#i remembered it was 3/5 at 11 pm BUT ITS STILL 3/5 SOMEWHERE OUT THERE. IM NOT LATE!!!

[vhvrs]

heartbreak is never forever

[onlythebrave-mp3]

my top 2020 fics!

okay! so i recently jumped back into this fandom after a couple of years, and started reading fic again, and i wanted to rec some of my favorites that were written this year. there’s ten on this list, and i probably could’ve done like 30 but this is already so long lol. it’s kind of in a general order, so #1 is my fav for this year, but i tried not to focus on the ranking too much because it stresses me out and i don’t need any more anxiety so it’s ended up being a pretty vague system.

1.  Our Lives, Non-Fiction (113k) by @indiaalphawhiskey 

listen. I’ve reblogged this fic like 10 times. I’ve read it twice already and it came out less than 3 weeks ago. It is an instant classic, right up there with fics like TIF or Wear it like a Crown. It has gorgeous, gorgeous writing, a thoroughly developed plot and well written character development, and such a compelling story. It is a marcel/louis fic, and I usually shy away from that kind of thing, but i’m so glad i didn’t this time because god, this one is so good. Seriously, if anyone ends up reading it, come and rant to me about it and we can cry together. Halfway through the second chapter, I created a note on my phone so I could keep track of everything I loved, and my comment on that fic is essentially a love letter to @indiaalphawhiskey. It's just so good. If you’re going to read one fic off this list, read this one. 

2. Loving You's a Bloodsport (106k) by @rosesau

okay i’m pretty sure this one made me cry like four times, which is a feat for me because i’m not usually a crier. Its soulmates with a little bit of a twist, and the plot is so well developed. Harry and louis’ feelings and their progression are written so vividly and i wish i could forget that i read it so i could go and read it again for the first time. It's also got some enemies to lovers, which is my favorite trope, and all of the side characters are beautifully developed as well. Prince!Harry, soldier!Louis, angsty soulmates. What more could you want? Oh and if you’re not convinced enough, here is a quote that fucking follows me around because its so beautiful: “Love and hate are two sharp knives balanced on a very fine line and I’ve cut myself on both because of you.” (ohmygod)

3. Mine Would Be You (114k) by @crinkle-eyed-boo

okay this one is listed at number three but it really should be 1c lol. I started this one at 11 pm like an idiot, and i don’t think i slept that night at all. It's Exes to lovers, and it's so well written. It switches between the past and the present, it's  heartbreakingly beautiful, the breakup and resolution are both so realistically written as well, and there's a great ot5 plotline too that i really loved. This one was also an instant classic- i bookmarked it before i even finished reading it. It's also got beautiful art and Louis and Harry are both artists in NYC, which I'm a slut for. Please read this one, it's so good.

okay i just realized how long this got so i’m putting the rest under the cut

4. The Murmur of Yearning (93k) by @mediawhorefics (for some reason tumblr isn’t letting me tag them??) | mediawhore on ao3 

I just finished this one, and my goddddddd it's so good. I read it in a day, and it's essentially 100k. Which isn’t that unusual for me except I did skip a class to get through it (an exam prep class. Not my finest moment but I passed. so.) There are tons of original characters that draw you in, and the whole world that is created is so fascinating and detailed. There's also no homophobia, so if you like historical fics but get triggered by that kind of thing, this is for you! Also, if you’re worried about the non-con elements, I'm sure you could message the author but also feel free to check in with me! I’ll definitely be rereading it in the near future and am totally up for discussing and crying over this fic with anyone.

5. Remember Me Fondly by @bluejeanlouis | kiddle on ao3 

ahhhhhhh this one made me sob too! It's set in both the present and the past, and I fell in love with all of the characters. This one is also heartbreaking, but I promise there’s a happy ending. Also, they way this fic deals with the fame and the homophobia and tours that harry and louis went through -even if it isn’t actually canon and is set in the 90s- is so vividly painful and realistic. It's written half through a journalist’s eyes and half through harry and louis, yet the switch in pov is so seamless and fluid and adds so much to the piece. 11/10.

6. Nothing But You On My Mind (83k) by @absoloutenonsense | nonsensedarling on ao3

okay. I started this in the middle of the night, and told myself I'd read one chapter to see if I liked it and then I would go to sleep. I'm pretty sure I read like 6. It sucks you in right from the beginning, and there's such a well developed plot. And it's so unpredictable and all of the details are so nuanced and tiny and then you look back at everything after you’ve finished it and go oh. Ohhhhhh. This one is also enemies to lovers. Are we sensing a pattern here?

7. An Invincible Summer (44k) by @twopoppies | Brooklyn_Babylon on ao3 

so as you can see this one is only 45k but i just love it so much that i’m rec’ing in anyways. It’s such a gentle, exploratory piece of literal art, and I kind of want to stay in the world that was created forever. Its set in the 1940s on a farm and i know @twopoppies has said that it started off as an excuse for barn sex, but it such a vivid story and its heartbreaking and emotional and uplifting all at once and please please please go read this. The only critique I have of it is that it's only 40k.

8. Somewhere in Between Lightning (99k) by @nauticalleeds, @shiningdistraction, and jassy117 on ao3

So this one's exes-to-lovers as well, and it's written in such a realistic way. Also i’m in love with the concept of louis on love island, despite the fact that he said he hates it. There's a sauna scene that I still think about sometimes. It's got just the right amount of angst and fluff and pining and despite the fact that it's set on a show that is usually pretty dramatic and unrealistic, this is written in a really beautiful but pragmatic way. I love it. i’ve got it  downloaded on my phone so I can read little snippets of it sometimes if I have to wait somewhere.

9. You’ve Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) (95k) by @harryrainbows | lucythegoosey on ao3 

god so this one incorporates some of Fine Line into it, and wouldn’t say it's a song fic so much as it is written as a canon compliant fic that ties harry’s songs into it and its done so fucking well oh my god. Harry and Louis are exes in this one too (lol i'm sorry) and the build up of them getting together and the pining and longing is written really well.

10. At Risk, I Fold (15k) by @bearmustard | clare328 on ao3 

so i know this one is only 15k, but I put this in the list anyways. It's canon compliant, and it does mention the stunts (as stunts), but don’t let that deter you. Harry and Louis are written almost exactly as i’ve imagined them, and this one is such a heartbreaking look into the resilience and love and bravery that they have. It made me cry despite the fact that it’s not really a glum fic. The only reason it is last on the list is because it's shorter and i was mostly intending this to be a long fic rec. The love that they have for each other really shines through in this one, and it’s super gentle and soft and sad and happy all at once and just please go read it.

[seventeenlovesthree]

“Shall we go together?” (17/24) | A Taishirou Christmas drabble countdown

Just a little Taishirou-centric Christmas fic I’ve been meaning to write all year long, so here we are. The plan was to post 12-24 drabbles to complete telling the story and the Christmas spirit succeeded in the end.

🧡💜

Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Characters: Taichi Yagami, Koushirou Izumi, Sora Takenouchi, Yamato Ishida, Koromon, Motimon, Pyocomon, Tsunomon (mentions of other Chosen Children)

Main POV: Koushirou Izumi

Genre: Friendship (& romance)

Rating: K

Wordcount: 821

December 24th, 06:02 PM

 ~

 In the end, despite the little damages the hall and its surroundings had taken, defeating the deformed pile of Christmas-tree-shaped data didn’t take much effort.

 As Koushirou had already figured out, it had been unstable enough for it to get dragged back into a safe space in the network once it had become visible enough to corner and hit. Due to all the spectators around them and the entire area, the group decided to leave as soon as the lights had returned illuminating the place.

 With their – rather giant – Digimon having reversed to their baby levels, they hurried away from the concert hall, away from the public attention; they had been in the news several times in the past due to their fights, the ever-expanding presence of social media and increasing numbers of photos and videos even caused them to get recognized sometimes.

 So carrying their Digimon partners in their arms, pretending for them to be little plushies, had always been the safest route and was at least an attempt to stay safe and disappear in the crowd. It was as if they were holding Christmas presents for children after all…

 To Koushirou, it all still felt absolutely unreal. Knowing that this weird creature, a culmination of messages and feelings of love, must have tried to get into the real world for the longest time and was now trapped somewhere in cyberspace after he and Taichi had eventually dropped their silly argument and had worked together…

 A somewhat quiet voice at the back of his head told him that this in itself was almost too cheesy to be true.

 He took a look around towards the other three as they all caught a breath near the train station.

 “That was… Not how I envisioned today to be like”, Yamato sighed, still looking relieved that they had made it out alive.

 “Did we ever envision anything to go as planned, ever?”, Taichi grinned, causing Sora to laugh and Koushirou to smile.

 “It could have escalated into something much more gruesome, so I’m genuinely happy with the outcome.”

 “So much for ‘having enough time for sure’”, Sora mused, hugging Pyocomon a little more tightly in her arms. The little Digimon just yawned loudly, whispering a “I’m starving…”, to which the other partners agreed in various tones.

 “Yeah, I agree…” Taichi squeezed Koromon as well. “You all deserve a fabulous meal later tonight, huh, buddy?”

 “I need to head back though”, Yamato cut in, balancing sleepy Tsunomon gently in one arm while taking a look at his phone. “The band says they want to clean up the mess that’s left behind.”

 Initially, they had planned to grab a drink after the concert, adding another point to their annual tradition, but seeing how things turned out to go ‘not as planned’, that option had just vanished.

 “I’ll come with you”, Sora smiled, then took a look at her watch. “The arrangements might still be re-usable, so I should check that. Maybe we can grab a bit to eat on our way at least. And speaking of which!”

 She suddenly turned towards Koushirou, catching him a bit off guard: “You should head home soon, Koushirou-kun, you wanted to go out for dinner with your parents, right?”

 Blinking at her, he remembered that he did tell her about it the other day when they had texted. However, the urgency she had spoken with surprised him.

 “Yes, that’s true”, he replied slowly. “So in that case…”

 He let his backpack slide from his shoulders to reach inside and grab two envelopes. From the corner of his eyes, he could feel Taichi watching him curiously as he handed them to Yamato and Sora and it made his cheeks heat up a bit; the third envelope in his backpack still felt particularly heavy…

 “Merry Christmas, you two. I hope these will be useful to you”, he spoke over the pounding in his chest and they both gave him a look he may or may not have defined as ‘empathetic’.

 “Oh, good point!” Taichi also started digging into his sportsbag and the other two reached for their own little presents for the exchange as well.

 Yamato and Taichi – as Sora had assumed – played the exchange rather cool, with Yamato trying to hide his grin at the cookie bag and the small package and Taichi making a joke about how neatly Yamato had wrapped his gift.

 It was always the same, but it was weirdly endearing regardless and so Koushirou joined in with Sora’s giggling.

 “Thank you, Koushirou-kun”, she said with a lowered voice, handing him his own present, before leaning in to whisper even more quietly: “I wish you lots of luck.”

 “Mh?”, he blinked again, feeling Motimon nudge into his chest – and making his cheeks almost match the shade of his hair.

 “I think she means you and Taichi-han should head home now, no?”

[srbachchan]

DAY 4561

Jalsa, Mumbai                      Aug 28,  2020                  Fri 11:20 PM

Birthday Ef - Lilly D' Penha .. Saturday, August 29 .. birthday greetings and love from us all .. Lily does not have access to the Blog so can some kind Ef post this on Twitter so she can know that here birthday was remembered ..🙏

Various social media platforms and communication centres around the modern globe do teach us .. when attending to one , finish that before moving on to the next one .. the tendency to shift the eyes and therefore the cerebrum, from one to the other is so habitual, one never does justice to either ..

राह पकड़ तू एक चला चल , पा जाएगा मधुशाला  ... catch but one path and keep moving and ye shall find  the madhushala the destination ..

.. and the reading of a post was an interesting observation by the Author :

“There is a good reason for every part of the human body, apart from ears. It is a fallacy to believe that they are required for hearing, for the audio mechanism begins through the hole on the side of the lower head; the ear is only a kind of mushroom umbrella. The Almighty could have dispensed with the umbrella, and kept the earhole, perhaps with a discreet half-inch skin flap.  

The only practical use of an ear is for jewellery, which is adornment, or for schoolchild punishment and regret depending on whether your ears get twisted or pulled. But Providence thinks ahead. That is the miracle. Without ears we could not have worn masks.” ~ 

.. many management gurus , living operational and gone , have ever policy ed , the label of delegation of work to reduce the pressure and stress on one individual ; in most cases the owner themselves .. however, in these past months of the pandemic the factor imbibed is that nothing beats the personal intervention and monitoring .. read somewhere that a certain Mr Ford, knew the workers in his factories by their first name .. and I have said this before .. in the days at Boys High School in Allahabad , and our indoctrination to the  Boys Scouts chapter, we had the Head of the movement from Australia visit us and he had the great memory and habit of writing down the number of each autograph he signed .. 

.. but the control over those seeking the signing was a lot disciplined and in control due to the space and time available .. in these our celebrity times from all walks of life , the barrage of autograph seekers and now selfie seekers, requires an army of security to bring in some semblance of order .. possible at times, and not in others .. the end of the recording of an episode on KBC has ever prompted me to  venture out to the seated audience and give each of them the opportunity to click a picture with me .. with the 200 odd audience it is a task .. but I feel they are ones that are equally responsible for the success of the show .. many just come to see the game , meet the anchor and get a picture or an autograph or selfie .. the photographs have been found a way .. I slide along the entire circumference of the floor so that none of the audience is left out .. but the demand for the autograph is not done then .. they are asked to give in their books an designing material to the Floor managers , who then collect all the and bring it to me in the Vanity and after I have changed and washed up, sit and sign each one .. and I do hope that it gives some satisfaction to the viewer audience .. 

.. there was a routine dictated in the days in Hospital for the recent CoViD tenure .. building up the lungs they said .. build its power and strength .. have it in a strength to fight and demolish the virus that seeks the human lungs as its new found home .. 

.. holding the breath for 45 secs was the minimum requirement .. 😁😁😁 I used to battle the clock above my bed to beyond 70 secs and make effort to beat it each day .. went up to 75 secs .. the medical staff seemed to like it .. 

.. then the NeoBreather, or the spirometer .. blow into this vehicle containing the 3 coloured balls, and pull them up to the top, holding for the count of 5, releasing and repeating it 10 times .. then reverse the vehicle and BLOW into it to get the three coloured balls up .. tough one .. could only do the red and yellow ..the green one stayed put and gave a gentle quiver .. 😁😁 .. but that was sufficient they said ..

.. and the sleeping position in bed .. try to give equal time on each side .. right cheek, left cheek and on the stomach as you lie down .. this they said builds the lungs .. 😫

.. o dear with my deviated septum on my right side of the nose - boxing blows, and a miss timed kick of a steel lined boot on the nose during an action sequence .. not naming the artist that did it .. , did me in, I was capable of only sleeping on my right cheek, leaving the left nostril free to breathe .. BUT .. the Lord be praised , there is this easy breather tape that you stick to the middle of the  nose which opens up the nostril and .. viola, vola or whatever the badummbaa equivalent it be  .. now the left side sleeping has begun .. as has the stomach posture .. though that is still a problem - with the number of surgeries on the stomach I have had, the pain when lying on it is an issue .. a major issue !! 

.. why the heck is this personal stuff coming through .. sorry sorry sorry .. 

STOP ..

Good night .. shubh ratri shubh ratri shubh ratri ..

Amitabh Bachchan 

[iamwhoiamtmblr]

Title: Remember Who You Are

Story Rating: Chapter 11 – PG Warnings: Anger Relationships:  Nomad Steve x Rogers x Reader; Steve Rogers x Reader; Dark Steve Rogers x Reader

I’ve decided to tell the story from the point of view from both Steve and the Reader. Tell the both sides of the story.

The main villain is being introduced gradually. I’m referring to her as “Mistress” for now. Other characters will also be introduced as the story progresses, one an OFC.

Master List - Links to Other Chapters

All of the Avengers were in the conference room in a heated argument. Everyone was yelling and screaming at each other. Chaos! Frustration and anger was taking its toll. 

Steve didn’t say anything. He sat in his chair looking at the table. He was relieved that he held you after being gone for so long. Nick Fury entered the room, “We just determined who the woman was, Gita, a known associate of Crossbones.”

“Why is he so determined to get to (Y/N)? Why her? Why did they take her in the first place?” (Tony) “Crossbones is looking for revenge for what happened as the Triskelion and the attack in Lagos.”  (Wilson) “How in the hell did he survive??” – Hawkeye inquired. Fury shook his head. “We’re missing something. What it is? We need to figure this out! Why does this affect (Y/N)?” (Tony)

“ME! Someone wants to hurt me!!”  Steve was getting angrier. The whole situation was bothering him to the point where he couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m going to take her and get out of here! Somewhere no one would find us!”

“Steve, you can’t just leave, she’s still injured and she can’t remember…..” (Fury) “Enough!!! I’m taking her regardless!” Steve slammed his fist on the table. “Steve, calm down!” (Tony) “I will not!! You don’t know what I have been through!! Searching everywhere I could, going through everything over and over again in my mind. I even thought she might be dead!” His voice cracked. Everyone became silent; they see the pain in his face and hear in his voice.

“Let me check on her.” (Bruce)  He called down to the medical floor for an update. They started debating again on who was behind this. “What?? What do you mean she didn’t show up??” “Where’s the guard?” Everyone stopped talking.

“Friday, where is (Y/N)?” (Tony) “She is not located in the building!” (Friday) “What? When did she leave the building?” (Bruce) “Indicators show that her heart rate was undetectable at 5:24 pm. It flat-lined.” (Friday) “Did she leave the building?” (Fury) “There is no security footage of her leaving the premise.” (Friday)

In a panic Steve bolted to the medical floor with the rest of the team behind him. His heart racing at what he would find. Her hear rate wasn’t being picked up. Was she dead? Did someone else get to her? They search the floor and find the guard unconscious in the closet nearby. “Wake up!!” (Steve) “What happened?” (Bruce) “I went to open the door to the MRI room and someone hit me from behind” (Guard) “Did you see who it was?” (Bruce) “No, I didn’t. Everything went black. The next thing I see is all of you.” He staggers out of the closet, Bruce tending to his head wound. “Have the complex locked down and search ASAP!” Fury gave the order over the intercom. “She’s a SHIELD agent, one of the best, she could be anywhere. She had training to evade security systems.” (Coulson) “Either way we have to find her fast before anyone else does.” (Wilson) Steve and Sam ran all over the building trying to locate you. Nat and Tony ran to the security wing of the building to view the footage. Bruce and Fury went back to the medical floor. Wanda, Vision and Hawkeye went and searched the grounds. Nothing! No sign of you or any tracks to follow.

You kept running as fast as you could for as long as you could. Not stopping to look back. It was dark now, you needed somewhere to hide. Taking stock of your surroundings, you find an abandon barn off the road in the woods. You decided it was time to take the cast off of your foot. It was slowing you down. You smashed it as hard as you could against the boards. You screamed from the pain.

Searching the barn, you find a loft above with hay. You decide to climb up and hide. It took you a while but you made it up. Your foot was throbbing. You hide yourself under the hay to keep you out of sight. Luckily you found a blanket; it was cold in the barn and the hospital pj’s weren’t that warm. You shivered and trembled. You’re too scared to close your eyes. Someone wanted you dead. You start to cry as you’re not sure what to do next. “Why me?”  In exhaustion, you finally fall asleep.

Steve was so upset that you disappeared again. He never forgave himself for letting them take you the first time.

(Flashback)

Steve had just come back from a mission; he had been gone for almost 3 weeks. He missed you so much he didn’t even stop at the compound to debrief. He stopped for your favorite flowers and dinner. He was excited to spend your first night together in your new home with him. He finally felt you were his. He wanted to protect you, keep you close and safe. He never had felt so complete, happy in his entire life.

When Steve told you he wanted you to move in with him, you knew neither of your apartments would do. You both went different realtors and searched for a house, your new home together. You even became giddy in looking over the choices. Even with Steve’s input, he let you pick out the house you wanted just to keep you happy.

Tony even volunteered to put in a new security system once they came back from the mission. Fury gave you the 3 weeks off on vacation to help Steve. He’d seen a change in him when you entered his life. He was happy, something Fury or anyone had seen before. You were spending your time unpacking and shopping to furnish the place. You had been so excited and scared at the same time. This was next step in your relationship, although marriage had never been discussed. You wanted this place to be your home with him.

He arrived at the house he was in shock. The front door was wide open and partially broken off. Inside everything was in upheaval. He dropped everything at the door. He ran around the house, calling your name, getting no response. Boxes strewed everywhere, furniture torn up. Kitchen was a mess. His heart started racing…..he found blood on the floor in the bedroom.

There was no trace of anything else in the house. No shell casings, no marks, just the blood. He called at the compound, the agents and the Avengers team were at your house in a matter of minutes. They combed through the house looking for any clues as to who took you & what happened.

Coulson approached Steve, handing you what they found. The only item was a skull pin – “Crossbones!” The rest of the team were horrified. He was supposed to be dead! Steve’s head started to spin, his stomach was in knots. He sat down. No one knew what to say.

________________________________

I welcome any feedback; negative or positive and reblogs 😊❤ Thank you.

Asks are also welcome too. 😃👍

[greenbagjosh]

23 April 2001 - the Böögg burns slowly - James Joyce found in Fluntern

Grüezi Mitenand!  Bonjour!  Buongiorno!  Hi everyone!

Thank you for joining me on the fifth day of the April 2001 journey.  Today is Monday the 23rd April 2001.

As I was still under the influence of jetlag, I went to bed early the previous night after dinner.  I consequently woke up about 4:40 AM, it was still dark.  I did not have any roommates to disturb so I just went to the shower in the hall.  The hostel would not serve breakfast until 6 AM, so I left the hostel about 5 AM, walked to the Besenrainstrasse bus stop and took it to Morgental where I changed to the tram line 7 - note, I had my Swiss Pass with me, so I did not have to buy a separate ticket.  I picked up a copy of the 20 Minuten newspaper and it had an article about today's upcoming event at 6 PM, the Sechseläuten burning of the Böögg.

What is a Böögg?  Since the 19th Century, Sechseläuten has been celebrated every mid-April in Zürich.  According to zuerich.com, "Who or What is a Böögg? The word “Böögg” is probably related to the word “bogeyman” and similar names in other languages for this frightening imaginary figure, such as Bullebeiss, Buhmann or Boesman. In Zurich, the Böögg resembles a snowman and symbolizes the winter. The burning of the Böögg serves to drive out the winter and herald the spring."  Eventually the Bürkliplatz towards Lake Zürich was too small, so it was moved across the Limmat eastward to the Bellevueplatz, on the northern end of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung headquarters.  You might know the Bellevueplatz as the starting point for the Street Parade techno music festivals that start about 1 PM on the second Saturday in August, of which I have been to five in total so far.  

So what happens at the Sechseläuten festival?  Sechseläuten is a half-day holiday, in the Canton of Zürich, but nowhere specifically else in Switzerland.  The Böögg is a textile snowman filled with explosives and is meant to be set alight on a controlled flame, in other words, a bonfire.  The most explosives are put in the snowman's head.  Then there is a parade, for the guilds of Zürich from Paradeplatz to Bellevueplatz, to put the Böögg on top of the wood for the bonfire.  That is the plan for the afternoon.

I took the tram about 5:15 AM to Selnau station and walked from one end to the other.  I exited the station, and walked along Sihlstrasse to the intersection of Talstrasse and Löwenstrasse.  At the pedestrian crossing there was a crossing stripe with the phrase "rauf mit den o+löhnen" spraypainted, with o+ being the female symbol, I guess a demand for gender pay equality.  That was about 5:35 AM, according to the picture screenshot.  

About 5:38 AM I found a guild sign, namely the "Zunft Schwamendingen" while walking along Talackerstrasse that leads southeast to Paradeplatz.  At Paradeplatz was a big banner for the local tram company VBZ (Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich) "damit am Sechseläuten nur der Böögg den Kopf verliert" (so that on Sechseläuten, only the Böögg loses his head".  I remember from September 2000 a similar banner for Knabenschiessen, as I was in Zürich for that festival as well.  I took a tram to Bellevueplatz to have a look at the bonfire.  It must have been stacked about two stories high.  I took a tram line 6 to Bahnhof Enge and then tram 7 to the hostel.  It was about 6:55 AM and the hostel started serving breakfast, in the part where in 2004 onwards the checkin desk is located now.  With the renovations of December 2001 onwards, the checkin desk and hostel restaurant had swapped sides of the hostel ground floor.  I can explain at another time.  Breakfast included bread, cheese, cold cut meats, dry cereal, milk, tea, orange juice and coffee.  Coffee was from the espresso machine and you could order at least three different kinds of coffee drinks, all for free during breakfast.  For tea, you would pick out a bag, and with the espresso machine just select the hot water.  

As the Sechseläuten parade would not start until about 2 PM, I decided to make a couple of side trips.  One of which to Aarau in the canton of Aargau to the northwest, and to Üetliberg to compare a nice sunny and warm September visit would be to a chilly one in April.  I thus took my video camera, my Swiss Pass, and headed to the Besenrainstrasse bus stop, Morgental and on to Zürich HB.  I boarded a train to Bern that would stop at Lenzburg AG and Aarau.  There was not much in Aarau that I particularly wanted to see, other than the Altstadt and crossing the Aare at Flösserplatz.  Little did I know that Aarau is close to the cantonal border with Solothurn, and I did not take time to walk along route 5 to cross, but I made up for it a few days later when changing trains at Olten.  Before returning to Zürich, I remember passing by the Pickwick pub.  It was, and is still, at Graben 6 close to the Kasinopark.  It was not yet 11 AM and I was in no mood for any alcohol at that time, and I needed to return to Zürich.

I took the train back to Zürich via Lenzburg, and changed to the S-10.  I may have mentioned the S-10 many times in the past, and it is an anomaly in comparison to the other S-Bahn lines in Zürich.  Its rolling stock, instead of the standard 15 kV / 16 2/3 Hz voltage as used by SBB, Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB of Austria, uses the 1,000 V DC, which is long since outdated and is due to be decommissioned by 2023, but is still used by the existing rolling stock.  To avoid a conflict of voltages, the pantographs of the S-10 rolling stock are moved from the center of the train but placed on the left side (assuming the direction of travel is towards Zürich HB) with its own catenary.  Parts of the tunnel between Zürich HB, Selnau and Binz/Giesshübel allow for opposite side and switchback use by both lines S-4 and S-10, but SBB and VBZ have seen an increase in ridership on S-10 and they are trying to invest in line expansion, so the 1,000 V DC power will need to be decommissioned and only one power source will be supported.  The S-18, aka Forchbahn, is another story, which I will not go into at this time.

About 11:25 AM I returned to Zürich HB.  The tracks to the S-10 are underground and close to the Bahnhofplatz and Löwenstrasse rail station platforms.  In 2001, the platforms were called platform 1 for the S-10 and platform 2 for the S-4.  After the opening of the four platform Löwenstrasse station, platforms were renumbered, so platform 1 and platform 2 are now platform 21 and 22, the Löwenstrasse station platforms 31 to 34, and the original S-Bahn station towards the National Museum, are called platforms 41 to 44, when they used to be 21 to 24 when first opened.  Sigh, you have to admire the progress that Switzerland went through during 20+ years......  I think I boarded a 11:35 AM S-10 train to Üetliberg that did not terminate at Triemli (had that happen to me in July 1998).  I remember passing by the Giesshübel station about 11:41 AM.  So far there was no sign of any significant snow, and the skies were mostly clear, though the air was chilly, maybe mid 40s or +4 to +6 Celsius.  After the train passed Uitikon, the snow was starting to show up.  

By the time I reached Üetliberg, there was about six inches of snow almost everywhere, tracks visible but sleepers covered.  It was 11:58 AM when I stepped out of the train, and some of the snow had started to melt, so I had to watch where I stepped.  At Üetiberg they still have an axle with a cog, but the Üetlibergbahn S-10 line does not use any cog rail at all, and is billed as one of Switzerland's steepest rail lines that does not use either a cog or traction cable.  Prior to 2016 I used to love to ride the fun roller slide where you use a hard V shaped coaster and the rollers have a ten foot decline with maybe three or four bends.  I rode it the last time in September 2000, and made a video of it.  I think it was dismantled in 2016 or earlier and replaced by a less entertaining set of stationary bicycles or similar.  

It was getting close to 1 PM so I headed back down to where I could catch the tram line 7 to the hostel, get a fresh camera battery, and find a good place to view the Sechseläuten Parade.  Somehow I walked to just outside the Münsterhof location of Leder Locher, and a band was practicing at 2:25 PM, about thirty people in total, and in Georgian / US Revolutionary period costume, though I could not tell you to what guild they belonged to.  I remember there was a little girl about 5 or 6 years old with a Pooh Bear balloon.  I walked to the Bahnhofstrasse, somewhere near the Bärengasse and watched the parade for an hour or so.  There were many musicians from various guilds, and even the wine barrel making guild had an excellent percussion session.  The baker guild threw bread rolls at the crowd.  

At 5 PM I walked towards Bürkliplatz to cross eastwards to Bellevueplatz so that I could have a good view of the Böögg.  I found some place where I could see the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" corporate sign.  I think I was about a hundred feet away, and could see about fifteen feet of firewood as well as the Böögg itself.  I had a nice view, and was getting very excited for 6 PM to ring.  By then, the cavalry was circled around the bonfire.

It eventually turned 6 PM.  The time had come to start the bonfire.  Unfortunately it was getting cloudy and colder, upper 30s, or maybe +3 to +5 C.  What is important to note about the bonfire, is how long it takes, from exactly 6 PM to when the Böögg's head explodes with the explosives.  If the fire takes less than ten minutes for the Böögg's head to explode, then it will be a good summer in Zürich.  Otherwise it may be a chilly one (e.g. 1997 and 2017 from what I remember, temperatures below normal and precipitation above normal).  On 23 April 2001, it took a while.  Even by 6:10 PM, the flames had not even made it halfway up to the Böögg.  Fuel had to be put on the fire as it was going out.  About 6:20 PM, the flames made it to the Böögg's feet and explosives started to pop.  The Böögg's textile skin started burning and more explosives went off.  It is not over until its head completely disappears.  The next five minutes would be suspenseful.  About 6:27 PM the Böögg was reduced to his head and a wooden frame where his "body" used to be.  And right as my video camera's clock said 6:28 PM, I caught an explosion that was about five times the size of the Böögg's head.  The crowd, of maybe 10,000 people at the time, cheered, and the head guild's band played a victory song.  At 6:29 PM, all that was left on the bonfire, was a wooden frame and where the head used to be, just a charred out 2 by 4.  According to the head guild, Sechseläuten 2001 was declared "mission accomplished".

After such excitement, I thought I should do the cable car rotation, namely the Polybahn and Rigiblickbahn, that I remember riding in 1997, 1998 and 2000.  Then I would come back by tram lines 5 or 6.  From Bellevueplatz, I walked to Central, the lower station of the Polybahn.  If you have heard of ETH Zürich, that is the upper station of the Polybahn.  My prior ride on it was on Friday the 24th July 1998 with my striped top hat, and I took a selfie about 3:30 PM that day.  The Polybahn was still operating at 6:55 PM so I took it up to ETH Zürich, and managed to watch the other car go down to Central.  I took the next tram from the ETH/Universitätsspital three stops to Seilbahn Rigiblick, and around 7:10 PM I took the cable car up to the upper station.  The Seilbahn Rigiblick is automated kind of like an inclinator at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas.  You pick your station, Goldauer Strasse, Hadlaubstrasse, Germaniastrasse and Rigiblick, then it makes the appropriate stop.  It was built so well, that if both cars stopped along the way, you would be at any one of the stops (Goldauer Strasse for one and Germania Strasse for the other).  I was at the top station, and there was a bus line 39 to Im Klösterli near the zoo.  Interestingly enough, for those who like James Joyce's literature, he is buried close by at the Fluntern cemetery.  I thought about eating at the Klösterli restaurant, but I took a pass after looking at the dinner prices so I went back to Niederdorferstrasse by tram line 6, where I know that prices are more reasonable.  By then it was about 7:45 PM and the sun was about to set.  The tram did pass Toblerplatz, for which there is a famous triangular chocolate bar named after it.  Also the trolleybus line 33 terminates there, still does after part of its route was cut back and replaced years later with line 72, also a trolleybus line.

I ended up back at the ETH/Universitätsspital tram stop, took the Polybahn down to Central, and looked for my favorite restaurant to eat supper at.  In April 2001 I did not know of Bierhalle Wolf, that I more frequently visit since 2011, so I did not go there then.  Instead I went to the Brasserie Johanniter on Niederdorferstrasse 70, had a seat inside, and started off with a liter of Hürlimann Lager.  The last time I ate at Johanniter, I had their Graubündner Spätzle with ham, cheese and onions, and luckily it was still on the menu.  It was priced 20 Francs.  I think 2002 it was withdrawn and the only Spätzle they serve anymore is in the vegetarian style.  I had someone share my table, and we had a conversation, not very deep.  After paying our respective tabs, we went on our ways.  I went back to Bellevueplatz to see what remained, if anything, of the Böögg, and there was still the skeleton that I remember from 6:29 PM.  So I went back to the hostel to sleep, as tomorrow would be a travel day to Bern.

Please join me as tomorrow I will see two new cantons, one of which has two half-cantons.  Then we will see a new astrological clock similar to the one in Prague, and not too far from the Bundeshaus.  See you then.

Auf wiederluege!  Au revoir!  Arrivederci!  Goodbye!

[horansqueen]

AM Conversations : chapter 36

A Niall Horan fanfiction ; rated MA

CHAPTER 1 || CHAPTER 2 || CHAPTER 3 || CHAPTER 4 || CHAPTER 5 || CHAPTER 6 || CHAPTER 7 || CHAPTER 8 || CHAPTER 9 || CHAPTER 10 || CHAPTER 11 || CHAPTER 12 || CHAPTER 13 || CHAPTER 14 || CHAPTER 15 || CHAPTER 16 || CHAPTER 17 || CHAPTER 18 || CHAPTER 19 || CHAPTER 20 || CHAPTER 21 || CHAPTER 22 || CHAPTER 23 || CHAPTER 24 || CHAPTER 25 || CHAPTER 26 || CHAPTER 27 || CHAPTER 28 || CHAPTER 29 || CHAPTER 30 || CHAPTER 31 || CHAPTER 32 || CHAPTER 33 || CHAPTER 34 || CHAPTER 35

NOTES:

-one chapter is her pov, the next is his. -4.1k -im sorry, i never proofread, i hate it. -there WILL be smut. but not only smut. -this is a romance, comedy, smut story. -for the summary, check my MASTERLIST.

- if you want to be notified when this is updated, please message me or leave a comment!

- you can send me questions and theories and comments. tbh they all make me SO SO SO SOOOO HAPPY! and make me want to write more! you can also tell me if there are things you WANT to happen. you never know, i may add it :P

- note for this chapter: that was not easy. i feel like its my worst chapter so far but i stlll hope you guys enjoy it. yes its their first time and yea its a bit awks but i guess thats how it was meant to be. i promise more smut asap. actually there will be a smut scene in the next chapter and i wont make it all loving and awkward like the one in this chapter lol! thank you so much of you read, like, reblog, comment or message me! ily! here’s the ‘request’ i sort of added in this chapter!

Chapter 36 : His chapter

NIALL

I could barely remember getting back home and falling asleep in my bed. The only thing I could clearly remember was the warmth of her body when she cuddled me and the short and low whimpers she let out before falling asleep. It's not that the ride was long or that we hadn't slept in the past few days but for some reason, we were both exhausted. When I opened my eyes, it was already dark outside and I grimaced. It was hard to tell what time it was and I just closed my eyes again and pulled Liv closer with one of my arms. She whimpered again but kept her eyes closed.

"What time is it?" she mumbled, gripping the front of my shirt over my stomach and making me smile a bit.

"Any time between four pm and seven in the morning." I let out, making her lips curl.

She sighed and I knew she was forcing herself to wake up and I watched her as her eyes fluttered open but remained half-closed anyway. They met mine and we both smiled at each other as I let my hand rub gently her back. She shivered but moved up slightly so her head was closer to mine and it made me smile more.

"There's something waiting for you in the living room." I just whispered, making her frown. "Under the tree or somewhere near it, I believe."

This time, her curiosity seemed stronger than her tiredness and her eyes opened completely. They roamed on my face before she frowned and a smirk appeared on her lips, making me chuckle. She moved up, holding herself with her hands on the mattress as she looked down in my eyes. I saw her gaze move to my lips before she kissed me gently and suddenly, she jumped over me, almost tripping on her own feet, getting up next to the bed. I was still laying down and I let my eyes run on her back and down to her ass. She was only wearing a shirt I was pretty sure belonged to me and a pair of black panties and I couldn't help but be slightly excited by the sight.

We had been so close to make love at my mom's and it was a shame we hadn't. With the discussion we had had right before, it would have been the perfect time to show her how much i love and want her. At the same time, though, I knew why we decided against it and it was better this way. Without thinking, I brought my hand to her butt and slipped a finger in her panties, on one of her cheeks. It made her jump and she turned around, making my finger slip out and making me laugh.

"Niall!"

"What?" I asked still laughing, shrugging and sending her a smirk. "You place your beautiful ass right in front of my face, what did you expect?"

She grimaced, scrunching her nose and eyes at the same time and it was so endearing that it made me stop laughing. She shook her head slightly and licked her lips.

"Come on, get up, I want to find out what's waiting for me in the living room!" she urged me, her eyebrows now raised up. "You got me curious."

"Only if you don't put pants on."

Her traits softened and she smiled fondly at me, a spark of amusement gracing her face.

"Deal."

She ran to the living room and I got out of bed slowly to follow her. I leaned against the wall and smiled when I realized she had lighted up the tree only and was on her knees, trying to find her gift on the floor.

"Love." I said to catch her attention, raising my eyebrows in an amused way. She turned to me and I crossed my arms on my chest. "Look slightly up."

She moved up, still on her knees, and her eyes got bigger when she noticed something hanging on one of the branches. She bit her bottom lip, staring at it for a while, and it made something stir in my stomach. I walked up to her and sat on the floor, leaning back slightly and holding myself with my hands behind me.

"It's just a little something." I pointed out as she grabbed the box, her eyes moving up to meet mine. "Nothing big but... I don't know." I shrugged. "I saw it and thought of you."

She licked her lips without saying anything and finally opened it. She stared at the necklace for so long as I tried to decipher her expression without much success.

"I know, it's a bit cliché but, I know you love hearts and I thought, I mean, I don't know, if you don't like it we can always go back to the store and you can pick something else."

Without looking at me, she took it out of the box and put it around her neck. I could see the diamonds on the golden heart shine with the white lights of the tree and I ended up wondering if it would have been prettier with multicolored lights, like she had proposed a few days ago.

"It's perfect." she whispered, running the tip of her forefinger on the heart. "Thank you Niall."

Her voice was low but I could swear it had cracked a bit and when i looked up in her eyes, I could see she was tearing up. The sight was incredible with the illuminated tree behind her and I felt my heart swell with love.

"Come here." I said even lower with a quick head movement.

Her lips curled a bit more and she got closer, bringing her lips on mine. I closed my eyes and deepened it before she nibbled gently on my bottom lip. I let out a short groan and smiled a bit, keeping my eyes closed.

"Merry Christmas, Niall." she whispered this time, smiling against my mouth.

"Christmas was a few days ago darling." I argued with a chuckle, feeling her warm breath hit my skin.

"Maybe I have a late gift for you, too."

My heart jumped at her words and I immediately felt bad for the thoughts in my head but when I felt her move closer, my heartbeats accelerated. I spread my legs on the floor and she straddled me, her lips still attached to mine, but I couldn't move. I felt her ass on my thighs and I kissed her deeper as I felt my fingers scratch down, trying to grip the carpet.

"Do you love me?" her voice came to my ears in a murmur and I finally opened my eyes to look at her.

"Yes, I love you, Olivia."

"Real love?"

The thought of that day when she admitted her feelings to me and asked me the same thing came to my mind and I kept staring in her eyes. This time, I was not going to disappoint her, I was not going to hurt her.

"Real love."

She smiled and grabbed the bottom of my shirt, moving it gently but with difficulty over my head. I laughed when she pulled on it a bit harder as it got stuck in my ear and she raised her nose up in a grimace.

"Such a clumsy ass." I joked, staring at her before she let out a low groan.

She finally let my shirt fall in the floor next to us and I kept my body slightly leaned back if only to have a good view of her. I was just thinking about slipping my hands under her shirt when she slowly took it off, shaking her head a bit to move her hair out and my eyes fell on the necklace around her neck, laying on her skin, near her breasts.

"Fuck, that's such a sight."

She giggled a bit and I finally moved my gaze up to look up at her. She was sitting on me, we were both almost naked, and I couldn't take my eyes off of hers.

"Can I touch you?"

Her lips curled into a fond smile and she slowly nodded. It took me a few seconds to sit up and I ran the fingertips of one of my hands between her breasts, sliding gently on the heart of her necklace. I tried to keep that image forever in my head and held my breath when my fingers moved to one of her nipples. Her lips parted but she kept staring at me and I let my fingers run down on her stomach to her panties. Two of my fingers slid on her core, over her panties and she let out a short and low whimper.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Her answer was quick and she seemed so sure of herself that I pressed my fingers more between her legs. She ground down on them and the sight of her pushing her hips towards me made me even more excited than I already was. I couldn't wait and just slipped my hand in her panties, my fingers rubbing gently against her pussy and coating them immediately.

"Fuck you're so wet already." I whispered, looking back at her face.

Her eyes were closed and her lips still parted, and it made me want to kiss her more than I ever wanted to. I kept moving my hand slowly over her and brought my mouth to her neck, kissing and nibbling gently on her skin. It made her whimper again and I could feel myself get harder at the sound. I wanted to feel myself inside her so bad I couldn't think straight and I tried to focus only on her instead. I slipped two of my fingers inside her and I heard her let out a curse word in a whisper. It made me groan when her hips moved again and I bit her neck harder as soon as she started riding my fingers gently.

"I want you so fucking bad." I breathed out as I brought my thumb to her clit. "You make me so hard, petal."

She stopped moving over my fingers and just got off me, struggling and squirming to take her panties off as I watched her. She was endearing and she cursed again, making me chuckle. She moved closer to me and pulled on my boxers, making me smile even more. I moved my ass up to help her but I couldn't take my eyes off of her naked body until she was back on me, straddling me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make this awkward." she just said, grimacing slightly and making me chuckle again.

"Don't apologize, this is perfect."

She cupped my face and I felt my eyes flutter when she moved closer to press her mouth against mine. She pushed her body against mine and I could feel my cock rub against her lower stomach. I felt so horny and excited for what was going to happen that I groaned in her mouth, I slipped my hand on her arms and down to her waist, grabbing it tight. She probably took it as a request because she got up on her knees and moved even closer. I stiffened when I felt the tip of my cock press against her pussy and slowly, she sat on me, making my grip tighten on her waist.

"Fuck, please, don't move." I almost begged her, shutting my eyes tighter.

I had never thought I could be close to an orgasm so quick but I knew that if she moved even just slightly, I would probably cum right before we even started. I knew that the wait, the teasing and the thought of making love with her had made this moment even better but I wanted it to last. I could feel her throb around me and it felt so good that a shiver crossed my back, making me quiver very slightly.

I opened my eyes only to see her hands run on her breasts slowly before one of them reached between her legs. She remained motionless except for her fingertips brushing gently against her clit and without thinking, I pushed my hips up and made her whimper louder. She started moving over me as my hands reached for her thighs, traveling on her soft skin as I felt myself slip in and out of her.

"Darlin' you feel so good." I whispered, tilting my chin up to look at her.

She kissed me again, her hips grinding down on me and moaning in my mouth and I couldn't help it. I brought my hands to her waist again and pushed my body her way. She gripped my shoulders as I was laying her on the carpet and laughed a bit as I hovered over her.

"You like to be in control, Horan?" she asked with amusement, a large smile gracing her lips.

My eyes roamed on her face and my smile grew.

"Oh you have no idea, pet."

She bit her bottom lip and I dipped my head down to kiss her again as I pushed myself as deep as I could inside her. She moved her knees up and started grinding against me in rhythm with my thrusts, bringing me closer and closer to an orgasm.

I moved up a bit to enjoy how fucked she looked. Her hands were placed palms up on each side of her head as her hair was sprawled around her head. She looked beautiful and I wanted nothing more than to make her cum. I let the fingers of one of my hands brush against her arm before it reached her hand and immediately, she gripped my fingers tight. I allowed myself to lay completely on her and did the same with her other hand.

"Oh my god, you're gonna make me cum."

The thought made my whole body throb as I desperately pushed myself inside her, still gripping her hands tight and when I felt an orgasm hit me, I buried my face in her neck and groaned louder than I thought I would. I kept moving in and out of her even after I came down from my high and without thinking, I bit the skin of her neck, making her squirm beneath me.

"Fuck, Niall!"

She started shaking and I just stared at her, admiring her as she came hard, her thighs pressed against my sides, trapping me close to her and her back arching. After a few seconds, she sighed but let out a few whimpers and her eyes opened, meeting mine.  We looked at each other for a while and she moved her head slightly, her hair now messy but still spread around her face. She was glowing with happiness and I knew I most likely was too.

"I'm... i'm sorry it didn't last longer."

She started laughing and brought one of her hands in my hair, pushing on my head to bring me close. She kissed me but laughed again against my mouth before I finally pushed myself away from her to lie down next to her on the floor. Once again, I felt her hand reach for mine and she squeezed it tight.

"I thought we'd do that in a bed." she finally admitted after about a minute of silence. "I thought i'd be too nervous to get an orgasm."

"I thought I'd cum too quick and I did." I confessed with a chuckle, feeling her turn her head to look at me.

"But you kept going until I came too." she pointed out, making me turn my head too to look at her. "I appreciate that."

I let my eyes roam on her face, noticing her shining eyes and her red cheeks, and brought one of my hands on one, brushing my thumb against it softly.

"I love you." I expressed, making my own heart skip a beat.

She was beautiful and I seemed to be stuck in that post-orgasm state where everything is perfect until I realized that it had not much to do with the orgasm and more to do with the whole situation. I was exactly where I was supposed to be with the right person and no other feeling could ever top that.

"I love you too." she whispered, licking her lips. "I love you more than anything."

                                                         ----

When the door opened a very happy (and maybe slightly tipsy) Louis appeared, his arms wide open before he took me into a tight hug.

"NEIL YOU'RE HERE!"

I laughed but hugged him back before he turned to my girlfriend and sent her a smirk, tilting his head. He moved his head frenetically and Olivia chuckled, taking a step closer as he engulfed her in a hug too and kissed her cheek.

"I'm very happy you're here, both of you!"

He let us in and I could feel Liv a bit tensed next to me. I grabbed her hand in mine and squeezed her fingers in an attempt to show her I was there with her and she held my hand tight back.

"Hey everyone! The lovers have finally arrived and they're holding hands!"

A bunch of people turned to us and I rolled my eyes as I heard a few 'Hey!'s and 'Hello's being shouted. I smiled and waved with my free hand before shaking my head a bit and looking at my friend.

"You're a pain in my ass, Tommo, you know that don't you?"

"Totally doing it on purpose Niall." he smirked and turned his head to look at Olivia and wink at her. "Love what you did with your hair."

He didn't give her time to answer and she just stuck her tongue at him, making him laugh as he walked away, turning to us and going backwards.

"Wine? Beer?" he asked, his eyebrows raised and pointing at us with both hands.

"Wine!" we replied at the same time, making us both laugh.

I turned to her and she was extending her pinky to me, making me roll my eyes. I intertwined mine around it and stared in her eyes with a smile as I tried to think of a wish to make. We always did that when we talked at the same time and we always preferred that to the common jinx thing people did.

"Key." she whispered with a smile.

I bit my bottom lip and without thinking, I wished to keep this beautiful girl in my life until forever.

"Lock." I finally replied to keep our wishes a secret, sending her a fond smile as she took her hand away from mine.

Louis came back with two glasses of wine and we thanked him, both of us taking a quick sip to ease our nerves. I pulled her with me to the living room and we found a place on the couch to sit together. The room was full and I started thinking coming here for New Year's Eve was a bad idea.

"Are you okay?" she asked as I inhaled deeply and nodded.

"No yea, i'll be okay."

"If at some point you need fresh air or just to go upstairs for a while i'm sure Louis will understand."

I was about to answer when Julie and Liam walked to us. We got up to hug them and finally sat back down as they sat in front of us.

"I just knew you guys would make the cutest couple." Julie laughed as Liam put his arm around her shoulders. "It was just a matter of time."

I glanced at Liv who seemed to blush and I smirked with a shrug.

"Yea I guess i'm a bit slow." I admitted, half-joking. "But we're good now."

I ran my hand on my girlfriend's leg, my fingertips brushing gently on the inside of her thighs. It made her shiver and I smiled more, enjoying the effect I had on her. We chatted for a little bit about everything we planned to do during the next year and at some point I just shrugged again, leaning against the couch and bringing one of my legs on the other, my ankle leaning on my thigh and my knee pressed on my girlfriend's thigh.

"The trip I have planned, of course, but after that then I don't know." I explained. "I'll write no doubt but I don't see myself releasing any music soon, at least not until the end of the year. I'll be busy."

I turned to Olivia and she sent me a small smile before biting her bottom lip and I barely heard Liam laugh as Julie let out a too loud "awww!" I kept staring at my girlfriend, realizing how bad I wanted to spend time with her and focus on her for a while, and felt a twist in my chest at the thought of not seeing her for a few weeks. I was never the clingy type of guy, I was mostly independent and laid-back, but that didn't mean I was not going to miss my best friend and my lover pretty much the whole time I would be away. The truth was, it was the first time I felt like that for someone, and it made me realize that everything I didn't care about in my past relationships seemed to matter a bit more in this one. Like spending 6 weeks away from her.

I don't know what came over me but I moved closer and cupped her face, bringing her head up before pressing my mouth against hers. I let my lips hungrily move against hers as I kissed her slowly but deeply. I forgot about everyone in the house, forgot about where we were, forgot about anything that was not Olivia and I. I just wanted to taste her and show her how much I loved her and how much I would miss her without using any word.

"Fooking hell, Neil, get a room!"

I kept my eyes closed and groaned low against my girlfriend's mouth, slowly coming back to reality and when I finally turned to the voice, I realized all my friends were staring at us. Louis was smirking again and I rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Yours, Louis?"

He turned to Liv and raised his nose up with amusement.

"I wouldn't recommend it, love." he let out. "So many unholy things happened there, it could ruin your virtue."

This time, she laughed and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh you clearly know nothing about me, Tommo, nothing at all."

I turned my head to look at her again and let my eyes roam on her profile as she smirked at him. I wanted to know what she meant, I wanted to know what she liked and what kind of things she wanted me to do to her. Just the thought made me feel a bit dizzy and I cleared my throat, trying to get out of my sexual daydream.

"Yea? When Neil is gone, we can hang out then." he proposed, making my heart sink in my chest. "Imma find out everything about you there is to learn."

"Works for me." she chuckled, raising one of her shoulders.

"Alright! Now let's go to the kitchen, dinner's ready!"

Louis clapped in his hands and everyone got up to follow him. I stopped Liv who was about to leave by grabbing her wrist gently. She turned to me and sent me a smile, making my lips curl immediately.

"I'm gonna find out about how unholy you are before he does, right?"

This time, she laughed and shook her head, bringing her hands to my cheeks and running one of her thumbs on my lips. I loved the way she was looking at me and when she got on her tiptoes, I could have sworn she was going to kiss me but she remained very close to me and her amused smile turned into a mischievous one.

"Of course." she whispered. "I'll tell you, and then i'll show you."

[roslin]

i suck and theres a lot of these so im putting them all together

(tags at the end)

Instructions: tag 10 people you’d like to know better!

I was tagged by the lovely @veky1993 and @yousayperfect-isaystreep 💕

Name: vanessa

Starsign: virgo

Hogwarts House: ravenclaw

Height: 170 cm

Sexuality: bi (myself)

Favorite animal: whales

Average time of sleep: now that im in quarantine i get 8 hours of sleep every night. im a new person. turns out most of my personality was just sleep deprivation  

Current time: 9:30 pm

Dogs or Cats: both

Blankets you sleep with: a flower print one thats super ugly but whatever

When you made your blog: 2015. i checked

Followers: 4k

Why you made your blog: bc i had watched voyager and had a lot of things i needed to process

Reason for your url: saint laura of the roslin is my guide

rules: answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you would like to get to know better

tagged by @gkellmans 💕

real name? vanessa

nickname? nessa

zodiac? virgo sun, virgo moon, gemini rising

favorite musicians or groups? leonard cohen. david bowie, cat stevens/yusuf islam

favorite sports teams? no thanks

other blogs? nope

do i get asks? yes and if i didn’t answer them is bc sometimes tumblr doesnt show them to me! i get the notification bubble but thats it

how many blogs do i follow? 1794 bc im a hoe

tumblr crushes? not in a while

lucky numbers? idk, 7

what am i wearing? red pajamas that say “you what?” in the back

dream vacation? i dont really care, as long as its somewhere new

dream car? dont care

favorite food? beans... just... yeh, beans

drink of choice? coffee

instruments? don’t play anything

languages? portuguese, english, spanish, and a little bit of french (i can understand everything but i get nervous if i have to speak)

celebrity crushes? thing is, i get crushes on characters and then i follow the actresses/actors on social media and then i can’t read fanfic anymore bc it gets weird and the crush is gone 

random facts? i have a neighbor that listens to leonard cohen and david bowie every day and i think i might have hallucinated them 

This or That

tagged by @adayinthelifeofablonde53 💕

coffee or tea | early bird or night owl | chocolate or vanilla | spring or fall | silver or gold | pop or alternative | freckles or dimples | snakes or sharks | mountains or fields | thunder or lightning | egyptian mythology or greek mythology | ivory or scarlet | flute or lyre | opal or diamond | butterflies or honeybees | macarons or eclairs | typewritten or handwritten | secret garden or secret library | rooftop or balcony | spicy or mild | opera or ballet | london or paris | vincent van gogh or claude monet | denim or leather | potions or spells | ocean or desert | mermaids or sirens | masquerade ball or cocktail party

20 random FACTS about yourself that may surprise people.

tagged by @gkellmans thank you!

1. do you make your bed? never happened

2. what’s your favourite number? 7?

3. what’s your job? commercial manager (idk how to call it in english)

4. if you could, would you go back to school? im still in college, i keep coming up with excuses to learn more stuff

5. can you parallel park? girl i cant even drive

6. a job you had which would surprise people? i was a teacher at 18. even i was surprised

7. do you think aliens are real? yeah

8. can you drive a manual car? nope

9. what’s your guilty pleasure? im trying to think of something i feel guilty about but... not really. eating cereal at 5 am? weird netflix documentaries? too many hair masks? nah

10. tattoos? no

11. favourite colour? red

12. things people do that drive you crazy? people who take too long to say something very simple

13. any phobias? fucking clowns

14. favourite childhood sport? no thanks

15. do you talk to yourself? not out loud, unless im sing-saying it..... 

16. what movie do you adore? lotr, labyrinth, the princess and the goblin 

17. do you like doing puzzles? no

18. favourite kind of music? 80′s bops

19. tea or coffee? coffee

20. the first thing you remember you wanted to be when you grew up? psychologist 

i tag: @novellaqueen, @imaginaryhat, @kidmannicole, @theuinendili, @captain-coffeebean, @strangerstarsandlands, @galsinspace, @margotgrissom do all of them, do a couple, do none im not ur real dad 😘

[500-words-from-hell]

The Tower

Grandmother always had lots of strange rules. I always just assumed they were oddities gathered by old age; I wish I had been right. We live in the old abandoned water tower on the edge of town. No one knows when it was built, or even when it was in use. For as long as anyone can remember, it has always been the old abandoned water tower. 

 Rule number 1: always wear your iron cuffs, never take them off.

People used to tease me for them. They said they were ridiculous. Their teasing doesn't bother me any more. I tried going to school without them once; the look on grandmother's face still haunts me. I would do anything so long as she never seems that terrified again.

 Rule number 2: always be home by 11 PM - if you are to be late, stay somewhere else and don't come home until sunrise - go straight to your room.

I've only ever been late once after I had a little too much to drink at a party. My key wouldn't fit in the lock, and the knocker was red hot when I touched it. The whole water tower felt like it was radiating anger and grief. I ran back to my friend's house with Grandmother's warnings ringing in my ears. When I got home the next morning, Grandmother's disappointment was palpable. I felt awful and haven't done it since. I had tried to tell myself it was my mind playing tricks on me but the sobbing outside my room the following day was very real; so is the icy chill whenever I come home too close to curfew.

 Rule number 3: Always have a bag ready to leave.

 Rule number 4: If the house is unbearably hot, leave and don't come back until sunrise.

It was the middle of winter, and I woke up thinking the tower was on fire. I grabbed my robe and my bag from under my bed and ran to Grandmother's room, she was waiting there for me, and we fled to the motel half a mile away. When we came back, there were all of my favourite foods in the fridge and a beautiful bouquet on the kitchen table. The whole house seemed cleaner too. It wasn't hard to forgive what had caused that heat. 

 Rule number 5: if an air of depression is about, stay in your room until its gone, don't leave for anything.

This rule wasn't hard to follow. We feel it a few times a year, we always have. I've always wished I will never feel that kind of sadness. I desperately want to be able to do more than leave some biscuits out. They're always gone by morning. 

 Rule number 6: any guest must be able to open the door. If they can't, limit your contact with them.

I had never had a problem with this before I started dating. All my friends had managed it, and they never had a problem with my strange family traditions. My first boyfriend told me I was crazy when I told him about it, said I should make sure my grandmother was "alright in the head". When he touched the door handle, he jumped back. The palm of his hand was red and blistered. Now, two years later, no one will date him, they say he has a bad aura or something. All I know is the water tower's burn left quite the scar.

 Rule number 7: the water tower must be empty of people for no less than five hours a week.

This has never been a problem for me since I'm at school for far longer than that, but I do know that when Grandmother was ill and couldn't leave for a week, she told me to, in no uncertain terms, stay somewhere else over the nights. She looked like hell when I got back. I don't want to know what happened. I don't need to.

 Rule number 8: no matter what you hear, don't open the door from midnight until the sun rises. 

While this rule seems like it's straight out of horror movie, it's not screams and pleading that you hear in the halls. I've heard footsteps, knocking on the door and laughter. None of it sounds malicious or scary. In the largest part of the tower, the top, is a library and below it are the bedrooms, then under that the living rooms, below that is the sitting room. I hear someone going from the library to the bottom. Sometimes the TV is on for a while as well. We don't mention what we hear, ever.

 Rule number 9: listen to them, they just want to be listened to.

This rule is the reason I'm on the general knowledge team. I can often hear whispers of facts and opinions about almost any subject you can think of. Whenever the strange whispers give me homework answers, I leave out a few extra biscuits. It seems to be appreciated.

 Rule number 10: if you see something move in the mirror, DO NOT LOOK AT IT.

The most disconcerting thing about this rule is that it comes into effect almost daily. I tried staring at the movement, and I saw a vaguely androgynous human shape. As soon as I looked away, I was hit with a nasty migraine. The trip to my room seemed much shorter. I didn't look at anything moving in the mirror again. 

 Rule number 11: keep any surfaces that aren't in your room clean and clear. Respect the tower.

The tower becomes a rather tense place if it's messy, we have to sort it out before it gets too bad. Most parents use the money to persuade kids to clean up, Grandmother uses my continued happy existence. For this I have my own rule: if the tower seems airless and your ears are buzzing slightly, clean up; if the house feels like a desert and your ears are ringing GET OUT. 

 Rule number 12: the tower must always have an empty room. 

There is a small basement room we leave empty, it seems much bigger than it says on the building schematics. Why do the walls seem to change shape? The room is a canvas. The colours and decorations are always changing. The will of the tower is the paintbrush. 

 Rule number 13: DO NOT play occult games.

This is the one rule I have never even thought of breaking. The tower is like my guardian angel. I would never do anything that could damage it. I've always known the tower was a being and anyone who spends time in it can tell as well.

The water tower has never been abandoned, it's been old forever, it has probably never really held water. 

It's different, special, and it's certainly not like anyone else's home. It's my home, and I'll never leave.

Never.

Not 500 words but i has to write this for school and decided to put it up here too.

[bobasheebaby]

Penny Prompts

1 “If I take it off, NAME wins.” “Sweetie, every night you don't kill him/her in his/her sleep, he/she wins.”

2 “Woman, you are playing with forces beyond your ken.” “Yeah, well your Ken can kiss my Barbie.”

3 “NAME, what did we say about being a nicer friend?” “Thank you.” “NAME, what did we say about being a gullible weeny?”

4 “I'm not signing a prenup.” “All right, NAME, listen up! You sign anything he/she puts in front of you, because you are the luckiest man/woman alive. If you let him/her go, there is no way you can find anyone else. Speaking on behalf of all men/women, it is not going to happen, we had a meeting.”

5 “What am I supposed to do?” “Err, keep your mouth off other men/women.”

6 “So you have a song stuck in your head. It happens to everybody.” “Well, I'm not everybody. I have an eidetic memory. I should be able to remember what song this is, but I can't. Something's wrong with me.” “I told you if we were patient, he'd/she’d figure it out for himself/herself.”

7 [Person a knocks on NAME’s door three times] “Who do we love?” “NAME.” [Knocks 3 times] “Who do we love?” “NAME.” [Knocks 3 times] “Who do we love?” “NAME.”

8 “NAME 's mad at me, and I'm not clear why.” “Okay, were you talking before he:she got upset?” “Yes.” “That's probably it.”

9 “Ignore them, NAME. They're just jealous because they'll never have a relationship as good as ours.” “Isn't this when he/she says "bazooka" or something?”

10 [looking at caller ID] “Ooh, looks like I'm gonna have sex tonight.” [answering phone] “Hey, baby...” “His/her right hand is calling him/her?”

11 “Doesn't he/she know you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?” “He/She doesn't have a boyfriend/girlfriend he/she has a NAME.”

12 “What kind of teenager did you think I was?” “Slutty.” “Easy.” “The word is 'popular'.”

13 “Once you open the box it loses its value.” “Yeah, yeah. My mom gave me the same lecture about my virginity. I gotta tell you, it was a lot more fun taking it out and playing with it.”

14 “Is that all you have? Shop-worn tidbits like ‘talk to him/her’ and ‘let it go’? Gee, NAME, life's given me lemons, what should I do?” “Well, you could shove them somewhere.”

15 “More Halloween candy. Didn't you just buy a bunch of it yesterday?” “Oh, yeah. That's gone. It's a rough month when Halloween and PMS hit at the same time.”

16 “I don't believe it. What's gotten into him/her?” “Oh, maybe a couple of virgin Cuba Libres that turned out to be kinda slutty.” “You didn't.” “Hey, you do your experiments, I do mine.”

17 “Come on, we are not old, boring people. We can do better than this.” “That's true. How late did we stay up last night?” “Almost 1 am.” “Damn straight almost 1 am. And we weren't even watching TV, we were watching Netflix like the kids do.” “Yeah. Is it a comedy, is it a drama? Nobody knows!”

18 “You gotta help me get my arm into my sleeve.” [Eyes closed] “Okay!” “Is that my arm?” “It doesn't feel like an arm.” “Then maybe you should let it go.”

19 “Who do I speak to about permanently reserving this table?” “I don't know, a psychiatrist?”

20 “Why would you buy peppermint schnapps?” “Because I like peppermint, and it's fun to say schnapps!”

21 “You wanna turn yourself into some sort of robot?” “Essentially, yes.” “Okay, here's my question: Didn't you already do that?”

22 “I would ask you to find some way to suppress your libido.” “I could think about you.” “Whatever works.”

23 “We cover ourselves in body paint and then we get on this big canvas and do our thing.” “Woah, that's kind of a big step for a guy/girl who only recently agreed to take his/her socks off.”

24 “He’s/She's only been here a day and a half, and I'm seriously considering alcoholism as a new career path.” “Hey, I talked to him/her for five minutes yesterday, and I've been half bombed ever since.”

25 [To NAME’s dog] “Bark once if you need me to call PETA.”

26 “NAME, that's not what boyfriends/girlfriends are for. Although you don't use them for what they're for, so what do I know?”

27 “Don't you dare knock!”

28 “Don't you think if a man/woman was living with me I'd be the first one to know about it?” “Oh, sweetie, you'd be the last one to know about it.”

29 “Good morning, slut!” “What?” “Oh, please! I recognise the walk of shame when I see it. All you're missing is a little smeared mascara and a purse with panties wadded up in it!”

30 “They're gonna get beaten up at that club.” “They're gonna get beaten up at Walgreens.”

31 “Holy crap on a cracker!”

32 “And then you put it back, compromising the rest of the onion rings.” “Aw honey, the buses don't go where you live do they?”

33 “What's up, buttercup?”

34 “And what kind of doctor removes shoes from asses?”

35 “Really still can't talk to me?”

36 “This is banana bread.” “This is a door knob.”

37 “Oh, I don't know. I don't want to manipulate him/her with sex.” “Oh, sweetie, that's what sex is for.”

38 “I'm a little low on cash.” “How much you got?” “Nothing.” “How can you walk around with no money?” “I'm cute, I get by.”

39 “And this is also not the right time. Do not propose.” “What?!” “I know that face. That's your proposed face.”

40 “Don't come to the hospital. We're headed home.” “Oh, that was fast. Did she sneeze the baby out?”

41 “NAME, will you marry me?” “Oh my god, yes!”

42 “Is this the stuff you want me to try on?” “No this is the stuff I want you to throw out. Seriously, don't even give it to charity. You won't be helping anyone.”

43 “If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?” “Well, not to steal from the bible, but turning water into wine sounds pretty good.”

44 “Oh, my God, you’re about to jibber jabber about jibber jabber.”

45 “I love him, but if he's broken, let's not get a new one.”

46 “We can't keep explaining everything. Read that book we gave you.”

47 “You know deep down inside, NAME’s a nice guy.” “The problem isn't what's on the inside. It's the creepy candy coating.”

48 “Um, you know it's kinda early. Do you wanna maybe come in for some coffee or something?” “Oh gee, its a little late for coffee isn't it?” “Aw, you think coffee means coffee. That is so sweet.”

49 “The thing about tomatoes, I think you will really enjoy this, is that they are shelved with the vegetables but they are technically a fruit.” “Interesting.” “Isn't it!” “No, I mean what you find enjoyable.”

50 “Do or do not do there is no try.” “Did you just quote Star Wars?” “I believe I quoted The Empire Strikes Back.”

51 “You can't let him/her get into your head.” “It's too late for me, my head is his/her summer house.”

52 “Well, while they're acting like teenagers we could do something grown up.” “Ooh, you mean like a museum?” “Yes, like a museum but anything else!”

53 “NAME’s being reasonable.” “Yeah, it's freaking me out. I'm gonna go.”

54 “Oh, my God, he/she won't stop.” “How does he/she keep coming up with new ways to be annoying?” “Nobody knows. That's why he’s/she's number one.”

55 “I love you.” “Who cares?”

56 “You're okay with an experiment where you have to answer awkward questions about your innermost feelings?” “Yes.” “Please can I do it with him/her, please.”

57 “Don't be like that. You two need to talk this out.” “Yeah, because you sound really funny.”

58 “I really thought he/she was going to say ‘let it go’.”

59 “Honey, you don't have to thank me every time we have sex, sweetie.”

60 “I finally realize I don't need to be famous or have some big career to be happy.” “Well what do you need?” “You, you stupid Poptart.”

61 “What are you saying? That I'm using my body to get dinner? That I'm some sort of Chinese food prostitute?”

62 “I was unstoppable. I was on fire. It was like my mind and my body were totally connected, like athletes must feel when they're in the zone.” “Again, it was miniature golf.” “Admit it, you're a little turned on.” “You can't be this proud.” “Why not?” “Because I beat you.”

63 “How do you not know how to use glue? Did you ditch pre-school?” “Yeah, but only because I was dating a second-grader.”

64 “Come on. How can you be sad when you're going home with all five foot six of this?” “You think you're five foot six? That's funny.”

65 “Look, I'm telling you I've done it. I clearly remember the cow standing up and then a cow on its side.” “Were you drunk?” “I was sixteen and in Nebraska, what do you think?” “I think you're the one who fell over.” “Well that would explain why the sky was also on its side.”

66 “I need to go back to dating dumb guys/girls from the gym.”

67 “We'll take you to the mall to get it done.” “Why? I can do it right here.” “Really? You have a piercing gun?” “No. All you need is a needle and an ice cube. I've done it, like, a dozen times.” “Oh, I don't know.” “Oh, come on. I'll be gentle. Let me take your ear virginity.” “This party's weird.”

68 “So is that it? Are we engaged?” “Yeah, I think so.” “All right.” “What's wrong?” “I'm not sure. It just feels a little anti-climactic.” “Yeah, it kinda does, doesn't it?”

69 “I promise next time I get married, it won't be a joke. It will be for love ... or money.”

70 “I don't understand, exactly how did he/she get any friends in the first place?” “We liked NAME.”

71 “Here, have some pizza, sweetie.” “You know I'm lactose intolerant.” “I know; I just need you to stop talking.”

72 “So, what do you think?” “I thought it would be a little more ... just more.” “I'm not even sure why we were out of breath.”

73 “I mean I was on fire. I was in the zone like an athlete.” “Sweetie, I beat you at this, too.”

74 “Well, I can't eat like a ten-year-old all the time.” “You're dating somebody! Who is it?” “What? What are you talking about?” “You only watch what you eat when you're afraid you might have to take your shirt off.”

75 “So I'm like a bran muffin?” “What? No, that's not what I'm saying.” “No, that's exactly what you're saying. I'm the boring thing you're choosing because I'm good for you.” “What does it matter? I'm choosing you.” “It matters a lot. I don't want to be a bran muffin. I want to be a cinnabon, a strawberry pop tart. Something you're excited about, even if it could give you diabetes.” “Sweetie, you can be any pastry you want.”

[grinch-003]

UNDERSIDE (Test version) chapter 3

[Start] [Previous] [Next]

Chapter 3: “Something new”

Jack: (In bed) (Awake) (Rises up) Oooowww… (Rubs head) My head, what a weird dream…

Serjel: (Walks in) Jackson Ace Side, for how long are you going to sleep?

Saldels: (Walks in) (Comes to Jack) Wake up, bro! It’s already noon.

Jack: Yeah-yeah, sis. (Rises) And, dad…please, don’t call me by my FULL NAME.

 It looks like last…RESETS erased some parts of my memories, but it happened twice already. Maybe because of this I almost completely forgot who am I exactly and thought that broken UNDERTALE timeline was my home and MY UNIVERSE…?  

 Anyway, in this world, monsters have been living on the surface for 10 years. And humans are not afraid of monsters anymore. Well, except for…who look really weird… Now I’m 6 six years old, and Saldels, my sister, is 5. We have a father, his name is Serjel Ace Side–he is a HUMAN ROYAL SCIENTIST, he is as smart as W.D. Gaster – THE ROYAL SCIENTIST, who works under Asgore – KING OF THE MONSTERKIND.

 By the way, Serjel is one of the 7 soul mages, 7 the most strong mages in whole world history. Even if there 8 of them, cause Chara & Frisk are the only humans with souls of determination. As for Serjel, he is the strongest mage of JUSTICE, he also called: “Sniper of justice”. Like in the UNDERTALE, exist only 7 kinds of human souls: PERSEVERANCE, BRAVERY, KINDNESS, PATIENTS, JUSTICE, INTEGRITY, and DETERMINATION. Depending on the kind of soul, you can have a magical weapon. But… exceptions exist too. Serjel for example. He doesn’t have a magical weapon, he can only concentrate and control the energy of JUSTICE.

 The easiest way to find out the kind of soul is to find out its color. Well…that’s not my case… The color of my soul–is WHITE, like the monster’s soul. But on the other hand, I have an ability that no one has, except for Sans. It’s a teleporting. And I thought this the only magic, which I can use.   I thought like that till one day… I was just walking around with Sans and Papyrus, like every Friday. Then, I’ve seen something, what I still can’t forget: my sister was surrounded by some jerks and MY FRIEND Eline Airelle… Only for a moment, but I wanted to kill all of them.

 I teleported and appeared in front of them, and while Sal was behind me, I attacked them with a skeletons’ magic and even summoned Gaster Blasters. All of them were scared to death, but Eline looked like, that I BETRAYED her. Then, she called me: “MONSTER”, but I didn’t react, I just told her to go away, and she did. Sans and Papyrus came to me and Saldels, brought us home and told everything that happened to our father and Gaster. Since that day, I have started to hate people, who just afraid of monsters, because of their looks. Judging by this logic, I can be called a MONSTER too…

DAY: 10 JULY YEAR: 2030 TIME: 8:37 PM

[Serjel, Saldels and Jack’s flat…]

[Living room…]

Jack: (Lying on the couch)

Saldels: (Comes in) What’s on your mind, bro?

Jack: (Noticed Saldels) Well…I don’t care about it too much, but being called a “MONSTER”…

Saldels: (Sat next to Jack) Cheer up, bro. You can do what any other human can’t do.

Jack: (Smiled) Pfft… (Turns to Saldels) Like what?

Saldels: You can teleport, absorb and copy magic, use monsters’ magic and even deadly wounds heal on you as nothing happened.

Jack: (Looks up) Like a monster…

Saldels: Well, monsters can absorb only human souls, but you can absorb ANY kind of magic.

Jack: And ANY soul too, what even worse…

[Scilence…]

Saldels: (Looks up) Do you remember…THAT day…?

Jack: When dad tried to cook something and accidentally almost burned down the kitchen…?

Saldels: Pfftt… No, not that. When you saved me from…

Jack: Eline…?

Saldels: (Looks down) Yeah…when you almost attacked her and the others…

Jack: (Turned to Saldels) Do you remember, that I could kill them?

Saldels: Yes, I do. (Turned to Jack) And I remember how SAD and ANGRY were you…

Jack: What kind of brother would leave his sister alone in this kind of situation?

Saldels: (Looked away) I would… If they were hurting you, I would just run away like a coward.

Jack: (Sigh) (Pats Saldels’ head) Cut it out, sis. Coward or not, you sitting next to a monster, who everyone hates and afraid of.

Saldels: Except for me and dad.

Jack: Yeah–Yeah…

Saldels: And Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, Asgore, Dr. Gaster, Mettaton…

DAY: 10 JULY YEAR: 2030 TIME: 9:43 PM

[Somewhere in the Ebott–city…]

[Raining…]

Jack: (Soaked) (Annoyed) Uughhh…why the hospital is so far? I know dad is a DOCTOR, but I didn’t think that he works as a real doctor too.

?????: (From behind) Heh–heh…hello, Jack.

Jack: (Frozen in fear) (Looked back)

?????: And GOODBYE!!!!!! (Slashes Jack)

Jack: Gghhaaaa…! (In pain) (Turns around)

?????: (Slashes Jack at the right arm)

Jack: Nngghaa…!!! (Fell down while holding his right hand tight) Wh-who the hell…are you…?

?????: The last person, who you see… (Holds knife above itself)

Jack: (Teleported)

?????: Aww… (Put the knife down) what a pity…

[Near the hospital…]

Jack: (Flew into the wall) (Landed roughly) (Lost conscious)

[A few moments ago…]

[Hospital…]

Serjel: (Walks through the corridor) What should I do…? It’s almost tomorrow and I still don’t know what gifts I should choose for Jack and Saldels. Hmm…(Noticed noises from outside)

[In front of the central entrance to the hospital…]

Serjel: (Notices Jack) (Shocked)

Jack: (Lying on the ground) (Bleeding)

Serjel: (Comes to Jack) Jack, what happened to you?! Come on, answer me…

Jack: (Coughs) Dad… (Looks at Serjel) Is that you…?

Serjel: (Worried) Yeah, it’s me. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I promise.   (Picks Jack up) (Ran into the hospital)

Serjel’s thoughts: (Runs through the corridors) I’ll save my son, whatever it takes…

[Several hours later…]

DAY: 11 JULY YEAR: 2030 TIME: 7:39 AM

[Jack’s camera…]

Jack: (Awaking) Ughh…what… happened to me?

W.D.Gaster: (Sits next to Jack)You almost died, young Side.

Jack: (Still tired) Oh… (Turned to Gaster) Hey, doctor Gaster… What’s up?

Serjel: (Ran into the room) Ahh… Phew, thank God, you are ok…

Jack: (Raised a bit) Hey, dad…

Saldels: (Running through the hall) Broooooo…! (Ran into the room) (Jumped to Jack)

Jack: Oh–oh…

Saldels: (Landed on Jack)

Jack: Uugghh…! Sal…

Saldels: (Crying) (Hugs Jack) I–I thought you would die…

Jack: (Smiles) Don’ worry, sis. (Rubs Saldels’ head) It’s not that easy to kill a monster…

Papyrus: (Running through the hall) Huuuumaaaan…!

Jack: (Already regret) But I think I know what might kill me…

Papyrus: (Ran into the room) (Grabbed Jack) (Hugs Jack) (Cries) I’m so glad that you are alive!

Jack: (Choked) Pap…please…put me down…

Papyrus: Nyeh–heh–heh, I knew that I–The Great Papyrus will help with my mighty hug.

Jack: Actually, I think I’m dying…

Papyrus: Oh… Nyeh–heh… Sorry… (Put Jack on a bed)

Sans: (Comes in) I don’t blame them, kiddo. I already thought that you died.

Alphys: (Comes in) M–me too…

Undyne: (Broke in) Nnnggaaa… I knew that you didn’t die, punk!

Sans: You almost cried the ocean of tears. (Dodged from Undyne's spear)

Undyne: SHUT UP!

W.D.Gaster: Ghm–ghm, by the way, Jack. (Turned to Jack) How’s your arm?

Jack: My arm? Oh, this… (Looked at right arm) (Raised right arm) I think… it’s okay.

Saldels: (Looks at Jack’s right arm) Wow, bro. Now your way cooler than before.

Jack: You think so…?

Sans: I agree with your sister, now there’s MORE THAN ENOUGH METAL IN YOUR BODY.

Jack: (Looks at Sans) (Annoyed) Sans…

Sans: But seriously, it’s strange that your arm didn’t recover.

W.D.Gaster: Looks like that person, who you met, knew your weakness. Don’t you remember what did he used against you?

Jack: I don’t know. But…it felt like nothing, and yet…it felt so familiar. Like I knew what is it...

Serjel: I really shouldn’t say it, but I’m impressed that magic which able to hurt you exists.

Jack: Actually, every kind of attack can hurt me… (Rubs head) but it strangely doesn’t give me much damage like… (Sigh) let me better show. (Snaped)

[Jack’s Stats: ATK: 5  DEF: 10  HP: 10]

Jack: (Looks down) (Feeling down) I survived, even with such low stats…

Sans’ thoughts: It’s strange stats for a human. Though, I still can’t understand why his arm didn’t recover yet. Judging from ME and ASGORE, this kid is almost unbeatable. Looks like it wasn’t a HUMAN or a MONSTER.

Jack: Anyway… (Turned to Gaster) you wanted to tell me something, didn’t you, Gaster?

W.D.Gaster: Yes, me and your father working on the project: “Fragmentation”. (Looks at Jack) I wanted to ask you to join it, but I had to wait.

Serjel: (Worried) If you don’t want it’s okay, it’s your life, so…

Jack: I agree. At least, I’ll do something useful for once.

Saldels: (Raised arm) Me too. I want to help with the project too.

Serjel: (Shocked) What…?!

Jack: (Looks at Serjel) C’mon, dad. You know, that Sal is too smart for school.

W.D.Gaster: Okay, Saldels, but you’ll be your father’s assistant.

Serjel: Gaster…!!!

Alphys: D–don’t f–forget that I’m in this project t–too…

Undyne: I’m gonna train you till death, punk!!!!!

Jack: (Confused) Thanks, but I think I’ll pass the deadly training… But like I said: I agree. (Looks at Saldels) And tomorrow is your birthday too, sister.

Saldels: Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.

Serjel: Then, I have to bake two pies.

Jack: Better ask Toriel, you’ll burn the kitchen again…

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing 22-28 March 2020

Here’s this week’s roundup!

Remember to give your content creators some love! And join in on the events at the bottom!

~Mod Hel

Fanfiction/Snippets/AU Ideas:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

Every Moment (Ch. 2) https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153275/chapters/55699822#workskin

F/M, Heero Yuy/Reader

Heero Yuy, Reader, Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, OC - Character, Lady Une, Relena Peacecraft

Romance, Drama, Angst, Lemon, Lime, Violence, Reader Insert

You really didn’t want to go on a mission with Heero Yuy. In your opinion, he was a robot, an iceberg, and as cold as the North Pole. And you really hated the fact that people started spreading rumors about you. Now, you have two weeks to get to know him better, get comfortable with the idea of playing his wife, and keep from getting into a catfight with Wufei’s secretary (who has quite a crush on Mister Yuy herself). You thought you would be able to handle the mission, but a couple of alcohol influenced kisses really send your world spinning. And it would only get worse during the mission… And really… your careless actions do have very big consequences.

The trouble of being Daddy’s little girl https://archiveofourown.org/works/23267698

F/M, reader/oc

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Reader, OC - Character

Family, Humor, Daddy Heero

You took another deep breath and pushed away from the house, starting on your track across the lawn. You had not even made it halfway across the grass when an unexpected voice made you jump in fright.

“Going somewhere?”

It’s not easy being the daughter of an ex-Gundam pilot.

All because of you https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279989

F/M, Duo/Reader

Duo Maxwell, Reader

Romance, Fluff, a bit of angst, Hurt/Comfort, Reader Insert

He would never lie to you about his feelings. Hide them, yes. But if he told you he was okay, you had no choice but to believe him. But even so…

“I can’t help but be worried.”

Forgive and Forget (Ch. 5) https://archiveofourown.org/works/18997162/chapters/55878703

F/M, Duo Maxwell/Reader, Wufei Chang/OC - Relationship

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei, Sally Po, OC - Character

Romance, Drama, Angst, Violence, Lemon, Reader-Insert

You’d infiltrate Preventer and expose that fact that it employed and protected terrorists. But that mission proves to be quite a challenge, all information regarding personnel carefully guarded. And the challenge becomes even greater when you meet Special Agent Duo Maxwell. He is pretty much the man of your dreams, all devilish charm, good looks, and bravado. And he kisses like the Devil. You are swept under and recklessly pursue and affair with him. But there is still your double agenda, and that is bound to make everything come crashing down around you. Especially when you find out that Duo is not exactly the man he said he was…

@doctormegalomania​

Your Body’s Poetry (Ch. 11) http://archiveofourown.org/works/20438891/chapters/55895791

F/F, F/M, M/M, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei/Original Female Character(s), Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker, Relena Peacecraft & Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell/Original Male Character(s)

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Sally Po, Relena Peacecraft, Lucrezia Noin, Zechs Merquise, Hilde Schbeiker

Past Relationship(s), Slice of Life, Post-Break Up, Slow Burn, Developing Relationship, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence

Two steps forward, one step back ... it's all a dance really.

@tziganecaffiends

The More Things Change https://archiveofourown.org/works/23331301

F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Zechs Merquise/Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei/Treize Khushrenada, Dorothy Catalonia/Relena Peacecraft, Dorothy Catalonia/Relena Peacecraft/Quatre Raberba Winner

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Relena Peacecraft, Dorothy Catalonia, Zechs Merquise, Treize Khushrenada

Wufei is WHAT!? Productions, Fluff and Humor, all grown up, Heero Yuy and Chang Wufei Are Best Friends, Duo Maxwell is Chaos Personified, Asexual Trowa Barton, Ladies' Man Quatre Raberba Winner, Quatre Is Dating The Entire Senior Cheer Squad, Relena Peacecraft and Dorothy Catalona Are Dating One Another, Treize Khushrenada's Dream of Being An Interior Designer Came True, Yoiko Says There's Too Much Baseball, Tzigane Says There's No Such Thing As Too Much Baseball, Pool Party, Duo Maxwell Is A Flirt, But Only If He's Sure You Won't Take It Seriously, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, water wars, Super Soaker, Wishes Is A Good Dog, Duo’s Bathing Suit Wins

Thomas Wolfe had said, "You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood, back home to romantic love, back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame."

Of course, he had also said quite a bit more after that. Treize Khushrenada felt that was enough to express adequately the absolute truth of things -- it really was impossible to go home again because time passed and everything changed. Nothing was ever as it was, and it had been so long since he'd had the opportunity to visit his mother that everything was different. The gas store on the corner had turned into a coffee shop. The local grocer's had disappeared altogether, leaving behind a parking lot for a chain store and just a touch of melancholy mixed in with Treize’s sense of nostalgia.

Fanart/Gunpla/Photo Manips:

@2pcb

https://2pcb.tumblr.com/post/613902027089641472/while-i-didnt-have-a-particular-intent-with-how-i

Heero Yuy

https://2pcb.tumblr.com/post/613539351155163136/oh-man-its-been-like-twenty-years-since-i-first

Trowa Barton

https://2pcb.tumblr.com/post/613627505601036288/i-am-super-obsessed-with-wufei-growing-up-and

WuFei & Trowa

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/613873841214750720/zhang-he-altron-gundam-gunpla-gunplabuilder

Zhang He Altron, gunpla

Puck (dragonhusbands)

https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/1170544

Duo & WuFei

@seitou​

https://seitou.tumblr.com/post/613595791444082688/seitou-practicing-some-inking-with-an-under

WuFei & Trowa

Photosets/Gifsets/Screenshots/Manga Pages:

@janaverse​

https://janaverse.tumblr.com/post/613663851316215808/o-dont-over-do-it-like-hes

Duo Maxwell, screenshot

Fandom Discourse:

@memoriesofgundamwing​

https://memoriesofgundamwing.tumblr.com/post/613269756769861632/in-honor-of-gundam-wings-25th-birthday-i-want-to

A place to store our favorite GW memories.

https://memoriesofgundamwing.tumblr.com/post/613307205592186880/gundam-wing-was-the-very-first-anime-i-ever

@empressgreyofphoenix

https://memoriesofgundamwing.tumblr.com/post/613309711873441792

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

https://memoriesofgundamwing.tumblr.com/post/613541191219331072/gundam-wing-the-past-the-present

@tziganecaffiends

Quotes:

@incorrectgundamwingquotes​

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/613678300500475904/hilde-i-remember-the-selling-their-kid-on-ebay

Hilde

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/613780235842912256/duo-what-are-you-doing-on-my-doorstep-at-2-am

Duo & Heero

MoodBoard/Aesthetics/Playlists:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/613453474860089344/just-letting-you-all-know-that-this-is-out-there

Some two-mix songs (Rhythm Emotion, Just Communication)

Calendar Events:

@gundamzine​

Rhythm Generation: Shooting Stars, Celebrating 25 Years of Gundam Wing

Be sure to not miss any updates or Creator Spotlights by following @gundamzine​

Be sure to reserve your copy of the Zine as well as Zine MERCH by completing the sign-up form, here

All zines and zine swag are FREE, but the Zine Crew encourages everyone who is able to donate to one of the branches of their chosen charity, WAR CHILD

Also be sure to submit your response to the (totally anonymous) Fandom Metrics Survey the Zine Crew is running, here

Reopening orders until April 5th! https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/612534501362565120/gundamzine-back-by-popular-demand-we-are

https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/613893449254584320/a-preview-of-some-of-the-awesome-work-by-our

@gwcocktailfriday

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompt for Friday, April 3rd! https://gwcocktailfriday.tumblr.com/post/613840617413443584/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-april-3

If anyone has ideas for prompts, PLEASE send them in! Our ask box is always open.

In need of SUMMER prompts!

[purplesurveys]

900

1. What’s the last thing you ate? Shawarma. It was a usual meal of mine at school so I’ve been missing it a lot during this quarantine, and I was happy when my dad got me a couple ones yesterday.

2. What’s your favourite cheese? I haven’t been super experimental when it comes to cheese mainly because the better ones are a little expensive and I’m more willing to spend my money on other foods...but the best one I’ve had is feta.

3. What’s your favourite fish? My favorite cooked or grilled fish is tilapia and eel; as for raw fish I love tuna.

4. What’s your favourite fruit? I don’t really like fruit but I’m open to eating avocado-flavored things like shakes and cheesecake; and I’m okay with strawberry-flavored candy hahaha.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I’ve never liked olives. I take them out of my pizza and such.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? I never *liked* beer but sometimes I’ll have a bottle if and only if it’s to socialize at a party. I just keep the grimace to myself lol because I personally never found it good. I had my first beer at Marielle’s debut, four years ago.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? High school. That was when my palate started to expand and I wanted to try being more adventurous with food. I got into shellfish pretty early on and my mom even used to buy a kilo of mussels just for me. 

8. What was the best thing your mum/dad/guardian used to make? I love my dad’s laksa, risotto, curries, and chicken wings. My mom doesn’t cook much but I do like her spaghetti.

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown? My city doesn’t have native food of its own; and I’m not sure about my province’s specialtes either only because cuisines from other provinces are far more popular. I can say though that most visitors who come to the country often try adobo, sinigang, kare-kare, and bulalo.

10. What’s your comfort food? Cheeseburgers, samgyeopsal, pad thai, and chicken wings.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate? Milk chocolate. And it gets a lot of flak because it’s not actually chocolate, but I do enjoy the flavor of white chocolate too.

12. How do you like your steak? Rare.

13. How do you like your burger? I like mine with caramelized onions, a mayo-based sauce, and brioche buns; barbecue sauce or jalapeños are add-ons I have no problem being put in my burger. I don’t like tomatoes, pickles, and lettuce.

14. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled if on toast; omelette with cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers if with rice; and obviously, poached if on top of an Eggs Benedict. I don’t have a preferred style for eggs.

15. How do you like your potatoes? As French fries or mojos.

16. How do you take your coffee? If someone is making the coffee for me, I request for lots of cream and sugar. I’d drink any kind of coffee but black. If I’m at a coffee shop I typically get caramel macchiato.

17. How do you take your tea? I enjoy lemonade iced tea. I don’t really like hot tea.

18. What’s your favourite mug? I suppose my favorite is the only mug I own, which is a white mug that changes colors depending on the temperature of the drink inside.

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice? I can’t stand biscuits anymore because those are what my grandma/mom packed for my recess nearly everyday throughout grade school. I don’t like store-brought cookies either because they taste super processed, but my favorite as a kid were the Presto peanut butter cookies.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast? Garlic rice, a packed omelette, and hashbrowns if I’m somewhere fancy. Scrambled eggs and hotdogs when I’m at home.

21. What’s your ideal sandwich? Monte Cristo or banh mi.

22. What’s your ideal pizza: Quattro formaggi. If we’re talking more experimental pizzas, barbecue pizza is a guilty pleasure.

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)? I’m not a big pie person but I do love savory a lot more, like chicken pot pie. I think most of the sweet pies out there are fruit-based anyway.

24. What’s your ideal salad? Spicy tuna salad. I’ve been having such a craving for it :(

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? We always have white bread, eggs, my mom’s cranberry juice, and veggies.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? In the freezer we never run out of various meats and frozen meal packs, like frozen bangus, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, etc. We also often have ice cream, but it’s not a must-have for us obviously.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Pasta, canned food like luncheon meat and corned beef, cup noodles, various condiments like soy sauce and fish sauce, 3-in-1 coffee.

28. What spices can you not live without? I can’t cook but I do know I like salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. I’m sure I’m missing other essential ones lol

29. What sauces can you not live without? Sriracha, bagoong, banana ketchup, gochujang, peanut sauce, gravy, barbecue sauce, aioli, mayonnaise.

30. Where do you buy most of your food? My parents don’t have a supermarket preference; they just go to wherever is most convenient for them at the moment. Once I start doing my own grocery shopping though I would rather go to a supermarket where they’d have a wider selection for foreign foods, like those that would have Pop-Tarts and sriracha sauce. Just the foodie in me that constantly has to have food from other cultures.

31. How often do you go food shopping? My parents do the groceries once every two or three weeks, I think.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? Aside from the obvious ref or cooking range, probably the coffee maker. Not sure how much it cost my parents but it’s supposed to be branded haha.

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? Dad bought a couple of pans because he didn’t like how our old ones were starting to get too many scratches.

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? Refrigerator. So many things would spoil without it...that’s why when we get blackouts the first thing we worry about is how long the ref would stay cold.

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? I’ve only done it once.

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients?

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry? Crocodile, carabao, lamb.

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Don’t remember exactly when but it has to be sometime recently. I’m not too grossed out by this.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? I have never done this.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Sushi – Indian, Thai, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican. This question is a teeny bit annoying and a little offensive. How would you like it if I referred to American food as ‘ribs’ lol

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum – Vodka, rum, (some) whiskey. I don’t drink brandy because that’s what my grandpa, who had alcohol issues, used to drink.

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: Garlic, Basil, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed – Aniseed, garlic, basil, ginger, lime, mint.

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana. –

45. Bread and spread: I don’t really munch on this particular food. Toast and butter is enough for me.

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? It’s either KFC or Jollibee. In KFC I get a Zinger and a brownie; in Jollibee, I usually order the chicken-spaghetti set, large fries, and a Yum Burger. If they have tuna pie on the menu I’d get that too. My appetite gets exceptionally large when it comes to Jollibee hahahaha.

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city? I no longer remember what exactly I ate but I had a blaaaast eating in Bali. I also had a sushi platter in Fukuoka that I’ll never forget.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? I don’t drink regularly but if I’m out with friends and we want to chill after a tiring day, we get a pitcher of a mixed drink.

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat? Eggs and hotdogs for breakfast. Probably with bread.

50. Are you hungry now? A little bit, considering it’s nearly 10 and I still haven’t had breakfast.

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday? I’ve been having it everyday now because I’ve been home for...most of the year...sigh. But I skipped it all the time when I was in school because getting to class on time and having a clean attendance record mattered to me more than filling up my stomach. 52. At what time do you have breakfast? On weekdays I have it between 9-10 AM. On weekends when my parents are home, we have brunch instead at around 10:30-11 AM because they wake up late.

53. At what time do you have lunch? I normally skip lunch now. In school I just had tiny eating breaks throughout the day, but I didn’t have lunch per se.

54. What do you have for lunch? My usual purchases were instant noodles/kwek-kwek, tapsilog from Rodic’s, or shawarma rice. Thrived on these three for my entire college life.

55. At what time do you have dinner? 7-8 PM, depending on whenever my dad is finished cooking.

56. What do you have for dinner? My dad likes changing up our dishes everyday :) It’s one of my favorite things about quarantine. Outside of the quarantine, I’ve never had a main dinner dish.

57. Do you light candles during dinner? No.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair? 6 chairs. We don’t have a ‘main’ chair that’s larger than the rest, but my dad is the one who sits on the chair on one end of the dining table, or what we call the kabisera in Filipino. My mom, siblings, and I sit on either side of him. 

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one? I use my right hand for the spoon and my left hand for the fork. I drink with my right hand most of the time.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most: Broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, string beans. Idk what eggplants and bell peppers are but I like those too.

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least? Cucumber and ampalaya. 63. You like your fruit salad to have more: Air. Hahahaha I do not like fruit salads.

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more: I love vegetables but don’t really eat vegetable salads? I don’t think I’ve even heard of those.

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread? Whatever goes on banh mi.

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar? Whittaker’s peanut butter chocolate.

67. What’s your favourite dessert? I really love macarons, cupcakes, and cheesecake.

68. What’s your favourite drink? Just water. Other drinks make me fuller more quickly.

69. What’s your favourite snack? Pringles, French fries, corndogs...anything deep-fried, really.

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour? Strawberry, or just the original bubblegum flavor.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour? Salted caramel, queso real, or cookies and cream.

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour? Original or sour cream and onion.

73. What’s your favourite soup? Miso. Have to have it whenever I have Japanese food.

74. What’s your favourite pizza? Already answered this, but I will always order quattro formaggi if I see it on a menu.

75. What’s your favourite type of dish? I have lots of favorites, but I think chicken curry takes the cake for me. 

76. What food do you hate? Fruits, any dessert with fruits.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant? Yabu. It’s a Japanese restaurant that doesn’t even serve sushi (because I’m still ticked off by that sushi question lol).

78. Do you eat homemade food, or food delivered from outside? These days I eat food cooked by either parent. But when I’m on my own, I buy my food.

80. Who cooks at home? My dad does most of the time. My mom will make breakfast on the weekends.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have? I’m not on any.

82. How do you keep yourself fit? I just moderate my food intake in general and make sure I stop eating once I feel full. I don’t work out or count calories and stuff.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 5

• Now that we are five chapters into this story, now seems like a good time to get the masterlist of this series out! 😁 Which I will be doing shortly after this QT is up. If you've missed the other chapters, you'll be more easily able to find them all there! I'll also be reblogging my TRR series masterlist sometime this week, since my TRR Book 1 Chapter 5 chapter is close to getting finished as well.

• I'm hoping to get this one out early, it's an extremely light chapter for the most part. It's practically filler, filled with little vignettes between the characters here and there and mostly diamond scenes. The heavy stuff inevitably seems to be left for the actual Walker Ranch (sigh).

• Here are the tags to block if you don't want my QTs to clog up your dash: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs. For now a friend of mine is helping get the read-mores on the main posts, until Tumblr actually does something to make them work on a phone again.

• TW: Brief mentions of the Dr Ramirez scene in Hana's playthrough, and infertility.

• Screenshot Credits:

Hana - @pixieferry

Maxwell - Abhirio's YouTube channel

Drake - @thefirstcourtesan

Liam - Well, me

• Besides being mostly filler stuff, this chapter had a lot of diamond scenes. Two outfit changes (one OOTD and one lingerie for the LI), a group scene and the book's first character scene (Liam).

• A few people I know have been asking me about the differences between "character scenes" and "LI scenes" (and indeed a lot of people were confused by my use of these terms in my Book 3 QTs). So once I get to my general thoughts section, I'll elaborate on those.

• Title: The Open Road

Alternative Title: Enjoy The Fillers, Dear Fans, Coz You Got A Walker-Storm Comin'!

• We're now on our way to the States, barely days after we got back to our own estate. The Council is looking after stuff in exactly the way they have since we left for our honeymoon, except that now it's lost all its core group members besides Olivia. Her, Hana and Kiara must probably share whatever few brain cells exist in that Council between each other.

• If you've unlocked the "casual clothing" scenes for the LIs in Book 2 (Liam's t-shirt, Hana's crop top, Drake's Henley and Maxwell's muscle shirt and Bubbles necklace), that's what they'll be wearing on their journey this chapter.

• Maxwell is now the self-appointed Royal Entertainment Committee.

• Bertrand WOULD be freaking out about spoons.

• Our OOTD today is an off-shoulder crop top with floral designs, and ripped shorts - paired with a blue and pink statement necklace and a few bracelets. Esther DuPont and literally every other MC is more confident about pulling this outfit off than I will ever be.

• Maxwell suggests the outfit in the Liam, Drake and Hana playthroughs, and Hana suggests it in Maxwell's.

• First Stop: Our old workplace in NY! Our manager is no longer around (probably got fired lol) but Daniel is! Or as I still like to call him, Not-Henney 😂

• Hana is so cutely excited about visiting the place where it all begin, a place she must have till now only heard about in the other LIs' stories. Sigh. Wish we'd brought her here earlier.

• Not-Henney has issues with how little attention Maxwell gave to the MC's origins. @callmetippytumbles points out that there's not much you can expect from an author who put his face on the cover of a book about you. Cmon, Not-Henney.

• Told you "Things are Great" would become a meme.

• He now asks what the experience of being an actual Queen/Duchess is like. You can go for the funny route (glam parties that'll make Beyonce jealous. Oh idk, does Beyonce like an overabundance of apples?), the realistic route (speaking about everyone's expectations weighing on you), and the romantic route, which brings out some cute responses in both Not-Henney and the LIs, ranging from delight to awkwardness.

• Oh snap. The paps are here.

• We make a run for it (in two options, with Daniel's help), and keep driving. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, the MC mentions a motorcycle when speaking about Drake, which makes me wonder in we will end up having a motorcycle scene in Texas itself. I mean, the writers did mention being excited about a scene featuring one in their livestream.

• Maxwell picks the next stop, and it's that engagement barn we built for Liam, apparently. Or the house of Robert, Steve Tennyson's (PM) dad. Where he has found the "biggest ball of string". Only Joy and Hope, my corgis, seem even remotely happy about this.

•

...Okay Maxwell.

Hana needs to roast people more. Roast EVERYONE in that friend group and EVERYONE in that court!

• Fun Fact: This chapter was released on the 50th anniversary of the historic 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing 😁

• As proven from this scene, the few brain cells this group collectively has, all belong to Hana.

• It's now time to check out what the group brought as provisions:

MC: Nothing, she's only here to ask what everyone else brought

Drake: Jerky

Maxwell: Tequila (!!)

Liam: IDK Esther I thought a four-course meal would just fall upon our laps from the heavens

Hana: ME! Bring cookies that I've NOT warmed by the fires wrought from the bowels of the deepest hells??? BLASPHEMY.

As always Hana saves everyone's ass this fine day. I actually quite like this bit with Hana, because it veers a tiny bit more towards "perfectionist" than just simply "perfect". Hana would be the kind of person to worry excessively over being a good hostess, since that's something she's been learning since she was a little girl (remember the tea scene in the flashback).

• We now stop by at Washington DC - Hana's suggestion - because she wanted to look at the cherry blossoms. I was quite chuffed about this when I found out coz I always used to have her down as more of a "plum blossom" girl, and this is pretty close 😁

• That little bit in DC where speaks of the area as "a marvel of both nature and civic engineering" is a nice touch, since Liam has always been associated with monuments and national legends.

• THE PAPS?? AGAIN????

• ...If my spouse and I have to spend ALL our time answering questions about babymaking, where are we going to find the time to babymake, mediapeople? Ever thought of that? Huh? Huh??

• This option is hands down the best fucking option in this chapter lol:

YOU'RE ALL SUCH DORKS ISTG

• We're now in a small town where Liam wants to mingle and be one with the locals. He's not been very successful in doing this in Cordonia (where people can literally look at his face and figure out who he is), but because it's the US and not many people might recognize him here, his chances of not being caught are better.

• This is the first character scene in the new series. It's pretty alright, not a lot of insights or anything, just a simple scene where Liam gets to not worry about acting like a royal, occasionally acknowledge his privilege, be charmingly naive, order milkshakes, and listen to the MC's insights on how she will bring up her/their kid. He does mention it opens some new perspectives on understanding his people, but I'm not sure we'll get to see much of what learnings he will put into action because, yknow, Cordonian commoners are practically invisible.

• This scene is also proof that you can take Liam out of the court but you can't take the court out of Liam.

• It begins with what the MC calls "a sidewalk hello", where she can either guide or massively troll him. The first two options are awkward as hell (I did like the bowing one though lolol coz she tells him he's probably made someone's day with his "courtly manners"), and the third is for Liam to simply ignore the other person and stare at his phone.

• Next scene involves getting Liam to buy groceries...coz he's never brought groceries. Why would he Esther he has a staff.

• They have a choice between fruit, nachos with everything on them (and they weren't kidding about "everything") and chocolates. I chose fruit.

• You also get some cute tidbits about Liam's life growing up in the palace. Here are the important ones:

- Constantine and Eleanor agreed they wanted Liam to be self-sufficient but "disagreed on how far to take that principle" (given what Liam says about her in one of the other options, I'm guessing Eleanor wanted to take it a lot more further).

- Liam can make spaghetti carbonara!!!

- Laundry: So there was this one time Leo and Liam played tag close to a champagne tower at an event, and it fell down. Eleanor insisted they "clean up the mess [they] made. A reasonable lesson in decorum and consequences". I kinda like this little crumb of info considering there is so little we know about her.

- Eating leftovers: Liam used to have sleepovers at Jackson and Bianca's quarters, and he tells us he was "proud to help Drake's mother microwave the leftovers" coz to his little mind he thought that was cooking 😁 I know, I know, I believed my mom when she put a tiny bit of coffee powder in my milk and told me it was actual coffee haha.

- Doesn't know how to do dishes. He knows soap and water is involved lol.

• The final part of the scene involves Liam treating himself at a diner with (what else!) a milkshake, while casually chatting with the MC about how she feels about the simplicity of her past life, and the way she plans to bring up her (or their) own child.

• Liam not immediately understanding that utensils are self-serve reminds me of Hana's confusion at the idea of a McDermots not having wait-staff.

• The MC has options for how to respond to Liam's question about bringing up a child - 1. I'd like my child to be practical and aware of their role, they don't need to learn how to fold a bed sheet or do dishes. 2. I want my child to have a bit of both worlds so that they're more flexible in their approach. 3. My child should be acutely aware of what the common person in Cordonia goes through if they're going to have to rule fairly over them. These three options in some way allow you to imagine what the MC would be like as a mother, and what upbringing this 'heir' might have.

•

I've never actually seen YOU make much of an effort to find out in Cordonia.

• There's also a tiny bit about Regina that follows this optional dialogue if you're married to him, which I really like: Liam states to Esther that those are "wise words from the wisest queen I know", following which she points out that he's lucky Regina hasn't heard it. Liam's response to that is: "after all this time, I think she'd agree with me". Regina's kinda grown on me over the series, and I do hope we see her again!

• Overall the scene's alright. It's there, it's cute, it's filler like the rest of the chapter. Only time will tell if it will actually result in anything in the future, which kind of leads me to wonder what Character Scenes are going to look like going forward (now that the LI scenes mostly perform the function for both characterization and romance). But the biggest takeaway right now for me is what Liam has to say about his parents, and optionally about his mother. I think that may point towards something later on.

• LMAO @ the random stranger in the diner optionally thinking Liam's brother might be Thor. Leo would be pleased 😂 Also a nice touch to see her recognize us again at the lingerie store if we buy both scenes!

• We now have a scene featuring the couples in their hotel bedroom, where the LI and MC have either had a bit of a wild night, or where the MC has just finished her at-home fertilization procedure (if the LI is Hana). There's a little chit-chat here and there about the moments they have now and about privacy, but it's different in the case of Hana.

• You finally get the chance to ask about how she feels, and this is the response:

• That's it then, I guess 😒 I'm honestly not surprised, given how much in a hurry they were to have Hana concentrate on the MC in the doctor's office itself. I'll expand more on this later.

LIAM. YOU FOOL. I'M WEARING IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.

• Honestly I don't see the point in having the MC suggest the lingerie in Liam's playthrough (the others basically make the suggestion instead, and they say "well, you're wearing that", instead, implying that they're talking about what she has on already) if they're not going to code it properly.

• The actual lingerie scenes are pretty cute! And fun! And comes with cool dialogues options, and this:

• NOW I know why Hana's lingerie was head and shoulders above the rest. SHE WAS THE ONE WHO CHOSE IT.

• So here's a rundown of all four LI scenes:

- Liam: The clerk from the store (who was also the girl who noticed Liam in the Incognito Scene if you bought that) recognizes Liam and the MC, freaks out and closes the store so they can shop in full privacy. The rest of it is cute playful banter, like expressing surprise at this being Liam's first time at a lingerie store. She then chooses black silk boxers with a golden baroque design. LMAO trust the MC to get him a Versace. 😂

- Drake - Tells the MC he likes it when she takes the lead. The MC then gets to ask him whether he would be down to wearing handcuffs or pink feathers. To the second option, Drake claims that he would "wear a tutu and crown if you told me you had a thing for the sugar fairy". LMAO they really are desperate to show us how much they learned from the "pink cake" fiasco. Pity how they couldn't teach themselves to treat their one female LI with respect. Anyway, the MC chooses red silk boxers with polka dots (!!)

- Maxwell - This scene is a fever dream from start to finish. Maxwell is happy and excited and SUPER SUPER enthusiastic, asking the MC to drop a beat so he can break into a dance at the store. The MC chooses blue silk boxers with squid designs on them. EVEN MAXWELL CANNOT CONTAIN HIS SHOCK. (PS: This scene marks the third appearance of "release the kraken!" 😄).

- Hana - Hana has apparently seen shops like these from the outside but has never been to one (same sis same). She speaks of how she never had anyone to do it for, which is why she is so happy about it now coz she can do it for the MC. A sweet, simple conversation. The difference here is that Hana knows what she wants, and chooses the lingerie herself: a beautiful lace and fishnet number with garter belt and stockings. She looks amazing and part of that is because unlike her friends, she realizes that her wife has deplorable fashion sense.

• It's now the next day, and Drake tries really hard to hoodwink everyone into making his "next stop" the Walker ranch, but the Royal Entertainment Committee threatens him with an "intimidating interpretive dance performed by me" (is he going to jump out the car and sing Kiki Do You Love Me too?). It's enough to scare Drake into picking a nicer stop.

• It's now time to listen to some tunes!! Everyone squabbles a little over what music to choose and the MC gets to pick either of them:

- Hana's Choice: A piano concerto that Liam loves, makes Drake cry and Maxwell go all happy-sleepy.

- Liam's Choice: Chartbusters. "Top 40s". Drake is surprised coz the last time they drove together, Liam made him listen to 52 versions of a single Bach sonata, to which Liam cheekily responds that doing so made him figure out which one was Drake's favourite.

- Maxwell's Choice: Some song that Maxwell did a deejay mix to, and apparently Liam (and presumably Drake) lent backing vocals to. Going by Liam's advance apology it must be pretty fucking terrible.

- Drake's Choice: Classic rock tunes that he can do air-guitar to. Liam concedes it has rhythm, Drake responds that it has rhythm and attitude. He tries to do air guitar in the car but Hana, panicking, reminds him that he's the one driving.

- What Would Have Been Bertrand's Choice/We Shall Drive In Silence!: Apparently when the MC says this, Maxwell says that she channeled Bertrand so hard "he flashed before my eyes". The MC reasons that if no one wants to listen to anyone else's music they might as well be quiet. Maxwell tries to bring up other alternatives such as playing his kazoo-tar, at which point EVERYONE agrees that silence is golden.

• This bit is one of my favourites in the chapter. Probably the second after "say cheese" haha.

• It's Hana's turn to drive and Maxwell is helping her by asking she carve that path from her heart. Which she does, even though she has mentally memorized the next twelve steps she needs to take.

• Liam drives, explaining when the MC asks that Drake was his first driving instructor (Drake had his licence already and they may have used a royal golf course or two for practice runs).

• Maxwell finds a new waypoint: Thrilltown. His reasoning is quite poignant (everything is changing, the MC and LI - in some cases him - will be having a child soon and everyone will be busy in their respective roles, when will everyone be together like this again?). The rest of the group comfort and reassure him, stating that they will probably see more of each other now. In any case...perhaps to Maxwell this is like a last hurrah to the carefree life he used to have.

• We start with choosing rides. Maxwell and Drake choose The Accelerator, which Maxwell describes as "fast. furious. and it uses gravity at speeds that Thrilltown can't legally release to the public!". Hana and Liam choose the "gentler" option - the carousel - which has you ride unicorns, griffins, dragons and other fantastical beings.

• I'm surprised the writers don't have him react even a little to the carousel, considering one of his scariest experiences took place on one (Book 1 Chapter 16). Just show him say "yeah...I'll pass" or show some emotion or other. It's like that armoury scene in his playthrough of Book 3 Chapter 11 where Madeleine could mock Liam about his feelings for the MC and Maxwell is pretty much sitting there not reacting. It's so lazy. I can't.

• Carousel with Liam and Hana: I loved this one, very cute. The carousel has fantasy elements and mythical animals, things that both Liam and Hana love. The MC gets to sit on a phoenix (like her optional Valtoria sigil!), Liam on a dragon (like the royal family's old crest! Dom would be proud) and Hana on a unicorn (which suits her particular style of whimsy). It's cute and fun and sounds exactly like the kind of thing Liam and Hana would enjoy.

The Accelerator with Maxwell and Drake: They call it EXTREME, and it lives up to its name. Maxwell is ecstatic obviously because he's a thrill-seeker and a ride like this is completely in his wheelhouse. Drake gets caught red-handed handed actually enjoying the ride.

• We try out something called The Vortex of Terror, where Liam challenges his friends to not scream up until the end of the ride. Ironically he's the first one to cave 🤣🤣

• "I accept your terms, Liam...as long as you're prepared to lose". Badass enough to challenge the king of the country xD (considering the way that ride goes, I think she was right haha).

• I need more Competitive, Sarcastic Hana outside of cute group scenes.

• One of two people can win this challenge: either the MC or Hana. If the MC wins, she gets to hoist herself on the LI's shoulders towards the next ride. If Hana wins, she perches herself on top of Drake's because he's pretty damn tall.

• Our last ride is called "Lover's Leap" and it's pretty much the romantic portion of the group scene, really.

At the end of it, the LI brings you a green candy drink, and then lets you know how this trip to Thrilltown is representative of their journey together and the change the MC has brought to their lives.

• Both Hana and I have no freaking clue what Liam means when he says "I call shotgun" before they head out.

• Lol @ Cordonia having its own version of "Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall". And of course it's going to feature Cordonian Rubies 🤣

• We now reach the ranch, where those of us who didn't marry Drake meet his mother Bianca for the very first time (in every other playthrough she is called "The Rider" and in Drake's her sprite is addressed by name).

• There ends the chapter, on a 'suspicious' note, the kind that seems to sound like things are suspicious but they're probably not. Bertrand's head must be exploding from the lack of spoons.

General Thoughts:

• It's a good thing this filler chapter exists, even if it's mostly inconsequential fluff, because at least that's one chapter less to deal with BertVannah and Drake and his family.

• It's also pretty expensive because the writers knew their crowd by now and know that that crowd is willing to spend.

• The scenes were in keeping with the mood of the chapter - light and fluffy, lots of friendship and some amount of romance. I ended up liking the free short scenes more than any of the diamond ones this chapter honestly.

• So...on the outset, it seems good that the MC is able to check on Hana, post the visit to Dr Ramirez. Hearing Hana's answer, however, brought back every issue I've ever had with the way they've written Hana.

I mean, sure, not everyone reacts the same way to such painful news. I understand that. But here the writers are basically using Hana to minimize what she's going through. They use her to dismiss her own pain with "oh that's okay, I'm just happy that at least you can carry that baby". All that proves is that the female LIs' experiences and pain mean nothing in front the MC's needs.

I've spoken before about the numerous times Hana's pain had been brushed aside or her space eaten into, to favour particular characters, and this just happens to be a repeat of the same formula. This is especially bad because it proves that the only reason they put Hana through this kind of hell in the first place is so that only the MC can carry the child. Her condition isn't allowed to be anything else other than a plot convenience: not an opportunity to open a conversation on this, nor to help develop her as a character. It's merely a narrative device meant to make coding easier. It's dismissive, lazy and reeks of a deplorable lack of care. And again I have to ask, why put her through this if you're so desperate to ignore it afterwards??

• The other big problem is that considering the gravity of that situation, why is checking on her an option rather than actual default dialogue?? If you choose the option to continue talking about playlists instead, the topic just never emerges again. Again I have to ask, what the hell kind of wife is the MC? I mean even before they got the news, the MC was pretty much doing nothing. She wasn't planning for Hana, she wasn't thinking much in terms of what to do for her, everything seems to just revolve around her even in a scenario where either one could have been a mother.

• The lingerie scene seems to me to have elements of a type of diamond scene in the flagship series - the ones where we could buy new casual clothing for our LIs in NY. The LI requires a new look, the MC suggests for a change and often picks out something that she thinks would work (some of her choices - like Liam's pants or Drake's sunglasses are...questionable 😅), and from then on this would be their option for ultra-casual occasions. The one casualwear scene that is different from all these is Maxwell's: he gets his sleeveless shirt and Bubbles necklace at a shop in Coney Island, during the group scene (I think part of this was that they were attempting a step-by-step LI-upgrade because they were a new couple at that point...which was why his first 30 diamond scene was during the Gala, after they'd been together for a little while. Still doesn't excuse all the ways they ignored his background and history though).

The main difference between the casualwear scenes and the lingerie ones is that the first dealt put the MC and LI in different situations and dealt with different issues (therefore was a scene of its own) and the second really just revolved around the lingerie. Perhaps the lingerie scene would be what you'd call an 'extended outfit option'? As opposed to something that's a scene all on its own?

• I was actually quite surprised we got a character scene in this series. Given how much they'd drastically cut down on them in favour of beefing up their LI scenes more, I was fully expecting not to see them. I do prefer them to the LI scenes sometimes, because my LI is not the only one I want to be keeping tabs on, and I do want to know what's happening in their lives.

• What is the difference between the two? I hear some of you ask. Well, good question because I'm about to launch into one of my long-winded explanations again.

• Diamond Scenes in TRR/H: I've been holding off on writing about these, since I believed that the series probably had done away with character scenes and preferred to use LI scenes for both romance and development. With this chapter, I now understand that's not the case.

• So...simply put, the difference between an Character Scene and an LI scene, is that the first focuses on the same character in all playthroughs (eg. no matter who you are romancing, if you buy these scenes it's Hana who will play Snow Angels with you, or Drake who will go fishing with you), and the second focuses on who you are engaged/married to (eg. If I'm romancing Hana, I will not be going to the movies with Liam. If I'm romancing Maxwell, I will not be having a cake testing session with Drake).

During Books 1 and 2, when the MC wasn't altogether exclusive with any LI as such, each character would have their own specific scene which expanded further on their characterization and gave the MC a chance to learn more about them. Most of the romance in these scenes were by choice, with the exception of a few lines here and there. The writers tried to continue this way of formatting diamond scenes even beyond Liam's proposal, but the amount of backlash from the portions of the scenes that involved the MC cheating on her confirmed LI...kind of made them backtrack on this plan quite a bit.

Book 3 switched the format up a little. It was similarish in a lot of ways to RoE, except that unlike that book (where the other two would disappear once you got engaged to one), we were also friends with the other LIs. Besides outfits and plot development scenes (such as the one in the Nevrakis replica armory with Olivia and Gladys) and group scenes, the book also offered two types of scenes for the reader to connect with the characters they liked:

1. LI Scenes: These scenes are meant for the LI the MC is marrying, and are coded differently based on that. This kind of scene was first used in the series in the first chapter of Book 3, where the MC and LI could comfort each other in the safe house. The initial chapters had a similar approach to the scenes as RoE Book 3 (where Mr Sloan, Leo and Dean all ended up sounding like each other), in that the dialogues sounded pretty cut-and-paste, with little to no actual variations beyond a few things (an example of this was how - in the Book 3 Chapter 6 Spa Scene in Applewood - all the LIs spoke of being "dumb in love" with the MC - which suited certain LIs, but sounded extremely jarring on others.

During Book 3, a high number of complaints about the series revolved around this copy-paste routine for the LIs, mostly because the characters were so different from each other, and wouldn't speak the same or even have the same experiences. Around Book 3 Chapter 8, major shifts began to happen in the way these scenes were written, starting with the Movie-going Scene in Castelserraillian. Post that chapter, and the hiatus, there was a significant decrease in the number of individual character scenes, and an increase in both number and quality of the LI scenes. It is very possible that they found juggling both stressful and dialed back on one to personalize the other further.

2. Character Development Scenes: These were scenes with the LI that you got regardless of whether you were marrying them or not. This scene would be viewed over all playthroughs, with differences based on whether you were marrying them or not. If you were not marrying them, these scenes would appear neutral and the romantic options would simply not be there, or be replaced by more neutral ones. Examples of such scenes include Drake's Cordonian Waltz Scene in Fydelia (Book 3 Chapter 3), Liam's Gastrodiplomacy Scene in Castelserraillian (Book 3 Chapter 7), Hana's Polo Scene in Portavira (Book 3 Chapter 5) and Maxwell's Armoury Scene in Lythikos (Book 3 Chapter 11).

The most important thing to remember is that these scenes are expected to be coded differently (according to your relationship with said LI), not only by adding romantic options for the MC to choose, but also in the actions of the characters by default. For instance, the Fydelia Cordonian Waltz scene in Drake's playthrough incorporates - by default - all the sensuality you should be finding in this waltz, while his friendly playthrough is merely the MC teaching him the basics so they have an edge over Neville. By default, if you buy the Gastrodiplomacy scene as Liam's fiancée, the chocolate souffle you sampled with him would feature at your wedding reception.

I say the scenes were expected to be coded differently, because very often they were not. In a lot of cases the only proof you'd have in those scenes that the LI and MC were even together were from the MC's actions. For instance, even though Hana was going to be a duchess on marriage to the MC, the same as Drake - only Drake got to speak in detail about it. This opportunity came for Hana very briefly only by Chapter 14, well past the midpoint of Book 3.

• So when Book 3 began the formula was mostly "leave the character scenes for developing the LI's issues or getting them to teach something, and concentrate on nothing else but the romance for your LI scenes". However this wasn't exactly workable given how different each LI was and therefore how odd some of their dialogue sounded. The dial back is understandable (though, as someone who has looked through various playthroughs in this book, I can tell you the imbalances found across character scenes were on a whole different level).

• Why I've elaborated on this is to give context to a question I now have about the narrative: what are the Character Scenes going to look like from here on out? Post the hiatus, they would vary - they could be mostly plot-driven, or fun and light but not much depth or variation, or fun and light, and also opening up diverging conversations based on your relationship. Now that they seemed to have locked down some format in this book at least, what's it going to sound like?

The Liam Character Scene today was fun, light, had default differences based on whether you were marrying him or not, but ultimately had very little to give to the story other than a few facts about Liam's home life and (in a way that expands on what we already know about her and her dynamic with Constantine) his mother. What exactly does he learn? What new insights is he getting as a King who self-admittedly exists and operates in a "statesman's bubble"?

It also remains to be seen whether buying this scene will have any effect of future events - like Liam's Applewood Tour Scene, where his retelling of King Fabian's story had an impact on our conversation with Kiara's mother Joelle. I'm probably going to keep track on how these character scenes are being written in this series, considering that we already have a pretty good idea of how their LI scenes are done.

• Twice I've seen Eleanor associated with pasta. In Book 1 Liam mentions simple tomato pasta as a childhood dish that reminded of his mother, and here shortly after he speaks about his parents he mentions knowing to cook spaghetti carbonara. IDK what that's supposed to mean but I'm bringing it up anyway. I'm mean, what if it's a part of Auvernese cuisine 😂

• I guess that's it for this week! Time for me to scram and finish my Book 1 Chapter 5 QT too before the next chapter drops!

[tenchiforum]

For the first time ever, the Toonami versions of OVA1/2, Universe, and Tokyo are available online! On their respective archive.org pages you can access each episode easily.

Watch now: OVA1/2, Tenchi Universe, Tenchi in Tokyo.

For users who keep up with contemporary anime communities, we also have an upload for the entire run available on Nyaa.

It’s been quite a journey in getting these episodes from analog to digital. If you’re interested in reading about the process of how these almost lost-to-time edits came into our hands and how we’ve gone about preserving them before the tapes rot, then sit back and enjoy the story below!

Part 1: Toonami – A Love Story.

Tenchi Muyo! and Toonami are tied together like the red thread of fate often times referenced in many East Asian myths. For those who aren’t aware, Toonami was a programming block on the Cartoon Network channel. Starting in 1997, it did one thing for anime that no other channel in the English-speaking world had ever done: showcased anime during “PrimeTime” (In North America at least, this was 4pm to 7pm Eastern Standard time). Before the internet, having this block of time meant having the most eyes on your product, meaning exposure was huge. Oftentimes whoever got on this block, regardless of the channel, was “made.”

However, it wouldn’t be until mid 1999, with a soft-rebranding, a new host, and an almost entirely anime-focused block, that Toonami would take over the world.

And on July 3rd, 2000, an entire generation was introduced to Tenchi Muyo! for the first time.

- The now legendary two minute Toonami promo.

Thanks to the efforts of Jason DeMarco, Sean Akins, Gill Austin, Sean Polinski, and the rest of the Toonami crew, the “Toonami generation,” still to this day, is the largest block of Tenchi Muyo! fans. Whether it was Toonami US, UK, or Australia. Tenchiforum is a testament to this fact. I personally would not be here were it not for Toonami, so to say that fans of Tenchi Muyo! hold Toonami in a high regard is an understatement.

I had always wanted to somehow, some way, get the Toonami version of Tenchi up for everyone to see again, but my old Toonami VHS recordings were long gone, and I figured trying to piece together the Toonami version from other people’s tapes would just be too hard with how many episodes were broadcast, that was until… 2012

In mid-to-late 2012, I found out that Pioneer actually released a home video version of what was shown on Toonami. It was simply released as “Tenchi Muyo!” in those big, white, clam shell VHS cases (that most people probably remember for old Disney movies). I felt as though I had struck gold! I was able to get a hold of the first two OVA, and was able to rip them to my computer.

- Vol. 1 & Vol. 5 of “Tenchi Muyo!” – No distinction was made that they were separate series.

Though I was high on my endorphin-induced nostalgia, I ran into a couple of unforeseen problems.

First and foremost, the equipment I was using was not great. I used an old StarTech composite to USB dongle and the software that came with it. While this isn’t necessarily bad at first glance (it doesn’t support Windows 10), I had no experience whatsoever in the field of digital transfer. While I think my rips were okay for the time, I knew even then that they were too low of bit-rate and the quality of the rips suffered for it.

Because I also had no VCR at the time that had S-Video output, I was only able to output from composite, which meant the whopping 240p equivalent VHS tapes look fuzzier than they probably should. (I realize that VHS is technically an analog format, meaning that a 1:1 equivalent digital representation is hard to pin down or that someone might argue that it did technically output 480i over composite, but basically it was 240p.)

Another problem was the software itself, I had no idea about Virtualdub, AmaRecTV, or other helpful capture software, so I only recorded at a lower bit-rate, again producing an inferior quality rip.

I also ran into the problem of showcasing the videos. Funimation (who now owns the vast majority of the Tenchi Muyo! franchise in North America) had finally started really cracking down on people uploading videos to Youtube. Even though my videos were not completely the same, the algorithm immediately flagged and blocked them. This led me to uploading the videos to Facebook. I had to cut them in half because of Facebook’s restriction to roughly only 12 minutes of video. Somehow in the process, some of the videos had audio drop out for a minute or two, and for some the audio dropped out completely.

Arguably the biggest blow though, was when I learned that this set of Toonami tapes was incomplete. Pioneer stopped producing the Toonami version for home video after they finished releasing Universe. Meaning, the only way to get the Toonami version of Tenchi in Tokyo, was hope that someone, somewhere,  had taped it 11 years earlier.

While Tenchi in Tokyo has been getting more appreciation from fans as of late – thanks in part to most newer entries in the Tenchi OVA sucking harder than a vacuum – in the year 2000, it was the black sheep of the Tenchi Muyo! franchise. So expecting fans to have recorded any of it, let alone the entire series, was the long shot of all long shots. But even still, I made a post on the forum in 2013 asking if anyone knew anyone that might have anything.

Naturally, no one had any leads, and all of these previous problems meant that this project would, frustratingly, have to be shelved indefinitely.

Or at least, that’s what I thought.

Part 2: Deferred Dreams Don’t Die.

On April 5th, 2019, a person by the name of Talos dropped into our Discord server, and posted an introduction. Like so many, they had gotten into Tenchi through Toonami, but what would change everything, was this.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading, someone actually had it!

Instinctively, I reached out to Talos via PM to ascertain how to go about acquiring these tapes, and admittedly, to see how legit this claim actually was. Because the fact of the matter is, when you’ve been around Tenchi fandom as long as I have, you’ll quickly realize the best bullshitters in the world come from this fandom.

But Talos was more than the genuine article! They sent over pictures and an incredibly detailed analysis of the quality of their tapes, watching through them all again to prove to me that their claim was valid.

It can’t be said enough that this all would not be possible without Talos, their willingness to work with me and send me their own personal tapes that they’ve kept for almost two decades just goes to show how awesome they are and how much they care about the fandom.

So the deal was struck, and the dream that laid deferred for almost six years lived again.

- A time capsule from another era.

But with dreams from the past, come the demons that plagued them way back when. I still only had the setup I once had, and at this time I was really trying to be tight with my finances for a number of different reasons, but this opportunity was too good to pass up, I wasn’t going to let this dream go, even if it wasn’t perfect.

Talos’ tapes showed up, and I rolled up my sleeves.

So I put in the first tape, the first seven episodes of Tokyo, into the old VCR I used to originally rip the Pioneer tapes, a JVC HR-VP650U….

And static…

Or rather, a tape that would play for 3 seconds, then immediately drop to static.

This wouldn’t work.

I then tried my other VCR, a Sony SLV-N50 from the mid-to-late 90’s that I was able to “fix” by removing the old Android Kikaider tape that got stuck in there many years prior.

It worked!…..but…..not all that well.

While it did actually play the tape relatively smoothly, the colors were completely washed out in comparison to the JVC, and it had this weird color flickering that was particularly noticeable when black backgrounds were on screen. (This was not unique to this tape, it did it with everything I put in there.)

As much as it pained me, there was no way I was going to rip it with this setup.

So the hunt began for not just a replacement VCR, but one that was high quality and recommended among enthusiasts for digital transfer. Which meant research and long winding rabbit holes of non-answers and vagueness, and unfortunately, money.

Without a doubt, the de facto list of best VCRs for transferring comes from digitalFAQ.com. This list is not only informative but gives you a broad range of ones to look for in the event you can’t find an “elite” one. However, this list has also become the de facto list used by people who are hawking their sets on eBay to try and get every penny from enthusiasts and new-comers as possible.

After three frustrating weeks of losing bid wars on eBay, someone finally put up one of the good sets, the JVC SR-V10U. I quickly sent them what I thought was a reasonable but not bank-breaking offer….

And they accepted! The beast was finally mine.

Immediately upon unwrapping and testing it, the quality difference between what I had then and what I was looking at now was staggering. The SR-V10U had beautiful color, while having the incredible ability to stabilize the old tapes with its TBC (Time Base Corrector), as well as onboard Video Stabilization option. Combined with the ability to output video via the superior S-Video cable, I now had something that, despite its age and typical old VHS wear, was way better than I could have imagined.

Part 3: No Need for Nostalgia.

You’re probably thinking to yourself “Dagon, why go through the trouble? The OVA has a beautiful Blu-ray release, and Universe and Tokyo have pretty decent DVD releases. Why would you ever want to rip old VHS tapes of an inferior quality release that was in some cases censored?”

- The now famous Toonami “bikinis”.

Because this version of Tenchi Muyo! is a piece of history. Not only is it a piece of Tenchi history, but a piece of Toonami history as well. Being able to preserve this in the best quality possible is being able to point to future generations and say “This is why I’m here.”

For a lot of us it’s about taking us back to a simpler time, grade school, high school, university. Taking us back to a time before the internet was what it is today.

So now we can, after almost 20 years, re-watch the version of Tenchi Muyo! that brought so many of us joy and wonder.

[mi6-cafe]

The fourth and FINAL week of writing for LDWS participants has come to a close. Now it’s time for the next (and last!) bit of the competition: reading and voting!  

Photo prompt: 

Word count: 300 

Voters–after you read, check out this form to vote for your top three drabbles! You can also leave anonymous feedback for the writers!

Who can vote? Anyone who’s read the drabbles! Yes, that includes YOU!  

Writers–you may also vote, but we do ask that you vote for three drabbles other than your own.  

The voting period ends at 11:59 PM EST on Sunday night. Results will be posted and anonymous feedback will be emailed on Monday.

Remember, readers–it’s up to YOU to decide who will wind up on top at the end of the competition!

Drabbles are under the read-more:

1) 

Title: Something Special Warnings: none Summary: Q gives James a part of himself.

Author: Melynen

There is nothing particularly special about the framed poster on Q’s bedroom wall. If anything, it could even be mistaken for one of the beautiful yet generic Greek views one can find on postcards from many of the islands that have any tourism. James knows this for a fact as he remembers seeing a strikingly similar view both in Santorini and Crete; and he has even sent Q a postcard of such a view the last time he was in Greece for a mission.

The card has found its spot on Q’s fridge door, held in place with a fridge magnet of a Greek cat illustration James brought him from the previous Greek mission.

James remembers paying any mind to the poster only after his sixth or so visit to Q’s bedroom. Before, there had been other, more interesting things - like the paleness of Q’s throat and the enticing way he gasps when James touches the inside of his knee just so - to focus on.

It's one of those nights when they’re cuddling under the duvet, nude and still slightly sticky with cooling sweat, with Q’s cheek resting against James’ chest and James’ fingers carding through Q’s hair, when James glances at the poster and hears Q sigh softly.

”It’s a photo my mother took when she was in Santorini with my father,” Q explains quietly. ”It’s where she realised she loved him, and where they returned a year later on their honeymoon, and again every year for their anniversary until she died.”

James looks at the poster again, takes in the cheery ambiance and the beautiful view, and makes up his mind. ”Can I take you there?” he asks against Q’s tangle of silky curls.

And when Q wordlessly nods his assent, James realises he’s been given something special.

2) 

Title: Almost Warnings: Canon-typical violence Summary:It was their first vacation together.

Author: Azure7539arts

It had been completely unexpected, although he supposed he should’ve been on his guard more. Should’ve been less distracted by the small quirk of a smile tugging on the lips of the man sitting across from him at the table.

The day had been bright and the blue sea shone a dazzling kind of bejeweled, all the lives and ships it had taken and swallowed up whole buried deep somewhere in the seabed and under the now calm, gentle waves.

He should’ve seen it coming, really.

He shouldn’t have been so absorbed in the brush of warm hand against his own knuckles, shouldn’t have let the cooling breeze lull him into false security as the scent of the sea and that of the vibrantly blooming flowers around them swaddled them up in its linen blanket.

It was almost perfect, the life of the city pulsing around them in that mid-morning energy as the sun tingled and kissed their skin from the edges of the umbrella. And now that he’d thought about it, looking at the way the feet next to him wiggled a little right at the rim of shadow separating their shade from the rest of the radiant, iridescent light outside as though it was a game of peek-a-boo, it had always been the little things that made him fall in love.

It was almost perfect, and it could’ve been exactly as perfect as it could have ever been when they leaned closer to press the bows of their lips together.

Until a distinct whizzing tore through the air just beyond his closed eyes and a thud of something fast hitting its target shattered this rosy lens into thousands of pieces.

The body next to him lurched, suddenly going heavy.

“Q?” Bond whispered, shivering.

But there was no reply.

3) 

Title: Gentlemanly Warnings: Omegaverse, y'all, but nothing too crazy Summary: The gang goes on vacation.

Author: Solitaryjane

Q watched Bond come toward him from the ocean. His chest glistened under the sun, and his pair of tight black swimtrunks somehow skirted the line of obscene and straight into sophistication. It contrasted sharply with other alphas, all eager to show off their bulges and purposefully dripping sweat onto any omegas that caught their eyes. A bunch of crass, disgusting idiots. Q had no patience for that lot.

“Don’t like the water?” Bond asked as he plopped himself onto the towel Q was currently sunbathing on. Q snorted. It was bloody nine in the morning; the water wouldn't be warm until noon.

“Some of us actually need to work to get a tan going,” Q replied.

“Wouldn't you just burn?”

“Ah, that’s where you come in.”  He sat up, handing Bond a bottle of sunscreen. The alpha said nothing as he poured the lotion onto his hands. He spread it onto Q’s back, kneading the muscles as he did so. Q could feel his warm breath on the side of his neck. He wanted Bond to come closer, to soak in the man’s spicy scent. But the salt of the ocean had washed off most of the alpha’s pheromones. It left Q’s head completely clear, something he secretly wished weren't so.

***

On the terrace above, Eve let out a loud sigh as she slumped on the table.

“For heaven’s sake, just fuck already,” she griped. “Watching them pretending to be civil is giving me a colossal migraine.”

“You know that’s not how Bond works,” Tanner answered beside her. “He has to make sure Q’s ‘in his right mind’ when he asks. Being a gentleman and all.”

“Bill, look over there and tell me,” she deadpanned. “Which part of that omega’s demeanor says he wants a gentleman to you?”

4) 

Title: Sun, Sea, and Spies Summary: Luxury holiday spots are all well and good until the weapons come out. Warnings: None.

Author: SolarMorrigan

Truly, this was lovely. The fresh, salt smell of the sea, the bright sunshine nearly tangible in the air, the cool breeze that wound its way through the little covered tables, the soothing hush of waves against the shore, Bond’s hand over Q’s where it rested on the tabletop, his thumb stroking soft circles into Q’s wrist.

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

It was so nice, Q could almost relax.

Almost.

“You know, I’d like to go on a real holiday someday.”

Bond sighed, just to the side of dramatic. “There’s no pleasing you, is there? I take you somewhere exotic, bring you to a nice resort, get you lunch…”

“Get me shot at.”

“Fairly certain I’d remember if there had been shooting.”

Q leaned in, murmuring into Bond’s ear like he was imparting some teasing secret. “The man at your eight o’ clock with a conspicuous bulge in his pocket suggests we’re about to be shot at.”

“Perhaps he’s just happy to see you,” Bond suggested, though he knew Q’s judgment was trustworthy.

Pulling back, Q cocked a desperately unimpressed eyebrow at Bond, but was ignored in favor of the new man approaching their table, hand resting not-quite-casually at his hip.

“Well,” Bond reached over with one hand to tilt Q’s head towards him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as he grasped under the table for his weapon with his other hand, “what’s a holiday without a little adventure?”

Q frowned. “I really do hate you sometimes,” he said, but Bond could see him squaring himself up for the fight ahead, ready to go through whatever was needed to complete their mission.

Bond smirked against Q’s cheek, fond and proud, his attention still on their potential assailants, but amused by his lover all the same. “I love you too, Q.”

5) 

Title: Mediterranean shot Warnings: None Rating: G

Author: Susspencer

Q sat under the white umbrellas staring at the sea. Between the smell of the fresh fruit and the salt air, all he could do was relax.  He sipped his morning tea.  He normally would have been watching the people but he was lost in the blues of the sky and sea.  It reminded him of James’ eyes.

007 peered through the scope of the rifle.  Carefully he searched for  his target.  The barrels of fresh oranges, the people crowded under the white umbrellas, and a young man at the back table filled his view as he scanned the area.  James stopped on Q.  He sighed as he watched as Q just sat there completely unaware of what was happening around him.  James pulled his head up for a moment and shook it. He couldn’t believe that they were at this point.

The waiter walked over to Q.  

“Can I get you anything else sir?”

“Yes, the sign says, fruit pots for take away?  I would like to get a pot for a friend.” Q ordered.

“Certainly, sir.  I’ll be right back.”

The waiter gathered the fruit pot and a gun.  James adjusted the scope with a sigh, as the waiter returned to the table, it was now or never.  007 knew he had to take this shot, but he dreaded it.  The waiter sat the fruit pot down. There was a single gunshot.  A man fell to the ground.  James grabbed his gun, policed his brass, and returned to his hotel room.  

James sat on the sofa, the door opened.  He looked up to see Q with the fruit pot.

“I brought you a gift. I suppose it is a thank you gift.  I wasn’t even aware of the threat.” Q stated, as he joined James on the couch.

6) 

Title: Lost and Found Warnings: none Summary: Sometimes it’s best to start over…

Author: Ato

He feels warm for the first time in a week.  

At least on the outside.

There’s something cathartic about walking away and starting over.  The dread that leads up to it is awful, the actual leaving is painful, but sitting on a warm veranda with no responsibilities for the first time in memory is actually a bit wonderful.  Even with the cost… so high this time.  Even with the flashing blue of the sea sparking memories of his eyes.

He’s on his third round of the local cocktail, tongue delightfully cool and throat wonderfully warm, when a familiar shadow stretches out beside his own.  

He’d know those ears anywhere.  Damn.

“Hello, 007,” he greets quietly.  “Here to pull a trigger?”

“Or not pull a trigger,” Bond answers, reminiscent of their first conversation.  “Took me a while to find you.” Bond seems impressed.  “Thought you hated flying... and the sun.”

Q shrugs.  “Part of the Q-persona.  Best to keep some things close to one’s chest,” he mutters, eyes on the Mediterranean.  

Bond grunts in understanding, then after a moment, asks, “Was accepting my dinner invitation part of the Q-persona?”

“No,” Q acknowledges, glancing at Bond.  “Missing that was the worst part of leaving.”

They both watch the calm blue of the sea, but Q senses the tumultuous potential between them.  

“Did you mean for it to happen?” Bond asks solemnly.

Three agents dead.  Q shudders.  “Of course not.”

James nods, taking a seat beside Q. “Whatever he’s having,” he orders when the waiter comes by.

After his first sip, Bond closes his eyes and leans back in the chair.

“When was the last time you had a vacation?”

Q huffs a laugh.  “No idea,” he admits.  

James waves the waiter over for another round.  “In that case, we're in no hurry.”

7) 

Title:  Peach Warnings: NSFW! Porn! Smut! Summary: As it turns out, the cheeky young barman had been holding out on him…

Author: Iambid

One week.

Seven long days filled with flirting and coy smiles from the sexy young barkeeper.

One-hundred and sixty-eight hours since he’d innocently asked him “what’ll it be?” with a sweet smile and James had started to close in like a shark tasting blood in the water.

“A peach.” He’d replied.

The barman, Q, had tried to tell James that they had no peaches, only oranges and lemons that he could squeeze the juice from and make a refreshing drink with, if James wished but James persisted.  He wanted a peach.  A week of teasing followed before Q finally took pity on James and dragged him into the small shed where they stored the fruit, allowing James to strip him of his gaudy tropical vest and toy with the button on his white linen shorts, his arms wrapped around him from behind.  Q whined as James kissed his shoulder and pushed them off his hips.  He was naked underneath.  His buttocks perfectly round and perfectly smooth and perfectly white against the tanned skin of his back.

“I bloody knew it. I need to get you onto a nudist beach.  Even you out.” James muttered, falling to his knees to squeeze the perfect globes.  He leaned forward in the small dark room, smelling citrus and Q’s sweat as he licked a stripe over the base of Q’s back.  The fruity aroma clung to Q’s skin and made him taste like Earl Grey tea.

“Please…”  Q moaned, reaching back to grab James’s hair and hold him steady as he ground his hips.  James set to, kissing and licking at him until he was relaxed enough to take James up to the hilt.  James looked down as he began to thrust, unable to take his eyes off Q’s perfect arse.

What a peach.

8) 

Title: Santorini Warnings: none Summary:  Greece is for lovers.

Author: Beaubete

The wine is sharp on his tongue, fizzy.  Q glances over the whitewashed wall at the sea's shocking blue.  It calls to him like a voice; perhaps he'll dip his toes in it later after the sun's white heat has faded.  For now he's content to sit slathered in SPF and watch the waves break on the shore.  

It's all very peaceful.  The restaurant's a dazzle of different voices, different languages, and while some threads of conversation drift through his ear, for the most part he is alone.  It's the best holiday he's ever had.

It hadn't started that way.  It started with explosions, with tears.  It started with James Bond walking into his office and out of his life, with a bottle of wine on his couch and with the realization that he'd amassed a frankly daunting amount of leave, primarily because he'd wanted always to be available for Bond.  The discovery had left him a burst balloon until he'd thrown together a hasty plan to get as far from England as he could.

There's nothing of home's deep shadows here.  Everything here is washed with light until it is the most brilliant versions of itself.  The wine is fruitier, the salt more savoury; distantly, he's aware that this is reactionary, that he may not feel this way later.  For now, he's content to bask like a lizard in the sun.

English is by far the least spoken language here, and he cannot help listening when he hears it; somewhere behind him, a couple are having a whispered disagreement.

"I can't.  You don't understand.  I was cruel."

"I understand that you're a fool."

"I understand that too.  I still can't."

Q's lip curls.  Then:

"Excuse me" and eyes as blue as the sea.

"Bond."  Q's tongue goes numb.

"Q."

9) 

Title: It's All Greek to Me Warning: None Summary: Bond scores a security detail with benefits.

GwyllionDream

“Dyo kafedes,” Bond said, deciding it was easier to request two coffees in mangled Greek than to try for Q’s customary Earl Grey.

He found a table for two at the rooftop café and waited for Q to join him.

For the past few months, Bond had obeyed M’s every directive so he could score the security detail at Q’s International Cyber-Security Conference in Athens. The side trip to Santorini had been Q’s idea.

It seemed that Q was full of surprises.

Bond smiled and tilted his head back to let the sun warm his face. The scent of the Mediterranean mixed with the aroma of citrus and sunscreen. Memories of the past night flooded his mind.

Q had let Bond drag him from the infinity pool by his board shorts.

“Too many clothes,” Bond muttered, pressing Q into the soft mattress.

He dipped his head to lick droplets of chlorinated water from Q’s navel while divesting him of his swimwear.

Q rose onto his knees, planting himself in Bond’s naked lap. He grabbed Bond’s shoulders and took what he demanded with the pleading clench of his arse.

Bond gripped Q’s hips and delivered, thrusting so energetically that Q’s knees burned from the friction of skidding across the duvet.

Shuddering and damp with his own spend, Q’s head lolled back as he voiced a satisfied purr.

Only then did Bond let himself go, breathing Q’s name….

“Q….”

“Good morning,” Q said. He turned to the waitress and asked, “Tha boroúsate na mou férete mia katsaróla nkrízou kómis, parakaló?”

She nodded and smiled.

“What did you tell her?” Bond whispered.

“Nothing naughty,” Q said with a wink. “I ordered a pot of Earl Grey.”

Bond grinned. The fact that Q could speak Greek was the least of his surprises this week.

10) 

Title: Jolly Holiday Warnings: None Summary: A vacation to remember.

Author: Venstar

“Go on holiday they said. Bask in the sunlight they said. Enjoy your time away from the office they said!” Q’s voice was razor sharp and cutting as he hissed his rambling monologue in Bond’s ear. In fact, Bond could swear spittle hit his earlobe several times.

Bond murmured carefully back to him from the corner of his mouth. “Are you talking to yourself again?”

Again, Q was like an angry hornet in his ear. He even punched Bond’s shoulder with his bony knuckles, hard as he punctuated each sentence. “Yes. I am. Does that bother you?”

“No. I'm just wondering how long it’ll take before they find us with you wittering on like an old nanny goat.”

“Nanny goat! Hey, I’ll bitch about going on holiday when I want to bitch about going on holiday okay! You shot up the bar! It was a peaceful place.”

“The decor was outdated.”

Q sputtered. “It was a perfectly delightful, quaint Mediterranean bar. They had homemade lemonade and sodas. It had cute little chairs that I could sit on all by myself. At a table, all by myself.”

Bond didn’t even hesitate in teasing Q further. “As I said. Outdated.”

Q’s face grew red. Well redder than it already was. Poor, pale, old thing was sunburned.

“It had umbrellas that protected my skin from the sun!”

Q punched Bond again. “And now look at us. Look at me, I’m burnt to a crisp because you interrupted my holiday because M sent you out on a mission and you didn’t like the handler R assigned you so you led your target all the way over here! To my vacation spot, because you’re spoiled!”

Bond smiled. “So you’ll help me then?”

“I’ll help shoot you myself. Now give me that drive, you pompous git.”

11) 

Title: No Interruptions, Please Rating: G Summary: Bond and Q take a long holiday.

Author: IrishWitch58

The sun glittered off the Aegean, the landscape saturated with color. Bond adjusted his sunglasses and picked up his vibrating phone and checked messages. Eve was responsible for most of them.

'Q hasn't taken leave in two years. Now he's disappeared for a month.'

'I think R knows something but she won't tell me anything'

Bond's early responses, that a man who took leave only once in two years was entitled to his leave and to his privacy hadn't been well received. He smiled as he checked the new text alert. Not Moneypenny. He signaled the waiter and requested a bottle of the local wine and two glasses along with an appetizer plate. He leaned back appreciating the view. Santorini in early April was lovely, sunny, and warm. He looked forward to swimming or maybe renting a small boat for a day. He was, after all, on leave himself.

A shadow crossed the brick pavement and a figure in white slacks and a purple striped shirt settled in the other chair. “The ferry ride was very relaxing,” Q acknowledged, laying a manila envelope on the table.

“What did you tell Tanner?”

Q held up a phone. “I gave him this number and told him if he called with anything less than Armageddon I would exact consequences. He may have a stroke when I send in the paperwork on this.”

Bond handed over a glass of the wine as he looked at the formal certificate in the envelope. “Put the paperwork in right before we go back. Then Tanner and Moneypenny can both yell at us at once.” He sipped his own wine and clasped Q's hand across the table, touching the new platinum band he'd kept hidden the past five days. “I think we deserve a proper honeymoon don't you?.”

12) 

Title: Holidaying On A Mission Rating: G Warnings: none Summary: there was absolutely no reason why they shouldn't enjoy themselves on MI6 salary

Author: Sunaddicted

The scraping of the bar stool next to his own spoke of someone drunk or someone annoyed and looking forward to getting drunk.

"Does MI6 pay you for drinking your liver into a nasty case of hepatic cirrhosis?"

James grinned and tossed back the last of his cocktail, not needing to look at Q to know  he was scowling: the other man could be as easily predictable in some things - like his disapproval of unncessarily destroyed equipment and excessive consumption of alcohol - as he could be completely impenetrable in others "It's all part of the cover"

"Every single time?"

"What can I say? It's a good one"

Q rolled his eyes and tried to move his bar stool without having to stand up, trying to hide as much as he could in the refreshing shade of the beach umbrella: he could already feel his pale skin starting to fry, despite the copious amounts of sunscreen he had religiously applied before putting even a toe out of the hotel - no matter how inviting the glittering blue sea had seemed.

He both envied the agent's golden tan, deepened by Santorini's scorching sun, and thirsted at the way it made the other's muscles seem even bigger - Q shifted, lazily flicking the image away before he embarrassed himself.  

"What can I get you?"

Q turned to look at the other man "Are you trying to get me drunk, Bond?"

James leaned in, trigger finger under the younger man's chin to draw him closer and keep him there "Do I need to?"

"No"

In the heat, the kiss made Q breathless - he choked on salt, vodka, tan lotion and the taste of the other's lips.

Diving deeper.

Craving more.  

"Let's go back to the hotel"

It wasn't an invitation he had any intentions of refusing.  

13) 

Title: A Yacht on the Mediterranean Warnings: none Summary: Mallory needs an explanation.

Author: Kiddohno

This is technically not a disciplinary meeting, and Mallory must remember that. He looks between the two men sitting on the opposite side of his desk, in his locked office. Quite frankly, he’s completely dumbfounded by the whole situation.

Bond looks inappropriately amused. Q appears to be trying for contrite, but he’s also very clearly holding back a giggle.

The details of the conversation they are about to have should be confined to this room, but Moneypenny is undoubtedly eavesdropping, and it will surely be all around the agency by noon. He sighs, lamenting his position as leader of a herd of overgrown children.

“Will one of you explain to me how it came to be,” he begins, “That, after being sent out on what was barely more than a milk run, two of my staff end up returning legally married, and two weeks late.”

Q’s high giggle escapes. Bond smirks.

“Well, Sir, the Mediterranean is very romantic.”

Mallory glares. Bond shrugs.

“Mr. Vinton had a yacht,” is what Q adds, rather nonsensically.

“A yacht.”

Q nods.

“He insisted on it. Our honeymoon, I mean. On the yacht. Because Bond had said I was his fiance, as a cover.”

“Actually,” Bond says, “I’d told Mr. Vinton that I’d brought Q on holiday to propose. When he became suspicious, I had to get on one knee at this lovely little seaside restaurant. Then convinced,” Bond gestures as if the motion explains everything, “he invited us to honeymoon, on his yacht.”

“But first, we had to actually get married, and Vinton wanted to be there as a witness, so we had to. Actually, um, get married.”

“Naturally.”

“We did complete our objectives, Sir.” Q points out respectfully.

“With pleasure,” Bond agrees. Q goes red.

Mallory wonders if it’s too late to quit.

Thank you to our fantastic drabble writers for their last drabbles this week, and for four weeks of incredible competition! 

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