#i think it falls into this category of weird idea but not like. technically impossible. like someone COULD do that
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writing inspo when the point of inspo is so intricately specific is weird because its like you want to write something like that but also Not like that because then that would just be writing That story. like los angeles by ling ma is so inspirational to me but "i live with my 100 ex boyfriends" is such a not universal experience so i just have this abstract inspo that's like i want to write something with the same energy as living with 100 ex boyfriends but also not the same energy because the energy of living with 100 ex boyfriends would just be a story about living with 100 ex boyfriends. take a shot every time i said
#DO I MAKE SENSE???? i want to train my brain to come up with ideas Like That but obviously not something similar to That idea#because its so specific i feel like i couldn't come up with my own idea without it being an obvious extension#when i get inspo/ideas from other stories it's things like. so i read a story about a carnival and that planted the idea#of wanting write a carnival in my mind. i didnt think about it too hard but of course a couple weeks later i get the between us girls idea#i think it falls into this category of weird idea but not like. technically impossible. like someone COULD do that#that's the kind of experimental ideas im drawn to at the moment#like that + the confidence of it all#anyway because im not as prioritised on nano im gonna skip my apocalypse mini TBR and start reading bryan washingtons collection#bc ive had it for two years and i feel a Need to write short fiction but#also feel like i need to Read some first#i prefer reading short fiction in print and flash/micro online btw is anyone else like this. i hate scrolling for a long time#i will say. los angeles + how many (bryan washington) has created a sort of compounded inspo#where i want to write a short piece with multiple lovers. i think my guy with ibs x wellness youtuber could be That one
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How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon
Every fictional character you can think of has experienced 9/11 in fanfiction.
A Clone Wars veteran with two lightsabers is on United Airlines Flight 93 and prevents it from crashing. Ron and Hermione get caught up in the chaos as the towers fall. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends watch the attacks unfold on TV from Sunnydale. We have spent 20 years trying to process what happened on 9/11 and its fallout, and that messy process can be tracked through the countless, sad, disturbing, and sometimes very funny fanfiction left across the internet.
Many of the fanfics written in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks seemed to directly respond to the news as it happened, processing the tragedy in real-time through the eyes of characters they loved. In the absence of a canon episode where Daria Morgendorffer paid respects to those lost, writing fanfic about these characters also experiencing trauma helped fans cope.
One YuGiOh fanfic published on fanfiction.net in May 2002 could have been ripped exactly from what this writer experienced that Tuesday morning. âIt started as a normal day,â user Gijinka Renamon wrote. Yugi and his friends were in school, where their teacher informed them of the attacks and sent everyone home from school.
âAfter reading peopleâs 9/11 fics, I decided to write my own, and put a certain character in it. And Yugi and his pals were my first choice,â the author's note reads, explaining the connection they felt to United flight 93 and the World Trade Center attacks. Given that they lived in Pennsylvania, and âitâs close to New York, I felt really sad about it.â
Stitch, a fandom journalist for Teen Vogue, told Motherboard that this reaction to 9/11 is not at all uncommon in fandom.
"Fandom has always been a place that positions nothing as 'off limits,'" she said. "Historical tragedies like the Titanic sinking and atrocities like⌠all of World War 2 show up regularly across the past 30 years of people creating stories and art about the characters they love. So, on some level, it makes sense that 9/11 and the following 20-year military installation in the Middle East has joined the ranks of things people in different fandoms turn into settings for their fan fiction."
Reactions depicted in a handful of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfics published in the weeks after the attacks ring a little truer to the characters. âTuesday, 11th September 2001,â written by Anna K, almost echoes the lyrics from âIâve Got a Theory,â one of the songs in the musical episode that aired in November 2001. âWe have seen the apocalypse. We have prevented it. Actually, weâve prevented quite a few. So we know what they look like,â they write, before taking a darker turn. âThey look a lot likeâŚNew York today.â
Killing demons and vampires doesn���t phase the Scooby Gang, but when preventable human death is brought into the picture, itâs gut wrenching.
âWhat am I supposed to doâŚWhen I canât do anything to save the world?â Buffy cries into Spikeâs chest, watching the attacks unfold on TV in a fanfic the author described as being âabout feeling numb and helpless.â
In âBlood Drive,â Kirayoshi writes about Buffy and her friends saving a van full of donated blood meant for victims of the attacks from a group of thirsty vampires. One Buffy the Vampire Slayer fic even takes a blindly patriotic turn, where noted lesbian witch Tara McClay helps Xander hang an American flag from the window of the magic shop to make Anya feel better.
Experiencing 9/11 as a young teenager was overwhelming not just because of the loss of life. Almost immediately after the event itself, it was as if the entirety of American culture re-oriented itself towards an overtly jingoistic stance. As we get distance from the attacks, seeing the tone of television and movies from the early 2000s is jarring, and some have gone viral on Twitter. In the world of pop music, mainstream musicians like the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, were blacklisted from the radio while Toby Keith sang about putting a boot up the ass of terrorists. On the Disney Channel, a young Shia Labeouf reading a poem he supposedly wrote about the events. The poem concludes with the line, "it's awesome to be an American citizen."
In a world so completely saturated with this messaging, it is not surprising that fanfic authors started including 9/11 in their work so soon after the event. Even The West Wing had a strange, out of continuity, fanfic-esque episode where the characters reacted to 9/11. In some cases, it made sense that the characters in the stories would be close to or a part of the events themselves.
"For characters like John Watson or Captain America, the idea works to an extent," Stitch told Motherboard. "In the original Sherlock Holmes works and the 2011 BBC series, Watson had just returned from Afghanistan. For Captain America and other Marvel heroes, 9/11 was something that was addressed in-universe in The Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 #36. Technically, 9/11 is 'canon' to the Marvel universe."
In âEarly Warning: Terrorism,â a fanfiction for the TV show Early Edition in which a man who mysteriously receives tomorrow's newspaper, predicting the future, avoids jingoism, but tries to precent 9/11 from happening. This fanfic remains unfinished; itâs unclear if the characters successfully prevent 9/11 in this retelling.
Largely in fanfic from the era just after 9/11, when many young authors were trying to emotionally grapple with it, the characters don't re-write or undo the events themselves. It's this emphasis on the reaction to tragedy that colors the fanfiction that features 9/11 going forward.
Although fanfiction authors have been writing about 9/11 consistently since soon after the event, whenever that fanfiction reaches outside of its intended audience, it looks bizarre.
A screenshot of a Naruto 9/11 fanfic on the Tumblr subreddit comes without any context, or even more than two lines and an author's note. Itâs impossible to suss out if this falls into the category of sincere fanfic without the rest of the piece or a publication date, but modern-day commenters on the Reddit thread see it as classic Tumblr trash.
Screenshot from r/Tumblr
âBin Laden/Dick Cheney, enemies to lovers, 10k words, slow burn,â one user joked in the replies, underscoring the weirdness of Naruto being in the Twin Towers by comparing it to a What If story about Cheney and Bin Laden slowly falling deeply in love.
Itâs hard to tell how much of the 9/11 fanfic and fanart starting a few years after the attacks is sincere, and how much of it is ironic, and trying to make fun of the very concept of writing fanfiction about 9/11.
A 2007 anime music video (in which various clips, usually from anime, are cut together to music) that combines scenes from The Lion King with Linkin Parkâs âCrawlingâ and clips from George Bushâs speeches immediately after the attacks feels like the perfect example of this. Even the commenters canât seem to suss out if this person is a troll or not.
Thereâs no way that My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 9/11 fanart could be serious, right? Especially if the description pays tribute to âsome of the nation's most memorable buildings,â and features five of the main characters as child versions of themselves. The comments again are split between users thanking the artist for a thoughtful remembrance post, and people making their own headcanon for why Twilight Sparkle is surreptitiously absent from the scene.
Screengrab via DeviantArt
Thereâs Phineas and Ferb fanfic that combines a 9/11 tribute concert with flashbacks to Ferb being rescued from the towers as a baby, written on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It jumps from introspection to lines like, ââQuiet Perry the Platypus. Iâm trying to listen to these kids singing a 9/11 tribute.ââ
The author's notes make it more likely that they meant for this to be a tribute piece, but it doesnât quite make sense until watching a YouTube dramatic reading of it from 2020, fully embracing the absurdity of it all.
âFor me, 9/11 is synonymous with war. It completely changed the course of my life," Dreadnought, the author of a Captain America fanfic Baghdad Waltz that sees Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes fall in love over the course of the war on terror, told Motherboard. "Itâs the reason I joined the military, and I developed deep connections with people who would go on to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. These very much felt like my generationâs wars, perhaps because people I graduated high school with were the youngest folks eligible to serve at the time.â
Dreadnought told Motherboard that although they didn't deploy, their career has kept 9/11 and the trauma from it in their mind. After seeing that people who fantasize about Steve and Bucky getting together seemed particularly interested in reading fanfiction that related to 9/11, they decided to try their hand at it.
"I had to do something with all of that emotionally, and Iâm admittedly a bit emotionally avoidant. So I learned through fic that itâs easier for me to process those feelings and the knowledge of all the awful stuff that can happen in war if I can turn it into something creative," Dreadnought said. "Give the feelings to fake people and then have those fake people give the feelings to readers!"
To Dreadnought, who is a queer man, the experience of researching and writing this was more cathartic than they first expected, especially as a way to navigate feelings about masculinity, military culture, and queer identity. But they said the research they did, which included watching footage of first responders at ground zero, was what helped them finally process the event itself.
"It was like a delayed horror, and it was more powerful than I expected it would be." Dreadnought said. "When I was eighteen, I was pretty emotionally divorced from 9/11; I just knew I wanted to do something about it. So coming back to it in my 30s while writing this fic, it was a very different experience. Even the research for this story ended up being an extraordinarily valuable exercise in cognitively and emotionally processing 9/11 and all of its second and third order effects."
Fanfiction that features 9/11 provides an outlet for people who still grapple with the trauma from that day. But Stitch warns that the dynamics of fandom and how it relates to politics can also create fiction that's less respectful and more grotesque.
"With years of distance between the stories written and the original events of 9/11, there seems to be some sort of cushion for fans who choose to use those events as a catalyst for relationshipsâand Iraq and Afghanistan for settings," Stitch said. "The cushion allows them room to fictionalize real world events that changed the shape of the world as we know it, but it also insulates them from having to think about what they may be putting into the world."
The tendency of turning these events into settings or backgrounds for mostly white, male characters to fall in love has the unintended effect of displacing the effects that the war on terror has had on the world over. Steve and Bucky might fall in love during the war on terror, but they would also be acting as a part of the American military in a war that has been criticized since it started. Fanfic writers in other fandoms have come under fire for using real world tragedy as settings for fic before. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake Supernatural fanfiction about the actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki going to the island to do aid became controversial within the fandom. There have also been fics where characters grapple with the death of George Floyd that is written in a way that displaces the event from the broader cultural context of race in America.
"A Captain America story where Steve Rogers is a 'regular' man who joins the US Army and 'fights for our freedom' post-9/11 is unlikely to deal with the warâs effect on locals who are subject to US military intervention," Stitch said. "Itâs unlikely to sit with what Captain America has always meant and what a writer is doing by dropping Steve Rogers into a then-ongoing conflict in any capacity."
After enough time, ânever forgetâ can even morph into âbut what if it never happened?â A 19k+ word Star Wars alternate universe fanfic asks this question, wondering what would have unfolded if someone with two lightsabers was on United Flight 93. This fic, part of a larger fanfic series with its own Wikia, considers what would have happened if Earth was a military front in the Clone Wars.
In this version of events, a decorated general who served in the Clone Wars is able to take back control of Flight 93 before it crashes, landing safely and preventing even more tragedy from happening that day. In the end, all of the passengers who made harrowing last calls to their loved ones before perishing in a Pennsylvania field survive thanks to the power of the Force, and are awarded medals of honor by President Bush.
Twenty years after the attacks, itâs painful to think about what would have happened if people got to work 15 minutes later, or missed their trains that morning. There werenât Jedi masters deployed to save people in real life, but for some of the fanfic writers working today, the world of Star Wars might feel just as removed as the world before September 11, 2001.
Fiction serves as a powerful playground for processing cultural events, especially generational trauma. The act isn't neutral though; a decade's worth of fanfiction that takes place on or around 9/11 shows how our own understanding of a traumatic event can shift with time.
How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/
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One Foot In (3/7)
The facts were these.
Killian Jones was dead. This much Emma knew, standing in the middle of the funeral parlor staring at him. What she didnât know was why. Or how. Or what she would do when she touched him.
Because Emma Swan had a gift. Touch a dead thing once, bring it back to life. Touch it again, dead forever.
And the last thing Emma could do was bring Killian back to life, talk to him for the first time in years, only to watch him die all over again. Not when sheâd spent the better part of those same years being in love with him.
ââ
Rating: Teen, but eventually theyâre going to kiss Word Count: 9.3K this chapter. Again. AN: I continue to have a lot of thoughts and feelings about all the thoughts and feelings you guys have about this mess of words. Thanks for being lovely. We get to that eventually this chapter. Also, happy hockey day internet. Yesterday obviously didnât count because the Rangers donât play until tonight.Â
@shireness-saysâ @optomisticgirlâ @nikkiemms, @teamhook, @dayo488â, @greymeetsblueâ, @jennjenn615â, @heavenlyjoycastleâ, @klynn-stormzâ, @superchocovianâ, @onepunintendidâ, @jonesfandomfanaticâ, @lfh1226-lindaâ
|| Also on Ao3 if thatâs how you roll ||
ââ
Emma Swan is twenty-nine years, six months, twenty-three days and, approximately, eight and half hours old when she wakes up to an empty apartment.Â
This, normally, would not be cause for distress, but Emma is less than twenty-four hours removed from making sure Killian Jones wasnât buried in the same cemetery she once kissed him in and they probably should have discussed the rules more.Â
Like the never leave her apartment rules.Â
Because everyone thought he was dead rules.Â
Emma exhales, a breath of air she didnât realize she was holding onto until she suddenly realizes how much she desperately needs it and it cannot be healthy for her vision to keep fading in and out like that. She assumes itâs a symptom of something. Possibly insanity.Â
She feels a little insane.Â
And questionably well rested.Â
Because for someone who broke most of the most fundamental rules of the universe the day before, Emma didnât wake up once all night.Â
She refuses to acknowledge that that is probably a sign too.Â
âOk, get a grip, Swan,â she mumbles, mostly to herself because she is, in fact, the only person in that apartment. âHe canât have gone that far.â
Pushing out of the pile of blankets tangled between her legs, she glances around her admittedly small living room and the smile on her face feels equal parts unnatural, incredulous and a little overwhelmed. And kind of charmed.Â
The blankets on the other side of the room are all folded â sharp corners and folds that are, very likely, Naval grade and the clothes heâd slept in are next to them, looking as if theyâve just been dropped off by the worldâs most effective dry cleaners.Â
This, however, does not give Emma any sense of where the hell Killian has actually gone and she canât keep talking to herself. Thatâs a line she refuses to cross and a rabbit hole she refuses to go down and she jogs into the kitchen before she realizes thatâs where sheâs decided to go next.Â
The plates are still in the sink, not much looking out of place, but Emma has been spending most of her free time with Ruby for years now and sheâs got an eye for these things or something that would definitely make Ruby laugh and thereâs a peace of paper folded on top of the coffee maker.Â
His handwriting is different than it was when he was a kid, not quite as lopsided as it was when he got points taken off a spelling test for illegibility that required Liam to meet with the teacher. Itâs blunter now, like heâs trying to work out all his emotions about the entire state of the world in a few letters on a piece of paper that Emma canât even begin to imagine he found easily.Â
You didnât have any coffee left. Youâre an awful hostess.Â
Her hand doesnât shake when she reads it, a moral victory sheâll probably hold onto for the rest of the day, and her smile still feels incredibly out of place.Â
Because Killian is not in her apartment.Â
Or dead.Â
Thatâs probably the most important part of the whole thing.Â
Emma genuinely has no idea what sound she makes in response to that. Itâs not a laugh, sheâs teetering far too close to those metaphorical precipices to actually find much humor in the situation, but itâs not actually a scoff or a groan either. Itâs a weird mixture of all three, a sound that actually manages to hurt her throat on the way out before lingering in the air and pressing down on every side of her skull and heâs right; she doesnât have any coffee.Â
She was going to go to the store last night.Â
She got a little sidetracked.Â
God, now she wants a cheeseburger too.Â
And Emma is disappointed she didnât realize exactly where a very-much alive Killian Jones went as soon as she woke up. Because, once, when she was seven and he was eight â only a few days after his birthday and heâd been bragging about being older and wiser and several other things that made Emma kick at his ankles â heâd decided he wanted to know what was underneath that one man hole on Main Street.Â
And the only way to figure out what was underneath that one man hole on Main Street was to lift it up, climb. down and start exploring. Immediately. Heâd ignored most of Emmaâs protests, smiling and nodding like she was making any progress in the argument, and eventually sheâd run out of fight and gotten a flashlight out of the hallway closet.Â
They didnât find much of anything, just managed to ruin both of their shoes and Ingrid resolutely refused to give them pie for three straight days because they had to throw away their clothes when she couldnât get the smell out andâ
âHe went back downstairs,â Emma sighs, shaking her head in something close to disbelief.Â
She doesnât time herself, but she assumes that she gets ready in record time â only a few minutes and a few droplets of water thrown at her face, not even bothering to brush her hair before tugging it up while jogging down the stairs to her own restaurant. Emma put the note in the back pocket of her jeans.Â
Killian doesnât immediately look up when Emma walks in, skidding across the linoleum tile of the kitchen floor, but she can see his lips quirk slightly and, if put under oath, she would swear his eyes get brighter.Â
That is a scientific impossibility, Emma is sure. Sheâs also not entirely convinced theyâre dealing with normal science.Â
She doesnât know what category magic fingers fall under.Â
Heâs half leaning on the counter, arms crossed lightly over the button-up he was wearing the day before and feet crossed at the ankles, a mug of what is, presumably, coffee in his right hand. Thereâs no tie, which is probably for the best because Emma isnât sure sheâd be able to handle that.Â
And heâs not alone.Â
âHey, Em,â Graham says brightly, and Emma is glad sheâs not holding anything. She would drop it. Killianâs tongue moves into the corner of his mouth.Â
Emma needs to study science more because it feels as if the blood actually falls out of her face, vision doing that thing again and sheâd just like some kind of confirmation if thatâs even possible.Â
Killian doesnât move, although his eyes do narrow, a hint of a concern shifting into the space between him and Emma. There is not much space between him and Emma.Â
âSo, uh...I met your friend,â Graham continues, eyes doing an admirable job of looking like theyâre bouncing around a pinball machine. âDidnât really know you had friends.â
Killian snorts into his coffee, and Emma is torn between scandalized and...mostly scandalized.Â
âI have friends,â Emma sputters. Graham does not look convinced. âAre you not my friend?â âI am your employee.â âOk, well...yes, thatâs technically true, butââ ââDo you want to share friendship bracelets, Em? Is that what youâre telling me?â âThereâs no need to be a jerk about this.â âWhat about those little heart pendants? Where we each have half? Or is that too retro for us? Weâre some kind of proper millennial relationship, right?â Emma scowls â an expression that is starting to become her default setting, and Killian is suspiciously silent. Until he isnât.Â
âWe had matching temporary tattoos one summer,â he says softly, and Graham nearly falls over. He doesnât actually, which makes it eight-hundred thousand times worse, and Emma briefly considers drinking the coffee straight out of the pot.Â
She assumes burning her tongue beyond recognition will, somehow, ground her.Â
âThat so?â Graham asks, voice going gruff and disbelieving. âWhat summer was this? Recently?â âDo you honestly think I am the kind of person who has had a temporary tattoo in recent history?â Emma mutters. Graham shrugs.Â
âI have a sudden and very strong suspicion I donât know much about you at all, boss. Itâs not for lack of trying, butâŚâ He trails off in a way that makes Emmaâs stomach twist uncomfortably, an allusion to almosts and possibilities that were never really either because Emma doesnât like those words and sheâs much better on her own.Â
Itâs safer that way. Less connection, means less possibility for getting hurt. Or something.Â
She canât really remember the reason for anything anymore, particularly when she can feel Killianâs eyes boring a hole in the side of her head and her pulse has only recently recovered from finding her apartment as empty as it normally is.Â
âIf memory serves, Swan was eight,â Killian says, still speaking mostly into his coffee cup. âSheâd gotten a rather disappointing mark in third-grade science.â Grahamâs shoulders shake when he chuckles. âWhat kind of science is third grade science?â âThe most basic science possible.â âThatâs a complete and total lie,â Emma argues. âThat was...there was that frog thing involved and Iââ ââResolutely refused to do the assignment,â Killian finishes. âDid you also get detention?â Emma nods, not as stunned as she probably should be that he remembers this so well. Although, heâd also gotten detention with her because if Swan isnât going to dissect the frog, then Iâm not either. âIngrid was furious,â Emma says. âShe said we were challenging authority and couldnât I have just done what I was supposed to do for once in my life.â âI always thought that was a little heavy-handed. What did the frog ever do to you that it deserved to get cut up like that?â âDied, apparently.â Killian hums, the conversation drifting dangerously close to topics they absolutely cannot discuss in front of Graham. âThat was awfully rude of him to do that.â
âMaybe. Iâm not sure the frog would agree with that, though.â They stare at each other for a moment â metaphors and metaphorical dances of the conversational variety and Graham coughs pointedly when they donât do anything else. âAnyway,â Killian says, a forced brightness to the word that makes Emmaâs jaw clench. âSwan refused to cut apart the frog, Ingrid was very upset about it, as was the teacher, God, what was her name?â âMs. Feinberg,â Emma answers. Honestly, Graham does not appear to be breathing at this point.Â
âThatâs right. Thatâs right. She wore that ridiculous fur coat in the winter andââ ââWe thought she could control the animals with her voice. Some kind of ridiculous magical thing that made a lot of sense when I was eight.â âDoes it not make sense now?â Emma shrugs, not sure how she manages to stay upright when it feels as if the floor shakes under her feet. âHowâd you get coffee?â âIâm absolutely incredible in unfamiliar situations,â Killian grins. He leans forward as he says it, another test of fate that Emma canât voice and he knows she canât voice and sheâs going to have to give Graham an entire week off for subjecting him to whatever this might be. It feels like flirting. Again. âAlso your coffee maker does not require me to be a rocket scientist, love.â Graham sounds like heâs choking.Â
âYou ok?â Emma asks as he continues to sputter on oxygen.Â
âYup, yup, yup,â Graham nods brusquely. âIâm fine. Totally fine. So, uh...you two knew each other when you were younger then? What was Emma like when she was a kid? Aside from the weird science thing.â
âItâs not weird to refuse to dissect a frog,â Emma hisses. âI was a kid. I liked animals.â She wishes she could come up with another phrase then kill him because that feels a little insensitive and Emma clearly doesnât want to kill Killian, but he keeps laughing and pouring more coffee. He twists around, opening a cabinet he shouldnât know is there and offers Emma a mug.Â
âI donât know how you take your coffee, Swan,â he says quietly.
Emma reaches out slowly, careful not to touch his fingers and itâs as weird as possible â gripping the mug from the top while Grahamâs actual head snaps back and forth. âCream and three and a half sugars,â she says. âIf itâs not espresso.â âYou donât have an espresso machine?â âItâs not that kind of restaurant. Espresso is way too new wave.â âNew wave,â Killian echoes, but thereâs nothing even resembling teasing in any of the letters. He says them as if heâs chasing them and theyâre both still holding the goddamn mug.Â
âYeah. Iâm not...great at change, really. Like. At all, you know.â He lets go of the mug.Â
She doesnât drop it. So, points to her or whatever.Â
âWait, wait, wait,â Graham says. He waves both his hand through the air, as if that will clear it or make any of this make sense and maybe Emma should just give him two weeks off. âI am...very confused. I thought you knew each other. YouâŚâ He glances at Killian, blinking quickly. âI donât know your name.â âThatâs because I never told you,â Killian says.Â
âAnd?â âAnd...what?â âOk, youâre really not going to tell me your name? Are you...Em, what the hell is going on right now?â
Emma shakes her head, not sure where to begin or how to explain and Killian is pouring her coffee. As if thatâs a normal thing that is allowed to happen and the urge to run is almost overpowering. Thatâs always been her thing â even when she was eight years old and refused to follow the rules of a science class that was almost too dependent on rules and a classroom that smelled like formaldehyde no matter what they happened to be studying that week.Â
Emma does not do conflict. She does disappearing acts, her own personal brand of magic thatâs served her and her slightly patched-together heart very well for the last twenty years, but that same heart is really only patched together because it was forced to run away from the man in front of her who, once upon a time, wouldnât let her get in trouble by herself.Â
So she doesnât run. Â
She swallows instead, biting back words and explanations and the very real desire to just scream as loud as sheâs capable of.Â
âYou want to double check on the napkin dispensers?â Emma asks, not actually looking at Graham and that does admittedly feel like kind of a dick move.Â
âIâm sorry, what? Was that the answer to the question? Seriously who the fuââ âThe napkin dispensers,â she cuts in sharply. Emma turns her whole body when she speaks, hopeful that her face betrays the regret she feels festering in the tips of her fingers. âJust...you know make sure that theyâre full.â âAre we expecting some kind of mad pie rush today?â âGod, I hope not. Also, why are you here early?â Grahamâs expression shifts â tremulous and clearly concerned about Emmaâs immediate reaction to whatever heâs about to say. He glances Killianâs direction, but is only met with slightly interested eyebrows and a recently refilled coffee mug.Â
âYou heard her,â Killian mutters. Itâs not quite a threat, although Emma canât stop the shiver that drifts down her spine and lingers in between her hips, a flash of cold that makes her wonder if theyâve suddenly time traveled to the middle of December.Â
He hops onto the edge of the counter when Grahamâs mouth drops slightly, eyebrows still as high as ever and hackles almost visibly raised.Â
Emma has no idea what hackles even are.Â
âHey,â she says, waving a dismissive hand as close as she can get to Killian without ensuring disaster. âWhatâŚâ Emma trails off when she realizes she canât formulate that question either, another head shake that makes her neck ache. âAlright,â she continues. âI want a straight answer Humbert. What are you doing here so early?â
Graham shuffles on his feet again. âRuby called me. Late last night. Which, honestly I thought you were dead, but she promised you werenât, just that you might be andââ ââIâm sorry, I might be?â âEmma, if you keep interrupting me, Iâm never going to finish the story and Iâve got a jam-packed schedule of refilling napkin containers.â âAre they that empty?â âEmma!â "Fine, fine,â she grumbles, shooting a glare Killianâs direction when he dares to laugh at what may be her very real mental breakdown.Â
âI didnât say a word, Swan,â he grins.Â
Graham coughs again, but it also sounds a bit like a groan and three weeks of vacation seems almost exorbitant. âRuby called me,â he repeats. âWas certain there was something going on with you and that you were acting shady after you guys left here yesterday morning. She said sheâd been doing some research and some names had come up andââ ââWait, what kind of names?â Emma interrupts. Graham throws a strawberry out of the closest bowl at it, the fruit bouncing off her left hand and landing at her feet â rotten, again.Â
Killian slides off the counter.Â
âDo you mind giving us a couple of minutes?â he asks, stepping in front of Emma like heâll be able to block her from the threat of the one waiter she employees. She has to dig her nails into her palms to resist touching him again, those ridiculous and inconvenient magnets proving particularly problematic once more.Â
She doesnât hear whatever Graham says in response, is far too busy trying to figure out what the buzzing in the back of her head is. It sounds a bit like flies, or maybe a little more like bees, a hum and a sound that isnât quite distracting, but feels a little powerful.Â
The noise grows the longer she stays in one place, as if itâs getting stronger or more intense, knocking at the edges of Emmaâs consciousness. It feels a bit like a memory she forgot, but is desperate to remember and that doesnât make any sense at all. Itâs dĂŠjĂ vu, a familiarity and a reminder and it almost feels warm, like itâs wrapping its way around her shoulders and holding her tight and Emma doesnât think itâs a threat.Â
Sheâs got no idea what the hell it is, but she doesnât think itâs trying to hurt her.Â
It might be trying to help her.Â
Or remind her.Â
And she nearly jumps out of her skin when Killian tugs on the side of her shirt.Â
âHoly shit,â Emma growls, stumbling backwards. âWhat the hell were you thinking?â âYouâre going to have to be more specific, Swan.â âWhat time did you get down here?â He shrugs, an air of nonchalance thatâs far more frustrating with the noise thatâs starting to ebb in between her ears. âNot long before you got here.â âWas Graham down here?â âNo, he showed up in the middle of my quest for coffee. Heâs fairly desperately in love with you, you know.â Emma blinks. âAh, shut up,â she says before she can come up with a better retort and, that time, Killianâs answering laugh is almost warranted.Â
âDid you just tell me to shut up?â âYes. You canât...you canât do, like, any of the things you have done in the last hour.â âI wasnât aware of the rules.â âWell there are rules,â Emma snaps, and she knows itâs not his fault. He was dead yesterday. And now heâs not and thatâs got to be messing with his head, no matter what he tells her. Even if he keeps staring at her that very particular way, as if sheâs some kind of magical being descended from on high to...do something. Emma isnât sure what yet.Â
Killian moves back towards the counter, grabbing the strawberries along the way. The whole thing is ridiculous. âAnd they are?â âYou canât come down here. Not...not without telling me or when Graham is down here andââ ââAnd just who exactly is Graham, Swan? He seemed quite interested in figuring out who I am.â âBecause you arenât supposed to be in the kitchen!â
âNo, I donât think thatâs it. I think itâs because heâs hopelessly, inextricably head over heels in love with you and he made several different assumptions as soon as he saw me. Do you not often have men in your kitchen, love?â âThatâs not even clever.â âAnd thatâs a very pointed attempt at not answering the question.âÂ
Emma huffs, crossing her arms, but that only serves to twist up her shirt and Killianâs eyes dart towards the suddenly obvious patch of skin above her right hip bone. âNo,â she mutters. âThatâs not...this has never happened before.â Killian eats another strawberry.Â
âAnd Graham, he doesnât...heâs not a partner in your side endeavors?â Emma shakes her head. âHe knows that sometimes I take elongated breaks that usually require Ruby to arrive, but other than that, no. Heâs got no idea. No one does.â âWhy not?â âWhy not?â Emma balks, voice rising of its own accord. Killianâs face doesnât shift, but she can see his tongue press on the inside of his cheek and that might be one of his tells. âNo one can know that,â she presses. âItâs...thatâs way more power than anyone should have. Life and death andâdeath.â âYou said that twice,â Killian points out. His own voice drops, like itâs trying to balance out Emmaâs near-shriek and she probably shouldnât be taking comfort from it, but she can still dimly make out the buzzing in the back of her brain.Â
âI left Storybrooke and I got shipped around the country. I bounced around from group home to foster homes and houses and no one was ever even remotely interested in actually adopting me. One family tried to use me as a tax break, but that was as close as I got and it was never...it was never Ingrid. It was never you.â
She has to take a deep breath to stop herself from crying and Emma isnât sure how the words keep coming, but Killian Jones is in her kitchen and everything seems to fall out of her without much concern about her set of rules.Â
âThere was never anyone,â Emma continues. âSo I learned to keep to myself and figure things out on my own and itâs better that way, donât you think? No chance of making a mistake or doing something wrong and Iâve managed to rationalize the whole thing with Ruby.â âJustice being served, huh?â Killian asks knowingly.Â
âYeah, exactly that.â âI canât just stay in your apartment forever, love.â The endearment switch catches her off guard, a trend that Emma should really start expecting at this point. Nothing seems like itâs on even ground anymore.Â
âPeople know youâre dead,â Emma argues. âThere were news reports and, well, you heard it. Your name was there and there were graphics andââ
ââAll of that seems a little tacky, donât you think?â âIâm not here to debate the merits of journalism with you.â âThen what are you going to do, Swan? Because Iâm not going to stay cooped up forever. I canât. I did that for a very long time and I wonâtââ
âI told you,â Graham announces, turning towards the wide-open door of the restaurant where a fuming Ruby appears to be doing her best impression of carved marble. âDoesnât he look just like that dead guy on the news?â
Emma drops the coffee mug in her hand.Â
âHe looks exactly like that dead guy on the news,â Ruby seethes. She stands in the doorway for a few more moments, likely considering where to dump Emmaâs body when she inevitably kills her, but then the clack of her heels moving towards the kitchen sounds impossibly loud and Emma regrets not getting dental insurance.Â
Sheâs got a feeling sheâll need it sooner rather than later.Â
âThatâs super weird,â Graham continues, stuffing a handful of napkins into the container at table six. âDidnât he die under suspicious circumstances?â âThey donât know,â Emma bites out. She chances a glance at Killian who, it seems, has also frozen, fingers wrapped around another strawberry.Â
Rubyâs laugh is distinctly lacking any humor. âOr so the reports go.â âI heard some rumors there was some shady stuff involved,â Graham says. Emmaâs head is going to fly off her neck. That would be for the best â then she could ignore the whole situation entirely.Â
âWhat kind of shady stuff?â Graham shrugs, dropping the container back onto the table and every noise sounds magnified. Emma has to glance down to make sure there arenât sparks shooting out of her fingers. There are not. Thatâs almost disappointing.Â
âWell they didnât find anyone else there, did they?â Graham asks. âAt the scene, I mean? Usually thereâd at least be a suspect or something.â âMaybe you should be the PI,â Ruby drawls.Â
âYeah, yeah, youâre hysterical, Lucas. Iâm just saying. There should be DNA or something right? And they said he lost his hand. But...no hand at the crime scene.â âWhat?â Killian snaps, looking only slightly affronted when Ruby glares at him. âWhere did it go?â
âDo you think Iâm aware of dead peoples missing limbs?â Graham asks.Â
Emmaâs never had an actual heart attack, so she canât be entirely certain of what the symptoms are or what it actually feels like, but she assumes it sort of feels like this. Her arms feel too heavy for her body, hands like weights dragging her into the kitchen floor. Bobbing on her feet, she tries to dispel the extra energy sheâs suddenly flush with and that canât possibly be medicinal.
No one notices at first â Ruby far too busy asking Graham where heâs getting his sources and Graham snarking back and itâs not a surprise when Emma feels Killianâs gaze move back towards her and her tiny vertical jump.Â
âSwan,â he starts, leaning forward. âWhatâŚâ âOh, no, no, no,â Ruby shouts. Her hair hits the side of her face when she shakes her head, eyes bordering on dangerous and possibly tinted as red as the highlights in her hair. âNo, no, you did not call her that. Is that...Humbert, you need to get out of here.â Graham drops another napkin container. âWhat? I work here, Lucas.â âI donât care.â âYou are not my boss.â âGet out of here, Humbert!â He lifts his hands in frustration, clearly waiting for Emma to object, but her jaw is stuck mid-clench and there is something wrong here and a heart attack probably shouldnât last this long. âFineâ Graham growls. âFine. You guys want to play secret and not act like this is the first time Emma has acknowledged there are other human beings on this planet, thatâs fine with me.â
Heâs gone in a huff of napkins and knocked over chairs, the bell on the door ringing loudly as soon as he slams it behind him.Â
And for half a moment Emma is almost hopeful they wonât say anything else. Theyâll just stand there until the end of time when the meteors come and dinosaurs return or however the world is going to end and sheâll be able to avoid this particular brand of conflict.Â
âEmma.â No such luck. Killian is still staring at her.Â
âSo, guess weâve got some things to talk about, huh?â Ruby asks, more forced calm thatâs almost worse than screaming and shouting and throwing fruit.Â
âI donât know what you want me to say.â âThe truth would just...blow my mind.â Emma sighs, closing her eyes and trying to come up with something thatâs even remotely possible and everything sounds worse than the last lie. âI couldnât,â she whispers, staring at her shoes. Her shoes are less judgmental than the other two people in the kitchen.Â
âHe is kind of dreamy. I think itâs the hair. Or the earring.â Emma lifts her head â Ruby grinning knowingly at her because Ruby knows that other rule and theyâll have to deal with that eventually. Preferably when Killian isnât within hearing distance.Â
âI think my uncles thought it was a joke,â Killian murmurs, tugging lightly on the jewelry and the wisps of hair that curl just behind his ear. âI looked this morning. Just to make sure I wasnât taking on any zombie-like characteristics.â âYouâre not a zombie,â Emma groans. He grins at her.Â
âNo harm in double checking. But I noticed the earring and thatâs definitely Nemoâs, so...in the grand scheme I suppose itâs nice.â âWhoâs Nemo?â Ruby asks, grabbing a pie off the counter and two forks. She hands one to Killian. And theyâre all taking this surprisingly well.Â
Emma may be the only one who isnât.Â
âThe aforementioned uncle,â Killian says. âThis one is good too, Swan.â âAll Emmaâs pies are good.â âAre you two bonding right now?â Emma demands. âBecause thatâs...Ruby are you not furious?â Ruby nods, tugging the fork out of her mouth slowly. âOh Iâm super pissed at you, but youâre currently exercising three of the five tells, so I figure youâre doing a really great job of beating yourself up already. Also Iâve got some news and, like, eighty-thousand questions.â âOnly eighty-thousand?â Killian asks.Â
âAt least. Donât try and play cute with me though, Jones. Iâve got some very strong suspicions about you.â âSuch as?â âYou werenât as naive about the situation as you told your girlfriend.â
Killianâs grip on the fork noticeably tightens and Emma should really clean up the puddle of coffee at her foot. Itâs starting to seep into her sneaker. Maybe she should buy new sneakers.Â
âI donât know what youâre talking about,â he says, and Emmaâs breath catches because sheâs incredibly familiar with that particular tone. Itâs the same exact tone it was when he was seven and trying to convince Liam heâd only had one slice of pie at Ingridâs.Â
And the tips of his ears go red.Â
Ruby shakes her head. âIncorrect. And as much as I hate to admit Humbert is ever right about anything, he does bring up a good point about your hand. What do you remember about that?â âNot much,â Killian lies.Â
âNope, try again.â His eyes dart towards Emmaâs, tongue flashing between his lips and itâs as if theyâre standing on a tightrope above several dozen crocodiles or alligators, whichever are more dangerous, and thereâs probably rain involved too. Just to make everything as slippery as possible.Â
âYou said youâd already done the cooped up forever thing,â Emma whispers. âAnd you wouldnât do it again. What did that mean?â âYou ran and I stayed put, Swan.â âEnglish, Jones.â The twist of his answering smile is enough to make Emmaâs heart stutter against her rib cage. He tugs the pie plate out of Rubyâs hands, taking another exaggerated bite â eyes never leaving Emma. âSeriously, you should be winning awards for this,â he mutters. âAnd I didnât actually lie to you before. I have no idea who actually killed me.â âBut?â âBut,â he repeats. âIâm not exactly the kid you remember.â âWho are you then?â Killian inhales, only to exhale even sharper andââItâd really be much easier if I could hold your hand.â Ruby gags. âThatâs not a line,â he promises. âThatâs...it was always easier that way.â âStart at the beginning,â Ruby commands. He salutes again.Â
âMy brother died when I was ten years old and it changed my entire life,â Killian explains. âFor awhile I thought it ruined my entire life because it meant Emma was gone and, you know no one ever moved into your house, Swan?â She shakes her head, not sure what the right response to that is, but some twisted part of her is almost glad. âThey didnât,â Killian continues. âIt was just there, forever, taunting me of what was gone and what wasnât ever actually coming back. And, well, Shakespeare and Nemo were used to being on the road, but the acting troupe theyâd be in for the decade before they got saddled with me...it was on its last legs. Thereâs no money in it and they sort of stumbled into guardianship without much prep or guidance and they didnât...they sat in that house and theyâd both seen so much already.Â
âYou know Nemoâs ship was attacked once, that was part of the reason he wanted to avoid the bars on that port leave when he met Shakespeare and theyâve both dealt with so much shit from the world. They werenât reallyâŚ.they werenât really interested in the world anymore.â âBut I bet you were, werenât you?â Ruby asks, tugging on the plate again.Â
âNot at first. Well, no thatâs a lie. I was a shit kid as soon as Swan was gone, always getting in trouble and blowing off class and I think I tried to run away no less than sixteen times before I actually turned sixteen.â âHow would you get out of town?â Emma asks, hating how soft her question sounded.Â
Killian smirks âI never made it very far. You know Storybrooke, love, eyes everywhere and people gossiping even more. I think Cora Mills caught me trying to sneak out of my house even more than my uncles did.â âOh she always gave me the creeps.â âYouâre going to want to remember that in a second.â âCan you please put a pause on the flirting for, like, point two seconds so we can get on with the story?â Ruby groans. âTime, as they say, is a-slipping.â âYouâre not very patient are you?â âItâs a family trait,â Emma mumbles. âYou should meet her grandmother.â âHey,â Ruby cries. âMy grandmother taught me every PI trick I know. Sheâs the reason weâre going to find Jonesâ killer and collect both rewards.â
Emma tenses. âBoth rewards?â âYeah, now youâre interested, arenât you? Keep going Jones. This is almost interesting backstory.â âAlmost interesting,â Killian chuckles, and they really should have each gotten their own pie. âAlright, alright. So Cora Millsâthe mayor of Storybrooke,â he adds at Rubyâs questioning expression. âSheâs been mayor since the dawn of time really, and sheâs known Iâve been trying to get out Storybrooke for years, but I never did.â âWhy not?â Emma asks, Killianâs hum of confusion feeling as if it lands between each one of her ribs. âI mean...couldnât you?â âEh, Iâm sure I could have if I put my mind to it. But at some point around high school graduation, which was never entirely a guarantee for me, I realized that Nemo and Shakespeare were done with the world. They were tired of fighting it and tired of trying to find their place in it andââ ââYou couldn't leave,â Ruby finishes, a note of sympathy in her voice that stuns Emma more than just about anything else thatâs happened.Â
Killian hums again. The disappointment and regret in the sound is bitter on Emmaâs tongue, and maybe she should be taking some adult-ed science classes because sheâs clearly got no idea how any of this works, but sheâs never seen that look on his face before.Â
As if the whole world has passed him by and left him in the metaphorical dust.Â
âTheyâd given up their whole lives for me,â he mumbles. âAnd we were good. For a very long time. I...well, I figured out how to make money and I had books.â âBooks?â Emma repeats. âYou had books?â âI like to read.â âAre you a nerd now?â âI wouldn't go that far. Itâs a...hobby, possibly some kind of obsession depending on who you ask. Don't ask my uncles.â
âI promise.â
He smiles at her again â slow and genuine until that replaces the whatever in between Emmaâs ribs and she feels as if she breathes normally for the first time since she woke up. Ruby sticks her entire tongue out.Â
There are berry stains on it.Â
âIs this going to be a thing now?â she shouts. âThe flirting? Are we going to flirt our way through several different crime scenes?â Emma tilts her head. âAre there more than one crime scene?â âThere might be if Jones doesnât get better at telling us his goddamn life story. Also, the less sarcastic answer is maybe because Iâve got news, but seriously the life story. If you were good with the shut-ins, why did you leave?â Killian doesnât answer immediately, and the tension in between his shoulder blades is almost too obvious. Emma isnât sure she hears him at first. And then sheâs not sure she wants to.Â
âNemo got sick,â he says. âSuddenly and...badly? Is that the right word? It doesnât matter. It wasnât great and so I was trying to figure out a way to get some money and an opportunity presented itself.â âHow?â âRemember creepy Cora Mills?â Emma hates that her jaw drops, but she canât stop it and she knows this is not a good story. She didnât expect it to be a good story and it is, somehow, even worse. âWhat could she possibly offer you?â âMoney,â Killian shrugs. âAnd the chance to get out of Storybrooke, which given the situation paints me in a particularly asshole-light, but thatâs always been kind of my MO too andââ âThatâs not true.â âYou havenât known me for a very long time, Swan.â âI donât believe that.â Melting certainly isnât the right word for whatever happens to Killianâs expression. Emma doesnât care. Itâs the first word her mind comes up with and latches onto, in some misplaced effort to maintain control of a decidedly out of control situation, and she wishes she could hold his hand.Â
Too. Or still.Â
Or always.Â
Honestly, whatever.Â
âThanks,â Killian mutters. âI promise itâs warranted in this situation. I was getting desperate. I never went to college and I couldn't figure out what to do or who to ask.â âNo girlfriend to help, then?â Ruby asks archly, ignoring whatever noise Emma makes at that particular question. âWhat? First of all, thatâs a genuine question. Because if there is a girlfriend, then we should probably prepare ourselves for her arrival in defense of Jonesâ previously discussed very dreamy face and, second of all, if there is a girlfriend, she probably should have helped him rob a bank or something.â âAre we advocating bank robbing now?â Emma fumes, her anger having nothing to do with the sanctity of the American banking system.Â
âNo girlfriend,â Killian says. Emma wrings her hands together. So, naturally, Ruby notices. âAnyway, Cora found me one day and told me she had an opportunity if I was interested.â âAnd were you?â
âI didnât see any other option, really. It made sense when she explained it. I had to get on the ship andââ ââWait, wait, there was a ship involved?â Ruby asks.Â
âYeah, a cruise. To uh...shit, where was it to?â âWe werenât on the ship.â âThat wasnât the important part thatâs why,â Killian mutters. âIt was Tahiti or something. But I was told that I wasnât supposed to do any of the onshore stuff they do. You know, zip lining and...swimming with sharks or whatever.â âThe thought of that always freaked me out,â Ruby muses.Â
âYeah, me too actually. They say itâs safe, butââ âCan we focus, please?â Emma exclaims, met with two wide-eyed expressions for that especially emotional outburst. âSorry, sorry, just...what were you supposed to be doing on this boat? Oh my God, are you some kind of drug mule?â Killian makes a face, ridiculous enough that Emma has to dig her heels into the ground to make sure she doesnât try to do something absurd like kiss it off. The rules of the universe can suck it, honestly.Â
âAre you kidding me?â âYouâre the one who said I didnât know you anymore!â âI was not a drug mule,â Killian sighs, dropping his fork so he can run his fingers through his hair. âI was...a water mule.â âWhat does that mean?â âCora said that once we got to the island, thereâd be some people getting on the ship who had something for me. I was supposed to bring it back.â âDid you meet these people?â Ruby asks, business-like and Emma knows she wishes she had a notepad of some kind. She pulls her phone out of her jacket pocket.Â
âYeah, that was kind of the problem.â âHow so?â
Killian doesnât shudder, but itâs awfully close, a nervousness to him that doesnât match up with anything Emma knows about him. âThere was a whole group of them. Each one of them shadier than the next and they all spoke in grunts, I swear.â âSounds like lackeys.â âYeah, probably. They didnât know anything about Cora though, so the orders were coming from higher up and thatâs kind of when I realized Iâd gotten into something I wasnât particularly interested in.â âWhat do you think that was?â âI donât know exactly,â Killian admits. âBut one of the goons handed me a vial of something that was, maybe, filled with water, demanded my immediate and complete silence and told me his boss was expecting me when I got back to New York.â âNew York?â Emma asks. âThatâs where the ship left from. I asked this guy what exactly it was I was supposed to be moving and how I was supposed to get it through security.â âIâm sure he didnât appreciate that,â Ruby chuckles.Â
âHe did not, actually. He told me to shut my mouth and do my job and that, this is where it gets weird, his master wouldnât be pleased if I deviated from the schedule.â Rubyâs eyebrows pull low. âHe switched from boss to master?â âWeird, right?â âSuper weird. And incredibly creepy. So what did you do after that?â âI told him that I thought there was a mistake,â Killian says with a laugh that sounds full of a slightly different brand of regret. âAnd that I wasnât interested in shipping whatever product they were trying to move. I donât remember much after that, but I do remember the vial falling and breaking. Goons one through six were not very happy about that. There was a lot of moanful grunting about it.â âThere were six of them?â Emma breathes, not nearly as confident as sheâd like to be. She rocks backwards on her heels when Killian slides off the counter, ignoring whatever Ruby is doing with all of her limbs as she steps into her space.Â
There havenât been very many moments in Emmaâs life that stick. Sheâs made sure of it, run from the thoughts and the feelings and the relationships for years. This moment, however, seems determined to linger and fester and that second word is absolutely wrong.Â
It doesnât fester. It grows â the buzzing returning until it sounds like someoneâs turned the metaphorical volume up as high as it will go on Emmaâs life and soul and, possibly, the magic sheâs done her best not to acknowledge for the last twenty years.Â
None of that, however, holds a candle to whatever look settles on Killianâs face. Itâs not quite understanding â thereâs still that pesky rule hanging over their heads and sheâll tell him the truth at some point, eventually, she will â but for right now, this moment, she wants to memorize every shift of his face, the twitch of his lips and the turn of his eyebrows, hair falling almost artfully across his forehead when he tilts his head slightly.Â
He doesnât look scared of her. And, really, thatâs what makes all the difference because Emmaâs been a little scared of what she can do and terrified of what everyone else will do if they find out about her, but Killian just takes another step towards her and smiles as if everything is normal or could be normal andâ
âIâm fine, love,â he promises. âIâm very good at surviving.â Ruby scoffs. The moment ends â with Killianâs hand hovering just a breath away from Emmaâs side. âRight, right,â Ruby mumbles. âSure you are. Thatâs all very well and good and everything, but youâve thrown a very large wrench into a case that already makes a negative amount of sense. Plus, you know...youâre supposed to be dead.â âI think weâve covered that several times, Rubesâ Emma mutters.Â
âAnd I donât think Jones died in Storybrooke.â Emma is very glad theyâre not open until ten. Rubyâs proclamation rings out in the empty restaurant, bouncing off walls and tables and half-filled napkin containers. It hangs there, taunting and teasing and it canât possibly be true.Â
It canât possibly be...not true.Â
âI think you died on that boat, Jones,â Ruby adds, rolling her eyes when Killian mutters the technical term is ship under his breath. âAnd I really donât care about that. But I think the goons killed you then and there and moved you to Storybrooke because you were some kind of very dreamy recluse who, if weâre keeping up appearances, should be dead in your hometown.â âBut then why is Cora the one with the reward money?â Emma counters. âSheâs the one who set this whole thing up.â âUnless she doesnât really know who she was working for. Or she didnât expect Jones to show up dead. Or sheâs a little nervous about her own safety because Jones did show up dead. Thereâs plenty of reasons. All of which Iâm sure sheâll be more than happy to answer when we go pay her a visit.â Emma does her best to form actual words. She does. It does not end well. And Ruby snickers at her. âFive figures, Em,â she says, pausing between each word to really drive her point home. âAnd whatever the uncles have offered now.â Killian jerks his arm back to his side. âThey did what?â âOh yeah, itâs not as much as Madam Mayor, but itâs a good amount and I think theyâve got some suspicions about you and your little jaunt to the...what water is Tahiti in? That doesn't matter. What does matter is that thereâs more money being floated around and that means that more eyes are going to be on this and itâs in our best interest to figure it out.â âDon't you think thatâs dangerous?â Emma asks, fighting the itch to start mixing something.Â
âOh, I think itâs incredibly dangerous. Except weâve got a living, breathing dead person in this kitchen whoâs involved in some kind of shady something and those same shady somethings will probably be very interested in him being alive. So solving Killian Jonesâ murder seems to be our only option at this point.â Killian smiles at Emma â as if heâs won a competition they absolutely were not staging. She groans. âThis is not a victory for you,â she hisses. âThis is...how do you expect to just go outside? Graham knew who you were.â âHe suspected,â Killian corrects. âAnd Iâll wear a hat. And sunglasses.â âYour ears look ridiculous in a hat.â âI hate to be that person, but I donât think we should be all that worried about the fashion choices of the dead here,â Ruby says.Â
âAnd youâre very worried about your own fashion choices.â âOk, thatâs rude. I am worried about you. Incredibly so, in fact. Because weâve got a good thing going here and I...well, I am worried about you. Thatâs the headline.â Itâs not a particularly impassioned speech, but it may be the most emotional Rubyâs gotten since Emma ran into her perp in an alley. Her heart strings are, effectively, tugged. And the guilt in the pit of her stomach churns.Â
Thatâs less pleasant. âFine,â Emma snaps, like she had any chance of convincing either one of them otherwise. âFine. Letâs all solve a goddamn murder then. Itâs not like I had pie to bake.â âShould be award-winning pie,â Killian adds. Theyâre definitely flirting. âAnd Iâm serious about 30-30-40. Except from my uncles. Thatâs...thereâs got to be a line, you know?â Ruby stops pouring the coffee Emma hadnât realized sheâd started pouring. âWhat exactly does that mean? Exactly?â âYou said that twice.â âIâm going to get Emma to touch you.â âGod, Rubes, thatâs dark,â Emma grumbles. Sheâs run out of coffee.Â
âI think I should get the forty percent of the reward because I died,â Killian says, easy as well, pie. âAnd weâre not taking money from my uncles. Nemoâs still sick. Thereâs gotta be some kind of morality clause in your familial PI code, right?â Ruby considers that for a moment before bursting out into a laugh that is so loud Emma glances at the walls to make sure the paint hasnât been chipped. Sheâs still doubled over nearly thirty seconds later, body shaking and tears in her eyes and itâs a little concerning, but also kind of nice because it sounds real and Killian is still standing far too close to Emma.Â
Like he canât bring himself to move.Â
âYeah, yeah, that does seem fair actually,â Ruby nods, laughter still clinging to her words. âIt wasnât in the original instruction manual, but I doubt Granny was really prepared for people coming back from the dead.â âMagicâs got a way of sneaking up on you like that.â âI guess it does. And I guess weâre going back to Storybrooke, huh?â Killian hums, a barely visible shift of his weight thatâs really a dismissal without the words. Ruby almost looks impressed. âIâll, uh...Iâll give you guys a second.â
Emma needs to take the bell off her door.Â
Itâs far too loud, particularly when she canât hear Killian breathing next to her. He turns on the spot, quick enough that Emma feels like she has to blink to make sure itâs really happening. It is. Heâs still there.Â
Looking at her.Â
âAre you alright?â she asks, desperate to say something before he can. Sheâs a great, big, giant coward really.Â
Killianâs mouth quirks up again. âStill as fine as advertised. And you stole my question, actually.â âThereâs not anything to be worried about.â âWith you or the situation in general?â âMe. Always.â âThatâs a decidedly depressing mindset, Swan. Iâd very much like to worry about you, at least for the time being. And I know thereâs something you arenât telling me.â Emma startles at the certainty there, the distinct lack of blinking or confusion. Heâs positive. And heâs right. She makes another absurd noise. âI donât know anything about you,â she points out. âItâs...weâre in the middle of something here and I just, wellââ
âWhy is it a minute?âÂ
âWhy is what a minute?â âThis whole magical side of you,â Killian says. âA minute seems incredibly arbitrary. Itâs not a lot of time to do anything productive.â âYouâd be surprised.â
He chuckles, tongue doing something incredibly unfair again. âYou know I havenât often been jealous of other people, but it seems to be a trend for me this morning.â âThatâs ridiculous. Graham is not...weâre not like that.â âYou may not be, Swan, but he certainly is. And I canât say I blame him.â âThat felt like flirting,â Emma accuses.Â
âIt was absolutely flirting. Was that not obvious? Thatâs frustrating. I am, admittedly, out of practice though, so...â âThatâs surprising actually.â
âIs that a compliment?â
Emma nods, taking a step back to try and maintain her sanity. It seems to be slipping through her fingers the longer they stay in that kitchen. âIâm kind of out of practice with the flirting thing too,â she admits. âBut, yes, it was meant to be. And, again, thereâs no reason to be jealous. Iâm talking to dead people.â âAnd then deadâing them again.â âUsually.â âAlright, so weâll work on the flirting then,â Killian promises, and Emma resents whatever her pulse does at that. He certainly hears it. âBut why the minute? Did you decide that?â âA minute is a very long time. Plus, the longer someone is alive who isnât really supposed to be alive, the more likely something is going to go wrong and people get very preachy when they realize life and death is in the balance.â
âIâm still here though. Youâve avoided kissing me on multiple occasions.â âThatâs what you're worried about?â âNot in the way youâre thinking. Well, partially in the way youâre thinking, but mostly in the way that you said youâve never done this before, right?â Emma nods. âAnd you donât have some boyfriend aside from the love-struck waiter.â A less enthusiastic nod. Killianâs smile widens. âSo,â he continues, leaning around her to grab something she canât possibly be bothered looking at. âMy main question before we dive into the seedy underbelly of the world is...why me?â âI told you that already,â Emma whispers, and she is not emotionally prepared to deal with this many emotions this early in the morning. Or ever. She canât believe she still has so many emotions about Killian Jones. She desperately wants to brush his hair away from his eyebrows.Â
âNo, you did a rather horrible job of avoiding the question. So, Iâll ask you one more time, love, why didnât you let me go?â Emma opens her mouth â certain I couldnât will come spilling out of her, again and on loop, but she meets his gaze and itâs all too much and not enough. Heâd know if she was lying anyway.Â
âI just thought it made more sense,â she says. âTo have you there. I...I thought my life might be...better if you were in it. You know, again.â Heâs infuriatingly quiet or a moment, gaze penetrating. Thatâs not altogether uncomfortable either. Emma doesnât blink.Â
And, that, that, eventually seems like the turning point because itâs in that moment she realizes what exactly Killian is holding.Â
Saran wrap.
He moves quickly, leading with his head so as not to touch her with anything else. The saran wrap isnât perfectly tight between his fingers, a strange balancing act with only five fingers, but Emmaâs too stunned to worry about that for too long and then sheâs too amazed to be stunned and sheâs wanted to kiss him since she saw him.Â
Again.Â
She moves forward, the taste of plastic on her tongue when she presses her lips against his. Her arms twist behind her, determined not to give into the metaphorical magnets that feel as if theyâre yanking on Emma and begging her to card her fingers through Killianâs hair.Â
She fists her hands, but she doesnât pull away. Part of her is stunned, toying with fate and fire and the rules of the world, but the rest of Emma is screaming out in triumph, desperate to press her mouth closer to Killianâs, to breathe him in until heâs found his way back into the middle of everything.Â
It feels impossibly easy.Â
It always felt like that.Â
Emma makes a noise, almost a groan and possibly a sigh and she can feel Killianâs smile through the twisted up saran wrap. Their noses bump.
âI canât believe you did that,â she mumbles, not moving her head away. His laugh times up with the buzzing in her ears.Â
âConsider it a well-executed science experiment.â âWhat would you have done if it didnât work?â Killian shrugs. âI was pretty confident it would work.â âThatâs not an answer.â âI really, really, really wanted to kiss you.âÂ
He bunches up the saran wrap before Emma can object, another quick press to her cheek that isnât really to her cheek and she feels like sheâs floating. Sheâs not sure sheâs ever felt like that.
Ruby groans when she walks back into the restaurant.Â
âOh my God,â she sneers. âIs this our new normal? Because if it is, Iâm taking my own car. Or that bus. It wasnât really that bad.â âYou made her take the bus, Swan?â Killian asks, tossing the saran wrap in the trash. Emma probably shouldnât regret that.Â
âI was trying to figure out how to get you away from your own coffin.â He beams at her. Ruby throws several napkins across the restaurant.Â
âCan we go solve a murder, please? Iâm sure Madam Mayor is very busy.â Emma takes a deep breath, glancing at a still-smiling Killian and the slight flush to his cheeks. Sheâs a little proud she put that there. âYeah,â she nods. âLetâs go solve a murder.â
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Adam Watches the 92nd Academy Awards
The 92nd Academy Awards have come and gone. As always, thereâs plenty to be happy about and plenty thatâll make you wonder what the heck the voters were thinking. I watched the ceremony and while I may say that I donât care⌠I do. Those awards are a big deal. Legions of people who wouldâve otherwise dismissed Parasite as some movie that requires them to read subtitles saw it because it was nominated. One of those golden statues can make a career and letâs face it, you like to hear your love for something validated by people who have even the semblance of authority on the subject.
But hereâs what you may not know: most of the voters really donât know what theyâre doing. While cinematographers NOMINATE what films are up for that Best Cinematography Award, EVERYONE in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gets to vote for the winner and thereâs no guarantee theyâve actually seen every nominee, know what the technical terms mean or are voting because what they saw is what they actually believe was âthe bestâ. Once you take into account the dollars required to produce a nomination campaign, the stigma many genre films face, the prejudices against certain types of roles and/or actors, and how popularity influences votes, a win hardly means more than a bunch of people you donât know saying they liked a movie.
If you want a better idea of which of 2019âs films were âthe bestâ, youâre better off asking someone you know and trust, someone who can prove theyâve done their homework and arenât just voting for their friends, the one theyâve heard is good from their kid, or got a special gift basket from. I may not be a paid professional, but I have put in the time and effort to see EVERYTHING nominated (with a few exceptions Iâll detail below). Reviews for some of these (The Irishman, Judy) are coming to the blog in a couple of days. If it were up to me the list of nominees would be different but weâll get to that later. Without further ado, hereâs who SHOULDâVE won.Â
Best Visual Effects
1917 â Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy The best special effects are the kind you donât even notice. I couldnât tell you where the explosions, sets, and actors in 1917 begin, and where the computer-generated imagery takes over. Itâs seamless.
Best Film Editing
Parasite â Yang Jin-mo Got to hand it to Parasite for its amazing use of montage and the way it stitched its footage together. Some shots I initially thought initially were one take I realized under carefully scrutiny - and by that I mean frame-by-frame examination - were actually two melded together. The scenes showing how the Kim family infiltrate the Parkâs household should be shown in film class to demonstrate how the art of montage is at its best should be done to maximum effect.
Best Costume Design
Little Women â Jacqueline Durran Funny how every single film nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards was a period piece. My vote goes to Little Women not because it was necessarily the most accurate (I couldnât tell you what people wore in 1868) but because of the way the costumes were used. You can tell a lot about the characters from the multiple outfits they wear throughout the film - check out that purple bonnet adorned by Aunt Marsh (Meryl Streep).
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Bombshell â Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker I called it when I reviewed the film. The makeup used to transform John Lithgow was nothing short of incredible. It was an easy pick.
Best Cinematography
1917 â Roger Deakins Iâm glad to see The Lighthouse on this list but I have to hand it to 1917. The one-shot motif adds so much to the story. Then, there are the individual shots I remember so vividly. The quiet meadow just outside of No Manâs Land, the raging inferno Schofield sees when he wakes up, the trench he must run in front of to reach the Colonel are all shots that permanently imprint themselves into your memory.
Best Production Design
1917 â Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales Tempted to hand it to Parasite for the house they constructed for the movie but Iâm give it to 1917. The trenches, the blasted landscape of No Manâs Land still haunt me. When you see the craters, itâs jarring. Then, as your eyes become adjusted, you notice the rats. Then, the chunks of bone and charred meat that have now become part of the landscape. Itâs horrific.
Best Sound Mixing
Ford v Ferrari â Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow What you remember most from Ford v Ferrari is that big race at the end. The climax wouldnât have been the same without the sounds we heard. The roar of the engines, the clacking and grinding as the pedals are pushed and gears are switched⌠the air rushing by. Out of the nominees, itâs the one whose sounds I most remember.
Best Sound Editing
Ford v Ferrari â Donald Sylvester This year, the Best Sound Editing award goes hand-in-hand with the sound mixing. Obviously, the actors were never moving at the kind of speeds depicted in Ford v Ferrari but you wouldnât be able to tell because of the foley and sound design.
Best Original Song
Stand Up from Harriet â Music and Lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo Stand Up plays during the end credits of Harriet and it perfectly caps the film. Whenever I hear its lyrics, Iâm transported back to that moment. Itâs the most memorable and emotional song on this list.
Best Original Score
Joker â Hildur GuĂ°nadĂłttir I chose the best song for its ability to stand out. In this category, Joker wins because its music doesnât stand out⌠at least not at first. While youâre watching, those notes donât draw attention to themselves. They subconsciously build the mood, augmenting the performance by Joaquin Phoenix, the visuals, and the story. You donât notice how much of an effect it has on you until you see isolated clips. When you do, itâs shocking.
Best Animated Short Film
Abstaining (Iâve only seen Hair Love)
Best Live Action Short Film
Abstaining
Best Documentary Short Subject
Abstaining
Best Documentary Feature
Abstaining
Best International Feature Film
Abstaining, as Iâve only seen 2 films (Pain and Glory and Parasite)
Best Animated Feature Film
I Lost My Body â JĂŠrĂŠmy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice I Lost My Body is the most audacious and inspired of the animated films nominated. The only movie among these to be aimed at adults, it often tells its story through visuals alone but when you get to the end, you realize itâs about more than just what was on-screen.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Little Women â Greta Gerwig based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott Greta Gerwig does more than merely adapt the classic novel, she breathes new life into it, makes it her own, makes it feel wholly new and modern. This version of the film surpasses all others weâve seen before because of the changes sheâs made to the storyâs structure.Â
Best Original Screenplay
Knives Out â Rian Johnson What a ride Knives Out was. Itâs got so many twists and turns, so many delightful characters you want to re-watch it the second itâs over so that you are no longer distracted by its central mystery and can simply step back and admire the handiwork by Rian Johnson. A sequelâs been announced and I canât wait to see it.
Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern â Marriage Story as Nora Fanshaw Laura Dern was also in Little Women and her two roles couldnât be more different. Here, sheâs loathsome and captivating. As soon as I saw Nora take off her shoes before she kneeled down on the couch to console Nicole, I knew there was a whole lot more to her character than what we were told. The more you see her, the more you want.
Best Supporting Actor
Al Pacino â The Irishman as Jimmy Hoffa Al Pacino has the advantage of getting A LOT of screen time as Jimmy Hoffa. The Irishman clocks in at over 3,5 hours and he isnât in the whole movie but when he is, the seasoned performer gives us so much. At different periods of the story, youâll feel differently about him. Thereâs no point comparing him to the real-life person. He takes the meaty role and makes it his own. His voice, his mannerisms, I canât think of anyone who couldâve done it better.
Best Actress
RenĂŠe Zellweger â Judy as Judy Garland Judy was the very last movie on my list to watch, having missed it when it came to theatres. When I think back to Zellwegerâs performance, I donât see her. All I see is her character, a rich, complex person you sometimes hate, sometimes love and feel sorry for. The movie is not going to be on my âBest ofâ list but she is.
Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix â Joker as Arthur Fleck / Joker To me, there was no question Joaquin Phoenix would take this one. I saw Joker three times and each time, I found something new in his performance.
Best Director
Sam Mendes â 1917 With this award, Iâm awarding Sam Mendes for the craft he displayed in 1917. Itâs such a visceral experience that when people asked me how it compared to Dunkirk, it felt weird to lump both together. This is coming from someone who gave both pictures a 5-star review, who put both on their respective âbest of the yearâ lists. Itâs a movie Iâm going to go back to and wondering âhow did they do that?!
Best Picture
Little Women â Amy Pascal Itâs a tough call for me this year, partially because I loved Parasite, 1917, Joker, and others so much. Iâm planning on adding those three films to my collection so I can pop them into my Blu-ray player any times I feel like it. That said, I wouldâve given the Best Picture Award to Little Women. Youâre so emotionally invested in this little story that telling you why with merely words is impossible. You fall in love over and over. It made me cry and every time I think back to that scene at Christmas, I tear up again. Iâm choosing it because of all the things it does differently from the other films. At the end of the day, it isnât a big story. It isnât about people with guns, corruption, war, a turning point in history or even necessarily the biggest event in the lives of the characters but it feels like it is. Thatâs exactly why itâs so good.Â
Disagree with my choices? I donât blame you. What kind of idiot finds a way to leave out Marriage Story from their list? You let me know where it shouldâve gone. Hopefully, commenting keep you warm until MY Best of 2019 list gets posted in the next few days.
#Academy Awards#Oscars#2019 Oscars#2020 Oscars#parasite#ford v ferrari#the irisnman#jojo rabbit#joker#little women#marriage story#1917#once upon a time in hollywood#judy#the two popes#bombshell#knives out#toy story 4#i lost my body#klaus#missing link#pain and glory
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Behind each other skin
TianShan Fic, body swap
Chapter 1/2Â
Ao3
Suggested by @eve416
*bip bip bip bip* How can such a simple noise be so fucking annoying? That was the thought that woke GuanShan up. He felt so tired...how could it be morning already? He stretched out his arm, searching for his cellphone.
Why was the bedside table so freaking far? He finally grabbed the phone, squinting his eyes at the screenâs light.
âWhat the fuck?â he groaned. It was just 6am! Who the fuck changed his alarm? He put the phone back, ready to fall back to sleep. He fell on his pillow, tucking himself under the sheets. It was kind of cold and there was too much light.
He turned his head the other way, sighing and taking in the skyscrapers view- ⌠Wait, what? He jumped up, looking around.
Yup, that was definitely He Tian's apartment. What the hell was he doing there? And where the hell was that asshole? He lifted the sheets: he was wearing just a pair of boxers! And they weren't his! GuanShan gritted his teeth, raging. What kind of sick joke was this? He got up.
âWoah!â said GuanShan, stumbling. He looked around, resting his hips on the boxes near the bed. Everything felt...far away, like he has become taller all of a sudden. He closed his eyes, shaking his head and caressing his forehead, all the way back to the back of his head. What the...his hair felt so long. He grabbed his bangs, taking it in front of his eyes. It was black, pitch black.Â
A kind of black that he knew too well to mistake.
For a moment he felt so sick he thought he was going to faint. He looked at himself: broad chest, long legs, defined muscles that clearly weren't his.
âMirrorâ he thought âI need a mirrorâ. He ran to the bathroom, stumbling and hitting  every furnishings. He entered the bathroom, swallowing hard before taking one more step and looking at himself at the mirror...or more correctly, to look at He Tian's face. His eyes widened and with trembling hands, he touched his-...He Tian's cheeks.
âWHAT THE FUCK??!!!â he shouted, jumping back and falling inside the bathtub, bumping his head into the wall.
âAhh!! Fuck! That hurts!!â said GuanShan, grabbing the back of his head. Impossible, that just couldn't be real! A dream? Alcohol? Drugs? What the hell was going on? Felt like some clichĂŠ low category manwhua! He closed his eyes, covering them with his hands. He breathed, slowly. In and out.
âAgainâ In and out. He got up, hands still on his eyes. In and out. His hands slipped down, and slowly he opened his left eye first, the right one next. There he is, He Tian, in the mirror... looking at him. He walked outside of the bathroom, then again inside, looking at the mirror. Again, outside, inside. For at least ten minutes, but He Tian was always there. He set up on the toilet, cover his mouth.
âThis is madnessâ he whispered âThis can't be realâ feeling cold as ice all of a sudden he looked at himself. How can that maniac sleep in boxers during winter? Wait...where was He Tian? Considering the situation, it seemed right to assume that something must have happened to him too ... and so it meant that- âPhone!!â shouted GuanShan, running back to the living room/bedroom. He grabbed it, looking for He Tian's number.
âWhere the hell is it?â he said, looking at the list of unknowns number for the third time. Then,he stopped, and sighed.
âIâm an idiotâ Of course there was no He Tian's number! He needed to calm down. He sat on the mattress, looking back at the contact list.
âThere it isâ he said âTch, that asshole, calling me don't close mountain even here. Iâll kill himâ He raised the phone, trying to remember if he had left it on when he went to sleep. So it seemed, luckily, when he heard it ringing. He waited for what seemed an eternity, and finally someone answered.
âHello?â Man, it was so freaking weird to hear his voice on the other side of the phone. It was happening for real, wasn't it?
âHe Tian?â
âWho's this?â
âIt's...uhh.. it's me! GuanShan!â He heard himself yawning. That bastard was still sleeping, knowing nothing. At least he was relieved to know that his body was in a safe place.
âMo? Whatâs up with your voice?â a moment of silence
âWhat's up with my voice?â GuanShan pinched the bridge of his nose, this was going to be really hard.
âAre you at my place?â He heard the sound of sheets ruffling.
âI think so...why am I here?â
âListen to me! My mum is probably still asleep, you need to come to your place, now!â âUh? But-...â Then it was silence. For at least a minute.
âHe Tia-â
âWoah woah. What the fuck? What the hell is this?â
âHe Tian! Keep your voice down you dumbass!!â
âWhatâŚ? Wait, wait! Is this me?? How...WHAT?â
âHE TIAN!!â The phone must have fallen from He Tian's hand, cause he heard a loud thud, other noises, then He picked up his phone. âOk, I don't know what this is. GuanShan? It's really you?â
âOf course it's me!â
â 'Cause Iâm looking at you right now, and I don't know what the fuck is going on! Why am I like this? Where is my body?â
âIt's here! I mean...Iâm you!â
âSay what?? How?â GuanShan sat up walking nervously through the room âYou think I know?! This is bullshit!!â
âOuch!â screamed He Tian âWhat? What happened?â
âI pinched myself. Looks like it's not a dreamâ âOf course it's not! I wish!â Another moment âYour skin is so soft~â
âDON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME DICKHEAD!â âTechnically Iâm touching myself. Oh! That's a good ideaâ GuanShan lowered his voice, trying to sound as much menacing as possible, and it felt so strange to ear that particular sound, that he knew so well, coming out of his mouth.
âHe Tian, I swear Iâm going to smash your face in the wall and cut your dick off if you don't come here this moment! I swear!!â
He heard him sighing âI was kidding. I get it. Iâll be there in a moment. After a warm shower~â
âIâM TAKING THE KNIFE!â He heard him chuckling, and it sounded like something completely new.
âAlright. Meanwhile, you have my permission to enjoy my body as much as you likeâ
âAS IF, ASSHOLE!â And GuanShan closed the call. Of course He Tian would react like that, what else could he expects? He sat down on the couch, he knows that he shouldn't panic, but that was a fucking mess!  How was that happening? How can he turn everything back to normal? What if⌠what if!
âDamn it!â he said grabbing his hair âCalm down, you need to fix this, you have to fix this!â He nodded, clutching his hands. He observed them, opening them slowly...such long fingers. He looked at them closely, brushing each tip of the fingers with the thumb. It didn't felt particularly different, just...skin on skin. Suddenly he felt goosebumps raising all over him. No shit, he was practically naked. He choose whatever clothes from He Tian's wardrobe, going back to the kitchen. He felt so hungry, like never before. He Tian's body needed so much more energy than his. With nothing much to do during his waiting for He Tian's arrival, he decided to eat something. He recalled that he had stored some leftover for He Tian the day before, so he looked inside the fridge, finding them. Nothing particular, some fried eggs and vegetables. He placed them on the counter, reaching easily for a plate.
âTall bastardâ he thought. He sat down and took a bite, and his mouth went ajar: it tasted so freaking good!!
âWhat the hell?â he said, taking three other full spoons of eggs. In his brain he knew that those flavors were nothing special, but it felt like his tongue had never tasted something like this! Was this...was this how He Tian tasted his food? No wonder he always makes him cook for him! While keeping eating like his life depended on it, he started to wonder what else He Tian could feel different from him. Like...pain? Fatigue? It was He Tian's body after all, does that mean that he had become as strong as him? Wait a minute...what about his weak point? Maybe he was super ticklish somewhere or something like that! He sat up, gulping down the last bite. He started to tickling himself; first under his armpits. Nothing. Maybe his feets? Nope.
âWhere else?â he thought âOh, the neckâ He grazed his neck, lightly, with the tips of his fingers. First under the ear, then under the jaw. He felt something...but it wasn't exactly ticklish. He traced a line from his chin, all way down through the Adam apple to the middle of his clavicles. A jolt hitted him, raising from his spine. That wasn't ticklish at all! He felt himself burning and he pushed away his hands, clicking his tongue.
âWhat the fuck! Damn you He Tian!â As he tried to recompose himself, someone knocked at the door. He immediately run towards it, risking to smash himself against it.
âFreaking long legs!â he hissed. He opened the door...and saw himself. Honestly, it felt terrifying, and judging by He Tian's expression on his face, the feeling must have been mutual. At least, for the first five seconds. âWell... don't I look good~?â Said He Tian, grinning. Ear himself talking with that kind of grin made his stomach churn. He almost couldn't recognize his own voice, or face. âStop being a dick!â
âDon't make that grumpy expression with my faceâ said He Tian entering his own apartment
âYou're making me look ugly. It only suits your faceâ GuanShan slammed the door, confirming that he wasn't able to control his strength Â
âCan't you take this more seriously?!â
âIâm hungryâ
âListen to me damnit!â
âIâm listeningâ he said, opening the fridge, eating and making a disappointed face right after the first bite of GuanShan's fried eggs
âIt tasted different yesterdayâ
âHe Tian! Can't you fucking see that we are in each other's body? Doesn't makes you freak out!?â
âA littleâ he said âBut then I thought that I should just enjoy the momentâ GuanShan went close to him, grabbing his yellow t shirt and looking down at his red hair
âI swear if you dared to do something to meâŚâ He Tian smiled, tilting his head a little âNothing, I swearâ GuanShan pursed his lips, letting him go
âIâll choose to believe you. And stop smiling like an idiot! It disgust me!â He Tian laughed âWhy? You look so good. I looked in the mirror for so long~â
âShut up!â
âMy cheeks kind of hurts. You're too grumpy, you're going to look like a monkeyâ GuanShan grabbed his hair, desperate âThis must be some fucking nightmare!â At that point GuanShan sighed, sitting on the stool and crossing his legs, as his usual.
âCalm the fuck downâ he said, crossing his harms, tilting his head upwards.
âEasy for you!â He Tian shaked his head
âWe just need to analyze this situation thoroughlyâ touching his pockets, he looked around, like he was looking for something. âDon't even think about smoking in my body, assholeâ
âWhateverâ he shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets âSo, what could have caused this? Any idea?â
GuanShan thought, biting his lower lip âNone, damnitâ
âSomething different happened yesterday?â He retraced the events of the day before: he got up, had breakfast, went to school, then He Tian's apartment, cooked for him, insulted him and went home. âNothingâ He Tian nodded, resting his elbows on the kitchen island behind him
âSameâ
âThat's it?? You're not fucking helping!! You useless bastard!â
âStop yelling. We need to focus, and think about what to do next. Like going to school or notâ
âAre you stupid? We have entry exams today. I don't want to lose a year!â
âUh, forgot about thoseâ
âOf course you did! Ughh...what a fucking mess!â
He Tian stood up âLetâs go thenâ
GuanShan snapped at him âWHAT?â He Tian scratched the back of his neck, letting his hand linger through his short hair
âLook, it's just one day. We go to school, we do the tests, and we go home. Luckily today is Friday, weâll have an entire weekend to figure things outâ
GuanShan thought, pondering âIt's too risky!â He Tian laughed âYeah, cause everyone is going to believe this situation. The worse that could happen is a sudden rise of your reputationâ
âHey! How dare yo-â
âBut, whatever. Iâm not the one with low grades so, you knowâ he turned back, taking a bottle of water and taking a long sip. GuanShan looked at him, and if that's wasn't his body, he would probably try to punch it into a pulp. Unfortunately...he was right. Entry exams were his last chance to recover his already low grades. He stood up, clutching his fist âOkâ
He Tian grinned âGood Mo~â
âBUT! Iâm warning you, don't try anything funny at school! Avoid any contact and just focus on the test! And don't make that stupid smile with my face!â He Tian laughed, tilting his head âYou think I'm the one who's going to have problems?â GuanShan went pale. Yeah...He Tian's wasn't exactly unpopular. He felt sick thinking of all his fangirls. He sighed, covering his eyes with his hands: that was such a bad idea.
âJust tell me where your fucking uniform isâ He knew he was smiling, he just didn't want to look at him âSecond drawerâ GuanShan left the room, followed by He Tian.
âDon't follow me!â
âWhy? I just want to make sure that you don't do anything weird with my bodyâ GuanShan gritted his teeth
âWho cares about your ugly body? Stay here you sick evil demon!â
âKeep telling you that~â said He Tian, resting his back on the wall beside the room. GuanShan entered the room, looking for He Tian's uniform. He found it, looking at himself. He was too shocked earlier when he dressed up, but now undressing He Tian's body felt... weird. He looked at the door, making sure that He Tian wasn't peeking. He started with his shirt, trying not to look at himself and wearing the shirt. He then looked at his pants...he needed a distraction.
âThe tests are the same for all classes, right?â âUh uhâ
âI was thinking...I mean, if you're going to do my test...you always have high rates in all the exams, right?â
âWhat can I sayâ
âTch. That's... good and all for me...but what about you? I mean, my grades are-â
âYou don't need to worry about thatâ GuanShan went silent, putting up his pants. 'Fucking He Tianâ he thought, walking towards the door. âWho said Iâm worr-â he gasped âWHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING??â He Tian was groping his ass cheeks like it was the most natural thing in the world. He grinned, slowly raising them up
âOopsâ
âYou...mother...FUCKER!!â After some chase, they finally accorded to a no-touch rule, and for a good half an hour they planned they're entire day, according to meet at lunch time and to text each other if they need some information. Then they went out, walking towards the elevator, pressing the button.
âYou forgot to close the doorâ said He Tian, looking back at the door.
âOh, rightâ answered GuanShan âWhere are the-â âInside pocket of my bagâ GuanShan narrowed his eyes, clicking his tongue. âFucking lazyâ he hissed. He went back to lock the door, at the same time the elevator reached their floor; Â just when GuanShan was about to put the key inside the lock, He Tian went inside the elevator and peered out of the doors. âBy the way, I could never guessed that your nipples were so pink. Cute~â. GuanShan eyes went wide, he felt his face melting, and before he could run towards He Tian to punch himself in the face, the elevator's door started to close, leaving him outside and furious; he watched He Tian, waving happily, gesturing that he was going to wait for him downstairs.
#19 days#old xian#he tian#mo guanshan#mo guan shan#body swap#chapter 1#fic#fanfiction#my fic#ahh this was so fun!!#thanks for your suggestion
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this is a dumb question, but what exactly is the "point" of the characters (particularly the Heathers, i'm assuming) that the new TV show is fucking up with their redesigns. i just wanna make sure i understand the issues here.
Ok the Heatherâs are suppose to be the âpopular girlsâ. They are the people who have the characteristics of what society considers to be beauty and they mock anyone who doesnât met those standards.
Being skinny and making fun of people who arenât. Caring more about their status standing than their grades, making fun of people for being geeks or nerd. Mocking people for not meeting what is considered the norm in society, aka being along the LGBT spectrum. (I mean damn JD and Veronica staged Ram and Kurtâs deaths as them dying because they where gay. And expecting them to be the mockery of the school. So making fun of people for being gay and the like.) Wearing clothes that are considered in at the time and that highlight their gender. Aka anything the Heathers wear which was all considered in at the time and stylish.
Heck the colors where a power symbol recognized by them. The queen of the school wore red. Both Chandler and Duke established this in the movie.
And then the first promo pics lacks the signature colors and shows them in weird clothes that would have gotten them weird looks and mocked at my school. The first promo pic is suppose to be thought over carefully. This is the first real image people are getting of your product. This is the hook that should help spark a personâs interest in your product. Get them thinking and hopefully interested in what you are making. And if the first image alone is already putting off a good portion of the fandom. Then you know you have an issue.
They only care (especially Chandler) about holding their social status. Veronica herself has said that sheâs using her High IQ to pick out lip gloss and trying to figure out how many kegers she can hit before curfew.
Chandler gets pissed at Veronica for not holding up to the standard she expected for her at the party. (Sleeping with a guy she just met). Chandler certainty would never let herself be fat because it would go against her standards.
They are suppose to be a symbol of what society considers beautiful. And yes they are doing a modern version. But what sparks JDâs hatred for them. Is that he observes them (the Heathers, Kurt and Ram) mocking people for being different. He has seen this all before. Every school he goes to he sees it again and again. A never ending chain of bullying. He watched the Heathers make a mockery of Martha in the cafeteria. Making fun of the fat kid. (Now the show has a SKINNY Martha.) He watches Ram and Kurt chase down those nerdy boys and says stuff like âyou piece of shit fagâ and trying to get the kid to say âI like to suck big dicksâ. Being gay wasnât a good or popular thing. It lead to you getting bullied.
And yeah times now are a bit more accepting. But I went to a big school. I knew a lot of the LGBT kids because I was friends with a lot of them. I ran in circles that had a lot of them. (Anime Club, Art and Theater related things, Even Band.) I knew the spots where you could go after school and find a group of kids and a majority of them would fall into the LGBT spectrum. None of them where along the popular side at my school. Knowing my school they never would be.
By having the Heathers fall into the very groups they are suppose to mock. It goes against their characters. You canât have an openly gender-fluid person or Lesbian mock other LGBT people. Yes not all LGBT people are nice. Iâve met plenty of assholes who are LGBT. But being LGBT and being the top dog at school and mocking other LGBT people at school. That doesnât fit. A LGBT person couldnât come up to me and make fun of me for being a girl who gets crushes on others girls. Because Iâd just be like âso what youâre a guy thatâs into guys. Or so what so are you. Etc.â It doesnât have the same sting it does when coming from a non LGBT person.
A well known girl at my school was obese. But if she came up to me and made fun of my weight it wouldnât work because she was heavier than me. Her insults could be fired right back at her. Now if a person in extremely good shape where to mock my size then that would hurt.
On top of that having all three of the Heathers fall into a minority but none of the other main characters. That also just seems wrong and like they are baiting people for brownie points.
Here are some changes to make the characters more diverse that would have worked.
â˘Making JD or Martha a race other than Caucasian. My favorite version of JD is Danâs. Dan isnât Caucasian. Yes I love Slater and Ryan. But image wise and art wise I love it when people base their JD around Dan. Also making them another race wouldnât hurt their characters at all.
â˘Making Martha Bi or Pan. Marthaâs crush is apart of the story and how she gets mocked so she still has to be into guys. But that doesnât mean she couldnât be Bi or Pan.
â˘Making JD along the Ace/Aro spectrum. I personally headcanon JD as Demisexual Hetroromantic. JD doesnât seem like the type of character to honestly be that all into sex. Yes he had sex with Veronica. But I wouldnât see it as interfering with the point of his character if he only had an interest in people after having a connection. I donât think JD would just sleep with any girl. That he would have to have a general interest and connection with them. And yes typically Demisexual people (in my experience) need a longer time frame. But part of Heathers⌠well insane story is that it happens so fast.
â˘Making Veronica Bi. it wouldnât mess with her character purpose and could give them that diverse cast they are looking for.
â˘Not making Martha skinny.
Now I wouldnât want them to make all three of them minorities. As I feel likeIt might give the baiting feel it has with the Heathers. But if they did like 1 Heather & 2 of the others. Or 2 Heathers and 1 of the others. And making it seem like only minorities are mocked and non-minorities canât be mocked doesnât sit right with me. And I feel thatâs how it would come off is all the bullyâs werent minorities while the bullied kids were. As I know it isnât true and Iâve watched people who fall into minorities categories make fun of people who donât.
Idk three just feels like a good number.
And by 1 or two of the Heathers I mean their race. As I donât think them not being Caucasian in a modern heathers would be much of a problem. In all productions of the musical I have seen at least one of the Heathers. (Usually Duke) isnât caucasian. So having one of the Heathers a different race wouldnât be an issue.
Oh and here is an idea. They go to a freaking school. You have cast characters you could use to get that diverse character cast you are looking for without messing with a characterâs role. You want an LGBT character, Iâve said this before, but try having a girl have a thing for one of the Heathers. Like they did in the musical. Show her confessing to one of the Heathers. Then show how they treat her. Show them making fun of her or treating her poorly. Show me these asshole Heathers that are suppose to be an example of what is wrong with society. Show me Bi Veronica and them learning she is and Chandler pushing her to hide that side of her. That would be in character.
Show them making fun of a trans kid and that being part of that fuels JD to kill them. Because that would fit.
Show the negative consequences of what the Heathers do. Show how it effects people. When the show ends show Veronica trying to make things better. Show her approaching some of those kids and working with them.
Also for a racially diverse cast try having kids who arenât just Chinese, Japanese or black. Try having Cuban characters or Native American or Polynesian or Puerto Rican, Indian, etc. Branch out to other races. Because while black and Asian may be two of the other top races after white in America, they arenât the only ones.
Iâm doing this on mobile. So sorry if it is long or runs together weird. Iâm not always the best at wording this. @power-of-innocence tends to do a better job than me.
Edit: I would like to add that the reason the LGBT kids of my HS would never be popular wasnât like due to my high school being really homophobic. (One of the most beloved seniors when I was a sophomore was an open lesbian.) But mostly due to the sheer size of my school. We had between 3,000 and 4,000 students each year. And 6 different lunch periods. (Technical 3 but for the 9th and 10th graders it was 6) It was impossible to fit the whole school in the cafeteria or gym. We didnât really have popular kids. The closest you would get to it is kids whose names were well known. Like people really active with school related stuff. Like being apart of the student council or on the Cheerleading squad. (I actually knew many of those girls and they were all really nice.) Also having known those kids they werenât the type of kids to ever be popular due to their personalities. They a lot where into unpopular subjects and/or also feel into the emo/goth categories. So a lot of them wouldnât have been popular due to that. But even then the popular kids at my school werenât mean. Most of them where popular because they where really nice and a lot of people just naturally liked them. Sorry just wanted to add that.Edit: At the time I made this every time I heard Martha mentioned people were saying that they were making her skinny, this maybe incorrect but Iâm still not 100% sure. Itâs still a horrible show regardless though. Just wanted to correct that.
#peathers#paramount heathers#heathers2018#notmyheathers#sorry if any of this comes off weird#my brain process things really fast#so getting them down can be hard#because it's like ok brain slow down I can't type this fast#and my brain is just like nope!
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Red Data Girl: World Heritage Girl (Week 24)
Red Data Girl: World Heritage Girl By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation
Miss the last piece? Read it here!
Check out the RDG Translation twitter!
Itâs funny how I can get so much translation done one week and then nothing done the next. As spring draws closer, all of my final work as a grad student and a student teacher is beginning to start. It feels like I was just talking about school applications a month or two ago but in reality that was a year ago! Now Iâm starting to think about job applications (something Iâm terrified about btw).
Earlier this week, I saw that a reader had some questions about when I use last names versus first names for the characters in RDG. As you probably know, I try to make this translation as accessible to an English speaking audience as possible. For the most part, this just means I have characters address each other by their first names even though they use last names in the original text. (Japanese and English cultures differ on how to respectfully/politely address people.) With this said though, you may notice that there are some exceptions to my rule, specifically Hayakawa, Ryougoku, Wamiya, and Takayanagi.
Why do I use Yoshiki Hayakawaâs last name?
He was originally introduced with just his last name. We learned his first name about a page later but for some reason, his last name kind of just stuck with me. Seeing as Izumiko and co donât know him very well, I think itâs okay for them to call him by his last name. Still, if I were to revise this translation in the future, I might use his first name instead. For now though, he will remain Hayakawa.
*Side note, Iâd say Hoshino and Okouchi also fall into this category but their first names are never actually mentioned in the text so I donât even have the option of using them.--Thatâs why theyâre not getting their own question/answer here.
Why do I use Mizuhiko Ryougokuâs last name?
I donât really have an explanation for Ryougoku. Earlier in the translation I think I was a bit more wishy-washy with first and last name use when it came to secondary characters so Iâll admit Ryougokuâs a bit of an inconsistency. Like with Hayakawa, I might change the name I use for him to Mizuhiko if I were to revise the translation in the future.
Why do I use Satoru Wamiyaâs last name?
Wamiyaâs always been a little... unusual, donât you think? Using his last name seemed appropriate to me, especially with how he appeared out of no where in Izumikoâs middle school class and then disappeared just as quickly. Calling him by his last name adds to that air of mysteriousness.
Why do I use Ichijo Takayanagiâs last name?
Thereâs just something about calling an antagonist by their last name. It gives you that delicious tingle down your spine when used dramatically. Think Malfoy in Harry Potter. It almost gives off an iconic sort of feel like you donât even have to use his name to know who youâre talking about.
In general, please remember that Iâm just an amateur translator whoâs doing her best. Translation is hard and thereâs always more than one ârightâ way to translate something, especially when culture gets thrown into the mix. Feel free to ask questions about my translation choices. Iâm happy to explain my thinking.
Red Data Girl: World Heritage Girl By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 4: Boundary Part 1 (2 of 3)
Izumiko didnât have a chance to talk to Mayura in Class 1-A until long after school had ended. But when Mayura came to find Izumiko at sunset, the expression on her face was especially serious.
âCan I pull you aside for a minute? Before you go off to student government?â
Izumiko, who had been working on Class Câs festival preparations, nodded. She quickly wiped her hands off and followed Mayura. The girl led them up the central stairs all the way to the third floor where she brought them into the social studies material room.
The Japanese history club was gathered there.
Izumiko had been invited to the clubâs gatherings before summer break but she had never attended. Although she had joined the club of her own free will, she didnât have a regular place in the group. Â
As the only female member (besides Mayura), there was clearly a large wall between her and the others. She really didnât know if it was truly okay for her to be working in the Japanese history club, which secretly ran as the MSF, the Mayura Souda Fan Club. Besides Mayura and Miyuki who were partial members like herself, the only person in the group she had really talked to was Mizuhiko Ryougoku, the president of the group. Â
âWhy are we here?â
âI bet youâve heard the stories about the ghost pictures too,â Mayura answered tightly at Izumikoâs question. âPhotography is Ryougokuâs specialty so I asked him to give me a detailed analysis of a few ghost shots heâs taken. Heâs also going to give us a look at the pictures he took the other day.â
Izumiko was instantly impressed. If she could think on the same level as Mayura, she was sure she would never make a mistake. She had been thinking about the ghost photos all day. Her anticipation rose.
âOh, right. Thatâs a good idea. I wanted to see them, too.â
âItâs understandable to be skeptical of ghost pictures taken with low resolution cellphone cameras,â Mayura said as she moved away from the door. âBut on the other hand, the more ghost pictures that are taken on high quality cameras, the more you have to wonder about the digital processingâŚâ
The material room looked like a dim storehouse. Not only were there steel shelves piled high with all sorts of things up against the walls but there were more in the middle of the room, obstructing the lights on the ceiling. It wasnât a particularly inviting place. Still, there was a long, narrow space in the room where a number of male students were standing with their backs to Mayura and Izumiko. They were enthusiastically gazing at a large, flat screen TV which had been mounted to the wall. It looked like it was connected to a laptop which was being used to display pictures on the larger screen. While it was hard to make out with all the people in the picture, it appeared that the photo had been shot near the high school building.
âSorry to keep you waiting. Izumiko came with me too.â
Hearing Mayuraâs announcement, Ryougoku and the other boys who had been looking at the screen turned to look at them all at once. Regardless the fact that Izumiko was part of their club, the business like greeting that the boys gave them made her bow her head in an apology for interrupting them. Her response was also a result of not coming to their meetings.
Miyuki was standing in the group.
As one of the club members, it was technically unsurprising that he would be there. It seemed like he was examining the picture as well. Izumiko quickly steadied herself so that no one saw her instant reaction. She hadnât been prepared to see him. Miyuki looked content to be at the edge of the group, not bothering to move any closer to the two girls.
Mayura did not react much to seeing Miyuki there. It was almost as if the conversation between them had never taken place. Miyuki was not high up in the MSFâs hierarchy and as a result, she could not show more familiarism to him than to the rest of the club with the other boys here. Even Izumiko understood that rule. The fact made her feel better about not wanting to talk to him in the clubroom.
Miyuki didnât do anything to draw attention to himself either. It was clear to see that he held a less important role here than he did in the student government but he didnât look particularly upset about that. He compartmentalized the behaviors he used in the two different clubs.
Ryougoku licked his lips and said, âIâve been looking into your request. I ran into a bunch of unexplainable things. Theyâre enough to worry me a little.â
âWhat worried you?â Mayura asked.
âToo many things to count. I have to wonder why Iâve taken so many pictures with ghost-like aspects in them all of a sudden.â
âI had the same thought. Where are the ghost pictures?â Mayura questioned, gazing at the flat screen. It showed a picture of Hayakawa in his tall, golden samurai helmet, surrounded by students. Mayura nor Izumiko was anywhere to be seen in the shot. Izumiko was secretly relieved.
âOnce a person has seen one picture of a ghost, they tend to start finding more and more everywhere they look, I guessâŚâ
Shrugging, Ryougoku brought a finger up to the screen. Seeing as the image was not being projected, the shadow of his finger did not obstruct what was being shown beneath it. Izumiko was glad of this.
ââŚThis student standing in the back. Look. Isnât he weird? The colors in the photo probably got messed up when I took it thanks to that gaudy golden helmet but the student has both his hands in his pockets, right? Thereâs no way he could be holding onto the shoulder of the student next to himâŚâ
The hand on the shoulder in question looked like the real thing. However, the angle in which it was positioned made it impossible that it could have belonged to any of the students behind the one with the hand on his shoulder.
âCould it be an optical illusion?â
âI considered that as well.â
Ryougoku showed them the other photos he had looked at. One at a time, they appeared on the screen. Many of them contained unearthly white lights and humanoid shadows. There were also a number of instances where human faces appeared in unexpected places around the assembly hall such as on the walls and the floor.
There were also some pictures that contained Izumiko and Mayura but they were only in the background and they didnât show up that often. The strange thing was that the anomalies seemed to appear much more frequently around the students that had gathered around the models than near the models themselves.
Until now, Izumiko had never once seen a photo of a ghost in her life.
She acknowledged that the photos in front of her now were indeed those of ghosts but she still hadnât heard an explanation for why they were even there for her to see. The lights and shadows in the pictures were strange and she got a bad feeling when she looked at the warped faces and other ghostly forms. It still wasnât enough to make her heart freeze up in fear though.
Itâs much scarier when something that should be in a picture doesn't show up than when something that shouldnât be there does, Izumiko thought. She considered the case of the cellphone picture Miyuki had taken of the exchange student, Ricardo.
Compared to the memory of that terrifying time, the uproar around these ghost pictures felt like a game or even a stretch of the imagination.
The rest of the boys in the room were also calm. They were testing studentsâ claims of having taken ghost pictures and considering whether or not they were the real thing. However, just like Karin, they were not one hundred percent convinced of the whole situation.
âOut of all the supposed ghost pictures, I canât say at this moment what percentage are real,â Ryougoku said seriously, sounding like an analyst. âItâs clear that some of them are authentic though. But with that said, thereâs a good chance that more photos will show up for a while. Plenty of photos were taken that day at the lecture.â
Mayura asked an important question.
âAre there any ghosts in the pictures you took, Ryougoku?â
âI donât think so,â he replied, his expression sour. âHowever, lots of people have shown them to me. Some people will find ghosts in anything. You could say they have âghost vision.â Once they see a ghost just one time, anything even slightly out of the ordinary becomes connected to ghosts.â
The vast majority of Ryougokuâs photos were candid, close-up shots of Mayura and Izumiko. Despite the way they had been taken, they were all, as expected from Ryougoku, beautifully shot. He had used the elegant screen that had been brought into the hall for the occasion as a backdrop. Because of the screen, the other high school girls that had been surrounding them were not visible. The results were probably also to do with the quality of the camera and Ryougokuâs handy work.
While the photos were being projected onto the TV screen, the other members of the club pointed out possible ghostly images, saying things like, âthereâs a face here.â However, everything they said was in quiet jest. Ryougoku alone glared at them in indignation.
Izumiko didnât find her close up particularly embarrassing. Strangely enough, she felt comfortable looking at it. The person in the photo looked so other to her that it didnât even feel like it was cosplay. The girl in the princess outfit didnât look like her mother, Yukariko either. She looked like someone she had never seen until now.
Izumiko might not have liked pictures of herself being shown to people, but Mayura was fine with it. That was the way she had always been. Even when the candid shots of her had been sold throughout the school like pictures of an idol, she hadnât really cared.
Mayura was not modest. That much was true. But at the same time, unlike most girls, her attractiveness never seemed to be the most important thing on her mind even though anyone could take her picture and she would never have to worry about it how it came out. Â Â Â Â Â
After looking at her close up picture for a moment, Mayura said plainly, âI second your opinion, Ryougogku. I donât think there are any ghosts in your pictures. Everyone, donât joke about this. Ryougokuâs photos are the best shots from the lecture.â
âDo you think so?â
Ryougokuâs expression dissolved into a smile. His round face looked happy. Â
âIf thatâs the case, youâll be okay with me printing this picture out, right?â
âIf you tell me how youâre planning to use it, thatâs fine.â
As Mayura answered Ryougokuâs question, someone mumbled, âI bet heâs going to use it as a good luck charm.â
Everyone laughed. As Izumiko laughed though, she felt impressed. Being able to draw reassurance from Mayuraâs photo was a good way of expressing how much strength the other girl had. Â
Mayura ignored the chatter and continued on briskly.
âAre these all the photos we should look at? What does everyone think about ghost pictures being so popular right now?â
A few opinions were voiced. In the end, everyone seemed to agree that someone had probably started a rumor and then everyone else had gone along with it. Ryougoku had the most thought out opinion in the group.
âI feel itâs more likely that most of the students here at our school think theyâre seeing ghosts in the pictures they take, not that thereâs actual ghosts in those pictures. If you think about it that way, isnât this more of a question of human psychology? The atmosphere of our school has completely changed because of all this. Everyoneâs more than ready to accept any suggestion of a ghost they find. I think thatâs the real problem here.â
Mayura nodded quickly.
âYouâre right. Thanks so much. Youâve helped a lot.â Â Â
Keep reading!
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Disclosure:
Ask the Dentist is supported by readers. If you use one of the links below and buy something, Ask the Dentist makes a little bit of money at no additional cost to you. I rigorously research, test, and use thousands of products every year, but recommend only a small fraction of these. I only promote products that I truly feel will be valuable to you in improving your oral health.
Whether itâs the work commute, driving back and forth to see a loved one in the hospital, or just a vacation drive, finding healthy snacks on the go can be a challenge. A few weeks of cavity-causing snacks could result in a lot of havoc for your teethâincluding newly sensitive teeth.
Fortunately, there are more tooth-friendly options for on-the-go snacking than you might think. And if a new snacking habit has resulted in some tooth sensitivity, this article can help you locate the possible culprit.
Letâs look at the best way to keep your teeth strong and cavity-free, even on the road. But first, Iâd like to share with you the moment I realized how important this was in my own life.
Kristaâs Story
During many dental visits in the past, my dentist kindly warned me I was eating too much sugar and foods that werenât good for my dental and overall health. (Basically, I was wrecking my oral microbiomeâŚmore on why that matters here.)
It wasnât until 2009 when the doctor explained to me what was going on that I began to take my health seriously.
âKrista, you have maybe three months to liveâthe cancer is growing rapidly and if you donât do something, you may be out of time.â
In that moment, I knew I needed to put up a fight and make some serious changes. I began seeing a nutritionist to expand my knowledge on plant-based nutrition and how to change my diet and support my fight against cancer.
But with a life full of hospital trips, I struggled to find healthy snacks on the go readily available. Many times, I found myself circling gas stations and convenience stores and walking out empty handed. Besides a bottle of water or an over-salted pack of almonds, I would go hungry instead of opting for something unhealthy.
The lack of access to healthy foods began to eat at me. As someone fighting a life-threatening disease at the time, it seemed impossible to stay healthy while on the go. I was forced to pack food with me, and many months I found my pantry bare because of the overwhelming hospital bills eating at my savings account.
Suffice it to say that this was an impossible situation to be in while fighting for my life.
I couldnât help but think of all of the other people in the U.S. struggling with the same problem.
After winning my battle with cancer, I decided to do something about it. I launched a company called ESSTAR and âKristaâs Healthy On The Goâ kiosks that sell healthy snack foods. I now focus on making food available in gas stations, convenience stores, hospitals, colleges and cafeterias across the U.Sâsome of the places where good nutrition is most needed and most ignored. (Read more about this âfood desertâ dilemma here and my cancer recovery story here.)
Fighting cancer or not, most of us are on-the-go all the time. But you donât have to sacrifice healthy teeth for being busy! From cancer recovery to entrepreneurship, Iâve been busy the last several years. These experiences have led me to these four tips for preventing cavitiesâand staying healthy in general.
4 Tips for Healthy Snacks on the Go
Snacking on the road is problematic when it comes to dental health because teeth need a chance to remineralize. If youâre munching on sweets, sipping soda, and foregoing good brushing habits (because who hasnât done that on vacation?), cavities can quickly form.
Find yourself struggling to find healthy snacks on the go? Here are some tips:
1. Plan Ahead
Take a few minutes to prepare before you leave the house. When youâve got baggies full of healthy snacks, you can cut down on the temptation to satiate your hunger with processed, sugar-rich foods.
When thinking of snacks on the road, consider things that wonât get mushy or that need to stay fresh or refrigerated.
Some of my favorite healthy snacks to pack that are great for your teeth include:
Fresh fruit: Try blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and raspberries. The water in fresh fruit makes them a tooth-friendly choice. But watch out for dried fruit��sugars in dry fruit are really concentrated and can stick to teeth just like candy.
Veggie slices: Some of the best are carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, or cherry tomatoes. Many grocery stores offer pre-sliced veggies or packs of cherry tomatoes or sugar snap peas that are simple and portable.
Nuts: My favorites are almonds, cashews, or pecans. Nuts make a great buffer for sugar sticking to your teeth, so if youâre going to splurge a little with a candy bar, for instance, make sure to eat nuts, too.
Healthy trail mix: Avoid the dried fruit; itâs full of sugar!
Homemade kale chips:Â These are one of my favorite healthy snacks on the go. Theyâve got everything you need for great nutritionâa super food, healthy fat, and portability!
Pro tip: To make a really great trail mix that your teeth will love, use the following ingredients:
Almonds
Cashews
Chocolate chips (I love this brand because they donât use processed sugar to sweeten)
Pumpkin seeds
Dried coconut
If youâve never tried this trail mix, you should. Itâll make you forget youâre eating healthy!
2. Check Yelp
The Yelp app has saved the day for me many times while looking for healthy snacks on the go. While traveling, I use it to locate a local juice or smoothie bar, health food store, or similar establishment. Itâs fascinating to discover the creations of local artisans, and Iâm often pleasantly surprised with the healthy options available in even smaller towns.
Hereâs an easy way to find great, tooth-friendly food nearby. Just open the Yelp app and search for âhealthy foodâ and then click the âOpen Nowâ option. Voila! Youâll be able to see open restaurants advertised as healthy fare.
3. Hack Convenience Store Eating
Look for the cooler! This is where youâll find things like:
Yogurt (watch for the sugar count here, but many yogurts are good probiotic foods)
Salads
Hard-boiled eggs (bonus points for vitamin K2-rich, grass-fed eggs)
String cheese
Fruit cups
Vegetable trays
Seaweed packs (yes, this sounds weird, but theyâre actually delicious!)
Not everything in the coolers will be healthy, but many of the healthy options are found there.
If youâre fortunate enough to be in a gas station with a âhealthyâ section, that can be a great place to check out, too. Some of the better gas station snacks outside the cooler are:
Beef jerky (without soy and added sugar)
Protein bars low in sugar content
Sugar-free gum (the xylitol here is actually great for remineralizing teeth)
4. Choose Better Drinks
Instead of soda or sugar-packed juices or sweet teas, try to find something less acidic and sugar-filled. I generally advise avoiding diet drinks, although these are technically sugar-free.
Some of my favorite healthy drinks from gas stations include:
Bottled water
Unsweetened tea
Sparkling/mineral water (like La Croix, Deer Park Sparkling Water, and Topo Chico)
Kombucha (I like GTâs, which has the lowest sugar content per serving)
Sugar-free or low sugar drinks sweetened with honey, monk fruit, or stevia
Ingredients to Avoid in Snack Food
Many snack foods available today are high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, which are not only bad for teeth but can make you feel sluggish, unsatisfied, and hungrier faster. Between extending the time youâre exposing your teeth to these cavity-causing ingredients and increasing your craving for more of those foods, bad snacking can create a fast spiral.
Flavor enhancers, preservatives, sweeteners, synthetic colors, and man-made fats and chemicals often hide out in the processed foods we eat. Many of these ingredients are inflammatory and interfere with your bodyâs pH balance (more on how that works here).
Donât forgetâtooth decay and gum disease are both diseases. Itâs easy to think of them as different than an illness elsewhere in the body, but they fall into the same category.
By eating inflammatory, acidic ingredients in food, youâre setting the stage for a body thatâs less able to fight disease (in your mouth or anywhere else).
But which ingredients are actually harmful? What should you look for on a snack label on your next road trip?
The Food Babe has a great list of additives in processed foods that I (mostly) agree are great to avoid. Check out her full list here.
Best High-Protein Foods On-the-Go
The key is to make sure your healthy snacks on the go are nutritious and contain protein. Protein promotes fullness because it signals the release of appetite-suppressing hormones, slows digestion, and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
Plus, many high-protein snacks are low in ingredients that bad oral bacteria love to feed on.
Here are some high-protein snacks that are healthy and portable:
Beef jerky
Trail mix
Nut mixes
Greek yogurt
Nut butters
Hard-boiled eggs
Tuna
Protein bars
Protein shakes
When You Have a âFlexâ Day on the Road
Itâs unrealistic for most of us to eat âperfectlyâ 100% of the timeânot just because there are so many different versions of âperfectâ when it comes to food.
To protect your teeth from decay, here are a few ways you can offset the impact of sugary or processed sweets on your next trip:
Drink a lot of water. Water creates a buffer between your teeth and bacteria-friendly foods, so make the extra bathroom stops and opt for more water.
Try dry brushing. Toothpaste isnât actually as big a deal as you might think. You can disorganize your biofilm just as efficiently by dry brushingâjust using a toothbrush without paste. Itâs a great idea to keep a travel brush in your glove box or purse for times when you need an extra brush away from your sink.
Eat âflexâ foods in small spurts. The amount of time sugar and other acidic ingredients are exposed to your teeth is an important element in cavity formation. If youâre going to treat yourself with a less healthy snack option, donât snack for hours; eat or drink your treat quickly and then buffer with water.
Plan when to âflexâ and stick to your plan. Just because the occasional sugary snack probably wonât kill you isnât a reason to toss your healthy diet altogether. Plan ahead when youâll have a âflexâ snack or meal, and stick to what you decide.
Key Takeaways: Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks On the Go
Itâs easy to go for the convenient, less-healthy option when youâre looking for snacks on the go. However, there are options for eating healthy snacks on the go that wonât contribute to cavities.
My top tips for eating healthy while traveling are:
Plan ahead
Check Yelp for healthy options in the area
Hack convenience store eating
Choose better drinks
After my experience with the inaccessibility of healthy food on the go, I set out to make a change. Thatâs why I created ESSTAR, which supplies convenience stores with kiosks called âKristaâs Healthy On-the-Go.â I carefully choose products for those shelves that have recognizable, limited ingredient lists and that promote better health for your teeth and body.
Want to know if a gas station on your route has a Kristaâs Healthy-on-the-Go station? Go to esstar.us, where you can find our locations with organic, gluten-free, vegan, paleo and allergen-free snacks.
If you would like to see healthy snack options in a store near you, please feel free to go to ESSTARâs website and suggest a location.
read next: Vitamin K2 Foods: Top Choices for Healthy Teeth
The post Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks on the Go (4 Tips) appeared first on Ask the Dentist.
from Ask the Dentist https://askthedentist.com/healthy-snacks-on-the-go/
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Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks on the Go (4 Tips)
Disclosure:
Ask the Dentist is supported by readers. If you use one of the links below and buy something, Ask the Dentist makes a little bit of money at no additional cost to you. I rigorously research, test, and use thousands of products every year, but recommend only a small fraction of these. I only promote products that I truly feel will be valuable to you in improving your oral health.
Whether itâs the work commute, driving back and forth to see a loved one in the hospital, or just a vacation drive, finding healthy snacks on the go can be a challenge. A few weeks of cavity-causing snacks could result in a lot of havoc for your teethâincluding newly sensitive teeth.
Fortunately, there are more tooth-friendly options for on-the-go snacking than you might think. And if a new snacking habit has resulted in some tooth sensitivity, this article can help you locate the possible culprit.
Letâs look at the best way to keep your teeth strong and cavity-free, even on the road. But first, Iâd like to share with you the moment I realized how important this was in my own life.
Kristaâs Story
During many dental visits in the past, my dentist kindly warned me I was eating too much sugar and foods that werenât good for my dental and overall health. (Basically, I was wrecking my oral microbiomeâŚmore on why that matters here.)
It wasnât until 2009 when the doctor explained to me what was going on that I began to take my health seriously.
âKrista, you have maybe three months to liveâthe cancer is growing rapidly and if you donât do something, you may be out of time.â
In that moment, I knew I needed to put up a fight and make some serious changes. I began seeing a nutritionist to expand my knowledge on plant-based nutrition and how to change my diet and support my fight against cancer.
But with a life full of hospital trips, I struggled to find healthy snacks on the go readily available. Many times, I found myself circling gas stations and convenience stores and walking out empty handed. Besides a bottle of water or an over-salted pack of almonds, I would go hungry instead of opting for something unhealthy.
The lack of access to healthy foods began to eat at me. As someone fighting a life-threatening disease at the time, it seemed impossible to stay healthy while on the go. I was forced to pack food with me, and many months I found my pantry bare because of the overwhelming hospital bills eating at my savings account.
Suffice it to say that this was an impossible situation to be in while fighting for my life.
I couldnât help but think of all of the other people in the U.S. struggling with the same problem.
After winning my battle with cancer, I decided to do something about it. I launched a company called ESSTAR and âKristaâs Healthy On The Goâ kiosks that sell healthy snack foods. I now focus on making food available in gas stations, convenience stores, hospitals, colleges and cafeterias across the U.Sâsome of the places where good nutrition is most needed and most ignored. (Read more about this âfood desertâ dilemma here and my cancer recovery story here.)
Fighting cancer or not, most of us are on-the-go all the time. But you donât have to sacrifice healthy teeth for being busy! From cancer recovery to entrepreneurship, Iâve been busy the last several years. These experiences have led me to these four tips for preventing cavitiesâand staying healthy in general.
4 Tips for Healthy Snacks on the Go
Snacking on the road is problematic when it comes to dental health because teeth need a chance to remineralize. If youâre munching on sweets, sipping soda, and foregoing good brushing habits (because who hasnât done that on vacation?), cavities can quickly form.
Find yourself struggling to find healthy snacks on the go? Here are some tips:
1. Plan Ahead
Take a few minutes to prepare before you leave the house. When youâve got baggies full of healthy snacks, you can cut down on the temptation to satiate your hunger with processed, sugar-rich foods.
When thinking of snacks on the road, consider things that wonât get mushy or that need to stay fresh or refrigerated.
Some of my favorite healthy snacks to pack that are great for your teeth include:
Fresh fruit: Try blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and raspberries. The water in fresh fruit makes them a tooth-friendly choice. But watch out for dried fruitâsugars in dry fruit are really concentrated and can stick to teeth just like candy.
Veggie slices: Some of the best are carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, or cherry tomatoes. Many grocery stores offer pre-sliced veggies or packs of cherry tomatoes or sugar snap peas that are simple and portable.
Nuts: My favorites are almonds, cashews, or pecans. Nuts make a great buffer for sugar sticking to your teeth, so if youâre going to splurge a little with a candy bar, for instance, make sure to eat nuts, too.
Healthy trail mix: Avoid the dried fruit; itâs full of sugar!
Homemade kale chips:Â These are one of my favorite healthy snacks on the go. Theyâve got everything you need for great nutritionâa super food, healthy fat, and portability!
Pro tip: To make a really great trail mix that your teeth will love, use the following ingredients:
Almonds
Cashews
Chocolate chips (I love this brand because they donât use processed sugar to sweeten)
Pumpkin seeds
Dried coconut
If youâve never tried this trail mix, you should. Itâll make you forget youâre eating healthy!
2. Check Yelp
The Yelp app has saved the day for me many times while looking for healthy snacks on the go. While traveling, I use it to locate a local juice or smoothie bar, health food store, or similar establishment. Itâs fascinating to discover the creations of local artisans, and Iâm often pleasantly surprised with the healthy options available in even smaller towns.
Hereâs an easy way to find great, tooth-friendly food nearby. Just open the Yelp app and search for âhealthy foodâ and then click the âOpen Nowâ option. Voila! Youâll be able to see open restaurants advertised as healthy fare.
3. Hack Convenience Store Eating
Look for the cooler! This is where youâll find things like:
Yogurt (watch for the sugar count here, but many yogurts are good probiotic foods)
Salads
Hard-boiled eggs (bonus points for vitamin K2-rich, grass-fed eggs)
String cheese
Fruit cups
Vegetable trays
Seaweed packs (yes, this sounds weird, but theyâre actually delicious!)
Not everything in the coolers will be healthy, but many of the healthy options are found there.
If youâre fortunate enough to be in a gas station with a âhealthyâ section, that can be a great place to check out, too. Some of the better gas station snacks outside the cooler are:
Beef jerky (without soy and added sugar)
Protein bars low in sugar content
Sugar-free gum (the xylitol here is actually great for remineralizing teeth)
4. Choose Better Drinks
Instead of soda or sugar-packed juices or sweet teas, try to find something less acidic and sugar-filled. I generally advise avoiding diet drinks, although these are technically sugar-free.
Some of my favorite healthy drinks from gas stations include:
Bottled water
Unsweetened tea
Sparkling/mineral water (like La Croix, Deer Park Sparkling Water, and Topo Chico)
Kombucha (I like GTâs, which has the lowest sugar content per serving)
Sugar-free or low sugar drinks sweetened with honey, monk fruit, or stevia
Ingredients to Avoid in Snack Food
Many snack foods available today are high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, which are not only bad for teeth but can make you feel sluggish, unsatisfied, and hungrier faster. Between extending the time youâre exposing your teeth to these cavity-causing ingredients and increasing your craving for more of those foods, bad snacking can create a fast spiral.
Flavor enhancers, preservatives, sweeteners, synthetic colors, and man-made fats and chemicals often hide out in the processed foods we eat. Many of these ingredients are inflammatory and interfere with your bodyâs pH balance (more on how that works here).
Donât forgetâtooth decay and gum disease are both diseases. Itâs easy to think of them as different than an illness elsewhere in the body, but they fall into the same category.
By eating inflammatory, acidic ingredients in food, youâre setting the stage for a body thatâs less able to fight disease (in your mouth or anywhere else).
But which ingredients are actually harmful? What should you look for on a snack label on your next road trip?
The Food Babe has a great list of additives in processed foods that I (mostly) agree are great to avoid. Check out her full list here.
Best High-Protein Foods On-the-Go
The key is to make sure your healthy snacks on the go are nutritious and contain protein. Protein promotes fullness because it signals the release of appetite-suppressing hormones, slows digestion, and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
Plus, many high-protein snacks are low in ingredients that bad oral bacteria love to feed on.
Here are some high-protein snacks that are healthy and portable:
Beef jerky
Trail mix
Nut mixes
Greek yogurt
Nut butters
Hard-boiled eggs
Tuna
Protein bars
Protein shakes
When You Have a âFlexâ Day on the Road
Itâs unrealistic for most of us to eat âperfectlyâ 100% of the timeânot just because there are so many different versions of âperfectâ when it comes to food.
To protect your teeth from decay, here are a few ways you can offset the impact of sugary or processed sweets on your next trip:
Drink a lot of water. Water creates a buffer between your teeth and bacteria-friendly foods, so make the extra bathroom stops and opt for more water.
Try dry brushing. Toothpaste isnât actually as big a deal as you might think. You can disorganize your biofilm just as efficiently by dry brushingâjust using a toothbrush without paste. Itâs a great idea to keep a travel brush in your glove box or purse for times when you need an extra brush away from your sink.
Eat âflexâ foods in small spurts. The amount of time sugar and other acidic ingredients are exposed to your teeth is an important element in cavity formation. If youâre going to treat yourself with a less healthy snack option, donât snack for hours; eat or drink your treat quickly and then buffer with water.
Plan when to âflexâ and stick to your plan. Just because the occasional sugary snack probably wonât kill you isnât a reason to toss your healthy diet altogether. Plan ahead when youâll have a âflexâ snack or meal, and stick to what you decide.
Key Takeaways: Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks On the Go
Itâs easy to go for the convenient, less-healthy option when youâre looking for snacks on the go. However, there are options for eating healthy snacks on the go that wonât contribute to cavities.
My top tips for eating healthy while traveling are:
Plan ahead
Check Yelp for healthy options in the area
Hack convenience store eating
Choose better drinks
After my experience with the inaccessibility of healthy food on the go, I set out to make a change. Thatâs why I created ESSTAR, which supplies convenience stores with kiosks called âKristaâs Healthy On-the-Go.â I carefully choose products for those shelves that have recognizable, limited ingredient lists and that promote better health for your teeth and body.
Want to know if a gas station on your route has a Kristaâs Healthy-on-the-Go station? Go to esstar.us, where you can find our locations with organic, gluten-free, vegan, paleo and allergen-free snacks.
If you would like to see healthy snack options in a store near you, please feel free to go to ESSTARâs website and suggest a location.
read next: Vitamin K2 Foods: Top Choices for Healthy Teeth
The post Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks on the Go (4 Tips) appeared first on Ask the Dentist.
Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks on the Go (4 Tips) published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/
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Polyphasic Sleep
(This info used to be on the front page; moving it over here to clean up a bit and make room for more stuff! :))
I've been polyphasic for many years now, and back in 2001, I was one of the first people (ok, to the best of my knowledge, actually THE first, which is weird) to write online about sleeping on a polyphasic schedule long-term. Â
I've been experimenting with it since, talking with everyone I can about it, helping people through adapting / switching sleep schedules, and have collected a ton of information over the years on my experiences (see the huge list of articles below), as well as organizing it all into a handy and inexpensive book that's still, in its second edition, the first real manual for switching to and living on polyphasic schedules. Pretty neat, if I do say so myself!
I've helped a lot of people with choosing and adapting to a polyphasic sleep-schedule (it's not easy, especially with the very strict ones â those are rather like switching to a strict diet, only with sleep).  I continue to offer my help as much as I can, through the Slack channel, and by offering private consultations to those who want extra help.  (EDIT: I take breaks from this when my other work is busy, including right now. If you really need help, reach out and I'll probably help, but I've taken down these links for now because *swizamped*)Â
But I'm not interested in building a cult of personality on it. I also find that I disagree with a lot of what other people â most of whom have not actually slept polyphasically for any length of time â want to conclude about it, especially when they're specifically aiming to sell it or put their name on it. Â
(NOTE THO:  When it comes to taking credit for polyphasic sleepâŚ*Most* humans were polyphasic for ages, and much of the world still is â sleeping less at night and napping regularly is "news" to, like, the industrialized modern world and nobody else, lol.  And if anybody gets credit for experimenting with being polyphasic as a modern lifestyle choice, it's the scientist Buckminster Fuller, who died in the 80's and was on Uberman/Dymaxion for at least two consecutive years, documented and seen by doctors, so everybody can just sit / calm down now.  You're not the prophet of this, and neither am I. :))
THE MAJOR LINKS
The Puredoxyk.com blog archives (or just the polyphasic category) â tons of short articles; use the search function to narrow in on a specific question
How to research polyphasic sleep! Tips for finding good information
The Book I wrote (Ubersleep: Nap-Based Sleep Schedules and the Polyphasic Lifestyle â use this link to go straight to it (and its five stars, woo!) on Amazon).  It has a ton of info on polyphasic sleep â just like the blog, but organized :) â as well as a complete how-to for planning and adapting to a different sleep schedule. Â
The Slack Channel (click the link to sign up) where you can chat with, get advice from, make friends with, and help other adapters and long-term polphasic sleepers. Â Come on in!
A way to pay me for personalized help if you need it (but do look at the book first, it's cheaper and has most of the information you probably want :))
WHY IS IT SO GREAT? Â WILL IT WORK FOR ME? Â (A brief explanation)
Polyphasic (multi-times-per-day) sleep is the one of the top-three best things I've ever stumbled on to improve my life.  (Hacking self-esteem is a close second.)  I've been polyphasic for most of the last decade, and I'll never willingly go back to sleeping in one chunk at night.  (I might be forced to, since being polyphasic requires being able to nap during the day, and there are certainly jobs and circumstances that make that impossible.  I hate those and avoid them at all costs now, though â being well-rested is so important.) Â
I'm *much* more rested on my nap-based schedules, and I need half as much sleep as I did before.  Half or less, actually.
Which may sound wild or impossible, but keep in mind two things:
A) Everybody is different, and different things work for different people (at different times in their lives, even).  Some of us love being vegan; others can't abide it.  It's important to recognize that you and everybody else need a sleep schedule and sleep habits that work for you, individually.
B) Polyphasic sleep is common among animals, including almost all primates!  Monophasic sleep became normal for humans in recent centuries.  So it's not even a LITTLE true that monophasic sleep is the "only" healthy way to go for everybody, especially as people's lives change drastically yet again, in post-Internet times.
It's possible to learn new ways to sleep. We teach babies to be monophasic, remember, and it doesn't kill them.  Switching schedules can make you cranky and tired while you adjust, but at long as you're consistent about it, and the schedule works for you, you *will* adjust to it.  (That part is backed up by some science.)
What isn't possible, I think, is for one schedule to work for everyone. We each have different sleep needs, but I think we can all agree that whatever they are, it's SO important for each of us to get enough rest!  I DO NOT ADVOCATE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP â which includes being "technically on" an 8-hour-per-night schedule and then not sleeping enough â I'm looking at you, modern person. The key, the key to *so much* life-improvement, is to be and feel rested.  I am more rested now, on a total of 4 hours' sleep per day, than I ever was trying (and usually failing) to sleep 8 hours per night.  It takes some work, but it's absolutely possible â and if you're intersted in learning more, I can probably help you out.
This website contains a huge amount of info on polyphasic sleep, collected over my years (wow, decades actually) of experimentation with different schedules, and of helping people find and adapt to schedules that work for them.  I've tried to organize it, and been, I think, moderately successful.  :PÂ
I AM NOT TRYING TO SELL YOU (anyone) ON A SLEEP SCHEDULE.  The only thing I believe in strongly enough to sell it is that everyone has the right to find and sleep on a schedule that works and makes them rested, just like everyone has the right to decide to be vegetarian if they want to and that works for them.  That's important to me. Â
ARTICLES TO START WITH
There's a lot on this site, so here's a list I've been keeping of main/major/useful-for-beginners things I've written about polyphasic sleep.  Some of them are pretty old!  But do feel free to leave a comment or shoot me a message anytime, if you have questions.
Here's my Overview on polyphasic sleep, what it is and my history with it.Â
Charts of Types of Polyphasic Schedules will teach you the difference between the different known-to-work schedules, as well as some theoretical schedules that seem like they ought to work.
If you're under 18 (or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction), then please read Polyphasic Sleep & The Age of Majority before deciding whether to try it yet.
The most updated description of my current schedule, and my goals for the ongoing experiment, is here (though I'm not great about updating this often, and you should read the latest posts for the most current information).
Polyphasic Sleep and Sex â because you know you were wondering. ;)
If you're thinking about becoming polyphasic, definitely read the 10 reasons you should NOT be polyphasic, and Am I Too [X] to Try Polyphasic Sleep too.
Here's an answer to the popular question "Does adapting to polyphasic sleep hurt your performance?"
Read the Six Month & One Year on Everyman posts here â the Six Month one has a really good breakdown of what's different between polyphasic & monophasic lifestyles, as well as the differences from when I did Uberman for the same length of time.
Hibernation: The Agony & The Ecstasy is a post about what it's like to sleep "all night" from a polyphasic perspective; there's also My Week of Monophasic Hell, which is the report of my attempt to "switch back" to regular sleeping. I went monophasic one more time recently (September 2011) and decided that YOU ALL MUST NEVER LET ME DO THAT AGAIN â see the post titled POLYPHASIC UBER ALLES for that.
If you're adjusting to a polyphasic schedule, you definitely want to read Things you can do to Avoid Oversleeping and Tricks to Avoid Oversleeping. Also my PSA: These Are NOT Good Ideas While Sleep-Deprived!; and if you're having trouble, read Fantastic Advice for Troubled Polyphasers.
There was, early on, a pretty serious attempt to attack the viability of polyphasic sleep â read about it, and my response to it, in "an attack on polyphasic sleep". There have been many follow-ups, but this discussion is one of the best, IMO. (There has been speculation that "a reader" who started this discussion may have actually been Dr. Wozniak, but as there's no proof either way you'll have to judge for yourself.)
The unbearable lightness of falling asleep is a post about napping, which involves a learning curve for most people â if you're in that curve, this post may help you as well:  Canât Fall Asleep for a nap? Try This.
Some more miscellaneous posts of interest:Â Some new Polyphasic Questions, answered;Â Â The How and the When (good stuff for polyphasers);Â Â Schedule Hacks â The Five-Hour Swap;Â Sleep Drugs?;Â Is âCrazyphasicâ the same as âFree-Running Sleepâ?
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The A-Z Book Tag
I haven't done a tag in a few months and I saw this tag on Sammy Etc., and I really wanted to do this one for myself as I'm a huge book worm. Like a lot of book lovers that I have seen, I have more books than I've read and every one of them I plan on reading. But before I finish reading one book, I end up purchasing like five more in preparation. So let's jump into my answers for the A-Z Book Tag.
A â Author youâve read the most books from
Considering The Series of Unfortunate Events has 13 books in the series, I would have to say Lemony Snicket. Though The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith ranks very close behind, and soon will surplus when I actually finish the series.
B â Best sequel ever
Though it's not technically a sequel, I have to go with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as this book actually got me into the Harry Potter series.
C â Currently reading
Girl Online by Zoe Sugg.
D â Drink of choice while reading
I love having hot chocolate with a bit of cinnamon and whip cream when I'm reading books.
E â E-Reader or Physical books
I don't prefer one over the other. I love and use both equally. Though I'm probably going to switch to just being an e-reader soon as I just don't have room for all the physical books especially after I move.
F â Fictional character you would have dated in High School
Considering I was obsessed with vampire books in high school, I have to go with Stefan Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries. Though in the television show I prefer Damon, we are talking about books so I have to go with Stefan.
G â Glad you gave this book a chance
Weirdly enough, I have to go with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I tried to get into the series five times and could not make it past the first two chapters. Then in high school working in an arcade I forced myself to try reading it one more time and now the series is seriously one of my favorites.
H â Hidden gem book
I don't know what book would fall in this category so I'm just going to leave it blank.
I â Important moment in your reading life
Reading the Chronicles of Narnia has to be the most important moment in my reading life. As I went from royally hating to read to absolutely loving it. Teachers and my parents had to force me to read, and I couldnât stand it. And I didn't get into the Chronicles of Narnia right away until I re-picked it up two years after it was assigned in school and fell in love. After that I read ahead in classes and got very invested in reading. This also changed my grammar/spelling from needing extra help and have to be in a separate class to excelling in regular class. Though spelling is still not my absolute strong suit.
J â Just finished readingâŚ
The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz.
K â Kinds of books you wonât read
Horror books. I love horror movies but I will not read the books. I get way more invested in books then movies and my mind makes them 50 times scarier than in movies. So I avoid reading that genre. I learned that the hard way from Scary Stories to Read in the Dark. Never again!
L â Longest book youâve read
Either Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (759) or Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (756). They basically have the same length. Though I much preferred the Deathly Hallows.
M â Major book hangover because ofâŚ
The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. This book may have a lot of pages but not all of them are completely filled. They all leave you with information overload and just a weird feeling crawling up your back. It just is a really weird book and almost impossible to describe without giving away the entire plot. I couldn't put the book down but yeah I had a major book hangover after reading that.
N â Number of book cases you own
I have five bookcases but don't have my books filling all of them. When I move I'm going to combine them all down to three then get rid of or use the other two for something else. Some books will be donated as well so they might actually go down to two by the time I move. Some books I just can't part ways with.
O â One book youâve read multiple times
Though I hate to admit it, the only book I've seriously re-read multiple times is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer when I was in high school. Others I've re-read segments of them when I wanted to revisit something but Twilight I read over and over again. And was obsessed with everything Twilight in Junior high to high school then left it in the past.
P â Preferred place to read
Curled up in an oversized chair covered in a fuzzy blanket.
Q â Quote that inspires you / gives you the âfeelsâ
"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love" - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
R â Reading regret
Reading 50 Shades of Grey, granted when I read the book it was still a fan-fiction. Still WORST BOOK EVER!
S â Series you started, but need to finish
There are a lot of series that I need to finish, but the ones that have completed that I have all the books for but for some reason never completed are the following: House of Night Series, Vampire Academy, and The Vampire Diaries. Each of these I only have the last two to four books to read and yes they are all vampire related.
T â Three of your all-time favorite books
I'm going to change this one to series as I think that more fits my reading style (These are not in any order as I love them equally):
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter
Series of Unfortunate Events
U â Unapologetic fangirl forâŚ
The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Don't make me choose between them.
V â Very excited for this release more than any others
Thereâs honestly nothing Iâm really excited about reading! I donât really follow authors and just enjoy reading whatever I find when I see it at the book store or pop up on my Amazon feed.
W â Worst habit
Skim reading. I then have no idea whatâs going on and have to go back a few pages and re-read. 'Cause sometimes I read way too fast that I miss half the information as it turns out I was skim reading by mistake.
X - X Marks the Spot: the 27th book on your shelf.
Metamorphoses by Ovid.
Y â Your latest book purchase
A Million Junes by Emily Henry.
Z â Zzzz snatcher â book that kept you up way too late
Considering this book drove me insane and I couldn't put it down or force myself to go to sleep after reading it. I would have to go with House of Leaves.
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Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks on the Go (4 Tips)
Disclosure:
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Whether itâs the work commute, driving back and forth to see a loved one in the hospital, or just a vacation drive, finding healthy snacks on the go can be a challenge. A few weeks of cavity-causing snacks could result in a lot of havoc for your teethâincluding newly sensitive teeth.
Fortunately, there are more tooth-friendly options for on-the-go snacking than you might think. And if a new snacking habit has resulted in some tooth sensitivity, this article can help you locate the possible culprit.
Letâs look at the best way to keep your teeth strong and cavity-free, even on the road. But first, Iâd like to share with you the moment I realized how important this was in my own life.
Kristaâs Story
During many dental visits in the past, my dentist kindly warned me I was eating too much sugar and foods that werenât good for my dental and overall health. (Basically, I was wrecking my oral microbiomeâŚmore on why that matters here.)
It wasnât until 2009 when the doctor explained to me what was going on that I began to take my health seriously.
âKrista, you have maybe three months to liveâthe cancer is growing rapidly and if you donât do something, you may be out of time.â
In that moment, I knew I needed to put up a fight and make some serious changes. I began seeing a nutritionist to expand my knowledge on plant-based nutrition and how to change my diet and support my fight against cancer.
But with a life full of hospital trips, I struggled to find healthy snacks on the go readily available. Many times, I found myself circling gas stations and convenience stores and walking out empty handed. Besides a bottle of water or an over-salted pack of almonds, I would go hungry instead of opting for something unhealthy.
The lack of access to healthy foods began to eat at me. As someone fighting a life-threatening disease at the time, it seemed impossible to stay healthy while on the go. I was forced to pack food with me, and many months I found my pantry bare because of the overwhelming hospital bills eating at my savings account.
Suffice it to say that this was an impossible situation to be in while fighting for my life.
I couldnât help but think of all of the other people in the U.S. struggling with the same problem.
After winning my battle with cancer, I decided to do something about it. I launched a company called ESSTAR and âKristaâs Healthy On The Goâ kiosks that sell healthy snack foods. I now focus on making food available in gas stations, convenience stores, hospitals, colleges and cafeterias across the U.Sâsome of the places where good nutrition is most needed and most ignored. (Read more about this âfood desertâ dilemma here and my cancer recovery story here.)
Fighting cancer or not, most of us are on-the-go all the time. But you donât have to sacrifice healthy teeth for being busy! From cancer recovery to entrepreneurship, Iâve been busy the last several years. These experiences have led me to these four tips for preventing cavitiesâand staying healthy in general.
4 Tips for Healthy Snacks on the Go
Snacking on the road is problematic when it comes to dental health because teeth need a chance to remineralize. If youâre munching on sweets, sipping soda, and foregoing good brushing habits (because who hasnât done that on vacation?), cavities can quickly form.
Find yourself struggling to find healthy snacks on the go? Here are some tips:
1. Plan Ahead
Take a few minutes to prepare before you leave the house. When youâve got baggies full of healthy snacks, you can cut down on the temptation to satiate your hunger with processed, sugar-rich foods.
When thinking of snacks on the road, consider things that wonât get mushy or that need to stay fresh or refrigerated.
Some of my favorite healthy snacks to pack that are great for your teeth include:
Fresh fruit: Try blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and raspberries. The water in fresh fruit makes them a tooth-friendly choice. But watch out for dried fruitâsugars in dry fruit are really concentrated and can stick to teeth just like candy.
Veggie slices: Some of the best are carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, or cherry tomatoes. Many grocery stores offer pre-sliced veggies or packs of cherry tomatoes or sugar snap peas that are simple and portable.
Nuts: My favorites are almonds, cashews, or pecans. Nuts make a great buffer for sugar sticking to your teeth, so if youâre going to splurge a little with a candy bar, for instance, make sure to eat nuts, too.
Healthy trail mix: Avoid the dried fruit; itâs full of sugar!
Homemade kale chips:Â These are one of my favorite healthy snacks on the go. Theyâve got everything you need for great nutritionâa super food, healthy fat, and portability!
Pro tip: To make a really great trail mix that your teeth will love, use the following ingredients:
Almonds
Cashews
Chocolate chips (I love this brand because they donât use processed sugar to sweeten)
Pumpkin seeds
Dried coconut
If youâve never tried this trail mix, you should. Itâll make you forget youâre eating healthy!
2. Check Yelp
The Yelp app has saved the day for me many times while looking for healthy snacks on the go. While traveling, I use it to locate a local juice or smoothie bar, health food store, or similar establishment. Itâs fascinating to discover the creations of local artisans, and Iâm often pleasantly surprised with the healthy options available in even smaller towns.
Hereâs an easy way to find great, tooth-friendly food nearby. Just open the Yelp app and search for âhealthy foodâ and then click the âOpen Nowâ option. Voila! Youâll be able to see open restaurants advertised as healthy fare.
3. Hack Convenience Store Eating
Look for the cooler! This is where youâll find things like:
Yogurt (watch for the sugar count here, but many yogurts are good probiotic foods)
Salads
Hard-boiled eggs (bonus points for vitamin K2-rich, grass-fed eggs)
String cheese
Fruit cups
Vegetable trays
Seaweed packs (yes, this sounds weird, but theyâre actually delicious!)
Not everything in the coolers will be healthy, but many of the healthy options are found there.
If youâre fortunate enough to be in a gas station with a âhealthyâ section, that can be a great place to check out, too. Some of the better gas station snacks outside the cooler are:
Beef jerky (without soy and added sugar)
Protein bars low in sugar content
Sugar-free gum (the xylitol here is actually great for remineralizing teeth)
4. Choose Better Drinks
Instead of soda or sugar-packed juices or sweet teas, try to find something less acidic and sugar-filled. I generally advise avoiding diet drinks, although these are technically sugar-free.
Some of my favorite healthy drinks from gas stations include:
Bottled water
Unsweetened tea
Sparkling/mineral water (like La Croix, Deer Park Sparkling Water, and Topo Chico)
Kombucha (I like GTâs, which has the lowest sugar content per serving)
Sugar-free or low sugar drinks sweetened with honey, monk fruit, or stevia
Ingredients to Avoid in Snack Food
Many snack foods available today are high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, which are not only bad for teeth but can make you feel sluggish, unsatisfied, and hungrier faster. Between extending the time youâre exposing your teeth to these cavity-causing ingredients and increasing your craving for more of those foods, bad snacking can create a fast spiral.
Flavor enhancers, preservatives, sweeteners, synthetic colors, and man-made fats and chemicals often hide out in the processed foods we eat. Many of these ingredients are inflammatory and interfere with your bodyâs pH balance (more on how that works here).
Donât forgetâtooth decay and gum disease are both diseases. Itâs easy to think of them as different than an illness elsewhere in the body, but they fall into the same category.
By eating inflammatory, acidic ingredients in food, youâre setting the stage for a body thatâs less able to fight disease (in your mouth or anywhere else).
But which ingredients are actually harmful? What should you look for on a snack label on your next road trip?
The Food Babe has a great list of additives in processed foods that I (mostly) agree are great to avoid. Check out her full list here.
Best High-Protein Foods On-the-Go
The key is to make sure your healthy snacks on the go are nutritious and contain protein. Protein promotes fullness because it signals the release of appetite-suppressing hormones, slows digestion, and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
Plus, many high-protein snacks are low in ingredients that bad oral bacteria love to feed on.
Here are some high-protein snacks that are healthy and portable:
Beef jerky
Trail mix
Nut mixes
Greek yogurt
Nut butters
Hard-boiled eggs
Tuna
Protein bars
Protein shakes
When You Have a âFlexâ Day on the Road
Itâs unrealistic for most of us to eat âperfectlyâ 100% of the timeânot just because there are so many different versions of âperfectâ when it comes to food.
To protect your teeth from decay, here are a few ways you can offset the impact of sugary or processed sweets on your next trip:
Drink a lot of water. Water creates a buffer between your teeth and bacteria-friendly foods, so make the extra bathroom stops and opt for more water.
Try dry brushing. Toothpaste isnât actually as big a deal as you might think. You can disorganize your biofilm just as efficiently by dry brushingâjust using a toothbrush without paste. Itâs a great idea to keep a travel brush in your glove box or purse for times when you need an extra brush away from your sink.
Eat âflexâ foods in small spurts. The amount of time sugar and other acidic ingredients are exposed to your teeth is an important element in cavity formation. If youâre going to treat yourself with a less healthy snack option, donât snack for hours; eat or drink your treat quickly and then buffer with water.
Plan when to âflexâ and stick to your plan. Just because the occasional sugary snack probably wonât kill you isnât a reason to toss your healthy diet altogether. Plan ahead when youâll have a âflexâ snack or meal, and stick to what you decide.
Key Takeaways: Tooth-Friendly, Healthy Snacks On the Go
Itâs easy to go for the convenient, less-healthy option when youâre looking for snacks on the go. However, there are options for eating healthy snacks on the go that wonât contribute to cavities.
My top tips for eating healthy while traveling are:
Plan ahead
Check Yelp for healthy options in the area
Hack convenience store eating
Choose better drinks
After my experience with the inaccessibility of healthy food on the go, I set out to make a change. Thatâs why I created ESSTAR, which supplies convenience stores with kiosks called âKristaâs Healthy On-the-Go.â I carefully choose products for those shelves that have recognizable, limited ingredient lists and that promote better health for your teeth and body.
Want to know if a gas station on your route has a Kristaâs Healthy-on-the-Go station? Go to esstar.us, where you can find our locations with organic, gluten-free, vegan, paleo and allergen-free snacks.
If you would like to see healthy snack options in a store near you, please feel free to go to ESSTARâs website and suggest a location.
read next: Vitamin K2 Foods: Top Choices for Healthy Teeth
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