#im trying to be optimistic!! after that it should balance out finally

[aidenwaites]

Well the bad news about the library job is that the salary doesn't get paid out until the end of the month so I'll have to keep a second job for at least that long no matter what

[descendantofthesparrow]

Interlude - Rewrite POYW - Harry Hook x reader - Part 3 - invitations

=

The Smee twins stared wide-eyed at the crisp white letter that was clearly and openly inviting them, both of them, to Auradon prep, signed by King Ben and Ms. Evie of the isle. They heard that Harriet, CJ, and their older brother Sammy had gotten the same letter around the same time that they had gotten theirs.

His Royal Majesty, King Ben of Auradon, and his Councilor Ms. Evie of the Isle, hereby request the pleasure of your company, Skipper and Sterling Smee, for the upcoming academic year at Auradon city middle school. Please notify his Majesty’s couriers of your response to this request.

-we’d love to have you two with us here in Auradon, don’t worry, your brother has been given the same invitation, will you come? - King Ben

-Don’t let this go to waste boys, I’ll see you soon - Harry H.

Skipper and Sterling looked at each other, then back to the letter, the older twin, skipper, picking up the letter and holding it gently in his hands, reading it over and over for any small hints that might reveal the letter to be a whole joke and they would never be coming off the isle.

Skipper slowly looked at his brother with a grin “it's for real” he whispered, shaking the letter in Sterling's face “they really want us to come to Auradon!” Sterling took the letter and examined it for himself, a bright grin matching his brothers growing on his face.

The twins threw their arms around each other, jumping and spinning around the room. the door to their room opened, the twins pausing in their celebration as their older brother, Sammy, and dad, Mr. Smee, looked in on them with just barely repressed smiles. “Dad look!” Skipper took back the letter from Sterling and shoved it into his dad's face, the old man smiling and picking up his son as he examined the letter “they invited us to go to Auradon! And Harry signed it too!!”

“they invited your brother as well” Mr. Smee hummed, setting Skipper back down on his feet and examining the letter again, smiling at the note from Harry. “Harriet and CJ too”

Sammy flipped his invitation between his fingers “yeah, Harriet said something about how they finally assigned guardians for us so they were finally able to send the invitations, all that’s left is for us to tell the dudes who gave ‘em to us that we accept” Mr. Smee, handing the twins letter back to Skipper, the two going over it once more.

“when can we tell them?” Mr. Smee asked, walking back out of the twin's room to the living room of his apartment that he had acquired after (y/n) had dismembered his ex-captain.

“well, Harriet got a letter from (y/n) saying that the next shipment of goods tomorrow, will have some of the couriers that are expecting our response so we can tell them then.” Mr. Smee nodded, moving into the kitchen to start making dinner for his sons.

“so after we tell them you three are all for Auradon, when will you be picked up?” Sammy pursed his lips, trying to remember what Harriet had relayed to him from the letter that (y/n) sent her informing her of the timeline of events for the vks transfer.

“uh, after we tell the courier dudes tomorrow? the limo should be here sometime next week…no clue what time yet but im sure well be told at some point before the day” Mr. Smee nodded, setting a pot of water onto his stove and turning it on, waiting for it to boil so he could add the pasta.

“I noticed on the twin's letter, it said “Auradon middle school” while yours said “Auradon Prep”, so the twins will be going to a different school?” Sammy nodded at his father's question, helping him get the ingredients ready for the chicken alfredo spaghetti he was about to make.

“Yeah, they are only 10 after all, and Auradon prep is a high school so I’m guessing when they turn 14, they’ll go then.” Mr. Smee nodded again and started to chop up some parsley.

Sammy grabbed the chicken from the fridge and placed a pan on the stove, starting the flame and grabbing some seasonings for the chicken.

The two worked in comfortable silence, the sound of the twins playing in the background providing the much needed “white noise”

Sammy sighed, slicing up the chicken and tossing it into the pan, watching it cook as he thought of the fast-approaching future.

Only a week from now, he and the twins would be across the sea in Auradon, away from their father for the first time. Now Smee wasn’t the best father, hardly anyone on the isle was, well maybe except for Dr.Facilier which was mostly a surprise to…well everyone, the once voodoo doctor turned principal and arcade owner held his daughter in high regard and strived to give her the best life he could on the isle.

But back to his father, while he wasn’t the best, he definitely was far from bad, and tried to the best for his kids when he could. And right now, the best for his kids was sending them to Auradon.

Sammy knew the twins would miss their father, yes, they would have the hook siblings and their older brother but nothing could take the place of their dad. Sammy hummed as he wondered if he could request visitations for the twins to see their dad.

-

CJ balance-walked the curb as she kept pace with Harriet, both heading back to the older sister's ship for the night as darkness began to set over the isle.

“so when are we goin ta Auradon?” CJ asked Harriet, grinning as she gave an annoyed sigh, it being the seventh time CJ had asked that question within the last five minutes.

Then again, Harriet hadn't bothered to answer her so CJ thought it was perfectly reasonable to continue to bug her with it. “at some point within the next week” Harriet muttered; she had wanted to keep her answer as loose as possible as to not get CJs hopes up. Harriet was a cynical person, unlike CJ who was oddly optimistic, and she didn’t want her little sister to be disappointed in case the limo never came.

But thanks to CJ’s constant babbling of the same question, Harriet just decided to blurt it out if only to make her shut up. “sweet~ is Harry gonna be in the limo thing?” Harriet sighed, question after question, and if Harriet didn’t answer CJ would babble it over and over again until Harriet snapped.

“I don’t know, I just know they are aiming for next week to pick us all up, (y/n) said I’ll get another letter about two days before we get picked up so we have time to pack ‘n stuff” CJ hummed at that and lept off the curb, skipping up next to her sister and clasping her hands behind her back.

“so what was (y/n) like? I didn’t get to meet her when she came to demolish dad” Harriet stopped for a moment, of all the questions for CJ to ask that was one she wasn’t expecting.

“well,” Harriet starting, moving forward again as her ship came into sight “she was really…expressive, very protective of Harry, um-damn good with a sword….I don’t know I wasn’t around her for a long enough time to gage her properly but what I've gotten about her from her letters, she’s a thorough person and makes sure everyone is taken care of before going through with a plan” CJ hummed again, Harriet’s “description” of (y/n) was different than the image she had made in her head due to Harrys “description” but either way (y/n) sounded kinda cool and she would have hella fun annoying the hell outta her.

The two hook sisters arrived at Harriet's ship and climbed aboard, moving into the lower decks where the kitchen was to eat dinner.

-

Dizzy hummed happily to herself as she moved about the salon, cleaning up the last of the clipped hair and globs of dye before the salon opened at midnight.

In one week, ONE WEEK, she, Dizzy Tremaine, the daughter of Drizella Tremaine, would be going to Auradon!!! With Evie!! Her idol!!

As the day drew closer to the fateful pickup day, her excitement built up inside her, bursting out in sleepless nights and constant ideas to sketch down in her sketchbook.

She let out a squeal and spun on her heels, sweeping up the last pile of hair and disposing of it. She just couldn’t wait! There were so many things in Auradon that she wanted to try! From ice cream to swimming pools, it was an endless list of joys she had yet to experience!

“Dizzy!!!! Finish up! Time for dinner!” her aunt Anastasia called from the apartment upstairs, Dizzy set her broom and dustpan against the wall and skipped up the stairs, unable to keep the bright grin off her face.

“Coming~!!”

-

Ben looked at the papers the couriers had given him of the responses of the six invites he had sent out the day before.

All of them said yes.

Ben couldn’t help the wide grin from growing on his lips, and he didn’t resist the urge to dance as excitement swelled inside him.

‘Finally!’ Ben thought as he danced stupidly around his office ‘finally! After more than half a year I can finally bring more VKs over! Nothing can stop it now!’

Mal knocked gently outside his office, it was lunchtime and he had yet to arrive at the pavilion where he and the vks plus (y/n) would be eating (lunch celebration for the invitations being sent out). After a few moments of silence, other than the sounds of Bens dancing footsteps, Mal opened the door, calling out for him.

She burst out laughing as she spotted Ben dancing around his office, a wide grin on his face “They all accepted!” Ben sang, pulling Mal into the room and making her dance with him “they all accepted! Six more vks next week!”

Mal laughed again and let herself be pulled into the moment of joy, gigging as Ben spun her around and lifted her into the air “Six more vks!” she echoed, squealing a bit as Ben dropped her into his chest and spun them both around some more “Ookayyy!! Im gonna throw up lemme down!” Mal smacked at his shoulders until Ben grinned at her and set her on her feet, laughing a bit as Mal tumbled into a chair from dizziness.

“Come on, let's go tell the others!” Ben grabbed onto Mal's hand, dragging a still slightly out of it fae from his office and to the pavilion, where the rest of their friends waited for them.

“There yeh are, an’ here I thought yeh keeled over from paperwork” Ben let out a few sarcastic laughs as he looked to Harry, who just grinned back.

“harde har Harry, but! All six of them accepted the invitation!” Evie and Carlos let out a gasp and Evie stood from the table, bounding over to Ben and slamming into him for a hug “I know! Next week we’ll finally have more vks!”

Gil and Harry burst out laughing as Evie took Ben's arms and spun them around in a dance, “He was doing that in his office” Mal sniggered, sitting down next to Jay and leaning on him, Jay holding up his phone and laughing as he recorded Evie and Ben dancing.

“adorable” you purred, curling against Harry's side as his arm wrapped around your waist. Carlos and Dude ran around for a moment, hyped up from Ben's visible excitement, and slid to a stop in front of the table.

“come on! Let's eat! Then we get ice cream! For celebration!” everyone cheered at Carlos' suggestion and Ben and Evie quickly sat down, Ben tapping his hands on the table to rid of his excess energy.

A few moments later Ben's personal chefs appeared with trays of food, setting them down in the middle of the table and pouring their drinks “thank you, Cherise, Tulio” the two chefs smiled at Ben and nodded, waving the eight teens goodbye and moving back into the castle.

“to the new vks!” Ben called, raising his glass and laughing as the rest of you followed his action.

“to the new vks!”

“and many more~!!” you finished, the vks grinning even wider than that. That was the plan, as soon as Harry's sisters, the Smee kids, and Dizzy were in Auradon, the process to bring another six would be immediately put in action.

The only question to that was ‘who would be chosen?’

-end of part 3-

 yeeee P3~!!! the new vks have been invited to Auradon and things are lookin up~!!! and writing excited Ben was so fun, hes a fun character to write and create for, i don't get why the official writers pushed him to the side so much, after all without him the Descendants storyline wouldn't exist (yes this is heavy side eye to the writers of descendants) 

anyway Permtaglist!

@queer-cosette @sephiralorange

@lunanight2012 @daughter-of-the-stars11

@musicarose @random-thoughts-003

@remembered-license @rintheemolion

@verboetoperee​ @imtryingthisout​

@thecaptainsgingersnap​ @jatp-rules-my-life​

[sunshine-or-some-shit]

The Walk (Waterbending!Reader x Zuko)

A/N: This is the first thing I’ve decided to write. I’m not great but I’ve had a bunch of ideas that I thought would be neat so here you go! Hope you enjoy! (Hnnnghhh the synposis is so bad im sorry-)

Synopsis: In the lower circle of Ba Sing Se, Zuko finds himself following a group of teens through alleys and passages he didn’t even know there was. Suddenly, he finds himself in a small crowd. Then, everything changed when his eyes landed on her.

———————-

Zuko didn’t even know why he was out that night. Maybe the dingy smell of the apartment was driving him crazy, or it was his Uncle talking with the neighbors that stirred him awake. 

Either way, it led him outside. 

Suddenly, a group of kids his age trotted by muttering about some “waterbender chick”. Zuko’s head shot up, an inkling of hope that it could just be the Avatar’s friend. He watched the group slide into an alleyway, before stealthily following behind.

It felts like forever that he followed the frankly annoying kids. Through alleys and slightly hidden passages that he could’ve sworn weren’t there before. Finally, they made their way into the hidden plaza.

It was extremely bare on the ground, as if a small house was meant to be there. Above, clothes lines held up shabby, dark colored clothes and even some blankets. The walls of surrounding houses were decorated with signs Zuko had never seen before.  Towards the middle of the plaza was three large jugs placed in a triangle. About twenty people were scattered about, leaving the middle of the plaza completely.

He snaked along the wall, distancing himself from everyone else. Why am I even staying? He thought, scowling. Just as he went to head towards the exit, water sprouted up from the vases, grabbing his attention. It rose into the air, spiraling about. The three separate streams moved throughout the plaza before moving to an entrance he hadn’t seen before. 

A person leapt through the wall the water made, perfectly dry as if they sliced it in half in perfect time. They wore black, baggy pants with slits in the sides up to the knee. The fabric cinched around their ankles and flared out a little. Their top was a matching black, which wrapped around their neck and forming an ‘X’ across their toned back with the fabric. A dark but slightly see-through veil covered majority of their face, and black elbow gloves covered their arms, and coming to a point on the back of their hand. 

Zuko scowled, immediately noticing this was not the girl the avatar traveled with. He went to leave again, but the crowd had now gather close, effectively blocking his exit. The person stood in the middle of the triangle made by the vases, a smile seen through their eyes. 

“Thank you all for coming,” The person announced, giving an exaggerated bow. “I see quite a few new faces here. I don’t know how you found this place, but let me welcome you, to what we call the Plaza of Freedom. As cliche as it is, we are here to celebrate the good times, and accept the bad! We all need something to forget about the war with the fire nation.”

The crowd cheered while Zuko sunk in on himself. Most of the people here look like they aren’t earth kingdom residents, meaning they are escaping from war-torn villages. Villages destroyed by his people.

“Now, stand back, relax, and enjoy my show..” They drawled, and Zuko swears he could see a smirk under that veil. A person in the corner pulled out a stringed instrument, playing a fun and fast tune.

The performer twirled about the stage of stone. Majority of the water returned to the vases, but they had four small streams following her wrists and feet. They flung their foot up, doing an arch with the high kick, the water trail following it. Drops of water bounced through the air as they flitted about. Zuko stood mesmerized at the amount of control they had. Each step was as precise as the water drifting around. It was as if the dancer had a bubble containing all the water away from the onlookers. 

They finished their dance with a pirouette, the water trailing around them freezing as they finished. They held their tip-toed, graceful-armed stance for a few moments, before relaxing. They quickly bended the water back into the vases, before taking another bow. Another performer walked out as the previous started heading into the crowd, right near him. 

He started to move, trying to get out of the plaza he never should have found. “Hey, wait!” A hand grabbed his, causing him to violently whip around. The black-veiled dancer stood there, a calm and gentle look in their eyes. “You are new, aren’t you?” 

“Yeah, what about it?” He huffed, pulling his wrist away to cross his arms defensively over his chest. The stranger laughed a bit, looking up at him.

They crossed their arms over their stomach, leaning into one hip. “Relax, I’m not some officer interrogating you. If I was I wouldn’t be here,” They attempted to joke. They turned their head, seeing the next person, an earthbender boy who looked to be juggling, was starting. They smiled once again and grabbed his wrist, pulling him through another passage. “Come on, tough stuff. You look like some one who needs to relax!”

Zuko gaped, trying to form a response but no words would leave his mouth. The dancer dragged him around before stopping at a ladder leaned precariously against a house. They started climbing, gesturing for him to follow. Zuko realized with a sigh that he had no clue how to get back to where they were, and reluctantly joined them. 

When he got to the top, they were already laying down on the slanted roof of the house. He sat two paces away, knees pulled into his chest and looking away from them. Zuko heard them shuffling, only glancing their way to see they moved much closer, and were looking at him.

“So,” They trailed on, glancing at him hopefully. “What brought you to Ba Sing Se?” 

“The war.”

“Well, duh!” They laughed, sitting up and leaning their weight on their right arm. The left came up, unclipping the veil around their face. They looked Zuko’s age, maybe a year or so younger, with an obvious toothy smile on their face. “I mean, what made you choose to come here?”

 Zuko looked at them, giving them a look of confusion. “Why wouldn’t I come here? This city is one of the safest places currently, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” They muttered, looking off into the night. They had their right leg extended, with their left arm perched on top of the bent left leg. “I just always found it odd here. Almost as if everything is too perfect, y’know?” Their eyes had a faraway look, the smile once taking up their face morphing into a small frown. 

Zuko looked out to the sky, letting out a quiet hum of acknowledgement. “My name is (Y/N) by the way. Im a waterbender if you couldn’t tell.” They let out a small, pathetic laugh. “How about you?”

“My name is Lee. So, how did you get here? And, get the nice clothes?” Zuko replied, looking away when saying his name. They chuckled at his question, and he felt himself sneaking looks at the bright smile they had.

They laid down on the shingles of the roof, arms tucked under their head. “My parents left the Northern Water Tribe when they were newly-weds. They just wanted to travel around the four nations and learn. They had me in a small village in the Earth Kingdom a few years after they left. In the end, our village was burned down and we were either taken to prisons, or you are one of the lucky ones who escaped. That was my dad and I. My mother wasn’t as lucky…” They trailed off, sad eyes focusing on the starry sky above them. “As for the clothes, they were made by my mother. She loved to perform and we never had the heart to sell them, so when I fit in them I took to dancing in them for tips.” 

Zuko gazed at the ground solemnly, fists clenched tightly. “I’m sorry to hear that. My mother left when I was young.” (Y/N) shrugged, lips pulled into a firm line. 

“One day, this war will be over, I know it. Ba Sing Se can deny it all they want but it will be on their doorstep at some point. If they man up and actually take down the Fire Nation, then you can bet your ass I’m marching through every prison until I find my mom.” They quickly shot up, crouching down to maintain balance. “Well, Lee, I should probably get you back home. Thanks for listening to an optimistic dancer.”

They slowly walked back to Zuko’s apartment, taking the alleys that (Y/N) seemed to know like the back of their hand. A mindless conversation was passed between the two of them, filling the night silence. Too quickly, they reached the door of Zuko’s complex. 

“I hope I see you around,” Zuko smiled at them, a hand coming to rub his neck awkwardly. They let out a small laugh, shaking their head slightly. They leaned close, pecking him on the cheek.

“Come see me perform anytime, lover boy. Just ask someone for the Shrouded Mist!” They joked, skipping into the abyss that the just exited. 

Zuko didn’t even know why he was out that night. Maybe the dingy smell of the apartment was driving him crazy, or it was his Uncle talking with the neighbors that stirred him awake. 

Either way, he was glad that he left.

--------

A/N: hnnnn- I don’t like the ending it feels super rushed but I didn’t want to lose motivation to finish this so here you go! I hope you enjoyed if you found this and feel free to message me with requests or just to chat! (I can’t promise I speedy response but I will try my damn hardest-)

[prettywordsyouleft]

Through His Eyes - Part Two

Summary: Losing your sight after your accident was traumatic, and Jaebum’s guilt of knowing it should have been him instead creates an intricate bond between you both, as you overcome adversity and try to find your way in life again.

Genre: angst / romance

Characters: Im Jaebum x female reader

A/N: This story is emotional and raw compared to some of the content on my blog. It is in no way an attempt to glamourise or undervalue the lives of those who suffer from something similar. This story is purely fictional.

Through His Eyes will be posted every Tuesday at 10am NZST.

Index: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 [M] | 13 - FINAL

“Okay just one more step, sweetheart.”

You fumbled to lift your foot up, realising when you put it down that you had lifted it too high. It thumped down onto the step and you hoisted yourself up, swaying to the right a little. You felt the ever protective hands of your Mum hovering around you and groaned inwardly, having pounded up these exact stairs countless of times unassisted.

It was amazing just how difficult something so mundane could be when you have no clear vision.

“Let me just open the door.” You listened for the code to beep, paying more attention to the different sounds each button made. It made the entry unlock sound and you heard your mother open the door, waiting for the all clear to move. You had learned very quickly when you started walking again, that unless someone told you to move, to remain perfectly still otherwise. It was safer that way. You felt her hand guide your elbow and you stepped forward, hitting something in your path.

“What’s that?”

“It’s your house slippers. Take off your shoes now.” Doing as instructed, you then waited again. “Don’t forget the step up into the house. I’m getting a ramp installed next week.”

“That won’t be needed, how hard will it be?” you mentioned, moving forward again and catching your toes on the exact step you were trying to salvage from change. You stumbled and your Mum lurch forward to offer you some stability. “Ugh!”

“It will take some adjusting, but you’re going to know the layout so well soon that you won’t even need to worry!”

“Glad someone is optimistic.”

“Y/N, it’s going to be okay.”

You turned your head towards her voice, longing to see her properly instead of the constant indistinctness. You were getting used to imagining everyone you made contact with since the accident, though some details seemed to be disappearing. The one face you didn’t want to forget was your mother’s. You wished for some way to imprint it firmly into your brain. At the same time, she was becoming the one person you didn’t want to be around. Her ability to remain positive as your world continued to be blurry was enough to irk you into irrational moods daily.

You now tried to decipher where you were within your home. “Where’s my bedroom. Don’t take me there, just tell me which direction.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I just want to lay down, Mum. Left?”

“If you move to your left, there are some markings on the wall that go all the way to your room. When you learn Brail-”

“Thanks, let’s talk later, okay?” You hurried towards the left, banging a little hard into the wall. Your hands felt for what she had mentioned, the unusual bumps running across the wall as you moved along. You could hear soft footsteps behind you and tried to focus on what you were doing instead, finding the door already open as the wall turned a corner. You could smell the faint scent of your strawberry perfume, and your thoughts went back to the moment you were spritzing it onto your summer dress the morning of your exclusive pass.

Blinking back the tears and the accident that rapidly flashed into your mind again, you rushed forward until you connected with the bedding. Scrambling onto the bed, you burrowed yourself under the blankets, not responding to any comments your Mum had begun to say. Eventually, you heard the click of the door and you clung to the blankets further, tears running down your cheeks.

It was too hard to live in this lonely blank world.

You stirred as you felt the sun shining through the curtains and rolled over, wondering how bright it would be today. Opening your eyelids, you tried to stare in the direction of your windows, only feeling a lighter change within the greyscale blur you saw. Your mood immediately darkened and you laid there staring up, wondering how your day would be.

For the past three weeks, you had been busy with daily lessons of your new language, attempting to understand the alien bump sequence that your condition now made you rely on. You were also growing accustomed to finding your way around the apartment without smacking into something every five minutes like in the beginning. If you could get through the day without colliding into more than three things, then you classed it successful.

Things seemed to be falling back into some routine, though it wasn’t the kind you wanted. You missed hanging out with your friends on campus, studying painting and sculpture, and enjoying your twenties. You felt robbed of any real chances of a steady future, knowing you would have to co-depend on at least one person for the rest of your life. It was currently impossible to be positive as you were usually known to be.

It was growing hard to even remember who you were before.

“Y/N, I’m just heading out to get some groceries, will you be okay for an hour? Do you want me to call Mrs Shin to come up and stay with you?”

You glanced towards the direction of your door, hearing your Mother’s footsteps growing louder. She had a dainty style of walking, something you hadn’t noticed until now. Losing your sight had definitely fine-tuned your hearing skills. She stopped moving and you took it as your time to turn your head to stare up at the ceiling. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? I could-”

“I’ll just lay here; there will be no need for her to come in.”

“Well you have your phone beside you so if you need me, you know how to contact me. I love you.”

You nodded, your emotions rising with how selfless she could be. You cursed your irritable nature of late and made a promise to be more forthcoming towards all the work she was putting in.

Her steps retreated out into the living space, no doubt dashing about looking for her belongings before heading to the front door. You heard it open and then close, locking with a beep. The apartment was still alive, your ears growing accustomed to hearing the clock ticking on the wall near the television, and the hum of the refrigerator was somewhat comforting. You noticed there was a dripping sound adding to this symphony of sounds and frowned, wondering where it was located. Now that you could hear it, you were only able to focus on that, the sound overpowering everything else.

It quickly became irritating.

“Okay, let’s find you,” you said aloud, swinging your legs over the side of your bed and then getting to your feet. Once your balance was even, you moved forward slowly, going towards the door and feeling relief at the now familiar raised bumps on the wall. You ran your hand all the way until you knew you were in the living room and stopped, listening out for the sound again. It was coming from the kitchen and you eased yourself around the dining table that you knew was in your direct path, now shifting towards the tiled area of the house. The noise grew louder, and you tapped about, trying to find the counter. Your hand grazed over something and you tried to grab onto it to decipher what it was.

“Parcel delivery!”

You whipped around in fright, throwing your balance off as you did so, and hearing the smash of whatever you had been attempting to grasp. It sounded like glass and you groaned, moving forward again and crying out in pain when you stepped on something sharp. Your balance became uneasy and you grabbed onto the refrigerator, unsure of what to do.

A buzzing sound came from the door and the man repeated his delivery call, but you didn’t respond, feeling paralysed. You began to cry, wishing your mother were here to help you decide on what to do next.

It felt like an eternity until you heard the front door code being punched into the door, and steps entering the house. You were still standing on one foot holding the refrigerator, and began to shake with the intense relief washing over you knowing that someone was coming to help.

“I got everything we needed and even something more, Y/N!” You heard more steps and tried to call out, but your voice wouldn’t work due to all your tears. “A certain person is here to see you. Someone we were talking about yesterday actu-”

“Mum!” you finally called and the sudden noise from all the movement around you was deafening. Arms went around you quickly right as your legs began to give way, feeling drained completely and you fell limp within the grip. You frowned slightly, trying to decipher who was holding you. It wasn’t your mother.

“Y/N, what happened?!” There was panic within his voice and you struggled to move upright against him. His hands only gripped you tighter and carried you over to the sofa, the man lowering you down gently before taking a seat. You were hyperaware of yourself in the most ridiculous ways.

It was true you had discussed allowing Jaebum to visit finally. He had been calling a few times a week to check in with how you were, and at first, you were uncomfortable with even speaking to him. Now, Jaebum became the person you enjoyed most conversing with during your day. He would share the news of his work with you, and in return, you would tell him of your learning of Braille. It was becoming important to check in with each other regularly and you felt relaxed when doing so. He was the one person who seemed to understand how different life felt these days.

However, you had hoped that when he came over that you would be dressed and presentable, for one. You didn’t know what was frightening you more, the fact that you were bleeding and had no way to fix it yourself, or that Im Jaebum had just carried you around in your pyjamas.

And you hadn’t even showered yet.

“You told me you would stay in bed,” Mum scolded firmly, the panic subsiding in her frantic movements around the house. You could smell the first aid kit that she placed down. “Why did you get up? Jaebum, can you hold her foot up so I can treat it?”

“Sure.” Your leg suddenly moved gently and you cried on the inside, utter embarrassment eating away at you. You then winced dramatically at the tugging your foot felt. Jaebum patted your lower leg gently. “You need to stay still Y/N, you have glass stuck in your foot.”

“Why did you get up?” your Mum repeated and you sighed, giving in to the whole situation in defeat.

“I heard a tap dripping.”

“Is that it?” she sighed, her gentle treatment beginning again on your injury.

“It was really loud with the house being quiet so I came out to turn it off properly. And I was almost there until a delivery arrived and gave me a complete fright.”

“I told the lobby to collect our deliveries from now on for us,” Mum grumbled as she cleaned your foot with an alcohol rub.

“Ouch!”

“Well, you would wander around with no slippers on. They were right beside your bed.”

“It’s not like I could see them,” you reminded through gritted teeth, annoyed at how something so simple at lining up with your slippers each day could prove a challenge depending on where you got out of your bed.

“All the same, you made it to the kitchen in one piece,” Jaebum injected into the conversation and you turned to his voice, not knowing how to respond. “That’s good isn’t it?”

“Except now she’s hurt.” Mum disapproved and began to wrap up your foot. “There. Now stay here, I’ll get your slippers so you can keep your foot safe.”

As she moved away from you both, Jaebum took a deep breath. He nudged you gently and you flinched before smiling meekly in his direction. “Is she like this with you every day?”

“Well, I did just hurt myself.”

“But you got up,” he stated, and you could tell there was some sense of joy in his tone. “You did something more than usual, Y/N. Aren’t you glad?”

You thought about his words for a moment, your smile growing wider as you nodded. You had done something more than ordinary. Even if it had ended badly, you had still tried.

And that’s all that mattered right now.

_________________

[Part 3]

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[fairdoves]

 *cracks knuckles* okay so i’ve been thinking about why i have such issues with the new season of t*itans and i’ve finally got the energy to put it into words so i’m gonna give it a go.

for a while i was trying to go with the flow as far as my portrayal goes just so see where it went because after all,  i’m an optimist and i would like to think the writers had a pretty good grasp on dawn’s character from the comics   ( aka what she’s modeled after.  ya know.  because the live adaptations should be.  semi.  based on the comics.  yeah. )  

instead,  they gave us this weirdly done co-dependency between hank and dawn  ( which is in the comics but its more about balance and less about co-dependency but i’ll get around to talking about that at a separate time )  and this weird relationship between dick and dawn  ( both ships that which i LOVE and am happy to write and fix up because that’s just who i am as a person )  and i’m cruelly reminded once again that dawn is just a vessel for man - pain and for the audience to understand the show better.  she’s always been the voice of reason,  but the writers stretch it too far.  they push her in and out of scenes that don’t necessarily apply to her because they don’t want her logic.  one example i can think of right off the bat is the whole situation with slade taking jason and slade trying to turn the team against each other.  yes,  dawn was the only person to try and diffuse the situation when rachel and jason stormed out,  but it’s very out of character of her to not intervene a step further.  had the writers decided to show her truly in character,  she would’ve been able to rationally make the team understand that slade is getting under their skin.  she’s always got her eye on the bigger picture,  in this case which is the well - being of the team,  and would be able to see past immediate problems to understand at least that part of slade’s motive.  

what i’m trying to say is that dawn would step in to help resolve conflicts at every turn if the writers let her.  in the comics she’s literally an international affairs major and represents peace and order and logic and thrives off diplomacy.  

they use her to show the audience the flaws in the tita*ns plans and be the upstanding moral voice  ( ie. not wanting to use jericho to get to slade,  wanting to cut ties with him )  but they throw her aside the moment they actually have to consider an actual plot outside of men for her.

i completely understand that the writers can’t let always be the voice of reason or else there would be no plot,  but y’all.  im tired.  i’m sorry this post isn’t very Coherent but i’m very tired just please know that i love u and i love my girl so much

[wonderlustlucas]

saccharine - lee donghyuck

⇢ prompt “This is the only special part so far.” ⇢ pairing haechan x female reader ⇢ word count 2.1k ⇢ genre fluff ⇢ warnings none ⇢ summary One thing on top of another leads to one Hell of an emotional week. Luckily, the birthday boy with the sun under his skin and a passion when it comes to cinnamon buns is there to save the day.—highschool!au ⇢ a/n idrk what this is,,,,it started as one thing and ended as another BUT ITS OK cuz im so happy with this, i uwu, v cute, its kind of dramatic??and depressing??at first?? but low key relatable so UHHHHH enjoy! happy 18th birthday lee donghyuck ❥

The balance on which your patience and sanity sit on is far too close to teetering off the edge; one minuscule blow and off you will tumble, falling down into a hole of desperation and depression that only breakdowns and napping and pints of ice-cream can fix.

It’s simply an amalgamation of factors that will lead to your potential breakdown, a multitude of unlucky combinations that, in accordance with the universe, lunge upon you all at once. And while life could be much, much worse, it’s the overwhelming panic and desolation that makes it so unbearable.

The first, the least stressful but nonetheless one that has you sitting in bed at night on the brink of tears, is the reality that after a whole four years, one thousand four hundred and sixty days, high school would be over. All the set routines, all the unforgettable memories—all of it, cut off with a signed piece of paper and a handshake.

The second: your ex-boyfriend has someone new. While the breakup was months ago, a lengthy amount of time that allowed for the hopelessness and betrayal to finally diminish until you were back on your feet again, enjoying the life of not being tied down and being able to hook up with anyone you damned please, it hurts. It’s an odd sting, a wrenching in your heart that he has found someone else and you haven’t, a dull ache no matter how hard you convince yourself that you don’t care.

The third element to your disastrous undoing, one that every student faces and dreads: exams. You’re smart, undeniably smart, and that’s what makes exams all the more stressful. The honest-to-goodness want and need to do well, combined with the consequences of procrastination make for a week full of rushed studying and ‘I’ll be fine’s, followed by a two hundred question test slapped in your face at seven in the morning that only partially makes sense.

And the icing on the cake: you are premenstrual. It’s the final blow that makes your closing week of school so atrocious, one that heightens the sadness of this is it for school, the grief of a long ago broken heart, and the monstrous stress of finals. A voice in the back of your head always bitching, bubbling over in your mind that absolutely everything and everyone has to get on your nerves, topped with the undeniable horniness constantly aching in your brain and abdomen along with the wavering self-doubt, euphoria, despair, and irritability.

And even after the last day of school, the final exam, the cheering as you exit the building you’ve been a prisoner in for the past four years, the realization that it’s over, you still are in the grip of a silent panic, an unstoppable snowball fight in the pit of your stomach.

It’s an awkward time of the day once you arrive home from school for the last time, too late to make last minute plans but too early to crash no matter how much your heart calls you to.

Instead, you make a hasty decision to head back out even after you have changed into sweats, opting for a happy middle ground rather than choosing one and ending up disappointed. Off to the bakery you go, driving into the quieter part of town in impassive quietness and staring up at the baby blue sky.

It’s comforting in a strange sort of way, the soporific shade bringing a sense of luxury and serenity like warm milk and honey. However, all good things must come to an end, you realize after you park, abruptly exiting the car and slamming the door closed before making your way up onto the sidewalk.

Like a ghost in a world full of paper dolls you enter the bakery huddled between the bank and antique shop, a place where air is more delicious than any flavor and mouth-watering displays cause more regret than any drunken party ever could.

The cinnamon buns just so happen to be like your Achilles tendon; at the sight of one you’d stop dead in your tracks, the damned things are your nemesis and elixir all in one and there’s simply no denying a decadent treat like this on such a forlorn day.

Upon entering the bakery, you let out a mesmerized sigh at the beckoning aroma of fresh baked cookies and cakes and pastries and you hardly feel a hint of embarrassment when your stomach growls instantaneously. The impending hollow sadness quickly vanishes and is replaced with the sudden sense of tranquility. Finally, you think, stepping up to stand behind a young girl finishing her order, things can only get better from here.

However, just as you’re drilling optimistic thoughts into the confines of your brain, a customer with a dash too much pep in his step bursts through the door from behind you and, astoundingly, cuts in front of your spot with not even an ‘Excuse me.’

You’re flabbergasted, to say the least, sparks in your brain, desperately trying to connect the dots and instead just causing a short circuit. And suddenly you are underwater—everything is slow and warbled and you’re left unable to speak as the culprit has the audacity to move up in line and place his order as if nothing had ever happened.

And with a force like water bursting forth from a dam, brick by brick the walls come tumbling down, tears spilling down your face, struggling to breathe, you turn with a trembling chin to look toward the window, clawing for some sort of comfort in the light outdoors. However, the bustling of customers around you cannot mask the hushed sobs that shake your body, and no matter how furiously you wipe the tears from your cheeks or suck in air to calm your lungs, nothing can hide the fact that you are standing in the middle of a bakery weeping.

“Shit, that was not supposed to happen.”

The gentlest of hands grasping your own pauses your public breakdown, and for a split second, you jerk away from the tender touch until, no matter how hard it is to do so, you glance up.

“Donghyuck,” you hiccup upon recognition, “what’re you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? I should be asking you that,” Donghyuck chortles, “I went to buy you a cinnamon bun and then you started sobbing.”

Oh.

“You didn’t—you never,” you groan, “why didn’t you say hi first instead of cutting in front of me like an idiot?” You grumble, retracting your hands to messily rub away the remaining wet streaks down your cheeks, grossly heaving in oxygen and blinking out a few more tears. “I thought it would be cute and spontaneous, and then you turned to shit,” the tanned boy retorts, turning momentarily to grab the bag coasted across the counter to him before, suddenly, intertwining his fingers with yours and dragging you to a free table.

“So, why’d you go all batshit back there?” Donghyuck asks, rosy heart-shaped lips tugging up into a soft smirk even as he sits you down in the booth and takes a seat across from you. It’s dangerous, you realize; the mocking lilt to his voice paired with kindness that is more than out of place, and, of course, his overall handsomeness. From golden skin, warmer than any sunset you’ve seen, disheveled auburn hair dipping into black eyes with irises shimmering with all the stars in the night sky, cherry red lips that allow one-too-many smartassed words slip by. Lee Donghyuck is truly an enigma.

"Why’d you buy me a cinnamon bun?” You retort finally, reaching for the bag and tearing it open, eager for the delight inside. Donghyuck rolls his eyes, “Answer my question first.”

Stubborn. “I’ve had a rough week, and that was just the cherry on top,” you tell him truthfully, “also, how’d you know I was here?”

“One question at a time, tiger.” Snotty. “I didn’t follow you, you’re not that special, although I did see you walk in here with the most miserable look I may have ever seen and thought, ‘Hey, now’s a good time to rekindle what I had with the girl I’ve been crushing on since she dropped me for some fuckface baseball player sophomore year.’“

You blink once and then again, pausing your attack on the first bite of dessert to look up at Donghyuck. Candid. Processing his words, you stare at him blankly, his lips pouted into a smirk once more, “I did not drop you.”

“Babe, you definitely did.” A flirt.

“You’re the one that told all your friends I was a bitch!”

“God, ___, it was a joke. Ever heard of one of those?” Rude. “Can you just shut up and let me eat my cinnamon bun?” You grumble, peeling off a chunk, cinnamon glaze sliding under your nail.

“Technically it’s mine, but fine,” he chuckles, grinning devilishly as you pop the bit into your mouth, a hypnotized sigh escapes your lips and suddenly the golden boy isn’t so wicked. “Fine, I was a baby back then, I’ll admit it. However, if you’re trying to get me to fall for you again, this whole mocking me when I’m emotionally unstable isn’t gonna do it for you.”

Donghyuck processes your words, squinting as you go on with your feast, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning into the wooden table, “Why was this a rough week?”

“Well, let’s see,” you sigh, counting your fingers, “high school is over and university is going to be stressful, fuckface baseball player has a new girlfriend, exams made me lose brain cells, and my period is coming soon so I want to die.”

“That doesn’t sound fun,” he comments, tearing a piece of the cinnamon bun off and you glare at him. “It’s not.”

“At least you have a cinnamon bun now,” beams Donghyuck, kicking your shins under the table and you groan. Childish. Licking your fingers clean you check your phone, glancing at the time and catching the date by chance. Then, “Isn’t today your birthday?”

“You remember?” He asks and your heart lurches at the innocent cloud that passes his features. You nod slowly, returning his smile, “Happy birthday, then.” Donghyuck‘s cheeks flush the faintest shade of coral and at the heat rising upon your own you turn away, clearing your throat and munching on another piece. Angelic.

“Anyway,” you cough, “how’s your birthday been so far? Any plans?”

Donghyuck shrugs, “None yet, just dinner with my family and I’ll probably hang with the boys tomorrow. This is the only special part so far.”

“Oh,” you quip, frantically searching for a spot to look at and settling on a grey pigeon outside, pecking viciously at whatever is on the pavement, “that’s good.” Glancing back to the cinnamon bun, mouth watering at the gooey center, you force the temptation back, “You can have that.”

His eyes light up. “Really?” You nod, laughing, watching joyfully as he instantly snatches the last bit up and shoves it into his mouth. “Fuck, man, that was good, thank you,” Donghyuck rambles, wiping the frosting from his fingers and reaching for your hands.

“So,” he sighs, nestling his hands into your own and squeezing them, “in all seriousness, since we’re going to the same school and all, could we maybe... try the whole dating thing again?” Determined.

Donghyuck grimaces, a fault you never thought you would ever see cross his face, for doubt simply did not exist in his life and here it is, spread out in front of you and your response is the next move in this game of chess. “Hyuck,” you chuckle softly, gliding your thumb across his palm, “I’d be dumber than dumb if I let you get away. Of course I want to try it again.”

“Really?” He squeals, you nod and he clutches you fingers once more. “That’s a relief, I was starting to worry I royally fucked up.” Entertaining.

You laugh again, eyeing him as he slides from the booth and throws out the bag before returning before you. “You certainly did not fuck up, you just made me happy for like, the first time in a week.” You follow him out, walking by his side to your car and squinting past the blinding streaks from the sunset, mesmerized by the melanin of his skin that suddenly seems to glow in the sunlight, reaching for his arm and curling your hand around his bicep. Breathtaking.

“Well, this was good,” Donghyuck gleams, a lighthouse shining out across the sea, pausing in front of the car, “I’ll call you soon?” A gentleman. “Okay,” you sigh blissfully, “I’ll be waiting by the phone.”

He kisses you too quickly, a rushed brush of his lips and then it’s gone with the wind; you have to tug him back, pulling him flush against your form, whispering a “Happy birthday,” because God, your week just got so much better and he’s just too sweet.

[valeriemperez]

Tbh, I’m not feeling optimistic in Todd’s direction for the show. If we assume he’s been in charge since 4x15, then he’s really only given us two good episodes and a whole bunch of flops. Everything that sounds promising is all in the future (reporter arc, Dawn Allen) which is exciting until you remember this show has never been good at follow-through, especially season to season. (1/2)

So far his AJK-free episodes have just been compounding on the things that made this season a drag (Ralph, Harry, Caitlin’s split personality) and reducing/erasing the things that made it bearable (Westallen, Devoe/Marlize’s evil mutual partnership). I understand he has to wrap this story up somehow, but what he’s still choosing to focus on in order to do it doesn’t say great things about what he considers important. (2/2)

I’m not feeling particularly generous towards him at the moment, and yet I am compelled to defend him now. First, your opinions of flops is different from mine because I quite liked 19 & 20, and even the back half of 18. The main problems with the recent eps for me have been that Ralph lingered, we didn’t know the Thinker’s plan, and WA didn’t get to be lovey-dovey. Two of those were gone this week, and it was enjoyable to me.

In my humble opinion, the Harry and Caitlin stories are consistent and thematically connected to both the villain arc and Iris’ role as leader, so I’m not about to say they’re terrible just because those aren’t my favorite characters. Iris being the leader proves that scientific knowledge isn’t the only kind that matters, while emotional intelligence is actually very useful. Harry being ‘punished’ by the narrative for trying to defeat Devoe alone just as Caitlin is rejecting the team and Iris’ help to get her powers/alter ego back is also clearly going to circle back to “we’re a family / we’re the Flash,” which Iris has been the champion of all season. It’s also a dark parallel to Devoe, who pushed his wife away in favor of his own skills so much that he’s just lost her - which will probably be his downfall.

Anyway, here are things that 100% did happen once AJK left and Todd was in charge: Iris is going back to journalism next season (and actually mentioned using her skills this week!), Iris was literally called Barry’s lightning rod, and Iris had a physical showdown with Marlize in which she gained the upper hand using her quick thinking.

Yes, I want more domestic WA moments. Yes, I want to see Iris’ journalism onscreen and see an arc of career growth for her. But I do not believe 4.14 - 4.20 has been as awful of a stretch as some others have. 

The Flash season finale description indicates that team flash gets help to defeat DeVoe from an unexpected person, do you think it will be Marlize or Mystery Girl?

At the risk of upsetting people, I think it means Ralph in the mindscape. My guess is Dawn will only show up after Devoe is defeated, while Marlize will hopefully have defected to Team Flash before then. I think they’ll both be important, though!

do you think quentin will be the only fatality/exit from Error this season or should we brace ourselves for some killing? I don’t mind quentin dying, his story’s been over for years but im more worried about curtis/rene/dinah? any ideas if the actors signed for s7?

I feel like someone else will be in danger, but I can’t imagine them losing another series regular.

Do you think Jessica and Candice would like your pic to throw us off? They wouldn’t do that, right?!? I just want her to be revealed as Dawn or a gender bent Bart! I wouldn’t be okay with Jenni since Jenni is supposed to be darker skinned per the comics.

I do not, lol. I think they retweeted/liked because it was obvious after this week’s episode and they’re excited. Not to mention Candice followed JPK, which is a great sign. I’m with you in hoping she’s not Jenni, but she is for sure a descendant of Barry and Iris.

Why are people getting their hopes up that it’s “dawn” helping them in the finale when all know it’s marlize since candice and kim filmed a lot in star labs together in the finale

Yeah, I agree it’s not Dawn - although she will of course be in the episode. I definitely think Marlize will help, but we can’t forget that Barry picks Ralph up in Devoe’s mind, too.

CS complained last year on not wanting KF. Then she suddenly wants her back all because they exchanged Post It Notes. Also, did you peep her saying “No, I will” when Iris said “We will get her back”. She’s always been “Me, Myself And I”. So for those that say she could have lead Team Flash, she’s abandoned the team countless times before. She could very well do it again.

Abandoning the team when the going gets tough is 100% Caitlin’s motto, which is why I think Dawn had never met her before.

I think the fact all the shows dropped in the ratings is more just a reality CW knew was a long time coming. Listen I love Fl@sh but there was no way it was going to escape the disaster of live ratings in general dropping. I think if anyone has a better understanding of the new ratings reality it be CW. The president more or less predicted it would happen years ago. I just don’t think people need to freak out imo

Agreed. CW doesn’t care and Flash is safe. I’m just saying the producers might care about the negative feedback and try to write a stronger/more balanced season now.

Anon, I would love for your dream (CW doing a PSA) to become a reality, too. But as usual, us fans have to do everything around here. IWDS was born because fanboys AND the media was harassing CP and her character. She didn’t deserve that.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.

“What pisses me off is the very people that harass her thinking she’s out of line for defending herself. I wanna drag them all.” I wish I could do that myself, but I’d lose more braincells and eventually stoop to their level. Let’s just be thankful that CP is getting more love from people nowadays.

Absolutely! She’s getting more recognition, and hopefully one day that’ll turn into meaty roles.

ACK! I was (not stalking) your Twitter and saw you ship Pepperony too?! I love them!! I love that somehow Tony of all people ended up in the most stable relationship in the MCU universe, if you ignore a certain movie that will remain nameless. I don’t need or want another Iron Man movie, but not gonna lie, I would totally watch one if it gave us more of them.

YES! Pepperony are wonderful, and I love the crap out of Tony. He always wants to help people despite his myriad of issues, and he spends time to fix his mistakes. And of course, he’d be nowhere without Pepper.

[briteboy]

why is my bra size a G? Where is that even on the bra size spectrum?

honestly i’m not sure why i got this question but it made for a good cold open to this post didn’t it

Mother I’m having a really bad migraine please help I’ve been throwing up for hours now 😭

OH NO i’m sorry :[ that sucks so much. i’ve only had a migraine once and i’m pretty sure it was because i went to a palm reader who had some untrustworthy evil vibes going on omfg *googles ‘migraine remedies’* uhh uhuh leafy dark greens! a cold dark room! ice packs! i’m sorry i suck at this i will offer you one (1) hug instead

i dreamed last night that last august u sent me an ask with questions from an ask meme i hadn't reblogged and i responded really rudely and then in the present i got a notif for an ask and i looked it and it was actually the already answered ask u had sent me a year ago and i was like 'wtf when did i get this ask when did i answer it why was i so angry???' and i messaged u and was like 'i have no memory of this but im sorry for being such an ass idk why either man' and u were like :/ ok i guess

OMFG :/ ok i guess i apologize on dream me’s behalf for sending you questions u didn’t even reblog. maybe i was just really interested in ur hypothetical answers. it’s okay i forgive dream u for being rude. we’re best friends now in dream land

a half goat, half human is a satyr but I like goat boy more

yeah i’m dumb and realized this after i said it omg. it’s not my fault i’ve only seen the chronicles of narnia once

Could you release astropussy cc merch? 😂 i need it in my life

YES PROBABLY IN THE FUTURE!! it’s on my to-do list!

Do you have a link to the beginning of ur story? Thx

the amount of times i’ve answered this, i just. asjkdfj lmao. it’s on my faq and also at the top of my blog, if you’re on mobile just look at the tags on my post and the general rule is that you can go to that tag and put in /chrono and it’ll go to the beginning. here

Do you follow any astrology blogs??

hmmmm i used to, but i’ve fallen out of touch with that area of tumblr. i still trust @astrologymarina with my life tho

hit me with that astrology shit ! gimme references, everything!

Yo my main squeeze! I’m doing a PowerPoint bout astrology, could u give me some sweet info?

(two different anons, same answer) AHHH *sweats* tbh i learned everything i know from observing my own chart (find yours here), acknowledging the traits of each sign and applying to people i know, then reading up on the planets and houses, and honestly...just exploring the tumblr astrology tag and following the rabbit hole down a twisted web of different astrology blogs. if you start with marina up there ^^ you can probably find a lot of sweet info and other blogs as well.

Hello mother, could you teach me about all the astrology stuff you’re always talking about? Like the birth charts and the planets etc. I find it v interesting but I can’t understand shit bc English is not even near my native language. Help. I’m so very lost lmao

ah well firstly check out the links above ^^ i would personally explain everything but 1) i’m bad at that and 2) ain’t nobody got time 4 dat honestly cafe astrology is a good starting point for beginners, they have everything on that website! if you need any specific sort of help with understanding it, feel free to message me off anon!

i think i finally figured out the birthchart thing?? really cool and very defining for a lot of elements of character design. i'm a aquarius sun, scorpio moon, and taurus rising -- i'm ready to be judged - sirius anon

right!! it’s like a main priority for me in character building! ohoooo that combo is very interesting, because i feel like aquarius and scorpio are not really compatible, in that aquarius influence can make you very distant and unwilling to address your emotions and their importance, but your moon (which controls your emotions) is SO preoccupied with exactly that, which might exacerbate that scorpio intensity because you feel that constant pull between hiding and revealing your true emotions. but then taurus rising kind of balances it out and makes you at least appear to be level headed? so even if you’re suffering on the inside at least people think u got it all together.

i.... i feel like your inbox is now bombarded w/ zodiac related questions.... so i sorta feel bad for dropping this on u but im doing it anyway hehe ok so: sagittarius sun and rising, cancer moon

it is and my wrist is killing me all of a sudden but i do this for u guys because it makes me so happy that u even care oh wow, that’s an interesting combo!! it’s actually one of those combos that like...it never crosses your mind, but now that you think about it, they actually go really well together. sagittarius is the most calm of the fire signs, so it actually might pair well with emotional and highly intuitive cancer. your inclinations are probably pretty bold and outgoing, but then you might think about them for too long and develop a fear of going through with them. in that way your emotional side kinda holds you back, but you should learn to trust your gut instincts!! 

Uhhh can you also do my birthchart? I know nothing about astrology and you're a godess in this topic! I'm Scorpio Sun, Pisces Moon, Pisces Rising

OMFG A GODDESS well i’m just ok, i try ooh boy you’re watery alright!! wow you’re probably dreamy as f*ck, but also moody as f*ck, highly and acutely aware of everything at once, otherworldly, always living inside your head but wanting to get out and experience things with everyone else, always wondering about the mysteries of life and the weird questions no one ever wants to answer. you understand things more deeply than anyone around you, and you probably don’t even realize how strong and adaptable you are!!

Ahhh are you still doing horoscopes? If so can you do mine? I’m Aries sun, Sagittarius moon and libra rising. I’m overwhelmed with how to read these things! Thank you and hope you’re having a good day 😘

hello finally i am answering your question! sorry i just get overwhelmed when i get a lot of these lmao this is an awesome combo!!! sag + libra is always so good and then aries + libra are opposites/sister signs which makes for an interesting dichotomy. i’m actually an aries sun/sag moon as well, so i know this combo very well lmao. you might come off as very calm and appealing (dat libra charm tho) and then when people get closer to you you reveal your optimistic, perseverant and passionate nature. these signs are very harmonious together, you’re probably like the calmer version of me lmao. you might be pretty rational but then your sun makes you want to be more impulsive. it’s good to listen to it sometimes...but not all the time. aries is a child don’t trust him too much

hey sunny! i know you're probably stressed out by all these so feel free to skip this one, but i'm a virgo sun/capricorn moon/cancer rising! idk if i fit in a lot of the virgo stereotypes though but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

o0o0o0o0o so many sister signs i swear heheh, it’s good though, i like this combo! i feel like you can’t really go wrong with virgo/cap because they’re both earth signs. cap/cancer are opposites so your cancer rising might make you come off as very sweet, soft and emotional, but your moon says otherwise. people probably underestimate you a lot, but underneath your exterior you’ve got a guarded heart and you can’t be pushed around easily. though your virgo and cancer influence might invite people to walk all over you, you are stronger than you know.

Hi! Just felt like letting you know that there's this song called "Red Bottom Sky" by Yung Lean and it always reminds me of Santi every time I hear it.

hello! omg i love these messages, it makes me so giddy when people relate songs to my characters ;-; i’m listening to it right now and this is definitely something he would like lmao. it’s so calming somehow i wanna live in this beat

when i saw the title for lou’s story i immediately thought of the group choker lmao. you should check them out el dorado is my fav song

omg i actually think i’ve heard of this group before!! i’m digging these song suggestions, i like this one a lot! watch me put their songs in this story now lmao

[prettivol]

scared to be lonely

my paper roses contest submission @v-0-3​ it’s a fic! 

I started this yesterday and im literally screaming b/c I was able to finish it. Inspired completely by the artwork you posted for 4k subscribers. I loved it so much and was craving to write something for it. Thankfully I finally did. 

here is a song to go with it -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvZyp8zMvnI

Story below~

There was an accident a week ago and then Hiro was gone. It’s not as simple as that but Akio still misses him, draws him in places where he would normally be, brings him up in just about every conversation. And this, Yuki is tired of but can tell how bad it must be to have Hiro up and leave, knowing the way he can be. Impulsive, emo to the point it ruins other people's moods (these are Yuki’s words), and a whole lot of self-loathing. Things that Akio could usually balance out with his bright and far more optimistic attitude but it’s must be hard for them to balance each other out when they are separated and have been for over a week.

But now the days are bleak, the sun is often shadowed by rain clouds or a simple overcast sky that leaves a lot to be desired. And Yuki doesn’t know what it is that’s really hurting Akio, even after watching him from afar all week. Even now, as he sits by the window looking out as the sun sets. Waiting, perhaps for Hiro to come back. Probably, for Hiro to come back.  It’s really dramatic and something right out of a drama and if Akio didn’t have amnesia he’d know that Hiro did this often and came back every time but even then he worried. Stupidly, to Yuki anyways.

“Uhm, Aki-” Yuki begins and is cut off when entering Hiro’s room where Akio seems to spend most of his days. He startles at the first vestige of sound making his sketchbook fall off his lap with a loud slap in the otherwise silent room. Apparently he was asleep but Yuki couldn’t tell from the way he was leaning against his hand, his unkempt hair hid his face just too well. “Are you okay?” She tries again, hands pressed nervously against the pleats on her dress. Akio is still blinking sleep away, looking at her, around her but his shoulders fall as if he’s expecting something. Like he has been all week.

Yuki can tell he understood her, from the way his expression shifts, calculating and forming an answer where one begins, he stops himself. And starts again. “I….I’ve been better.” Without even hiding the pain that he’s feeling, he leans over to pick up up the fallen sketch book as Yuki crosses the room, making sure not to let her eyes wander. There are countless paper roses covering Hiro’s bed, she doesn’t know if Akio made them but it’s a lot.

“You, uh, we can talk if you want? Dinner is ready.” This was -- sigh  -- hard. Yelling at Hiro for upsetting Akio was always easier because he didn’t remember some of the crazy stuff Hiro did but it wasn’t like Hiro had any trouble practically recreating those memories, even as going as far as injuring Akio, again. Of course not on purpose, never on purpose. Hiro wasn’t like that.

“How’s your arm?” Yuki tries as they transition to the dining area, Akio is so quiet behind her that she has to turn and look to make sure he’s actually following. The arm held up in a sling is a grim reminder in itself of both things weighing heavily on his mind. One, his wrist is broken...because of Hiro and second, that Hiro is gone.

And some point during this Yuki expects Akio to get fed up with her, tell her to leave him alone and just blow up because everything wasn’t going to be okay and that some things just can’t be fixed. At least that’s what Hiro always did and it would go on like that until Hiro left. But Akio’s voice is soft and level when he answers, the quiver of his voice when he first woke up is gone as if by putting his guard up again that could hide all of the other signs showing that he wasn’t okay.

“It’s fine, thanks.” There is a hint of a smile trying to make it’s way onto his face but funny how even that has become difficult.

In all honesty, Yuki doesn’t entirely know what has shifted between Akio and her brother since Akio’s memory loss. Sure they’re best friends, grew up together but Akio doesn’t remember that and things are the same but very different. And it wasn’t Yuki’s fujoshi side speaking here, it was the calculated, and observing sister who begrudgedly admits that Hiro didn’t try to change anything between them. He wanted to have his relationship with Akio remain as similar to when he remembered they were best friends and that was good of him. But he couldn’t help that something in Akio’s own heart resurfaced or blossomed like rose bud in spring but the familiarity of it all made her think it was the former.

Akio ate, as much as his mood would allow him and Yuki just wanted to slam her face into her bowl the entire time, this was getting really sad. Goddammit Hiro, you’re still being a selfish prick.

Later when washing dishes and putting them away, there is a distant sound of one bedroom door opening and another closing. Yuki can’t tell if it was from Akio leaving his room and going into Hiro’s or the other way around.

❦  ❦  ❦  ❦  ❦

The fourteenth day that Hiro has been gone, it starts tame and quiet. Just as bleak and dreary as the days before. Yuki is outside, just to take a break from the heavy atmosphere of the house. Somehow it’s even seeped outside or perhaps it just clings, heavy and suffocating. Just enough that it’s always on your mind and when you find one spare moment to not think about it you end up being grateful that you’re not thinking about it. But in that same moment of thanks you realize, you’re thinking about it all over again.

“If it’s going to rain just rain, get these gross clouds out of here.” Mumbling on her way back into the house where Akio is disappearing behind a door. They don’t see much of each other lately, Yuki tries. Akio doesn’t. He’s probably drawing again but Yuki can’t imagine there being anything left for him to draw, unless he’s drawing the same thing over and over. The thought alone worries Yuki enough to follow Akio behind said door. It’s quiet when she approaches and maybe he’s fallen asleep again but once at the door she hears it. The faint sound that only resembles paper tearing, it’s fast and frantic almost. Yuki pushes open the door to see Akio huddled over on the floor with his back facing the door and he’s pulling apart the paper roses scattered around the room. Pieces of white are raining down around him, in bits that almost resembles snow. They’re all around him, on him even.

Yuki steps in and her bracelet hits the wood on the door and Akio turns around, face wet with tears. Yuki runs over to kneel besides him, suddenly scared because it’s been this long and she expected him to snap days ago. But he picks up another paper rose from the floor and tears it apart, screaming as he goes.

“He thinks he’s nothing, can’t be good, can’t be anything!” Yuki goes to grab the paper from Akio’s trembling hands but he drops it and picks up another to repeat the process. Worrying Yuki that he’ll do something to his cast, he’s only been without his cast for two days and it’s completely possible for him to make his wrist worse. “He just thinks he’s a monster or something stupid. It’s why he always treats me like im easy to break and tear apart.”

Rip.

“I’m not!”

Rip.

“It’s not fair! I’m not- Ah! What are you-”

“Stop it, Akio!” Yuki has finally had enough and grabs the rose from his hand and sweeps all others around him away, feeling her own tears want to break surface but she blinks them away and helps Akio stand. Giving him a once over she can’t help but be disappointed in herself in letting him get like this, he should at least look better than he feels. She doesn’t have the words to comfort him right now because she knows he just wants Hiro to come back.

“Let me fix your hair,” Looping her arm gently around his as she pulls him out of the room, making sure to shut the door behind them.

And about ten minutes later Akio’s hair and pulled back tamely in a ponytail almost longer than Yuki’s but it’s her hand that hovers where she usually places a flower. Hesitant because it’s a yellow rose that she holds and she wants Akio to wear for all the thing it symbolizes. Joy, gladness, friendship, delight, and promises of a new beginning. Because if Hiro doesn’t come back this time they’ll have to move anyways. So she tucks it behind his ear gently and she watches how his eyes lift in the mirror to look at it and regardless of how he must be feeling, he smiles. It’s the most genuine one she’s seen in awhile.

❦  ❦  ❦  ❦  ❦

Thirty-two days and counting. Well, maybe not counting. Akio smiles on a regular basis now, doesn’t draw Hiro in the places he would have been, doesn’t bring him up in every conversation or at all really. But Yuki knows he still thinks about him, how can he not?

“We’ve already watched this one.”

“Yeah well, we’re watching it again. It’s one of my favorites.” Yuki sits down next to Akio as the movie starts to play. They’ve been watching plenty of fantasy movies because it’s the next best thing being as far away from reality as possible aside from sleeping. So they’ll take the dragons, the fairies, witches and wizards and imagine they don’t live in the world that they do. In a world where it’s actually been over a month and Hiro hasn’t come back.

They don’t talk much during the movie, movie etiquette of course. But Akio pipes up just halfway through. “Is it supposed to rain today?”

Yuki is squinting her eyes and looking around because why would he suddenly ask- Oh. There’s the window just beyond them that shows the front yard of the house. And to think that Akio would give himself away so easily, through a mundane question about the sky that was growing darker the passing moments.

But she won’t mention it, there’s no need. “I’m not sure but it looks like it.” Answering honestly, she looks over at Akio to see how he’ll react. His hair is shorter (he finally let her cut it) and he’s now traded out the cast for a brace. He really does look better, he even acted like he felt better and it actually fooled Yuki.

All Akio does is hum a reply, sad eyes downcast to his lap but he does what he must’ve been doing these past weeks to fool her. He looks up and gives her a bright smile and gestures towards the screen where the movie still plays. “Are you watching? You’ll miss your favorite part.”

She already did.

Sometime after lunch and just before dinner, Yuki tells Akio she’ll make them a snack because yeah they’re hungry but not enough to eat a full meal. Yuki also felt like it was a good idea to eat something before the rain put them to sleep.

Standing on her tippy toes to reach into the counters for a bowl, usually she recruit Hiro for this kind of stuff but not anymore. It’s not that things had to change because Hiro left it’s because Hiro left that things became changed. He was a vital part to their everyday lives, even if Yuki gave him so much grief, that’s her brother and that couldn’t be sullied by any childish animosity she had towards him.

But some adjustments had to be made. Pulling up a chair from the kitchen table she test it’s stability before climbing up to open a cabinet and pull out a bowl. Yuki is younger than them both and tip toeing around Akio’s feelings has become a bit troublesome for her but it wouldn’t be fair to take it out on someone else.

“Akio, what was it that you wanted again?” She calls back to him in the other room but doesn’t get a reply. “Akio?” Calling out again, putting the bowl in her hand down on the counter just as she see’s him run past her, bumping the kitchen table and she can’t get down from the chair fast enough to keep the vase from falling over. It’s a loud crash that she covers her ears to block but it doesn’t matter now. The front door is hanging wide open and the loud pour of rain barges into the house. Leaping over the mess of water, glass, and flowers she follows Akio to the door but stops when she see’s him crash into a figure wearing a white t-shirt some ways out. And hand comes to her mouth and there are a myriad of emotions that flooding her. She wants to run out into the rain too, but also to fall to her knees and cry because she’s missed him but this moment isn’t for her.

The rocks hurt when they stab the bottoms of his feet, they tell him to slow down and take his time but it’s Hiro. It’s Hiro who stopped walking when he saw Akio come out of the house, barrelling towards him like a frieght train. And there is an impact when Akio finally reaches him, it’s cold and wet and feels very much like the rain. But Akio is solid, he’s actually here. It’s Akio who embraces him before words start spilling and he seems entirely okay that Hiro hasn’t hugged him back. But Hiro isn’t at all okay that he knows that the tears on Akio’s face are because of him, holding him just an arm's length away so he can see and hear everything Akio has to say.

The first thing he noticed before he even reached Hiro was that he was wearing different clothes from when he left and didn’t at all look as disheveled as he could have been and that makes Akio curious as to where he went but now, with him fully here in his arms, he doesn’t want to know. Doesn’t want to hear about what he’s been up to when he wasn’t here. None of that matters.

Akio tries not to cry but his heart doesn’t have the capacity to hold back these feelings anymore. “Why would you leave, Hiro? What good does that do?” He knows Hiro isn’t going to answer. “I’ve already told you that I’m not scared of you but you keep acting like you want to be a monster. Look at this Hiro!” Lifting the arm to show Hiro the brace on his wrist. “It’s healing, Hiro. Wounds heal, you can’t act like I’m broken forever. And you definitely can’t leave like that because it hurts far worse than any broken wrist, arm, or bone would!” And because Hiro hasn’t responded, Akio feels like hitting him for the first time ever.

Hiro’s head falls lower to avoid eye contact. “You act like I didn’t hurt you, it could’ve been worse. That’s what you don’t get, Akio.”

“No, Hiro,” His tone is soft again but loud enough to be heard above the rain. “You did hurt me, I get it but I know for a fact you didn’t do it on purpose so I have no reason to be scared of you or to want you gone. And I will never want those things because I know you’d never hurt me on purpose.”

“How do you know I wouldn’t?”

“Because I’d like to think I know you, Hiro. This has nothing to do with any other accident before.” A warning, to keep Hiro from saying what he knows he’s going to. “I’m fine, okay? It isn’t fair for you to just leave because you think it’s the right thing to do. Not having you here was unbearable and you fooling yourself into thinking that I don’t want to see you is unnecessary. No matter what it is, neither of us deserves to hurt as badly as we have.” Akio brings him in again, hoping maybe he’ll hug him back this time.

Yuki is still standing in the doorway with a hand over her mouth, unable to hear anything Akio is saying above the rain. She’d feel like she were intruding if she did but she could tell Akio was angry or whatever that emotion was to him. A moment after Akio hugs Hiro again and he doesn’t respond, Yuki’s heart sinks, assuming the worst, that Hiro has surely convinced himself he can’t be forgiven for what he’s done. But he wouldn’t come back if that were the case.

Akio is going to have a cold for sure tomorrow and it’ll all be dumbass Hiro’s fault. She’s just about to yell for him to come back but Akio moves his head where his forehead rest against Hiro shoulders and this way she can’t tell if he’s saying anything at all. But whatever happened did something amazing. As slow as they may be moving, Hiro’s arm come up around Akio smaller waist and squeeze as though he’d never want to let go. Yuki takes a step back into the house to hide behind the door frame, feeling like she’s peeping from a hundred feet away. When she can see them again Akio is smiling, a smile she’s seen countless times. Both real and fake but this was clearly real. Her own smile that has showed itself few and far between the past month radiates through the stormy weather.

“Welcome home, Hiro.”

[dreamycarat]

The Cardiothoracic Surgeon's Wife

Characters: Choi Seungcheol & Daisy Genre: slight angst Words: 2243 words Summary: Being married to a surgeon is also hard The marriage is just an impulse. Daisy has never thought that she would overcome the death of her parents with a marriage with Seungcheol. It is not planned thoroughly. Daisy just happens to be in front of the city hall when she is talking to Seungcheol on the phone and the idea just pops in her mind - to get married. On the next day, here they are, in the city hall, together with Seungcheol's parents, reciting their vows with eyes glued on each other. "Daisy," Seungcheol says with a small smile on his face, "I could promise to love you and cherish you. I could promise to always be there by your side every second of everyday. I could promise to always give you happiness and keep you from the tears. But I won't. Those vows are for optimistic couple. And I don't stand here, on our wedding way, being optimistic. I am not. I am not hopeful, I am sure…" Seungcheol takes a deep breath, "I am a cardiothoracic surgeon. I take out hearts, fix them and put them back together. I fix hearts. Thus, I know that you are my partner, my perfect match, my very own best friend and my heart. And on this day, I can promise you…" Seungcheol holds Daisy's hand. "Me." Daisy somehow forgets to breath. She is speechless. She is touched. However, the vow she remembered ten minutes ago just disappears. Poof. Nothing. "And the bride, you may-" Daisy doesn't hear anything. Her mind is busy trying to find some words to put into her new vow. "Daisy," Seungcheol calls. She blinks. "Um- I- I-" she stutters. She is doomed. "Slowly," Seungcheol calms her down, caressing the back of her palm. Daisy takes a really deep breath. "I am a scriptwriter," Daisy finally speaks, "I write scripts for dramas and movies. And I have written too many romantic dialogues that I always cring when I read them." Daisy doesn't like how casual she sounds. "Anyway, the point is, I forget my vow. And I don't know what to say, despite all the dialogues I have written. Because no words in this world could describe my happiness right now. And Seungcheol, I can assure you that you would never regret the decision to marry me. I can promise you my world." Daisy finally smiles. "And you may now kiss the bride." - Honeymoon never happens. Seungcheol is too busy working at the top hospital in the country. He doesn't want to take a leave for even a day because he insists that the hospital needs him. Daisy needs him too, she states. "I need to save lives, honey." Seungcheol gives her a peck on her forehead and leaves. - Seungcheol was a second-year resident when they first met in the hospital. He assisted the chief of cardiothoracic department to perform the Humpty Dumpty surgery on her father. Daisy was astonished when Seungcheol talked medicine to her. He sounded very professional, very smart too. And when her father died out of complications after the surgery, Seungcheol's soft apology killed her inside. She needed someone to blame but she couldn't blame him. He tried his best. "It's not your fault," he said, wrapping his strong arms around her fragile body. Her knees weakened and she was trembling so hard, trying to blink back her tears because her father wouldn't want her to cry over his death. "You can cry," he breathed, "I'm here. It's okay to cry." - Daisy sometimes wishes to tell Seungcheol how bored she really is at home with no one to talk to. But he is rarely home. She tries to go to the outside world and meet some new people but she fails immediately. Daisy is not a friendly person to begin with. She doesn't initiate the conversation, even with Seungcheol. She is awkward as heck. But the funny thing is, she is a scriptwriter. She has written scripts for more than 20 hit movies and dramas. But she is still awkward when it comes to meeting new people. How is that even possible? She doesn't even know. - Daisy now realizes that marriage doesn't really change anything. Even after their first anniversary, Seungcheol is still so busy. Daisy doesn't mind though, because she is also busy with her script for a new romantic drama. She has Park Haejin in her mind when she writes, because she honestly loves his acting. And he suits the main character as well. As for the heroin, she thinks of Yoon Eun Hye. But the thing is, the drama is about her. It is about a love story between a scriptwriter and a surgeon. And their marriage. SBC Production has already contacted her to discuss more about the drama. The director tells her that he likes her idea, saying that the storyline is refreshing. And she has already signed the contract to write a 20-episodes drama. "I signed the contract to write a drama with SBC," Daisy tells Seungcheol when he asks her how her day is. This has been going for a few days now, after Daisy told Seungcheol that she wanted them to have more conversations. Seungcheol felt bad after she finally confessed but she assured him that she understood his responsibility as a surgeon. "That's amazing," Seungcheol tries to exclaim. Daisy notices how his eyes shine for a little while before they dim under the light of their bedroom. She lets that slip, seeing how exhausted Seungcheol might have been after performing a 10-hours surgery on his patient. "I might have to go to the hospital early tomorrow," Seungcheol says, caressing Daisy's long hair. She nods. "Okay. Good night." Seungcheol closes his eyes and falls asleep in an instant. Daisy lays beside him and stared at his face, thinking and thinking of their days. She feels bored to be home alone at times, and Seungcheol has made it clear that he is a cardiothoracic surgeon, but- Daisy thinks her problem can be overcame with the presence of a baby. - Seungcheol once told Daisy before their marriage that he wanted to have four children - 3 sons and a daughter, to be exact. However, when Daisy tries to talk about having children with him, his face turns into a visible frown. "Now?" Daisy senses a hint of disapproval in his deep voice. Seungcheol puts away his laptop and sits beside his wife on the edge of the bed. "Why not? We get older every second, Seungcheol." Seungcheol lets out a heavy sigh. "We are both so busy, honey." Daisy wants to tell him that they can arrange their schedules and make time to take care of their kids later. She would stop writing scripts if she has to, but she knows better than Seungcheol doesn't want to hear any of it. Seungcheol has told her that he doesn't want to be the kind of husband who makes his wife stop doing what she loves. Thus, it is better for her to say nothing. "Okay." - Daisy's work is quite stressful these days. She is suddenly facing writer's block and she needs to finish the script fast. The director is not even helping when he calls every hour to know about her progress. He annoys her even more when he scolds her for writing so slow and being uneffective. Unprogressive. With Seungcheol being promoted as the head of cardiothoracic department, they spend lesser time together. They rarely talk now. They grow distant and distant since both are too focused on their respective work. They barely see each other now. When Seungcheol comes home at night, Daisy is away for the drama shooting. When she comes home, he is already at the hospital. Sometimes Seungcheol would call her during his free time, asking how the drama shooting is going on and such. But the calls only last for 5 minutes. As time passes by, the 5 minutes turn into 4. And lesser and lesser that, eventually, they just stop contacting each other. But they don't mind. Daisy's drama is a huge hit, starring Park Haejin and Im Yoona, since Yoon Eun Hye rejected the offer. On the other hand, Seungcheol is trying to print a 3D heart. They are at the peak of their career and they don't realize that it ruins their marriage. Literally. - Daisy is struggling to write the ending of the drama. Everyone wants a happy ending, obviously, but she doesn't. Somehow. In her eyes, a couple won't work out when they are too immersed into their work. They should learn to balance their precious time together. But at the same time, she doesn't want a sad ending as well. The drama is about her, anyway. She doesn't want an ending. However, she still hasn't talked to Seungcheol about their relationship. She wants to find a suitable time to discuss about them. She needs him to spare her some time. But, of course, a surgeon doesn't have any time to spare. He saves lives every minute. Daisy, however, still hopes that he would spend some time to talk about them. When Seungcheol comes home late at night, Daisy tries to start a conversation, a normal one about how his day is, before she eventually talks about their relationship. But all he says is, "I'm tired." She says nothing, only nods because every time Seungcheol lays on the bed, he automatically shuts down. It is as if he hasn't been sleeping in days. He is that exhausted. It is not his fault, literally, because she signs up for this. - The director's face screams amusement - in a sarcastic way - when Daisy comes to him to seek for his idea. They are seated in a small cafe near the SBC building, with a cup of coffee in their hands, discussing about the drama. The director fakes a chuckle before saying that she should surprise him with the ending - it's her story, anyway. He doesn't want a happy ending, but he clearly opposes a sad ending. "Can we not have an ending?" "Even better!" The director exclaims sarcastically before rolling his small eyes. Daisy sighs. To be frank, Daisy feels as if her mind is going to explode. And the man with wrinkles all over his face is not even helping her to get through the hardest part of writing a script when he hints the birds. "Why birds?" Daisy asks, furrowing her straight eyebrows. The older man sips on his black coffee before looking at the blue sky. "Free as heck." - It takes Daisy long enough to solve the puzzle. She now knows about the freedom the director means. And so, here she is, outside of her house with a luggage in her right hand and a phone in her other hand, calling her husband. "Yes, honey?" The voice brings her down the memory lane, when she first met him. It reminds her of the amazement she felt when he spoke medicine to her, which he doesn't, anymore. "Are you going to say something or-" Daisy is too immersed in her thoughts to hear anything. "Honey?" Daisy never gets to tell him how she loves it when he calls her. "I have a surgery in ten minutes. What is it?" He always has surgeries, she scoffs in her head. "I'm moving on," Daisy finally says. Seungcheol seems to be pausing, because he hasn't said anything. She only hears a heavy exhale over the phone. "What do you mean?" "I- I'm not- I'm not happy with our marriage," she stutters. She doesn't like how her whole body is trembling because it makes her sound weak. She is going to end her relationship with the only person she has in this world and she cannot seem weak. "You are rarely home. We don't talk anymore. We are literally strangers now, Seungcheol. We are only married on a piece of paper. And that is depressingly sad. Because you are my person..." Daisy has to pause. Her sobs are getting in her way. "I only have you now. But you're not here. You promised me you when we got married. But where were you when I needed you? I want to have a decent conversation with you every day, asking how your day is. I want you to talk medicine to me. I want to look at your shining eyes when you tell me about the surgeries you have performed..." Daisy sobs, "I want you to love me more than you love surgeries." "Honey-" "But you don't. You choose surgeries over me. You only married me because you can't marry surgeries legally. But it's fine, Seungcheol, because I love you. I love you so much." And she hangs up. Because if she lets him talk, she's afraid she'll stay and spend her lifetime in the big house alone. The thought scares the hell out of her. Before she leaves, she puts a bouquet of sweet pea on what it seems to be their bed. Then, she puts a bouquet of yellow sweetbrier before the front door. This is because she doesn't get to tell him those painful things. You see, each flower has its own meaning. Sweet pea means 'goodbye and thank you for the lovely time'. Yellow sweetbrier, on the other hand, means 'let us forget'. Daisy takes a good look at the house one last time. Yeah, she's going to be fine.

[gyratingeonian]

JANE: -Guess who's in the kitchen again? It's this gal. She's been occupying much of her time this way; it's largely to burn off anxious energy in waiting for the fated crew to arrive, but also because she just can't stand boring meals day after day.-

JANE: -She isn't baking right now, surprisingly. She's slowly cooking a nice pot roast for dinner, ingredients fresh from one of her many pieces of portable Crocker tech. Her apron reads "Hot Daddy"; an artifact salvaged from somewhere in the pantry.-

JOEY: =She'd been lying upstairs, staring at the ceiling for hours. It was hard being able to sleep soundly without the threat of being discovered for her human qualities, and at times it was hard to believe she had a family again. Mostly everyone all together and all in one place, too. She'd heard some quiet rummaging in the kitchen below until the vapors rose and holy shit, whatever it was smelled delicious. She's sneaking down the stairs like a kid on Christmas Eve, carefully poking her head around the corner.=

JANE: -She doesn't notice Joey immediately; while the food cooks, she's leafing through a business book she found on a shelf and laid out on the counter before closing it back with a sigh. There's not much point in studying business when the business in question is currently being run by an evil alien sea queen, is there?-

JANE: -She scans the room, and then double takes at a pair of eyes around the doorway.- Oh!

JANE: Good... morning? Not really, but I haven't made any breakfast yet. Sorry. I wasn't sure if anyone was up yet.

JOEY: =She finally came out of hiding and stepped the rest of the way down the stairs, smiling in greeting.=

JOEY: nah its fine im not usually up around this time anyway

JOEY: the jet lags been awful =joke=

JANE: The mysterious interdimensional portal-lag, you mean. Hoo. -It's not that funny, but she's trying to make the most of it.- I understand completely.

JANE: Do you like eggs and bacon?

JOEY: =She perked at this=

JOEY: you mean to say

JOEY: you guys actually have that here?

JOEY: =eyes the refrigerator= 8o

JANE: Well... Sort of.

JANE: I conveniently happen to have a very good storage unit on my person.

JANE: -She's already pulling out pans- How do you like your eggs?

JOEY: =when was the last time she had anything that wasn't grubloaf lathered in grubsauce?= JOEY: oh jane you dont have to go through all that trouble—

JOEY: =fusses.=

JOEY: ....

JOEY: sunny side up

JOEY: =she's WEAK=

JANE: -snrrrk- Me, too.

JANE: Don't worry. This is better than sitting around, stewing in potential doom scenarios. -she produces a package of bacon and cuts it open while the pan heats up on the stove-

JANE: And I could use some breakfast, too...

JANE: Shucks. All I've eaten this morning is a bite of leftover cheesecake.

JOEY: that wont do at all! heres to proper sustenance hahaha

JOEY: =she approacheth= it is only right of me to ask if you need help with any of this

JANE: Hmm...

JANE: Actually, I do need help with something. -glances over at her- I've been pretty curious about all this... estranged family business.

JANE: I just never felt like there was a good time to corral you all and ask about it. Actually, the image itself seems pretty rude.

JOEY: oh

JOEY: well... =she leaned back against one of the counters and sighed, laughing a little helplessly as she dragged a hand down one cheek=

JOEY: where to even start?

JANE: Perhaps the beginning?

JANE: As a genuine suggestion, not a sassy remark.

JOEY: =she glanced up at her and soft laughter replaced her expectant expression.=

JOEY: yeah thats always a good place

JOEY: we were little then

JOEY: dad was an explorer so he was gone often

JOEY: our aunt came to stay with us - mom jude tess and me - she had a baby with her

JOEY: bout a year later some people at her work did something that scared her off =she shrugged= and so she left

JOEY: i guess she didnt want us getting caught up in it but it happened anyway =Joey smiled, shaking her head= from that point on we got really good at camping

TESSERACT: =Soft boof as he comes wagging his entire body down the stairs. He smells FOOD.=

JANE: ... -She can sort of guess what that means, but...- Oh hi, doggy. -casually braces herself against a counter-

JANE: No bacon for you yet!

JANE: Um-- So you-- lost your home? Because of... a bad business venture?

JOEY: yeah—

TESSERACT: boof! =Whines up at jane=

JOEY: :O down tess

JOEY: you know better that that

TESSERACT: =WHINES again but lays his head down right on Jane's foot. licks her leg and looks up with those big puppy eyes=

JOEY: we couldnt really go back to it for a while but soon enough they left us alone and we got to go back

JOEY: guess they figured what could a woman her kids and their dog do? not much of a threat, you know

JANE: A... threat?

JANE: This sounds a little more dastardly than I was imagining.

JANE: Was it... you know... them?

JOEY: =she nods=

JOEY: the same people that have taken over skaianet

JOEY: it was our dad and aunts lifes work

JOEY: and they took it out from under them so easily

JOEY: =she ran her hand on the edge of the counter, just feeling the texture there=

JOEY: one day dad never came home

JOEY: i thought for sure because of his connections theyd gotten to him somehow

JOEY: not very long after that mom never came home either(edited)

JUDE: -at some point during the conversation, jude had come up from the basement, but when he heard the topic of discussion, he wound up lingering in the hall just outside the kitchen. hearing their skeletons get dragged out made him anxious, but it was important that jane knew exactly what they were dealing with -- what his whole family had always been dealing with. he runs his hand along the wall, awkwardly stuck in place.-

JOEY: but we claire-leys don't know when to keep our heads down and mouths shut(edited)

JOEY: jude tess and i went off for some daring do and picked up where dad and aunt jo left off

JOEY: it was better for me to think they were dead cause nothing can hurt you when you expect the worst, right? but jude flat out refused to believe that =She shook her head= he was so much stronger than me - bouncy little optimist

JANE: -Jane can't help laughing a little at that description, despite the story itself.- Well... you can sure tell you're related.

JANE: And... if you don't mind me saying so, I'm sure you gave him plenty of push he might not have had alone. -At least, when she met him, he hadn't really been outside in years.- I think it all works out.

JANE: But how did you end up... Elsewhere?(edited)

JOEY: we both had that effect on each other =she glanced down at the counter again= JOEY: it was a whole stack of things but aunt jos research to put it simply JOEY: its what they were after all those years

JOEY: or one of the things at least

JOEY: that research led us to the portal downstairs which in turn led to skaianet finding out jude and i werent so harmless after all

JOEY: =she shrugged her shoulders, but it was more like brushing off the uncomfortable feeling of that distant memory than to indicate something like indifference=

JOEY: they wanted what we knew and if it hadnt been for jude they would have gotten what they wanted(edited)

JANE: ... I have a feeling this tale is nearing its bitter conclusion. -She watches Joey, brows knitting with some concern at the way she seems more uncomfortable the further this story goes.-

JANE: You don't have to tell me all this if you don't want to. My curiosity isn't worth digging up too many bad feelings.(edited)

JUDE: -with an exhale, he finally moves to join them in the kitchen, eyes down cast but he looks up after he gets his hands on a cookie.- ...

JUDE: hello

JUDE: sorry for interrupting...

JUDE: and also for

JUDE: eavesdropping

JANE: !

JANE: Jude.

JANE: I didn't hear you creeping up.

JANE: ... I didn't mean that the way it sounds.

JOEY: =Her back was to the stairs and she turned, a smile lifting as she saw it was her brother. Wow. She has to get used to them being in the same place again.= hey...

JOEY: =she's relieved he was here. The events leading up to everything were easy to say, and of course on Alternia she changed up a few things to suit her trollsona's history. But she'd never gone so far to explain the separation itself other than that it happened. The fear of never seeing her brother again didn't hang heavy over her head and the past didn't hurt quite so much=

JUDE: -catching a glimpse of her smile, he can't help smiling too.- it's alright

JUDE: creeping is probably technically a good way to describe my... general movement

JANE: Well... as long as we're all agreed. :B

JANE: -drapes a paper towel over a plate and starts piling the cooked bacon on it-

JUDE: heh... -cookies and bacon... part of a balanced breakfast. he didn't think this through.-

JUDE: -also sweats because he disrupted the conversation, which makes it his responsibility to initiate it again.- ...

JUDE: so...

JUDE: bacon

JOEY: =she's staring at Jude, and it's obvious she's staring. Her smile is growing by the moment.=

JOEY: yes! and eggs!

JANE: And cookies, apparently. -gives Jude a GAZE.-

JANE: How do you like your eggs?

JUDE: -HOW YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS... FRIED OR FERTILIZED...-

JUDE: sunny side up

JUDE: to match my sunny outlook on life

JOEY: =she just...smiles at him. How can she not?=

JOEY: good answer.

JANE: -SNORTS-

JANE: I'm glad we are all still in agreement, despite serious flaws in your argument. -cracks another egg in the pan-

JANE: How are things going down there?

JUDE: well... none of my other long lost relatives have jumped out so

JUDE: uneventful, mostly

JUDE: which is fine I guess

JUDE: but I'm still anxious for the UU to get here

JUDE: I feel like they should be here by now

JUDE: what if something happened? maybe alternians attacked their ship and their technicians hacked into all their accounts, pouring over records of everyone's speech patterns to perfectly replicate them when they talk to us

JUDE: or maybe... it was never really them to begin with

JUDE: and they knew we were going to contact them

JUDE: and they've lured us here to back us into a corner and now they're waiting for the perfect moment to extract the portal and do away with us once and for all

JOEY: ...

JOEY: jude

JOEY: you know ive always trusted your gut

JOEY: even though those are a whole lot of maybes, maybe we should take precaution

JOEY: is there an easy way of storing the portal if we have to make a quick getaway?

JOEY: plus, if this place is as heavily fortified as it looks, shouldnt there be another way to exit the building than the front and back doors?

JANE: -She swears she's going to find a camera somewhere to stare in, just watch her.-

JANE: Maybe Jamison would have some ideas? Perhaps a rational suggestion or two.

JUDE: I've been able to store it pretty efficiently but

JUDE: maybe I should dismantle it for now

JUDE: if they do show up we can study it with them

JUDE: ... I've mapped out all the escape routes too

JUDE: I mean I found some of James' blueprints of the house but I

JUDE: also physically went around the house looking for exits...

JUDE: but more eyes help... my dad is really good at finding weaknesses in designs so yeah thanks for the suggestion jane

JOEY: theres no harm in taking precautions

JOEY: should we practice drills?

JANE: -SIGHS-

JANE: -slides eggs onto plate-

JOEY: hehehe you never know, jane!

JANE: Well, let's wait until after breakfast for the main course of hubbub. :B

JOEY: good plan!

JOEY: one should never act on an empty stomach :)

[scannerly]

Journal: March 29, 2001

• Place order to sell position in London Pacific Group (LDP) at the market. • Place order to sell position in Spherion (SFN) at the market. • Place order to buy 500 shares of GTSI Corp. (GTSI) at 4 7/8 limit, good until canceled.

Real stocks, real profit, real value My short of Adobe (ADBE) was not triggered. But I do recommend rereading my argument for doing so. I am not short Adobe in real life either, but the same logic applies to many, many of the tech stocks out there. I do not believe we are near a bottom yet because in the cold light of a bear market these types of things -- such as dilutive options compensation and hiding mistakes with charge-offs-matter. The greater fool theory no longer rules. What a relief

Now, maybe, finally, we have a time for rational stock picking. If the market begins the first multi-decade sideways run of the new century (there were two such runs last century – both times after extreme valuation bubbles), then the surest way to profit will be to buy stocks of incontrovertible value. Stocks of profitable companies that can be bought for their level of earnings per share five to 10 years out meet this criterion. In this vein, buy 500 more shares of GTSI Corp. (GTSI). This is one of the cheapest stocks in my universe, with the best story. They distribute technology products to the military, the IRS and others. Over $650 million in sales and a $35 million market cap. No debt. Net net value (net working capital less all liabilities) is north of $6. And they will earn over a buck a share this year. They earned a buck a share last year, but that was with a tax loss shelter from the era before new management took over. They have seen steady gross margin improvement, and even with full taxation this year, they expect earnings to beat last year’s untaxed income. Because of the contractual nature of the business, there is some visibility, and yes, there’s growth.

The company just won a dispute over a large contract to supply products and services to the government. While awards within the contract are still open to competition between the company and IBM (IBM), GTSI should do well. This is a relationships business, and GTSI competes well because they have the relationships with the government decision makers and the willingness to get into all the government paperwork. It is a low, low margin business in which the largest portion of capital is usually tied up in working capital. To the extent that new technologies help them squeeze working capital, cash will be freed up for other uses. The company is looking to do its first-ever road trip and broadcast the better business practices that now hold sway over all that revenue.

Insiders were buying at lower levels, as was I. For a few years it was a lock of a trade from 2 5/8 to about 4. Lacy Linwood, the largest shareholder, has been buying in the open market and was one of the founders of Ingram Micro (IM). Having a large, non-management shareholder with a large, illiquid stake is catalyst waiting to happen, though without guarantees. His background confirms that Ingram and its ilk are not the competitive threats here, as one might think.

Undoing some mistakes Investment managers are bound to be wrong many, many times in their lives. This is a business of managing emotion as much as managing money, and taking one’s lumps is the surest path to a more erudite view. So it is time to own up to a few mistakes. In my last entry, I outlined my pessimistic outlook for technology shares based on the devious, unfriendly manner in which many tech managers try to hide the truth from shareholders. Two of my holdings do not reflect that pessimism.

DiamondCluster (DTPI) and London Pacific Group (LDP) were very big timing mistakes. The same mistakes I made at the beginning of the last round -- being overly optimistic as a new round gets under way, and under some self-imposed pressure to make some moves. Optimism in such cases is rarely warranted. Nearly without fail, egg will befall one’s face. With stocks in freefall, I thought, "Well, these two are interesting situations and we have at least six months." Unfortunately, every time I think like that I become cavalier in my timing. The fact of the matter is I should always wait for my rules to kick in – and that includes waiting for falling knives to lay motionless on the floor before trying to pick them up. I violated these rules, and now I’ve lost two fingers to a couple of very sharp blades. There is value in these companies at current levels, however, and I’ll hold DiamondCluster for now.

I am selling London Pacific Group at the market open because of something I call the "5 to 3" effect. Illiquid stocks falling beneath 5 often fall much further because of margin calls that kick in in the 3-5 price range. Forced selling in illiquid stocks is a recipe for price risk, so I have found it prudent to get out of stocks as they cross below 5. It is a very rare case that I pay attention to absolute share prices, but this is one of them.

I should note that DiamondCluster is about to lose significant European business because of Ericsson’s (ERICY) cost-cutting and the European slowdown. This non-U.S. business had shielded DiamondCluster from some of the rampant devaluation in the e-consultancy sector. Not anymore. Nevertheless, I expect both layoffs and quite significant cash drain over the coming quarters at DiamondCluster. At current prices, however, this pessimism is largely discounted. Whether DiamondCluster will recover before the end of the Strategy Lab round is a matter in serious doubt. Moreover, DiamondCluster has a big options compensation problem, much as I described with Adobe. Nevertheless, the value five years or so out should be greater than it is now, and the company has become an attractive acquisition target with a load of cash on the balance sheet. The earnings power in good times is roughly about 33% of the current share price net of cash, with no debt and a resilient business model.

An event play, sans the event Sell Spherion (SFN) at the market open. This was an event-driven value play, and the event occurred after I submitted the story. In this case, the event did not look like I thought it would look. Too late to cancel the story, so the order went through and I bought a position. One more reason I say learn what you can from me, but don’t imitate me. Now I’m selling it because in event-driven investment if the event does not turn out as predicted, the only prudent thing to do is to exit the position. Spherion is likely to announce horrendous numbers, and there is price risk in the stock. A good argument can be made that it is only fairly valued in the 7’s, not undervalued. To justify a sell I must only be able to make such an argument.

What happened? As this was an event-driven value trade, for the investment to work we had to have the event go off nearly as planned. In this case, the event -- a float of subsidiary Michael Page in London -- did not go off nearly as planned. Actually, the pricing still hit the bottom of my model, so there was some safety in the price I paid given the information I had.

The circumstantial evidence points to some skullduggery, however. Michael Page's officers had some incentive to have the offering priced low. Now any options that they get -- and that they can use to incentivize employees -- will be priced low. Moreover, they had incentive to do an offering rather than to sell to others in a private transaction worth as much as 25% more. The incentive involved the fact that Page management was getting 6% of the company and there was a large 12% overallotment for the underwriters. Unfortunately, there was every incentive, except fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders, to price this offering low. Michael Page is a good buy now over on the London exchange. I doubt that it will stay under 200p long.

Also, it appears that Ray Marcy, the CEO of Spherion, now wishes to use the proceeds to pay off some debt and then hold cash for the downturn. This is opposed to the previous statement "pay down all debt and buy back stock." The two statements imply drastically different levels of confidence in the business. One potential catalyst -- again, this was an event-driven trade/special situation -- was that the company would at least support its stock in the market. That would be relatively easy to do given the stock’s illiquidity. A buyback of 30% to 40% of the capital stock could even push the moderately higher, and with some more optimistic projections, build more intrinsic value per share. It is not to be.

A board member who was selling large chunks of stock in Spherion during the months leading up to the offering could be a target of shareholder scorn. The prevalent idea was that this was distressed selling for him because of personal financial difficulties. Even if true, he engaged in massive dumping of large blocks in the months leading up to some very bad news. Spherion has never been the best-managed company, but the degree of funny business here is illuminating as to what management will do with future cash flows.

Event-driven trades occasionally don't work out in the short-term, but what you want is a fundamental floor to your valuation in the worst possible case. I think we have that here, and it is around the mid 7’s. But I’m not hanging around for the questionable appreciation potential and sure-fire bad news that management will announce regarding earnings within the next two or three weeks.

Also, before Michael Page, the company had significant difficulties producing free cash flow. If they just sold off all their free cash flow production, the situation could deteriorate, and we can't know this for certain yet. This situation would have been mitigated if they had received $300 million more in the offering, as we were recently told to expect. Instead, we are left with the image of a desperate seller in need of much more shareholder-friendly management and a better economic outlook.

[viralhottopics]

Fear and loathing in Washington DC: progressives dread Trump inauguration

Amid splendid pomp and pageantry, the eyes of the world are on Donald Trump as the capital is set to stage a battle for the heart of America

Its for real. Donald Trump, billionaire businessman, reality TV celebrity and to his foes bigot and demagogue will place his hand on a Bible, repeat a 35-word oath and be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. What began with a stunt, lampooned as a joke and dismissed as a fantasy will at noon on Friday become historical truth. Trump will be the most powerful man in the world.

Only the wildest optimists believe his inauguration will deliver a moment of national healing and unity. It comes in the wake of another turbulent week that saw the publication of unverified documents alleging covert links between the Trump campaign and Russia. A chaotic press conference, in which Trump berated a CNN journalist for fake news, did little to instill confidence.

In Washington, hotels were booked and stands were erected in readiness for thousands of Trump loyalists, revelling in his upending of the political order, and thousands of protesters determined to gatecrash his coronation. Amid splendid pomp and pageantry, the capital is set to stage a battle for the heart of America.

This is unlike any inauguration weve seen, said Ben Wikler, Washington director of the progressive group MoveOn.org. Weve never seen a counter-inauguration that dwarfs the crowd at the inauguration itself. It will be unmistakeable where the energy is. It will be in the broad and diverse movement to oppose the Trump agenda.

The eyes of the world will be on Trump, derided by critics as a crude vulgarian who eschews books but is now asked to deliver an inspiring inaugural address just as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt and John F Kennedy did before him. There will also be a jarring contrast between him and outgoing president Barack Obama, who with his family will depart the US Capitol by helicopter.

Indeed, Trump and Obamas inaugurations will be every bit as different as the men themselves. In 2009, amid the symbolism of Americas first black president, the prevailing theme was hope. Well in excess of a million people braved the cold to fill the National Mall. Yo-Yo Ma played the cello, Aretha Franklin sang and celebrity turnout was unusually high. Four years later, at Obamas second inauguration, performers included James Taylor and Beyonc.

Trumps announced headliners are 16-year-old singer Jackie Evancho who shot to fame on the reality TV show Americas Got Talent, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Radio City Rockettes. Several leading entertainers declined invitations to perform. British singer Charlotte Church tweeted: @realDonaldTrump Your staff have asked me to sing at your inauguration, a simple Internet search would show I think youre a tyrant. Bye. Actor Meryl Streep spoke for many in Hollywood when she eviscerated the president-elect at last weekends Golden Globe awards.

Trump and Obamas inaugurations will be every bit as different as the men themselves. Photograph: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Trump, who at 70 will be the oldest person ever sworn in as US president, this week promised a very, very elegant day with massive crowds, a familiar boast at his campaign rallies. The joint congressional committee on inaugural activities, which oversees all ceremonies, is expecting 700,000 to 750,000 people well short of Obamas total.

The Republican, however, has outgunned Obama financially. Trumps presidential inaugural committee has raised a record sum, more than $90m in private donations, far more than Obamas two inaugural committees, which brought in $55m in 2009 and $43m in 2013. It says any money left over will be donated to charity.

Tom Barrack, the lead planner, told reporters he wanted to avoid a circus-like atmosphere in favour of a more back to work attitude that surrounds Trump with the soft sensuality of the place. Trump, whom Barrack described as the greatest celebrity in the world, is holding three inaugural balls. Obama had 10 after his first inauguration.

For the maverick businessmans voters, it will be a day to savour. Michael Barnett, chairperson of the Republican party in Palm Beach, Florida, said: Ive never been to an inauguration before. Weve worked so hard for the last 15 months and now we get to see our effort pay off. Im sure Ill be lost in the moment and it will take a while to sink in. Its going to be great but we know its just the beginning.

Barnett, a 39-year-old African American lawyer, believes Trump can help build unity. Your impression when you meet him face to face and talk to him is very different from what you see on TV, he said. Hes a really good guy and I really like him. Hell do a good job.

Benjamin Marchi, 38 and the owner of a healthcare business in Easton, Maryland, will also be present. Its going to be a great day, a wonderful day, full of excitement, he said. It might be similar to election night. He is truly our first independent president because of his willingness to not pander to segments of the Republican party that are typically pandered to.

Fear is an even stronger emotion than anger

But along with the celebrations, there will be a week of protest against a man who insulted Mexicans and Muslims and boasted about groping women. There were demonstrations against Richard Nixon in 1973 and George W Bush in 2001, but nothing on the scale Trump faces in Washington, a liberal bastion where he took just 4% of the vote (even Bush managed 9% in 2000).

About 30 groups have secured permits to protest before, during and after the inauguration. Photograph: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to Bill Clinton, said: The tone and temper of the election campaign has people worried. There are a lot of people genuinely scared. Fear is an even stronger emotion than anger.

About 30 groups have secured permits to protest before, during and after the inauguration. District police and the US secret service plan to have some 3,000 officers and 5,000 national guard troops available, claiming this will be enough to ensure the inauguration goes ahead even if protesters try to disrupt it.

The biggest gathering will be on Saturday, the Womens March on Washington, which organisers say could draw more than 200,000 people. Actors Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson, America Ferrera and Felicity Huffman will be among those taking part. Its organisers did not respond to requests for comment but Wikler of MoveOn.org said: The march will send a message to every policymaker in Washington that the public is mobilised and ready to fight.

The public is overwhelmingly opposed to Trumps attitudes on womens rights, immigrants rights and LGBT rights. Progressives are banding together in a way we havent seen in a decade. People are dusting off their marching shoes. A massive march can show which way the political wind is blowing.

Inaugurations are traditionally a time of bipartisan solidarity, and Trumps will be attended by Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the shock loser in a uniquely poisonous election campaign. But some Democratic members of Congress are boycotting the event, among them John Lewis, a distinguished civil rights leader who told NBCs Meet the Press that he does not see Trump as a legitimate president, arguing that Russian interference helped get him elected.

On Saturday, Trump made his feelings about Lewis clear, using Twitter to say that Lewis should stop falsely complaining about the election results. Such critics, he said, were all talk, talk, talk no action or results.

Obama dedicates his final weekly address to the American people

Robert Schenkkan, a Pulitzer prize-winning playwright whose latest work, Building the Wall, tackles the rise of Trump, said: Its a tricky balance for the Democratic party. How much of this transition should be honoured in traditional ways and, given this is not business as usual, how much we should not be playing by the old rules?

Im among those who feel the Democrats are turning up at the gunfight at OK Corral with a knife. There is no polite resistance to this. There is nothing but all-out resistance.

Schenkkan, 63, said this inauguration was different from any he can remember. Its a deeply divisive day. There will be people there who are exultant because they feel theyve been wandering in the desert for the past eight years, but the majority of the country feels differently.

The social glue that holds politics together in this country is under assault. It feels like were entering uncharted territory.

The centrepiece of the day will be Trumps inaugural address. He told friends that Ronald Reagans style and Kennedys articulation of grand national ambitions were key to the drafting of his own speech, the Washington Post reported. Kennedys inaugural address, 56 years to the day before Trumps, included the now celebrated line: Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.

Bob Shrum, a political consultant, said: Kennedys address widened and deepened the definition of what it is to be an American. It had a rare eloquence.

I dont think you can expect that of Donald Trump.

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