#it was really funny because they had to do a small introduction together

[lyramundana]

No feelings involved...right?

Prologue and Part 1

Warnings❗: Implied baby trapping, dubious consent. It all happens at the end.

If their current predicament could be resumed in one sentence, it'll sound like a mother's voice saying "I told you so".

They didn't plan it. It all started with a small mishap, a consequence of their exhaustion and the amount of issues going on in their personal lives. Then the mishap repeated itself, and then they decided to turn it into a game for their own pleasure, no strings attached to her. Then the game grew beyond their control and became a mountain of lies, too big to seize them.

Jisung first met her through a friend of his, and although he found her beautiful then, she didn't catch his attention beyond that. They met frecuently, since they both ran in the same circle of friends, and after one night being left alone by their drunk friends, they spent the time talking and turned out they had more in common that he thought. They clicked, in a way it's hard to explain, but just felt like he knew her since forever. They went from mere acquaintances to suddenly having her name appear at the top of his contact list along with Minho's.

Minho met her through his boyfriend, of course. He first saw her when Jisung brought her home to hang out, without even warning him about it. Their introduction was pretty formal, quick. They shook hands, made some small talk and Jisung inmediatly stole her attention again. Minho wasn't interested in befriending her and viceversa, but Jisung was their common point and she eventually became a regular presence in their apartment, so they really had no option but get along. Forced proximity and all.

Jisung has always known a lot of people, plenty of familiar faces that tend to flock towards him wherever he goes, but few of them can say they truly know him. Jisung cracks jokes, plays long with them, but rarely speaks about himself. He keeps a careful, calculated distance, because he knows that despite all those smiles and compliments, they only see the surface, what they want to see, and don't care about the rest. Which it's okay, it comes with the job, and this facade actually helps to keep undesirable people away without being rude. But she...she's different. From the moment she spoke to him and he listened, he found there was more to her than what she showed. Like him, she never allowed people to see beyond the surface, simply letting them believe the version they liked to spare herself the headaches. She understood him. And for the first time in years, Jisung felt a genuine connection to someone besides Minho.

The funny thing is that they don't talk that much, outside those events where the whole group meets and they stick together to not get bored. And when they get to talk, it's mostly about stuff only they know and deep, phylosophical converstations where they discuss the meanings of life. Maybe, if he's in a certain mood, he complains about a recent argument with Minho and asks for advice, but that's not the norm with them. When he brings her home is to get drunk over petty drama and gossip, without the others. They just fall back in the comfortability of a quiet friendship where no small talks were needed and they could simply let go of their masks.

Things between Minho and her weren't ideal at first. The few times they interacted was when she was at their flat, usually drunk and leaving a mess, and he got mad at it. He could look past it when it was Jisung, but having a stranger doing it was something else. He made sure of letting her know after the drunk haze, barely holding back the bite in his words. He expected her to get offended or feel embarrassed, but no. She never showed an ounce of shame, instead replying him with the same snarky tones, and sometimes that small lopsided grin of hers that made his blood boil. But what started as mostly petty arguments and cold greetings turned into a sense of complicity when they realized their humour was similar and they both acted like Jisung's babysitters more often than not.

Minho is used to be misunderstood. His resting bitch face, his brutal honesty, his reserved demeanour and that perpetual indifference in his face that rarely expressed emotions. People were quick to form opinions about him and not all were good. He was considered cold, arrogant, a snob that didn't like to mingle with those he saw "beneath him", you get it. Most wondered how someone so sweet and cheerful as Jisung could fall for him. It's okay for Minho, he doesn't see the point in caring for what strangers may think. The people he loves know him for who he is and that's enough. Then she came, all carefree and playful and open-minded. Jisung only spoke good things about her, but Minho knew his boy could be biased. Until they started talking and he found out she was truly different. She wasn't intimidated by him, even though he pulled the worst of him sometimes with her around, but she never reacted on it. She was quick to stand up against him, all prideful and confident. And her lack of respect felt like a wheeze of fresh air. After being constantly misjudged, it felt nice to have someone apart from Jisung that made an effort to see through his facade.

Before they noticed it, she became a constant in their lives. Even if they didn't meet often, even if the phone calls sometimes got short, she was present and they felt it. Whenever they needed a favour, she was the safest option. When something juicy happened, she was the first person they called. Even when their fights got brutal and they had no one to seek advice from, her door appeared in front of their eyes.

She never turned down, although her complaints were very much heard. She acted as a bridge between them both when they refused to take the initiative, pushing them to apologise and communicate their problems and feelings. Minho was stubborn, but Jisung could easily win him at times, and persuade them to move past it was a pain. Nevertheless, she did it every single time, to the point the walls of her house and the natural scent that filled it became so familiar to them.

They genuinely don't know when things started to change. They talked it before and both agreed she was beautiful, easy to the eyes, but nothing more. Sure, she was a vital part of their lives now but that's all they wanted her to be. At least that's what they told themselves until that night behind that club, when they tasted her for the first time and found the missing piece they had been bothering them for so long. That annoying empty space in their sex life that have appeared coincidentally shortly after meeting her..

Of course, things couldn't be the same after that mindblowing experience, not like they wanted it to either. They planned the whole affair while she slept in their arms, dead to the world. It was easy to convince her, with her body still vibrating by the last events and her mind still waking up. Granted that wasn't exactly correct from their parts, but they were slightly desperate and the idea of letting her go after that sounded awfully wrong.

And so that was the start of their downfall.

Looking back, they asked for it. At first it was all very natural. They were still friends but now they also fucked sometimes. She was open to every kink and preference of theirs, and she also introduced them to her own tastes. No commitment, no explanations expected or needed. But when their encounters became more often it got harder to stay away from her, they had her sign an NDA to continue. Which was..okay, not something they accounted for but it wasn't necessarily a problem.

No, the problems started when their feelings began to get in the way of the commitment-free arrangement they wanted.

Their doll was a gorgeous creature, a delightful sight for sore eyes, and they knew it. She was like this when they met her and they had no problem with it, Jisung even admired it and made jokes about it, about how ridiculous easy those idiots fell for her charms, scrambling on their feet to get an ounce of her attention. But at some point, seeing such scenes evoked less amusement and more disgust. And following disgust, there was something else. Something twisted and painful and deadly that climbed to their throats when another worthless scum tried his luck with her. Minho could heard this tempting voice in his head telling him to rip their guts out and Jisung imagined a number of creative scenarios where he taught that bastard a lesson.

Sometimes, those voices told them to grab their precious doll and drag her away from those dirty hands, keep her near where they couldn't lose her, which was weird because she meant nothing to them. Just a close acquaintance they casually fucked from time to time very often. And yet...

These sudden, strange emotions were translated in their bed.

The sex with her was always rough and fast, and the only aftercare that ocurred was sharing a smoke in bed over some small talk. But suddenly, it wasn't enough. Their usual routine felt short, uncomplete, unsatisfying. The mouths started to trace her face, her body, the marks they left on her. Their movements turned slower, more gentle, more precise. They wanted to see how it was when she burst in pleasure, when she gave herself up entirely in their arms. They kissed, caressed, worshipped the entirety of her skin, and they whispered words of praise in her ears for the duration of it. And when it was done, they needed wanted her close, lulling her into sleep as their arms trapped her against them.

"You're doing so, so well, doll. Can you give us one more, please? You look lovely like this."

"Look at you, already crying and shaking. Shh, it's okay, love, we got you. Leave it to us, okay'"

But when they couldn't stand that twisted feeling in their guts, after seeing some other clown trying to steal her away, both men turned animalistic on her. They were all confused at this change, and the two of them couldn't explain where did it came from. They just felt the urgent need to cover her in bites, scratches and hickeys, in every place where those undeserving eyes feasted upon. ¿How dare those assholes? ¿Didn't they know she was with them? ¿Had they no shame? ¿Did they really think they stood a chance?

"That's it, keep looking at us, slut. That's where your eyes should always be. ¿What the fuck were you thinking, uh?"

"¿You wanted him to fuck you too? Is that it? You greedy whore. Clearly we need to fuck you more. We'll make sure you can't even talk or walk without our help."

And it didn't end just there. They started to bring her to their dates, inviting her everywhere they went, giving her their clothes. They had love-hate feelings towards her revealing dresses, because as much as they enjoyed the view, they hated seeing others do the same. She became part of their routine, outside the sex part. She was always there. And as time passed, it felt like she had been there since the beginning. They hardly remembered how things were before she came.

But they kept lying to themselves, lying to everyone. This wasn't anything. They could stop whenever they wanted to. There no other feelings involved. Of course not.

And things finally went downhill when someone asked them:

"So, that girl that's always with you two, what's the deal with her? Is there something serious going on? Because you have to introduce her to us, then."

That question struck them. Brutally.

They never thought too much about it. Things with her just...happened naturally, and they barely noticed it. They simply followed their instincts at the time, not realizing the weight those actions could hold. ¿What was the deal with her, truly? Granted, she was more than just a quick fuck, but still. And what was up with them? Why the fuck did they want to meet her? She was perfectly fine where she was.

At the end of the day, the three of them moved in different worlds. There were things about themselves they couldn't tell her, things she would never understand. Maybe that was better, they thought. To keep her away from that circus of drama and lies and dirty secrets they were part of. She didn't belong there. And to keep her far away from idiots butting their noses where they shouldn't.

So they quickly defused the situation. She was just an acquaintance, they didn't really know her, yeah. They already had each other, it had always been just each other. She meant nothing.

If she did, where did that leave them?

¿Were they supposed to know someone was going to post their answer on social media? Were they supposed to know she would see it and demand explanations too?

Yes

They never saw her so angry, so emotional. She was bursting in anger and sadness and dissapointment, and they could both feel how their hearts stopped at the sight. It didn't feel right.

When she started to speak, they sort of panicked. They couldn't control the situation this time, they couldn't control her, and they didn't have proper answers for it. At least, not the kind of answers that would help them.

Most of all, they were confused. As she confronted them with facts, about how their strange behaviour with her and their motivations, they were forced to acknowledge the reality of everything.

That she meant more than they thought. Way more than they wanted her to. It was a liability. A problem. An unexpected turn of events they weren't prepared for.

And because they weren't prepared, they simply said the words that sounded logical at the moment. Cold statements of what they all knew, of what they agreed on the beginning. They didn't truly mean it, as they would realize later, but they felt cornered. And at the moment, the only strenght they could rely on was their pride.

They foolishly thought she would stay after that. That she would see their point of view and calm down.

As expected, she didn't. When it fell on them the terrible error they made, it was late. She left the place. Emptied it of whatever part of her and blocked them from her life.

And as expected, the aftermath was fucking disastrous.

Being deprived so suddenly from her presence after getting used to have her near everyday was hellish. No more calls, no more dates, no more lazy afternoons in the couch. She was gone, leaving a gaping hole in their lives that they couldn't fill, no matter how much they tried. And god knows they did.

No vice or person could replace the feelings she invoked in them.

They turned down invitations, calls of friends, choosing to stay at home and just hang out by themselves. Staying at home too long drove them insane, but going out wasn't much better. She was everywhere. In the streets, in the shops, in the people. It was a nightmare.

When a close friend of theirs invited them to the opening of club, they only accepted in hopes for a distraction, and to keep appareances a bit. But the cold, boring night inmediately acquired a brilliant colour when they saw her.

More beautiful than ever, with her pretty dress and carefully done make-up. Her damned smile brightened the whole club and, for a moment, they felt in peace. Like nothing changed.

Until they saw she wasn't alone. Her warm arms, who used to be held by them, were now occupied by other men. Some they didn't know. A pair of strangers taking their rightful places, and she just laughed and danced with them like it was normal.

They spent the whole night like that, watching her and brooding, with that familiar green boiling in their stomach. She looked gorgeous, out of this world, and it wasn't fucking fair. That should be them. She should have been with them, filling their ears with her cute laugh and letting them wrap their arms over her.

Deep down, they knew they fucked up. It was solely their fault. They had their chance to make her stay, to trap her, and they messed up. ¿Why did things have to be this way? Why did they have to realize the size of their mistake in a moment of jealousy? It was stupid.

When they saw her walking outside alone, they exchanged a glance and they knew it.

They made several mistakes, but they learnt from them. Having her hating them was better than not having her at all, so they followed.

It was so easy to fall back into routine. She was already weakened by their presence, and it was the same for them too. Some yelling here and there, insults being thrown back and forth, a bit of fighting, but they ended up right where they wanted: Locked bathroom, against a wall, and the music covering their moans.

They didn't stop until she was bursting with their cum, pushing it right back inside where a drop ran down her legs. Until there wasn't a single trace of skin unmarked. Until she couldn't fucking walk without their help.

And when few weeks later, she showed up in their apartment with three positive tests, they pretended to be shocked and made her move in with them.

They could already see the picture she would make. It was going to be perfect.

(i had this shit collecting dust in my drafts for a millenia and today i had a strange burst of inspiration to finish it. sorry for the waiting to those who asked for this part)

Taglist: @hanjisunglover @queenmea604 @linlinaert @bluducky @jinnie-ret @aalexyuuuhm @noellllslut @skzms @thightswideforhanin @aliensfoundthisblogl @k-krissten @stayconnecteed @hanjibug @roseykat

[perfectfangirl]

notes after rewatching fallout s1 ep2

• dogmeat's introduction 🥺 • the enclave being shown as supremely evil because how could you incinerate live puppies 😭 • i want more backstory on siggi because i am curious if this is change of heart or like a mole • the super mutant hand needs to go from easter egg to reality next season forreal • i noticed siggi was drinking whiskey? to numb the pain of putting that cold fusion chip in his head--- i also wonder if he was drinking because he knew he wasn't going to make it • saw on reddit someone asking so it's the enclave who has cold fusion? and i'm still a bit confused about that because... i was thinking moldaver had something to do with its creation but then siggi knew exactly who lucy was... if the enclave is supposed to be a continuation of the pre war us government, then it feels like there's more tying the enclave and vault tec together than i thought

• in the escape scene, it seems like the other scientist knew siggi was betraying the enclave, but how? if they have cold fusion, was it obvious he was "stealing" it and trying to give it to someone else? maybe i have gaps in my knowledge here • siggi genuinely does seem like he's trying to do the right thing though 🥲 • dogmeat seeing that guy try to harm siggi and dogmeat fuckin' him up ❤️ • game dogmeat being referred sometimes as a boy and show dogmeat being a girl lol [love the gender doesn't matterism here gldfgld]

• the people who are enslaved work at the enclave being held there and escape meaning death • if these are namibia scenes where lucy is trekking, they are breathtaking, wonderful worldbuilding • lucy seeing a tumbleweed for the first time and going "the heck?" but then i like, remember she doesn't really know what "wind" is 😭 [and this also subverts the "tumbleweed blowing in the wind through a desert or desolate place" trope, i'm sorry but this a masterclass in comedy lmao] • her coming across some bodies but this time skeletons at a dinner table, a family of four i believe, all having taken poison, vault tech brand [a chilling scene but fallout is known for their hilariously placed skeletions so there's one with a cup of dirt in front of it] • probably the first time lucy is being confronted by hank and/or vault tec's lies, depending • lucy setting a [camp] fire, and me recognizing immediately it was a bad move [i watch too much stuff 💀] • i honestly' can't believe she took off her pip boy • dogmeat finding lucy 🥺 • it was destiny in so many ways because dogmeat is tearing that radroach the fuck up • siggi giving like a monologue in the most unsettling voice ever was so funny to me • siggi trying to tell her these animals [if you can call them that] up there are insane and genuinely in the nicest way possible trying to tell her she should go home • "question is, will you still want the same things when you have become a different animal altogether?" is some crazy foreshadowing • the cold fusion capsule glowing as he walks away • lord titus being an asshole and maximus doing the same to thaddeus lmao • lord titus "wanting to shoot something" and his stupidity leading to his own demise • [i like neither lord titus or the actor that plays him so dkfsdkgd] • dogmeat going into the yao guai den and coming back with a hand like it was sharing it with them 😭 • maximus being continuously disrespected and knocked down a peg, he doesn't deserve this 😞 • insane how close and somehow inadvertently hot on the trail lord titus and maximus was for siggi and dogmeat • learning squires appears to be a dime a dozen and that's one reason lord titus sent maximus deeper into the cave, the other is that he was scared • maximus seemed to be both disillusioned and struck with fear watching the yao guai attack lord titus--- so it was almost breathtakingly offensive when lord titus decided to blame maximus for everything and wanting him like, court martialed almost for this incident, despite maximus being small of gun and armourless, despite them both being scared, lord titus blames maximus for lord titus' own failings • "this wasteland fucking sucks!" love that running motif • anyways glad that guy died, next! • lmao this very disgusting man in a diaper or something being thankful lucy didn't shoot him but also drinking all her water 😭 • lucy getting a taste of wasteland selfishness and desperation gdfgdgfd • maximus belongs in a power suit • this chicken fucking man having the elixir to immortality or regeneration or whatever it is 😭 • and the chicken farmer, in a cameo, is a makeup designer and props department person 🙂 • in a beautiful shot, it looks like lucy is in the famous car forest or a replica of it • her trying to be convivial and people just not having it 😢 • filly is very fallout and i assume gamers enjoyed this scene because • everyone is in bizarre and comical mad max style outfits, iguana meat, giving metaton vibes • so i just read filly was named because it's a landfill but also there's the fact it was filmed in an airplane and automobile graveyard outside new jersey [close to philadelphia] and that there is a fillmore, california • also saw where it's modeled to look a lot like megaton and i thought this on first viewing • i didn't even realize cooper was already shown sitting and waiting, the crossing of paths was crazy • lucy seeing degeneracy first hand 💀 • lucy seeing weird shit and smiling because she, too, is weird

• cooper mysteriously and sexily watching from afar after cornering his bounty • "barv get in here" not ma june calling her friend to come and point and laugh at lucy • moldaver being ma june's client and that's why she shuts lucy down so fast after she asks about that pip boy • ma june saying lucy got all ten fingers, damn the writers were so • "i know that it can't have been easy for you up here, what with all the murder and the dirt" lmao lucy please • lucy realising vault tec's demonic saviour complex is very hard to preach about to wastelanders, people who have survived for centuries and without the help of the vaulties • lucy really is from the rich part of town because ma june was so insulted by her lies, she took her gun out • cooper, siggi, lucy intersecting was so crazy though • kind of wondering why siggi didn't wear a disguise as a wanted man • siggi trying to be nice and warning lucy to leave versus ma june harshly reminding cooper him and his ghoul kind aren't wanted in filly • getting chills that siggi is explaining to lucy what her vault experiment basically was as i didn't see it as that on first watch • siggi was telling her to go home because if someone smart realized who she was or where she came from, all hell would break loose • ok so cooper says the bounty went out from all six agencies but i could only think of three, wondering who they all are • ma june mentions she was given caps for siggi's safe transport out of filly, cooper mentioning a bidding war, is that why he shot siggi's leg clean off [probably did because bounty was dead or alive] • ma june getting people clipped by putting caps on whoever can take cooper down first 😭 • cooper smiling as all them people descend on him because this is the "the love of the game" shit he was talkin' bout 😭💀 • "all this murder makin' me hungry" cooper essentially • him eating those cherry tomatoes and then paying for them 🥲 • almost forgot cooper actually did get shot multiple times and kept goin', ghouls are somethin' else • noticing cooper gave ma june a nonlethal leg shot versus basically sending siggi to his demise with his • cooper stabbing not shooting dogmeat • cooper was about to shoot but lucy's candor and morality was a breath of fresh air, he was so shook lmao • he was so charmed, he kept walking, leaving him open to her shooting him in quite literally his heart [ok symbolism] 😭, smiling and everything • "well now that is a very small drop in a very, very large bucket of drugs" lmaooo they created ultrajet for ghouls because jet isn't strong enough for them • lucy being immediately impressed with the t60 • i hate maximus had to lie because this was so "knight in shining armour" but why did he reveal his face to lucy knowing if the brotherhood of steel had found out this early about what he did, he'd be dead meat like • cooper almost shot that girl like three times ldgld • i genuinely think the tranquilizer effected him but just a teensy bit • siggi saying he could still make the trip and ma june saying he'd be lucky to make it to breakfast ☹️ • jim's limbs has be cracking up every time • them installing that robo leg onto siggi is the most gory and disgusting scene to me and i hope it gets worse • something oddly sweet about siggi saying lucy can take him to moldaver after nearly begging lucy to go back home for her own safety, she put her life on the line to save him 😞 • cooper getting mopped by maximus in that power suit sends • i didn't realize after maximus made cooper fall, cooper says "goddamn, that hurt" 😭 • "you drive that thing like a fucking shopping cart" and it's a power suit gldgfld • that snake oil salesman really was telling the truth, he maybe could've healed siggi • cooper petting dogmeat while giving them a stimpak, cooper showing a genuine smile while doing so • siggi really lost too much blood and i thought this back in filly • siggi saying the cynanide pill from vault tec was the most humane thing they produced, pre war was a dark time

[rikitachiquita]

bananas for you 🍌 || s. jake

•synopsis: y/n didn't really enjoy science but her crush did. and a silly experiment on bananas might help her with said crush

•genre: oneshot, y/n x jake, highschool au, written (0,5k words) and screenshots

Science was not y/n’s favorite subject. But indeed it was jakes. 

Obviously, like a normal teenage girl at school, since her crush liked one subject, she had to like it too. And she also liked having good grades, so studying wasn’t that. Either way, if she ever failed the subject she could ask Jake to tutor her. But that was her secret plan b.

Today was a very fun day, because it was lab-day. They would be doing some type of experiment related to the dna, the topic they were learning lately.

The teacher caught your attention “Ok class, today we are going to extract DNA from bananas” the whole class let out a little gasp, excited to be doing something different than usual.

“But before that, let’s have a brief introduction. Did you know that all bananas share the same dna?  They are all clones! and there’s only one type of banana that is eaten in the entire world! That's why they are always endangered: if they get infected by a parasite, they risk extinction. that already happened in the 50s: your great grandparents probably ate a different kind of banana that doesn’t exist anymore because it was infected by the parasite of panama. And it’s possible that we won’t have bananas in 50 years” the teacher explained

“Ok now i’ll make small groups of 4 people to do the experiment”

He made the groups and you ended up with Danielle, your best friend, Heeseung and Jake. jake. your crush. This was going to be fun.

The first step was to take a banana and smash it very well until it was basically liquid.

“Smash the banana” said Heeseung to Jake

“But maybe the girls want to do it. y/n do you want to do it” Jake said

“I don’t but I know Danielle and she can’t wait to do it.” You responded with a smile and gave Danielle a funny look. your best friend seemed very happy that you mentioned that. She quickly took the spoon and started smashing the banana. Heeseung in the meantime, was taking videos to make a report later on.

“Do you know what she is saying?” asked Jake, close to your ear so you were the only one that heard the question. she was referencing to danielle, who was still smashing the banana, while also singing quietly the same part of a song

“Chulo.” you responded

“What?” asked the boy

“Chulo, that one reggaeton song that is really catchy”

“Oh my god I love that song actually” he said smiling fondly. his smile was so pretty that it almost made you mad

“Do you also like reggaeton?” you asked surprised, since he didn’t look like the type of guy to listen to that kind of music.

“Yeah I actually do, surprisingly. You do too, right?”

“Yeah, it fills me with energy, especially in the morning when i don’t feel like getting out of bed” you admitted

“Y/n, we should go to that one cafè place that only puts reggaeton together after school” Jake proposed with a small smile

“That is such a good idea, I can't wait” you responded, blushing.

The experiment was long forgotten

masterlist

• author's note: another fruit one shot cause they are so fun, i love them!!!! i did this experiment at school last week, so yeah i had to make this. i hope the science part is actually right 😭 anyways yeonjun being the teacher is so funny to me. check the other fruit one shots!!

[stargazer-sims]

1. Introduction (Video #1)

Caroline

Hey everybody!

My name is Caroline Okamoto-Nelson. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in Willow Creek. I like horses, cooking, shopping and J-pop. I really love swimming. I guess you might even say I'm obsessed with it. I'm really good at it too, and I have the medals to prove it.

People often comment that I look like both my parents, which is super funny to me since I’m not actually biologically related to them at all. I guess people say I resemble them because I have pale hair and blue eyes like Victor, and I have Japanese facial features like Yuri. Honestly, though, I don't mind if strangers assume I'm literally theirs. I am theirs in every way that matters, and being adopted is amazing because I know they love me enough to want to make me part of their family forever. I love them a lot, and even though I think about my biological parents sometimes, Victor and Yuri will always be my real parents.

Yeah, I have two dads, and to avoid things getting confusing I should let you know that I usually call them by their names. Some people think that's weird and a few people think it's disrespectful, but it's not weird to me. I started out as Victor and Yuri's foster child when I was six years old, after my biological father passed away, and I didn't want to call either of them Daddy or Papa or whatever. They were okay with that, and when they officially adopted me about a year later, the habit had already stuck.

I do call Victor 'Dad' sometimes, probably a lot more often than I call Yuri 'Papa'. Yuri says I only call him Papa when I really want something, which... is kinda not inaccurate. Luckily, he has a good sense of humour about it.

Let's see... Another important thing you should know about me straight away is that I'm blind. Before anybody starts demanding to know how a blind person can use a camera and make a video, remember blindness is a spectrum. Most people who fit into the category of blindness can see at least a little bit. There aren't that many people who're totally blind.

As for me, I was born with something called oculocutaneous albinism, which is why I look the way I do even though I'm one hundred percent Japanese. My condition means I have no pigment in my skin, hair and eyes, and it's why I have low vision.

I can see well enough to get around, but I do use my white cane at night or in unfamiliar places. I'm able to read large print, and I can see enough to use my computer and phone if I wear my glasses. I can do most normal things, actually. The only things that are really off-limits are driving and anything that requires good visual acuity, like cutting in a straight line, putting small objects together or sewing. Unfortunately, this means I'll never get to be a nurse like Victor. That's what I originally wanted to be, until I got older and started to understand my disability and finally realized that I don't see the same way everyone else does.

I don't want anybody to feel sorry for me because of my disability. I'm not unhappy or bitter about it and I don't need anyone's sympathy or pity. As a matter of fact, I have an awesome life, and I wouldn't want to change a thing.

On the subject of my life, that brings me around to why I'm making this video in the first place. I just started twelfth grade last week, and my best friends Forest and Camellia and I decided to sign up for media studies as one of our electives. The course runs for the whole school year, and we have to do one major project as well as some small assignments. Camellia and Forest got permission to work together — they're twins and they seem to want to do practically everything together — and they're making a podcast. I decided my project is going to be a documentary about myself. A video autobiography, I suppose you could say.

The plan is to chronicle my life from now till June, but it's not just going to be a video journal about random stuff that happens to me this year. I want to tell the story of my life so far, about how I went from being an unwanted baby in Japan to being the loved, talented, cute and successful person I am today.

These videos aren't going to be only me talking in front of a camera, either. I'm planning to interview my friends and family, and maybe also to give them the camera so they can record some thoughts of their own. Then, I'll edit everything and get it ready for the final presentation.

I've decided to call it Caroline & Company. I may be the main subject of this story, but nobody can exist alone. We all need company. I don't think it'd even be possible to survive without the guidance and support of family and friends, not to mention teachers, coaches, therapists, doctors and all the other people we interact with on a daily basis. Every person in my life is important, so I feel like they need to be acknowledged in some way.

Our teacher, Mr. Blanchet, is going to help our class design a website so that all our projects will be available for everyone to see at the end of the school year. Maybe it's nerdy of me to be excited for a school project, but I"m really looking forward to doing this, and I can hardly wait to see what my classmates come up with as well.

I think it's going to be an incredible year!

[gizamalblythe]

Call The Warlords!!

so this takes place in the Wing!au that me @blackcat2907 and @blackholesun321 have been doing, so some prior reading may be required.

(also if this looks poorly written thats because it started as a ramble and i tried to edit it but got tired like, 2/3rds of the way through and said F it we ball.)

((also also i know the seraphim are supposed to be like,,,6-12 ft tall or something but ive known and thought about these babies for far longer than i knew their actual heights so for any thing going forward from me, S-Hawk/Peregrine/Pippin is 4'3 and Sebastian is 4'4 because i think its funny that he's so small))

so in wing!au, and pretty much any iteration, Mihawk is pretty in control of any sort of instincts he has right?

all that gets thrown out the window when he gets an invitation from a mysterious ‘Shaka’ to come and collect something of his on the equally mysterious Egghead Island shortly after his grown chicks fly the coop once more

He gets hit over the head big time with the nesting stick once he lays eyes on ‘S-Hawk 049’ and ‘S-Lion 001’ though.

Mihawk's first thought is that those are terrible names, which is quickly overtaken by ‘i need to get them into the nest as soon as possible’ which is hard because he doesn’t really nest and the only place he would really think of nesting is either home on kurigana, or home on the red force.

the red force is closer, so after some thorough cuddling and introductions/more cuddles, he bundles them both up in a blanket, together of course, and then either picks them up in his arms (given that you can also pick stuff up in your wings to keep your hands free, this is a really touching gesture) and sets off to both avoid interacting with any of the other warlords (because he is a reclusive bastard on a good day and he really does not want to explain anything to anyone right now.) and also to get to the red force as quick as possible.

so, shaka didn’t know that Mihawk and shanks were together, so they each got sent an invitation, but let's say that the news coos have a really hard time getting to Elbaf, or the giants have a really strict screening process, either way the letter was late, so late in fact that shanks didn’t even get the letter until 30 minutes before Mihawk got to the red force ( we’ll expand on that more later)

now shaka was worried because he was banking on all the seraphim being gone by a certain time so when he received no word from the red emperor he began to enact some back up plans, all of them fell through, but he figured he could just kinda dump s-lion on buggy the clown but he hadn’t been able to bring that part of the plan up to the seraphim yet, so they all thought that s-lion was being left behind.

So Mihawk and the other Warlords, both new and old (excluding Blackbeard because he wasn’t relevant and Doflamingo because he was both in prison and Shaka did not trust this man with a child) arrive on Egghead where they meet Doctor Vegapunk-01 ‘Shaka’.

After initial introductions are finished, and an explanation and reassurances are given, Shaka starts guiding them towards a meeting area to meet the seraphim. Mihawk however, notices a large amount of nervous energy, separate from the waiting figures ahead of them. This, along with how familiar the presence seems, intrigues Hawkeyes so he decides to split off and investigate. 

When Mihawk walks into the training dojo, he sees S-Hawk training his swordsmanship. He spoke up once the boy had finished his katas and noted to him that while his ability to mimic his technique was admirable, it clearly lacked the foundation the basics provided. 

He showed the seraphim the basics, they practiced a bit, S-Hawk became emotional and blew up a bit out of frustration and lack of understanding on why he was being so nice to him then proceeded to break down crying. Mihawk sat patiently during the outburst, then wrapped his wings around them as he hugged the child comfortingly during the crying jag, and stood up with S-Hawk in his arms and picked up the younger's sword (which he attached to his belt because mediocre imitation or not it is still his first sword!) and then began walking through the halls to the exit.

At one of the intersections, S-Hawk meekly asked if He could take his brother too. Mihawk questioned if he was another clone of him , to which S-Hawk says he's a clone of an Emperor. Mihawk agrees and during the walk to the mysterious brothers room, the raven haired man goes over in his head who it could be.

‘Can't be Linlin because he said brother, so that leaves Kaido, Edward Newgate and-’

Conqueror Class Seraphim: S-Lion 001

‘Shanks’

so on the trip to the red force is filled with lots more cuddles and some explaining: 

where they were going,

(Elbaf)

Why, 

(that is one of the safest places Mihawk can think of to nest) 

Who is there, 

(his mate) 

How will they react to the newly named Sebastian considering he doesn’t share any dna with Mihawk and instincts will not like that,

(he will probably react quite well, considering that while you don't share dna with me, you do share dna with him) 

How will he react to the newly named Peregrine seeing as it can be easily taken as infidelity on Mihawks' part,

(he's not one to judge based on that because he knows that I love him)

Will he like us? 

(he will love you)

SO arriving at the red force, somehow Mihawk is completely unnoticed. strange but whatever, (this is because most of the senior officers and shanks are in a war meeting rn trying to decide who goes to go get whatever it is that THE Dr Vegapunk want to give them) so Mihawk just makes his way to Shanks’ room (very grateful to the lack of presence because his instincts are screaming at him to get the chicks to the nest NOW and being seen will not help with that) so he gets to Shanks’ room to find that it is laundry day so he sets the Eyas down on the bed, tells them he will be right back and books it to the laundry room where he is finally seen, he gathers a bunch of bedding and soft blankets and at least one of shanks’ throw blankets that isn’t really dirty but hasn’t been washed yet and just leaves without acknowledging anybody, someone tells a cabin boy to tell Shanks that ‘Hey, Mihawk is here and he's nesting. jsyk’

So Shanks gets the call that Mihawk is here and nesting which is slightly concerning because Mihawk doesn’t really nest, and he can't ask Ben for advice because Ben left half an hour ago to check out Vegapunk’s thing. So he goes to his room to investigate, to which he finds Mihawk, in the middle of a nest of pillows and blankets and nestled right there next to him, are two tiny chicks, both with white hair and tan skin, one looks like Mihawk, and the other…. looks like him!

he gently shakes Mihawk out of his baby-bliss-napping and asks “as wonderful and as overjoyed I am,,,,, where’d you find these adorable babies?” Mihawk explains and Shanks says that he’ll be right back to join in the cuddles, he’s just gotta get Ben on the den den and tell them that they can come back because Mihawk already beat them to it.

@manofbeskar enjoy some baby acquisition.

[roseposts-stuff]

hello hello!! its time for the doctor who rankings again, today it's time for series 8!! really like this series guys not gonna lie :D again, these are my opinions and also just. mostly for my benefit but i post them here in case someone else is interested in my thoughts???

1. Listen (8x4) - oh how i love this episode guys, i love the opening already, peter capaldi was MADE for stuff like this, i think. i like the idea of a creature that has perfected hiding, i think that's interesting, and i love the ending with clara talking to the doctor as a kid, i love how we kinda still left it ambiguous whether this creature exists or not (i think it does, the creature that was on danny's bed didn't look like a human, even though we didn't see it clearly, but it's not 100% sure this creature is actually real). always love it when doctor who goes horror

2. Mummy on the Orient Express (8x8) - SO good, love this episode, i love the mystery of the mummy and i think a morally grey doctor was written well in this, i liked perkins a lot and kinda wished he had become a companion, and i liked the story. also the "are you my mummy" heritage still going strong lmao

3. Flatline (8x9) - SO GOOD!! i love the idea of creatures that are in 2D that's interesting, i like clara and there are so many hilarious things in this, personally i died permanently when clara just pulled the hammer from the bag and went "apparently they're in the walls", it was so funny to me lol, yeah, brilliant i think

4. Deep Breath (8x1) - does the beginning with clara feel a bit weird considering she has literally seen every regeneration of the doctor's and knows how it works? yeah. but i get where they're going with it and why it is there, because the audience has just lost the previous doctor, who is this new guy here why is he so different, how can he suddenly be so old?? the kids who might have started watching with matt smith might say, and i get that clara is now acting as the audience, i don't mind it. and i like the scene with vastra and clara. and the second half of the episode is brilliant, i love clara with the robot. guys. i don't remember if they had a name sorry guys lol. but she was great. i really think she's so much better in this series than in series 7. and this episode also has some really funny moments, i had so much fun following the doctor's adventures, and i love jenny, vastra and strax as people might notice from the previous posts. i LOVE them. miss them every day i want them back i hate that this is their last appearance on tv :( but yeah, a great introduction to the new doctor, dare i even say better than the eleventh hour are we ready for that conversation??

5. Dark Water/Death in Heaven (8x11/8x12) - always love meeting kate even if she's in a small role, live laugh love kate lethbridge-stewart if she got no fans i'm dead. anyway, i like finally meeting missy properly, she's great and i enjoyed the doctor and her together. i think the cliffhanger is good and i personally am a danny pink defender, i was sad that he died, he wasn't my favourite character but i didn't hate him like most people seem to do lol. i also think the cybermen are alright and the nod to the brigadier and the doctor saluting him is really nice i think

6. Time Heist (8x5) - it's a nice story, i like the concept and the teller is an interesting creature in my opinion, i like the time travel heist stuff and i like psi and saibra, i think it's great and seems a bit underappreciated in the fandom? or have i just not seen people talk about it? i don't know

7. Robot of Sherwood (8x3) - this was actually pretty good fun, i laughed so many times watching this, and even though the story isn't the best in my opinion, i think this is still very fun and enjoyable and i had a great time watching it. robin hood and the doctor's dynamic was actually pretty hilarious

8. The Caretaker (8x6) - i must say, this made me laugh a few times, i think it's fun, and i like clara and danny's relationship stuff here, i think the dynamic between the doctor and danny is interesting, but the story itself isn't the best and i don't think it's anything special

9. Into the Dalek (8x2) - now i get what this story is going for and how we start exploring the question of whether the doctor is a good man or not is great, i like that theme, and i personally like that last excange with the doctor and the dalek, how the doctor says that hatred isn't victory and the double meaning of "a good dalek". but even though steven moffat is 100% one of my favourite doctor who writers, something i must say that he doesn't get right are the daleks, i don't think he gets them. i think he sees them just plainly as evil angry tanks, which they're not, yes they're obviously evil, but they do have sort of personality, they're occasionally sassy and think themselves to be cleverer than they are, and i don't think moffat gets their characterisation right

10. In the Forest of the Night (8x10) - i don't hate it but it's not good either. it's pretty boring because our characters are just randomly running around a forest, which i do think can be done well, but this wasn't. i found clara and danny's relationship stuff to be okay and i think it was so sweet the kids shipped them lol, and i do think that the fact that this had so much of them being kinda happy makes danny's death in the next episode more sad. and i did 100% pick up on the message about protecting trees, which is indeed important, and i liked that the trees were protecting the earth and that children made the message to everyone like young people do today with the climate change, i think that's something that's good about this story.

11. Kill the Moon (8x7) - i don't completely hate it, it's got a few kinda funny lines and i think it did the morally grey doctor thing well, and i love the ending with clara. but the anti-abortion message is not it, and you know i'm giving the writer the benefit of the doubt, because i can 100% see an another way to interpret the story, that humans want to destroy things that they don't know about and we should instead give them a chance because it could be a good thing, but the way some things are worded in the story are just giving anti-abortion message. and i personally wasn't a fan of the random astronaut and the story as a whole just wasn't for me. though i think the morally grey doctor is done well, it feels kinda weird that he just. disappears mid story, i don't know, but yeah, not a fan

there we are, i liked this series, lots of great episodes i think, and peter capaldi is fantastic of course :D

[lieutenanthowell]

ACT I, chapter i, STORY BEAT - Introductions

He wasn't late. Just arriving no earlier, at all, than was remotely acceptable. Because he didn't want to fucking be there. It was nothing more malicious than that. Guin could read a goddamn site map. Could keep himself fed, watered, laundered, caffeinated. When a need arose, he'd hunt down whatever was on the other end of it. Point was, given back the who-knows-how-long this whole affair turned out to be, he'd figure out some better way to spend the time. Wouldn't be hard.

Still, low as his expectations were, Chi-00 managed worse. Ankle-shattering, really. He'd swayed to a stop just inside the door, his scan of the small, settling crowd fixing once, twice. Christ. So. That's how it was. That's just how it was gonna be.

Well. Spared him figuring out a few texts, anyway. Didn't it? No. Not really. He'd never been one for silver linings. That shit was always thin as tinfoil, when you really looked at it.

So he sat. At the back. Nearest the door. Easy to see everything he might need to, from there. Easy to leave, first, after however these my-dumbass-callsign-is-s were done with. Not that it mattered too much, in his case; what the hell could a codename really do for him? Hardly any of his life at all was on record. At least, outside the Foundation itself. And the closest thing he had to connections, people to keep compartmentalized away from all this - if he'd been the kind of moron who figured he could pull that off, which he never was - were here. Or dead. Or gone.

The get-to-know-yous dragged on for a little longer, out there; Guin, he'd set his combat boots flat on the floor and closed his eyes. Against the simmering fluorescent lights, all these eyes he did and didn't know. Didn't do dick for the noise, of course, echoing off the glassy walls of this too-small room. Couldn't close them out, either. Both of them, the last two people he - Christ. Both of them. Vera, with that loved-thin green jacket slung over the chair next to her. Like she was waiting for someone. That someone they'd been waiting for, ever since that night in the snow. And Nadia, wound tighter than any steel trap. Could see that grip she had on herself working all the way up her arms, caught between her teeth, the lock of her jaw.

He'd seen them. They'd seen him. And they'd all have a goddamn year locked into this, to - do their jobs. Together. Again. Shit.

He could do that. Sure. He could do this, too. Wasn't even any microphone in hand, onstage crap. Guin stayed put as the first impressions kicked off, tracking the room's interest from person to person. His own ticked to each face in turn, then away, as he listened to everybody storm or stumble through their introductions. Then - then all that attention settled on his shoulders. He didn't stand. Just spread his hands. Present. Accounted for. "I'm, ah - Dying Breed. Apparently." Which was funny, seeing as... he had something like a laugh about it, anyway. Only vaguely like a laugh. "All you need to know is: I'll do whatever I can to get you out of any trouble you're in. That'll be the case even if I don't like you much. And if all you are is pieces, then - same goes. I'll get something of you home, if I can." He side-slid his jaw, feeling the tug of that still-newish scar, tight. His stare had found the analog clock tick-ticking on the wall; it glared back, like there was something else he was supposed to say, or do, but... God, there was always something. Wasn't there? That's what all that debriefing always came down to, right? That there was always something you should've done different. Would've, could've.

His cut-up cheek twitched - snarl-like, a glimpse of teeth to it - as he lipped a cigarette out of the pack he'd fished from his tac pants. "But chances are you won't hear shit from me until we're in the field in any kind of way. Or unless this place goes to hell." Guin scuffed the low knuckle of his thumb across and around the socket of his left eye, squinting as he considered his matchbook. "So - until then. Uh..." Another toss of his hands, a half-shake of his head. "Watch out." On that dead-flat note, he rocked out of his chair. "Taking a fifteen, boss," he rasped, flicking a loose salute in the general direction of their new commander, presumably. Then he did precisely that.

[mytragedyperson]

Honestly for how much I enjoyed knb when I watched it I do not talk about this anime enough. I'm willing to discuss all of this more.

First of all these characters are so funny and chaotic but they're also such losers and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. Like I know they're supposed to be cool and intimidating but every time kagami tries to act tough and cool or aomine says "the only one who can beat me is me" or akashi says "i am absolute" or anything emperor like, I just kinda die of a combination of second hand embarrassment and laughter. Like these guys are so funny and they don't even mean to be.

Having said that murisakibara is genuinely one of my favourite characters in any media because he's just so done with everything. He has no fucks to give and he just wants to sleep and eat, and he's such a mood. Ugh I love him. And i ship him with tatsuya because they just seem like they'd be cut together

And aomines introduction actually made him seem so cool. A dick but cool and I kinda loved the whole falling out of love with basketball because everyone gave up and just stopped trying to win thing because even I, as someone who is unfit and doesn't really like sports would get annoyed at playing against people who aren't even trying. So you might lose, someone has to, but if you don't even try you're definitely going to lose whereas if you try, there's a chance, no matter how small that you'd win. And the interesting thing is aomine wants someone to beat him or at least be able to keep up with him. And it's sad because young aomine clearly loved volleyball.

On a similar note, aokaga or aomine x kagami I'd like my main knb ship. I feel like aomine motivates kagami to improve and get better, shows him that you can't always win on your own sometimes you have to rely on your team. Meanwhile kagami is the one that beats and keeps up with aomine, that doesn't just give up no matter how hopeless it seems, who still wants to play against him even if he loses, who doesn't hate him simply for beating him in basketballs. In my head later in life aomine went pro and they met again and became at least friends though of course they still argue. And kuroko keeps in touch with them all and constantly reminds them of the embarrassing things they said and did in high school, middle school and after. Also I like how they're shown as being quite similar in some ways but still being very different people. And ill forever be wondering what it would have been like if kagami had known them in middle school, both as a teammate and an opponent.

Kise is great. I'd say more but honestly I don't think I need to. He's kinda like a golden retriever puppy and is kind of two faced but not really. I like him and I ship him with kasamatsu though they do kinda remind me of oikawa and iwaizumi from haikyuu except they're not childhood friends. They're fun I like them.

Midorima is interesting because I feel like he's supposed to be like the smart need character but he's also really superstitious or at least believes in astrology which is interesting because I feel like more often than not, the smart characters are shown as logical and rational and not really believing that type of thing so I like that it was different here. Also he's friends (though I do ship them) with takao who is like one of the best characters and I love him and he deserves everything good.

I honestly don't have much to say about akashi. The emperor thing is interesting and I like him as a character but I just don't really have an opinion on him beyond that.

Kuroko is probably one of my favourite anime protagonists. He just seems chill and like he's waiting for his friends to sort their issues so.he can make fun of them later. And I always love to see kuroko scaring somebody. Plus he found the dog and dogs are always a win.

Finally kagami. This guy is great. He thinks he's so cool and tough but je is such a dork. He gives me so much second hand embarrassment, more than any other character but he's so funny and I love him so much. He's a loser but he's my loser. I feel like everyone has a character who they love but also love to bully and kagami is mine. I will bully him endlessly but if anyone seriously hates on him I will defend him like my life will end if I don't.

And that's without getting into the actual games. When I watched this anime I'd watch it on a night when my parents went to bed. I'd end up watching like five episodes because they were playing a game and I couldn't just stop in the middle of a match. They're so fun. Ugh I just live it

Edit: I completely forgot Momoi and that is unacceptable. When I tell you this girl made me so anxious every tome she came up I'm that first game. Like, when seirin would do something it would cut to her and she'd be like I know, I thought you might do that, here's how we'll combat that. Like she's so smart and badass while also being girly and feminine and she's so loyal, especially to daiki. Ugh I can't believe I forgot her. I kept feeling like I was forgetting someone but couldn't figure out who. But I do love her I think she's a great character and I'm so glad that she and Riko exist and are more than just love interests for the athletes. Like obviously there's romance hinted at or discussed but that's not all there is to them. They're so badass and I'm so glad they exist in this world. And I love their interactions with each other as well.

[cartograffiti]

May '24 reading diary

This month, I finished 16 books, mostly quick cookbooks and graphic novels!

I started May by listening to a very unseasonal full-cast audiobook of E.T.A. Hoffmann's original The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. When I was a child, I read a lot of different text adaptations of the Tchaikovsky ballet adapted from this story, but only realized I'd never read the original when a friend got me to read Hoffmann's squarely horror story "The Sandman" a few years ago. This was creepier than the ballet story, though clearly written for children, and I'm very glad to have gotten around to it.

K.J. Charles, author of a large number of romances I'm a fan of, put out her first mystery A-plot novel, Death in the Spires. I think it's a good introduction to her style if you're not a big romance person, and I think it was the right call for this plot to prioritize the genre elements in this way, but I also have found her B-plot mysteries more exciting. No problem, I liked it a lot, and it has a lot of juicy thoughts about justice as distinct from the law and how trust is earned or lost. Gay disabled detective.

Two sports romances: You Should Be So Lucky, a sensational 1960s baseball player/magazine journalist relationship, meditating beautifully on the fear of failure and on grief. One of the mains was in a long-term relationship with someone who has died, and I think this is the best widowed romance character I've ever read. Sebastian is also just fabulous at taking a tour of a made-up person, full of small details and slice-of-life stakes. I've read all her books and will continue to; I like her particular approach to historicals and her ability to make queer happy endings distinct and individual. M/M.

The other sports romance I read this month is The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer, which I only mildly enjoyed. Unfortunately I don't even have any real criticisms, I just very simply didn't click with Spencer's style on a sentences level, particularly in sex scenes. Your mileage will vary! There is a lot of really enjoyable bits about the hot honorable love interest thirsting over how strong and cool he thinks the heroine is, and he's right. This is definitely worth trying if the basic premise of woman boxer Regency is your thing. Wait, I do have one plot criticism--this would have been stronger without the epilogue. We didn't actually need to meet [historical figure redacted]. M/F.

Graphic novels--I used to read Chelsey Furedi's Rock and Riot when it was coming out as a webcomic, and I was excited when her follow-up, Project Nought, was suspended soon after launch because of a book deal. Unfortunately I somehow missed it when the book actually came out in 2017, and only when Heartstopper sent me on a nostalgia trip last month did I realize I could read it. I wish I had read Project Nought when it was new! A lot of the sci-fi plot no longer feels futuristic even 7 years on, although the core twist is just fabulous. There isn't enough of the interpersonal depth that shines in Rock and Riot, the villain plot resolution is a bit too easy for the YA market, and overall I just wouldn't pitch this as more than pleasant.

The rest of the graphic novels, far more than pleasant, I read volumes 8, 9, 10, and 11 of Witch Hat Atelier by Shirahama Kamome. This was a good batch to read close together, as they all deal with the events of the same festival. Unfortunately I have to wait for my library to buy the next to see the resolution, but that's how manga goes! I loved a lot of what's happening at this point, with some fabulous milestones in the Coco-Agott friendship, lots of good moments from my favorite of the adults (Olruggio), and continuing to push down on the question of forbidden magic. Shirahama brings in both strong cases of things that deserve to be banned (glasses that let you see through people's clothes, not treated as remotely funny) and things that...maybe don't. I really cannot tell what ethics resolution might be end-game, which is very exciting.

Cookbooks! My lovely mother surprised me with a copy of an 80s book I'd been looking for, Vineyard Seasons by Susan Branch. I wouldn't exactly call her style pastoral, but I've seen her rediscovered a bit by cottagecore, Ghibli-esque, and related aesthetic bloggers. If that kind of romantic daily life artwork appeals to you, you might like her books as much as I do; every page is full of Branch's watercolor paintings, sometimes ornamental borders and sometimes illustrations of the sights of her home in Martha's Vineyard. I read and re-read her books just to linger over the pictures, but almost every recipe I've tried has been a winner.

I also borrowed a whole bunch of cookbooks of literary-inspired recipes. I went through two by Alison Walsh (A Literary Tea Party and A Literary Holiday Cookbook), which were disappointing; they draw from a pretty small range of books, and rely a lot on food coloring to fit the themes. Meanwhile, The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook (ed. Kate White) has a really wide range of difficulty level and approach, only some of them inspired by fiction. Each recipe was contributed by a different author, making it fun in the same way that church and community cookbooks can be, but I don't have any wish to own this, either. I have two others still to look at. (And I already own some I do recommend, Kate Young's Little Library cookbooks and Tim Federle's literary cocktail books.)

More nonfiction: DK Publishing's really insubstantial small coffee table book Banned Books, which didn't have quite enough text (I shouldn't have finished any entries unsure on what grounds they were banned/challenged, and did), but some pretty vintage covers (and not enough of those either).

Really great, with loads of pictures and thorough text: The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag by Sasha Velour. I was first aware of gender-fluid queen Sasha Velour as an illustrator and zinester, and in many ways they're the reason I was first interested in drag performers. This book doubles as a history of drag and a personal memoir of Velour's experience with it, and I enjoyed both equally. The history is well-researched and thoughtful, and the memoir is generous and self-aware. And it has some of their comics!

And I'm still reading Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles at about one per month. I finished Pawn in Frankincense in May--lush and devastating and funny and infuriating and completely absorbing. Still not a series I would recommend to everyone, and still one I'm so glad I'm reading at this exact moment, when my emotions can go through the juicer and not feel scarred afterwards.

[everestphillips]

Love comes in many forms...

TW: Familial Abandonment, Financial Crisis, Homelessness, Sexual Coercion.

Name: LILIAN AKINYEMI Age: 26 Relation: High School Best Friend Last Contact: 9 Years Ago. (3 Months Ago)

"Why are you even doing this?"

"Because you're dumb and tutoring you is extra credit."

  Everest first met Lilian in sophomore year of high school, when he was told to go get tutoring because he was lagging behind in some classes and at risk of not being able to be part of the extracurriculars. So, of course, like he usually did, Ev attended these tutoring sessions in hopes of charming someone to do most of the heavy lifting while he focused on literally anything else. However, those plans were immediately thwarted the moment he sat down in front of this girl. Before any introductions, almost if she was able to read him like an open book, this strange girl said to him, "Let's get this out of the way. I will not be doing any of the work for you. I'm here because I want to. You're not. So you better be serious about this." For a good minute or two, Everest just sat there, bewildered by the stranger before finally laughing and responding with a simple, "bet." 

  From then on, the two of them would meet often for these tutoring sessions. For a very small part, it was due to Everest suddenly being interested in doing good in his classes, and for the most part, it was because he genuinely liked her. Lilian was strong, honest, and once he was actually getting close with her, pretty damn funny. They would begin to meet and hang out beyond the short confines of their after school tutoring, and would begin to eat lunch together, or walk each other to their next classes just so they could talk about the mess that occurred in their last period. 

  However, as their friendship became more public, people began to talk, and none of it was good. Even though they seemed really close, other students couldn't look past the fact that he was the popular athlete and she wasn't. Assuming that this friendship was from pity, or some long elaborate prank. And despite how strong Lilian was, it was slowly getting to her, where she began to distance herself from him. Everest was really good at flirting, and saying the right things to win the heart of people, but he wasn't so good at actually communicating what he felt, but he wanted to do whatever it took to mend their friendship. So, he picked her up after her speech and debate meeting and decided to treat her to some Whataburger that night. No one talked. It was awfully quiet. Until he was sitting in the parking lot where he decided to say matter of factly, "I think I'm into guys." The same bewilderment he felt when he first met her read across Lilian's face. She didn't even have the chance to question why Ev was telling her before he already answered for her. "I'm bringing this up because I trust you. I know the things that are being said, and you like to pretend to be fine, but I want you to know that you're my friend. So I'm telling you something that I would only tell someone I completely trust."

  From then on, it was just smooth sailing. Until what happened to him a week after he graduated. Unfortunately, because of that, he fell off the face of the Earth, and lost contact with Lilian. It wasn't until the call that he decided to send her a friend request on an old Facebook account of hers, unsure if she was even active on it. At least it would give him time to properly think of a way to apologize to her. But he was happy to see how successful of a life she seems to be having.

Name: ADRYAN RHODES Age: 31 Relation: His Old Roommate Last Contact: 7 Years Ago. (3 Months Ago)

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Why wouldn't I want to?"

  There were a lot of things that Everest wished he had a better understanding of, and Adryan was no exception. Even now, just like then, Everest just couldn’t seem to wrap his head around why a stranger that he just met would be willing to give him a fighting chance. His family, friends, and pride certainly didn't. 

  It was only a few months ago that Everest found himself relaxing in his family's mansion, a week away from his 18th birthday. He was babbling on about how excited he was to graduate high school so he could better focus on his racing career. Now, he sat defeated in a beaten down car in the middle of a gym's empty parking lot at night. 

  At this point, Everest didn't know what to do. He barely had any money to his name, and the only way he was surviving at this point was sleeping around so he could at least have a roof over his head that night before pocketing whatever food he could find as he left before they woke up. And unfortunately, he lacked everything to get hired at any job that he desperately needed at this point. However, he was getting tired of this demeaning song and dance, so with the little bit of money he had, he decided to pay for a membership at this 24 hour gym, so he could use the amenities they had to offer. 

  It was a lifesaver. 

  However, he didn't know how much of a blessing that gym was going to be. 

  That’s where he officially met Adryan. Everest has seen him plenty of times before that day, minding his own business while they both did their own thing. However, it has been some time that he hasn’t seen him at the usual machine. And although it did make Ev wonder about the other man, he didn’t have the privilege to focus on anybody else but himself. At least, that’s what he thought before Adryan startled him with a flier in his hand. “Looking for a roommate.” Everest was quick to reject it but the stranger was adamant on giving him the announcement before he left the gym, leaving Ev confused as to why he would give him someone’s notice. It wasn’t until he arrived at the address and realized that the place belonged to Adryan. “I kind of saw the situation that you were in and wanted to give you a hand.”

  Obviously, Everest didn’t want to take the hand-out. How could he? He didn’t have the money to take the room. But Adryan was so kind to Ev as he was assuring him that it would be fine. That he’d help him back on his feet. He wasn’t sure how long they had been discussing how practical this could be for the other man, but Ev would eventually agree to move-in that night. I mean, with how little he had, it was just a matter of moving the stuff from his car to the empty room. 

  Adryan was there every step of the way. He helped by pitching in to buy him a mattress and some new clothes before getting him a job as a busboy at the bar that he worked at. Ev just didn’t expect it to be at a gay club. What he knew about the other was that he was straight, and he didn’t give him a reason to think otherwise. The money was probably good. And he left it at that. 

  They would have the same shifts, so the two of them drove to work together. Taking turns in Adryan’s convertible and Everest’s shitty Honda Civic. It should have been embarrassing, but every time Ev drove, he glanced at Adryan enjoying the night, his hand out the window, swaying in the wind like every day was a gift regardless of what was going to happen. Even without speaking a word, the other managed to soothe him. 

  They practically spent most of their time together, but despite that Everest couldn’t say that he was tired of the other, and he liked to think that Adryan enjoyed his company just as much. However, he wasn’t brave to admit what he felt for him. All he could do was keep quiet in hopes that he didn’t ruin what he had and be tossed back out in the street. So it was his own insecurity that led Everest to act differently around him. 

  After a few weeks at the bar, Everest asked to become one of the dancers at the club in hopes to make more money for himself. And he got the position, but it was not as easy as he expected. Ev was confident in his body, and in himself, but as he got on top of that tiny stage in the sparkly briefs that he was made to wear, all that conviction was nowhere to be found. But guess who was the one who saved him once more? It wasn’t long into Adryan’s that the man decided to take his break just so he could help Everest in this moment of need. With a drink in his hand, and a bill in the other, Adryan danced through the crowd, making sure to get all the attention he could as he approached his roommate on that stage. Then, he placed his hand on Ev’s body without any hesitation before it began to feel his toned muscles and eventually hooked his fingers underneath the elastic so he could leave the dollar bill behind. 

  As the other patrons pushed past Adryan, curious by this new dancer, he retreated calmly before flashing a wink of good luck to Everest. From then on, Ev had become one of the most popular dancers at the club, raking in a crazy amount of money, and finding men who was willing to spoil him. Now, he was 20, and with all of the attention he’s received, the young man got lost, becoming content with this new life until Adryan dropped a wad of money on his lap. 

  “What’s this?”

  “My sponsorship.” Everest was confused. Ever since he started dancing, he was able to pay Adryan all of it back, and still have so much left over. So why was he giving him money? “I found out through the grapevine that you were some competitive racer. So this is what I’m putting in to get you back out there.” Was this his way of kicking him out? But before Everest could spiral, Adryan plopped himself on the bed, placing his hand on Ev’s knee. “I think you have so much more you have to show to the world, and I just don’t want you to get stuck here. That’s why I never wanted to give you a reason to stay,” Adryan said as his grip on Ev’s knee tightened. “I’ve liked you for some time now, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you to feel pressured to return the feeling just because I helped you. And now, I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t want to stop you from searching for what’s out there. I–” That’s when Adryan was cut off as Everest’s lips pressed against his, a kiss that the man returned without hesitation. 

  It was only one night that the two of them spent together, because they then went to pretend like nothing happened. Everest took Adryan’s advice and managed to get back out there, trying to find sponsors to foot the expensive price to compete. It took some time, but he managed to find a group of people interested enough, and he took the offer despite how much they lacked in capability. But anything to get back out there. After Ev told his roommate the good news, they celebrated, only for them to leave one another with a firm handshake. Choosing to go their separate ways.  

  Of course, like any sane person does, Everest stalked his page a few years later and came to find out that he had a girlfriend. And that they were engaged. After that he left him alone completely. That was until the call, where Ev decided to reconnect one more time by sending a private message only for him to read it promptly, and going MIA soon after.

Name: CELESTE LAMBERSON Age: 29 Relation: PR Girlfriend, Partner In Crime Last Contact: 3 Days Ago

  "What's in it for you?"

  "If all goes like I predict, a good time."

  It was soon after he returned to Formula 2 that he would bump into Celeste. Quite literally. That incident had all of her bodyguards all over him, which she promptly shook her hand to have them back off before offering a drink back in her suite as an apology. Everest knew vaguely about her. He was aware that she was the heiress of some disgustingly wealthy conglomerate, probably there for some business pr. And from this small interaction, he thought she was some sort of ditz. But when they both stepped into the room and the doors closed behind them, her act dropped like a heavy anchor. 

  “They’re just as insufferable for me to be around as they clearly were with you.” Celeste talked to him as if this was a natural for her, leaving Everest to still reel with everything that was going on. “And don’t worry we can skip the introductions, I’m sure you know who I am. And as surprising as it may sound, I know who you are.” The way she said that would have bruised even the strongest of egos, but for him, the fact that she knew who he was during a time where he was lost in obscurity felt like praise. 

  Before he could say anything though, the tall blonde woman came up to him and pressed a finger on his lips and passed him a flute of champagne. “I know you have questions. So let me explain,” she said confidently. “You’ve disappeared for almost three years and now that you have returned, you have partnered with quite possibly the least favorable team currently. So it’s no secret that everyone has forgotten you, or worse has just become bored of you. I, on the other hand, think you’re a strange phenomenon, and if I play your cards right, can shoot you beyond the stratosphere,” she said, her words strong with determination but her voice soft and feminine. “Shouldn’t be too hard with your past achievements, but most importantly your natural charms.”

  Everything she said left Everest enchanted, but after a brief moment, her statement raised another question that she either was expecting already, or had the supernatural ability to read his mind. “And no, I’m not trying to have you be affiliated with my family’s company. I don’t think it would be beneficial for either of us at the present moment. Just know that these men are playing chess, but I’m playing a game far beyond anyone’s capability.” Finally, she gave herself a moment to take a breath and enjoy the bubbly drink in her own glass. “And… I’ve caught whispers about what happened during your hiatus. It’s not pity what I feel, by the way,” she said, strangely assuring him. “I do believe you would be my most optimal partner, but knowing what I do does give me the resolve to help you, and in turn, help myself.”

  This was a woman that he just met, but somehow she knew everything about him. His past, his present, his future. And somehow, all of it made him feel safe? It was a strange feeling to have someone know you better than you knew yourself, but maybe Everest needed someone to take the wheel. At first, he thought their relationship was going to be strictly business, but they found each other becoming close. She would help him navigate through the politics of the upper echelon, while he offered her moments of respite. They were more alike than he initially expected. Although she’s never experienced the fall from grace that Everest had, she did understand the struggles of attempting to impress a father who felt like they loathed them. Or how people had more interest in their beauty and body rather than who they actually were. Which is why she explained to him that she wanted to weaponize Everest’s natural good looks, while making sure he was comfortable every time they did. It was fun conducting these schemes. It felt childish. Pretending to have public relationships, having falling outs, only to pretend to fix it. But people were eating it up, and they always had the last laugh. 

  However, as much as they planned for everything, there was one incident with one of industry’s higher ups that they couldn’t have expected. A shove. A slam of the door, followed by the sound of the lock closing behind them. A threat. An ultimatum. The rustling of clothes. Then it was over. Everest didn’t disclose the details. He probably never will. Not even to Celeste. However, she wasn’t stupid. She might have been one of the smartest people he knew at the time. So it was obvious to her that if a door closed too loudly, he would flinch. But he assured he was fine, that they still had a game to win. And after a while, everything went back to their perfect little world that they got to create until the fateful call. 

  Angry did not begin to describe what she felt when she called after a couple of days since he disappeared. However, he expected her to be mad about leaving their little partnership. Instead, she was mad that he didn’t take her to whatever little backwoods he decided to retreat to. Everest promised her that she might not like it here, but after being here a few months, the Aphrodite cabin would be perfect for her to stay. At least, it would be if he wasn’t afraid of her safety. Still, they talk everyday, even have come in contact a few times trying to catch up, which just becomes an interrogation of where he’s been. He's probably sure she can find the camp on her own.

[scarskelly]

Open The Introduction To Dragongate by Scar The Skelly [GOLD CLASS]

Gold Class is next!

Presentation Notes:

Kota Minoura

Feel like I should mention this because it's funny but Masaaki Mochizuki of Mochizuki Dojo (the literal leader and namesake of the unit) was like “do I have to? I don’t really wanna do this I don’t want to wrangle the kids…” and he was basically made to do it.

Does a ‘Golden Rose Exchange’ with one lucky fan. This involves swapping golden roses with a fan who has also brought one along, where they usually take a photo together to commemorate it.

Has nice breasts and he knows it.

May or may not be going bald in June, depending on how his hair vs hair match with Yamato goes.

Minorita

Funnily enough, Minorita is older than the guy he is a mini version of. He also won a singles belt in DG before Minoura.

When he won the Brave Gate, he was gifted a mini version of the title by the GM, so he would be able to run without the belt weighing him down. The same thing happened when he won the Triangle Gate, but unfortunately, his knee injury happened and he had to vacate the tiny belt.

While recovering Minorita, or more accurately his alternative universe counterpart Mino Rita became the backstage interviewer for the non-canon Prime Zone studio show.

Ben-K

Ben-K has had a great variety of looks over the years, mainly with changes in either his hair style or physique. He’s, for the most part, stuck to a similar haircut (with a couple exceptions, notably that time he looked like a k-pop idol and that time he went bald) but styles it differently, seemingly just going with whatever he likes the look of.

Most obviously however is his body, he can put on and drop weight rather quickly. Right now, he’s ripped and quite skinny, small enough to try for the Brave Gate championship. But during the Jason Lee saga of early 2022 for example, he was much larger.

Has a trio of iconic phrases: 「間違いねぇから！？」 (There’s no doubt!?), 「どうでしょうか！？」 (How about that!?), 「チキチキチキ…」 (chiki chiki chiki…).

Chiki chiki chiki is a beatboxing noise and the rap scene is where much of his inspiration stemmed from when he came out of his shell.

Yes, he’s holding a banana in his render…that’s Banana-K.

Owner of a Chihuahua.

I personally have a big soft spot for Ben-K (aka Benjamin K) and he’s my emotional support himbo.

BxB Hulk

Ikemen = handsome.

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Gonna break the rule and go off anon 😉

What is your ranking for your favourite Chris Evans movies/TV shows????

Niamh! do you know how hard this is.

Top ten-

Snowpiercer- Really is anyone surprised? I loved this film for how dirty, tragic, and beautiful it was, Curtis is my husband forever and ever. I love him.

Captain America Trilogy- Loved them all, especially The Winter Soldier. I have watched them so many times.

Puncture- God this movie was so tragic and Mike was such a mess but I still really enjoyed this movie and appreciated the issues this film covered.

Avengers Trilogy- comfort series for sure. I will never forget seeing Endgame in theaters, that scene still makes my heart race.

Defending Jacob- Loved Andy! So so much. Probably too much. It's not higher on the list because it's a tv show and tv shows are hard for me to watch cause it felt like such a long movie.

Gifted- Beautiful story and it always makes me tear up

Playing It Cool- This movie was messy but I loved it because of that. Even the storytelling was a mess.

Before We Go- Honestly simple and not exciting but it had some beautiful scenes in it and I was so proud of the work he did for this.

Knives Out- Ransom really was just a piece of the artwork of this film. Top Tier, I am so glad I got to see it in theaters.

Ghosted- Honestly, I thought this one was good, even for all the hate it got. Cole was a disaster and unreasonable at times, over dramatic, but I loved it. Also, I think he had better chemistry with Ana than some of his other female co-stars over the years.

Push- One of those films I saw right around the time it came out and I just liked it. If they just left out his love interest, it would have scored higher.

Losers- Just a fun movie! He should do more comedy.

The Red Sea Diving Resort- This film has so many mixed reviews but I did enjoy it beyond Chris being fucking beautiful in it.

The Gray Man- Fucking Lloyd man... I just loved that mustached prick more than I should have.

What's Your Number? This was a cute one and I absolutely adored him working with Anna. I wish they did more films together.

Fantastic Four 1 and 2- Johnny was a cutie and I had a little crush on him back in the day.

Streetkings- I have only seen this movie a couple times but always enjoyed the drama.

Sunshine- What a interesting Sci Fi. Only watched it once or twice, mostly in bits and pieces, and I find myself getting really frustrated every single time that no one just listened to James.

Lightyear- It was cute. It won't be one I watch regularly though, but cute.

Loss Of A Tear Drop Diamond- I wanted to throttle all of them, but I did love Jimmy in those suspenders and Chris trying his hardest at that accent.

The Nanny Diaries- Cute, but not really my kind of movie.

Cellular- HAHAHA I did love this back in the day, BUT rewatching it I forget that my standards for films has gotten higher and I do cringe. Especially with Jessica popping in, I just don't like her or Jason Statham all that much. William H Macy though... loved him. Lol.

TMNT- I loved this for him, but it wasn't MY TURTLES from the 80's and 90's, so yeah I was judgy.

Fierce People- everyone was just annoying in this movie. I kinda liked it, I kinda didn't. Depends on the day.

The Perfect Score- probably if I had watched this when it came out, I would have loved it. I only recently watched it a few years ago and had a very "just wait till you all start actual adulthood" frame of mind. Lol.

Not Another Teen Movie- My first ever introduction to Chris and I absolutely hated Jake although I admit I still laugh at his insulting jokes.

The Ice Man- So I will give Chris credit in his acting in this, I wouldn't have realized it was him except I mainly watched it to see his work in this. I can't say it was a great film, for me it felt slow. But I can see where others would like it for the true crime aspect of it.

Scott Pilgrim- His part was small but funny. I will never get over the eyebrows. Beyond that part, I didn't have an interest in the rest of the film.

Never Seen -

The Newcomer- no real interest.

London- Y'all really don't know the absolute dislike I have for Jessica Biel. She is the main reason I don't watch this film. Syd also sounds like an absolute prick and I would probably hate him with a passion. I know, I'm sure I am missing out on some great scenes, but... I just don't think I could listen to Jessica's character and Syd whine and carry on the whole movie.

The Battle for Terra- No real interest.

Or the few shows he was in as a kid.

So, how do we compare? I know you didn't ask for reasons, but I am in a writing slump and wanted to give something.

[kitsunescraft]

DSMP Equestrian AU Rambles [P 1]

Hi hello! I've been trying to make and plan a Dream SMP equine AU for months now, but I don't think it's ever going to get to a point I'll be able to write a full on story about it, so I thought I'd just post some notes and thoughts about the various characters and horses I have planned starting with the dream team. Okay yes here goes-

So the dynamics themselves don't really play out like the DSMP storyline. Everyone is usually very friendly, with some bantering and rivalries between people during competitions or casual rides.

Dream's older brother is DreamXD, who I've named Aegis. He owns and runs the stables, however Dream does still have authority of how things run since Aegis steps away for long periods of time to compete overseas. Drista also has some authority! But she doesn't take her duties very seriously. Honestly, she just likes causing as much mischief as possible knowing fully well she can get away with so much stuff

Aegis, Dream, and Drista all own horses who are related to one another in some kind of way. Aegis and Dream got horses from the same sire and dam, while Drista got a horse from the same sire but different dam. Drista and Aegis' horses hate each other, but Spirit tolerates Aegis' horse to a little bit of a degree. Let's just say he's very nosy.

Aegis' horse is a buckskin gelding who has escaped his stall more times than Dream can reasonably count. They always find him in the weirdest of places in the morning and at this point Fundy is convinced he's not a horse. Drista's horse is a grey stallion! She likes to braid a small chunk of his mane and tail and spoils him with treats. He's usually very well behaved and stands well under saddle, but will try and kick the living daylights out of Aegis' horse (He almost kicked him and the two agreed never again). Drista thinks it's funny. Aegis does dressage and Drista does Cross Country

Dream owns a dominant white mare named Spirit! She's a retired show jumper after an accident they had, but the two of them still like to compete sometimes. Dream was the one who convinced Aegis to start up the stables in the first place, wanting to create a safe community where rookies to the equestrian world could have a safe and fun community to fall back on while they find their footing. He also likes to braid her mane, and Dream finds it cute when he and Drista's horses match

Sapnap is a western rider with his seal bay stallion named Mars! They mainly do reining, however Sapnap helps to train some of the new horses that come into the stables. He, Quackity, and Karl hit it off together quickly, and it's safe to say Sapnap is no longer allowed in the hayloft after what happened last time. Sapnap used to ride at a different stable, but moved to Esempii after Dream extended an invitation to him

George is a dressage rider who owns a dunalino overo stallion named Beckerson! He became an equestrian because Dream and Sapnap were really into the community and he wanted to spend more time with them. Thus cue the journey of him getting Beckerson and Dream and Sapnap helping him learn about horse ownership for the first two years. Thankfully Beckerson is very well bred and has an awesome temperament, which made his introduction to everything a little more smooth. George rides Dressage, but he doesn't mind a little bit of show jumping sometimes

I'll be adding a lot of more information later (and maybe some art I've done of the horses-)

I'm really excited to finally share this AU with everyone, so thanks for reading this far haha

[fluffansmut-old]

They seem a bit... queer?

A/N So I´m begining this new year by starting a 10 chapter long series, It´s centered around the fruity four, mostly Ronance and Steddie, but you know they´re room-mates and may like platonically kiss each other on the forehead and so on. (This fact also makes their relationship constellation harder for people to figure out, which is funny.  I would like to describe the series as “what if the fruity four starred in a late 80´s sitcom?”

The plan it’s a weekly upload schedule, I´m thinking fridays. In between I will of course keep up my reader-insert fics, and the requests I get. (Send me some!!)

The short fic below is a small (the actually chapters will be longer, and more like a proper fic) teaser, and like an introduction to the series.  

Summary: Gossip travels fast back home, and new neighbours notice more than one would think. 

Content warnings: Gossip, time-typical homophobia. usage of slur for lesbian.

The series will be posted on Ao3 aswell 

Masterlist of all my work - masterlist of the series

Have you heard?

The gossipers of Hawkins had a field day as the rumors of the four former residents spread through town like wildfire. 

“Have you seen Nancy Wheeler since graduation?” 

“Not really, why?”

”my cousin’s boyfriend saw her the other day and apparently she’s a dyke now. He apparently saw her kissing with some girl, he couldn’t really see who though.” 

                                           _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“My daughter is in the same grade as the middle wheeler kid and she said that she heard that Nancy apparently got back together with the Harrington boy, and they’re apparently serious, like they live together-serious”

“But doesn’t he date that blonde girl? Like have you seen them separately since like 85?”

                                         _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ Maisy Ferell told me that she hear from her sister that works with Mrs. Buckley, that her daughter shares an apartment with some other kids now in Boston, and apparently one of em is that Munson boy.” 

“The murderer? Are you serious?” 

“To be fair, he never was convicted, but I get where you're coming from.”

“He doesn’t deserve fairness. She’s not dating him, do you think?” 

“Not sure, I mean I wouldn’t put it past her… she were always a disappointment to them, that child.” 

                                          _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In Boston where indeed the quadruple was sharing a flat, the rumors weren’t as wild, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t beginning to spark. 

“Have you met the new neighbours yet? The ones that just moved in on the third floor?” 

“Yeah, I ran into the couple, they seemed really nice.” 

“Nice? Then I don’t think we´re thinking of the same neighbours, the seemed odd to me.”

“I’m talking about that couple from Indiana, the woman who just enrolled at Emersons and her boyfriend, the one who I caught checking out his own hair in the elevator mirror. The ones that had friends with them when they moved in, that girl who you could hear all through the stairwell because she never shut her mouth, and that lanky boy who were in desperate need of a haircut”

“Oh you don’t know … well honey, I believe they all live there together.”

“Wait, what are you saying?”

“Yeah you heard correctly, and that boyfriend.. I'm pretty sure I just saw him peck the long haired, lanky boy ON THE LIPS before they shut the door and he left.” 

“Are you sure that you just didn’t see wrong honey?” 

“Nah, I am not sure about them… They seem a bit queer to me.”

Truth to be told they were queer, all in their own way. Not that that gave their new neighbours any right to gossip about them.

 The young adults in the apartment two stairs up share everything from clothes and morning coffee to intimacy and trauma together, and not a single soul would ever understand all of it, even if they tried. So that people talked didn't bother them too much. 

In reality it was quite fun, watching them trying to figure out what was right. 

____________________________________________________________________

Residence 

Nancy Wheeler, 

age 19

Occupation:

Enrolled student at Emerson Collage

Relationship status:

 partner - Robin Buckley.

Steve Harrington, 

Age 20

Occupation: sales associate at the book bin.

Relationship status: 

partner- Edward Munson

Robin Buckley

Age 19

Occupation: sales associate at the book bin.

Relationship status: 

partner - Nancy Wheeler.

Edward Eddie Munson

Age 21 

Occupation: 

Struggling Musician 

Relationship status: 

Partner - Steve Harrington.

[leojurand]

house of niccolò reread rambling thoughts: niccolò rising edition (part 2)

70% into the reread so i have a couple more thoughts about this book!

(which i'm enjoying a lot but man, if this were one of my favourites i would have a thousand things to say at this point... but we'll get to that eventually (in book 3))

2.1: the introduction of THEE dunnett fmc

this part of the story is mostly focused on bruges and nicholas's relationship with the charetty business and specifically marian. tobie and julius completely disappear, which is a shame! i really like tobie's role in the story; he's a great supporting character for nicholas. and i love julius, somehow! following him now, after finishing the series and knowing, is so much more interesting too.

but anyway, the character we get to know in this part is gelis!! marvelous gelis. she's such a funny teenage girl. i completely forgot her first scene with nicholas is them skating together and nicholas imitating people and telling her jokes... no wonder she was obsessed with him after lol. the funny part though is gelis interrogating nicholas's lovers after to know how he's in bed 😭 what a menace.

after rereading her scenes in this book i really don't get the review calling her a philippa knock-off? their roles are completely different and, no offense, but gelis has an actual personality lol because she has more than one scene!

my favourite part is her confrontation with nicholas in chapter 29, for many reasons. i love that nicholas comes out swinging, because he doesn't do that with anyone else! he always tries to tell people what they want to hear, and he turns up the charm. he did that with gelis too, at first. now it's almost like he thinks she's too smart to fall for it. there's also this:

“Now stop poking into my affairs and remember that I can hurt your sister a lot more than you can hurt me.”

★ gelis will remember that

2.2: it's a lovely morning in bruges and you're a horrible claes

one of my favourite things about this book as an introduction to the series, and especially as an introduction to nicholas de fleury, is that we get to see claes living his life in bruges, like a normal boy. we learn about his pranks but we also see them, we see what his neighbours think about him. we see him hang out with his friends, who aren't very good friends, unsurprisingly. i was happy to notice sersanders, who has a small role in to lie with lions, actually being nice to nicholas. he defends claes when felix is unfair to him; he helps claes take off his ice skates; it's sweet!

and it's little details like this that make nicholas feel very real to me. like he had a life before the series started, and not just a backstory for the readers to wonder about, but an actual life. it's very good! compare that to lymond in the game of kings. we don't see his day to day, we don't know how his life looked like in scotland. which makes perfect sense, but it creates distance between lymond and the reader, i think. nicholas feels more like a friend.

(something similar happens with gemini vs checkmate, i think, because in gemini we get little scenes that show the de fleurys' life and their bond as a family and it's beautiful. we don't get that in checkmate because everything is a mess lol and i think that's a shame)

tl;dr: i love getting to see nicholas being a normal boy being a menace in bruges, i think it humanizes him a lot, which is very important because of everything he's going to do in the future.

i probably could say more about what i've read so far but this is, once more, so long... so i'll just talk about whatever i forgot to mention here in the last part, when i finish :)

[loveyouteww]

I’m going to keep writing since it’s helping the mood. :)

Well to kinda introduce myself but to still keep it low key, I’m a college student… not just a college student but a BLACK college student! Who also attends a HBCU in the south… hehe! My major is in Criminal Justice. I hope to be a future attorney! On the side, I like to act (as you can already tell I’m very dramatic).

I kinda been lost a bit in my craft and haven’t been able to properly write a good story in I don’t know how long. However, I do love the art of writing and performing! So hopefully one day I do get back into it.

See the thing with writing is, you need your introduction: who is the protagonist? what is the setting of this story? is this story based on romance, comedy, or fantasy? what are we walking into?

then you need a body: what is the relationship the connection that the protagonist have with other people? what is the conflict? how do we piece together this 1000 piece puzzle?

and finally, the END: what did we learn or experience from this story? did this story leave an impact or a rotten taste? why was this book necessary?

See for me, this is understandable, but in terms of actually writing… it’s where I definitely get lost!

See, I’m great at introductions in a story. Going through the setting, introducing the characters and kinda reeling the reader in for the adventure.

The problem is the adventure. I always stumble towards the middle of a story. I always try to quickly find a solution or come up with something so outrageous that will knock the reader out of the park. Or, I just stumble against my own words and get this beautiful thing called, “writer’s block” (🌚).

I always find this funny, because it really reflects my own life I suppose.

Great at introduction but I always fumble in the middle of a story.

Cheesy? I know, BUT true.

I always find myself rushing into everything I do or wanting things to be so extravagant that people will say, “man, I wish I was like that.”

(I’m rambling.)

I get bored very quickly, so I guess that’s why I always hurry and get things done. I guess I can compare it to going for the biggest present first on Christmas Day instead of starting off small to save for the big surprise.

(Ironically, I don’t do this actually.)

But, regardless! I use that example to say, it kinda spoils the moment once you’ve already gotten into the biggest present instead of waiting and taking little baby steps.

I guess I do this because life is already short and I figure why not go for it? Or maybe because I was such a late bloomer that I just want to go for everything I missed out during my teenage years.

(Except for teen pregnancy, thank GOD I beat that!)

And plus, I’m a college girl, I’ll never get these experiences again! Considering I’ll be working my dented duke off to make sure I’m successful and enjoying the fruits of my labor!

Again, I’m rambling…

But I just say this to say, I always wonder why I never take things slow, even in my studies. I always find myself procrastinating on purpose because I like to finish work quickly at the last minute.

When I could’ve slowly worked on the project from the moment it dropped.

I guess that’s why me and writing have fallen apart so badly.

I never have patience for my art. I don’t even have patience for myself.

Always rushing, never enjoying the moment.

I do hope that one day, I can get back into the groove of things. I know I say life is short, but a little extra time won’t hurt. (Hehe). Well, I’ve dry spilled all I had left.

Do what you will with this entry!

💋