steve set the pace and just hope his heart didn’t get run over in the process. 

Steve’s apartment was only four blocks from the restaurant, a second floor walk up in an old converted brownstone. It was nicer than Bucky’s little hole in the wall apartment and even had a small second bedroom that Steve had set up as a home office. After giving Bucky a quick tour, he led them to the kitchen to pull another bottle of Albariño out of his cabinet. Passing a stemless glass to Bucky, he poured them both a generous amount of wine which they carried out to the living room so Bucky could show Steve the app he’d mentioned during dinner. A few clicks and a quick download later, Steve had access to a ridiculous amount of free movies. 

“This is so great.” Steve praised, clicking through the different options. “Oh I love this one!”

“Hm?” Bucky looked up from his glass to see Steve hovering over 10 Things I Hate About You. “Oh that one is great. I remember wanting to be Patrick Verona when I grew up after seeing that.” 

Steve gave an amused side eyed look at Bucky. “I think you did a decent job.” he teased, throwing on the movie out of sheer impulse.

Bucky laughed, “You’re sweet. But god knows I’ll never be that smooth.” 

“You’re better off than me. I’ve been told I’m hopeless on more than one occasion.” 

“You hold your own, Rogers.” Bucky assured him, reaching over to take Steve’s hand in his, stroking the pad of his thumb over the ridges of Steve’s knuckles. 

Steve blinked slowly, looking from their joined hands up to Bucky’s face. It felt good, that fluttery feeling stirring in his gut at the contact. He gave Bucky a smile and squeezed his hand gently, making sure his consent was clear.

The movie rolled and they sipped their wine as Patrick did his best to woo Kat. Bucky slowly nudged closer to Steve until he was pressed against his side, his head leaning against Steve’s shoulder. He was warm and comfortable and completely unwilling to move by the time Letters to Cleo played into the credits. 

“I can’t believe it’s after eleven already.” Steve yawned. 

Bucky yawned next, set off by Steve’s. “Same. I had a really good night, Steve.” He looked up curiously, wondering if Steve had found any new revelations on their maybe-date. 

“Me too. This was… really nice. Hey, um, I know this was a maybe-date, but maybe um…”

Bucky shifted so he could sit up taller and face Steve while he fumbled for words.

“I, um, I’d really like to kiss you right now.” Steve blurted out, looking equal parts excited and terrified. 

Bucky’s smile was like the sun. “Okay, yeah.” Bucky reached out to cup Steve’s cheek, going agonizingly slow to give Steve a chance to bolt if he needed it. He leaned up a little and Steve craned his neck down, tentatively meeting Bucky’s lips with his own. 

A soft press, a pause, another soft press, and then the kiss deepened, Bucky’s lips parting to slot Steve’s with his. Steve let out a choked off moan, unable to believe what he was doing and how good it felt. He let a hand rake through Bucky’s hair and it only made him want to feel more of the silky locks. The scent of cedar and teak from his cologne filled Steve’s nose and though it was very distinctly male, Steve couldn’t get enough of it. It was so much more than he could have expected but also not nearly enough. He was breathing raggedly when he finally pulled back, repressing a shudder at the well kissed expression on Bucky’s face. His full bottom lip was shining and red, his eyes heavy lidded and his chest heaving just as much as Steve’s. 

“Whoa.” Steve finally breathed out in amazement.

“Yeah, whoa.” Bucky agreed. “So does this help in sorting out if this was a date-date?”

“I think it was definitely a date-date.” 

“I’m glad. And do you think you’d want to try another date sometime?”

“When are you free next?” Steve chuckled, only half kidding. 

“Easy there, pal.” Bucky warned lightly, patting Steve’s ridiculously broad chest. “We’ll find a day again soon.” 

Steve nodded, knowing Bucky was right for wanting to take things slow. He led Bucky over to the door, giving him one last quick kiss goodbye before the brunette headed out into the early summer night. Steve was still floored by his own reactions to Bucky but it felt so right that he couldn’t agonize over it for long. 

[enchanted-seokjin]

cardigan; jeon jungkook

DISCLAIMER: None of these pictures are mine. Please, visit this link for the rightful credits. If your picture has been posted on weheartit without your permission or without crediting, please let me know so I can credit you here.

↬ summary: Y/N dives into the past when he met Jungkook, his unforgettable love.

↬ genre: short au; fluff; summer love; letters

↬ word count: 1.3k (part 1)

↬ warnings: mention of parents having arguments, divorce, one of the parents leaving, 17yo drinking (has nothing to do with what I have previously stated)

↬ note: I enjoy writing this au so much that I decided to re-upload it with Jungkook as the main protagonist + few changes.  inspired by cardigan by taylor swift. 

↬ part 1 // part 2 // part 3 // part 4 // part 5 // part 6 // part 7

They’re arriving soon and I have little time to finish everything up. I’ve already picked up the jasmine from the front garden so that, when they cross the door, the freshness from outside invades them. The cookies lay inside the oven, still unbaked. Even though it’s hot, I promised I would receive them with their favorite treats. I walk towards the stairs and my legs stop without me noticing. I know what’s upstairs in the attic. I know it’ll trigger memories I thought I’d forgotten. Yet, I have to be strong. The things I’m looking for are up there and I have to get them before they arrive. Hence, I take a deep breath and move forward. The attic smells as I expected. It’s been closed for far too long that I feel I’m in a whole different house. Maybe I am. In a different time as well. I’m not sure if the light will go on, part of me wishes it didn’t thus, I’ll have an excuse to go back downstairs and take care of the cookies while having a glass of water, pretending that I’ve never been here and that this attic doesn’t exist. However, I try to switch on the light, and a weak-yellowish color washes over the old furniture covered in dusty blankets that were once white. All of these belonged to my grandparents and then to my parents and then to me but I got rid of them as soon as I received them. They reminded me of a time that didn’t belong to me. Now, I have to face it all because of them. The dust may make me sneeze, therefore I breathe cautiously while I try to ease my feelings. I’m frustrated. Especially with her. Why couldn’t she come? Checked it out by herself? Why do I have to be the one dealing with the mundane things that tie me to the past? I move away from one of the blankets and find the bookshelf that my dad had in his office. I remember it being filled with many books that he had to put one over the other to fit them all in one place. I still don’t know if he’d read them all. My eyes fall into the mysterious furniture next to it. It’s short ergo, not what I’m looking for but my hands reach the blanket as if it’s being controlled by someone who isn’t me and moves it away. It’s my dresser. I wonder, as my heart starts to beat fast, what happened to the things I used to bury inside the drawers the same way a dog buries their food? I look around until a find the red chair on the other side of the door. Though it’s covered by a blanket as well, I am sure of what it is that anyone would believe I moved all of these things yesterday morning instead of ages ago. As I take the chair and set it in front of the dresser, I reach for the drawer at the bottom. I open it so easily my heart skips a beat. Back when I was seventeen, my friends used to tell me about having illicit meetings with boys in places where no one would see them. They used to say that those places were sacred. My sacred place was this drawer. The first thing I see is the light blue shirt I typically wore with beige shorts. I believed I looked good on them and so did he. I take the clothes between my hands as if they were a treasure I had just found but the real treasure is right under it, inside a wooden chest whose key I lost when I was younger. I hold the chest the same way a pirate would hold a coffer they’d just found inside a cave after a long journey. It kind of feels that way. The chest rests on my legs now and I wonder what I’ll discover in there. I have a vague recollection of what I’ve hidden inside it but, as years went by, my mind became clouded. I hold my breath as I open it and a pack of well-folded papers pops up. Now I remember. I was fond of writing. When that summer happened, I decided to write everything down. I had the idea that I’d look back at it and laugh or smile or cry. I wonder which one of these three emotions will hit first because, as of now, I’m feeling numb. I take the paper at the top and open it. The black ink has faded over time but the letter is still eligible for the most part. Though there are stains in the now brownish paper, I manage to read the words of a seventeen-year-old girl. “July 16, 1964 I met someone. His name’s Jungkook. He’s arrived town at the beginning of the year and we’ve shared a few classes but we’ve never really talked. Though I have to admit, I did find him handsome as soon as I saw him walking down the hall. So did many others. He’s a bit shy, though, and hangs out alone most of the time. Nevertheless, I was at the fair last night, too focused on winning a teddy bear by popping the third balloon in a row when I noticed that he was standing right next to me waiting for his turn. I’m not sure where I got the courage to dare him to pop the last balloon. He looked taken aback at first but agreed and ended up winning, of course, he did. And he gave me the teddy bear which now lies on my bed. After that, we spent the rest of the evening together. It surprises me how easy we got along and I wonder why I hadn’t reached out to him sooner. He told me that he felt out of place moving here and that he thought our classmates stared at him way too much and it made him weird, thank God he didn’t have to go back to school for a while. I didn’t tell him that people stared because he was gorgeous, but I did assure him that everything was going to be fine and that I was sure he was going to make some friends over the summer since people in this town are nice— At least some of them. “You seem to be a nice person,” he commented. “That’s because I’m from here,” I joked and he laughed. I’ve never felt my heart skip a beat when someone laughed as Jungkook did. “That’s good,” he said. “You can be my friend, then,” he added with a smile. I’m not sure if he was flirting or just being nice. I’ve never been in a relationship so I wouldn’t know. I should ask my friends. Anyway, Jungkook walked me home. He wanted to walk me to the porch but I declined because I knew my parents were awake waiting for me and I didn’t want my mom to question me about him. I didn’t want to give any reason for an uproar. Things have been kind of hard here. I think my parents might get a divorce at any moment. I wish they’d just do it. I’m tired of waking up in the morning to an excuse as to why my dad isn’t home. It breaks my heart to see their relationship fall apart but it breaks me, even more, to see them trying without any success. Okay. Enough of that. I’m going out with Jungkook tomorrow. I’m going to show him around the lake. I think it’s the best place to hang out. Plus, it’s summer and the lake becomes kind of crowded. I guess it’ll be great for Jungkook to meet new people. Crossing my fingers.” I fold the letter the way it was when I found it and put it back into place; there goes the smell of cotton and the noisy crowd which then turned into a peaceful walk under the starry summer night. It’s hard. It’s like watching a movie for the third time knowing how it’ll end, knowing that you’ll end up crying over the same ending— but you can’t stop. As I take a deep breath, I open the next letter.

[nightwingwhatdidisay]

“Jason and the Words That Burn”

Summary: jaykori/dickkory, AU where Jason Todd is a thief with an ear for poetry. 

ff.net ao3

...

...

Chapter 1: The Words of King [Chapter Summary: Jason runs into Kory after a drunken bender]

...

...

I never pointed out to her the irony of breaking up with me for being a thief, when it was something I stole that won her heart in the first place.

A poem, of all things.

It’s funny how poetry is the most embarrassing thing in the world, until it has the power to pry your sleepy eyes open in the middle of an American Literature class, all because your professor recited a configuration of words you didn’t know existed.

But by the time I finally sat up to listen, the professor was speaking farther and farther away from the poem, and I couldn’t recall any of the words I had just heard. Only the way they made me feel.

Whatever he said, it forced me to look at her.

She was sitting a few rows down in a seat that hugged the left wall of the classroom, leaning her head against the window. It was an 8am class and the sun was just beginning to pour in, its light spilling wildly through her auburn hair like fire.

Now I’m not an idiot; I knew Kory Anders was way out of my league. But that’s the power of a pretty girl way out of your league, she can have you in the campus library at 11pm flipping through a whole damn book, trying your luck anyway. When I found the words that clicked, I tore the whole page out, jammed it into my pocket, and left.

The next morning, I watched from my seat, hood pulled over and face propped in my hand, trying to look as nonchalant as possible, but failing to stop the furious bounce in my leg. She rushed in a few minutes late, wringing the rain out of her hair and sliding into her usual seat, surprised to see something waiting for her.

I’d Sharpied everything out except for those twelve words, and from where I was sitting, I could only see thick bars of black on the paper. I remember watching her pick it up, and suddenly thinking what a shitty idea it was. As far as plans for picking up girls went, this plan wasn’t just plain terrible, it was fancy terrible; it was terrible with raisins in it. I lost the rhythm of normal breathing, mortified with the realization that I’d actually written my name on it.

And just like that, the curl of her lips hit me right in the gut, and I swear I was seeing stars.

... ...

I remember the first time I kissed her, I stole that too.

It was during a time when I thought a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger at a college party was as close as I was ever going to get to a sun like her. I thought I was dreaming when she grabbed ahold of my jacket as I was pulling back, drawing me to her for more.

Starfire. My pet name for her. I’d wait outside until her classes ended and call out to her, loving the way she’d wrinkle her nose at the name. I liked to whisper it into her ear at the worst moments, like in the cinema, waiting for a change of scene to illuminate her face so I could see the flush in her cheeks. It’s the name that spilled out of my mouth—along with a string of dark words—whenever she’d spend a night at my place and the writhing of her body under me left me with no self-control.

I dated Kory with the uneasy feeling that it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. There was no way the universe would let me have someone like her for long. I stole that time anyway.

But Kory Anders was a criminal justice major, and the boss hated that the most. It’s just a matter of time, he assured me. Just because she’s climbing up your leg now doesn’t mean she'll stay when she gets wise about the job.

He was right, of course. She didn’t stay long when she found out the truth. But by the time it was over, love had already infected the bones.

I don’t know. I’m drunk.

... ...

I slide the empty bottle back at the bartender and drop the cash on the counter, grabbing my pack and leaving with a wave of my finger. I can’t stay long; the cash—40k in clean stacks—burns through my bag and all I want to do is throw it in the safe at my place until the boss and his men pick it up in the morning.

I figure I’ll sober up after a good shower, and I’m relying on muscle memory to get me back home. By the time I fall out of the elevator in my building, I argue sleeping in the hall for a second, until I worm my way to my door and jam the key into the doorknob repeatedly until finding the hole.

My jeans and shirt are off without a thought and I’m yanking the fridge door open, squinting through the light to see what could help me with my drunchies. I don’t even recall buying lasagna, but I don’t think too hard on it as I inhale the whole thing in seconds.

By the time I drag my body to the bathroom, I’m stark naked, and I let the shower run hot until I pull myself in, wincing a bit when it hits a fresh wound I’d earned from tonight’s heist.

A memory opens: me piling suds on top of Kory’s head while she runs her fingers over my body.

“Where’d you get this one?” She asks, thumbing at a fibrous scar on my shoulder.

“Motorcycle accident,” I lie, as I sculpt cat ears out of the bubbles.

“And this?” She’s pointing at my chest: clean white lines the boss rewarded me with for being stupid on a job.

“Boy scout dare,” I say dismissively. When my masterpiece is done, I bend down to kiss her forehead.

“What do I look like?” She asks.

I step as far back as the shower will allow me so I can marvel at her, grateful that I get to be the guy who sees this brilliant girl naked, wet, and in cat ears. “Like a kitten, Kitten.”

And suddenly I’m on my knees for her, pulling her leg over my shoulder and letting the numbers on my water bill rise.

Holy shit.

It’s the scent of the shampoo that sobers me right up. I look around in horror: epsom salts, bath bombs, bottles and jars of girl potions in an array of feminine colors that make me want to vomit at the realization. I rip the curtains aside and hurl my body out of the shower. In a panic, I’m pulling my boxers on and rushing out of Kory’s bathroom.

But God is dead, my friends. I hear mumbling out in the hall and the doorknob starts to wiggle before I can reach my shirt. A line of light cracks open as two figures enter and I dive wildly into a nearby closet of her hallway.

“Hm. I thought I locked this,” Kory says absently, and I hear the door shut.

“You think someone got in?” Asks a vaguely familiar voice. “Let me look around for you.”

“What a gallant way to get yourself into my bedroom,” Kory commends with a laugh.

“I can get you a better place in my building, Anders,” says the voice, not giving into her tease. “Something about you living here rubs me the wrong way.”

“And me living in your building will rub you the right way?” Her voice is playful. The other voice stammers and she’s laughing again. “Relax, handsome. I’m just a forgetful girl. Let me put on some music.”

An Elvis Costello song begins to play as their exchange ends and the whole thing makes me bitter, because (1) I hate the way Kory is comfortably Kory no matter what guy she’s with and (2) I fucking introduced her to Costello.

Insert kissing scene here, I imagine, as the room goes silent for a while and there’s the soft sound of fumbling and small giggles escaping Kory’s mouth.

“Anders… the essay.”

“Mm? Oh sorry,” Kory says, and I see her figure pass by. She returns with an open laptop balancing on her bicep as she taps her password in. “I’m having a problem with these three paragraphs, and as far as citations go, I’m completely lost.”

I hear the dip of the couch and the clacking of keyboards, and suddenly they’re both in their own collegiate zone when I begin to think: I’m naked in a closet, with my clothes scattered in various rooms of my ex girlfriend’s apartment; I have a backpack of stolen cash in the same room as two criminal justice majors; and in the kitchen lay my jeans, its pockets holding an unsilenced phone that can go off any minute, a wallet with all my IDs, and a Glock 17.

I’m in the middle of contemplating how truly fucked I am when I hear the guy’s voice. “Damn, I forgot a laptop charger.”

“I think I have an extra one. Sit tight.”

I don’t have much choice when Kory opens the closet door and sees me. So I pull her in and slap a hand over her mouth. “Keep quiet, cutie—oof.” I receive a knee to the baby-maker and it takes everything within me to keep from keeling over. I watch the recognition hit her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” She asks when I drop my hand.

“Accident. I swear.”

She eyes me with suspicion, but accepts the answer, and I begin to wonder how badly I must reek of alcohol for her to believe me.

“I’m fine,” I say, looking away. It comes out defensive.

“You’re naked...” she points out mildly. “And wet.”

I shrug. “Made it to the shower.”

The look she gives me is a mixture of anger, wonder, and pity.

“Listen,” I say, suddenly irritated. “I don’t wanna ruin your cute little study date here. Just help me get my shit together and I’m out.”

“I want my key back.”

“Fine.”

A voice calls from the living room. “Anders? Charger? My laptop’s living on a prayer.”

Kory gives me a look and pulls a white cord from a shoebox on the overhead shelf and steps out of the closet. “There’s an outlet behind the couch,” she tells him. “Let’s move it aside so you can plug in.” She says this loudly and slowly and I recognize my cue. I hear the sound of the couch sliding over carpet and—like a college girl in a co-ed dorm who forgot her towel after a shower—I run.

I slide into the kitchen and I see that my jeans are inside-out in front of the fridge, and I fish for the balled-up sock in each leg before slipping them on. My phone is still tucked in my back pocket, and I quickly switch it to silent mode before it becomes any type of inconvenience. I give myself a pat down and freeze at the realization that my gun isn’t in my pockets.

Fuck.

Kory appears down the hall, looking into the closet and discovering I’m no longer there. When she turns and sees me in the kitchen, she lifts up a shirt in her hand and raises her eyebrows, simultaneously saying Is this yours? and Are you serious?

When she steps into the kitchen, I snatch the shirt from her and shrug it on.

“Where are your shoes?” She asks.

“I have no clue,” I answer honestly.

Kory throws a sharp expression over her shoulder and walks back into the living room.

And just like that, my phone flashes a notification: Change of plans. Picking up stash tonight.

Shit.

I’m in the middle of typing up an excuse that I think will hold when I hear Kory’s voice. “I don’t know if my works cited page is in MLA format.”

“Well I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

I glance at a butter knife on the counter and imagine harakiri-ing myself with it. But something catches my eye: a piece of paper tacked onto the refrigerator with a magnet. I move to touch it, gaping in disbelief, when I hear Kory’s voice again.

“D-dick.”

My blood chills at the name as I fly to the edge of the kitchen entrance and peer into the living room. Kory’s pinned to the floor with her dress hiked up to her hip, running her hands through black hair as he licks my girl’s neck. I see her tremble in pleasure and all of a sudden I’m down for a good throat punching.

“Dick, let me get us some wine,” she says, then shivers.

“Don’t need it,” he mumbles, as he runs a trail of kisses down her chest. But she slides herself gracefully out from under him and brings his lips to hers. “Two minutes,” she whispers into him. “Promise."

They end up making out for a little longer and I pry myself away from the sight, grabbing the wine glasses from the top shelf and pacing wildly back and forth. She enters the kitchen, a little flushed, pulling her dress back down. “I’ve moved your shoes to the door. Get ready to go.”

“Grayson?” I say, almost spitting out the name as I place the glasses in her hands. “You’re hooking up with Dick Grayson?”

“It’s truly none of your business.”

I open the fridge door for her and she ducks for the wine. “He’s a prick, Kory. He’s Daddy’s Money. He’s the type of guy who can pay his way through the system if he hits a kid with his Lambo under the influence. Wealthy people like Grayson think they're above the law.”

“You’re a thief. Do you happen to see the pot and the kettle in that?” She asks as she grabs the bottle, but her eyes widen in shock, and she pulls out my gun from the fridge. Kory looks back at me incredulously and I immediately take it from her.

“At least I work for my stash,” I mumble sheepishly and tuck the gun in my jeans. Kory orders for the bottle opener. Without looking, I pull at a drawer and gesture for her to hand me the bottle.

“He’s a criminal justice major too,” she defends, as I twist through the cork. “Top of the class, volunteers on the weekends, networks of friends—”

“Well I’ve never been a billionaire before, but I bet I’d be good at it too.”

“No, instead you move through life with a gun in one hand and the orders from your boss in the other.” The cork shoots off into nowhere with a clean pop and she holds out the glasses for me to fill.

“So that’s what happened between us?” I mutter, as I pour. “Dating a bad guy is conveniently checked off your college-girl bucket list without you having to be aware for most of it. And now it's time for Boy Wonder, who walks around campus with his Father’s money and a huge—”

“Dick,” Kory calls out to the living room. “Switch the music for me, will you, handsome?”

“...ego,” I finish, staring at her balefully. The song changes, and the smile Kory is giving me is smug.

And see, that’s the thing that undoes it: a look between us that goes on a little too long. Long enough for my nerves to unsteel themselves and her stare to soften. And suddenly all I can think of is that poem I stole from the library that one night, and the way the morning spilled through her hair as she leaned against the window. All those nights and showers and words that happened between us before the rough hands of my job pulled me away from her.

“Starfire,” I hear myself say.

Kory bristles. “That’s not fair.”

January embers.

I take the wine glasses from her hands and set them aside before lifting her up onto the kitchen counter.

“That’s not fair,” she says again, and I’m kissing her.

Elvis Costello sings from the living room about how the sun may rise and burn through yellow skies, and I trace my fingers over her jaw and revel in the way she kisses back into me. “I begged you to quit,” she says with a breath as her hand finds the back of my neck.

“Can’t, cutie. Turn around.”

But suddenly Wonder Boy cuts through with a, “Kory? Do you need some help in the kitchen?”

Kory rips herself out of the moment and pushes herself back onto the floor, shaking her hands in panic.

“I’ve had a few punch-ups with Grayson before, I’d be happy to do it again,” I say through my teeth, the adrenaline from finally kissing her again pulsing through me.

“Get out,” Kory says instead.

I look at her, and suddenly I hear footsteps heading toward us.

“Anders?”

Kory runs back into the living room, and from where I’m standing, I see her barrel into him, smashing her mouth into his. “Bed,” she orders.

Grayson is chuckling through the kisses. “What happened to the wine? What about the paper?”

“Bed,” she answers, a pleading in her voice. And Grayson graciously responds by picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. I watch breathlessly as she moves her mouth to his neck, glaring at me over his shoulder and cocking her head to the door.

When the bedroom door closes, I pick up my heart off the kitchen floor, grab my bag and shoes, and leave.

… …

Kory makes a point to come to class early so she can get the key from me. She inspects it, and I’m offended that she thinks I’m stupid or desperate enough to give her a fake.

“How do I know you didn’t make copies?”

I snort. “I’d rather die than watch Grayson rub his billion-dollar boner on you ever again.”

When class starts and the professor begins to talk about literature of the Harlem Renaissance, I pull out a piece of paper from my pocket and unfold it, looking at the blackened out lines and the twelve words that started everything.

Kory had it hanging on her fridge, and I had to steal it back, a poetic justice type of deal.

... ...

“Your hair is winter fire January embers My heart burns there, too.”

― S. King

...

...

Chapter 2: The Words of Thoreau 

Summary: He's in a year-long spiral to rock bottom and Jason pretends he's loving the journey. Because at least it's a direction.

[malonerobinson24-blog]

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[dancing-the-hellfire-rumba]

Of Monsters And Men |5|

Pairing:(eventual) Dean x mermaid!Reader Warnings: the tiniest smidge of angst. Word Count: 1.8k (I know, it’s been a while) A/N: So... we’re finally getting into the swing of things. I hope it was worth the wait. Just so you know, you have no idea what’s to come. You couldn’t even guess if you wanted to. How are you liking it so far though? Let me know :) Feedback is honestly gold

Masterlist – Catch up HERE (Part 1) - Previous Part

Of Monsters And Men V: Unexpected Arrivals

 How do mermaids spend their time?

Typically, when she was under the surface, she’d waste her endless free time swimming through tall caves, reading for the billionth time the story of her kind’s creation carved onto their caves, how they made peace with humans, about the human world in general, really, learning more and more about the modern language and beliefs. She’d learned those by heart, could recite them in her sleep.

The human version of ‘books’ however was slightly different.

It felt strange to her how fragile they were. With a sharp movement, they were destroyed. She was so afraid to hold the thin paper she would barely touch it, but she loved it so much for a multitude of reasons. First off it was nowhere near as gigantic as the books she knew. Something about finishing and flipping page after page made her feel something indescribable as if with every page a tiny weight lifted off her shoulders, and the smell, oh the smell.

Safe to say she spent the following seven days consuming book upon book, getting lost in different worlds. She slept on the couch, read, ate with Dean, got a better hang of walking and spent late afternoons curled up on one end of the couch, learning the different tastes of foods of the human world and discovering the magic of that strange box called television.  

She was so enamored by electricity –what, you just flip a switch and- woa!-, by the thousands of different foods that existed and the billions of different cooking methods, by the million different combinations of colors the sky changed into above the sea that didn’t all look blue and yellow, and by humans in general. But most of all she found herself getting increasingly enamored by one particular human.

Dean was beautiful and she found out that not all humans were. Sometimes she peeked over her book and got stuck on the moving muscles that flexed and bent when he reached for the thing on the shelf over the TV, watching long, thick fingers that had so gently and caringly tended to her wounds, stretch and wrap around said item to pull it down. She froze, mid-chewing, staring at the tiny fleck of sauce on the corner of his full lips and often gazed at him instead of the show he had on, focusing on the crease between his eyebrows and the way light reflected on his seaweed eyes.

Damn, his eyes.

She got lost in them more often than she’d like to admit. It was like looking at the sky, captivating and never enough.

Day by day, he warmed up to her. Talked to her a little more, asked questions like if she slept underwater and did they eat other fish or did they live in villages or packs like wolves?

There was one question, though, that remained the same. How did she end up on the shore?

The itch was getting more noticeable by the day but she had no clue as to how to get an answer. A hole sat in the center of her thoughts and stood there, waiting to be filled. Many questions remained fruitless. She had no memory of her family, no idea how she found herself with a new set of limbs and about fifteen different injuries on her body on the coast and about zero clues as to who put those three parallel gashes on her thigh. The only thing her mind brought up was a rushing feeling of panic and a need to escape.

She chose to stay away from it for now.

“My brother is flying down from California today.” Dean wipes his hands on the rag by the sink, resting against the counter and Y/n looks over her book.

“Sam, right?”  he nods. “I can’t wait to meet him.” She smiles gently and Dean’s shoulders loosen a little at the sight of it.

“I, uh,” he tosses the towel by the sink and rubs his thighs with his palms. “I kinda tried to tell him about the whole mermaid thing,” he hesitates. A prompt nod later he licks his lips. “He doesn’t really… believe me. Would you mind if…” he looks for the proper phrase but doesn’t want to offend her at the same time. The room grows silent as he tries to find a way to make sense. “You know what never mind-”

“You want me to show him?” His eyes dance between hers for a second or two before an apologetic smile makes its way to his face. “I have no shame in who I am, Dean,” She says straightening her back. “I had no problem telling you. I will do the same with your brother.” Her mind goes every which way trying to articulate her sentences the best way possible. Dean’s smile is wide and grateful as he nods.

“Thank you.” He says simply. He doesn’t have to thank her; she’d do anything to keep that smile on his face. She nods.

True enough, a couple hours later there’s a knock on the door.

Dean runs to the door and opens it wide and it’s then that Y/n realizes that she could never make him smile as brightly as his younger brother can.

Before any words can be spoken, the eldest Winchester pulls his sibling down in his arms, a small ‘oomph’ falling from Sam’s lips. They’re hidden from Y/n’s sight because of the door and as much as she hates to admit it, she wants to jump around eagerly out of impatience. If someone can make Dean’s eyes light up like that she has to meet them.

She stands up and off the couch.

“Welcome home.”  She hears the huff of a laugh before she sees him, broad and tall, taller than Dean, with almost shoulder-length hair and a pointy nose. Sam Winchester, with a sunshine-bright smile and legs longer than the couch, walks in with a duffel in his hands and scans the space when his eyes fall on her.

“Uh, hi.” He says, the smile faltering before becoming more polite and reserved than natural. “I’m Sam.” He walks to her and offers a hand. She remembers Dean’s words, teaching her how to shake people’s hands and reaches for it.

“Y/n,” She smiles back and shakes it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, finally.”

“Likewise,” her brain stutters for a second trying to remember exactly what that word means. She’s never heard anyone use it before and it takes her a moment, but she can guess give or take.

“Your, uhm, brother, he talks about you a lot.” She pulls back and awkwardly shrugs. He shakes his head.

“Yeah, he does that. All good things, I hope.” She nods.

Behind Sam, a young blonde walks in, Dean closing the door behind him. She’s smiling, looking at the house just like the younger of the two siblings was.

“Wow, Dean, you’ve improved this place so much since we last came.” Dean chuckles.

“Yeah, it’s almost done. I just have to finish a couple things in the garage and in the master bedroom. Otherwise, it’s as good as new.” He looks proudly around and Y/n quirks an eyebrow. She makes a mental note to ask about it later.

“Oh-, hi, I didn’t see you there,” the blonde says. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and white teeth, and there’s a small mole between her thin eyebrows. In comparison to the brothers, she looks so petite, much like Y/n. “I’m Jessica, Sam’s fiancé.”

Dean had not prepared her for that one. She has no idea, does she offer her a hand to shake? Does she hug her? Does she just stand there? Crap.

“Uh, I’m, uh, Y/n. Dean’s… friend, I guess.” That was the term, right? She’s beginning to panic, she wanted whoever was important to Dean to like her and that meant both Sam and Jessica, obviously. She ended up awkwardly shuffling her feet with a shy smile.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jessica grins and slides under Sam’s giant arm, him pecking her temple.

“Alright kids, the pizza’s on her way. In the meantime,” All of them look at him. He nods towards the stairs. “We’ve got something to show you.”

She’s okay with who she is, sure, but had she known who Jessica was or that she’d be here, she would be a little more hesitant to agree. She feels her palms sweat and wants to run as far away and as fast as she can right now but she can’t fail Dean. She refuses to do so. Not when everything has been going so damn well.

Climbing the stairs a little slower than normal, she reaches the top, everyone hot on her heels.

“You two, wait here.” Dean commands and grabs y/n’s wrist. “C’mon, sweetheart.” He nods for her to get in the bathroom. Sam and Jessica share a confused look.

When Y/n is safely inside, Dean closes the door. He turns to her and notices the way she bites her lip and shuffles her feet when she sees the already full tub.

“You can still back out of this, I won’t think any less of you.” He says, green eyes forcing hers to stare at him. Yes, but you will be disappointed, she thinks to herself and that’s all the motivation she needs. She shakes her head.

“It’s okay.” She says and starts pealing layers of Dean’s clothes off of her.

“Woa, okay.” He’ll never get used to how easily she can stand naked in front of people. Never the less he turns around, showing some respect and letting her get in the tub safely. He can hear the rustle of clothes as they fall on the floor and the sloshing of water as she gets in. His heartbeat starts gaining some speed.

“I’m going in.” She says and he hears more sloshing before there’s silence and then the sound of water falling out of the tub in liters makes him turn around.

And there she is.

The tail is too big to fit in the tub so it rests again the plain white wall, in hues of iridescent colors that change in different angles and lighting and he, once again, cannot stop staring. It’s big, one and a half times the length of her legs, foils moving with every breath and almost shivering in the bathroom air.  Y/n’s head is under the water, eyes closed and there are gills under her jaw, on her arms and sides. Her hair is fiery orange and he catches the black change from the ends of her hairs.

“Guys,” He calls out but stays put. In his own tone of voice, he can hear it. He’s captivated, unmoving and simply cannot stop staring. The door opens painfully slow.

“Holy shit,” 

Forevers (Which by the way you can join right HERE) @deanxfuckingadorablexwinchester​ @deanssweetheart23​ @nostalgic-uncertainty​ @twentyoneredsocks​ @dancerwithapen​ @mogaruke​ @superseejay721517​ @andi-winchester​ @lady-hawkguy​ @thosefeelsarereal​ @superwholockmarauder​ @justiceiswater​ @petra-arkanian-1497​ @heyitscam99​ @danijimenezv​ @discogrrrrl​ @aj-reuth​ @unicornblood4ever​ @mystriee​ @sadist-fangirl23​

Dean/Jensen Taglist @akshi8278​ @winchester-writes​ @p3nny4urth0ught5​ @ruprecht0420​ @imascio08​ @infinity-dreamchaser​ @sherlockstolemyname​ @jackasaurasrex-1994-blog​

Of Monsters And Men Taglist @waywardsoulpainter​ @to-stars-and-back​ @yoursmilemakesmeloveyou​ @infinity-dreamchaser​ @drae654321​ @waywardrose13

[fatcashmoney]

Skin Care Tips Derms Do Themselves

Soak the Protection

To ensure she layers on enough sunscreen (" the very best method to keep skin youthful"), Garland, TX-based dermatologist Lisa Garner, MD, president of the Women's Dermatologic Society, fills the hollow of her palm (about 1/2 teaspoon) with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to coat her face, neck, and ears. "I normally need to apply 2 coats to complete what I've squeezed out, but that's how I make certain I'm covered."

Look Sun-Kissed

" A little tint takes years off your face by evening out your skin tone," which a current research study discovered is an essential marker of youthfulness, states Ranella Hirsch, MD, a dermatologist in Cambridge, MA. Her preferred for a natural look: Olay Complete Touch of Sun Daily UV Moisturizer + A Touch of Sunless Tanner ($ 15; drugstores), a lotion with a low level of self-tanner.

Eat a Skin-Saving Breakfast

The very first meal of the day for New York City derm Doris Day, MD, includes almonds. "They include important fats, which help put the brakes on inflammation that speeds up fine lines, sagging, and blotchiness." Not feeling like a nut? Salmon, tuna, and halibut ready lunch/dinner sources.

Spray Away Dryness

To keep her skin flexible, LA-based derm Jessica Wu, MD, sprays it numerous times daily with La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water ($ 8.50; drugstores). (She typically spritzes her face when stuck in traffic!) Bonus offer: The water is packed with minerals like selenium that safeguard against UV damage.

Zen Your Skin

If anyone has stress, it's medical professionals. High levels of tension can surge hormonal agent production that causes breakouts or aggravates conditions like psoriasis. "Controlling tension keeps your skin calm-- but that's easier said than done," says Annie Chiu, MD, a derm in LA. Taking a 10-minute time-out to use a face mask and relax on her bed works for Chiu. Another trick: Ban the 'Berry. "I shut off my cellular phone after 8 at night. Every bit helps!" she says.

Protect with Powder

Sunscreen stops working in less than 3 hours, so reapplication is key, states Washington, DC-based derm Elizabeth Tanzi, MD. For easy touch-ups, she utilizes powder sun block. "It's light, so skin care stays undamaged." Her favorite: Colorescience Pro Sunforgettable Powder SPF 50 ($ 60; colorescience.com).

Set Your Potions

" A 'cross-training' program is the crucial to rapid renewal. Some components-- like sunscreen and antioxidants in the morning and retinoids and peptides at night-- work much better as a team," says New Orleans derm Mary Lupo, MD

. Develop a Bedside Manner

" I typically find it challenging to adhere to my anti-aging routine at bedtime," says Francesca Fusco, MD, an NYC derm. To prevent missing her night regimen, she shops these products in a lovely skincare case she keeps on her nightstand. "So if I've forgotten-- or was just too worn out to apply items at the sink-- I can do it quickly while in bed." Her must-haves: Renova (an Rx retinoid), EpiCeram (an ultrahydrating Rx moisturizer), SCO lip balm, Earth to Skin Care Cracked Heel Renewal, Creative Nail Design Solar oil (to soften cuticles), and Listerine White Strips.

Wear Your Veggies

Frozen peas help soothe itchy, inflamed eyes for Jeanine Downie, MD, a derm in Montclair, NJ. "Once I get home from work, I remove my skin care and put a bag of frozen peas on my lids for about 5 minutes." The cold helps lower swelling and coloring, a side result of duplicated inflammation from her eczema. Unlike inflexible ice packs, a bag of peas quickly complies with the shape of the eyes for a faster result.

Avoid Impact

" The repeated jarring of high-impact cardio like running can weaken collagen and result in sagging," says Oakland, CA, dermatologist Katie Rodan, MD. "So until a 'face bra' is invented, I'll stay with biking and the elliptical device."

Strike a Pose

The majority of derms will flex over back-ward for excellent skin. Hema Sundaram, MD, a Washington, DC-area dermatologist, bends forward. Yoga moves "like Child's Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, and Sun Salutations enhance flow-- the boost of oxygen is exactly what provides skin that charming yoga glow." Another need to require to the mat: New research discovers regular yoga practice might reduce the swelling and stress that speed skin aging.

Soap with Care

Mild cleansers are among my best secrets," says Chicago derm Jonith Breadon, MD. She's partial to CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser ($ 11; pharmacies), which contains ceramides-- fatty materials that help maintain wetness.

Avoid Sodium

Diet soda is a vice that Audrey Kunin, MD, a Kansas City, MO, skin doctor, just can't give up-- she downs as much as 6 cans a day. When she realized that the salt in soda (anywhere from 25 to 50 mg per can) made her eyes and jawline puffy, she switched to a brand name that doesn't penalize her skin: sodium-free Diet Rite soda. "It satisfies my yearnings and my skin looks better."

Cut Back on the Sweet Stuff

The breakdown of sugars, called glycation, harms the collagen that keeps skin smooth and firm. To prevent this natural process from careening out of control, Naila Malik, MD, a derm in Southlake, TX, adheres to low-glycemic carbs like entire grains; they're naturally low in sugar, and the body processes them gradually to restrict the loss of collagen.

Pump Iron to Plump Skin

" I am spiritual about strength-training, and I always inform clients to do it more as they age," states Patricia Farris, MD, a skin doctor in Metairie, LA. The benefit: firmer skin from the neck down, the outcome of having better, more encouraging muscle tone. "It's like including volume to the confront with fillers, except on your body," says Farris.

Tea Up

In her teens, Amy Wechsler, MD, an NYC derm, began consuming green and black tea for the taste. Now she drinks three to 5 cups a day to protect her skin. Research recommends that both kinds of tea contain protective compounds-- like EGCG and theaflavins-- that aid avoid skin cancers and the breakdown of collagen, the reason for wrinkles.

fine lines under eyes

[italicwatches]

Magical Girl Ore - Episode 01

Hey.

Hey, friends.

Guess what.

I lied.

It’s Magical Girl Ore, episode 01! Here we GO!

-We begin, on Earth. A place full of demons running rampant. Yet Earth is defended, fought for, by magical girls!

-Cut in on a bubbly Saki with a cute mascot, racing off into the distance to fight demons…She comes down hard, to face a reptilian beast full of malice and fury! She leaps high into the air, but is blasted hard, slammed into the ground…And her arm she blocked with has lost all color! That might be easier for the colorists, but it’s bad for her! If that thing hits her again…

-And she watches as the next beam saps the green from the grass, the warm hues from the buildings, even the glory of the sunset is turned to ashen grey. It’s so bad that the few remaining colors band together in a “Color Broadcast” swatch! This is bad! If the whole show turns black and white, young viewers with no sense of history will think something is wrong with the broadcast and will call in to complain! They’ll get cancelled for causing the networks trouble, and will have to burn off the timeslot with stock footage of nice boats! Do you want to fall to that fate?!

-NO! Saki only has one option…The forbidden technique! Come forth, staff of magic! Rainbow Miracle Super Delicious Pretty Hyper Rainbow ATTACK! The spectrum cuts through this lizard like butter through a hot knife, and just as the knife falls against butter’s grim might, so too does the demon! An overwhelmingly powerful attack, its secret lies in being able to be animated solely by the underpaid computer FX team, not the actually respected key animators… It might be cheap, but it’s powerful…

-And then the kickback drops Saki flat on the ground…As finally appears, the noble gentleman of love, who protects injured magical girls…Peach Prince! He scoops her up in his arms, returned from his faraway kingdom to protect her noble heart from the wearies of battle…Oh, if only she could stay in his arms a bit longer…

-And if only he’d quit making alarm clock noises.

-Because Saki awakens to discover that morning kind of sucks when you were almost there. This is hell.

-Opening! Hope you like muscles, friends, because this magical girl anime is packed to the gills with them. Big, powerful muscles worthy of the sternest bara.

-Episode 01: Magical Girl - Transform

-So the real, not-dream Saki sprints down the stairs having slept way the hell in, and why didn’t her mother wake her up?! She tried multiple times, but you were in deep, kiddo. If you hadn’t been mumbling in your sleep she would’ve thought you’d died. But Saki is desperately late and has to GO GO GO! No time for breakfast! No time for breakfast? Then you need this.

-Saki is off in a flash, as Saki’s mother remembers that she was about that age when she…

-So Saki has…

-…

-That is not mouth toast.

-That is not mouth toast at all. That is a plate of pancakes piled high with whipped cream and fruits that she is gobbling up while she sprints.

-To work! Where Saki is doing an idol appearance in front of an electronics store with her partner. Also, I’m gonna tell you now, she can’t sing. Like, she is not keeping to the tune at all, she’s just kind of rhythmically talking. Her partner actually has some talent, and Saki is clearly working hard, but she has hard work to do…

-And here’s the worst part. Their efforts, done on a cheap karaoke boombox and a slapdash stage made of wooden pallets, has literally zero interested watchers. Manager…Did they institute martial law? Did a serial killer come through this area? Is there a zombie virus? Nope, you’re just that unpopular. And Saki quietly realizes she’s going to be stuck with another box of her own unsold merch…While her partner, Mikage Sakuyo, turns to the TV showing an actual popular idol group. Star Prince, as helmed by her older brother…

-Who’s a bit quiet and off in his own world, until his own appearance on the talk show kicks on, and then it’s like a switch flips as his singing starts. Also, subtitled songs! A precious and rare commodity in this, the age of machine gun subs. And Sakuya is rather in the shadow of her brother Mohiro…And Saki wants to bone him. She’s kind of stalked him since she was a little girl. And her whole dream of being an idol is to be closer to Mohiro. She does not have the purest of motives. But that kind of love could motivate you! Just, you know, no romance. Or pregnancies.

-MANAGER SHUT UP. And Sakuyo takes Saki’s hand, and they will surpass her brother…Together.

-Later that day, Saki is finally headed off…When she gets to her house, and finds an incredibly tough, vicious looking yakuza thug trying to kick down her gate! Oh god. Oh god what’s happening. And when he spots her, she immediately finds herself confronted, as manager and Sakuyo hide! And Saki gets dragged into her home by this yakuza thug…Who demands she call her mom in here right now.

-And out comes her mom, who never thought she’d be seeing Ko-san again…And he knows Sayo personally enough to call her Sayo-chin. Wait…Wait…Was her mom in with…Is this her…

-What was your relationship, exactly…? Oh god oh god…

-The truth is, dear, your mother…Was once a magical girl.

-Ehhhhhhhhhhh

-You broke Saki. You broke her so bad she turned into a sketch.

-One Uno Sayori, once was a magical girl! She got scouted by Ko-san in middle school. She spent a long time as a magical girl, keeping it secret…And Ko was her mascot! Here’s his card. His full name is Kokoro-chan. He’s even got a cute speech tic, dammit!

-But you see, Sayori eventually had to wind down…And she’s retired after last month, when she threw out her back. Not even magical girls can fight father time. She’s done, Ko-san.

-The problem is, without Sayori, they have nobody to protect this area…And it’s still got threats…And then Ko-san gets an idea. …Hey you. The kid. Got any crushes on anyone? W-W-What?! Well, um, she IS a teenage girl…How old are you? F-Fifteen…Just barely under the limit. Come on, make a contract with him! Saki looks to her mother for support…

-But Sayori thinks this is a great plan and means she can retire without regrets! Take over for your mom, dear! SAKI DOES NOT WANT IN ON THIS.

-You know, you’ll be stacked as hell, and built where it counts! …You have her attention. Okay, time to get started! Wait, wait—

-Here, sign this contract. Damn, just straight up mercenary. So let’s pause and see…You agree to obey the rules of the magical world and see justice through. To never abuse magic for personal gain. To not reveal your true identity. (Certain exceptions allowed.) And to not complain about the physical and emotional damage of the job.

-All laid out and clear, so everyone knows what’s on the table. S-So, she’ll be fighting demons? …Nah, most days you’re just making delinquents clear out, shit like that. It’s easy work—Hold on, he’s getting a text.

-Oh.

-Demon.

-But hey, take a look at the horrible thing you’ll be fighting! This hair-raising form!

-Ko-san that is a teddy bear. Wait she’s fighting cute mascots for a yakuza thug?! That’s just camouflage! They get JACKED when it’s time to battle! And only a magical girl’s power can stop them! Wait, this is a livestream…

-And Mohiro is there?! Cuddling up to these demons?!!! OH GOD HE’S GONNA BE STOLEN AWAY! Where’s the fight?! She’s gotta save him!!! Saki sprints off, as Sayori can only ask Kokoro to do right by her daughter…

-And Saki makes it, in time to see incredibly buff teddy bears carrying away the stoic Mohiro! This is bad. Also Ko-san finally makes it. Wait, that’s an open portal! They’ve got to stop them! And there’s a whole bunch…HOW DOES SHE BEAT THEM?! TELL HER, KO-SAN! She’s shaking a yakuza thug by the lapels, this would be such a bad plan any other time…

-But when it unlocks her love power, and even he’s stunned by its intensity…All you have to do is confess! Shout your love to the heavens, Saki, and its power will engulf you! Quit blushing like a virgin bride, and go save the man you love! SHOUT THAT NAME, kiddo! Do it!!!

-A thousand memories play in her mind…And she admits…She, loves Mikage Mohirooooo!

-And power floods her body, surges forth, turning to muscle! Rippling, powerful muscle! The strength of a god imbues her form, as all becomes light…And when that light clears…Power overwhelming stands between Mohiro and these demons! Saki is now in the body of a six+ foot tall man, and is incredibly confused.

-Okay PAUSE! Now that that ball’s finally dropped, we’ve got to talk pronoun policy on this show. All pronouns will be handled based on internal self-identification. So long as Saki continues to consider herself a fair and sweet maiden, she will continue to be referred to with she/her pronouns. For clarity of physical form, however, until such time as formal hero titles are revealed, we will be using Japanese honorifics! So Saki-chan as she is now in this moment, is Saki-kun, and she is definitely built in all the important places as Ko-san promised her! Cool? Cool. Moving on!

-Saki-kun is so confused.

-Credits! Well shit.

Sometimes I ask what I’ve gotten myself into. But let’s be real, I knew this was gonna be crazy town from the moment I hit play. We’ll just have to see if Saki-kun can save her beloved with this magical girl power, next time in episode TWO of Magical Girl Ore! Wait for it!

[atths--twice]

Chapter Two 

Christmas Morning 

It’s Christmas morning and Scully is playing Santa before she and Mulder take the time to spend the early morning together.

Mulder jerked in his sleep, a snore escaping as he did, and Scully grinned. She knew he would not wake when she left the bed. Regardless, she got up quietly, pausing at the door to be sure he was still asleep before she left the room. When he did not move, she smiled again and walked down the stairs. 

Heading straight to the kitchen, she let the Christmas tree be her only guiding light. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she took out the ingredients needed for pancakes, humming softly to herself as she mixed up the batter, readying it for the morning.

Covering the bowl, she placed it in the refrigerator, and took out the pack of strawberries. She rinsed and cut them, still humming as she heard Bella move around in her bed, whining softly in her sleep, then breathing deeply once again. Smiling, she finished her task, cleaning up the mess when she was finished. 

Turning around, she looked at the room full of decorations and shook her head with a smile. All of it was so beautiful and while it was a lot, Mulder had been right, they needed every item from the bins. The new ones had been added and Faith had loved all of them. 

She took a strong liking to a wooden gingerbread girl that had big green eyes, long brown braids and a sweet happy smile. It was like the pumpkin at Halloween; carried everywhere and brought to her bed at night. 

“God, she’s really going to be a hoarder isn’t she?” Scully had groaned and Mulder smiled with a nod. 

“We’ll get an extra shed for all the things she finds important: leaves, rocks, notes from friends, schoolwork…” 

“Mulder, please stop. I… I feel itchy just thinking of the mountain of stuff we will have if we get an extra shed. You have enough crap in this house and out in the shed already. The basement too, Mulder…” She had moaned and he gave her a sheepish grin. 

“Okay, okay. No extra shed,” he had laughed, pulling her close and keeping her in a tight hold. “We’ll just have to put up a storage system in her room.” She had tried to get away, huffing in mock exasperation, but his grip had been too tight. He kissed her, causing her knees to go weak, and she forgot about anything else but the taste of that kiss. 

Shaking her head again, she walked over and listened as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Hearing him snoring lightly, she knew she had time to carry out her surprises. 

Stepping into the office, one that had not been used in a long time, she bent down and reached under the overstuffed chair to take out the gifts she had gotten for Mulder. Knowing he would have found them in a closet, she hid them under the chair, knowing he would never think that was where they were hidden. 

It was just a few gifts, but she knew he would love each of them. Placing them under the tree, she walked back to the office and opened the closet door and took out the gifts for Faith from Santa: a small dollhouse, little chunky bodied dolls, and a doctor's kit which would be used properly and not in any naughty manner as the old one had. 

They had also gotten her some clothes, a couple of stuffed toys, and a new green fuzzy blanket with black alien faces on it. Faith would not understand the day, nor all the gifts, but they would. 

Taking the wrapped gifts first, she set them beside Mulder’s under the tree. Going back to the office, she made two trips to set the unwrapped Santa gifts in front of the tree. Standing back, she smiled, thinking of all the parents who were doing the same thing tonight; adding magic into their child’s life. 

She thought of her parents and how it must have been to keep the magic of Santa alive for four children of different ages and temperaments. Thinking of her youth, she remembered the happiness of Christmas morning; coming down the stairs, the rainbow colored lights of the tree so beautiful and calming, the pile of presents which had appeared in the night, and the smiles on her parents' faces as they opened them. 

Sighing contentedly, she went back into the office one last time, took out the bag of stocking stuffers and walked over to the stairs. A new stocking had been added this year; a red and green one, smaller than the others, with a black paw print and the name Bella written in gold inside of it. Mulder had insisted on it, of course. 

Into Bella’s stocking she put a pack of bones, some treats, and a new chewy ball on which to gnaw. Faith’s stocking received some puffy snacks, a squishy snowman, and a small plastic snow globe which held Rudolph and Clarice together in the woods. Into Mulder’s stocking went a small bag of sunflower seeds, a new penlight, and a Sasquatch family magnet for the refrigerator. She smiled as she added that, knowing he would find it very funny. 

She stared at Jackson’s stocking and sighed, the familiar tug of sadness pulling at her heart and settling into her stomach. Not knowing him, not really, she decided that she would add a letter to him every year at Christmas, telling him of what had transpired over the year. The likelihood of him ever reading them was high, but she thought that if he actually did, he would see that his presence had been missed. 

Putting her letter inside the stocking, she patted it and took the plastic bag to the kitchen and put it away. She set the table, readied the coffee, and placed their mugs by the pot. Nodding as she looked around, she smiled. Walking past the snow globe, she turned it over, and set it down, watching the snow falling silently inside. 

After it settled, she walked up the stairs and slipped back into bed, seeking warmth and cuddling close to Mulder. He mumbled in his sleep and put his arm around her, drawing her closer. Smiling, she felt her breathing match his and she fell asleep.

“Scully! Scully, wake up!” She heard him saying softly in her ear. “Scuuulllyyyy… come on, wake up.” She moaned and he laughed, the motion felt within her own body, at the position they were laying. 

“Mulder…” she sighed and opened her eyes, discovering it was still dark outside. “Mulder! It’s not even light out yet. What is our Christmas rule?” 

“We get up before our girl so we can have our Christmas first, at least for as long as we can before she wakes us up. Come on, I’m pretty sure Santa has been here,” he said quietly, holding her close and kissing her neck. 

“Mmm, okay. I’m up,” she sighed, as she stretched, not exactly sure she was ready to leave the warm bed. 

“Good, let’s go!” He jumped out of bed and she gasped at the cold air that entered and then laughed at his excitement. She moved a bit slower, having been up later than he had. 

She used the bathroom and brushed her teeth as he waited impatiently for her in the bedroom. With a sigh of finally, he handed her her robe and some socks, already wearing a zip up sweatshirt himself, and waited as she put them on. Reaching for her hand, she smiled and stopped him, leaning up for a kiss.  

“Merry Christmas, Mulder,” she whispered and he kissed her again. 

“Merry Christmas, Scully,” he whispered back. “Now come on!” They laughed quietly as they went down the stairs and into the rainbow lit living room. 

Bella shook herself awake, standing up and stretching, her tail wagging as she saw them. “I’ll take her out,” Mulder said, opening her crate and clipping on her leash. 

Scully stopped by the stockings on the way to switch the coffee on, taking out the bag of Bella’s chewy bones, and then walked over to the tree, waiting for them to come back inside. 

“Mulder,” she whispered, with a smile and a shake of her head, when she saw that a four piece alien family had been added to the dollhouse family. 

The door opened quietly and he shivered as he and Bella came back inside, shutting the door behind him, and taking off his coat and boots. 

“Smells like it might snow again. We could  keep that white Christmas after all, or it could end up being far too warm and it all melts away… that’s climate change for you.” He unclipped Bella and she ran over to Scully, licking her good morning as she bent to pet her. 

“Merry Christmas, Bella,” she said, rubbing her soft ears. Bella wiggled and licked at her nose and Scully laughed, opening the package of bones and giving her one. She took it and ran over to her bed to chew on it.  

“Mmm, that coffee smells good,” Mulder said, as he walked into the kitchen. 

“I saw your addition of gifts to the ones from Santa,” Scully said, joining him by the coffee pot. 

“I don’t know what you mean, Scully. I didn’t add anything. What’re you talking about?” he asked innocently, pouring and preparing their coffees. 

“Nice try,” she said, taking the mug he offered to her. “That has your name all over it.” 

“I seriously don’t know what you mean. It must have been Santa and the magic of Christmas,” he said with a smile and she grinned back. “Come on, let’s open gifts!” 

She laughed as she followed him to the couch and set her mug on the coffee table. Walking over to the stockings first, she reached to take Mulder’s down, when she saw that an additional letter had been added to Jackson’s stocking. Her eyes filled with tears as Mulder came to stand beside her. 

“I like the idea, and I wanted to add my own letter to him as well,” he said softly, putting his arm around her. She nodded, squeezing his hand on her shoulder and reached again for his stocking as he reached for hers. 

Looking at him quizzically, he shrugged. “I told you, Santa must have been here.” She smiled as they set the stockings on the coffee table and he continued over to the tree, gathering their gifts for each other. 

He set them on the coffee table next to their stockings and sat down beside her on the couch. Looking over at her, he smiled and reached for their coffee mugs, handing hers to her. Clinking their mugs, they sat in the silence of the room, staring at the tree. 

“I think we should do this as long as we can, take this time for us,” he said quietly and she nodded. “It’s not about the gifts, as neither of us needs anything, but this quiet before the Christmas morning truly begins, I enjoy spending it with you.” 

“Good thing you married me then, huh?” she teased and he laughed, nodding his head. 

“Okay! Open your stocking!” he said, setting down his mug and taking hers, putting it back on the coffee table. He picked up her stocking and laid it on her lap. 

“This feels heavy,” she told him, lifting the stocking and finding it was quite hefty. 

“Santa must have known you’ve been a really good girl this year,” he said with a shrug. 

She smiled and reached inside, finding a handle of sorts, and frowning. Pulling out the item, she discovered it was a compact black umbrella and she chuckled softly. Remembering many days and nights spent under one like it, she turned her head and smiled at him. 

“Open it,” he said, smiling back. 

“Open it? Inside? And risk the bad luck?” she asked, astonished at his suggestion. 

“It’s a superstition that I don’t believe in, Scully. Open it.” Smiling, she undid the Velcro strap and loosened the umbrella, pushing the button to fully open it. 

“Oh, Mulder…” she whispered, holding it above their heads and looking up. While the outside may have been a plain unassuming black, on the inside it was as yellow as a sunny day. “It’s beautiful.” 

“To remind you that the gray skies won’t be around for long,” he said softly and she sighed, meeting his eyes and smiling. 

“I love it. Thank you.” She kissed him as he took it from her, closing it up again. 

“Keep looking,” he said and she reached in the stocking again. 

A dark chocolate bar and a pair of socks with flamingos in Santa hats. Laughing, she set them aside and picked up his stocking, handing it to him. He dug in excitedly, exclaiming over the items he found, jumping up to put the magnet on the refrigerator. 

Coming back to the couch, he handed her another weighty gift. “Your turn,” he smiled and she ripped the paper off of the package. 

“Mulder…” she said, lightly touching the book he had given her; a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets. 

“It’s not exactly a first edition or anything, I mean I do want our daughter to go to college one day,” he laughed and she smiled. “But it is old and I knew you would like it.” 

“I love it. Thank you.” She flipped through it and read one of her favorites out loud, smiling as she closed it. “Okay, your turn. The middle one in your stack.” 

He smiled as he took the one she said, tearing open the paper and lifting the lid from the box. Inside was a new pair of black gloves. He tried them on, nodding appreciatively.  

“I foresee many snowmen being built in our future and I felt it best you were prepared,” she explained and he chuckled. 

“They’re perfect, thank you.” Taking them off, be handed her the next gift with a huge smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him and he pushed it closer to her, bouncing slightly as he bit his lip and grinned. 

“Oh, I’m a bit nervous,” she said, holding the small box in her hands. She tore the paper carefully at the edges, as he chuckled softly. Ripping the paper off completely, a white box sat on her lap and he huffed. 

“Open it!” he demanded with a laugh and she did so slowly, lifting the lid carefully. “Oh my God, Scully, you’re killing me.” He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs, sighing loudly as she giggled.

The lid off, she pulled back the green tissue as slowly as she opened the box and he muttered menacingly under his breath. When she had finally opened the tissue, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. 

“What in the hell is this?” she asked, staring at the shirt that lay in the box and then at him. He grinned wider than ever as she looked back at the shirt, taking it out of the box, completely speechless. 

It was a white shirt with a black box frame in which a gray smiling alien was centered, a red heart near its left cheek. Underneath the pictures in white typewriter font were the words: He abducted my heart, with a black arrow pointing to the right. 

“Isn’t it perfect?” he laughed and she opened and closed her mouth, not sure what to say. “Wait! You haven’t seen the best part.” 

“The best part? Does it also glow in the dark?” 

“Ohhhh, that would’ve been good, but no, it’s this.” Unzipping his hoodie, he showed her the shirt he was wearing underneath. 

“Oh… my God, Mulder,” she breathed and then burst out laughing. 

His shirt was black with a gray box frame, the same alien, but with the heart near its right cheek. The words written underneath were black and in the same font, but they said: She abducted my heart and the arrow pointing to the left, was white.  

“Huh? How perfect is this?” He pointed back and forth between them and she shook her head, taking off her robe and putting it on over her long sleeved pajama top. 

Holding it out, she looked down at it and then at his. “It’s the most perfectly ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen,” she laughed and he nodded as he looked at them together. 

“It absolutely is, no question. Which is exactly why I had to buy them, it’s the perfect gift. I think I beat you, my gift is best.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s a good around the house only shirt.” He looked shocked and she stared at him. “Mulder, no way I would walk around wearing this outside.” 

“Would it change your mind at all, if I said I also have one for Faith?” 

“What?!” 

From his hoodie pocket, he pulled out a light green shirt. A black box frame held two larger alien faces and one smaller one, two small red hearts under its face. In white letters it said: I’ve abducted both of their hearts. 

“Mulder,” she whispered, taking the shirt from him, and scrunching her chin. “I love this so much. But the answer is still a firm hell no.” She looked at him and he laughed with a nod, admitting defeat. She leaned over and kissed him, thanking him for her gift. 

“Open the top one now,” she said with a grin, knowing what was inside of course, and realizing it would be a bit of tit for tat after her gift. 

He laughed as he took the two teal colored bags with the large orange fox on them, out of the box. Black acorns, leaves, and swirled designs were drawn on the bag. In white letters, interwoven between them, were the words Stay Foxy. 

“I thought you might enjoy using something with your own name on it so as not to rely on Bob all the time,” she teased and he laughed again. 

“So, I’m supposed to take these to the store and other places, use them, but the shirts are too much?” he teased back and she laughed. 

“One hundred percent. No one knows your name unless you choose to tell them. These shirts are very cute, but we’re not a matching t-shirt family. At least not in public.” She smiled and he nodded. 

“I know. I’m just teasing and perfectly happy to wear them here.” 

“Of course, Faith’s is pretty cute…” She shrugged and he grinned. 

“I’ll convince you yet,” he whispered, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, you’ve got one more.” He handed her a large, thin envelope sized package and she gave him a curious look. 

Sliding her finger under the tape, she opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was printed information about a vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard. A small bungalow right on the beach had been rented for a weekend in the middle of January. He had included pictures of the town and an itinerary that did not exactly appear to be include Faith.

Looking at him questioningly, he smiled. “Skinner and Rachel have agreed to watch Faith for that weekend.” She raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded, his own eyebrows raised. 

“Wow, that’s…” 

“I know. We’ll have some alone time…” 

“I was thinking more like that’s a big step for them,” she mused, looking at the papers again. “I’m both elated and completely terrified.” 

“I’d say that is the general consensus, judging by the amount of phone calls I’ve had from Skinner,” he laughed and she sighed. 

“I love this, and it might sound crazy, but I’m happier they will be having the time with Faith.” She looked at him and he raised his eyebrows. 

“I did add amazing sex to the itinerary, didn’t I?” He took the papers from her and searched through them. “Yup, it’s here in bold, so it’s definitely a top priority.” She laughed as she took the papers back, seeing where he was pointing, and had indeed written amazing sex in bold. 

“Thank you, Mulder. This will be wonderful. For all parties involved.” She set the papers down and held his face in her hands, kissing him softly. His tongue licked at her lips and he pulled her easily onto his lap. 

“Hmmm… you have one more gift,” she murmured against his mouth and he kissed her again, nearly causing her to forget, but she wanted him to have the gift before Faith woke up. “Okay, let's pause this for later, I want you to open the last gift.” Kissing him once more, she climbed off his lap and stood up, shaking her head, smoothing her hair, and breathing hard. 

“Sure I can't persuade you?” he asked, looking rumpled and delicious. The desire to continue what they started was strong, but she had planned this  and Faith was due to wake up very soon. 

Turning around, she picked up his gift and handed it to him, sitting on the coffee table, instead of the couch. He looked at it and then at her. 

“Open it,” she said softly, and he began to do so carefully. She watched him as he opened the box, feeling nervous about how he would feel about the gift and the idea that had been knocking around in her head. 

“It’s a journal,” he said, and she nodded. “A really nice journal… but I… I’m sorry, honey…” 

“I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly, taking the leather bound writing journal from him and thumbing through the blank pages. “I know you started the journal for Faith, and I love it, but I’ve been thinking about something else.” She looked at him and he smiled, waiting for her to continue. “You should write a book, Mulder. A children’s book.” He looked shocked and she laughed softly. “Hear me out.” 

She handed him back the journal and took a deep breath. “You’re an amazing writer, always have been, and I think you should take the stories of our cases, and put them into a children’s series.” 

“Scully,” he said with an incredulous laugh. “They are hardly stories for children.” She smiled and nodded, knowing full well that most of the cases would not classify as child friendly. 

“So, you change things a bit. Make it funny or just a little scary,” she said with a shrug. “I know it’s sometimes easier to type away on the laptop, but for me, there’s something about seeing your own handwriting filling a book with ideas that seems to make it real.” She looked at the journal and opened it to the first page, where she had written an inscription. 

He looked down and read it out loud. “For the beginning of your journey. Write it down. Put it in a book. Love, Scully.”  He raised his eyes to hers and she smiled, remembering the last time she had said those words to him. 

“I know you can do this,” she whispered with a smile. He stared at her and then closed the journal, setting it beside him and pulling her to his lap again. 

“Thank you. I love it and I love you,” he whispered as he held her close. 

“I love you too.”

A cry from upstairs broke the silence of the room and she pulled back, kissing him softly, and leaving his lap. He picked up the journal and stood beside her with a smile. 

“I think this will be a great idea,” he said, looking into her eyes. 

“I know, that’s why I got it,” she teased him, and he laughed, as Faith cried again. 

“You wait here, I’ll go get her,” he said, and she agreed. “Oh!” He turned around and grabbed the alien shirt for Faith, kissed Scully’s laughing mouth, and ran up the stairs two at a time. 

Smiling, she looked around the room once more, taking in its beauty. She heard Mulder speaking to Faith, telling her about the shirt he was putting on her and how much Mama truly loved it. 

Shaking her head, she looked down at her own shirt; at the gray alien with a red heart, and she smiled. 

He abducted my heart. 

Yes, he surely had, she thought with another smile, as she heard them on the stairs, Mulder announcing they were coming down. Excitement bubbled in her stomach as she waited, ready to experience the wonder and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of her daughter. 

[happy-skittle]

Kansas Collection - Ch. 5: “The Vow” - Recap & Reflections

8/23/2018

Last Thursday, I was able to attend an immersive experience long-awaited!! Read on for a substantial but hopefully entertaining recap!

We bought our tickets shortly after they were released, but I hadn’t realized that many others going through this experience also have hearts of gold. heh. Red-Patchwork Resistance was already sold out!! :O Since we then decided to make the most of a group of four attending, we all picked a different color-faction. My sister chose Black-Ozma because she had met Phoebe’s secret (dark) side in the first chapter, one friend chose Blue-Revolt because that was expected to be quite action-packed, friend’s girlfriend went with White-Newbies because she was new to the series, and I assessed my choices only to end up with Green-Scarecrow King’s Armed Militia! It was time to switch sides!

To prepare for the evening, I carefully reviewed the secrets and code-phrases that I had been entrusted with by the Patchwork Resistance because while I was convinced that I would appear as an upstanding citizen dressed properly and appropriately in green, I would secretly support the good fight because my heart was in the right place. Green on the outside but juicy and red on the inside. An Ozian watermelon.

Spoilerific Recap:

Once the event began, we found ourselves milling about the courtyard with a myriad of options before us. Those overtly supporting the King were reminded to check in with Jo Files and sign the guest book. While there may have been hidden insight in the guest book or some “correct” conversation with Jo, what I took away from the exchange was only to stay close because a special breakaway interaction would soon happen for a select few. Meanwhile, my sister joined many others getting her money’s worth at the bar and the table of ‘light refreshments’. Other guests took photos with a doll-like and docile Dorothea Gale accompanied by a smiling Special Officer Phil Daring. Phoebe Daring (soon to be Her Royal Highness) could be found flitting about receiving congratulations and giving crazy (Ozma) eyes to her followers to assure them of her continued presence. Jack Pumpkinhead and Tik Tok provided some color to the socializing in their interactions that changed dynamically in response to the varying hues worn by guests. The Lion was her usual shady self and only those who participated in her dealings can speak to them. Rounding out the cast of characters was a drunken Wizard (Mr. Diggs) and several other characters that were not extraneous but never quite made an appearance in my story.

We were finally called to audience with the Scarecrow King, who thanked us for our loyal service and proceeded to wax poetic and philosophical about his impending wedding. He questioned why we had chosen to follow him and received responses ranging from those that followed his cult of personality to those of us who wanted to do the “right and proper thing”. He told us of his past (10,000 ft flyover but suffice it say that the person in front of us presented more and more as a flawed and tragic human being rather than a ruthless dictator gone mad) and how he came to be king though unwillingly at first but now determined to put his loved one’s (loved ones’!!!) safety and security above all else. He asked us to join in a toast and to continue to serve him-that we should take seriously the duty to guard him and those around him as best as we could. (Foreshadowing but I was too busy thinking “Yes, sir! I will do my best to protect yoouu!”) I found myself committed to being a royalist loyalist dedicated to preserving the status quo in the best interest of society. *smug smile*

He ended with a strained but hopeful smile and asked us to rejoin the others. Shortly after, the main event began!

We were ushered into the chapel and seated according to our alignments. As if noticing that something was amiss with our placements, Jack re-seated me in a strange spot right behind the Wizard but farthest away from the center aisle and my green companions. At Phoebe’s request (command), the Wizard grudgingly performed the heraldic duties of announcing the wedding party and Lyman took his place at the pulpit to begin the ceremony. When there continued to be strange whispers and worried glances from several others (Phil: *alarmed and anxious face ON*), I looked behind me in the chapel and noticed the Tin Man (+Axe!) lurking and glowering. I alternated between watching the unfolding nuptials and glaring anxiously at the Tin Man/Nick Chopper, who was like those cats that sneakily creep closer each time you turn around. As he reached peak nearness, I heard loud bangs and “GET DOWN!” I obeyed instantly and ducked down into the pew. The Tin Man extended his hand to me and beckoned that I should follow him. I rushed after him (long legs, that one) and he grasped my hand pulling me towards the mysterious back hallways present in all churches.

He opened a door and rushed in. I followed without thinking. He closed the door and turned around.... I slowly realized whom I was alone with and that we were separated from everyone else. He seemed instantly more menacing and threatening when I became aware of the situation. The Tin Man made sure that I understood cooperation was the only option unless I preferred death. :( We scurried from room to room looking for Dorothy, who I hadn’t realized until then must have disappeared in all the commotion. He explained to me that this was his only objective and that while Phil loved Dorothy, Phil was misguided and mistaken as to Dorothy’s fate as well being fooled by her trance-like state. Throughout revealing himself and his past to me, the Tin Man declared that I was only so much cannon fodder for the Scarecrow and that I was easily replaceable; this was meant to shake my beliefs and was incredibly effective when paired with stories of times long-past when four friends set off on the adventure of their lives to end up now more separated than ever before. When asked if I would choose the same path for myself and make the same choices again, I hesitated but answered truthfully that I didn’t know if I would. The theme of regret weaved in and out of our conversations.

Finally, the Tin Man pointed me to a door and told me to open it. I heard loud proclamations and felt queasy at the thought of what I would find inside. We entered to a room of guests bedecked in black.....and Ozma mid-speech addressing her supporters. *dun dun dun* She made it clear that the Tin Man would have what (who) he wanted after all was said and done. She and her followers left the room, but she made quite clear that the Tin Man was by now an unstable free agent that would serve his limited use and no more.

Alone with me once again, the Tin Man took the opportunity to bring up more sins of the past. I discovered that the Tin Man had once fallen deeply in love only to feel like a beetle crushed under foot when that love was not returned. The Tin Man, now a scorned and desperate man with a penchant for insanity, was out for blood. Counter to my assumption that he searched for Dorothy to spirit her away to safety, he proclaimed that he would find her and kill her for to revenge himself for the wrongdoings she had visited upon him and his broken self. When at last he collected himself, he led me out of the room and pointed me once again towards the chamber where we first exchanged words.

Before leaving me, the Tin Man reminded me once more not to trust anyone. :|

Within the room, I finally rejoined my fellow Greens, where Lyman was preparing us for the ceremony crowning the Queen. Lyman reassured us that this was for the best and that the Scarecrow King wasn’t all that great in hindsight/the big book of prophecies. Wait. What? Wait??!?! The King was dead?!?!?!?!??!?! I was very confused and shaken to realize that the “commotion” earlier had actually resulted in the death of the King. I tried to asked those around me, but I think I came off very strangely because what was meant to be an obvious fact already solidly established was something I was barely beginning to wrap my mind around. Feeling like a house plopped down in a foreign land by a wayward tornado, I accepted that I’d need to jump back in to the narrative quickly or get left behind. =_=; We were asked to pledge our loyalty (again with the loyalty) to Oz itself with the understanding that Phoebe (Ozma tho for reals) was our new and rightful ruler. 

We were made to rehearse and then treated to a very real, striking but horrifying, and commanding Ozma being crowned as the new leader of Oz. When Lyman would relay the traditional oath, Ozma twisted the words and made them her own declaration of immediate and total domination of her new subjects. The King is dead. :( Long live the Queen. :( :(

Lavender Pibt, the one person still grieving the deceased King, gathered us on our way out of the chapel; she promised that we would meet again soon and that we should bend our thoughts towards vengeance for our fallen leader.

Then we were released into the night!

Reflections:

Erm. Even though this was less than a week ago, I will readily admit any mistaken or missing details as my error! Lmk if you have a correction on something that I’ve remembered horribly or remembered not at all!

In hindsight, some major events of the evening were hinted at quite strongly. Either I have been ridiculously way too busy to give it any thought (yes) or I hadn’t quite grasped the story straws in the first four chapters (I did miss Ch. 3 - “The Door”) and had only a dim understanding of the characters and plotlines (also yes)! I was so completely enveloped in this experience that almost everything took me by surprise as it happened. I am still in disbelief that I didn’t realize the Scarecrow King had been assassinated until almost an hour after everyone else was presented clearly with the dramatic scene of his death (I heard there was even straw involved!) In comparison, those under Ozma’s track were treated to her delight at being rid of him and glee that his death occurred after their marriage, which guaranteed her right to rule.

The one-on-one interaction with the Tin Man was one of the more challenging ones I’ve come across. Not only was the actor a huge presence that drew me into the character’s story (actually, I feel like it was closer to not being able to escape the character and his story) but was also fantastic at portraying the character as sensitive and relatable but also hostile and violently defensive when bringing up the past (even if he was the one doing the bringing up). The actor was also so so talented at giving me the opportunity to actually emotionally react and engage (verbally/physically) in a way that made everything feel SO real and like I was an equal driver of the story.

Anywho-IT WAS SO AWESOME-O! If only I had more free time, I would have loved to participate again under a ticket of another color. After the night ended and we were still buzzing with adrenaline and excitement, I did share with others as they shared with me; and I think I now have a firm grasp on some of the other events and revelations that unfolded while I was on my own little adventure. I’m  excited to find out how the story will continue to unfold and whether we will have another calm before the storm or whether going forward it’ll be all storm!

Hope you enjoyed this wall of text recap and come back for more! :D

[themalicealyce]

Sarcasm and Puns: Chapter 3

You’re an introverted person, have been all of your life but it wasn’t as if you were shy, you were just content to have your only friends be your brother and your roommate. Though when your brother’s young daughter makes friends with the human ambassador of monsters you open up to the idea of having a larger group of friends.

Everything seems much slower in autumn, the chill in the air causes the world to screech to a crawl as the leaves change, even the city seemed less lively. You always thought this was true but over the course of the last couple of years you discovered there was an exception to the hushed state that this time of year brought. This break from the lull of dreary, sluggish afternoons came in the form of a hyper six year old, fresh out of school, tugging you towards the playground with the single minded determination of a freight train.

Slow burn, like really slow and lots of friendship with the whole group. Originally posted on AO3.

The sun rose, sluggishly peeking out above the horizon, muddled through the dull grey mess of muted colors that made up the city. Rays of its glaring white-gold light streamed persistently even through the thin drapes that were haphazardly closed to cover your window. The light that poured in from the gaps striped across the room blindingly, hitting your eyes. Any noise that you would have heard, from birds outside to the sounds of neighbors drifting through the walls of your apartment building were drowned out by your phone alarm that blared loudly from the pocket of last night's jeans. The combination of stimuli forcibly pulled you from sleep. Morning came all too quickly, as you knew it would considering you had only given yourself a couple hours to sleep, still you groaned groggily pulling the blanket over your head in a vain attempt to will it away so you could stay cocooned in your warm nest of a bed.

The shrill, digital chirps of your alarm won out and you couldn't listen to them any longer. You forced yourself to get up and silence its insistent beeping, your sudden movement waking Hemlock. You spared him an apologetic look as you grabbed the pants, prying the phone out of the pocket to glare at the time. You loved your job, the only drawback was having to start at such an early hour. You used to work the afternoon shift but switched over so you could leave around the same time your niece got out of school. It was definitely helpful since your brother's hours were much more sporadic than your own. There was no doubt you weren't the type of person that rose with the sun, more like a night owl, and now you had to get to work shortly after the mall opened every morning. You had never gone through more coffee than you have since starting the morning shift. The thought of coffee was what got you moving, if you were quick you could make coffee on your way to the studio.

You showered and rushed through your morning routine tying your hair back in a messy ponytail and getting dressed in the closest clean work clothes you could find. Quickly checking yourself in the mirror, straightening the white button up and black vest you wore for you job before throwing a heavy jacket on over them and tossing on a pair of boots. You slid your phone into your pocket and grabbed your messenger bag, slinging it over one shoulder before leaving your room to feed Hemlock and grab your keys from the counter. Glancing across the counter you found the coffee maker a huge mess and you scrunched your nose up in distaste. You had neither the time nor willpower to clean that and brew yourself coffee. You sighed, deciding if you hurried maybe you could stop at that little café you liked on the way to the mall.

Making your way through the living room you saw Vincent curled up on the sofa after having finally crashed, sleeping with his laptop abandoned nearby. The tv still flickered, but long since forgotten. You switched it off and went through the mental checklist in your head one last time before heading off in search of a good cup of coffee.

With the sun rising a little higher and the world around you slowly waking up, you stopped at the small brick coffee house that had quickly become your favorite. Briefly checking the time, you pushed the door open and saw the place was predictably scarce, just barely beginning to pick up traffic of people heading to work. You did however see a small monster with orange skin and incredibly large eyes that stared intensely down at the floor. They were in a chair that was pressed up against the wall by the door, you looked at them for a moment in curiosity because they looked so lost and troubled.

When you first heard them mumble you thought you'd been caught looking and offended them until you registered the words "I came in here for a coffee but I forgot my wallet... So, I'm just going to sit in this corner and pretend I'm waiting for someone." Your first instinct was to laugh even though you sympathized with the awkwardness of their situation, but they seemed to be talking more to themselves than you so you kept quiet and walked over to the counter, hurried to place your order. You briefly considered buying the small monster a cup as well, but you shrugged it off, you didn’t have the time or money this morning. As you waited you felt your phone vibrate, alerting you of a text. You checked it as your name was called by the barista, seeing your brother's photo light up your screen. You grabbed your cup and nodded at the worker as you headed out of the shop. You pulled up the message managing to navigate the sidewalk that grew more crowded as you read.

'Lunch? Gotta ask you something.'

You quickly responded, telling him to meet you in the food court at noon before you put your phone away so you wouldn't be late. Entering the mall, you lamented your own bad habit of once again starting the work week with barely any sleep. Luckily the caffeine coursing through your veins had so far kept you pleasantly awake and distracted.

"Hey man over here!" You were pulled out of your thoughts by the greeting and searched for the source of the airy voice.

You scanned the long, nearly empty hallway and your eyes quickly landed on her. Chandler was waving you over, making sure you knew she was the one who called out to you. Chandler worked at that trendy record store across from your studio and she gave off this breezy, bohemian vibe in everything she did. It still amazes you that you've never seen her get mad or even impatient. She was tall and curvy with short chestnut brown hair that framed her freckled face and her hazel eyes were wide and as round as her face. She stood with Nathan who was pretty much the only other person who worked at the mall that you knew well enough to eat lunch in the food court with. Nathan's dirty blonde hair poked out from his dark grey beanie in a way that was probably purposefully messy and his ice blue eyes were framed by his thick black glasses. He was lanky and angular, he had stubble that was kept neat and short and the left side of his bottom lip was pierced with a simple black ring. As you got closer you saw she was also talking to that cat guy you sometimes saw smoking outside; you didn't really know much about him or when that they had started to hang out. He was slumped up against the wall toying with the pack of cigarettes in his hands. You don't think you have ever seen that guy stand up straight without leaning lazily against something, and honestly you were kind of impressed with his dedication.

"Hey, dude," Chandler greeted as you joined the group; Nathan nodded in acknowledgment, and the orange furred cat monster gave a half-hearted wave. "you coming to game night? Nathan needs to know how much taco stuff to make."

Nathan nodded again, but remained quiet as usual; he always paid attention, even if he rarely spoke up. When he did his voice was gravelly and pleasant, he worked at the game store and kept you busy with great puzzle games, his recommendations never failing to be challenging and fun. You swore under your breath, you had forgotten that you agreed to hang out with them. You felt bad for turning them down, though you didn’t promise, and the shrug you gave in response came all too naturally. You know you haven’t really made a habit of hanging out with them often, and lately you've been too busy to see them outside of work.

"Can't tonight, you know how it is."

Chandler chuckled softly. "Man, don’t worry about it." She waved off your apology.

You nodded with a sleepy smile on your face. “Rain check?”

“Totally.” Chandler answered immediately and Nathan made a matching expression of agreement.

“I really am sorry but I’ve just been really busy with my brother’s kid being around, so I spend most days I don’t spend with her sleeping." Your work friends gave you understanding looks; however, the cat monster's fur puffed out like Hemlock's does when he's upset. "Kids weird me out, man, one second they're begging for those meals with the toys in 'em, the next they're bawling so hard you have to mop up after 'em." he said with a shudder.

"Yeah, now imagine you have to get them to sit still and smile for a family photo, it's my favorite part of the job." you quipped with an eye roll.

"See, you get it buddy." the cat monster flashed you a quick approving smile; the genuine grin looked somewhat unnatural on his face, like he didn't use it often.

Nathan broke his silence as he collapsed into light giggles. You hid your amused smile behind your coffee cup and gulped down what was left. Looking up to check the large wall clock in the hallway, you suddenly realized how little time you had left to get to work. "Well that's about as long as I can hold a conversation this early in the morning, so I better go before I dissolve into gibberish." you grumbled out for emphasis, lazily waving as you departed from their small group and continued on towards the studio tossing the empty paper cup in the trash along the way.

You spent the majority of your morning just hanging out in the studio keeping things tidy and talking to curious mall goers, overall it was a fairly slow morning. You loved photography and the fact that mornings were usually dead, but you really wished you could be doing more with your passion than posed family portraits. You sighed and stared at the clock waiting for lunch.

When you were finally able to, after a period of time that felt like forever, you stepped out of the studio for lunch. You wandered off and stood in the middle of the food court trying to decide what to eat. You were lost in thought when you were ambushed from behind and pulled into a tight hug. You would never admit to the squeak you made in surprise. Pulling away, you spun around to be greeted with your brother's smiling face. He gave you a small smirk at your surprised reaction. "Gabriel! You're going to be the fucking death of me." you sighed and clutched your chest.

He crossed his arms, the tattoos on them showing from where he had rolled up his sleeves. "Yeah well maybe if you were more used to hugs you wouldn't have a panic attack every time I stop by." Gabriel rolled his eyes, smirk betraying the annoyed tone he used. "If you didn't insist on sneaking up on me it would be fine." you crossed your arms mimicking his action, trying to look affronted. He laughed, waving off your comment "Burgers?" he asked instead.

"Yes please, I am starving!" you agreed whole heartedly, having not eaten all day.

You ate with your brother, both of you scarfing down your food like ravenous wolves which left you with more time in your break than you thought. Gabe wandered with you through the mall eventually ending up in the outdoor plaza area in the center of the mall before you remembered the text he sent you earlier.

"So, what's this big mysterious question?" you asked when your conversation lulled.

"You're off on Saturday, right?" it was a question, but he said it like a statement. He was just leading you along his train of thought until he got to the point he wanted to make.

"Yeah?" you asked, drawing out the word to urge him to continue.

"Well how about dinner?" there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that was slightly worrying, but you chose to ignore it. "Sure thing, when?" You answered easily.

"Five, I'll text you the address." He offered casually leading you down a winding trail around the plaza.

You glared at him suspiciously "Did you spontaneously change address or do you really think my direction skills are that poor?" you intoned.

"Well, it’s not at my place.” He shrugged. “And, you don't know where Toriel lives." His voice was casual, but the look on his face was one someone would use when dealing with a particularly dense person who wasn't following simple logic.

"Toriel?” You paused a moment in thought trying to remember why you recognized that name. “You mean that uh kid…” You struggled trying to think of the name. “Frisk's mom?" you questioned trying to slowly piece together what he was telling you.

"Yep." he popped the 'p' sound and nodded encouragingly as you worked through what he meant.

You glared, knowing he was being deliberately vague to fuck with you "Why am I supposed to have dinner with Toriel?"

"Because," he sighed in an exaggerated manner as if he was extremely disappointed in your deductive skills. "it's going to be a kind of 'getting to know your kid's new friend's family' type thing and she invited you. Oh, look ice cream!"

Gabriel distracted you from trying to process the information, or maybe he was legitimately excited by the small food vendor cart with the bright yellow and red striped umbrella that he pointed at. There was really no underestimating his sweet tooth.

"Isn't it getting a bit too cold for ice cream?" you complained even as he dragged you by your wrist toward the cart manned by a pastel blue bunny man in a shirt that matched the cart’s umbrella.

He was leaned up against it amenably chatting with that cat monster you spoke to earlier. You don’t think you caught his name, but you recognized him propped up against the wall nearby with the cigarette in between his lips. The fact that he was smoking and wearing an overly tacky fast food uniform you figured he was probably on his own lunch break.

"C'mon, live a little, will you?" Gabriel chided you teasingly.

You shrugged now close enough to read 'Nice Cream' on the side of the trolley, "Yeah, sure fine."

"Oh, by the way I said you would make dessert." he added quickly before getting the bunny's attention.

You groaned and slapped his arm, you had no clue what he had gotten you into now. “Ugh, go to hell Gabe.”

“I’m trying my best, sister dearest.” He quipped back quickly with a smirk and wink before returning his full attention back to his ice cream order, you didn’t order one of your own.

Soon Gabe left on his way to pick Morrigan up from school and you went back to work, but for the rest of the day your mind kept drifting back to the conversation.

On your way home that day you easily thought of ways you could get out of going to this dinner. Ideas ranging from reasonable and realistic to dramatically unbelievable stories you could weave, but ultimately you didn't even know if you wanted to avoid going. You liked Toriel, from what you remembered of meeting her, and she had asked you to come so you guessed she didn't mind you either. Frisk was also a good kid and your niece really seemed to like to her. You didn't want to ruin the first friendship she developed since moving here, so how much could one dinner party really hurt? You would have Gabriel there with you and he always made it easier to deal with people, just like when you were kids. These thoughts kept looping in your mind for the whole walk back to your apartment and by the time you got there you were surprised to find you were actually excited by the idea.

Sticking your hand into your jacket pocket for your keys your nose scrunched up in confusion as you were met with something you didn’t remember putting there. You pulled it out of your pocket to examine it only to be filled with more confusion. It was a wrapper, was this the wrapper from Gabriel’s ice cream thing? Did he just shove his trash in your pocket while you weren’t paying attention? You sighed and shook your head ready to throw it away when you saw writing on the inside of the wrapper. Uncrinkling the weird not quite paper, not quite plastic material you read the message ‘You have a really nice smile, you should use it more!’. You could feel yourself starting to smile just from reading it. You rolled your eyes half-heartedly at the thought of Gabriel sneaking the wrapper into your jacket and held it in your hand as you went fishing in your pocket again, this time actually managing to grab your keys.

[kichanzo]

Apple iPhone 11 Review in Kenya – Just Another Expensive Phone

Apple iPhone 11 DEALS

Jumia Kenya

ksh88000 VIEW

Ghulio

ksh89000 VIEW

Last year Apple had it rough with the XS. But this iPhone 11 review in Kenya will show you that it’s a better device. Apple did an exceptional job with the additional features of the iPhone 11. The phone has a new chipset, increased performance, superb camera improvements, and excellent battery life.

They released it on September 20, 2019. It is very similar to the iPhone XR. They simply took their popular product, made slight improvements, and lowered the price. If you are on a budget, it’s a better option.

This review highlights the trade offs that you will make when selecting it. Read till the end to know our verdict.

What You Will Read

Things to Consider Before Buying iPhone 11

Apple iPhone 11 Price in Kenya

The Display

Chipset /iOS

Display

Performance

Battery Size

Camera

Colors

Extras

iPhone 11 Accessories

Consumer Ratings and Reviews

The best iPhone 11 Alternatives

Samsung Galaxy S10

Huawei P30 Pro

IPhone 11 Pro

Should you Buy It?

Things to Consider Before Buying iPhone 11

Here are 3 things to consider before choosing this device.

Apple iPhone 11 Price in Kenya

Price of the phone is a major factor for selecting your device. iPhone 11 goes for Ksh69,900 in Kenya. The iPhone 11 Pro goes for Ksh 99,900 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max goes for Ksh. 109,999. The Pro model is expensive. Ksh. 30,000 is a big jump that should seriously be considered when comparing the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro.

The Display

photo courtesy: The Verge

This is one of the biggest difference between the iPhone 11 and the pro version.

It uses a LCD display, apple calls it Liquid Retina HD. Though the 6.1 inch screen is not a full HD with 1792 x 828 resolution. It does look great.

The iPhone 11 Pro has a 5.8-inch OLED screen it has brighter dipper of black and richer color compared to iPhone 11. It also has a screen resolution of 2436 × 1125 pixels. Apple calls it the super Retina HD display, that simply means that it is awesome.

Craig tech compared the display of the two phones and he said that the iPhone 11 might be the Goldie lock size for you. its not too big.

Chipset /iOS

The iPhone 11 uses A13 Bionic 7-nanometer processor along with a third-generation neural engine. Apple claims the A13 Bionic is the quickest chipset ever used in a smartphone with 20% faster CPU AND GPU than the A12 chipset. This advancement is “years ahead of the pack.”

According to Cnet, Apple promise is that the U1 chip will enable Airdrop to work more precisely by pointing one device to another. The U1 chip will also improve AR by discovering signals in a space.

Display

  The iPhone 11 has an LCD display screen of 6.1 inches, Apple calls it Liquid Retina HD display. This means that the content on the phone won’t be rich in color, nor deep blacks and bright whites that you would find in other phone models.

You will get a decent display with a screen resolution of 1792 x 828 pixels. What you might not like is the fact that the display in the middle occupies most of the front space. This is because Apple believes in hosting the front-facing camera and Face ID sensor to let you easily access your phone.

The body is made of steel, while they protect the back with a glass that has a matte finish.

The display is sensitive and bright, it will respond well to your finger sensors. The phone performance is excellent when under bright sunlight, and you enjoy streaming videos and playing games.

Performance

It has an excellent performance and a strong speed using latest chipset A13 Bionic paired with 4GB of RAM.

It runs on the latest operating system, iOS 13, which has intelligent mini notifications. This means that when you change the phone volume or switch it off, the minor element will pop us to inform you of what’s happening to the gadget. Giving you a satisfying experience when flipping the applications.

Apple has upgraded the FaceID. They have made better use of the sensors, allowing you to unlock your phone from your seat when you lift up your phone a bit.

If your hands are always full of shopping and the kids, you will enjoy typing with one hand. You can easily access the emoji stickers from the side of the keyboard when you are composing a text message.

Overall performance, iPhone 11 is an accomplishment. It has outstanding performance compared to the price.

You could also get the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max you will definitely get higher specs. Though Apple guarantees that the iPhone 11 will serve you for several years.

Battery Size

With a battery capacity of 3,110 mAh, Apple claims that this phone battery will last an hour longer than the impressive iPhone XR. One of the outstanding features of iPhone XR is that it was the longest-lasting iPhone’s ever created by Apple.

You are guaranteed that you are getting a good phone if the battery capacity of iPhone 11 is higher than that of XR.

When fully charged the battery life can last up to 27 hours, when you are not using the phone as much, otherwise, if you are having a busy day of downloading applications and streaming music using Bluetooth, the phone battery will last up to 10 hours.

The phone does not have a fast charge, if you deplete you battery, you will have to wait up to 3 hours to fully juice it up.

Cnet.com conducted a formal battery test, after living with iPhone 11 for 30 days and found that the battery life of iPhone 11 is the same at iPhone XR.

Camera

Over the last few years, there have been remarkable strides made by Apple on improving the camera quality. We’ve seen same efforts made by Huawei, Google Pixel and Samsung.

The iPhone 11 camera allows you to capture some of the finest photos and videos that you would buy form a professional.

You can take amazing videos with QuickTake, and the Ultra wide angle camera produces a great photos on portrait mode. The iPhone 11 automatically switches to night mode feature when there is low light.

The main camera in the iPhone 11 is categorized by accurate target exposure, color, detail, and auto focus.

It’s impossible to avoid the camera bump when laid flat on a table. Some say it’s stylish but I don’t like it. For each their own. I blame it on the two lenses, a wide-angle and ultrawide-angle lens with a 120-degree field of view. Both use 12-megapixel sensors.

Colors

You will love the 6 colors black, green , yellow, purple, red, and white that you can select from. You will notice they fade the iPhone branding on the back, allowing you to enjoy a minimalist look.

Extras

Additional features that come with this phone include:

Swipe typing when using the keyboard

Control of the Wi-Fi

New Memoji stickers

Bluetooth options from Control Center.

iPhone 11 Accessories

Inside the package you will find:

A regular Lightning cable,

A pair of ear pods

Ending on a Lightning plug

The ancient 5W charger in the box

Consumer Ratings and Reviews

Jonathan at Amazon says

Pretty sure the reviews of it smells like poop are kids that can’t afford this don’t listen to them iPhone 11 is a great phone .

Shopping Guru left a 1 star amazon review and said,

I finally got the refund! Thank Jesus! Do not purchase this phone! It is utter trash! Do not waste your time purchasing this garbage ass phone! You will be wasting time and money. Save yourself the trouble! Garbage ??! Gorgeous on the outside, detective on the inside! Save yourself the trouble of waiting weeks for a refund!”

The best iPhone 11 Alternatives

Samsung Galaxy S10

If you are looking for a simple phone then the Samsung Galaxy S10 is your everyday phone. It is the middle child of the Galaxy S series. it will give you remarkable experience thanks to the high-end specs on the device.

It has a 6.1 inch, Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display, in-screen fingerprint sensor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, with 128 GB storage that can be expanded all the way to 512 GB.

The battery of Samsung Galaxy S10 is 3,400 mAh, it is greater than the iPhone 11. it has two 12 MP cameras and 16 MP ultra wide camera on the back while the selfie camera is 10 MP.

Huawei P30 Pro

Huawei did a fantastic job with the P30 Pro specs. The phone has a gorgeous 6.47 screen display of 6.47 1080 x 2340 resolution. It has a 128 GB and 8 GB of RAM.

The camera section is something to boast about, with three cameras, one 40 megapixel, the other 20 megapixel, and the last 8 megapixel cameras. The front selfie camera has a 32 MP. All features are juiced up with a sizable battery capacity of 4200 mAh.

IPhone 11 Pro

If you want the extra features that are provided in the Pro version, you could always get it at an extra cost.

Pay more for the pleasure of an impressive OLED display. The screen looks brighter and better than the iPhone 11. You will definitely find it a joy of watching videos and playing games.

You will love taking photos with the additional rear camera. Plus, the battery life will longer. You can also take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 or the Oneplus 7 pro which is just as good.

Should you Buy It?

Most people would consider the iPhone 11’s as Apple’s best products. This is especially true for those who are interested in a smart home or smart apps. By lowering the XR price, they created one of the best mid-range phones in Kenya.

It’s as good as the pro models and still about ksh. 30,000 cheaper.

The Review

Apple iPhone 11

4.5 Score

This is probably the best mid range phone that Apple has ever made. A pricier version of the XE with better features.

PROS

Day Long Battery Life

Another Great Camera

Better Priced than the X Series

CONS

No 2x telephoto

No USB-C port

No fast charging mechanism

Review Breakdown

Battery

Display

Camera

Performance

Value

Apple iPhone 11 DEALS

We collect information from many stores for best price available

Best Price

ksh88000

Jumia Kenya

ksh88000 Buy Now

Ghulio

ksh89000 Buy Now