#instant hairdo

[kply-industries]

[alisonblackmanadvicesisters]

How to Do Instant, Easy and Quick (but reversible) Beauty Hacks

Hair and nails can take a lot of time and money. But What if I told you that you can instantly and easily change your looks without commitment? You can! KISS Nails and HairDo Clip In bangs give you reversible ways to easily make a change. These are two great beauty hacks! HairDo Clip-In Bangs Instantly Change Your Look: In Japan, it rained the entire trip. BAD bangs every day. If only I had…

[vintagegeekculture]

Star Trek's "Lost" Main Character

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the original Star Trek, you learn something new, like the fact someone you barely remember was going to be a series regular. Take the case of "Yeoman Smith," played by Andrea Dromm, a petty officer secretary in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Everyone knows that Trek had a first pilot with a different cast. But the cast of the second pilot was analyzed more in terms of who wasn't there (Dr. McCoy and Uhura were added only when the show went to series and were not in the second pilot at all), than who was.

One character in particular is easy to overlook as she seemed like just another lowly and invisible crewman, Yeoman Smith. Surprisingly, Andrea Dromm was hired to be a main character on the show.

The NBC publicity materials made for the second pilot mentioned and discussed her as they would Kirk and Spock, and treated her as a series regular, which at the time, she was:

“YEOMAN SMITH, who has drawn the important assignment of secretary to the Captain on her first mission in deep space, is easily the most popular member of Kirk’s staff. A capable secretary and efficient dispenser of instant coffee, she also provides a welcome change of scenery for eyes that have spent long hours scanning the vast reaches of space.”

Almost from the beginning though, it was not to be. Andrea Dromm caused trouble on set because, according to Herb Solow, Gene Roddenberry "hired Dromm so he could 'nail her.'" Trek was in enough trouble, as Roddenberry cast his mistress, Rachel Lee Hudec (aka Majel Barrett), which violated his Desilu "virtue clause." Lucille Ball, embarassed by her former husband Desi Arnaz's well known extramarital antics, insisted on virtue clauses in contracts for creatives.

As for what happened and why Yeoman Smith never ended up being a regular, we have two different conflicting stories. Andrea Dromm said she had to choose between making Star Trek, or making a film, "The Russians are Coming," and she picked the movie over a less prestigious tv show. Star Trek producer Herb Solow tells a different story and remembers that "Yeoman Smith" was one of two main characters who were let go to keep costs down when the show went to series. The other main character fired? James Doohan as Scotty.

After being informed he was fired after the first pilot, Doohan called his agent, the physically intimidating and formidable Paul Wilkins, who convinced Roddenberry to return Doohan to the series. It is not known how this was accomplished (Herb Solow, who's memoirs are the basis of most of what we know about early Trek, was not present, only Roddenberry was), but Doohan had his job back within the day.

As for what would have happened with Yeoman Smith if she had stayed as a main character....who knows? The character of Yeoman Rand, well known for her beehive hairdo, was a replacement for her character, so it's likely that Yeoman Smith as a main character would have filled similar roles in stories, probably beat for beat and note for note. All the same however, it's hard to ignore how much more quiet moxie, no-bullshit stares, and extrovert elan Andrea Dromm projected on screen than the more subdued Grace Lee Whitney. Dromm's character was underdeveloped, sure, but so was Scotty and Sulu at that point, and the characters they eventually became were built around their actors' strengths and warmth. It's not hard to imagine something similar might be done with Dromm, and her character might have gone on very different lines from her replacement.

[sweeteaacakes]

... Can I request something///

The Kings *especially Satan and Lucifer* discovers today is your birthday! How would they react?

♡》 The King Finding Out Your Birthday At The Last Minute :0

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Aww! Mah birthday is a week later! Could this be a ⛥sign⛥of⛥destiny⛥? :0 Can I get and "aye!" on the comments?? ♡

»»-----------►

Satan

Whether he is the first or the next to find out it's your birthday, he would be angry, yes, but he will also be happy and excitement will lighten in his eyes.

Satan would be angry because he could have made plans earlier but now he's all over the place;;;

Or so you thought… you thought he worries that he won't be able to celebrate it but on contrary…

This reached Sitri’s ears and Ppyong who told it to other nobles who told it to their subjects who told it to their family who told it to their children who told it to their friends who told it to their pets—

And the whole Gehenna started celebrating!

They don't have a feast like in Avisos. Or mountains of luxury like Tartaros. Their streets aren't as beautiful as Hades’ due constant construction of damage caused by attacks but be certain that the people of Gehenna will make you feel at home!

In fact, Satan is more worried that uncontrollable things will happen during the celebration;; demons of Gehenna are very open afterall!

If you don't like crowded places, Satan would be by your side as you both watch the others.

They'll understand but it won't stop them from celebrating!

It's like a festival… like??? Did they just add your birthday as a festivity in Hell’s Calendar??? Yes. They marked Solomon’s Birthday, they'll mark yours too!

The event will last for days. You don't have to expect to participate in them all by the way.

The next time, expect a normal birthday!

I headcanon that demons have birthday celebrations longer than humans. Maybe an eve-day, birthday and day after celebration? They start preparing a month earlier! ^u^)

Even if Satan likes seeing Gehenna so lively, he still has to make it up for you with the list of plans he just made~

He will drag you here and there like it's a date~!

Yeah, even if it's last moment he'll make sure you'll have fun throughout the day~ >uÓ)

Mammon

He would be hurt that he only found last minute

You're his master! He wants to spoil you AND he will spoil you!

But he accepts it as a challenge. In fact, he was already thinking about it and already has plans a, b, c,.....

He can start right at the spot with a snap of a finger!

Or… he will make this chance as a day to spend with you :3

He'll accompany you to various places where you'll get spa, massage, hairdo, nice and all dressed up, dates~

A date on the boat~ Except the boat is a ship and you're in one of Tartaros’ biggest golden lake.

At midnight, you thought he'd be treating you for a dinner until you arrive at the palace extravagantly decorated~

High-glasses of champagne. Tall-golden-chocolate fountain to dip the sweets, a feast for every invited. Waltzing~

A mountain of gifts too! I headcanon most Tartaros’ demons have the tendency to buy objects that remind them of those they care about so at your birthday they have already accumulated many gifts for you!

It's a ball just for you~

Owwie, you can't dance? Don't worry. You can just sit on Mammon’s lap while he sits on the throne where the demons can be blessed of your presence uwu)

Leviathan

He wants to hang and make you to be the piñata for your birthday.

He will feel offended as if it's his birthday you have forgotten.

If he finds it through another demon: instant hang. Good. Two piñatas.

Don't expect to spend the day with someone else and cancel what you planned that day.

He is like Mammon. He will take you to places but you'll feel like walking with a ticking bomb who will go off if you don't choose what you like asap.

His eyes are sharp and attentive at your movements.

Even when he took you to dinner.

Will ask if the food is of your liking while he hasn't touched his food yet.

He is a perfectionist and will glare at anyone who dares to ruin this day and if it doesn't go perfectly even if it's on the last minute.

Man… he is trying, okay? :”)

He doesn't know how humans celebrate their birthdays so he wanted to find what makes you more comfortable but failing at it.

Please, notice it. He is trying his best TTuTT)

Beelzebub

Ahah, is there something you can hide from this man?

You'll be the one shocked because he comes in, sweeps you off your feet and now you're on a date.

It's just a matter of time before Bael and the nobles find out about this.

Would be on guard since it's a date but it's also your birthday so they couldn't help but to congratulate you.

Normally, Avisos would celebrate it. More like a parade or something but no one knows so it wouldn't hurt just for now to celebrate your birthday in a small group, right? ^u^)

They'll take you to Avisos’ most popular places to have fun!

Please, I hope you realize what kind of places are you going as quick as possible because it can be quite a… culture shock ( ㅍ÷ㅍ);;;

Lucifer

Found it through Gamigin and Jjok who are preparing you a gift and ruined the kitchen for trying to prepare you a cake;;;

The child of Solomon's birthday?

Consider him very curious about how you'll spend your day. Do you have someone else to celebrate it with? What will you be doing?

He concluded to just see it himself. It's easier than wondering about it.

He would be stopped by the young dragon and red lump because… why come to a birthday without a gift? Now he must ponder about getting a gift for you but he doesn't know you very well…

A gift? Like an offering? Now he is pondering what kind of offering he must give you... maybe himself?

Lol say sike lololol

Will give you a bouquet of flowers first as congratulations and to test the water!

It is canon that he made a bouquet of flowers he tended himself for his seraphim brothers and are knowledgeable of their meaning~

If you recognize the meaning of the flower(s) he gave to you he'd be twice as proud ♡

Lucifer will make his mission to stay with you throughout the day and make sure you'll enjoy it >u0)9

If you get tired or do not want to do anything big in particular maybe you and the nobles can have a tea and pastries in his garden later? ♡

»»———-　　———-«

AuthorNote: Thanks for the ask~ Ngl, this helps me see how I percieve the characters. I guess I have more trouble writing Leviathan but I have fun imagining what a character like him would do. What a particular dude lol.

[thyandrawrites]

Something that amuses me greatly is when an anime character with artichoke-like or some other gravity-defying, ridiculous looking hairdo is revealed to style the hair that way. Especially when the same series has other characters with similar gravity-defying hairstyles who are simply born looking that way. So you just assume some level of anime logic is going on, and don't question it until said guy comes out of the shower / bath with the flattest, longest and most normal hair you've ever seen, and for a sec it looks like a wholly new character until you realize it's artichoke dude with his hair down and ungelled. It's so funny. Gets me every time. Like, I can excuse shitty hairdos if it's just a character design choice, but to know a guy threw on half a bottle of hair gel to look like he stuck a fork in a electric socket? Instant loserboi energy. There's no coming back from that

[ohtobeleah]

Red Light, Green Light // Mickey Garcia

Summary: For some reason you’d never know, yours and Jake personal Heaven becomes a check point for the friends you left behind. One by one the Daggers come through on their way to their forever life after death.

Warnings: Mentions of death. Car wreck. Instant death. Mickey Garcia Angst.

Word Count: 2.3k

Author Note: This is a spin off Series to Bruises. Masterlist Tagged below.

Bruises Masterlist | Life After Death Masterlist

Name: Miguel Garcia: Age: 55: Cause Of Death: Ejection from moving vehicle resulting in multiple catastrophic injuries. 

***~***~***~**~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

“Who is this this time?” The brain is the body’s most mysterious organ. It learns. It changes. It adapts. It tells you what you see, what you hear, it lets you feel love. “Bob, Rooster and Phoenix have all come through.” You lulled your head to where your husband sat on the other side of the porch table. The two of you were enjoying a little wine and cheese pairing as the orange hume of the sun cascaded across the rolling hills. “Only Fanyboy, Coyote and Payback are left.” 

“Hello?” Mickey Garcia would even go as far to say it holds the human soul at the very epicenter. But no matter how much research is done, no one can really say how all that delicate gray matter inside your skull works. 

“Dunno.” Jake sighed, he couldn’t help but to squint and lean a little more forward in his chair to see if he could make out who was stumbling up the dirt drive. “You wanna go or should I?” 

And when it’s hurt, when the human brain is traumatised, well—that’s when it gets even more mysterious. 

“I’ll go.” You nodded softly. “I feel like we only just got rid of Tash.” It was still a touchy subject to say the very least. “Hopefully whoever it is isn’t as confused.” 

“Wishful thinking Hotshot.” Jake teased as he cut himself another slice of Brie and placed it on one of those multigrain crackers he really liked. 

As you walked down the driveway, you saw your daughter feeding her chickens, collecting eggs that had been laid and cleaning up the wooden house Jake had helped her build. It was her own mini farm. She was everything. You and Jake knew you had a rough decision ahead of you, to decide when she’d stop aging. But at what point do you decide another soul can’t continue to grow? When a figment of imagination stops being created. It was the down side to parenting in the after life. 

Gravel crunched under every step you took and soon enough you were able to make out the curls that were undeniably Mickey. There was glass all over his shirt and shoulders as blood dripped from his styled hairdo. He looked good, like he’d just been out on the town. 

He didn’t come to you like Bob in his flight suit or Bradley in his hospital gown or even like Natasha who was still in her pajamas. No. Fanboy looked like he was doing something special here—what exactly you didn’t know. 

“So that’s it huh?” You called out to grab his attention. For a second Mickey looked around until he was standing still again, taking you in for all you were worth. “All the WSO’s are out of the race?” Fanboy didn’t look a day older than when you’d last seen him. 

Fuck.

“This is such bull shit.” Fanboy huffed as he kicked up some dust on the drive like a petulant child who didn’t get the desert he wanted. “I had the right of way! That dickhead didn’t even look and I’m the one who dies!?” He pointed at his chest before he shook his head in disbelief. “I was coming back from dinner! I’d been with Becky and her friends and she stayed back and—“ It’s then reality kicks in for Mickey Garcia. He stills all the while his brain catches up with him. “Oh my god—“ It’s then his eyes met yours as they welled with tears. “I’m never gonna see her again.” 

“You will.” You make sure to add before Fanboy can spiral any further into a depressive episode. “Come up to the house with me, there’s someone who wants to say hello.” 

Fanboy linked his arm with yours and slowly he walked side by side with you up to the old but beautiful farmhouse that sat nestled amongst old oak trees and gardens that flowered all year round. He was mesmerised by its beauty—the tranquility of it all. 

“I gotta say, it’s good to see you after all these years.” Mickey began as he tapped his hand over yours as he walked. “But I’m a little confused why it’s you of all people?” Mickey smiled at the chuckle you let out—god that was a sound he’d missed for years and years and years. Not a day went by that he didn’t think of you, or Jake for that matter. How tragic your story was. How meaningful your life was even after your death. “Not that I’m complaining, I just never thought it would look like this.” 

“We’re just as confused as you are.” You explained softly all the while Fanbky caught the sight of a little girl playing with a few chickens. “But please don’t get me wrong here Mick, this isn’t the gates of heaven—“ You tried to explain the best you could. “This is my version of heaven, this is mine and Jakes.” 

“Hangman’s here!?” It was then Fanboy started to look around as you got closer and closer to where you’d left your husband. When the dark curly haired aviator saw the panty dropping smile plastered across Jake's face as he came into vision, he took off running like he’d never run before in his life. “YOU SON OF A BITCH!” 

There wasn’t a lick of malice in Fanboys tone as he embraced Jake in the biggest hug he swore he’d ever given. 

“Hey man—“ Jake slapped Mickey's back gently as he hugged his old colleague. “I missed you, really.” 

“You son of a bitch man, you just—one day you were there and the next you were gone and I couldn’t figure it out—“ Mickey was babbling, he was trying to explain how utterly heartbroken the team was after Jake's death. “I uh, I collected your things from the morgue, after, well, you uh—“ 

“You don’t have to say if Mick.” Jake added as he chuckled and sat back down. You followed, only instead of taking your own chair you gestured for  Mickey to take a seat. You decided Jake lap would be more comfortable. It was. “Rooster kinda went a little AWOL after you died, so I went to grab your things and I saw that picture of Hollywood in your wallet and I just knew man—I knew you were dead long before you ever really died.” 

“What photo?” You asked softly as you looked at your husband in the warmth of the afternoon sun. “Honey?” 

“It was just some photo I took way back when—“ You saw the crimson hume creeping itself across Jake's cheeks as he went on explaining. Mickey never got to see this version of the two of you, it felt like a blessing, a chapter finishing on a high it always deserved to have. “We were all hanging around the pool table, it must have been like a week before we shipped out.” You never knew about this. “I snapped a photo of you laughing, god it was just the most perfect picture, Hotshot.” 

“You kept me in your wallet?” How on earth had you never known this. 

“Always—“ Jake replied without a second of hesitation. “You were my WSO.” It was the sweetest of interactions, the most loving of exchanges as Jake leaned in to give you a simple peak full of admiration. “Love you.” 

“Why am I here?” Mickey asked as he flicked shards of glass from his shoulders. “Like I get I’m dead, which sucks so bad because I was about to get married in two weeks!” Mickey explained as tears welled in his eyes at the thought of leaving his fiancée behind. He already missed her, oh so much. “But like, why am I here with you two? And you’re kid?” Fanboy frowned at the thought. “Hold on, how do you two have a kid?” He was throwing out far too many questions way too quickly before you even had a chance to answer them. 

“Okay first.” Jake started as he wrapped his arms around your midsection and drew you back into him. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Jake wanted to see if Mickey was dying or if he was already dead. It seemed as though when Bob and Natasha came through they were still just barely holding on. Rooster though, he was dead as dead could be. “Do you hear anything? See anything?” 

“I remember having the right of way at the intersection—“ Mickey sighed as he slumped in his chair. “Next thing I saw was headlights and then I was lying on the bonnet of my car down the road.” It was hard to listen to, but at least it had been quick. “I walked up the first driveway I saw.” You were waiting for Mickey to say he could hear sirens or someone calling out to him. But when he didn’t you knew then and there: 

That he’d died alone, and instantly at that. 

“Oh Mickey.” All you could do was feel a deep rooted sympathy for the WSO who sat in front of you. “I’m so sorry—“ 

“I’ll get to see her again, won’t I?” 

“I hope so.” It was as genuine as ever. “When I first got here I could still hear Jake asking me to stay, but I just had this feeling he wouldn’t be too far behind me if I stayed here and got everything ready.” 

It brought Jake solace to know you weren’t in pain when you left him. That was always his biggest fear. If you suffered or not. 

“I don’t hear anything—“ Again it broke your heart, the poor thing probably didn’t even know her fiancé had died in a car wreck yet. “What do I uh, where do I go?” Mickey cleared his throat as he tried to hold it together. He still wore the ring his fiancée had given him to match the one he’d gotten her. “Do I stay here with you guys or do I just start walking and hope for the best?” 

“Bradshaws with his parents across the hills.” Jake explained as he let his chin fall to your shoulder. “Bobs off somewhere in a music store—“ 

“Phoenix is at the beach house she grew up visiting with her family.” You added softly, still trying to be as sensitive as you could be. “So it just depends on where you’ve always pictured yourself.” 

“So like, if I said I wanted to spend forever in the roller rink my Abuela used to take me to when I was a kid, I could go there?” Mickey asked all the while he admired the beauty that was you and Jake. He never thought he’d get to see this, the happy ending the pair of you deserved. It was all the closure he needed. 

“I think so!” You chuckled. “I’m still not entirely sure how it all works, we don’t even know why you guys keep stopping by.” It was then a light bulb flicked up atop Mickey's head, he knew. He knew why. 

“I do.” Fanboys eyes glasses over with a sadness you couldn’t quite understand. “You guys both took something a little different from all of us when you died.” Jake's hold on you got a little tighter—his forearms pressed against your stomach as he tensed at the thought of leaving his friends behind. “And they say you can’t move onto the next life if you have unfinished business.” It made sense, Mickey had always had a pretty open take on death and the after life. “But our unfinished business died before us, guess this is our way of getting to say a proper goodbye, close that open window you guys jammed open when you left.” 

“Huh—“ Jake pressed his lips into the crook of your neck. “I never thought of it that way.” 

“The brain is the body’s most mysterious organ—“ Mickey could hear the sound of rollerblades racing past. If he closed his eyes he could smell the all too familiar smell of roller rink hot dogs and buffalo wings. “This isn’t the last time I’ll see you guys right?” 

“Nah man—“ Jake confirmed. “We’ll come visit, whenever you need us.” Silence washed over the three of you just as your daughter came racing up the porch steps. Mickey didn’t understand it—but he was happy to see it. “Hey Bug.” Jake pulled his daughter down onto his lap as well. His entire world in his very grasp. “How many did you get today?” 

“Seven.” Mickey swore blind that girl was the spitting image of Jake Seresin. It was almost scary. “I better go put them in the fridge.” 

“Go on sweetheart, we’ll be in soon.” Ellie Seresin didn’t blink twice at the man who sat across from her parents. Mickey would have introduced himself but sure enough, she was heading inside without so much as giving him the side eye. That’s when you told him the truth. 

“She can’t see you.” 

“How come?” Mickey asked, he was cautious not to sound too abrupt. 

“She’s a figment of our imagination.” Jake explained as he watched his daughter through the window. “You can’t create new life in death, she’s not real.” 

“But I can see her?” It was a hard topic of discussion even when it was just you and Jake. She was so real to the both of you. So genuine and pure. But you both knew, one day. She’d vanish. You wouldn’t need her anymore to help you heal. 

“Because you exist.” Was all you said as you sent Mickey a fine lipped smile. “You existed in life so you see everything in death.” 

Mickey Garcia would even go as far to say the mind holds the human soul at the very epicenter. And from what he could gather from what you and Jake had just told him. Little Ellie Seresin was just that. The very epicenter of yours and Jakes forever intertwined souls. And when it’s hurt, when the human brain is traumatised—

Well—that’s when it gets even more mysterious. 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***

Tags 🏷️ @americaarse @blindedbythelightt @tayl0rhuynh @athenabarnes @imaginecrushes @whyareallnamesgone @mjmaximoffbarnes @amiets2 @mads-weasley @gabbyella @ephemeralninon @xoxabs88xox @pedrohoe04 @starkleila @je-suis-prest-rachel @clancycucumber230 @maisie-rebloging-blog @callsign-barbell @obiwankenobis-lap @some-lovely-day @paperbag333 @callsign-magnolia @jhiddles03 @hardballoonlove @shanimallina87 @seitmai i i @abaker74 @missemrose @starset21 @kmc1989 @phoenix1388 @emma8895eb @tsofo26 @itsmytimetoodream

[elioslover]

Going for Gold. (GRAMMYS)

Just a little meet-cute on the Grammy's red carpet. I'm thinking this could turn into a couple parts... maybe... idk. But I love how this turned out anyways :)

Warnings: Use of she/her (non-descriptive though).

Word Count: 1.2k

Part 2 / Part 3 / Other Writing

---

The flustered flashes of stark, shimmering camera’s coming from left and right, blinding and blurring his vision, eyes darting back and forth as the mass of people in front of him called out in competitive coos for his attention. He worked with desperate determination to remain still, to stick to his poses, tune out the hornet’s nest of leeching photographers, and under no circumstances, should he squint.

Seconds felt like minutes, which might as well have been hours. With each mounting moment, fear riddled its way to the core of his chest, questioning if he looked like a fool, was his hair alright, his outfit properly fitted? And before he was completely swallowed by the tornado of sensory overload, goosebumps pricking up at the back of his neck, he was plucked from natural disaster, ushered further along the carpet, away from the buzzards of cameras, slipping further into the scattered crowd of the elegantly-garbed guests in attendance.

All in their own heads, people scurried amongst one another, ducking, and weaving in attempts to avoid trampling dress-trains, displacing gems, and jewels, keeping their hairdos intact. He remained glued to his publicist’s side, seeking coherence within this sea of crazed confusion. He was waved forward, trailing along the velveted carpet, joining in the collective of avoidance tactics, almost crashing straight into a short, disheveled man who seemed not to notice, disappearing in an instant. It was only when he was stood directly across from an interviewer- draped in satin blue, extending a microphone his way- that he returned to reality, a camera suddenly coming to focus, and he wondered, had it been there the entire time?

The interviewer was already mid-greeting, and he scolded himself for such distraction, focusing extra hard on the words sent his way, waiting his turn to return the greeting and express thanks for being asked how his evening was going so far. A sudden flash- not that of a camera, but of a silver, shimmering dress- out of the corner of his eye tore his gaze before he could stop himself. The owner of the floor-length gown was bobbing between the wave of tuxedo’s, floating in and out of view as he tried with anxious desperation to bring her into fully fledged focus. From what he could confirm, her eyes flared brighter than the flashes that caused her dress to flicker, and her smile was swallowing her cheeks whole, crinkling at the corners of her brows.

Like the snap of a finger, another question was sent his way, and he lost her to the tides. When he finally had the chance to redivert his attention to finding her, she was long gone, and he was left to be lured back into the fixated conversations of fashion, music, and the appearances of other stars. Tediousness would best describe the motions moving from one corner of bellowing and bitching to the other, and he longed for the seat decorated with a label of his name, the dimmed lights and clapping of hands, for the proper celebration. “Last one,” paired with a pat on the back was his saving grace, and a burst of enigmatic energy took him by complete surprise. He answered the questions more animatedly, made more eye contact, and was more than happy to show off his jewelry for the pleasure of the viewers at home.

“Hey, you!” a familiar face greeted as he rewardingly reached the carpet’s finishing line, and he was happy to be warmly wrapped within the bubble of a fellow nominee. It was nearing the time of dropping formalities and moving the party indoors, the slow ushering of guests stirring up nearby. He lingered in conversation, the desire to rush disappearing, and in hindsight, he was more than grateful for that, because like the breech of a blue whale, the owner of the shimmering silver dress- completely preoccupied in conversation with the middle-aged woman walking alongside her- was heading his direction.

His breath became trapped between his chest and throat as she floated by, looking straight ahead. And as her bare back became all of her he could see, the air gushed out from between his lips, a thirsty thump in his head. He felt an odd omen of loss, fearing it would be the last time he saw her face. The so-called departed anxiety had returned tenfold, anchoring its place in his heart, but with what many- including himself- may define as great luck, a slender, sterling bracelet sneakily slipped from her wrist, cascading down her dress before settling on the carpet with satisfaction. A satisfaction he shared as his feet mindlessly moved him forward, a puppy her heels, bending down to grab the bracelet, balanced between his fingers as his free hand reached out and gently tapped her shoulder.

Stopping in her tracks, lips parted and eyed widening as she tilted her neck to acknowledge the stranger. Standing before her, he suddenly felt rather silly. Peering down at her as she turned and looked up at him expectantly. A soft frown settling between his brows, only gesturing her to look down at his still splayed-out palm, her bracelet sitting so sweetly in the center. Her confusion switched to realization, then straight to mortification for managing to misplace her only accessory of importance. Muttering ‘fuck’, she peered up at him, blinking bashfully.

He only smiled down at her goofily, hoping that in some way it would reassure her. And it seemed to, her shoulders sinking back down, devoid of shame, suddenly substituted with curiosity. His eyes reflected the distant flashes, curls perfectly settled, daintily dotted freckles, dimples deep, and surely he could see the blush blotching up at her cheeks. She reached out to receive her retrieved treasure, lashes fanning as her eyes widened when he gently grasped her wrist, mindfully wrapping the bracelet back where it belonged before clipping the clasp into place, his hands lingering atop her skin for as long as she was willing to permit.

And now, seconds felt nothing like hours, they were gone before they came, and he was lettering her arm go. Still looking over at him shyly, she offered a more than grateful thank you, twisting at the bracelet timidly before sounds of excitement struck her senses back to attention, and she slipped back into reality. So, she sent her curious contemplation his way for a moment longer, her ears tingling at the sight of his cheeks warming under her watch, before softly waving - bracelet on display for all - and turning back to her attendee, who was waiting aside patiently. They re-synced and continued their pursuit of the event’s entrance. But just before being swallowed by the sea of stars once more, she looked back over her shoulder, and he knew now with certainty that they were surely sharing the same air of intrigue.

His hopes for the evening swirled and switched from ending with a shined and polished award, to seeking out the owner of the runaway bracelet. When it came to winning, gold was good- it was great, but suddenly silver sounded, so, so much better.

[sweet-manis]

Hattie Wishes Upon a Star; My Personal Thoughts

Hey there! Let's dive into something heartwarming today. I'm an adult who's totally into kids shows now. They bring back this flood of memories from my childhood and capture that awesome feeling of being a kid.

Back when I was just 4 or 5 years old, I lived on a tiny island in Kepulauan Riau. Picture this: Me chilling on the porch with my dad, gazing up at the stars. They were very visible because there wasn't any light pollution blocking the view.

Fast forward to now, and I stumbled upon this gem of an episode from Alice's Wonderland Bakery called Hattie Wishes Upon a Star. It's during the Tanabata festival, and everyone's decked out in Yukata. Alice has this adorable hairdo, and they're all staring up at the stars. It hit me right in the feels, you know?

And the best part? The song they've got playing in that moment? Perfect match for those memories. It's like my brain’s personal playlist – every time I think back to that exact porch-and-stars moment, bam! "Let Your Wish Carry You Away" starts playing, and my heart just melts. Like, instant nostalgia trip. (Props to John Kavanaugh)

Kids shows. They're not just for kids, they're little time machines that zap you right back to those moments you thought you'd forgotten. And if they've got a amazing song to go along with it, it's even better.

[skybristle]

bro got new hairdo

instant migraine hairdo

[yukarishoodie]

my beloveds kafu and shian for the ask game ?

Interesting combo! First up, KAFU:

Fave Song

Tough question, but I'll go with Yunosuke - Hana to Nare for solos and A4 - Angel Wings [cw suicide imagery] for multibanks. Honorable mention to ATARI FRONT PROGRAM and Quixote.

Ships

sheeno mirin has enough good songs with her and Yukari so now I'm a Yukafu shipper I guess. If non-vsynth ships count then tumblr user @/kafus is doing a decent job convincing me to ship her with her voice provider, KAF.

Fave Design Part

I like her very bright white-centric design, but this goes for all the Musical Isotopes really. Hoodies are an instant +1 for me hello Yukari fan and the sharp ridges on it help give it some distinction.

Headcanon

Has the most static facial expressions among the Musical Isotopes, which makes the rare smile (or frown) more striking (or fear-inducing).

Shian! I'll admit that I don't listen to her (or most of the chinese vbs really) much so expect some real basic answers

Fave Song

It's probably Zeno - 最后的守护 for singles and this cover of Caramel Stars with Chiyu.

Ships

When I first listened to her I thought her voice would go along well with Kaai Yuki, and a quick search has vindicated me. From a purely visual standpoint I think she fits well with Rin, Una, Fukase and Tianyi (added bonus for earth-heaven symbolism).

Fave Design Part

She reminds me of Edna from Tales of Zestiria in a good way, since "yellow earth-themed little girls" is apparently an archetype I like. Love her hairdo as well.

Headcanon

I feel like her character item should be mochi donuts.

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 8 Ep. 151: Big Kids and Tiny Cats

The family had lost one beloved pet but was gaining three toddlers as the infant cousins prepared to age up.

Tori and Toni came over to the house early for one final baby playdate before they all headed off to the indoor fun park to celebrate the birthdays.

While Peachy was busy in the kitchen crafting a special cake with love, Jack entertained the ladies, chatting with Tori about how she and Miguel were adjusting to life on the farm without Steven and Gabby and comparing notes with Toni about the joys of stay-at-home parenthood.

---------------------------------------------

Once the master chef was finished creating his latest delicious treat the group headed out.

The birthday parents had waited until the very last possible moment to age up their little ones and so now that task was first on the agenda. No one wanted to see their precious babies sad because their birthday had been “forgotten” while literally at their own birthday party!

One by one they did the honors, Jack and Luigi going last. He knew that his baby growing up was inevitable, but that didn’t mean he was ready!

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Peachy stood by apprehensively as little Luigi spun around in the air, both men relieved when he landed safely back in his Papa’s arms. Jack was sure the watcher would be pleased to keep the boy’s current hairdo when he saw the neon green streaks in his thick black locks.

Ignoring the three doses of infant spittle that had extinguished Peachy’s delicious confection everyone dug in happily. Jack and Peachy joined Fabian and his girlfriend at a table, congratulating the couple who were on the road to joining their friends in the land of parenthood in the very near future.

---------------------------------------------

After playing happily with Hunter, Olive and Fern in the enclosed play area for quite awhile Luigi snuck out when one of the adults opened the gate and toddled over to his big cousin Denton who he thought looked lonely standing all by himself in the corner.

Peachy’s sense of humor seemed to have rubbed off on his son. Upon aging up he discovered a strong interest in being silly himself and tried to make his cousin laugh by babbling out one of Dada’s funniest jokes. Denton apparently wasn’t a fan of his comedy, so much so that he hauled off and hit him!

The adults hadn’t seen what happened, but Jack heard his boy wailing and hurried over to scoop him up in a big hug. It was getting late anyway, and the men took that as their que to leave, wishing everyone goodbye before heading back home.

---------------------------------------------

As soon as they got back and got comfy Peachy told Jack there was one final gift he’d like to give Luigi. The house had no pet with Luna’s passing, Taz having gone with Paul and Nikita to the ranch when they moved. Peachy had arranged for a litter of kittens to come over so Luigi could pick one out.

Jack hadn’t quite been able to bring himself to “replace” his best girl. Peachy framing the adoption as giving their boy a furry playmate to grow up with helped the cat lover sidestep his reservations and dive eagerly into helping introduce the adorable tiny creatures to his own adorable tiny man.

---------------------------------------------

Knowing his husband Peachy had been fully prepared to end up with 3 new household members after their adoption evaluation, but one of the furballs surprised them all by taking an instant dislike to the cat lover!

The other 2 kittens seemed to get along well with everyone and so in the end the trio welcomed marmalade and Chubbs into their happy little home.

---------------------------------------------

Jack gave Peachy a thank you kiss for once again filling their house up with life and love before helping Luigi say goodnight to the kittens and get in bed.

Jack spun his son a fantastic tale about a very special little sim who was his Papa’s, and his Watcher’s, pride and joy. He might not be able to convince his husband of his special status, but he was determined to make sure their son, the next legacy heir, knew exactly who he was.

Luigi would know as much about the secrets of their world as his papa could tell him, and while Jack knew he might not believe everything he hoped that the facts he did accept would help him find his way and better navigate through the interesting life he was bound to lead.

-----------------------------------------

Want To See More? View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[clockcall]

♡ ┈┈ ꔫ ┈┈ ♛ →  EVEN AS THE ITEM WAS handed to her and the purchase was finalized , Chrissy's gaze never left the price, forcing herself to memorize every last detail ; he would be repaid for this kindness, even if he found it under his car seat or in his dashboard or under his mattress -- somehow... Of this, Chrissy was certain she could accomplish! It's almost intoxicating being around Eddie when it came to disobeying ; all her life she'd been taught to be this obedient little doll, but now? She was at a metal concert with the school freak and was about to pay him back for the shirt he'd just bought her as a gift!

       As he handed the fabric to her, she leaned in and gave it a tiny sniff, glossed lips pulled back into delicate smile. This scent was different than the ones she was used to. It smelled...dank like it was left in the sunlight and the scent of dew was buried into its fabric, unlike the ones inside the stores that her mother forced her into ; she could only hope he wouldn't judge her for this.

       ❝ I love it!, Eddie! ❞ She managed as they wandered toward the bathrooms, sneakers already knowing they'd require a good wash when she left from here, but, for once, a little dirt didn't bother her ; for once, she felt..safe, happy, not thinking about the devil that haunted her nightmares. It was enough. Whatever they did today, was enough for her to finally breathe, and, thankfully, the music would be loud enough to ward off the creature -- much like Halloween costumes used to ward off bad spirits in the older days. With Eddie, she could be safe, she could share this, she didn't feel so ostracized or lonely...

       Pulling the shirt close to her chest, she'd sheepishly nod her head as she'd scamper inside the dirty-looking restrooms, the women's seeming to have less visitors than the men's for once, a relief to her as she took the time to pull closed the stall door and lock it. Shaky breath, her movements starting to slow as she began to undress, remembering --

       CHRISSY, OPEN THE DOOR!

       The haunted screams of her mother -- no, whatever it was -- from that day. The bangs that sounded off the walls, horrifying, telling her that she was fat and ugly and a pig. Eyelids fluttered halfway as feet instinctively moved to the back of the stall and her voice began, trembling, to hum as her jacket is thrown over the door as new shirt was placed over her old one, fitting with enough room to keep it from being snug on her. What a relief...

       Breaths pulled inward, she reached for her jacket -- 1, 2, 3, 4 -- and pulling it around her waist, tying it once then twice, tightly to ensure it wouldn't fall off during the concert (perfect). One more time doe eyes check beneath the stall door, ensuring there weren't any grotesque feet awaiting her...

       The door creaked open, head peering out, giving the bathroom a suspicious once over, the other women in there, their big puffy hairdos, giving her a returned stare. Strawberry blonde locks fell over her shoulder as she managed across the room to the sink, staring at herself in this new outfit ; she looked...metal.

       Cherry pink lip gloss is reapplied in the mirror, a giggle leaving her, the mental strain of the stall claustrophobia fell further behind in memory. This would prelude her excusing herself from the restroom as she ducked around the other ladies, who were definitely more metal than her, and stepping outside to meet back up with Eddie. Raising up her arm, she'd give him a salute, her index finger, pinky, and thumb all up -- eyes widen then the thumb is pulled inward in an instant. ❝ R...Rock on! ❞

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ →  @eddie continued for beta editor ; n ;

[waiting-on-a-dream]

Prisoner 002: Kobayashi Akane - Trial 2

General info

Verdict: INNOCENT

Physical changes: Appearance-wise, she hasn't changed much. She maintains her hair at shoulder-length and even lets Yui style it into cute hairdos to help the older woman feel better. Her previous wounds have healed up nicely, but they're hidden under her long uniform so no one can tell. She requested for some silver earrings and tends to wear them during the day. They work quite well with her red hairband. She's satisfied with her uniform so she keeps it as it is.

Behavioral changes: Having been voted innocent, she feels as though her pain has been heard and taken into account. She feels seen. She's less anxious and unsure of everything now, moving about with more confidence within the walls of Milgram.

She was previously against having her hair played with, but allows Yui to style her hair now (mostly out of concern and pity). Yui is only interested in styling her hair because she initially refused.

Trailer art: She's turned to the right and looking back at you with a small smile, hands clasped behind her back. Behind her, a rusty barred gate (like a school gate) with a coat of flaking blue paint.

Voicelines

– Second trial trailer

Unlike some of the prisoners here, I wouldn't kill again.

– Character voice trailer

Leave me alone.

Cover info

Canon Milgram song cover: Bring it on (Akane usually minds her own business unless someone wrongs her first, she doesn't jump to take action often. She does judge other people often in her head though.)

DECO*27 song cover: Streaming heart (The lyrics suit her, especially the first and last parts. The rock music is certainly her style too.)

Non-DECO*27 vocaloid song cover: Idola circus by Neru (Its canon, she loves Neru's songs. /hj The heavy rock and sarcastic lyrics are totally up her alley.)

Music info

Song title: Testimony

Song preview: Their words taste like beer on my tongue, so bad its enough to make me gag. Listen up because I'll only say this once. My innocence will be proven.

Keeping to myself, but the world is out to get me. Taking it silently is no good, fighting back in no good either. There's no winning as the bottom of the barrel of society. To continue on living, I'd do anything.

MV description: Bright saturated colours are present throughout the MV until Akane gets home to her father, in which the duller cool colours make their appearance. More locations are featured in this MV and reveal more about Akane's daily life.

The MV starts with a camera shot of pale yellow liquid slowly spilling over the corner of a marble table.

The camera then cuts to Akane standing by the entrance of a convenience store. Its deep into the summer, bright sunlight and dragonflies flittering over grass growing by the sidewalk. Bandages, a six-pack of beer, and two cups of instant noodles are placed on the counter. The cashier bags them up and passes the items to Akane.

The camera cuts again to Akane at school, staring pointedly at her book as a group of girls surround her table. One of them reaches out and Akane slaps her hand away. Another one yanks her head up by her hair, allowing the girl that was pushed away to slap her across the face. Akane starts to fight back, but their scuffle is interrupted by the teacher coming into class.

They're brought to the headmaster's office. Akane isn't happy with what he's saying, scowling as she balls her skirt up in her fists. The other girls are crying, bowing down in apology to the headmaster.

The camera cuts once more to Akane helping out with serving drinks at a café. She's no longer wearing her school uniform, instead dressed in a simple cream-coloured hoodie and brown shorts. She's smiling as she takes another customer's order.

Then Akane is at home, eating her instant noodles as a middle-aged man takes a swig from his beer bottle opposite her. There's a new bandage across her cheek. The man holds his hand out. Gingerly, Akane puts a thin wad of cash into his open palm. He gets up and pats her head before hobbling away into a nearby corridor.

Akane grits her teeth and picks up the bottle, pouring the last of its contents onto the table. A shot of the beer spilling down the corner of the marble table, the opening shot of the MV but faster. A close-up of Akane's grip tightening around the neck of the bottle. End.

Author's notes

I got the idea to make a body part reference for the song title to match the first MV, but couldn't think of anything. "Lipservice" sounds cool, but might give off the wrong impression.

Akane's crime is very easy to solve, so there's not much more to her crime to reveal. Have fun learning about her backstory.

Picrews used: - https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/17569 - https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1649970

[fumikomiyasaki]

👥 for any!!

Headcanons

April always hated her looks but Meikas attempts to cheer her up by odd make up, hairdo days, sleepovers and all slowly made her except, there is people that do like her looks

Garden dates, Ice cream parlors and the occasional Meika looses to her for the 50th time in card games

extrovert x introvert for real, April gets always so shy and red around her but she is the light of her life

Always leaves a flower on Meikas desk as a little gift

Matching couple bracelets

April and Julian have a pet and although it bit Makoto once it didn't bit Meika and instead let it pet her

While Makoto is probably in his mind "I hate to like this man." Julian is plotting his next agenda to fluster him

Despite his behavior he is always down to have serious talks and let him vent out his feelings to him as well

The most emberassing moment they had was Makoto helping out at a play in Polisionalle, working on costumes, Julian tried to flirt him up and the curtain of the stage had a malfunction so everyone seen a small kiss between them on stage, which led Makoto to run off

Julian doesn't mind to play model for his beloved Mako and often even asks him to help with his dancing outfits

"Do not listen to my sister..." "He spend the whole night praising you in his sleep."

Leave it to gay panic Tiam to only form like 3 coherrent words towards him... the first time they met

Zayumi pulled him to dance with him once and fainted in an instant

At least he always brings his potions to their joined experiments and so both often make the machines sucessfull

Actually is gratefull for help with his clothes cause man was poor and didn't have much clothing sense to beginn with

Each flirt Tiam tries to stay somewhat normal but he is a stuttering mess just not being able to respond at all but the reaction is enough for Zayumi

Has urge to often touch his hair but tries to hold back

[byneddiedingo]

Brenda Blethyn and Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice (Joe Wright, 2005)

Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Rosamund Pike, Simon Woods, Jena Malone, Rupert Friend, Tom Hollander, Carey Mulligan, Judi Dench, Kelly Reilly, Talulah Riley, Claudie Blakley, Tamzin Merchant, Peter Wight, Penelope Wilton. Screenplay: Deborah Moggach, based on a novel by Jane Austen. Cinematography: Roman Osin. Production design: Sarah Greenwood. Film editing: Paul Tothill. Costume design: Jacqueline Durran. Music: Dario Marianelli.

Joe Wright's lush, romantic adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (the ampersand belongs to the film) irked many Janeites. But people who love Austen's books are fated to be irked: There is no easy way to translate to film the narrative ironies that readers seize on with delight. Wright and screenwriter Deborah Moggach (with uncredited help from Emma Thompson) have crafted a Pride & Prejudice that takes place in a universe parallel to Austen's. They push back the time of the novel from the early 19th century to the late 18th. Tinkering with time is not unique to films of the novel: The 1940 version starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier and directed by Robert Z. Leonard moved the action up to the Victorian period, maybe to take advantage of MGM's wardrobe full of crinolines and hoop skirts. Wright's earlier time period allows  for a looser, more earthy setting, more Henry Fielding than Jane Austen. There are clotheslines and farm animals to be seen, and the first of the two balls that take place in the film is rougher, sweatier, more countrified than the elegant formal dances usually seen in period films. Elizabeth Bennet arrives at Netherfield with her hair about her ears, not neatly pinned under her bonnet. Later, she spins barefoot on a rope swing hung at the entrance to the barnyard, and at one point an enormously ungelded hog walks through the action. Even the formal dress is different: With her upswept hairdo, Judi Dench's Lady Catherine looks like she has just stepped out of a Joshua Reynolds portrait. The real strength of Wright's version is not in its fidelity to the novel, but in its creation of a satisfyingly consistent world in which it might have taken place, mutatis mutandis. There is some elegant staging: Visiting Pemberley, Elizabeth finds herself in a sculpture hall, where the nude statuary adds a frisson to her awakening attraction to Darcy. The ballroom scenes are beautifully filmed with long traveling takes among the various characters. And Dario Marianelli's score, with its suggestions of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, isn't overstated. Keira Knightley's fetching underbite  suggests Elizabeth's stubbornness and pride, and she's well-matched with Matthew Macfadyen, who has the thankless task of following in the footsteps of Olivier and Colin Firth, who became a sex symbol with his Darcy in the 1995 television series. Macfadyen is not conventionally handsome -- he's a little potato-nosed -- but that serves the character well: Darcy should not be an instant heartthrob like, for example, Mr. Wickham, played by the more conventionally handsome Rupert Friend. There will never be a perfect film version of the novel -- for that matter, of any novel -- but Wright's Pride & Prejudice satisfies as what it is, a lesser work derived from a great source.   

[exileinwhyville]

I Wonder Who You Think You Are

My childhood home was demolished recently as part of a deal my parents made with the local council. The beige, drab interiors stood out to me on my last visit – a dampener on already waning nostalgia. Before returning home, I happened by a play park – one I was awful fond of up until I hit an age where I felt acute embarrassment.

One thing stood out to me – a beaten, rusted swingset that sat sadly awaiting its own demolition – in an instant, I was brought back to adolescence, and reminded eerily of the couple who defined it for a very brief time – Constance and Patrick.

Everything about them I learned second-hand – they were very hush hush about their home lives, which I found to be rather haggard and sad. Constance's mother had her at an early age and went on to spin wool in a local mill, while Patrick's father was out of his life. My mother said he was a rotten man. Patrick himself lounged about, doing odd-jobs.

The two came together at some unknown point and had been nigh-inseparable since. The 'lovebirds' cycled round our neighbourhood, at least until Patrick got his clunker of a car and took her on long night drives into the country.

I had met the two of them down at the shops, where they stood outside bumming cigs; both wearing sunglasses in overcast weather and prattling on about a Frenchman whose films they adored. They really had made a name for themselves as a pair of upstarts. Patrick liked to make a rash habit of Nazi salutes at passersby, who inevitably complained to no avail – he just craved attention, and he found a perfect acolyte..

Both were mildly attractive – Constance was dedicated to maintaining her bright blonde beehive hairdo, where nothing was out of place, and Patrick had a shadowed, impressive mug that he never quite knew how to make use of. Some of the local boys turned red when Constance passed them, but she paid them no heed. They were never short on attention, and if you caught their eye they smothered you with it. Constant requests for hangouts, offers of cigs and the odd beer, the older boys even said Patrick used Constance as 'bait' so they could make more friends. If you got to know them well enough, they'd entice you with a trip out to the 'bog' – the marshy wetlands that had been rutted extensively by Patrick's errant driving.

Constance and Patrick stayed at a two up two down towards the end of the street, where the neighbourhood twisted into a little Cul De Sac. It would be an exaggeration to say they kept to themselves – Patrick's old German records echoed and boomed through the weeknights no matter how much old Mr. Fleisch banged on their door – but on the whole nobody noticed any sign of serious trouble when the pair stayed at home.

It did appeal to me at that time. Cousin Ross had just gone and went missing, so there was this big gloomy cloud over the house. Very sad and all that, but it was that age where all I could think about was myself (we also never particularly got on, which might've stemmed my heartbreak). I was desperate to get out and mingle with whoever I could, including the local weirdos down the road. They were surprisingly open to complete strangers given their hostility to the 'normals' and in no time, I was hanging with them at the local park. They made knocking about there seem cool again, now I was with two rebels.

It was an intense, vitriolic friendship. I don't think I ever quite meshed with the two, but made a go at it anyway. They were older, more cynical and weary. More forthcoming. It was - for a time - refreshing not to be surrounded by 'airs and graces'.

The show boat that he was, Patrick made a spectacle out of kissing and feeling Constance when he could, which would be whenever he wanted and his favourite spot was the swingset. Whatever else could be said about them, they made no secret about their feelings – Constance wouldn't so much as acknowledge any man of age apart from her father, for fear of inciting some kind of lustful envy in her man, who needless to say kept a watchful eye. Patrick declared her the only girl worth loving and that they would go “straight to the depths of hell” before turning on each other.

Patrick's ex-girlfriend, a mousy sort who tutored my brother, loathed him and said he was a bore. My time with the couple led me to agree with her on this. She laughed when I said he always sounded like he had a cold, but she became a lot more quiet when I asked about Constance. The rumour mill continued to spin.

One night, I got a call at home, and in hushed tones, agreed to take a trip over to their place. It would've been my first time visiting, and ultimately my last.

It was horrid weather but I biked my way through the storm, my damp cap stinking of moss and my spokes coming dangerously undone. By now I had grown a little weary of the two, with Patrick's egotism influencing every conversation we had, but I had startlingly few friends. For their part, they awaited me on their doorstep with aplomb – Patrick's car sat, parked queerly on the curb. “Sorry no lift, son – battery went kaput.” he explained. I was perturbed.

The kitchen was pallid yellow but the light made the pair of them look very dark indeed. They seemed to revel in how their shadows cut against the wall, seeking to make themselves look more imposing than they actually were. Constance had draped a flowery, plasticky cover over her kitchen table, and it made a rough noise against the wood that began to set me off. They enjoyed the discomfort.

I held my nose in the face of a crushing smell of bleach coming from Constance's hair; she noticed, and made her approximation of a funny face. Patrick did his best to join in, thumbing his nose. They were poor jesters, and their theatrics took a darker turn in no time.

“I'd say I'm a pretty cruel guy, ain't that right Con?” he said with a wry grin.

“A pretty cool guy, Pat? I'd definitely think so!” she replied, patting his head.

“No no Con, a cruel guy!” he said with so much emphasis

She laughed for just a moment, before her grin matched his. Their gazes converged too, and I felt a strum in my heart turn to thump.

Patrick petted a little ornament he was keeping close to his dented. avian chest, his other hand on her knee, and began to wax lyrical - “Oh, what a fine fine piece of cedar this is, eh Con? Something you'd use for a casket.”

I kept shtum.

He turned up the nasal whine. “Come on son, give us something to work with. How about this? Fancy a trip to the bog with your friends Patsy and Connie? We've seen these stonking toads down there, ones the size of cats!”

I measured my breathing and nodded as their eyes bulged. They leaned and their shadows danced evermore.

“What about the battery?”

“Easy fix – anything for our little pal”

A knock at the door interrupted their rhapsody and I found myself with an easy, if unlikely and unwanted, excuse to run. Patrick's eyes only left me when I was out of his sight, and well past one of his unseemly pals who had came for a visit. He looked to be in an awful state of panic.

I arrived home at a bad time as we had to go to Ross' house.

Mum brought us, I didn't particularly feel like going but was told that we all needed to be there in a serious crisis of grief and to support my aunty.

Cassandra wept and her tears lodged themselves in her wrinkles as I could do little but pat her knee and look upset myself. They had found little Ross, absent his specs, wrapped up down in the bog – “that ghastly place the bad kids went, amidst the gunge and the peat”. He was hard to recognise, and clearly had the life beaten out of him.

My aunt could barely speak as she told us of the pain it caused her identifying his body. The clammy hands of the constable gave her no comfort. How what really stood out to her was one strong, pungent smell – that of bleach.

I gazed at her in fear, gave her a great big hug, said I'd pray ten times that night for him to be reunited with Great Aunt Petunia. My mum kissed me goodbye in confusion, telling me she couldn't drive me home, and I walked home without haste – I shook every step of the way, eyes scanning every alley.

I would never hear from Constance or Patrick again.