#i took like a hundred photos at the aquarium

[rustbeltjessie]

May 15: Chicago trip, part two—Shedd Aquarium.

Stingrays. (We got to pet 'em! We also got to pet sea stars and sturgeons, but I didn't get pictures.)

Moon Jellies.

Sea stars.

Potbellied seahorses.

It wasn't a rock—it was a Rock Lobster!

Weedy seadragons, my beloveds.

Turtles (tortoises?).

[tkwrites]

The Invitation - Jack Hughes x platonic ofc

Photo from Pinterest

Title: The Invitation

Author: Tory / @tkwrites 

Relationship: Pre-established in the Snapshots Series - Platonic Jack Hughes x  Quinn’s GF Sarah Roberts  

Warnings: None

Summary: Jack extends Sarah an olive branch 

Word count: 625

Comments: Just a little blurb to set up some more off-season adventures. 

The Invitation

A Quinn & Sarah Snapshot

A week and a half after Quinn left for Michigan, while walking to the train station from the aquarium, Sarah’s arms felt like lead.

They were moving labs, and despite “going paperless,” they still had hundreds of files she had to box up, move, scan, and hopefully shred - if Dr. Forrest would allow them to actually go paperless. She almost told him he could keep all these damn papers at home if he wanted the backups so bad. If she knew she wouldn’t be the one moving them, she would have.

Her phone trilled, and she was so thankful for the airpods Quinn had given her. Digging her phone from the depths of her bag felt like too much of a burden. 

Siri informed her, “Michigan,” was calling. 

Dread flooded her limbs, and she stopped dead on the sidewalk, making the crowd part to walk around her. 

“Call from: Michigan,” Siri said again. 

Taking a steadying breath, Sarah tapped her right earphone to answer the call, “Hello?” 

“Hey, Sarah?” 

Recognizing the voice only calmed her racing heart by a tick. 

“Hey, Jack. Is everything okay?” 

He seemed surprised by her concern, “yeah, everything’s fine.” 

Sighing, she began walking again. “You’ve never called me before, so I thought Q was hurt or something.” 

“Oh,” Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. He hadn’t thought about how she would interpret him calling. He hated talking on the phone. 

“What’s up?” 

“Oh, um…” 

Good god, what was he even doing? He had to wait until she was off work to call her, and now, he was in a corner of the bar patio, hoping no one in their group would come looking for him. 

“I was calling you about Hawaii,” he blurted. 

“Oh.” 

“I, uh,” he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “I think it would be good if you could come for part of it. Like, the second week or something?” 

A smile broke over Sarah’s face, “really?” 

“Yeah, I mean Quinn would love it, and my mom keeps talking about all this stuff you know, so it would be good for you to be there part of the time.” 

“That’s really nice. I would love to.” 

Of course she was sweet about it. She was sweet about everything. 

A pause passed over the phone, and Jack heard the city muffled through her headphones. 

“Anyway,” he said after a minute, “I was thinking it could be fun to surprise him. I’m talking to Kylee to surprise Luke, too.” 

“That’s really sweet, Jack.” 

“Don’t sound so shocked,” he admonished. He loved his brothers. If he could make them happy by buying a few plane tickets, he would. 

She laughed, “no, I guess I shouldn’t.” Still, she was surprised to have the kind of consideration that Quinn often talked about directed at her. It was a turning point she hadn’t expected to reach with Jack for a long time. 

“Anyway, I'll buy your ticket. You lived on Kauai, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“We’re doing that the second week. I’ll send you the details.” 

“Okay. Can you send me the dates now so I can request work off?” 

Right. She had to ask about stuff like that. He forgot that most people didn’t have the summer off.

“Yeah. I will. Listen, I have to go, but we’ll talk more.” 

Sarah stepped onto the train, feeling a little out of sync but grateful all the same.

By the time she got back to her apartment, Jack had texted her a set of dates and asked her when she could fly. It was going to be awful to keep it a secret from Quinn for the summer, but it would be fun to surprise him. She’d never seen him surprised. She wondered how he would react. 

Want more Quinn & Sarah? Check out the Snapshots Masterlist

To read all my fics, check out the Fanfiction Masterlist

[margotw10bis]

Crashing On Crush. JJK 5 [m]

crush!Jungkook x reader

Genre: smut; series; romance; angst

Words: 2.5k

Synopsis: What happens when your first encounter with your crush is Jungkook seeing your ass?

Warnings: angst; broken heart; crying

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You enter your apartment, take off your shoes and sit on your couch without turning the lights on, too stunned by what you'd witnessed. There must be an explanation. Maybe you didn't hear well? Or you didn't see well? Maybe Jungkook has a sister? A cousin? It can't be what you think it is, can it? As much as your heart hurts, you try to think straight. Jungkook didn't lie, he didn't use you to cheat, right? Maybe if you weren't this shocked, you'd cry. But your eyes remain dry as you pull off your phone from your pocket.

You open the Instagram app and search for Jungkook's profile. If he has a sister or a cousin this close to him, he would have posted a photo of them together. You pray for having missed it the hundred of times you have checked his profile the past few months. But you go through all the pictures and no sign of this girl. A dragger is thrown to your broken heart but this can't be. You deny the facts.

Okay, let's search for an explanation because there must be one. You call Suzi and she answers the first ring.

"Hi, Y/N, whats up?"

She sounds so cheerful, like a thousand miles from your mood.

"Hi, is Taehyung here?" You ask with a white voice

"Sure" Just by the way she says that, you know your best friend frowns with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to ask him something"

Suzi knows you well enough to not ask questions. She knows you'll tell her when you need.

"Hello?" Tae's deep voice flies to your ear through your phone

"Hi, uhm, I just wanted to know, does Jungkook have a sister? Or a cousin quite the same age?"

"No, he doesn't, why?"

You wish you could find the courage to ask 'does he have a girlfriend?' but you don't. Maybe you don't even want to know. It's better than to have the proof he's been lying to you. But has he really? You never talked about that, he never told you that he was single. However, you both shared something so special after having sex. At least, you thought. What are you doing to do? You don't even have the energy to think and you don't even want to because the stab in your heart, in your soul is too painful.

"Just to know, thanks"

You don't know how you managed to speak with such a dry throat but you hang up quickly to not have to do it again. You stay, in the dark, thinking about nothing for hours.

This only thing that keeps you from going crazy is the little sentence you repeat over and over again in your head: 'This can't be'.

————

The next day, you have decided to put whatever you have seen aside. You are supposed to go to the Lotte aquarium with Jungkook. Maybe you could even ask about the girl during the day and he will tell you that you totally misunderstood the situation, laugh and then give you a rational explanation.

You knock on Jungkook's door at 2pm. You took the time to get ready this morning - it's not like you've slept anyway. However, you couldn't focus enough to be very sophisticated so you just put some jeans, a white t-shirt with a leather jacket on and a pair of Converses. You swipe your sweaty hands on yours jeans, waiting for Jungkook to open the door.

He does, just a few seconds later. You can say he is surprised to see you. And you are surprised too when you see him stepping outside his apartment and closing the door after him, even when he doesn't look like going out with his black sweatpants, oversize grey t-shirt and Nike slippers. This a painful sign that the girl has probably spent the night with him and is still there. You try your best not to wince at the physical pain in your heart.

"Hi, are you ready?" You ask, even if you know the answer but deny is still better than having your heart break, again.

"Hi, Y/N, I'm sorry I forgot to text you. I can't today"

"Oh, maybe we could go another day, then?"

"I don't think so"

You can't help but take a step back, just like if Jungkook has slapped you in the face. Because it does feel like it. Why does he sound so cold when he was so sweet just a few days ago? When he had sex with you?

"I-I thought..." You try to speak your thoughts but they are so all over the place you don't know what to say.

"You thought wrong" His words are as harsh as his tone. "Look, I never said I wanted something serious, sorry if I gave you this impression. It's better if we don't see each other again. You should go"

Just like that, without even giving you a glance, he enters his apartment. You stay in the hallway, speechless. It hurts so fucking bad. Your body, your heart, even your soul. Yesterday, you were ready to tell him that you loved him, and you'd fallen in love with him in just few days because he was so caring. Because of the way he looked at you with his sweet doe eyes. The way he has hugged you after you had sex. The same man who warmed up your heart with so much love has just crashed it down in a million pieces. And each piece seems to have been stabbed with his words.

You don't even know how you went home. But the second you pass the door, your legs fail you and you cry on the floor. This is so much pain because you have never loved someone that much. And the only person who can help you from drowning completely in the darkest soreness is your best friend. You dial her number but you can't speak, your throat hurts too much because of your sobs.

"Y/N?"

By only hearing your cries she already grabs her car keys.

"I'm coming, everything is gonna be okay"She tells you, quite a panic in her voice because you've never cried so much

You hope so, so much that she is right.

————

You stay for hours in Suzi's arms, crying. You can't explain why you're crying because every time you relatively calm down and try to speak a word, the pain is too unbearable and you cry again. You're so tired by the tears shaking your body that you end up falling asleep in your best friend's arms.

You wake up with puffy eyes and you pray you'll have time to make yourself look better before going to work. You already know that it'll take all of your energy to pretend nothing happened when your heart is completely mashed up.

You are sad - even beyond sad - but so angry at the same time. At Jungkook for lying to you and making you hope something. At Suzi and Taehyung for introducing you to him. At you for your stupid crush on him. You wish you'd never seen his picture on Instagram, you'd never clicked on his profile, you'd never talked to him, kissed him and fallen in love with him.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Suzi asks gently while you are struggling with your make-up. "Is this about Jungkook?"

You freeze at the name, a noticeable pain striking your heart and you wish you didn't feel the pain physically.

"Yes, it's about him" You try to focus on the mirror but you feel your eyes filling with water, again. "He-He said he doesn't want to see me anymore"

"What?!"

You look at Suzi in the mirror, she looks angry and... so fucking surprised. You lift a brow in a silence question.

"This guy is so fucking crazy, I don't understand him" She finally says after recovering her voice.

"Tell me about it" You sigh

"No, Y/N, you don't understand. I heard him talking on the phone with Tae. He said he liked you, he wanted to spend time with you... I mean, it doesn't make sense saying that to his best friend and treating you like that"

You wish her words didn't soften your heart because you shouldn't feel anything about Jungkook, even if it's about him liking you. Or pretendedly liking you.

"Well, maybe it's because Tae is your boyfriend and you are my best friend so he said that to not be an ass"

"But he is an ass"

Suzi gets closer to you and hugs you tightly. You close your eyes, appreciating how her love wraps around you just like her fragile arms.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N. You don't deserve that. You are such a great person. I love you, you know that, right?"

"I love you, too Susu"

She kisses your cheeks and wipes a tear from your eye.

You are working more than usual, no taking any break and starting a new task as soon as you finish one. You have to keep yourself busy. It's the only way you'll not cry in front of everyone. That doesn't mean that your colleagues don't notice you look like shit but they are kind enough not to say anything.

You have decided you won't love ever again because it's way too painful. It's okay, you'll have a cat and you are sure Suzi or Jongseob will be kind enough to let you stay at their place when they'll be married with kids. You don't need to be loved, you just need to don't suffer like that ever again because you know you won't survive. You already know the name of the cat: Bam.

"Hi Y/N"

You startle at Namjoon's voice. You were so in your work that you didn't notice him coming at you.

"Hi" Your voice is less strong and cheerful that you hoped

"I was thinking of eating out tonight, do you want to join?" Namjoon kindly asks you.

Honestly, he has noticed how sad you were today and it did make his heart ache. Deep down, he suspects something about the guy who has eaten with you two the other day but he can't be sure and he doesn't want to push you. He is just wishing to cheer you up because yes, Namjoon is a great guy. The kind that won't hug another woman and tell her he loves her the next day after having sex with you.

In your head, an internal struggle takes place. Do you want to have dinner with Namjoon tonight? On the one hand, you know you won't be good company because you are not in a good mood to say the least. Are you selfish enough to accept when you know you will probably deprive him from a good evening after a long day of work? On the other hand, spending time with Namjoon means keeping your mind occupy and keeping your heart - relatively - sound for a few hours before going home and cry out, once again, all the tears from your body.

You decide to give him the choice because it's only fair to him.

"Are you sure? I won't be the funniest friend for the night" You try to joke but fail miserably when your laugh turns out to be more a weird snort

"I'm sure, I'll be funny for two"

You don't know what kind of magic holds Namjoon but he manages to draw a weak smile on your face. Once again, you wonder why you didn't fall in love with him rather than with Jungkook. You wouldn't be heartbroken.

————

When you knocked on his door yesterday, Jungkook was surprised to see you. He completely forgot he was supposed to see you. Well, all his life has been shaken upside down when she came back.

When he moved to Seoul five years ago, he wanted to leave his old life behind. His old demons too. He wanted to be a better man and maybe, just maybe, be happy, just once. Honestly, he thought he could be with you. When Tae just told him about you, he was skeptical: it wasn't the first time his best friend tried to introduce him a woman. But you were different. You are different. He is not going to lie, your first encounter was quite something! He can't deny that when he first saw you - or your ass to be more precise - he found you so hot. But then, when he saw you shy around him, he felt flatted that such a great woman was interested in him. He'd never thought in a billion years that someone this beautiful, funny, smart and kind could want him. But you did.

When he fucked you on his dinner table, it wasn't just sex for him. When you hugged him after you both had reached your highs, he felt loved. He almost cried of how good it felt. So he thought that, maybe if he were lucky enough, one day you could love him like he was starting to love you. He might not have starting things right with you by fucking you on his table but he was willing to rectify it by going on a date and official asking you to be his girlfriend. His first real girlfriend. He was so stressed you would say no but you were worth at least trying.

But then, she came back.

Jungkook just wanted to see Tae and ask for advice for your date. She was waiting outside his building. He was so fucking surprised to see her. He hadn't see her in years. The last time was in Busan, before he moved to Seoul to start his new life. She asked for his help. What was he supposed to do? She was his best friend. At least, she used to be. He had left her once, he couldn't do it again. Maybe it was fate: just a reminder that he wasn't good enough for you and that he'll never be. You didn't know him, you didn't know what he had done. It was better to stop everything now before you break his heart when he'd tell you about his past because there was no way you'd want him if you knew.

It was so hard and so painful to talk to you like that. To lie by saying he didn't want to see you again and that you misunderstood the signs because you were fucking right. He wanted to be with you. The pain in your eyes was unbearable, he almost told you that it was all a lie and hugged you tight to ease the pain he caused you. That's why he didn't look at you. If he had, he knew he would have given up all his good resolutions and it was too selfish. He hold on on the idea that you couldn't love him yet, it was too soon, and that you would find someone better than him. Perhaps, this Namjoon guy who works with you. His heart and fists clenched at the thought you'd be in someone else's arms, that someone else's would make love to you. He wished so much it could be him. Maybe in another life. A life he could be a good man from the start so he could be with you. 

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[luke-r-gillespie]

May 8 - Wagashi & Tea Ceremony / Tokyo Skytree

Freewriting

My day today started at 7:30, with breakfast at 8. After an eating substantial breakfast, I met up with the class for the morning assembly before departing to Wagashi for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. After arriving at Wagashi, I explored the expansive and beautiful park until it was my groups turn to attend the tea ceremony.

The park was full of beautifully maintained trees, bushes and flowers (honestly, thirty minutes wasn’t enough time to take it all in.) I especially liked the bridges that spanned the park’s bodies of water, they were very in line with my pre-held mental perceptions of Japan. After thirty minutes, it was my groups turn to attend the tea ceremony. The room in which the ceremony took place was pretty small and the women hosting the ceremony were very kind for sharing their art form with us. The way in which the woman leading the ceremony prepared the tea was extreamly precise and very entertaining to watch. Before serving the matcha, we were given a small sweet treat to help with the bitterness of the tea (I personally was not really a fan of the treat, as it was comprised mostly of bean paste.)

After eating the pretty snack, we were instructed on how to drink the tea. The matcha was bitter but i enjoyed it much more than i expected to. After thanking the kind women, we left to head to the Tokyo Skytree.

After a packed train ride, we arrived at the station and headed up towards the sky tree before breaking for lunch. Zachary, Griffin, Dylan, and I went to an eel place for lunch where I unagi with rice (it was delicious.) After lunch we headed up the Tokyo Skytree which offered a breath taking view of the entire city of Tokyo. You could even see some of the places that we had visited on previous excursions, they looked insignificant from that high up. The Tokyo Skytree was also doing some sort of temporary collaboration with a popular J-pop group, so Zachary, Griffin and I took a photo emulating their poses.

After the days excursions were done, I descended the Skytree and decided to go the aquarium at its base (I really like aquariums and as far as aquariums go, it was pretty great.) The aquarium was extremely clean and all of the tanks and fish seemed very well maintained. They even had a large penguin exhibit in the center of the aquarium!

After leaving the aquarium, I headed back to Hotel Edoya to get ready for our class dinner. We met with a UF alumni and were treated to dinner which was delicious.

Academic Reflection

While attending the tea ceremony, it was great to know some background on the historic tradition. The woman leading the tea ceremony seemed extremely well versed in the practice. So much so, that one would never suspect that the practice was dominated by the male gender until relatively recently. The history of the tea ceremony in Japan can be traced back multiple centuries, with it frequently coming and going from the public’s conscious until a couple hundred years ago. While originally practiced by monks, the tradition has evolved over time and become a staple of Japanese culture. Today, the tea ceremony practice is mainly observed by Japanese women and is even seen as a way to teach young women discipline and tradition. Historically however, the tea ceremony was practiced by powerful men and even seen as a display of power by many. Powerful leaders would hold tea ceremonies for warlords, daimyos, and other important figures. Today, everyone attending the tea ceremony is treated as an equal. From atop the Tokyo Skytree, the unconventional city planning of Tokyo is apparent. Unlike the United States which I am accustomed to, Japan does not have strict zoning laws. Due to this being the case, it is not uncommon to have homes, businesses, resultants and even commence store all in the same city block. With a birds eye view of the city, I could see how intertwined different city blocks were with one another.

[margotw10]

Crashing on Crush. JJK (m)

Pairing : crush!Jungkook x Female Reader

Synopsis : After seeing Jungkook hugging another woman, you try to understand what's going on and convince yourself he is not a liar.

Words : 2.5k

Warnings : explicit language; not so much in this chapter

A/n : Hi! The new chapter of this fic, things are getting tensed, pls check the previous ones :) Don't hesitate to comment. Please keep in mind that English is not my first language. Once again, Mathilde worked hard to fix my grammar mistakes <3

Ch. 1---- Ch. 2---- Ch. 3---- Ch. 4---- Ch. 5---- Ch. 6---- Ch. 7---- Ch. 8---- Ch. 9----

You enter your apartment, take off your shoes and sit on your couch without turning the lights on, too stunned by what you’d witnessed. There must be an explanation. Maybe you didn’t hear well? Or you didn’t see well? Maybe Jungkook has a sister? A cousin? It can’t be what you think it is, can it? As much as your heart hurts, you try to think straight. Jungkook didn’t lie, he didn’t use you to cheat, right? Maybe if you weren’t this shocked, you’d cry. But your eyes remain dry as you pull off your phone from your pocket. 

You open the Instagram app and search for Jungkook’s profile. If he has a sister or a cousin this close to him, he would have posted a photo of them together. You pray for having missed it the hundred of times you have checked his profile the past few months. But you go through all the pictures and no sign of this girl. A dragger is thrown to your broken heart but this can’t be. You deny the facts. 

Okay, let’s search for an explanation because there must be one. You call Suzi and she answers the first ring.

"Hi, Y/N, whats up?"

She sounds so cheerful, like a thousand miles from your mood.

"Hi, is Taehyung here?" You ask with a white voice

"Sure" Just by the way she says that, you know your best friend frowns with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to ask him something"

Suzi knows you well enough to not ask questions. She knows you’ll tell her when you need. 

"Hello?" Tae’s deep voice flies to your ear through your phone

"Hi, uhm, I just wanted to know, does Jungkook have a sister? Or a cousin quite the same age?"

"No, he doesn’t, why?"

You wish you could find the courage to ask ‘does he have a girlfriend?’ but you don’t. Maybe you don’t even want to know. It’s better than to have the proof he’s been lying to you. But has he really? You never talked about that, he never told you that he was single. However, you both shared something so special after having sex. At least, you thought. What are you doing to do? You don’t even have the energy to think and you don’t even want to because the stab in your heart, in your soul is too painful. 

"Just to know, thanks"

You don’t know how you managed to speak with such a dry throat but you hang up quickly to not have to do it again. You stay, in the dark, thinking about nothing for hours. 

This only thing that keeps you from going crazy is the little sentence you repeat over and over again in your head: ‘This can’t be’. 

————

The next day, you have decided to put whatever you have seen aside. You are supposed to go to the Lotte aquarium with Jungkook. Maybe you could even ask about the girl during the day and he will tell you that you totally misunderstood the situation, laugh and then give you a rational explanation. 

You knock on Jungkook’s door at 2pm. You took the time to get ready this morning - it’s not like you’ve slept anyway. However, you couldn’t focus enough to be very sophisticated so you just put some jeans, a white t-shirt with a leather jacket on and a pair of Converses. You swipe your sweaty hands on yours jeans, waiting for Jungkook to open the door.

He does, just a few seconds later. You can say he is surprised to see you. And you are surprised too when you see him stepping outside his apartment and closing the door after him, even when he doesn’t look like going out with his black sweatpants, oversize grey t-shirt and Nike slippers. This a painful sign that the girl has probably spent the night with him and is still there. You try your best not the wince at the physical pain in your heart. 

"Hi, are you ready?" You ask, even if you know the answer but deny is still better than having your heart break, again. 

"Hi, Y/N, I’m sorry I forgot to text you. I can’t today"

"Oh, maybe we could go another day, then?"

"I don’t think so"

You can’t help but take a step back, just like if Jungkook has slapped you in the face. Because it does feel like it. Why does he sound so cold when he was so sweet just a few days ago? When he had sex with you? 

"I-I thought…" You try to speak your thoughts but they are so all over the place you don’t know what to say.

"You thought wrong" His words are as harsh as his tone. "Look, I never said I wanted something serious, sorry if I gave you this impression. It’s better if we don’t see each other again. You should go"

Just like that, without even giving you a glance, he enters his apartment. You stay in the hallway, speechless. It hurts so fucking bad. Your body, your heart, even your soul. Yesterday, you were ready to tell him that you loved him, and you’d fallen in love with him in just few days because he was so caring. Because of the way he looked at you with his sweet doe eyes. The way he has hugged you after you had sex. The same man who warmed up your heart with so much love has  just crashed it down in a million pieces. And each piece seems to have been stabbed with his words. 

You don’t even know how you went home. But the second you pass the door, your legs fail you and you cry on the floor. This is so much pain because you have never loved someone that much. And the only person who can help you from drowning completely in the darkest soreness is your best friend. You dial her number but you can’t speak, your throat hurts too much because of your sobs.

"Y/N?"

By only hearing your cries she already grabs her car keys.

"I’m coming, everything is gonna be okay"She tells you, quite a panic in her voice because you’ve never cried so much

You hope so, so much that she is right. 

————

You stay for hours in Suzi’s arms, crying. You can’t explain why you’re crying because every time you relatively calm down and try to speak a word, the pain is too unbearable and you cry again. You’re so tired by the tears shaking your body that you end up falling asleep in your best friend’s arms. 

You wake up with puffy eyes and you pray you’ll have time to make yourself look better before going to work. You already know that it’ll take all of your energy to pretend nothing happened when your heart is completely mashed up. 

You are sad - even beyond sad - but so angry at the same time. At Jungkook for lying to you and making you hope something. At Suzi and Taehyung for introducing you to him. At you for your stupid crush on him. You wish you’d never seen his picture on Instagram, you’d never clicked on his profile, you’d never talked to him, kissed him and fallen in love with him. 

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Suzi asks gently while you are struggling with your make-up. "Is this about Jungkook?"

You freeze at the name, a noticeable pain striking your heart and you wish you didn’t feel the pain physically. 

"Yes, it’s about him" You try to focus on the mirror but you feel your eyes filling with water, again. "He-He said he doesn’t want to see me anymore"

"What?!"

You look at Suzi in the mirror, she looks angry and… so fucking surprised. You lift a brow in a silence question.

"This guy is so fucking crazy, I don’t understand him" She finally says after recovering her voice. 

"Tell me about it" You sigh

"No, Y/N, you don’t understand. I heard him talking on the phone with Tae. He said he liked you, he wanted to spend time with you… I mean, it doesn’t make sense saying that to his best friend and treating you like that"

You wish her words didn’t soften your heart because you shouldn’t feel anything about Jungkook, even if it’s about him liking you. Or pretendedly liking you.  

"Well, maybe it’s because Tae is your boyfriend and you are my best friend so he said that to not be an ass"

"But he is an ass"

Suzi gets closer to you and hugs you tightly. You close your eyes, appreciating how her love wraps around you just like her fragile arms.

"I’m so sorry, Y/N. You don’t deserve that. You are such a great person. I love you, you know that, right?"

"I love you, too Susu"

She kisses your cheeks and wipes a tear from your eye. 

You are working more than usual, no taking any break and starting a new task as soon as you finish one. You have to keep yourself busy. It’s the only way you’ll not cry in front of everyone. That doesn’t mean that your colleagues don’t notice you look like shit but they are kind enough not to say anything. 

You have decided you won't love ever again because it’s way too painful. It’s okay, you’ll have a cat and you are sure Suzi or Jongseob will be kind enough to let you stay at their place when they’ll be married with kids. You don’t need to be loved, you just need to don't suffer like that ever again because you know you won’t survive. You already know the name of the cat: Bam. 

"Hi Y/N"

You startle at Namjoon’s voice. You were so in your work that you didn’t notice him coming at you. 

"Hi" Your voice is less strong and cheerful that you hoped

"I was thinking of eating out tonight, do you want to join?" Namjoon kindly asks you.

Honestly, he has noticed how sad you were today and it did make his heart ache. Deep down, he suspects something about the guy who has eaten with you two the other day but he can’t be sure and he doesn’t want to push you. He is just wishing to cheer you up because yes, Namjoon is a great guy. The kind that won’t hug another woman and tell her he loves her the next day after having sex with you. 

In your head, an internal struggle takes place. Do you want to have dinner with Namjoon tonight? On the one hand, you know you won’t be good company because you are not in a good mood to say the least. Are you selfish enough to accept when you know you will probably deprive him from a good evening after a long day of work? On the other hand, spending time with Namjoon means keeping your mind occupy and keeping your heart - relatively - sound for a few hours before going home and cry out, once again, all the tears from your body. 

You decide to give him the choice because it’s only fair to him.

"Are you sure? I won’t be the funniest friend for the night" You try to joke but fail miserably when your laugh turns out to be more a weird snort

"I’m sure, I’ll be funny for two"

You don’t know what kind of magic holds Namjoon but he manages to draw a weak smile on your face. Once again, you wonder why you didn’t fall in love with him rather than with Jungkook. You wouldn’t be heartbroken. 

————

When you knocked on his door yesterday, Jungkook was surprised to see you. He completely forgot he was supposed to see you. Well, all his life has been shaken upside down when she came back. 

When he moved to Seoul five years ago, he wanted to leave his old life behind. His old demons too. He wanted to be a better man and maybe, just maybe, be happy, just once. Honestly, he thought he could be with you. When Tae just told him about you, he was skeptical: it wasn’t the first time his best friend tried to introduce him a woman. But you were different. You are different. He is not going to lie, your first encounter was quite something! He can’t deny that when he first saw you - or your ass to be more precise - he found you so hot. But then, when he saw you shy around him, he felt flatted that such a great woman was interested in him. He’d never thought in a billion years that someone this beautiful, funny, smart and kind could want him. But you did. 

When he fucked you on his dinner table, it wasn’t just sex for him. When you hugged him after you both had reached your highs, he felt loved. He almost cried of how good it felt. So he thought that, maybe if he were lucky enough, one day you could love him like he was starting to love you. He might not have starting things right with you by fucking you on his table but he was willing to rectify it by going on a date and official asking you to be his girlfriend. His first real girlfriend. He was so stressed you would say no but you were worth at least trying. 

But then, she came back. 

Jungkook just wanted to see Tae and ask for advice for your date. She was waiting outside his building. He was so fucking surprised to see her. He hadn’t see her in years. The last time was in Busan, before he moved to Seoul to start his new life. She asked for his help. What was he supposed to do? She was his best friend. At least, she used to be. He had left her once, he couldn’t do it again. Maybe it was fate: just a reminder that he wasn’t good enough for you and that he’ll never be. You didn’t know him, you didn’t know what he had done. It was better to stop everything now before you break his heart when he’d tell you about his past because there was no way you’d want him if you knew. 

It was so hard and so painful to talk to you like that. To lie by saying he didn’t want to see you again and that you misunderstood the signs because you were fucking right. He wanted to be with you. The pain in your eyes was unbearable, he almost told you that it was all a lie and hugged you tight to ease the pain he caused you. That’s why he didn’t look at you. If he had, he knew he would have given up all his good resolutions and it was too selfish. He hold on on the idea that you couldn’t love him yet, it was too soon, and that you would find someone better than him. Perhaps, this Namjoon guy who works with you. His heart and fists clenched at the thought you’d be in someone else’s arms, that someone else’s would make love to you. He wished so much it could be him. Maybe in another life. A life he could be a good man from the start so he could be with you. 

[japanesepenguin]

This is probably the best photo of a fish I have ever taken.

I took 112 photos at the aquarium and this was the best one. I got lucky. The 50 mm lens is great, but unlike jewelry (which just sits there vibing sparkles) or flowers (which you can play with the framing/composition), with the fish you gotta channel inner sniper while hundreds of children scream and exhausted parents jostle you around... so I've learned photography in aquariums is an area that will require more than 112 photographs.

In the meantime, enjoy the lucky fish photo...

Wait wait, I reversed image search it. Turns out it's common name is "old wife" and, like me, it eats crustaceans and, unlike me, worms.

There's an additional note: "The dorsal fin spines of the Old Wife contain a venom which can cause severe pain, so handle this fish with care."

Is that why it's called "old wife"?

Sexist fish facts.

[nautiscarader]

Ash/Misty surprise sex

(Ao3)

Over the years, Misty has gotten used to starring at the underwater shows at the Cerulean City Gym. She remembered vividly how opposed she was to the very first one, where she had to play the mermaid, but now, the weekly productions were as much as part of her job as gym battles, especially since she rotated her role with the other three Sensational Sisters.

Plus, she genuinely liked seeing the happy faces of kids and their Pokémon that were sometimes glued to the huge glass walls of the aquarium. She waved to two twins holding their Azurills, excited to have mermaid smile at them, saw a girl with her Togepi, reminding her very much of her own past, she swam past a trainer with an excited Pikachu, a whole family with Panpours, and…

Suddenly, Misty stopped and turned around. The same Pikachu she spotted ran towards the glass and when she looked closer, her heart skipped a beat. There was someone behind the familiar-looking Pokémon, but she was already swimming upwards to see if it could be true.

And when she emerged from the water with a huge splash (much to the excitement of the crowd), she felt like she needed to put her breathing equipment back in, as she felt light-headed staring at a familiar face.

"Hey, watch out with that Rain Dance, will you?", the young man with raven-black hair barked, before his eyes fully met hers. His raised voice still rang in the same way, despite the fact that it has certainly dropped an octave over the years.

But what hasn't changed was the smile on Ash Ketchum's face that now filed Misty's vision, making her temporarily forget about the small crowd gathering around…

Words got stuck in her throat as she examined his visage from much closer than a photo in a magazine or on a website could. And when she finally found courage to speak, she spoke her heart out.

"You dum-dum!", she slapped his head, "Don't you see the line not to cross? Or do you think the Pokémon masters are exempted from following those rules?"

She kept fuming, splashing more and more water at her old friend, until she realised how big a scene she was causing.

"Well, if I knew that's how you are going to greet me, I wouldn't have come here."

"And who told you I even wanted to see you?"

For a while, the two stared at each other, before erupting into laughter.

"Alright, wait for me, I'll be out in a moment", Misty spoke, as she swam to the fake shore.

A moment later she put on a towel and lead her friend and his partner to the backstage and into the small dressing room, where she would prepare herself before shows or battles.

Thoughts still raced in her head; Ash's sudden appearance brought a hundred memories back, and at least twice as many questions in regards to his adventures when she left his party.

"Come on, tell me all about it.", Misty prompted, putting a cup of fresh coffee together with some of berries for Pikachu.

"Wait, are you telling me you haven't been checking on me?", Ash raised his brow, "I now know how Gary must have felt with all the news interviews."

"You know, the world does not twirl around you", Misty snapped back.

She turned away from him to avoid meeting his eyes. In truth, of course, she never stopped scouring the news about him, travelling between regions, defeating more and more opponents, which resulted in him achieving his title of a master last month.

"Yeah, sorry about that.", he took a sip, "Hey, I heard about Lorelei, congrats!"

Misty stopped in place, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"Thanks. I think it's too early for her to retire, but… Her recommendation means a world to me."

"Cerulean will lose her tomboyish mermaid, though."

"Nah, it still has three more. They did well when I've been travelling with you."

"Good times, eh?"

"Lots of running away, if I remember correctly."

Misty reached to grab the towel for the still soaked, and when she turned back, her eyes fixated on Ash's naked torso, having gotten rid of the wet shirt and jacket.

"A-Ash!", she yelled.

"What?", Ash raised his brow, "I thought the whole point was so I can get a fresh t-shirt or something."

She grabbed the towel Misty tossed at him.

"And besides, I should be the one blushing, you are parading in your undies.", he scratched his head and looked away.

"Wha-"

Misty barked back, crossing her arms. She was still in her bikini she wore underneath the mermaid costume.

"Took you long enough to notice.", she grumbled, "But I guess that's how you are with girls."

"What do you mean?"

For a while the two half-naked youngsters stared at each other, the deafening silence ringing in their ears. And when their lips finally crashed against each other, all they could hear was their elevated heartbeats, as their bodies mashed against each other, their arms and legs locking in a tight, heated embrace.

Ash broke the kiss for a split of a second when he heard the door creaking behind him, but his face was cupped by Misty's hands redirecting him to look at her reddened face.

"It was Pikachu, we're alone now.", she quickly commented, before kissing her boy again, ready to make up for the few seconds she lost, to add to the twelve years of waiting for him.

She had so much to yell at him, for not calling or texting, and almost dying several times when confronted with another legendary Pokémon. But all she needed now was his touch, his kisses and…

Misty let out a gasp - or at least she tried, with her lips still occupied - when Ash lifted her up and settled her on the desk, her legs automatically crossing behind his back. back that would become bare soon, thanks to her hand and feet digging into his belt, aiming to disrobe him of his pants and trousers at the same time while he dealt with her underwear.

And when it happened and Misty pulled herself against his naked crotch, she had to break the kiss with a moan would erupted from her lips at the mere brush of her sex with his. But instead of a cry, more insults followed.

"You-you really are an idiot, making a girl wait so long…", her voice broke as she felt Ash's cock sliding between her lips, making her whole body tremble as if she had a fever.

"I.. I know, sorry about that…", he replied, securing her shoulder and bum with his hands as he leaned forward, pushing himself deeper and deeper.

"You-you don't travel with a girl for two years and never notice her smiles?", she complained, her voice breaking into a wail as she felt his length pushing her walls apart.

"I'm sorry…", he grunted, making her skin shiver with his breath.

"O-Or that when that girl sends you Luvdisc emoji it does NOT mean she is up for a water battle!" she yelped, digging her nails into his shoulder as s he felt his cock's head deep inside her, much deeper than she anticipated.

"Ye-yeah, that was dumb."

"O-or when said girl travels half around the world to Alola to celebrate your victory she really wants to-"

"Misty", Ash interrupted her, "Maybe we should leave talking for later."

And with that, their lips met again, at the same time as he began his thrusts, drinking her ecstatic moans and cries spilling from her throat. A few tears ran down her cheek as emotions exploded in Misty's mind, after bubbling in there ever since she realised her feelings for the young man she was making love to.

The pure joy and bliss was interrupted by one tiny stinging sensation of jealousy, though. The man taking her raw on her table certainly has done it before, meaning she would never be his first… Though ashamed of such pettiness, Misty often wondered if any of the young women pictured with him on many of the photos would be the also one to teach him the art of love-making… And over the years the number of candidates grew and grew…

Misty let out a sharp moan as Ash's finger brushed her clit, sliding between their bodies, and at once, the nagging notion disappeared. What mattered was here and now, and right now she was having the best sex of her life, being railed by her old crush in her own gym.

She knew she will have to miss the next show, but that did not matter. Throwing all the caution to the wind, she clamped her legs and arms behind his back, as if there was a chance he would retreat at the last moment.

But he did not, and when she cried his name, he moaned hers, flooding her with stream after stream of hot cum, as their joined bodies shivered and thrashed with each wave of shared orgasm she has been waiting for such a long time…

Misty did not know how long did it take for them to stop twitching and for Ash to stop seeding her sex with his virility that at some point started spilling onto the floor. All she knew that when she finally was able to take a steady breath was that this was by far the best surprise of her life.

She kissed him and, listening for his breath, laid her head onto his shoulder, which ultimately was a mistake, as it revealed a much worse second surprise in form her sisters' white, astonished faces peeking through the opened door.

Their bewilderment soon vanished as Daisy, Lily and Violet burst into maniacal laughter at the sight of the Pokémon master himself being balls-deep in their little sister's pussy. At the bottom of the pile lied Pikachu, trying to explain apologetically that he couldn't just Thunder Wave them…

A third surprise came the next day, in form of Ash deciding to prolong his stay in Kanto. A week turned into two, two into three, and only after four Misty allowed her boyfriend to finally fly away on his Charizard for his duties, though in her opinion they still haven't made up for the lost time.

The fourth and final surprise became apparent some two months later when Misty found she had some problems putting on her mermaid tail and that her Shellder bra felt a bit too tight. It turned out that nearly a month of careless, constant love-making does have consequences. When Ash returned a few days later, he was shocked when Misty pinned him to her bed, straddled him and gently laid his hands on her underbelly, her cheeks reddened with excitement.

"Surprise", she spoke, before she lifted herself and sank down onto his cock, letting him experience her new weight.

[sweetstarling]

Obey me - Valentines Day Headcanons

Happy Valentines Day, Lovelies! I hope you had a wonderful day, As a gift to you from me, here are some Valentine’s Day Headcanons of all the characters!

Warning: Fluff/ A bit of NSFW

————————————————————————

.~𝕯𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕽𝖆𝖇𝖇𝖎𝖙 𝕳𝖔𝖑𝖊 𝖂𝖊 𝕲𝖔~

Lucifer:

🌹Prepares in advance: finishes any paperwork the day before, makes special reservations as well as try’s to keep everything in order in the house otherwise he’ll just steal you away after breakfast.

🌹This demon loves you more then anything, he’ll make sure to leave you roses and a card by your bed while you’re asleep, the roses a blood red (Love & Respect).

🌹He’ll tell you during breakfast about his reservations, the whole restaurant to yourselves as he wants nothing more then to be alone with you.

🌹He’s a gentleman, loving anything you gift him as it came from you.

🌹Will make sure you spend the night with him, making sure the time he spends with you at night is more gentle and sensual then normally. Keeping you close and comfortable as if he was afraid you would disappear.

.𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝕱𝖊..

The lights from the chandelier luminated his features, his eyes glowing crimson not leaving his gaze from you. A small smile caressed his lips, a rare sight for the other; He made sure the building was empty, the only people occupying it were you two and the workers. A calm atmosphere, light classical music danced in the background as to Lucifers wishes.

Stay always by my side

Mammon:

✨Oh lord Diavolo, please have mercy on him. He tried to make you breakfast in bed, he even tried multiple times since 6am but it didn’t turn out very well.

✨Decided to leave you a card, with some hearts drawn in them with a small pack of expensive chocolates, a gold (Love & Compassion/Excesses) ribbon tied into a bow on it.

✨Will take you out for a walk in the park if the weathers right just to keep you away from his brothers, will definitely get ice cream for the both of you.

✨When you finally get back after an hour or so, he drags you into his room for a movie night, letting you pick the movie as he gets pizza for the both of you to eat whilst watching.

✨When you gift him something, he looks like he’s going to burst from happiness no matter how small the gift. He holds you tight at night, cuddling, just being thankful you’re with him.

..........𝕴 𝖍𝖔𝖕𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖑 𝖆𝖑𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘 𝖇𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖍𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓...........

The day was cool as the breeze crisp, you sat down on the bench the wind a calm whisper as Mammon sat down by you. Handing you your ice cream gently as he made himself comfortable, a light sigh left him as he took off his glasses not really bothering with them; His face held a bright glow to them as he couldn’t help himself but keep all your attention on him.

I want you to always be happy.

Leviathan:

☘️Likely had a reminder on his phone to go to sleep the night before just so he can spend the day playing and binge watching anime with you without being tired.

☘️Probably ends up over sleeping slightly from his lack of sleep but makes sure to hand you your gift at the breakfast table: A brand new manga that the main character reminded him of you with a couple of orange roses (Fasination & Enthusiasm)

☘️Takes you to his room after breakfast to play a few games, deliberately going easier on you at times so you win as he enjoys how happy you seem.

☘️Feels blessed to receive a gift from you as he still tends to feel inferior, you giving him a gift means a lot to him.

☘️You spend time in his bathtub, a few pillows and a blanket to keep you warm. Him surprising you with a few kisses as well as an anime playing in the background, a plate of different treats beside you.

.......................𝕴 𝕷𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖄𝖔𝖚, 𝕸𝖞 𝕳𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖞......................

You stood by the large aquarium, the colours of the tv screen being illuminated onto the glass. Your gaze following the fish swim peacefully as you waited for Levi to return, a few footsteps echoed behind you then warm hands wrapped themselves around you waist. The hot breath of the third born warming your neck, his ocean eyes calm as a smile graces his lips.

You really came, my Henry

Satan:

🥀Has cooking duty that day which leads him to making your breakfast extra special, the food being catered to your favourite flavours.

🥀By your plate lays a single red rose,(‘You’re still the one’) as well as an emerald wrapped book layer beside it, the book being one of his favourites that he knew you would enjoy.

🥀He decides to go out with you to a simple but beautiful place, a cat cafe near by, a warm place filled with cats as you two enjoy a drink and a few of your favourite treats.

🥀Takes whatever you gift him with a smile of gratitude, his heart swelling with joy as he put the gift away to enjoy later.

🥀Decides to take a detour round a beautiful park filled with flowers before heading home, As at home he sat down on the bed with you calmly reading to you until you fall asleep.

................𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖊𝖆𝖇 𝖘𝖔 𝖒𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊..............

The warmth of the room put you at ease as you lay in bed, the sound of Satan’s voice entering your ears like a sweet lullaby intending to put you to sleep. His voice barely above a whisper reading both to you and himself, the noise of him turning the pages were barely heard but brought comfort a noise of familiarity as you fell asleep.

May we always celebrate like this

Asmodeus:

💋He needs his beauty sleep and expects you to have yours too but that doesn’t mean he won’t leave a sparkly pink bag infront of your door in the morning: A cute personalised card with a picture of the both of you and a perfume he thought would suit you.

💋A nice light breakfast he’s prepared for the both of you in his room before a whole day ahead of you; A bit of badminton to keep the day fresh before lord of self care.

💋A warm hot in for the both of you as you lounge around enjoying a light conversation, the lights a cool shade as you enjoyed your time

💋A light but delicious dinner before heading back home, a few hundred photos being taken together on the way back some posted others for his eyes only.

💋You get welcomed into his room, pink (Appreciation and gratitude) rose petals scattering the floor leading into the grande bed and open invitation as Asmo wanted nothing more but to show you your worth.

......𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖐𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊, 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖗?.......

The warm water splashed onto you as Asmo carefully dipped into the water his eyes never leaving your form, a look of joy bloomed in his eyes as he settled and relaxed. The warmth of the water releasing any tension in your muscles, the air cool around you as the other smiled bringing himself to talk about any latest gossip

You’re so cute when you blush

Beelzebub:

🌼Decides to make breakfast for you and it turns out great too, he doesn’t get up too early leaving you enough time to get ready before eating with him.

🌼Decides to gift you some chocolates and light pink roses (Admiration & Sweetness). He loves the idea of getting to spend the whole days with you and plans to bake as well getting plenty of engrediants in advance.

🌼The baking turns into a mess quite quickly with flower everywhere, you two snacking on extra ingredients and just making a mess of the kitchen but the baked goods turn out great which leaves you to enjoy some treats and leave some for Belphie when he gets up.

🌼Decides to go into town with you to eat at a restaurant, him choosing a quiter more reserved place for the two of you so you’re both comfortable.

🌼Wants nothing more then to hug you tight at night, your warmth a constant reminder you’re by his side.

..............𝕴𝖒 𝖌𝖑𝖆𝖉 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘..............

The soft fluffy whitness ambushed the whole kitchen not sparing you or Beel in the process, leaving everything to look like a winter wonderland. You laughed holding back a cough from all the flour on you as Beel took another piece of chocolate handing it to you as you both waited for the baked goods to be ready; His eyes glowing as he met your gaze.

You’ll never leave me, right?

Belphegor:

🌙Gets up, the tiredness still evident in his eyes as he headed to breakfast, your gift in his hands as he gave it you infront of the others: some warm blue pyjamas (trust &sensitivity) with a small card.

🌙takes you to the attic after breakfast, the place seemingly filled with more pillows and blankets. The place perfect for napping especially on such a day when he gets to steal you away.

🌙Spens quite a bit of time with you building a large pillow fort, blankets above you and fluffy pillows serving as walls. Belphie taking this as the perfect time to tickle you before settling back down to nap with you.

🌙Wants nothing more then to eat dinner with you in peace besides the company of Beel who’s great at cooking, the three of you eating in the twins room, the food seemingly twice as good as you were together.

🌙Decides to go stargazing with you, a blanket and pillow at hand for the both of you to be comfortable, the night sky illuminating his happiness.

.......𝕻𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖘 𝖜𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖆 𝖓𝖆𝖕 𝖙𝖔𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗.......

You layed on the floor, a multiple blankets masked the carpet as you lay surrounded by an army of pillows of all colours and textures. The face of a particularly sleep demon lay beside you, his soft arms wrapping around you bringing you close. Him singing you to sleep quietly as you couldn’t help but smile.

You shine brighter then any star

Diavolo:

👑This Prince has a lot of ideas for what you two should do but not enough time for all of them, one things for sure that he invites you to the castle for breakfast then moves on from there.

👑Expect to walk into a room with just you and the Prince, even the watchful eyes of the devoted butler not being present. The table filled with all kinds of food to choose from, rose petals scattered on the table all following some kind of pattern.

👑The Prince gifting your the tradition red rose bouquet with a beautiful card and a box of chocolates, all of it placed nicely in a basket with a gold bow.

👑The Prince being desperate to be by your side the whole day, even letting you wear his crown for the day as his lust for information about the human world showed. Constant questions while you settled down to play chess.

👑The prince encouraged you to stay the night, the master bedroom occupying a large bed for the both of you; As he laid down cuddling you, he continued to talk to you regardless if you listened or not.

...............𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊𝖙 𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖉 𝖒𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚............

The prince sighed, considering his next move carefully, his eyes glimmered as he moved the pawn.Leaving you to decide your next move, The room was dimly lit but just enough light for you to see his the concentration on his face before a light chuckle left him, the breeze from the slightly open window playing with his hair.

Enjoying yourself, Are you?

Barbatos:

🍃The best at preparing everything for the special day, yet making sure not to try too hard as it’s meant to be a day that you both enjoy. He’s prepared a calm breakfast for the both of you with a bit of everything to try as well as some special brewed tea.

🍃This butler makes sure to spend all his time with you today that he might not be able to spend another day. His room is where you spend of the day, a small gift lay on his desk for you, a charm that reminded him of you alongside a lavender rose (Love at first sight).

🍃You spend the day taking a walk around the castle gardens, all the flowers just starting to bloom as well as a few activities at hand in his room.

🍃Dinner comes sooner then you expect, all of it made with adoration towards you, the food simple but luscious an ethereal flavour to them.

🍃Ends the day with you two falling asleep in each other’s arms, both deserving the rest in the silent room.

....𝕴'𝖑𝖑 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖆𝖘 𝖒𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖘 𝖎 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚...

A soft breeze played around leaving the warmth of the day to caress your skin, the heat from a hand in yours guiding you around the wonderland of flowers. A colourful atmosphere as you both truly felt at peace; The butler going at a slow pace for the both of you to relax and by all means not hurry.

You don’t mind if I steal you away?

Simeon:

❄️This Angel wants nothing more then to show his love to you in a way that praises you throughout. Meets you by the House Of Lamentation to go to a cafe for breakfast, the fresh smell of food surrounding the place.

❄️Gifts you a bouquet of red and white roses (Unity, Love, Innocence), the roses seem to glow when handed towards you a small smile gracing his lips.

❄️Plans going to the cinema with you, a movie that you both are sure to enjoy play as you shared some treats through out the movie, the place almost empty as you two enjoyed.

❄️Gifts you an Angel charm so that he can always be by your side no matter how far apart; The gift being delicacy wrapped in blue wrapping paper as he gifted it to you in his room.

❄️The night was spent with him giving you gentle kisses, and stories from his past that seemed humorous.

.............𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖙𝖋𝖚𝖑𝖞 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘, 𝖒𝖞 𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖇............

The screen lightened up, the colourful images reflecting in both your eyes; A calm atmosphere surrounded the room with very few others leaving the two of you to enjoy the moment. The sound from the movie drained out from your mind as you left the warmth from Simeons hand caress your own holding lightly, a smile on his face as he continued to watch the film.

You’re ethereal in my eyes

Solomon:

🕊He plans the day carefully but decides not to warn you in advance; Leaving purgatory hall to visit you at the House Of Lametation with a gift at hand.

🕊He means well ignoring the brothers judgemental gazes as he gifted you a red rose and a photo book, It was filled with different kinds of memories both in Devildom and the human world.

🕊He guides you away from home and instead to take a trip to the human world, Decides to take you on a picnic in a field filled with daisys (innocence & purity).

🕊Enjoying the calmness of the picnic, he teaches you about magic and how he learned it though he never specifys how old he truly is he has many tales to tell.

🕊Returning back to purgatory hall, he invites you to spend the night with him, the room seemingly prepared as everything was organised and the bed flourished in more pillows then before.

....................𝕷𝖎𝖋𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖇𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖇𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚..................

The sun shone brightly, a clear sky above as there was only a simple breeze accompanying the both of you. A large basket lay on the blanket with multiple treats to share and a few spells to show and learn from the excited wizard; his voice continuesly being heard as he moved onto another memory of his own.

You showed me no bounds

[savmuri]

this weekend I went to various cities surrounding/in los angeles including anaheim, hollywood, and long beach! I have posted the photos according to the prompt given:

1. this lion fish was captured at “aquarium of the pacific” located in long beach, ca. i totally forgot to keep in mind what kind of lion fish this was but i’ve never seen anything like it. the lion fish i know of have stripes and all sorts of patterns, however, this one didn’t stand out too much. i feel bad saying that but its true! poor little guy was just chillin’ in one spot of the tank but that allowed me to get a somewhat clear shot of him.

2. a fleeting moment i managed to capture was one of many fireworks going off during one of disneyland’s firework shows. we were able to see them from the roof of our hotel located in anaheim, ca! i’ll admit it was pretty hard getting a clear and decent picture but i finally captured one i was happy with :)

3. the third photo is our fellow hotel peeps getting ready to celebrate the same firework show on the roof of our hotel!

4. this is a photo of the queen mary located in long beach, ca. it is said to be one of the top haunted ships in the world and is quite famous for it! i’ve done research on it and was excited to hear that we were headed towards it however it was closed therefore no ghost ship adventures for me! although i was excited i also dreaded the idea of being on a ship where hundreds of people have perished. this ones a little blurry because I had to zoom in a bunch (it was super far)!

5. the last photo i have here is a picture of my boyfriend! he hesitantly posed for the camera at 6:40PM friday afternoon (9/2) and the lighting looks almost too good (to me at least hehe). the picture looks a little cooler but we took it again on the rooftop of our hotel with his face right in the direction of the sun.

[bakugohoex]

𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐇

𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

In which Erwin chooses to take you on on an aquarium date, the closeness he feels as you both submerge yourself, hand in hand looking at all the different types of sea life.

𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

pairings: erwin smith x reader

word count: 1900+

a/n: damn all the dates are complete, also I don’t actually advocate for like aquariums and sea life centers but it was used for the purpose of this date.

𝐆𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐔 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

He truly believed he had nothing to worry about as he left your apartment a week ago. He never thought that the stupid kids would actually think of date ideas that would make your head sway. But here he was scrolling through the group chat where all of the boys had talked about the highlight of their dates. He was the only one left, tie loose against his neck as he laid against the balcony, early morning wind rushing through his blonde locks. He had everything planned out, he’d made your date special, but you had seemed to enjoy every single one of their dates from the smallest to the biggest.

Could he ever compare to that? He pulled at his hair before sending you a time and location, the stupid photo he had of you lighting up the top of his screen. He took a heavy breath as he still had a career and life, maybe you’d found that attractive. He didn’t know but as he stressed over what suit to wear tonight you were going through your own mental breakdown.

You had been in your bed for most of the day, Erwin’s text this morning not helping to settle your nerves. One more date, one more night and then the big decision would occur, you began to stare at the unopened letters. Wanting to read them all, read the confessions that they had given to you but as you looked at the arrays of pink, your gut was aching at the stress of it all. The fear of losing them all came too sudden as your eyes watered in your empty apartment.

Through the tears you saw the framed pictures around your bedroom, having one with every single one of them in it. Eren, Jean and Armin when you guys went out for Sasha’s birthday, Reiner and Porco when the three of you went to a music festival. Levi and you after one of your late-night coffee runs having forced him to take a photo with you and the sunset and Erwin and you at a black tie event he had invited you to a couple months back. Tears disappearing as you stared at the fond memories, you’d have your memories at least.

You found yourself wearing more formal clothes, knowing that Erwin would most likely come in a suit, you wanted to match in some sense. The address had been something you knew of, a new aquarium that had just opened up. You knew that with all the hype online about how it was a hot spot for taking the family out or going on dates it was always packed. Both you and Historia having tried to get in but being pushed back out by a family, you stepped outside of the uber, thanking the man as you saw Erwin walking from the other side.

“Hey.” You waved as you opened your arms to hug him, he happily took the hug, eloping you tightly as he couldn’t help but stare at how perfect you looked.

He let go, hand lingering near your own as you moved closer to his side, “you look beautiful,” he complimented before feeling your hand wrap around his own.

“Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself.” Your other hand moving to his suit jacket lapels, pushing them back onto his broad chest. “So what we got planned for tonight?”

“I know the owner of this place.” He paused looking up at the large building, he didn’t realise the true extent of how big the exhibit was. “He said we could have the place to ourselves.”

Your eyes widened at how he swung the keys in his other hand, “all to us.”

He nodded as he unlocked the door, putting the alarm code into the side before beckoning you in, “they’re in glass they won’t bite you.” He moved his arm on your back keeping you close beside him.

“Which way should we go first.” You ask seeing a map at different ways to go and see the sea life.

He put his hand around your eyes as he stood behind you, spinning you on your heels a couple times before making you stop. “Pick a direction.” The three options were right in front of you as you picked the option closest to the door. He let go of your eyes as you stared at the direction, still feeling dizzy as he kept you a hold.

“Don’t faint on me.” He chuckled as you swat his chest with your hand.

You give a soft giggle back, “next time you’re picking the direction.”

“Of course.” He put his hand out for you to take as you both began walking towards the entrance, walking past the doors, you both saw the glass ceiling and walls, small sharks and different types of fish and other sea life cascading around you both. Your eyes widened as Erwin had the pamphlet in his hand of different sea life, the only light coming from the ones inside the glass, blues sheltering you both. It was something so beautiful so close to home, you both moved closer towards the wall, the intricate details of the fish who swam aimlessly.

“It’s…It’s so pretty.” Your hand had moved to the glass, touching it softly as if one hard push would crack the delicate material. Erwin hadn’t realised your words had to be to the scene, all he had seen was you and you were the prettiest thing in the room.

He stepped closer to you, hand against your back as you both stared at the different types of sharks. The way the sharks moved from your side to the arched bridge on top of your heads as your eyes fixated on the shark moving from one to another. “Looks like I’ll have to compete with another thing for your affection.”

“Aww, Erwin.” You had known Erwin long enough to realise how much he hated not getting his way. He had barely known your friends, but here he was competing against them, your hand moved to grip his face, his cheek nuzzling into it as you looked up at him. “Whatever happens, we’ll always be in one another’s lives.”

“Who else could take the job of sending me messages of the definition of commonly used words?” He joked as he touched your cheek back, the urge to kiss you was prevalent, but you stepped back, putting your hand out to continue on with the rest of the scenery.

“Come on, there’s more to see.” He gladly grasps your hand, warmth engulphing him as you drag him to the next part, different types of fish in tanks as you both looked around. “…there are more than three trillion five hundred billion fish Y/n, even if they could breath on land we could win.”

“Piranha’s Erwin, they have a bloodlust for us, we’d be dead.” You chuckled as you walked past another area, you both talking about the different facts that were in the pamphlets. It was always comforting with Erwin, having met him in your first yeah when he had recently graduated himself. He had grown as a career man, ready for the future he had, he was always so smart, so perceptive but being around him, seeing a version where he had let loose around you made you smile.

“What’s got you all happy?” He asks arm around your waist as he grips you closer to his body.

You shake your head, “nothing, it’s just you, all of you this week have shown me a different side.”

“Is that a good thing?” He questions waiting to hear your reply as he takes you to a different section of the place.

“Yeah it is.” You rest your head against his arm as you both continue to walk through the exhibits. Erwin didn’t know how he felt, the closeness making him fall even more in love with you, the beauty you had capturing him in a matter of seconds. Who could resist you, who couldn’t love every part of you with those soft eyes, that smile that could melt a man and most of all that voice you had. That beautiful voice that captured him, you had to be an angel sent to him because he truly didn’t know how he had got so lucky to have met you.

“Erwin.” You softly say poke at his side, he nods getting out of his trance as you continue, “if…if you were in my position what would you do?”

He felt like the right person to ask, he may be biased but he was older with more life experiences than you ever had. “Selfishly I’d tell you to pick me, but I will always want the best for you Y/n, pick who you truly like.”

You nod as you nuzzle closer into his arm, “I really enjoyed tonight.”

“You did.”

“Yeah I liked just being around you, watching the animals and fighting over who would die first in a fish invasion.” You chuckle the last part as you both round the corner to what looked like the final area that you could both be in.

“What do you think is past those doors?” You question as both of you stand to the bleak hallway, that was in front of you.

He gives a smirk before opening it, “ladies first.”

“Pussy.” You mock as you step forward, Erwin’s hand meeting your back as he guided you through the darkness. “I can’t see anything, get your phone light out.”

He nods as you hear shuffling behind you, he puts his flashlight on as you both see glass surrounding you both, it had been exactly what it looked like from the first section. But scarier, you grabbed Erwin’s hand out of dear before he flashed the light to the side of you both, both screaming at what you saw.

A much larger shark having looked directly at the light, teeth open as if it was ready to eat you both. Erwin had seen how your breathing had been heavier, clinging onto his jacket as he grabbed your hand dragging you to the end of the corridor. His light flashing to the side as you both saw more and more scarier sharks. “Whe…When was that part of the exhibition?” You squeal as you get pushed through the doors.

Finally seeing the entrance you almost felt grateful, heavy breathing as your face felt flushed, “you screamed at sharks.”

“You screamed as well, idiot.” You controlled your breathing looking at Erwin before laughing with him, it was unexpected and a horrid thing to see at night.

He saw how you came closer to him again, hand latching in his own as you smiled at the man. “The area's lights probably got shut off.”

“Tell your friend he needs to tell people about that part.” You chuckle again lightly as Erwin looks down at your hand.

“I will.” He knew tomorrow was an important date for the two of you, looking at that twitch of your mouth to suppress another gleam. You met his eyes as you moved closer to his body, “I hope whoever you pick realises just how amazing you are.”

You didn’t meet his eyes at his unexpected words, the date had come to an end. With another perfect date occurring, the choice had still not been decided as he helped you back outside into the cold. Every one of the boys had something that you loved about them, and with a choice as hard as yours. The threat of losing them all was significant as you thought back on every single one of the dates you had and how each one of them had made you feel special.

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄

[bidoldaccount]

Grow As We Go - loose ends

word count: 1,937

tying up loose ends :)

ONE ; TWO ; THREE ; FOUR ; FIVE

Read on AO3

Read on Wattpad

"Dad!" Dean flinched as Jack came sprinting into the garage, out of breath with red cheeks. Dean nearly knocked himself out on the hood of a vintage corvette he was rebuilding.

"Jack!" He attempted to match his enthusiasm but failed as he stood up straight, his back popping.

"Dad said we could go to the aquarium!" He said with a wide smile.

"I said we could go this weekend," Castiel corrected, appering behind Jack with a fond roll of his eyes.

"Why can't we go today?" Jack frowned, blinking up at Cas.

"Jack, you have visitation with your mom today," Castiel pointed out gently, laying his hand on the eleven year olds shoulder. Jack's face fell, he settled his eyes back on Dean with a frown.

"Do I have to go?" He asked.

"It's only for a few hours and Mrs. Talbot will be there the whole time," Dean said, dropping the rag in his hand so he could nudge Jack's chin.

"I'd rather stay home with you," Jack mumbled, turning back to Cas, wrapping his arms around him waist and burying his face in his stomach. Cas pressed his hands to Jack's back and rubbed it softly.

"We know buddy, but it'll be good for you to have a relationship with your mom," Cas said, catching Dean's eye roll and giving him a pointed look while Jack wasn't looking.

"She spends half of our visitation on her phone or talking about her real kids," Jack said.

"Jack, you are her real kid," Dean said.

"No," Jack pulled his face away from Cas' stomach and looked back at Dean. "I'm your kid," he looked up at Cas and repeated, "I'm your kid. I have two dads and no mom, and I like it that way," he said.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Cas smiled tightly, his eyebrows furrowed down with soft sympathy. "Why don't you talk to Mrs. Talbot about it, maybe she'll have some advice for you."

"Whatever," Jack pulled away and stomped back into the house. Castiel sighed heavil, taking the few steps towards Dean until he could wrap his arms around his husbands shoulders.

"I hate sending him to her," he whispered even though Jack had slammed the garage door.

"Me too," Dean shook his head, placing his hands on Castiel's hips, holding his husband close. "But we have no choice. Until our next court date when they let Jack tesifty, we just have to show that we're cooperating. Plus, she's missed three visits and Bela started supervising again because she kept him longer than she was allowed. It doesn't look good and Sam is really confident that they'll give us full custody," Dean said, rubbing his thumbs in comforting circles at Cas' hips.

"Sam's biased," Cas mumbled. "I'm just worried that they'll take the woeful mother bit," he said.

"Let's not think about it, okay? Come on, lets go take Jack out for breakfast before he has to go," Dean leaned in to kiss Castiel's lip, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Okay," Cas sighed, reeling in his emotions before they went inside.

They go to court two months later, on a rainy tuesday afternoon. Jack wears a button up that Castiel had ironed with trembling hands. Kayla shows up with her mother, who had actually been very adamant that she had no knowledge of Jack's existence and wanted to be present in his life. She was very reassuring from the beginning that she wouldn't dare fight them for custody because of what good parents they seem to be.

Kayla had smirked their way and they avoided her gaze at all costs. The judge allowed Jack to testify and the boy did so with a calm, even voice. He read from a piece of paper that he spent three weeks perfecting.

"When I was nine years old, I asked my dad, Castiel, why I didn't have a mother like some of my other friends had. He explained to me that when I was a baby, my mother was not ready to have a baby, so she gave me to my dad, Dean. He told me that it wasn't my fault that I didn't have a mother, and it wasn't her fault either, it was just the way life worked out sometimes. When my mother, Kayla, came back, a part of me was excited, because if like happened the way it does for a reason, then maybe I would be lucky enough to have two dads plus a mom. I never thought that I would be sitting here, fighting to stay with my parents. That is what they are. Dean and cas are my dads, that's what they have always been. Kayla has never been my mom, and she hasn't acted like one up to this point. She speaks poorly of my dads, even though I've told her that it makes me upset, she makes homophobic remarks, she took me to a mans house that she claimed was her boyfriend and I sat in a stuffy living room for two hours while she spent time in the bedroom with him," Castiel had to squeeze Dean's hand hand so he wouldn't be tempted to jump out of his seat. Deans jaw nearly popped with how hard he pressed his teeth together.

"I sent picture to my caseworker, Mrs. Talbot," Jack smiled proudly as Bela passed around the evidence. Kaylas eyes had widened and her attorney had objected. Cas stared wide eyed as their attorney assured Kaylas that the new evidence was submitted well before court started. Dean smiled proudly at Jack, and the boy beamed.

"I'd like to say one more thing if I may?" Jack asked the judge, the man gesturing for him to continue, his face was steel but his eyes were soft. Jack smiled at him, then looked towards his parents. "For what it's worth, you'll never meet better parents than my dads. I could list a hundred things that makes them amazing parents, but all I really have to say, is I have never once questioned their love for me. I might be young, but I know what love, and support, and stability means, because I have really good dads. I won't get that with Kayla, and I'd much rather stay in my loving home. Thank you," Jack nodded his head once and threw a questioning look at Bela. She nodded for him to get off of the stand and he did so quickly. He ran across the courtroom and threw his arms around both Dean and Cas' shoulders. They hugged him back tightly, both of them trying to hold back tears.

When the judge awarded them full custody, they cried. They cried right there in the middle of the court room until their attorney guided them out. Sam and his wife, Eileen, and kaylas mother, Judy, met them outside of the courtroom and they took turns hugging Jack.

-

"Dad, look!" Jack held up a new pair of drumsticks, and Dean looked at Sam with a sarcastically wide smile.

"Jee, Sam, how nice of you," he said through gritted teeth. Sam smiled innocently, then pretended like someone called him. Dean rolled his eyes and looked back to Jack as he opened another Christmas present. He couldn't lie, the sixteen year old was surprisingly good at the drums, Dean likes to take credit for it because of all the classic rock he played when Jack was a kid.

"Daddy, look what grandma Judy bought for me!" Dean looked down at Claire, five years old with the biggest smile on her face as she stood beside a giant box that contained a Princess vanity.

"Oh my, Judy!" Dean looked up at the woman with wide eyes.

"Hush, they're my grandkids, you got to let me spoil them," she said as she passed him. He smiled fondly, watching her plop herself onto the recliner that she always occupies when she visits. One of Dean's favorite outcome from Kayla popping up five year old, is Judy. Once the woman found out about Jack, she'd been a prominent figure in his life. Then they adopted Claire, at two years old after her parents died in a plane crash, and she treated Claire as if she were her blood.

Dean left Judy and the kids in the living room once all of the presents were opened, and he stopped Cas from leaving the kitchen when he tried to pass Dean. Cas gave him a questioning look, but Dean hushed him and guided him into the garage.

"What are you doing?" Cas asked with a small laugh.

"I have one more present for you, but I wanted to give it to you in private, mostly because it's really fucking cheesy," he explained as he walked to his toolbox. He pulled out a square shaped present, wrapped in newspaper because Dean is simple like that. He handed it to cas with red cheeks and stood back with his arms crossed as Cas eyed it. He had a soft smile on his face as he unwrapped it and his cautious smile turned to soft awe as the newspaper fell.

"It's stupid and cheesy but I thought you'd like it," Dean shrugged as Cas started flipping through the photo album Dean put together. It went in order of the years. The first few pages were in their shitty one bedroom apartment, early years of their first dates, the first night Castiel stayed over, and Cas' pride week outfits. Then Jack appeared, laying on Castiel's chest fast asleep, cas smiling wide as his hands hovered over where Jack was taking his first steps, first days of school, arts and crafts gone wrong when everything got covered in glitter, the first time Sam met Jack. Then it was middle childhood, soccer games and school plays, their wedding, in front of the courthouse when they won full custody. Then high school, the first time they took Jack to Pride, that time Cas broke his leg and they mistakingly gave him a bell to ring when he needed them, adopting Claire. Family trips, small moments, days spent at the park, random little things that made their life so worth living, they were all interspersed in there. Some of the notes that Dean kept from the lunches Castiel packed him, pictures the kids drew, notes Dean left for Cas on days he woke up first, copies of their wedding vows. They were all in there. Cas was crying when he finally finished flipping through, and he couldn't speak, so he threw his arms around deans shoulders and cried softly into his husbands neck.

"I take it you hate it?" Dean teased, even though his heart has never felt lighter.

"I love it, you asshole," Cas said, voice shaky. Dean chuckled, wrapping his arms around Castiel's waist, holding him tightly. "I love it so much, and I love you," cas pulled his head back so he could press his lips to Dean's, kissing him hard and passionately.

"I love you too, Cas," Dean whispered between breathless kisses. Castiel sniffled as he pulled away, holding the photo album tightly against his chest.

"Let's go inside, I can feel Claire bargaining with Judy for another slice of pie," Castiel laughed softly to cover up how much he wanted to cry out of pure joy.

"Just let me kiss you for a little longer," Dean said, holding his hips close. Cas smiled, settling into Dean's arms and allowing himself to stand there, in the garage that Dean built, with their family safe and happy inside, and kiss his husband.

[wastelandcth]

Also in starstruck imagine like after a year or so of them dating, calum would literally forget that she's famous sometimes because he's so used to her just being her sksjjsjw and if a fan ever came up to them he was so sure they're coming to get a picture with him but it's a pic with her that they want lol and he's like 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 she's my baby 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

part one || part two

Calum was used to being stopped for photos whenever he and the band were out and about. He was used to being stopped for photos whenever he was on his own as well. What Calum wasn't used to was being stopped for pictures when he was with her. It had only happened a handful of times, usually when they'd be around a more touristy part of town. He didn't mind it too much, especially when everyone he was meeting was very respectful and usually they'd all have a nice conversation before continuing on with their day.

Calum had invited her out to a music video shoot, the band's new single leading them out to San Francisco to shoot for a couple days. She'd eagerly agreed, loving the city so she'd never pass up an opportunity to visit and explore, especially when she got to explore with Calum. It was also an opportunity for her to see Calum's side of work, usually he'd come visit her on whatever set she was working in during the week when he had downtime. Watching from behind the scenes as she worked her magic for the big screen, the elaborate costumes that her most recent project required made her transform into a space queen. But now she was going to be able to experience how the band shot a music video, she was going to be able to see him and his best friends jam out to their newest song, creating a perfect visual to represent the song and their new song.

On one of the days where the weather didn't permit the band to film, Calum had suggested that they get an early start on sightseeing. The rainy day would usually deter many of the tourists from leaving their hotel rooms to explore but they'd both come prepared with rain jackets and umbrellas. As they walked out, hand in hand, into the rainy streets of San Francisco, Calum couldn't help but feel excited to explore the city. They were staying near a couple museums and an aquarium, the idea of going to browse popping up over breakfast. Handing the tickets over to her, Calum watched as she put them into her bag, making sure to keep them as a memory of their day out in the rain, before leading him into the aquarium.

The atmosphere of the aquarium was calm, the soft music playing over the speakers interrupted every so often by announcements being made and the occasional child who would shriek over a fish. As they both made their way through the exhibits, Calum couldn't help but notice the way she was illuminated by the blue light shining off the tanks, his hand squeezing hers gently as he read a fact from one of the posters near the tank.

"You sure do know a lot about fish for someone in a band, rock star." she teased, her body leaning against his as she pressed a kiss onto his shoulder. "Didn't know you were a marine biologist." she laughed, finally pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Oh totally, all you need to do is learn how to read very small prints in a dark aquarium room. Nothing too complicated, superstar ." he replied, his eyes squinting dramatically as he moved closer to the poster which was only illuminated by a small white light and the blue of the tank. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Makes you feel small when you think about the ocean and everything it hides." he mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her, his eyes focused on the hundreds of jellyfish floating above them.

Walking out of the aquarium an hour later, Calum hadn't expected the rain to have picked up as much as it had. The wind made the oceans loud and cold as they splashed against one other in the distance. His arm that was wrapped around her shoulder pulled her closer into him, the cold air making his nose turn a shade of red as they both made their way through the pavilion onto their next destination.

The rain was loud against the roof of the building they'd found themselves in. Having to run in to escape the mini burst of hard non stop rain that hit them on their way to lunch. They both laughed as she wrung the water out of her hair in the sink of the bathroom that the shop owner kindly offered them. The shop had been empty when they'd run in, the sidewalks and streets abandoned to them as the storm forced everyone indoors for the foreseeable future.

As they both stood in the tiny employee bathroom, drying themselves of the cold water, they couldn't help but laugh at how they were probably the only crazy tourists to venture out on the day the city was hit with a severe storm. Even with the stolen kiss shared between them, cold lips against each other, they'd never regret leaving their hotel room that day. A knock on the door pulled them apart, Calum's messy curls still sticking to his forehead as he opened the door, the older woman offering them some towels with an embroidered sea lion on them.

A small gasp behind the shop owner made them both turn their heads at the noise. A teenage girl stood behind her, her eyes wide and in shock. Calum smiled a bit at her, he'd seen the look before. She must've been a fan of them, the way she kept trying to calm her features, her hands gripping a towel in her hands tightly as her eyes shifted between them and the shop owner.

"This is my daughter, you must excuse her rudeness, she's a big fan." the shop owner laughed, "Eliza, why don't you go check on the rain?" she nodded, Calum watching as her daughter's eyes widened even more if possible before she scurried off.

A few minutes later, when Calum had followed her out of the bathroom, his hair semi dry again, they both roamed around the small shop. They looked out the windows of the shop, watching as the storm turned into a soft pitter patter on the concrete. His head turned to look over as Eliza walked back over to them, clutching her phone in her hands tightly. Calum smiled as he watched her, he always waited until people asked for a photo, he didn't want to assume that everyone who saw him wanted a picture of him, he wasn't narcissistic like that.

"W-would you mind taking a picture?" Eliza's voice came out nervously, Calum's head cocking to the side as he saw Eliza's gaze on her. "I really love your movies, you're my favorite actress!" she nodded, turning back to Calum as she had nodded and chuckled, "Would you mind taking the picture for us?" she asked softly, holding out her phone for him.

"Yeah, of course. Smile you two." Calum chuckled softly, a soft blush appearing on his cheeks as he took the phone from her. Holding it up to get them both into frame. "Say cheese," he laughed, smirking as he saw her reaction and snapping a couple pictures of them. He handed the phone back over, chuckling quietly to himself as he watched his girlfriend and her fan have a conversation about the movies she'd been in.

He found himself strolling over to the checkout area, setting a couple of the souvenirs they'd both picked out. He also set down the sea lion towels, a chuckle leaving him as he handed the shop owner his card.

"She's a lovely girl, a great actress too." she nodded as she rang him out, "You're a lucky guy, make sure you don't lose her." she smiled as she handed him the bag with everything he'd bought.

"Of course, she's everything to me." Calum nodded and took the bag in his hand, "She's my baby, the love of my life." he chuckled quietly and shrugged, "Couldn't have asked for anyone better."

The soft rain hit them both as soon as they were outside of the shop. Their cab was a few steps away, Calum opening the door for them as he greeted the driver. As they made their way through the winding streets of the city, Calum couldn't help but feel like San Francisco was going to turn into a city full of memories for them both. And he wasn't wrong, because a few weeks later, when the music video had been edited and the fans went crazy over it, Calum couldn't help but miss the city in the rain and with his superstar.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 154

154

Fussing over Lance, Lance sighed for the hundredth time at his boyfriend. He loved Keith. Treasured Keith. Adored Keith. Cherished him with everything he had, but surely their had to be some kind of limit to the amount on guy could fuss over another, especially seeing he’d been fussing over him since early morning. Keith had wanted to cancel their date on account of Lance’s morning sickness. Lance wasn’t having it. He was having his date with Keith and nothing was stopping him. Not nausea. Not lack of sleep. And not Keith fussing over him when he was totally fine-ish.

Keith was taking their date seriously. Lance was seriously kicking himself over the previous day, despite the fact that Keith finally working it out made him stupidly happy. Plus, Keith had enjoyed the evening, even if he had no idea what was happening at the time. His boyfriend had taken this date seriously enough that he’d spent a hefty chunk of time on his phone working out where they were going. Knowing Keith would consider his feelings, he really hoped that Keith had seen how much he wanted to do something with him that his boyfriend enjoyed. Things were better that way. That way they’d both be excited and have more to talk about than just Lance blabbing on and on about his own interests.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve got your hands on your stomach”

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Keith, Lance wondered where else his hands would be. The twins were moving, like they were as excited as Lance was for this date

“Keith, it’s kind of the most convenient place for them”

“You’re not in pain?”

Lance gave in to the urge to roll his eyes as he replied

“I’m fine. Like the other hundred and one times you asked. I’m fine and I’m excited, but no pain”

Other than the discomfort of having to pee, and the general achiness of his hips. He’d been anxious about the date, being pregnant and all that, but now he was in disguise... Kind of. He had his jumper on that no longer really hid his bump, but the cap on his head his hair, and the thick sunglasses took up most of his face. Coran has given them the okay to go out, as long as they were careful and Lance took things easy. Around his neck was a blue scarf, that Keith had stunk up for him, so he was as ready as he was ever going to be when it came to slipping back into the general human population.

Huffing, Keith drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the lights to turn green. Lance clueless and loving that he was

“I’m sorry... I know you’re excited”

“I am. And you’re anxious that I’m not going to like the surprise...”

“A bit”

“Babe. It’s not going to be like super different than normal. It’s you and me, seeing something together. It’s about making memories and not stressing”

“I know. I still... want things to go well”

He would have kissed Keith if Keith wasn’t so focused on not killing them

“They will. Just concentrate on not getting us lost”

Keith shot him a scowl, deadpan with his reply

“You’re hilarious”

Another 5 minutes passed before they were pulling into the parking lot and Lance was lighting up. Being landlocked Platt didn’t have a whole lot of water around it. There was an artificial dam of sorts, where people could swim, boat and fish, and for some reason there was also this place. Platt Aquarium and Animals. Their sign boasted about the conservation work they did in the area. It’d been a long time since Lance went there. Probably sometimes around his first year back at college when he’d only just made friends with Pidge and Hunk. He’d brought Mami along, so she could meet them again, and it was one of those places he’d meant to take Keith on a date to before all the craziness had happened.

Cutting the engine, Keith seemed tense. Lance reaching out to place his hand on his boyfriend’s thigh

“This is it, right?”

“I mean... uh... if it’s not too lame”

Probably a little lame, but by Lance’s standards it was a whole lot of unlame

“It’s not lame. Did you know this place has sharks?”

“It said on the website”

“That’s the whole reason isn’t it? You want to see sharks and tell them their traitors for not having two dicks, don’t you?”

Keith’s cheeks reddened. Lance chuckling. His boyfriend was so cute when he blushed

“It’s fine. As long as you don’t get the compulsion to try punch one”

“I’m not going to punch a shark. Not unless it tries to make you lunch”

Lance raised an eyebrow, knowing full well what Keith meant

“I could support a shark making me a sandwich”

Keith groaned. His boyfriend too stressed to be able to take a joke

“Not like that. Why... How would that even work?”

The mental images shouldn’t have been as funny as they were, he couldn’t help the small giggle at the thought

“Carefully. Seriously, if you keep stressing in going to start stressing”

“But is it enough? I wanted to...”

“Babe, you’re overthinking. This is one of the places I wanted to bring you. I think the names changed, but this place is super cool. I thought you’d love taking photos of the fish”

“So... this is better than a shooting range, right?”

“Much. Let’s go already. I want to see all the fish and the animals. I think they even have bats here. You’re not going to get me confused with another bat, are you?”

“As long as you stay human”

“Well I can’t seem to turn into a bat carting around our twins, so I think we’re pretty safe in that department”

“You’ll let me know if you need a break or anything?”

“Yes, dad. Now can we go in?”

Keith paid for their tickets, Lance already losing concentration when it came to the tanks filled tiny neon fish in the reception area. Keith’s eyes had lit up the moment they’d stepped through the doors, Lance smiling at his boyfriend’s excitement that Keith was trying not to let break his cool calm “adult” demeanour. Keith had probably never got to go to an aquarium as a kid. Shiro had to have taken him, or maybe Shiro and Adam had made a family day of it. Lance hoped so. He hoped Keith wasn’t overthinking him having been there before. Having older siblings meant doing this kind of thing when Mami and Papi could afford it. When he’d been a kid there’d been this face painter at an aquarium they’d been to. Lance had his face painted with as many different fish as he could, then refused to take a shower that night because he didn’t want them to come off. Instead most of them scratched off against his pillow and he’d been devastated the following morning.

Sliding their tickets into his wallet, Keith took him by the hand as Lance moved away from the family wanting to get to the ticket counter. His boyfriend putting his wallet in his back pocket, staring at his feet as he did

“You probably know this place better than I do”

Stupid nerves. Lance wanted to kiss away all Keith’s anxieties. Sure, internally he was paranoid and just as fearful of something going wrong, but if he kept to that chain of thought then neither of them would have any fun

“If that’s your way out of us seeing everything, I’ve got news for you”

“I mean... where do we go?”

There were maps, and three different ways to the exit. Keith would know this if he wasn’t so anxious. His boyfriend had no right being so adorable

“You follow the yellow arrows on the floor until you’re past the biggest tank. That’s the one with the sharks in it”

“And is there anything I shouldn’t do?”

Other than punching sharks? And following common sense? Nope. There was only one “rule” that Lance could think of which would ease both their anxieties

“Yep. But the absolute worst thing you can do here is let go of my hand. I want to see everything here with you”

Keith ducked his head as he squeezed Lance’s hand, embarrassed as he mumbled

“I didn’t mean that”

“I know. Still, I want to hold your hand”

“You already are, dumbarse”

“Yep. I’m not letting go either. You’ll wander off and get lost if I do”

“If anything, you’re the one more likely to wander off”

“Why would I? I mean, like, the best part of the date is you, so why would I leave your side?”

Keith groaned at him, Lance bumping him with his hip

“Come on, mullet. Let’s go see some fishes... I wonder if they actually have mullets here... a photo of a mullet in front of a mullet...”

Keith stepped on his toes lightly, Lance shaking his head as he grinned. This was going to be the most awesome date ever. He was going to make sure of it.

*

Lance was a vampire in too deep. He couldn’t help himself and now he was lost as Keith tried to make conversation over the “colony of Nemo’s” in the tank they’d stopped to coo over. He couldn’t help but be distracted, and what was worse was that Keith had noticed his distraction. His boyfriend trying to make more of an effort, though he absolutely didn’t need to. Excusing himself to the bathroom. Lance went through the usual routine, before standing in front of the mirror. He didn’t look like he was having a good time. He didn’t look terribly healthy either. There was a major problem he was having and it was ruining his whole date.

Keith was too cute.

Trying to fix his appearance up in the bathroom, he came out to find his boyfriend sitting on the bench looking dejected. With his elbows on his thighs and his figure hunched forward as he held his head in his hands, Lance felt like a douche. He wasn’t trying not to have a good time. He just kept looking at Keith and getting caught up in the expression on his face. The wonder. The innocence. The way he scrunched his nose and put on a posh accent as he tried to pronounce species names. This date was so perfect that his stupid heart was dying from a Keith overload. They weren’t clumsy teens fawning over each other, they were supposed to be mature adults... but that went out the window each time Keith would smile and Lance would find his own smile growing wider. Keith was stressing out and his boyfriend had no clue. Despite how embarrassing it was going to be, he was going to have to tell him so Keith knew the date was anything but awful.

Sitting down beside his boyfriend, Keith sighed heavily

“I fucked this up again, didn’t I?”

Lance’s heart damn near broke

“No. No... it’s not that”

“I thought you’d be happy...”

“I am”

“So why are you... so sad?”

Resting his head against Keith’s shoulder, Lance let out a shaky breath, trying not to cry over Keith feeling so bad

“It’s...”

“It’s me, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. But not the way you think”

Lance cringed at his own words. Zero reassurance right there. Flinching a little as Keith sat up and he was forced to move back

“I wanted this to go well”

“I... okay. This is kind of embarrassing, but I can’t take my eyes off of you”

Drawing his brow, Keith seemed ready to start yelling or internally implode trying to ask what the heck that meant without having quite the right words or brainpower to figure them out. Right. He could do this. He’d comforted Keith a hundred times before... though if that was true than his boyfriend probably should have more rights when it when it came to fussing

“I mean... You just look so happy and so cute that I keep getting distracted by you. And then I realise I’ve kind of mostly missed everything because I can’t take my eyes off you. I’m not not having a good time. I’m just being... weird... because... you’re really cute”

“What the fuck?”

Finally it was Lance’s chance to groan. What part of what he’d said wasn’t making sense

“You. Look. Cute”

“You’re watching me instead of the fish?”

“I’m watching you watching the fish...”

“I start looking at the fish then I see you and my heart goes weird. I’m having a small panic about what to do though. I like being able to talk to you about your interests, and mine, in this case. But I can’t seem to keep my eyes off you”

Keith opened and closed his mouth, before dramatically sighing and ruffling up his hair

“What am I supposed to say about that?!”

“I don’t know”

“You sound like you love me, or something?”

As if that could be doubted. He wouldn’t be having so much trouble paying attention if he didn’t

“I do. Very much. Have you taken many photos?”

“Yeah... I mean... a few”

Lance had the feeling Keith was trying to cover up that most of those photos were of him from the tightness in his boyfriend’s tone

“We should take some more. I don’t want to forget this day”

Keith dropped his head down to kiss Lance on the shoulder

“Where I made your brain go all stupid?”

“Mhmm. If you think I’m stupid now, you should see me later”

Keith cocked his head

“What do you mean?”

“You see, I have this boyfriend. He’s kind of fucking amazing... and he turns me into this massive mess when we’re in bed together. Can’t think at all about anything important other than him. Zero brain cells remaining”

Keith snorted at him, Lance managing to sound to proud and serious at the same time, ruining it by laughing at the end. Keith deserved to feel good about himself. He was wonderful and everything Lance could want. Other people had stared at Keith as they’d made their way through the complex, but Keith was oblivious to their looks

“Are you sure you had brain cells to begin with?”

“My sources say no. I’m sorry I made you worry. I know you want everything to go well, and it is. I love you”

“I love you, too. Though I do think the fish are much more interesting than I am”

“That’s because you don’t see what I see. Just like elbow me if you catch me staring or phasing out”

Lance tilted his head, leaning down to nuzzle into Keith, Keith wrapping his arms around him as he nuzzled back

“Nah. Having you watching me... it’s nice to know you can’t take your eyes off me”

None of the fish compared to Keith. Not the tiny Neon Tetras, or the rainbow of colours of the fake coral reef that the Gropers swam over. The Black Cardinals reminded him of Shiro and the clownfish of watching Finding Nemo for the first time. He didn’t know what fish suited Keith the best, but he’d buy a whole damn aquarium if he got to see Keith so excited every day of his life. Actually, he wouldn’t. His boyfriend would be sad each time a fish passed and they were both pretty clueless over how much went into running a place like that. What Lance really wished was that he could bottle the happiness he felt when he watched Keith’s eyes tracking the fish in the tanks. The way his eyes would widen, or he’d squint to find the fish in the tank, then widen when he’d found his target. They should have picked up Keith’s proper camera. Next time they’d have to come with the twins and the rest of their family. But that’d be okay because he’d gotten to see all these expressions on Keith’s face that made him fall in love all over again.

[recentanimenews]

The aquatope on white sand – 04 – The girl with the red boots

Aquatope continues to meld stories of personal pain and growth, hints of romance, and slice of life in a unique setting with aplomb. This week we meet another employee of the aquarium, the gentle giant Umi-yan. He’s the first to realize that Fuuka is the Fuuka formerly of Yona Pro, and soon spreads the word to Udon-chan and Karin.

After work when Kukuru stops by Udon’s, she and Karin tell Kukuru while Fuuka sits in awkward silence with Kai, who just happens to flip to a channel on TV showing Yona Pro at an event. Just seeing the girl she let usurp her causes a visceral reaction in Fuuka, and Kai, also in on the big secret, quickly changes the channel.

The next morning, three old ladies are drawn into the aquarium before opening time to bask in Fuuka’s youthful beauty. The next day is a big one; the “Touch Pool” where kids get to touch sea creatures rather than just look at them.

Kukuru decides to give Fuuka more responsibility by being an attendant to the pools. While gathering creatures for the pool, Kai asks Kukuru whether Fuuka, who entered their lives so suddenly, will leave it just as suddenly some day.

Fuuka takes to her new job like a fish to water, taking voracious notes and adding her own cute little touches to make it a more colorful and fun experience. She even upgrades to bright red boots, surprising the rest of the staff. But considering they all knew she was an idol, should they be surprised?

When the day comes, things go swimmingly…at first. The kids love Fuuka and she crammed enough knowledge of the creatures to back her charm up with helpful knowledge. But then some older kids spot her, recognize her as the fallen idol, and prepare to snap pictures. Karin steps into their shot just in time, asking that they please not take non-consensual photos of the staff.

Umi-yan takes over the pool while a visibly shaken Fuuka, who tried so hard to buck up, is taken to the back by Kukuru to calm down. Kukuru apologizes profusely for getting so caught up in making the touch pool a success that she didn’t consider how Fuuka would feel.

But Fuuka doesn’t want her to apologize. She chose to be an attendant, and was happy when Kukuru put her to work and praised her. It’s here when Fuuka realizes that she wants to do a good job because she wanted to get to know Kukuru better and get closer to her.

Kukuru, in turn, realizes she wanted to give Fuuka more work so she’d fall in love with Gama Gama even more, so she could become closer to her. Pracicing what they preach to the kids about how touching a sea creature is worth a hundred words about it, Fuuka takes Kukuru’s hand and places it on her face, and Kukuru does the same with Fuuka’s hand.

Like Karin and Udon, I was absolutely slain by this scene, as it was surpassingly adorable and heartwarming in equal measure. It’s also to date the most overt expression of the show’s yuri overtones. Kai seems to have a thing for Kukuru but they’re old old friends; it’s different. Fuuka, on the other hand, inspires passion in Kukuru, and the feeling is mutual. They make each other better while helping each other heal from their wounds.

Fuuka returns to the touch pools with heightened confidence and poise, looking the older kids head-on and welcoming them to ask her anything…provided it’s about sea creatures. They look suitably chastened…how would they like it if someone took pictures of them when they were working?

After a long, exhausting, but ultimately successful and immensely fun day, Kukuru and Fuuka ride home, and before hitting the hay exhibit a far closer and more comfortable rapport, with lots of smiles and laughs. No doubt due to the exertions of the day, they end up oversleeping, but don’t sweat it. In fact, Kukuru decides to start the day by pouncing on Fuuka.

Naturally, someone had to piss in this blissful bowl of Cheerios, but thankfully the dread I felt as they approached the aquarium that those loan sharks had committed some kind of vandalism was mistaken. Instead, Fuuka’s stern-looking mom has arrived in Okinawa…and she doesn’t look happy.

Considering we’ve got twenty more episodes to work with, would the series dare separate Fuuka and Kukuru just when they’ve gotten so close? I dearly hope not! Instead it’s my wish that, as they pray to Kijimunaa each morning, as long as they keep doing what’s right, everything will work out.

By: sesameacrylic

[whatkikiwrote]

Jen is a character out of an unwritten book. Fairy Michael said it best, "That girl is from another planet." The girl with the spider legs. I say is because a person like Jen doesn't just leave this planet when they die, it'll take awhile before a sparkle like hers dissipates. She was fire, fun and one of the most hilarious people I'd ever met. She was smart as a whip and great company. Jen and I were the girls dating the Hungarians. Thomas and Sam were attached at the hip, which meant for better or worse, so were Jen and I. 

The four of us lived a few months together in a rusty shipping container until the rainy season hit and we were practically flooded out. That was November 2015. The rain in Big Sur fell especially hard that year, breaking California out of it's drought. We were always together in the beginning. Jen would wake at dawn to work her morning shift at Ripplewood and Sam was always ready to walk her to work. If you were unfortunate enough to be in the Ripplewood parking lot around 6am, you'd encounter them with their tongues down each other's throat. Sam and Jen were always making out. I remember once my parents came to visit from Boston, so we took them to the aquarium and my dad joked that Sam and Jen missed the whole thing because they were too busy engulfed in each other.

Living in the shipping container in late October provided minimal heat and sometimes the night temperatures dropped below freezing, so we spent a lot of our time at the pub. To stay warm Sam, Jen and I spent hundreds of hours in the soft glow of the pub's fireplace, while Thomas worked in the kitchen. The pub was located in the same parking lot as our little container, so we would joke it was the living room. I'm sure I'm not the first to say that about the Maiden, and if you were lucky to have spent an evening there, you understand how special it was. A little cozy corner community of people off the beaten Highway one path.

To bide our time I wrote. And drank.

Harassed the bartenders.

 Sam read countless books. But Jen could never sit still. She would pick up a book she was interested in, read a few pages and then start another one. She'd get bored, order a beer from Spencer or, if it was Friday night, from Heavy Metal Chris. She'd roll a cigarette on the bar, go outside by the barrel to smoke and every time I’d glance out the window at her, she would be hugging someone new. Lots of times she'd spot a friend in the parking lot, jump in their car, leave her stuff inside and come back hours later to her beer and purse, right where she'd left them. You don't deserve that kind of community love unless you work for it and Jen certainly did. She was always around and if I needed her in a pinch, I only had to use the “Big Sur telephone”,  "Hey everyone!” I’d call into the open doors of the pub, If you see Jen, tell her I'm looking for her." "Which Jen?" Someone would ask. "The one with the long legs." I’d reply. "Crossed eye Jen?" That was another thing about us. We both had occasionally lazy eyes.

In November Thomas and I moved into our Kia Forte and Sam and Jen moved into her Jetta. We didn't see them as much. Sam and Jen stayed in the valley, sleeping at The Grange while Thomas and I drove down to the south coast and spend our time off surfing at Sand dollar. I remember once we took Sam and Jen out to surf. I let her borrow my board and watched in horror like a worried mother as she flipped and flopped and smashed her and my board over and over again until she realized she could use just use it as a boogie board. I can still remember the endless joy on her face, even today, years later, holed up in a giant downtown apartment, far far away from the Pacific. That cute squinty smile. She wouldn't give me my board back for the rest of the day, no matter how much I pleaded.

In late December Thomas and I decided to move to Monterey. The day we signed our lease I drove to LA to get the rest of my stuff I had left behind when I abruptly decided to follow my heart and move to Big Sur. When I came home to Monterey, the apartment had been completely decorated. It looked like a homeless hippie had vomited all over our walls and, I guess she kinda did. Jen welcomed me with her big goofy googly eyed smile and offered me a plate of burnt cookies. That wasn't the only time Jen decorated my apartment or cooked for us .Once she made a stew of eggs, beans, greens and any condiment and spice she could find in the fridge and cabinet, including the fish sauce. We all took bites to be nice and then fed our portions to the dogs when she wasn't looking. Poor dogs.

Jen and Sam lost their jobs that winter and survived off of Chips Ahoy. They'd sleep over regularly to do laundry, take showers, smoke giant bong rips. We’d get massively stoned and lounge around listening to music while braiding each other's hair. We always had some new abalone or jade or money or doobie or gossip to share. Our collective favorite drink was a latte with a double shot of Bailey's so when they would sleep over, as a thank you, Jen would always make us Bailey's coffee in the morning. One thing Jen was exceptional at, other than being a phenomenal friend and muse, was making lattes. 

Once Jen hosted a dinner party at Coast Gallery, where Henry Miller’s famed water colors hang on the walls. It was just the four of us and Geologist Steve, who was living there at the time. Jen welcomed us at Steve’s door as if it were her own home. The small apartment had access to the latte machine in the commercial kitchen and together we drank at least 10 if not more coffees. She had made little foam hearts in every cup.

 High on caffeine we walked out to the balcony where the cafe serve sandwiches and drinks and looked out at the moon shinning off the ocean. There were few clouds in the sky as the marine layer had dispersed and clearly we could see shooting stars falling around us. Thomas took me by my hand and we started to waltz, as we circled around, I caught a glimpse of Sam and Jen, tongues down each other’s throats. It’s silly how when you are young you believe a moment can last forever.

Jen and I were like sisters. We didn't always get along in the beginning and we'd go long spans of time not seeing each other, but we always had the other's back. If I needed a job, she'd find one for me. If she needed to talk, we'd find each other. Once I took her to that dive bar in Seaside every Big Sur local has been to. I forgot the name. It was noon on a Tuesday and the place was packed. We spent too much money on booze and too much time complaining to each other about the difficulties of being us. After a very short lived game of pool, we decided it was time to leave, but as I reached to open the door, a man blocked my exit and said, "Where do you think you're going?" I stood motionless, freaked out, but Jen just swatted him away and walked out of the dark into the daylight without a blink. 

Eventually she and Sam made a deal with some deeply loved locals and ended up building their own little shack on a mountainside. Jen found a book on gardening and designed her own, at one point she dug out her own stairway down to the garden. Sam and Jen’s only other source of entertainment was a keyboard piano. When Thomas and I would come to visit, Jen and I would play duets. We were shit at it, but that didn't matter. Jen and Sam were living in a dream world. They forged for seaweed at the beach and dried it. They found a colony of bees and tried to harvest the honey. Two of their four walls were made of glass. They watched and documented the Sobranes Fire from their bed. One day as the fire raged, we climbed on their roof and drank Bailey's coffee from their makeshift kitchen: a tarp, a cooler and a small propane stove

.It's been 3 years since I've seen Jen. Thomas and I ran out of money and options after the Pub closed, so we decided with heavy hearts to move to the other side, my side, of the country. She and Sam broke up about a year after we moved. A poor choice, a painful ending, a breakup I wonder if I could have stopped, had I been there.

Despite the distance, I still shared photos with her, of the dogs, of our wedding, our first born little girl. And Jen has never left us, it wasn't even a week ago Thomas and I were sharing memories about her. I still have the pieces of jade we traded,  but I'm realizing now that she's gone,  how little of her I still keep. My apartment used to be where she kept her books,  her clothes,  some memories. Typically when a person you love dies,  there's a funeral to attend,  a gathering of friends to mourn with, but all I have is Thomas and somehow we'll have to tell Sam. How do you tell someone the greatest love of your life is dead? I'm sure it'll be a few more hours until I find out the details of her passing, a few more hours until the shock wears off and I find myself mourning my friend while playing with my children,  doing the dishes or driving in the car. 

Everyone has their own idea about what happens after we die. Thomas thinks we live on only in memories and DNA, I think a bit more spiritually than that.  Anyway, what we think doesn’t matter. Wherever Jen is, besides in all our hearts,  I know she's having a hell of an adventure and I hope someday we can ride those waves again at Asilimar.

[maple-writes]

Midnight Aquarium Visit

Hiding in the aquarium until after closing turned out to be easier than I thought it would be, but I guess none of the staff were really on high alert for stowaways. I stayed put, crammed out of sight in the interactive children’s discovery zone, as the minutes turned to hours. I didn’t want to get spooked by any late shift cleaners or keepers making their final goodnight checks on the tanks after all. The wait wasn’t so bad though, not with all the mindless games I downloaded to my phone that afternoon.

Midnight hit and I crept out from my hiding place, surrounded by dimly lit cartoon fish and their slightly too human grins. My bones cracked and popped, almost loud enough to echo over the constant rushing tank waters as I stretched tall and long. The carpet, thin and worn down by hundreds of visiting feet, muffled my steps as I slipped out into first exhibit with a smile so wide it made my cheeks ache.

My arms swung by my sides as I hurried towards the first tropical tank. Corals branched towered in the center of the tank, circled by colorful fishes. More hid between gaps and crevices, scraping out a spot away from the shrimps and the clams competing for space. The next tank held a pair of electric eels, peering up at me with muted confusion as if they couldn’t figure out why I was there, but they also didn’t particularly care. Part of me thought to take a picture, but I quickly changed my mind. I wasn’t supposed to be in here in the first place. I didn’t need anyone asking questions later when they saw photos.

Into the next hallway lined with tanks full of fish native to the different coves and islands of our coastline, I slowed again. I paused by each glassy window to peek at vermillion sea stars, curious copper rockfish, and doe-eyed ratfish that drifted like kites over their sandy substrate. One seemed to watch me, with a head that reminded me a little bit of an aged, cracked porcelain doll. I couldn’t help but smile as it followed me up and down the glass. She reminded me a bit of my brother’s new dog, following my finger with wing-like beats of wide pectoral fins like the fumbling gallop of a puppy after a ball.

But there were other fish in the sea, so I waved goodbye and practically skipped the out into the main foyer. All the way I could almost feel those round black eyes boring into my back.

Twinkling jellyfish displays hung from the ceiling, glowing and shifting like northern lights over the massive central tank. I leaned all the way over the railing, giddy with the thought that no one could tell me otherwise. Just under the surface tall fronds of kelp swayed in the artificial current, breaking the surface every now and then just to dip back below the depths. Fishy shapes moved, streamlined and dark far beneath the surface. Some kept to tight knit schools, but others struck out on their own as lone explorers in the midnight waters. Did they ever find anything new in there? I rested my chin on my folded arms and barely stifled a yawn. Surely, they must sometimes, otherwise why would they keep looking? The staff probably switched things—rocks, plants, toys maybe—every now and then anyway.

I held out a hand, marveling at the shadow of my outstretched arm on the inky surface of the waves. The water looked cold, freezing even, but I couldn’t help but wonder how the fish would react to meeting me head on. Would they be scared? They saw people all day every day, but maybe it would be different if I were in the water with them. After all, there was a big difference between seeing cars drive by your house and finding one in your bedroom.

All the same, the water looked deceptively inviting.

No. I sighed and pushed off from the railing. If I got wet now I’d be wet all night. If I was wet all night I would have some serious explaining to do once I got home, and I could just imagine how well that would go over.

I left the big tank and slipped outside, peeking at otters sleeping together in their rafts as I made my way towards the pinniped pavilion before it got too cold. The pathway narrowed, snaking around the backs of two enclosures until it widened out. On one side posters and displays lined the wall, all about seals and their adaptations, but I went straight for the enclosure itself, smiling as I saw they were awake.

Three seemed to pause their lazy paddling when they noticed me watching. Dark eyes studied me, whiskers twitching. They probably didn’t get much visitors this late at night. The fourth, an older seal with a cruel scar around her neck drifted into sight, swimming with her head and the curve of her back just above the water. When she was a juvenile, the mammal team found her after reports of a seal struggling with abandoned fishing gear wrapped around it’s throat, and she’d lived here ever since. All four of them had names, but I only knew that this one was called Marina because she was my wife’s favorite.

A sharp wind blew through the night air and I shivered. It was getting cold faster than I thought it would. Time to head back inside. I gave the seals a wave goodbye and hurried back the way I came.

Deep blue lights bathed my shoulders as I stepped into the next exhibit, face to face with a massive tank of drifting spotted jellyfish. Each pulsated in its own little rhythm, carried along by a circular current. Sure, they were pretty, but I’d never been a fan of jellies.

Instead I turned left, under the dimming lights, until I stood before a wall-to-wall panel of glass between me and the sharks. Sleek reef sharks patrolled the waters, eyes wide open if searching the water for intruders. As if seeing me, and asking what I was doing there out of the corners of their staring eyes before turning with a flick of their cartilaginous tails. Round rays drifted over the bottom like thieves beneath the circling sentries. Both seemed to make room when the biggest, a lone female zebra shark swam by with even strokes of her elongated caudal fin. She noticed me standing, watching, and circled back around.

Her small eye met mine as she passed, slow and unhurried along the glass. I felt my shoulders start to fall, staring up at the spots and ridges along her sides. The only light came from above her, dancing dappled across her back from the night spectrum lights over the tank. It was meant to simulate moonlight, at least, that’s what I’d always thought.

Slowly, I sat on the carpeted floor, leaning against the wall opposite from the sharks and crossing my legs like a little kid waiting for grade 2 story time. My neck cracked when I looked up again, resting my head against the wall. I guess I hadn’t done enough stretching earlier, huh.

The zebra shark disappeared back into the shadowy back of the tank, the tip of her tail slipping around a colony of carefully placed corals. The reef sharks quickly took her place again, swimming back and forth along the glass as if trying to get a good look at me, the stranger. The stranger who had no business being there at all. And they were right, technically I was trespassing. But I had a feeling that none of them really knew what the word trespassing meant, nor did they care. They probably had much more important things to think about.

I checked my phone again. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No one suspected a thing.

The zebra shark was back, but this time, she wasn’t looking at me. Tiny eyes trained on something around the corner, something out of my sight, but when I got up to check for myself, there was nothing.

Nothing except wet, bare footprints on the carpet leading back into the foyer.

I crept along the wall, leaning around the corner, but the main room was empty. No one in the lobby, no one leaning over the big tank to see the fishes. Nothing but wet footprints, wet footsteps echoing against the hard walls. I hurried along the edge of a tank leading to the main room, colorful cichlids following my every move.

A lone figure slipped though the doors to the outdoor exhibits.

My breath caught. She hadn’t been in any of the tanks, had she? What was she doing here anyway? I knew what I was doing, but I’d thought I was alone. I swallowed, worry starting to settle deep in my gut. It was cold out there, and she looked like she was soaking wet. Was she okay?

I left my place in along the wall and followed her watery trail under the pulsating jelly fish lights, past guest services, and through the outside door. The night air hit cold and fast, sending a shiver across my arms.

A shadow moved, ducking behind the sleeping otters.

“Hey!” I rushed forward, stumbling in the dark over a short concrete staircase. “Wait!”

She didn’t slow as I rounded the tanks, head swiveling as I made my way back towards the pinniped pavilion.

The walkway widened, and there was no where else she could have gone. She turned to face me, standing against the opposite wall in a long fur coat. It reached all the way down to her knees, and buttoned up all the way up to her throat, not quite hiding a nasty scar circling her neck. She held my gaze with an icy stare and her hands deep in her pockets. Her eyes flickered to something beside me, and I jumped as another woman in a long seal-fur coat emerged from around the corner. Then another from my right.

I turned around as another approached, the three of them blocking the way I came. None of them said a word. I held up my empty hands and backed away, trapped between them and the one at my back.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The one behind me, she could only have been Marina, spoke low and rasping like ocean saline. I turned, slowly, and she was feet from my face. My heart skipped and I staggered backwards, tripping over my feet and falling hard to the cobblestone ground.

She stood over me, shoulders bunched and hands still hidden from sight. I tried to get up, to prop myself on my elbows, only to be held back down by her heel bearing down on my chest. The other three drew nearer. They stood around us, surrounding me, glaring with hard masks.

Marina sneered “You’re lucky to have gotten so far without drawing attention to yourself, but it looks like your luck has just run out.”

The seals closed in, looming over me. Hands clamped around my wrists and they dragged me backwards over the rough ground. I tried to pull out of their grip, to wrench my hands free and kick my legs out, but it was no use. The two of them hauled me closer and closer to their habitat. The third ran ahead and the tell-tale sound of latch and gate swinging open made my stomach plummet. I stared, wide-eyed and pleading at the scarred seal woman. She almost stared right through me with eyes as black as night and a gait at steady as dawn waves.

“Unhand him this instant!”

A woman stood at the opening of the path, dark brown spots scattered across scaly skin and ridges running down the length of her body. She stood, small eyes locked on Marina with her chin high and arms crossed tight.

Smaller figures slipped out of the shadows around zebra shark, spreading out along the edges of the pavilion, small and fast. My seals dropped me and scooted back, earning a glare from their leader. They went to grab me again, but all at once, the reef sharks attacked.

I think I screamed, drowned out by the shouts from seals and sharks alike. Rough skin scraped quickly reddening rashes into my arms and snagged on the fabric of my jeans. My heart raced in it’s cage and claws hooked and tore at my shirt as the reef sharks hauled me to my feet.

“Quickly!”

A hand closed around mine as one of them ran me away from the pavilion, the other’s following in a frantic school. The placoid scales on his palm rubbed rough against my skin like I’d fallen and caught myself on an old sidewalk, but I did my best to keep up.

“Hurry, the otters are coming!”

Shouts erupted into the night air, spreading out behind us. I tried to glance back over my shoulder, but I couldn’t see anything past the reef sharks running at my side.

One threw open the door and they rushed me indoors. The noise of hundreds of voices hit me at once, shouting, yelling, screaming, laughing. A pair of copper rock fish lurched straight for me, tackled to the ground by two of the sharks. They rolled, growling, slashing, drawing blood.

“Come on!”

The hand on my wrist yanked me forward, leaving the two behind to their struggle. Above our heads the jellyfish lights flashed and pulsed with red and yellow lights like a canopy of wildfire. More sharks fell off, fending off eels with second jaws hidden in their throats and teams of piranhas with teeth flashing white.

“Don’t look back.”

Before either of us could react, one of the seals appeared from around the blind corner of an interactive display. She grabbed the reef shark by his shoulders and he let go of my hand to fight back and I stood, frozen as she slammed him up against a wall.

“Run! Hurry!”

I did as he said, my feet hitting the ground harder with every stride as I ducked under snatching arms and startled groups of perch scurrying out of my way.

A side door caught my eye and I veered towards it, nearly stumbling over my own scrambling strides.

Marina stepped out from the shadows in front of the door with a low light glare. I skittered to a stop before her, chest heaving and legs shaking, but she stood still, so still, so solid. She’d trapped me here, between the wall of noise at my back and her body blocking my only escape.

I swallowed, backing up as far as I dared without showing myself to the chaos just around the corner. “Why are you doing this? Just let me go, I swear I’ll never come back here again if that’s what you want.”

“It’s too late for that now.” She slid her hands out of her pockets and squared her shoulders. “You should never have come here in the first place.”

She lunged, clawed hands opening straight for my face. I threw my arms over my head and squeezed my eyes shut and—

Something shot between us and the seal shrieked. My eyes flew open. A girl in a speckled capelet stood with her back turned. She held a thin dagger, tip pointed to the ground dripping blood and venom. The seal fell to one knee clutching the wound on her side.

The ratfish glanced at me over her shoulder with big dark eyes gleaming green in the light. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, and she motioned to follow. The seal glared as I followed, but made no move to rise as pain contorted her face.

“Don’t worry, she’ll recover.” The ratfish’s cape seemed to drift along with her as she walked like broad, graceful wings. “But I think it’s time for you to go home now.”

She pushed the door open and the cool night air flooded in along with the yellow glow from parking lot lamps. Before I could even thank her, she planted her hand between my shoulder blades and shoved me out into the night.

The door shut. Silence rung loud in my ears, broken only by my own ragged breathing. The chill of the night crept through my clothes and washed over the sweat on my face. Trees that bordered the parking lot swayed, branches rustling against each other and sending pine needles drifting down to the cold concreate. I probably should have kept running and put as much distance between me and the aquarium as I could, as quickly as possible, but I just stood there, staring at the empty parking lot.

When my heart calmed down and my limbs stopped trembling, I started towards the nearest bus loop. There was no one else waiting, and no one else on the bus when it pulled up and I took a seat towards the back. I leaned back in my seat and opened up my wallet to slide the bus pass back into it’s pocket, and pulled out my aquarium membership card. My face smiled back at me in low pixel greyscale. It expired in a couple months from now. I sighed, slouched against the back of the seat and closed my eyes.

Was it worth trying to explain to my wife that I probably shouldn’t get it renewed this year?