#it’s actually kinda hard to think of my top five but I love rap

[princekaiofstars]

“when you get this, list 5 songs you like to listen to, publish. then, send this ask to the last 10 people in your notifs (positivity is cool!!)”. I got the ask.

My Top 5 Songs

• Still in the paint- Denzel Curry

• Superhero (Heros and Villains)- Metro Boomin

• Parade- Paprika OST

• Annihilate- Swae Lee, ft. Metro, Lil Wayne, Future

•Love Story- Indiia

~~~~A Bonus 5~~~~

• Iris- The GooGoo Dolls

• After Dark- Mr.Kitty

• Chemtrails over the Country Club- Lana Del Rey

• Agora Hills- Doja Cat

• Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears for Fears

Plus I’m always open to new song recommendations and suggestions. I love music and I tag all of y’all lol.

[gerogerigaogaigar]

OutKast - Stankonia

This is OutKast at their most stylistically varied. At times they hit the G-funk so hard that they sound almost exactly like P-funk, and at others they are experimenting with drum and bass instrumentals, and yet other tracks see them integrating guitar riffs. OutKast, and Andre 3000 in particular, are always balancing creativity with corniness and Stankonia has the best balance. Plus the hooks are unbelievably catchy. You will have Gasoline Dreams, Ms. Jackson, So Fresh So Clean, I'll Call Before I Come, B.O.B., or maybe We Luv Deez Hoez stuck in your head after listening to this album.

Steely Dan - Aja

This is one of the most meticulously produced albums of all time. You don't even need $1k headphones to hear it. The balance is perfect, every instrument in its right place, crisp and clear. The vocals rise to the top but never overtake the piano or horns, the drums are crisp and punchy yet never overtake the mix. Even if the music sucked ass I would still praise the production. Thankfully the music is also teally good. Steely Dan have perfected their crisp and sleazy brand of lightly funky jazz rock. In typical Steely Dan fashion the songs can mostly be described as 'about some guy or girl'. There's one weird caveat that has nothing to do with Steely Dan but the song Peg is ruined for me because, as big of a Steely Dan fan as I am, I'm an even bigger De La Soul fan so Peg is forever the sample from Eye Know for me. If you don't have the same brain worms as me this shouldn't be a problem.

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction

I don't hate this album, I actually like it, but I do hate Rolling Stones' attitude towards metal. I can think of like five better metal albums from 1987 that they could shove in here, but no it is only the shit that's most palatable to dadrock audiences. Napalm Death - Scum, Laibach - Opus Dei, Mayhem - Deathcrush, Anthrax - Among The Living, Death - Scream Bloody Gore, King Diamond - Abigail. There that's six, none of them sound at all similar and they are all better than Appetite For Destruction. Sure I could do a real review for this album, but why? What could I say that hasn't been said? That Slash only jas one guitar solo in him that he reuses every song? Old news. That their whole aesthetic is corny as fuck(derogatory)? That their whole aesthetic is corny as fuck(affectionate)? Nothing I say here matters. I do like Nightrain tho. That song kinda goes.

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full

The dynamic duo of 80s hip hop. Rakim was one of the best rappers of the 80s and Eric B. serves as a reminder that hip hop is more than just rapping. In fact Eric B.'s turntablism skills are more often the centerpiece than the rapping such as in Eric B. Is President or the instrumental tracks Eric B. Is On The Cut, Chinese Arithmetic, and Extended Beat. Although Rakim is no slouch and his dedication to internal rhyme schemes influenced a generation of lyrical miracles who would crash and burn trying to live up to Rakim's skill level.

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

Astral Weeks is jazz pop with folk rock sensibilities. It features lengthy songs with a jazz band backing, but a lot of the instrumentals are also very folk influenced and the production feels more pastoral than jazzy. It's a hazy dreamlike mix of sounds that is fun and delightful to listen to, although I'm a little surprised at how high on the list it is. I'm confused and concerned that we have gotten two Van Morrison albums and zero Tim Buckley's.

Stevie Wonder - Talking Book

Throughout the 60s Stevie Wonder went from child prodigy to teen hit machine and when the 70s began is when he finally entered his 'classic era'. Talking Book was his 15th record but it spawned the biggest hit of his career, Superstition. Talking Book also sees Stevie Wonder evolving as a lyricist. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life expresses a very pure, innocent love that sits a bit outside of how Motown love songs were usually written and Big Brother is the start of Wonder's blunt, serious political songs with upbeat melodies. A landmark album in the funk and soul scene and the start of an era where no one else was allowed to win Grammys

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Oh here come the very cool tough hard rock boys singing about Tolkein again. Fucking nerds. What is that a mandolin? Lol. This album is so fucking good.

The Band - s/t

Oof, I'm conflicted. On one hand this is an amazing album, on the other it isn't better than Music From The Big Pink. The Band nail a sense of Americana here, especially on The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Up On Cripple Creek, but where Big Pink is a fantastic whole album this one is just a very good collection of songs. Swap their places and I have no complaints.

Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville

You have no idea how happy I am to see this album here, let alone at such a high place on the list. Exile In Guyville is one of the most perfect pieces of lo fi indie rock ever made. Liz Phair hits a unique place between the grunge and indie scenes without ever feeling like she's trying for anything other than sincerity. The sparse instrumentation makes it so every note is important and every emotion is laid bare. The rawness of emotion is essential when she's navigating the nuance of different kinds of disappointed and dispassionate. Liz Phair comes off as deeply cynical about men, but also very horny. I respect that. She roasts handsome confident men and then sings longingly about pathetic weirdos. I really couldn't relate more. This album above all others really makes me feel like I could, should make an album myself. The raw production, the simple short songs, the simple but honest lyrics. Exile In Guyville is one of the greatest indie albums of all time.

[veliseraptor]

top five animals (hard mode: you are only allowed one kind of seal)

wow!!! rude (not actually I do like a challenge and there are in fact many animals I love very much). complete with pictures because. pictures of animals, you know

1. Harbor seals.

I almost went with leopard seals, because I really do love an enormous Antarctic penguin-eating apex predator, but ultimately I feel like harbor seals have a special place in my heart because they’re...home. They’re the seals I saw popping up out of the water off the coast growing up, or swimming next to the ferry dock, or coming up to inspect my kayak. They’re the ones that sometimes swim along with my mom and her open water swimming group. They’re familiar and known and also curious and playful and I just. I wish I was a seal sometimes. I wish I was a harbor seal, sort of. I’d probably get eaten by an orca but, you know, seems like it’d be a nice life up to that point.

2. Cassowaries.

The first time I saw a cassowary I was like “oh there’s the bird that looks like a dinosaur” and that’s still true but also they’re just...fuckin spectacular? Those colors! Those talons! They’re big and kinda weird looking and I want to see one in real life but preferably not too close. Apparently they don’t live well in zoos, though, so I’m pretty unlikely to get my wish on this one.

3. Vultures.

This feels kind of like cheating because I’m not choosing one specific type of vulture but look, all vultures are valid and there’s room in my heart for all of them so I’m going to stay general here even though I’m getting specific everywhere else. My appreciation for vultures has only grown over the years. Most recently at the Oregon Zoo I got to watch a couple of California Condors (not technically vultures, probably, shhh) ripping into a carcass and it was pretty great.

They’re just very cool birds and also get a bad rap so I feel like I’ve gotta make up for it by loving them harder.

4 Grey wolves.

I fell in love with wolves way back in elementary school and never fell out. I mean, me and all canids = love pretty much, but wolves have a special place for me.

I remember going to Yellowstone National Park when I was a kid, at maybe the apex of my wolf phase, and standing out around sunset waiting, waiting to see if the wolves would show up...and just hearing the howling, a long ways off, and just about losing my mind.

I feel like if there’d actually been one visible I would’ve just straight up fainted, probably. Baby Lise just flat on the ground out cold. Excitement overload. Seems likely.

5. Garter snake.

I feel like when I’ve been asked this question before I’ve probably gone with a different snake, most likely a ball python, but this time around...yeah, I’m going with the common garter snake for some of the same reasons as harbor seals. Just thinking about the friends I saw slithering through the garden, or just off the side of trails, or darting across the path so all I’d catch would be a flash of motion before it was gone. “Rescuing” a garter snake from the neighbor’s cat. I just have a deep and abiding fondness of them in the way that I do specifically for animals that, while they may not be the most exciting, evoke a feeling of familiarity. Oh, yes, you! I know you.

It’s a good feeling.

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Just a Thought Away | Owen Patrick Joyner

Request:  Could you do a soulmate au with Charlie or Owen, whichever you're more comfortable with, where they can hear each other's thoughts or the music they listen to?

A/N: Made it an Owen one shot since I don’t have many requests for Owen! Hope this is what you expected and you like it! :) 

Pairing: Owen Joyner x Fem!reader

Warnings: Very minor swearing 

Words: 4,175

Another note: Anything in bold and italics is a thought! 

Songs used: Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

Growing up, Y/N’s mother told her these stories about soulmates and how every person on this earth would be assigned a soulmate by their guardian angel at 16. People would be able to hear their thoughts and the songs they were listening to or singing would be playing in their head as though it was just stuck in their head.  Of course, as a child, Y/N used to believe her every word and would be clinging to those words. She’d fantasize about her soulmate and where she’d meet them or what music they’d be into. She’d keep her eyes on every person in Middle School and even High School, trying to see if she could just find them. Not like there would be any physical notabilities, but she liked fantasizing about it.  By the time Y/N turned 16, she had almost forgotten about the whole soulmate thing. Her birthday was months ago and nothing ever happened. She never heard a song play in her head she didn’t know or hadn’t had any thoughts that didn’t belong to her. She was pretty certain all of those soulmate stories her mother told her were fake.  Until July 19th 2016. That’s when she first starts noticing some things. To start off the day, the song ‘Happy Birthday’ is stuck in her mind and it’s not even her birthday or anyone else’s in the family or friend group that could’ve provided that song in her head.  During the afternoon of that day, Y/N suddenly hears a humming in her mind that quickly changes into a full-on made-up song that no one close to her would ever sing.  “Mmh, Cake, cake, I like cake Cake, cake, I like cake.” She can’t help but laugh, though. She’d been studying for many hours without taking a break, it’s starting to mess with her brain a little. Y/N’s teachers have been giving so much work lately, she’s nearly drowning in it and it’s far from done. Sophomore year is possibly one of the hardest, in her opinion, and having the need to maintain a social life really doesn’t help with that. She hasn’t been to a party for weeks. She’s starting to crave human contact and dancing and having fun with friends and not sleeping until the sun rises.  Though that last part sounds very appealing when you’re at a party, it doesn’t when you’re in bed and trying to sleep. She’s woken up by loud music thumping in her ears. It sounds almost as though the neighbors are having a party next door, but when she gets up and walks outside the house, she realizes the house next door is completely dark. There’s no movement whatsoever. She must’ve hallucinated, but then why is she still hearing this loud music?  That’s when it dawned on her that the soulmate stories her mother used to tell are real. As a matter of fact, the songs she’d been hearing all day long were the songs her soulmate was listening to or singing. It must’ve been their 16th birthday, which they are now celebrating at a party. She always thought it’d be more fun and romantic to have a soulmate and hear them sing and think, but it’s actually pretty annoying. And it’s only the first day. This is going to be fun. 

“Morning, sweetie,” Y/N’s mother greets when she stumbles into the kitchen the next morning. She hasn’t slept one bit. Her soulmate has been partying all night and only got home by 6am, which was two hours ago. “Oh, you look rough! Are you feeling okay?” “I haven’t slept all night because my stupid soulmate was out partying all night.” Her eyes widen at this, as does her smile. “They turned 16 yesterday, so I guess that’s why I never heard anything yet on my birthday.” “Oh, yeah! You both need to be 16 before the whole soulmate-thing starts to work,” she informs her daughter and hands a cup of fresh, steaming-hot coffee. “Do you know anything about them yet?” She shakes her head before taking a careful sip from the goddess liquid --as she and her siblings call it. “No, I kinda thought it was my brain hallucinating from studying so much, so I couldn’t really think of a way to converse with them.” Her head snaps up as an idea crosses her mind. “How do you converse with your soulmate, mom?” She shoots her a tender, relieved smile, happy she can finally properly inform Y/N about it instead of those folklore stories. “You just think what you wanna ask them and they hear it,” she replies. “So, if I let my inside voice just yell ‘shut up!’, they’ll hear too?” Her mother chuckles, nodding her head in response. “Good! I ought to try that whenever they’re singing about their cake again.” Her mother laughs at that before leaving her in the kitchen, so she can get ready for work. Her soulmate is seemingly still asleep, which she would’ve been too if it wasn’t for work. Y/N works at a coffee shop on the weekends, just to get some experience and earn a little bit of money for her shopping addiction. Maybe right now would be a perfect moment to avenge her soulmate for keeping her up all night last night. So, while getting ready, she puts on some music on her laptop. With the volume on maximum, she starts belting the One Direction song along at the top of her lungs. “You and me got a whole lotta history!” It takes a while before a loud ‘SHUT UP!’ echoes through her mind. A teasing smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she stops singing. “That’s what you get for keeping me up all night, sweetie” she thinks, hoping it’ll come through. For a moment, she thinks it might not work like that until a boy’s voice floats through her brain. “Who’s this?” She chuckles, pausing the music and taking a seat at her desk. “Y/N Y/L/N. Ever heard of those soulmate folklore stories?” She starts doing her make-up whilst waiting for his response. “Yea, my father used to tell me those. I thought they were fairy tales?” “So did I. Turns out they’re real!” This feels so weird. “You just turned 16, right?” “Yeah, yesterday! How’d you know?!” he asks, and it makes her realize he might not be the brightest tool in the shed. “Because I turned 16 in January and I didn’t hear anything until yesterday…” A silence falls over the conversation. Either it’s not working anymore or he’s digesting all this information. “You heard me singing to my cake, didn’t you?” he finally asks instead, and Y/N can even hear him chuckle. “Yep! I thought I was hallucinating because I was studying so hard,” she lets out a chuckle too. “Happy belated birthday, by the way.” “Oh, thanks! I’m Owen, by the way. Owen Joyner.” She has heard that name before, but she’s got no clue where, though. Making a mental note to Google it later, she grabs the mascara and adds the finishing touches to her makeup. “Nice to meet you, Owen. I gotta get going though. Have to be at work in about…” She glances at the clock on her wall, her eyes widening when she sees the time. “Five minutes. See ya! Or… Hear ya?!” She hears Owen chuckle in her mind. “Yeah, I’ll hear ya,” he says, then a yawn-like sound buzzes through her, giving her the urge to yawn too. “Sorry for waking you up,” she quickly adds before running out of the house. Her mind’s going over a million excuses as to why she would be late to work, but none of them sound quite plausible. Especially not the truth. “Go with ‘the neighbors had a party last night and I overslept’-excuse, Y/N,” she hears Owen’s voice again, “Now stop thinking, I wanna sleep!” She chuckles, shaking her head. “Thanks, Owen. And I wanna sleep too, but I can’t, now can I? Me awake means you awake. Deal with it.” She can even hear a disgruntled groan, meaning he’s probably getting up because her thoughts won’t stop running through his mind. That night, she figures out he's the Owen Joyner, aka Crispo Powers from “100 things to do before High School”, a TV-show she’d watched almost daily in the last two years. She asks him about that too, and he explains the whole auditioning and filming process and how much fun it was for a first acting gig. He asks about her life too, and the two of them bond over thoughts. This whole soulmate-thing is still very whack. But, to be completely honest, she kind of loves it. It’s like having an angel on your shoulder, telling you what the best option for your dilemma is. Though, most times, Owen is more likely the devil. Which is what Y/N needs most times. The most fun thing about this whole Soulmate-connection thing, have to be the dance parties the two of them hold at night, unless she has to get to work the following day and Owen won’t stop singing at the top of his lungs. One night, he was singing Pump It by the Black Eyed Piece at 3am. She’d groaned at first, hoping that’ll subtly tell him to shut up, but it didn’t work at all. He just kept rapping the verses, keeping Y/N awake and annoyed. “Come on, baby, do it” She decides to finally give in, knowing he’s not going to stop until she starts singing along. So, she sits up straight in her bed, and belts the lyrics at the very top of her lungs, not even caring about anyone in the house hearing. “La-da-di-dup-dup die dy On the stereo Let those speakers blow your mind” “Blow my mind, baby” She chuckles at his interruption. “To let it go, let it go Here we go La-da-di-dup-dup die dy” “C'mon, we're there” “On the radio The system is gonna feel so fine” He stops singing then and a silence falls over the both of them. Y/N can’t lie, in the past couple of years as she’d grown closer to him, spending every waking -- and sleeping -- moment together, she’d started developing some feelings for Owen Patrick Joyner too. It’s ridiculous because she’d never seen him in real life. She knows everything about him and she knows what he looks like, but she doesn’t know what his hugs feel like, or what his cologne smells like. “You’re a great singer, Y/N,” he finally breaks the silence, “I’m gonna let you sleep now, kay? Good night, baby girl.” Of all the pet names he’d given her so far, Baby Girl, Princess and Gorgeous were her favorites. All of them with a platonic tendency, though, much to her dismay. “Good night, O-bear,” she whispers back before tucking herself into bed again. Then finally, in 2019, Owen and a couple of people from the cast and crew of Julie and The Phantoms, his latest project Y/N was most excited about, decided to make a trip to New York City, her hometown. To say she’s excited would be the understatement of the year. She’d finally be able to hug him and talk to him properly and show him around her hometown and get to know the rest of the cast she’d heard so much about. But among the excitement also hides a little bit of nerves. After years of talking to him by just thinking, she’d finally see him in real life. What if things get awkward? What if it’s not what she expects? What if he’s only so beautiful in her mind? Y/N is walking around the coffee shop, wiping down tables and jumping up every time a new customer enters, thinking it’s Owen. He knows where she works on the weekends, and promised to find her there the minute he’d gotten settled in his hotelroom. “Ooh, pretty girl over there.” Her stomach churns as she hears his thoughts. He forgets about the whole soulmate-connection thing sometimes and just lets it out unfiltered. She knows he doesn’t like her the same way she likes him, and he’s allowed to look at other girls and think they’re pretty, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. “All around the world pretty girls,” he sings the famous Britney Song. “Mostly at coffee shops, yeah I’m talking about  you, pretty girl.”  A soft rap on the window next to Y/N makes her snap out of her focus on Owen’s voice. When she looks up, there’s a tall, blonde man waving at her through the glass with the biggest smile on his face. A flutter erupts in her stomach whilst her mouth involuntarily curls up into the widest smile she’d ever managed. She gestures at him to come in and hastily makes her way to the door herself. The second he walks inside, she launches herself into his arms. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, she holds him tight and inhales the smell of his cologne. He smells of the most divine combination of spearmint and musk. Just as she’d imagined him smelling like. “I can’t believe this,” she hears him think, which makes her chuckle. “You know you can actually talk to me right now, right?” she tells him, pulling away slightly so she can look at his face. There’s a slight stubble growing on his cheeks and chin, and his eyes look even prettier in real life than on a phone screen. “Right, yeah,” he chuckles, Y/N’s new favorite sound in the world. “Old habits die hard.” She smiles down at him whilst the two of them just stare at each other, basking in the fact they’re finally meeting. “She’s even prettier up close.” YN/ blushes at the compliment, and combes her fingers through his hair. “Oh, fuck, you heard that. Sorry!” “It’s cool. You’re pretty up close too.” This makes him chuckle. The whole thing is still bat-shit crazy. Both of them have gotten weird commentary whenever they told friends and family how they communicate with their soulmate. Most people just start texting and calling when they find their soulmate, but they didn’t. This whole new way of conversing was way too much fun, though a little annoying at times. And especially now that they’re in the same place together, it’s even more fun because no one else knows they’re talking to each other. A soft cough behind Owen causes Y/N to snap back into reality. Peeking behind the boy’s head, there are three other guys, staring at the scene with wide smiles playing at their lips. Two of them are about the same age as them, but the other one is older. Older but very, very famous. Y/N herself is a big fan of his work. The legend, Kenny Ortega himself. “You might wanna introduce me to your friends over there,” she tells her best friend. Owen takes a quick peek behind him, realizing he’d forgotten about his friends that had come along with him to meet the infamous Y/N. He puts the girl down on her feet again before turning to the three men. “Guys, this is Y/N Y/L/N. Gorgeous, these are Jeremy, Charlie, and Kenny.” He points to each of them when their respective names are called. Y/N offers them a wave and smile, not sure if she should go straight in for the hug like she’d done with Owen. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Y/N,” says Kenny as he opens his arms and embraces the girl. Said girl is now completely starstruck in a way she’d never been before, and she’d met a few of her favorite actors or artists. None of them made her feel this way. “You too, Kenny,” she manages to bring out when they pull apart, “Big fan of your work!” All she’s hoping right now is that she doesn’t sound too creepy. “You’re all good, Princess. Breathe.” Owen’s voice calms her down just in time for Charlie to engulf her into a hug too, and then Jeremy does the same. “Why don’t you guys take a seat, and I’ll make you some coffee before I’m off for today?” she suggests, and after hums of assent, the girl takes their orders and gets back to work. “There you go,” she mumbles as she places the coffees on the table and then distributes them correctly before sliding into the booth next to Owen. “So, what are your plans for today?” she asks. “Just some touristy bits,” Charlie replies with a shrug, “Any recommendations for us?” Y/N thinks about it for a while, knowing Owen can hear her thoughts. “Why don’t you come along?” Owen’s voice echoes through your brain. “Why don’t I take you guys around to the best spots no tourist will ever find?” she suggests, earning a thankful smile from Owen. “I think I knew a few places I could take you to?” All three other men agree to your suggestion. So, after you all finish your coffees and you’ve given them your employer’s discount, the five of you leave the coffee shop and hit the streets of New York City. “This is where I proposed to Care!” Jeremy exclaims excitedly as you’re sharing a couple stories from your childhood in Central Park. The guys have told a little more about their own lives, too, so Y/N felt comfortable enough to talk so freely and unfiltered about her own childhood, not noticing the way Owen melts at how adorable she looks being so excited about her childhood memories. “Re-enact it, Jer!” Owen exclaims excitedly as he scurries away from Y/N’s side and jumps down the small flight of stairs in one swift hop. Jeremy follows his best buddy and kneels down in front of him as if really proposing. Y/N takes her phone out of her back pocket and snaps a picture of the beautiful scene, giggling as she does, along with Kenny and Charlie. “The cutest couple!” the girl compliments, jamming her phone back into her pocket. “When’s the wedding?” Kenny adds, his laugh thundering. Owen lets out an airy laugh while Jeremy gets up again, the two of them rejoining the rest of the group. Y/N just knows this day will forever be the best day of her life. She just knows it’s going to be her favorite day ever for so many reasons; the laughs, the jokes, the friendship that’s building between all five of you, but mostly Owen. That night, Y/N goes back to the hotel with them too as Owen had asked her to hang out a little while longer and watch some movies with him. He’d asked the others too, but they were ‘too tired’. That’s an excuse Y/N could see from a mile away. They just wanted to give the two of them some quality time, which she appreciated very much. “I had the best day,Bubba,” she mumbles as she snuggles closer to him. She has her head on his chest whilst his arm is draped around her shoulders. It almost feels as though they’ve been doing this for years. “Me too, Baby Girl. Thanks for showing us around.” He presses a kiss to her hair, inhaling the luscious scent of peach, and deciding that’s his new favorite scent from now on. “Sucks we’re leaving tomorrow night,” he mumbles sadly. “Yeah… I know…” The words come out of her mouth in a whisper. “Wonder when we’ll see each other again.” She’d forgotten for a split second about him being able to hear her thoughts until he answers the half-statement with another question. “Will you come visit Norman Oklahoma soon?” She looks up at him, her nose grazing his stubbled chin, causing him to look down. “I really don’t wanna go another three years without seeing you, Gorgeous. I don’t think I can handle that, especially now that I’ve learned you’re a great cuddler.” Y/N chuckles at that before resettling on his chest properly. “I think I can make something work next month?” She starts tracing the patterns of his shirt, sending shivers down Owen’s spine at the sheer touch of her delicate fingers. “I think I can miss a few classes.” The chuckle that escapes past his lips, makes his chest vibrate and zooms into her ears, making her mouth curl up. This is the best feeling in the world; cuddling up with Owen and hearing him laugh. It’s a feeling Y/N wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. She wishes she could just stay like this forever. Or at least until the next day. Y/N has classes to get to, but promises Owen to come and say goodbye to him and the others at JFK airport around 8pm that night. And she does, though dreading it entirely. “You made it,” Owen whispers when he sees her walk up to the group. “Of course, I couldn’t just let you go back to Van City without saying goodbye, could I?” A tender smile plays at his lips as he takes her into a tight hug. “Have a safe flight, yeah? And talk to me on the plane if you’re bored.” She tells him and then turns to the three other men she’d just met yesterday. “Take good care of him and each other,” she tells them before taking each into a hug. Owen then offers her a nervous smile when she makes it back to his side. “Hey, you okay?” she asks, grabbing his hand in hers. “No,” her eyebrows furrow at his unspoken confession. “Yes, I mean yes. I’m fine. I’m okay… I just--” he cuts himself off, not knowing what to tell the girl now. “I’m just gonna miss you, is all.” “Oh…” is all she brings out, wanting something else to come out of his mouth. “I’m gonna miss you too, Big O.” She playfully punches his shoulder, smiling up at him with that smile that’s only ever reserved for Owen. It’s a tender one where her eyes sparkle as much as her smile. Owen then grabs her other hand too, pulling her a little closer as though he wants to say something serious. Y/N isn’t used to a serious Owen. He’d always be the one to pull pranks or make stupid jokes that’d make her laugh until her belly ached. He stutters and stumbles over a couple of words, then sighs frustratedly as he can’t seem to find the right words to tell her what he’s feeling. He can’t even find the right words to think. “Just kiss her, you dork!” Charlie shouts from the sidelines. Y/N turns her head to look at the boy confusedly, but Owen’s hands quickly cup her face and brings her up to press his lips on hers. She’s a little startled at first, unsure about what’s happening. But then she melts into his lips and into him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long!” his thought comes through in her mind, making her smile against his lips.   “Shut up, I’m kissing you.” He chuckles at her words, and pulls away but keeps his forehead pressed to hers. “I’ll see you in a month, Bubba,” Y/N whispers and pecks his lips once more. Though she hates to see him go, she has to let him leave. She has to let him get back to Vancouver and Oklahoma, and then she can see him again in about a month. It’s just how this must go. For now. “I’d rather stay, actually,” he tells her as he pulls away slowly. “Owen…” Y/N whispers, shaking her head, “Don’t make this harder than it already is. They need you in Vancouver…” she nods at Kenny and the guys. “I want you to stay, I do. But they need you.” A single tear rolls down her cheek. Owen reaches up and wipes it away as quickly as it came whilst shaking his head. “I’m gonna stay, Y/N. Just two more days.” He sounds too determined for her to convince him to go. “We don’t actually need him for two more days anyway, so he’s free to stay if he wants to,” Kenny chimes in. Y/N looks at the man talking, a surprised look on her face. The legend himself shoots her a smile. “Stay, Owen. Spend some more time together. You both need it.” “Thanks, Kenny,” Owen takes the guy in for a quick hug, and then turns to his buddies to give each of them one too. “I’ll see you in two days, then.” The couple watches as the three men walk away, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. “You really had to be dramatic, did you?” Y/N jokes once they’re out of earshot, which earns her an eye roll from Owen, though he can’t hide a smile either. “You know me, Baby Girl,” he winks before grabbing his bag. “Yes, I do,” she says, “And I’m glad I do.” “Me too, Gorgeous, me too.”

Taglist: @hannahhistorian92​ @marinettepotterandplagg​ @thequirkybookaholic​ @bookdealer5​ @tenaciousperfectionunknown​ @hemmingsness​ @iainttakingshitfromnobody​ @ifilwtmfc​ @angryknightstatesmantrash​ @kiss-themoongoodbye​ @rudysbay​ @thedarkqueenofavalon​​ @caitsymichelle13​​ @calamitykaty​ @wiselight​

[jeontaehui]

TAEHEE WITH OTHER IDOLS

twice’s chaeyoung

her bestie !!!!! chaeyoung’s like her mark but like outside the group.

they support each other whenever the other wins an award, always giving wide smiles that are too hard to hide.

their hangouts are referred to as ‘dates’ by the fans, considering how romantic their dinners are and how chaeyoung captions her instagram posts after going on said ‘date’.

chaeyoung is very clingy when she sees her. she clings onto taehee like a koala :(

in award shows, taehee would tend to walk slower than the rest of the neos just to talk to chaeyoung.

chaeyoung was once caught playfully flirting with taehee during an award show, causing the latter to laugh as the camera pans to another group.

iconic moment (seoul music awards 2019) taehee took mirror selfies as she waited for chaeyoung to finish up in the bathroom. when chaeyoung found out, she later posted these on instagram with the caption, “the one who i love 😍❤️”.

stray kid’s han

her other bestie since predebut !!!!!!!!

both are so powerful in the rap industry already, stayzens are just waiting for a collab.

they met in a convenience store. jisung wanted her to go to jyp with him, only to find out she’s been training in sm already (cue pouting from the both of them).

both are in Love with each other’s music, with jisung having some of nct’s songs in his playlist and taehee knowing the lyrics and the choreo to skz’s songs.

their reactions to each other’s performances are adorable !!!!!! and even funny at times. attending the same award shows means very cute interactions fans’ lenses would capture <3

(seoul music awards 2019) before the two groups walked by each other, taehee slowed down her pace and let herself stay behind the group to greet the main rapper of stray kids. once jisung was within arm’s reach from her, she raised her hand for a high-five, to which jisung pulled her into a bro-hug instead. he whispered something to her first and ruffled her hair, making the older girl hit his shoulder softly, laughing as he left.

jisung introduced taehee to chan and felix and she now has two new aussie buddies that remind her of home too !!!!!

iconic moment (isac 2019) stayzens went batshit crazy when skz had to pass by nct during the sports competition. seeing this as a chance to be playful with his best friend, jisung jumped over the first row of seats and proceeded to whisper something to taehee (who was seated very near to where the other members of skz were by the way), before jumping over to the third row. jisung must have said something really funny to taehee since it made the female idol to turn away laughing as she covered her mouth. later on, we see the two talk, inviting a very excited chan and a shy mark lee to the conversation. 

red velvet’s yeri, april’s naeun, and weki meki’s doyeon

yeri and taehee were already close since trainee days (she’s close with the rest of red velvet too). taehee knew yeri was friends with naeun and she was Dying to meet her so yeri introduced them to each other, and since doyeon is friends with naeun, the latter later introduced all three of them to each other.

yeri and taehee always sat beside each other whenever nct is asked to share a table with red velvet. yeri would laugh a lot since taehee’s always so energetic when she dances to the other groups’ songs. she always hung out with red velvet during isac but would end up having yeri to herself anyways ,,, they teased each other a lot too.

taehee Loves naeun, literally. she’s always flirting with her and telling her how pretty and cute she is. naeun was flustered at first but now she’s used to it lol. taehee would literally just stare at naeun with a loving smile during pre-performance interviews in inkigayo ,, naeun does the same whenever it’s time for taehee to say her lines ^ ^ and whenever they would accidentally make eye contact, they crack up and try to hide their giggles.

taehee was kinda intimidated of doyeon at first ,,, but she thought she was a chill type of person. turns out doyeon had a lot of cute charms in her and taehee always finds herself calling her cute when she does so. they are literally a power duo. whenever the two are mentioned together, fans would gush about how good they would look in a photoshoot together.

iconic moment (yeri bang ep. 11-1) “doyeon’s and taehee’s styles are similar. right?” yeri asks as she picks out beads for the bracelet she’s putting together for taehee. “taehee would want something that goes well with her outfit. she mostly wears monotone or beige colors,” naeun points out.

“ahh naeun, you know me so well,” taehee cooes, and clearly, her eyes were in the shape of hearts. seeing as the she got ignored, yeri drops her mouth open feigning offense. “why didn’t you give me a reaction like that?” she whines, “i knew you before naeun!!!”

“she’s just really interested in naeun,” doyeon hums casually, making the other girls laugh as taehee stood up from her seat. “HEY!!! that’s making me sound like a bad friend and i’m not.”

“are you really?” yeri continues to tease her, causing the said girl to whine and hug her in embarrassment.

blackpink

they’ve met and exchanged numbers in a music show early in their debuts.

she’s the closest with rosé and lisa since their age gap is quite smaller compared to jennie and jisoo.

there have been fancams of taehee watching blackpink perform and once jisoo was on the monitor, we’d see taehee mutter, “ahh she’s really pretty.”

taehee visits blackpink’s table once every award show, and jennie would be so attentive and welcoming of her — fixing her hair, being genuinely interested in what she’s saying, and laughing at her jokes. she was seen clinging onto taehee’s waist at some point, jennie adores taehee :(

taehee’s og aussie buddy is rosé !!!! they talk and eat together a lot, mostly about australia. taehee mentioned her in a radio show talking about the time they both cried in a public restaurant, “we were talking about home and then rosé unnie just started talking about her parents and suddenly i’m tearing up and then she’s tearing up and so we ended up crying while we ate pasta,” she laughed.

lisa thinks of taehee as her little brother. she’s just as energetic as her and taehee’s jokes are what lisa finds so funny. she would join in on a few of rosé and taehee’s hangouts and take lots and lots of pictures of them (and jokingly get mad if one of the girls don’t give her credit when they post on instagram).

iconic moment (200718 rosé instagram live) “you are so hot, rosé,” taehee reads from the comments, making it a sound a little sexy for the effect, the latter widening her eyes at the implication. “how ‘bout me? how ‘bout me?” lisa cuts in, “guys. how ‘bout me?”

“i’m the hottest okay? i’m the hottest,” she presses, rosé repeating what she said in breathy laughter. meanwhile, taehee was looking at lisa with the most sincere eyes she could muster just to tease her, “you are,” she emphasized, “the hottest.”

rosé laughs for the nth time that day as she clutches her stomach before questioning the youngest’s words, “ya, are you a two-timer?”

“no, i just have the prettiest girls beside me.”

ateez’s wooyoung and txt’s yeonjun

more of taehee’s ‘99 liner friends !!!!

taehee met wooyoung when she bumped into ateez in a convenience store near music bank. the leader of ateez greeted her first and a few of the members who were with him became acquainted with taehee, but wooyoung became the closest to her !!!!

(ateez boatta cover dance) “HEY JEON TAEHEE LOOK!!!!” wooyoung shouted before dancing ‘kick it’.

taehee covered ‘say my name’ and ‘answer’ in two of her dance vlives.

then wooyoung introduced yeonjun to taehee when the latter guested as an mc for inkigayo.

(191115 vlive) “oh i really like this song (run away by txt), i listen to this before going to bed sometimes. i’m actually friends with one of the members, yeonjun. ateez’s wooyoung introduced us while i mc’d as a special guest for inkigayo and we exchanged numbers. i really like their songs, especially the vibe.”

taehee is known to be very open with her friendships with other idols, so fans were quite okay with seeing her hang out with the two, her manager trailing a few feet behind them.

iconic moment (191115 vlive) taehee’s laugh trails off once she saw a notification pop-up on her phone. unlocking her phone, she snorts once she checked the message. she proceeds to show the meme to the camera while covering the top part of her phone, “ateez’s wooyoung sent this to our gc with txt’s yeonjun.”

“aha!! d’you guys know? when i send stuff to the gc, sometimes they leave me on read or reply ‘....’ just to tease me,” she rolls her eyes playfully, “but i’m glad we’re comfortable enough to tease each other.”

itzy’s yuna

taehee wanted to make friends to go out of her shell more, and she thought asking her manager to get yuna’s number was the first step.

taehee’s like Really fond of yuna ,,, and she’s glad they got along well real quick so she took her out to eat.

earlier in the year, when superm was touring, yuna sang a snippet of taehee’s solo song and tried to dance all the points of the choreo she could remember.

the fans have yet to see more interactions (or crumbs) from these two — noticing how their age gap is just a year longer than taehee’s and jisung’s, midzyzens would LOVE to see taehee baby yuna :(

iconic moment (200922 yuna instagram live) “nct’s taehee video called me awhile ago. we’re good friends,” yuna shyly giggles in front of the camera. “it’s been a long time since we last talked to each other so she called me, and then told me how much she loved our new album. she told me she really likes ‘not shy’, but she loves ‘be in love’ the most,” she explains further, adding how the nct member loved it because of her ‘killing me, killing me’ verse. 

“taehee unnie is very good to me,” she cutely smiles. “she’s very genuine with her words and she’s really supportive. i hope for us to eat again and become closer in the future.” 

[somdachuvadenoite]

please svsss fans dont kill me okay i-

i finished reading the svsss novel bc i started watching the animation and was like hey this has an interesting concept! And a weird humor, which I enjoy so maybe i should read the novel, plus i really enjoyed mdzs so only good things and good thoughts. But i- i kinda hated it hahrbahshau

spoilers will be here from now on ok?

i was enjoying the book and stuff and i really liked the weird dynamic between sqq and the luo binghe and yeah its cool and then he died (for the first time) and i was like hell yea that was cool, kinda weird paced and kinda stupid (bc he got out of the prison then walked like 3 steps and got caught? ok sure) but cool, and then he came back being super strong and i was like hell yeah!!!! the main is not a wimpy boy lets gooo and then the whole "i was sleeping holding your corpse for five years " thing happened and the forceful stuff and the possessiveness and i was like okay maybe this demon dude is kinda toxic but ok its fine, and then the whole tomb arc went down and i was like BOY YESSSS cool traps, weird new characters, strong sqq using his stupid brain and luo being asleep for the whole thing kinda was a blessing bc i just dont get his character honestly he needs therapy and needs to stop being so jealous its weird. Anyways i think the pacing of the book was kinda off, scenes that should've lasted one second went on and on and scenes and actions that could've had repercussions that could bring a new and interest mood in the narrative, didnt. For example the whole thing with the plant growing out of sqq arm couldve been so cool but it was just a fun set up so that weird snake boy could be with the main dude with his shirt off while bitch boy was being jelly like Wow so crazy!!!! and the whole punishment thing with evil bitch boy was so dope i wish it brought some tense moments between sqq and luo B, like maybe at some point when sqq was waking up and he sees demon boy and he has this weird panic attack bc he actually remembers the feeling of having his fuckingggg arm being RIPPED out of his body by the same face that he wants to protect and kiss!!!! couldve been so interesting!!!!! but nah lets pretend it didnt happen and move on :) anyways, it just had so many cool concepts that got thrown out the window and hoooo boyzi dont get me started about the fucking eNDINGGGGG omg god fucking damn it!!!! are u serious, sqq being rapped, that's the fucking solution???????? it was so hard to read honestly, the whole thing was really brutal and i think the author was like hey isnt this true love he let himself get fucked on top of some stones and got incredebly fucked up and actually died without having a meaningful conversation with the man he (i guess now) loves , isnt this so selfless of him, truly not a scum villain huh?! im sorry but you cant justify this fucking ending to me, its so dumb PLUS its literally the same shit that happened the first time sqq died so , there wasnt even a plot twist argggggggg i was so disappointed honestly. The fucking airplane extra was better than the entire fucking book, sqh is so raw and not ashamed of being a bitch and i love that for him, get your fucking hot ice demon my man. the line "Call me Dad now" aaaa i cant its so good but yea anyways hahahahah i was debating if i should read heavens official blessing bc im just so disappointed with svsss that i dont wanna go through something like this again. Is it worth it ? please let me know if anyone even read through everything byeeee

[doyumacy]

FALLOUT |LH| TEN

*gif not mine

PAIRING: donghyuck x reader bodyguard!donghyuck

WARNINGS: mentions of jeno taeyong. swearing, food playing? 

WORD COUNT: 2k

ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE

its a bit shorter than expected but the finale is coming <3

Donghyuck woke up with a start. This wasn't uncommon for him. He was used to being woken up at all hours of the night because of a case or night terrors. Something he needed to work on. He looked at the clock. 6:46 am. Better than usual considering he went to bed about three hours ago. He got up and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee and breakfast.

Walking down the halls of the house he noticed most of the lights were on. That meant you were up. As he got closer to the kitchen he noticed music playing. You were dancing around the kitchen. "Let's have the sex talk. I wanna see your body, take your clothes off, I'ma bust quick if ya lips soft! "

Damn you couldn't rap at all, but it was amazing watching you dance and sing. Until you turned around and saw him in the doorway that was.

You stopped immediately and got a rather freaked out look. And from what Donghyuck could tell you were blushing hard. "How much of that did you see exactly?" You asked timidly.

"Enough to know that you are not a good rapper but a good dancer." Donghyuck said with a smirk. "Oh and love?" You got even more flustered.

"Yes?" You answered quietly.

"Your eggs are burning." Donghyuck said with a laugh as he watched you turn around and immediately try and fix your eggs. Which by now were burnt beyond all recognition.

You sighed and pitched them into the trash can. "I guess dancing and cooking at the same time ain't my thing."

"I'll make you some crepes and bacon, love. Don't worry." Donghyuck said with a broad smile.

You nodded and sat in on the kitchen chair propping your elbows on the desk and placing your chin on top of your interlaced fingers. "If you hadn't interrupted my rapping session, my eggs would still be alive."

Donghyuck laughed, opening the fridge doors. "They were long gone when I arrived, love. But I enjoyed the show, the way you shake your ass is so hot."

You rolled your eyes. "As if you didn't know already."

Donghyuck smirked. "Oh, I do now. You should shake it in my face."

"Donghyuck! It's 6 AM!" You chuckled.

"I wasn't the one popping my booty 2 minutes ago," He mocked you.

"It's one of my hidden talents," you shrugged.

"Once this thing is off my ankle I'm taking you out and we're gonna dance all night," he promised.

"Oh boy, if your dance moves are just as the same as in bed, I'm gonna be dead," you sighed.

"Oh, love. Don't even doubt it." he winked at you.

Donghyuck expertly poured a thin layer of batter onto the pan sitting on the stove, tilting it in a circular motion in order to get the mixture into a thin, even layer that would be easy to flip.

By the time he'd successfully filled, plated, and garnished three crepes. Donghyuck turned back to the stove and continued his work, pouring the batter, waiting, spreading Nutella on the finished pastries, putting them on a plate, and finally, sprinkling them with powdered sugar.

You stood up and placed yourself behind him, wrapping his waist giving small kisses at the base of his neck, marvelling when you received a slight shiver in return.

Donghyuck loved the feeling of you wrapped around him, showering him with chaste pecks.

While Donghyuck was flipping another crepe, you looked to your left, and seeing that the Nutella jar was open moved to dip your finger into it. Before you could, Donghyuck slapped your hand away with a small smile.

"Don't stick your fingers in the jar," he said, "you'll make a mess." You ignored the warning and stuck your finger into the jar, bringing the dollop of dark chocolate spread into your mouth and sucking it off.

Donghyuck smiled wider when he turned off the heat on the stove and turned to face you, who was displaying your chocolate covered teeth with your own smile.

"Ew, no gross," Donghyuck said as he moved back, escaping the kiss you were leaning in to give him.

"Gross?" You teased, pulling him closer by the waist, "but you love Nutella," and this time you succeeded in placing another soft kiss against his lips, the latter humming shortly after they parted.

"I told you so," Donghyuck said as he started walking towards the table, food in tow.

"Told me what?" You asked, leaning against the counter while crossing your arms in front of you and puckering your lips as if you were deep in thought.

Donghyuck couldn't resist the plump, pink cushions, and placed another quick peck on them as he passed to retrieve the milk from the fridge beside you. "I told you you'd make a mess," he said, "you've got Nutella on the back of your hand," he giggled, pointing in your direction.

You untangled your arms from each other so you could better inspect the area in question, chuckling softly as you found some chocolate smeared across your knuckles from the edge of the jar. You took a step towards the table where Donghyuck was waiting and leaned down so that you two were the same height.

You looked Donghyuck right in the eyes, smirked, and wiped your knuckle softly against the tip of his nose, leaving behind a small streak of chocolate spread.

Donghyuck jumped up from his seat, surprised at the action but immediately bursting into a great fit of laughter. You soon follow, his joy contagious. Donghyuck placed his hands on the base of your neck and pulled you in for a kiss, making sure their noses came in contact, resulting in both of you having chocolate smeared on your noses. This made you laugh harder when you pulled apart, sitting down at the table so you could finally begin their meal.

"Thank you for all of this," You had said while reaching to interlock your fingers, "I love you."

"I love you." He kissed the palm of your hand.

"Can I ask you something?" Your elbow was propped on the table and rested under your chin, your index finger on his cheek.

Donghyuck hummed in response.

"How did you become an... assassin?" You inquired.

He tilted head to the side and leaned back, sliding a little on his chair. "My parents died when I was 16 and I guess I kinda lost myself?"

He cleared his throat. "I dropped out of high school and left home and just hid out in old houses and stole food, money and beer until I was caught. When I got caught, I ran away."

"One time I tried to rob a train and a man held me up, I was drunk and a bit high, and he took me with him before the police arrived," he explained. "It turned out he was a very trained spy. I guess he saw something in me and made sure I never drink or get drugs again."

You reached out by taking his hand in yours. He smiled at the gesture. "He trained me for a year, and when I was 18 I had my first job. I'll never forget him. The fear in his eyes..." He furrowed and sighed. "Sometimes I dream of him. Of everyone."

You stroked his cheeks and your eyes darted to him. "You're different now."

"That doesn't change the fact that I am an assassin." Donghyuck smiled sadly.

"I uhm... shoplifted once," you shrugged.

Donghyuck cocked an eyebrow. "Is this you trying to make me feel better?"

You sighed. "Okay, maybe it wasn't the best example, but what I'm telling you is that we all have made mistakes. As long as we acknowledge them and we try to be better everyday, then we're growing."

Donghyuck smirked and his index finger stroked your chin. "Marry me."

"What?" You felt your mouth open, but no sound came out. There was a moment of pause as you just took in what Donghyuck said. He's looking at you so seriously, there was no way you could even think that he was joking.

Meanwhile, Donghyuck didn't even register what he said, much less the implications. He was still awestruck with his overwhelming feelings for you.

"Are you serious?" You asked looking at him.

He flinched, finally realizing what happened. His blood flow redirected upward to give his cheeks a glorious red tint. “I– er, uh…”

"Hyuck!" You snapped.

“Well, love– I– Er, got caught up in the moment!"

Donghyuck looked at the ceiling, checking out the chandelier. "Oh, is it new?"

"It's been there all this time!" You snorted. "Donghyuck!"

You scoffed. “Hah! Fine! I’ll marry you!”

His head snapped to you, grinning with a bright expression, looking like an eager puppy. He stood up and pulled you towards him. Then he frowned. "Wait, I don't have a right."

"Fuck the ring," you laughed and kissed him.

(...)

“So…you proposed?” Jeno asked as he visited his friend. Donghyuck nodded smugly. “When did you even get a ring?”

"I didn't."

“How’d you propose then?” He raised his eyebrow.

"We were talking about my past and she's just amazing," Donghyuck sighed. "And I popped out the question. Well, it was more like a command."

Jeno bursted out laughing. "God, you're lucky she loves you because I would have left your ass. You're so lame."

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. "Screw you, Jeno."

"So, when's the wedding?"

"I just proposed 2 days ago, dude." Donghyuck chuckled. "I don't know."

"Well, congratulations, bud," Jeno gave him a hug. "I wish you two the best."

"Thank you, Jeno." He smiled and had a sip of his beer can.

"I hope I'm the godfather of your first kid." Jeno beamed.

Donghyuck choked on his water and started coughing. Jeno laughed. "Oh man, I love this."

"Fuck you, Jeno," Donghyuck said.

On the other side of the house, you opened the door to your visitor and smiled. You barely had time to say anything before he had you in a big bear hug. "Well hello to you too."

"I missed you (Y/N)," he said into your hair.

"You dork. You didn't even make it for my birthday." You said teasingly.

He pulled away from the hug, his hands still on your shoulders "(Y/N) I'm sorry you know, but I have some work to finish. I'm sorry."

You laughed, "I know. Don't worry, Taeyong. Come on in."

Taeyong closed the door behind him and walked behind you. "Any updates while I was gone?"

"Actually, yes." You smirked.

He took off his jacket and placed it on the couch. You turned to him, still smirking. He tilted his head looking at you. Then his expression was serious. "Please don't tell me you're pregnant."

"What? No!" You furrowed. "Why did you think that?"

"You're... too happy so I figured," he crossed his arms against his chest. "What is it?"

"Donghyuck proposed!" You beamed. "I'm gonna get married, Tae!"

Fuck. He thought.

(...)

Still laying on the couch with his fingers famously steepled under his chin, he slightly opened an eye to glance at a portrait of you and him. God, when did you become so stupid?

Now he had a new dilemma: does he finish the job by himself all and hope for the best, or does he plaster on that fake smile he mastered ages ago and pretend he's super happy for you? He finally made his mind up.

He was going to kill Donghyuck.

[navyhyuck]

What’s your rating of songs from Hello Future repackage and why?

this is a bit late (like four days i’m so sorry) bc im indecisive but:

life is still going on: this song is the embodiment of nostalgia and love and uncertainty and everything i love. it’s like…if a song could hug you, this one would. it’s so calming? and i love the lyrics.

hello future: very very close second!! this is a really colorful song (and not only bc it was released during pride month and they make pretty little rainbows), and it’s just…yeah it’s colorful. also this song is so hard to sing ;-; like the notes are really high especially in the chorus? i know these guys probably spent a lot of time perfecting this for performances and like..respect. this is a hard song to sing and on top of that, dance to. also, the lyrics are so welcoming (see what i did there *wink*) and nostalgic!! this song kinda hurts ngl, i couldn’t really tell you why. my only problem with this song is that HORRIBLE INTRO. there are so many ways to begin a song and ‘big dreams and big thrills’ rap sequence thing just isn’t it for me 😭

my youth: tbh the first five songs at the top are interchangeable in terms of ranking. this song is my favorite from hot sauce! this is mainly because of the lyrics and the vibe? i like injun’s voice in this (esp when he sings the line ‘please remember our youth’ hhhh do you hear me sobbing???), plus this song hurts a lot. it’s like a stab to the heart.

irreplaceable: i am one big sucker for love songs, especially ones that hyuck and injun sing. (‘i wanna tell you love to you’ okay maybe that line makes no sense grammar wise and perhaps i tried making sense of it and it didn’t work but i just like the way it sounds 😔)

rainbow: ? no explanation necessary? lyrics? the dreamies wrote it? it’s like the dear dream/puzzle piece of this album? also rainbow is a very interesting way of describing the boys? because yeah there actually are seven colors in a rainbow (debatable).

dive into you: i may be ranking this lower than the other four but this is maybe because it’s so overplayed. it’s a good song and the lyrics are cute but the title makes me cringe a little and i couldn’t tell you why. but!!! it’s a good song, i like it!

anl: this song is good but why the hell didn’t they just name it ‘all night long’. who the fuck decided that keeping it one letter away from ‘anal’ was a good idea??? no but actually???

diggity: it’s okay but the lyrics kinda make little sense? (‘come in hard boom diggity’ .. boy what) but it’s catchy? and i still listen to it? yeah. (also diggity isn’t even a word??? 😭)

be there for you: i usually love vocal-only songs and i do like this song, i just haven’t listened to it enough to rank it higher.

hot sauce: this song is literally about sex ;-; okay, but it’s still extremely catchy? the prechorus is IMMACULATE, especially the first prechorus…i would make out with it if it was a person (yk the one injun sings……..are you guys sensing a theme here or smth) but anyway! not really song related (?) but the choreo is really good and matches well, and it’s just a very typical kpop thirst song idk? but i just can’t listen to it anymore ;; i literally will bark i’m sorry

countdown

bungee

rocket

(for the last three, they’re there because i just don’t rlly listen to them that often. not that they’re bad but i don’t have much to say about any of them! ngl i think i’ve listened to bungee maybe five times max, i couldn’t even tell you why i skip it, i just do 😔)

[lalka-laski]

Hello, what is your name and how old are you? I'm Elizabeth and I'm 29 Do you talk on the phone a lot? What kind of phone do you have? Hardly ever, and only when it's absolutely unavoidable. I have an iphone 7. Is your house ever creepy? What does it do? Thankfully no! Who’s your favorite rapper? And your favorite song by this favorite rapper? I don't listen to enough rap to have a favorite. Kid Cudi, maybe? How about your favorite band? And your favorite song by this band? The Killers. And I couldn't even give you a Top 10, let alone an absolute singular favorite.

Did you do any drugs this past weekend? Which ones? Nope, unless you count alcohol. Are you hungry? Why don’t you eat something? I’m actually starving but I'm trying to fast until dinner Do you do more than five surveys every day? They’re addicting, aren’t they? Some days when work is extra slow. But I've been doing them for SO long that it's hard for me to find ones with interesting or unique questions. They can get so repetitive. Do you have any cousins that you’re jealous of? Why? Nah What year will you be/were you a senior in high school? From 2009-2010 When was the last time your family got a new car? What kind? Glenn got a new car about 2 years ago. And he just paid it off which is a great feat! What time is it? And give me the date, while you’re at it. It's 10:39 am on October 11, 2021 Have you ever broken up with someone and then regretted it later? Mmm... I had a twinge of regret but I readjusted quickly. Do you have an online blog? What do you write about in there? I've had a few over the years. I wish I stuck with it because I think I have strong enough writing skills and social media savvy to run a successful blog.

Do you know anyone that has a multiple personality disorder? Not that I know of Have you read anything educational today? What was it? Nope, the only articles I've read were from Buzzfeed Do you watch more of the Discovery channel, or MTV? Or neither? I don't watch any of them these days but growing up I watched more MTV Have you ever had the cops called on you? For what? Just for underage partying. I can't imagine the size of the stick that must be up your ass to compel you to call the police on some kids drinking beer. What a waste of time.

When was the last time you pulled an all-nighter? How’d that go? I have no idea. I love sleep too much. Do you hate your last name? Do you wanna get married so you can change it? I'm proud of my Polish heritage and thus have always loved my last name. I am however excited about taking Glenn's last name next year. Did you wake up to an alarm clock this morning? What time? I woke up about 20 minutes before my alarm and laid there grumpily until it went off What’s the background picture on your phone?  A CRAZY good shot of Brandon Flowers performing that my dear friend Katie took for me. It's professional quality and I'm O B S E S S E D. Would you rather be home alone, or have people with you? Why? I do love my alone time except when I'm sleeping Do you live near a highway? Can you hear the traffic at night? I do actually. The sounds of traffic aren't too loud but regardless, I find it soothing. Have you ever dropped a class in school? Which class, and why did it suck? Only because of scheduling conflicts Are you a MAC or a PC? You know MACs really suck, right? I'm a PC gal. I don't mind Macs I just don't have as much experience with them Has the snow melted away in your yard? Did it even snow in the first place? Well it's only October so... Have you ever taken someone back, who ended up just hurting you again? Yeah that was kinda my entire dating pattern until I met Glenn

[oliviaischillin1204]

roman’s experiment

Pairings: Platonic Royality, Platonic Logince, Platonic Prinxiety (none of them interact w each other except roman but everything can be LAMP if u believe)

Word Count: 3,498

inspired by (and directly stolen from) (jk jk i love you) this post by @ssm0lb34n which. is VERY good y’all. i was just going to comment on their post but then this hit 1.5K and i said “hm maybe not”. anyways that’s it love u mwah

also i didn’t realize til i was almost done that, thematically and storywise, tis very similar to ‘music to my ears’, but. it’s a good formula lmao (although i got hella carried away again lmao. idk if it’s bc it was the last pairing or bc i am prinxiety trash, but anything prinxiety is just gonna end up being twice as long as the others and i’m just gonna have to be ok with that)

Roman glanced curiously as his hands. He had been playing around with his appearance in the Imagination, and had somehow accidentally given himself long nails. He flexed his fingers, wiggling them back and forth. It felt kinda weird, but he decided they weren’t that bad. Especially, he realized suddenly, because of how useful they could be in certain... situations.

He paused, smirking to himself. Oh, this could be fun.

~

“Hey, Padre!”

Patton looked over his shoulder to see Roman standing behind the couch.

“Hey, Ro!” He responded with a smile. “What’re you doing back there?”

“I had an idea,” Roman replied. “Would you care to be my guinea pig?”

Patton’s grin brightened. “Of course! What do I do?”

“Right now, nothing. Just sit there and stay still. Okay? No moving.”

Patton quirked his head a little, but he nodded. “Alright, here I go!”

He turned and faced forward, scrunching his face in concentration. Roman was silent for a few seconds, and the longer he waited, the more Patton wanted to squirm.

Finally Patton had to speak up. “Am I doing it right, Ro-oman!”

Patton cut himself off with a gasp at the feeling of… something drawing slow circles on his upper back. He tensed, grabbing his legs as a couple giggles escaped his mouth.

“Ro-Roman, what is thahahat?”

Roman didn’t answer, just hummed playfully. Patton was about to ask again when the senstions moved from the top of his back to lightly scraping over his shoulderblades, reaching the back of his ribs and scratching up and down relentlessly.

Patton laughed outright, jerking forward in an attempt to escape the tickly feeling, but the tickles just followed him, ruthlessly not deviating from that one little spot where his waistline met his back. He brought his arms up against his chest, uselessly clenching and unclenching his fists.

“Better keep still, Patton,” Roman sang. “Otherwise I’ll have to start my experiment all over again!”

But Patton couldn’t stop squirming now if he tried, throwing his body left and right as his laughter increased in volume.

“Ah! Rohoman, no!” Patton squealed. “That’s not fahahair!”

The tickly feelings left the back of his sides (thank GOD) before returning to his shoulder blades (oh, come ON!). Patton felt several different pokey things begin to dig in all around those sensitive bones, spidering over his left shoulder blade while clawing in circles around his right.

Patton couldn’t help the shocked laughter that burst from his lips. “ROMAN! NO! NO-O, NO, NO NO NO!”

He threw himself backwards, slamming his back against the couch cushions, but all that did was pin Roman’s evil hands behind him. The tickles seemed to intensify even more, which he didn’t even think was possible.

Patton barely heard Roman chuckle over his own laughter. “You gotta free my hands, Pops! If they can’t escape, they’ll just keep tickling and tickling and tickling…”

Patton screamed, throwing himself forward yet again, this time rolling all the way to the floor to escape the sensations at last. He laid there, taking greedy breaths as he tried to make his back stop tingling.

“Whahahat was that, Ro?” He asked through his lingering giggles, catching the creative side’s eye over the back of the couch.

Roman just smiled and held up his hands, showing off his unusually long nails. Patton’s eyes widened.

“That’s all it was? Just your nails?”

Roman nodded, coming around the couch to help the paternal side of the ground. “How did it feel?”

“Oh, my gosh, Ro,” Patton replied, still a little breathless, “that tickled like crazy! I thought I was gonna lose my mind!”

Roman quirked an eyebrow. “And imagine what could’ve happened if I had gone for your neck, or your ears, or-”

“No!” Patton exclaimed, covering his ears and scrunching his neck defensively. Roman burst out laughing.

“Don’t worry, Padre, I’m done with you. For now,” he added sweetly, causing Patton to giggle lightly in nervous anticipation.

“I’m off to find my next guinea pig.”

~

He didn’t have to look very far.

Roman passed Patton’s bedroom open bedroom door, coming to the next closed door in the hallway: Logan’s room.

He rapped his knuckles on the door and promptly hid his hands behind his back. “Logan!”

No answer. Roman bounced on his heels.

“Yo, Teach! Open up!”

Still nothing.

“Logan! I need your help with an experiment!“

Immediately the door swung open. “Hello, Roman. How may I help you?”

Roman grinned. “I’ll tell you how you can help me.” He pulled his hands out from behind his back, wiggling his clawed fingers menancingly.

“You can start laughing!”

Roman waited for Logan to react with fear, or excitement, or… well. Any reaction, really.

Instead, Logan raised a single eyebrow. “Why would I be laughing?”

Roman paused. “Because I’m going to tickle you.”

Logan’s brow furrowed. “Ah. I see. No, thank you.”

He went to shut the door in Roman’s face, but the creative side held it open.

“Come on, Specs! It’ll be fun.”

“I do not see how forcefully stimulating my nerve endings would be fun,” Logan replied, returning to where he had been reclining on his bed. “I was having a perfectly satisfactory afternoon, and I wish to continue it now.”

Roman moved to stand the foot of Logan’s bed. “Logan,” he whined. “I wanna try tickling you with my new nails! Please?”

Logan sighed, crossing one leg over another as he picked up the book on his bedside table. “Do whatever you want, but please don’t bother me.”

He opened his book to the bookmarked page without another word.

The creative side pouted. It wouldn’t be any fun if Logan wasn’t going to play along. He let his gaze drift around, until he caught sight of Logan’s socked feet near the end of his bed.

Roman felt himself begin to smile as the gears turned in his head. He knew how to make it fun.

He quietly knelt down, leaning his elbows on the end of Logan’s mattress. The logical side did not react, although whether he was absorbed in his book or simply ignoring Roman, he couldn’t be sure.

He stayed there for a few seconds, not doing anything, before lifting one finger and dragging the sharpened nail slowly down Logan’s foot.

He watched the serious side for any indication that he should stop. He didn’t want Logan to actually get mad at him, after all. But Roman was surprised to find that there was pretty much no reaction, except-

Except his fingers tightened slightly where they held the book. Roman grinned widely. Bingo.

He repeated the motion, this time with one nail on each foot, pressing not hard enough to hurt, but certainly hard enough to send tickly sensations through Logan’s socks.

He heard the other side inhale just a little to quickly, exhale a little too forcefully for it to be natural. But he still didn’t say anything.

Roman repeated these little motions for a while longer before he sighed. “I guess this isn’t working, because you’re clearly not ticklish,” he admitted with a fake frown. Logan cleared his throat.

“Clearly,” he replied, although there was a tremor in his voice.

“Well, since you’re not ticklish… and since you haven’t asked me to stop…” Roman said, relishing in the way Logan’s eyes widened when he realized his mistake, “You wouldn’t mind if I continued? You know, for my experiment?”

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but immediately slammed it shut again when Roman began focusing all of his attention on the balls of his feet, scratching his nails roughly to really make the tickles unbearable.

Roman leaned back with a smug look on his face. Oh, this was delightful. Logan was blushing, a rare sight on the normally stoic side. He was biting his bottom lip fiercely, clearly doing everything in his power not to laugh, but there was no hiding that wobbly smile on his face.

“You, okay, Logan?” Roman asked, lacing his voice with faux-concern. “You look a little funny.”

“I am fi- mmph!” Logan clamped his lips shut again, his smile fully dominating his face. Maybe it had something to do with the way Roman had just dug his fingers right underneath his toes.

“Are you sure?” Roman asked. “You seem to be having trouble talking- not that I’m complaining.” He smirked up at Logan from his position by his feet. The logical side refused to look at him, keeping his gaze solely on the book that Roman was sure he hasn’t read a word of in the past five minutes.

“Is this the way to shut you up, Lo?” He teased, watching in glee as the blush on Logan’s face deepened. “Just some itty bitty scratchies right under the teacher’s ticklish toesies? Aw, but it surely can’t tickle, because you’re not ticklish, right?”

The baby talk pushed him over: Logan finally broke into desperate giggles. He tried to pull his feet away, but Roman was too quick, pinning both ankles with one hand while he used the other to rake his fingers down both of Logan’s soles at the same time.

“Ro-man!” The word barely escaped Logan’s mouth before he succumbed to full belly laughter, fruitlessly jerking his legs in Roman’s grasp.

The creative side merely laughed. “I wonder what these nails would feel like on your bare feet-”

“NO!” Logan screamed, the word ripping through his throat as he finally yanked his feet out of Roman’s clutches.

Roman couldn’t stop the laughter that exploded from him even if he wanted to. Logan’s face, flustered and embarrassed and slightly murderous, was just too funny.

When he finally regained his breath, he smiled cheekily at Logan. “Wasn’t that so much fun, Logi Bear?”

Logan scowled at the childish nickname, but his lips still threatened to curl up at the edges.

“You are atrocious,” he muttered. Roman raised an eyebrow and reached for his feet.

“I could keep going-”

Logan pulled his knees up to his chest. “Please don’t.”

Roman smiled at the panic in Logan’s voice. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you alone.”

As he left Logan’s room, shutting the door behind him, he grinned. These nails were a better idea than he’d ever expected.

~

Roman retreated to his room after what he considered a very successful day. His experiences with Patton and Logan definitely proved to him how strategic long nails could be. The one thing that somewhat dimmed his excitement at his discovery was the fact that there was one side in particular that he hadn’t gotten a chance to use them on: Virgil.

He had tried to look for the anxious side after he was done with Logan, but he was nowhere to be found. In fact, they didn’t see him at all for the rest of the evening. Patton had been a little concerned (Roman was as well, but he’d never admit it), but Logan assured them that it was perfectly normal behavior for Virgil to spend a prolonged amount of time by himself, and that there was nothing to worry about.

Roman was comforted by Logan’s assurance that everything would be okay (although, again, he’d never admit it), but he was a little disappointed the grumpy side hadn’t gotten to be a part of Roman’s experiment. However, Roman knew it wasn’t the end of the world. Virgil didn’t always want to play in the same way Roman played with the others, and that was totally fine.

Besides, Roman thought as he examined his nails, they weren’t just good for tickling, and in fact they looked rather good on him anyway. As he reclined in his bed, Roman pulled out a nail file, making sure to maintain his nails to their ideal shape and length.

He hadn’t been filing his nails for very long before his door was opened rather forcefully. He looked up in surprise to find Virgil standing in the doorway.

“Um, knock much?” He asked, frowning at the intrusion.

“Nah,” Virgil replied, uncharacteristically flippant. He walked over to Roman’s bed and flopped next to the creative side, jostling him quite badly.

Roman watched him with a confused look on his face. “Can I help you?”

“Nah,” Virgil repeated. Roman’s eyes narrowed.

“Did you come in here just to be a nuisance?”

“Yup.”

Roman sighed, bringing his attention back to his nails. “Well, keep still. I’m trying to work on something here.”

There was no snarky response from the other side, which was suspicious. Roman shot another glance at Virgil, only to realize that his focus was solely on Roman’s hands.

He glanced down at his nails, smiling a little as he wiggled them. “You like ‘em? I’ve had ‘em like this all day.”

Virgil snapped out of his little trance, shooting an irritated look at Roman. “Does that have anything to do with why Patton and Logan were screaming so loudly earlier?” 

Roman smirked, fondly remembering the shenanigans from that afternoon. “Afraid so. I hope we didn’t bother you.”

“You did,” Virgil replied bluntly. “You interrupted my naps. I couldn’t sleep all day.”

If Logan were here, he’d probably lecture Virgil about the importance of a regular sleep cycle and how detrimental mid-day naps can be, but Roman was not Logan. Instead, he tried to summon his inner Patton.

“I’m sorry, Virgil,” he said genuinely, “I didn’t realize we were being so loud-”

“It’s fine,” Virgil interjected. “You can make it up to me by letting me sleep in here.”

With that, he crawled right over Roman’s legs, attempting to... lay on top of him, for some reason?

“What the-? Get off!” Roman insisted, grabbing the emo side. The two wrestled for a few moments before Virgil ended up lying on his back in Roman’s lap.

“Virgil!” Roman wasn’t really angry, just highly confused. “What are you doing? Go sleep in your own bed!”

“Shh,” Virgil insisted, closing his eyes and folding his arms across his chest. “Let me sleep.”

Roman was almost at a loss for words. Virgil was normally so closed off, reserved, and totally aversive to unnecessary or intimate touch. Yet here he was, laying right across Roman’s lap for absolutely no reason. He and Roman bickered often, but Virgil was never this outwardly and intentionally annoying.

... Well. There was one reason that would make Virgil act like this.

Roman’s eyes flicked to the file in his hand, then to Virgil’s stomach, and back again. His eyes widened, and he smirked. Oh, he knew what Virgil was doing. But if he thought it was gonna be that easy, he had another thing coming.

“Okay, then,” Roman replied, and went back to filing his nails.

It was quiet for a bit, just the light shuffling sound of Roman’s file. Out of his peripheral, he saw Virgil frown at the lack of attention.

Suddenly he heaved a great sigh, wiggling around in Roman’s lap and jostling his hands yet again. A little bit of his hoodie and t-shirt pulled up, revealing a small stretch of tummy.

“Virgil, can you stop moving? I’m busy.”

Roman made sure to keep his face neutral at Virgil’s petulant look, but the emo side said nothing as Roman returned to the task at hand (pun intended).

This continued for several minutes, Virgil shifting around in increasingly obvious ways, while Roman ignored him in favor of meticulously perfecting his nails, giving the task much more attention than he normally would.

By the time he finished, almost Virgil’s entire tummy was exposed, but Roman had not done a single thing about it. Instead, he let the anxious side become more and more desperate, knowing that the anticipation was making him even more sensitive than he already was.

As Roman set aside the nail file, he noticed that there was a bit of nail dust left on his fingers. He grinned to himself, returning his hands to their place over Virgil’s torso before taking a deep breath and blowing the dust away, making sure that the stream of breath hit Virgil’s tummy.

The emo side jerked under him, his sensitivity through the roof after waiting so long for Roman to tickle him. He looked at Roman with wide eyes, but the creative side just smiled sweetly.

“Oh, sorry, Virgil. I didn’t mean to bother you, I know you’re trying to sleep. In fact, let me get out of your way, I don’t want to be a distraction-” He began to manuever himself out from underneath Virgil, but the emo side grabbed his sleeve rather forcefully.

“Roman...” Virgil pleaded, his voice low and slightly strained. Roman stopped, giving him an innocent smile.

“Yes, Virgil?”

The emo side didn’t respond, just folded his arms across his face and groaned.

“Sorry, Virgil, what was that?” Roman asked, sitting back fully.

Virgil muttered something unintelligible, his voice muffled by his hoodie.

Roman tsked. “Virge, you know you gotta speak loud and clear for me. Otherwise there’s nothing I can do to help you.”

Knowing that Virgil wasn’t looking at him, Roman hovered both of his freshly manicured hands over Virgil’s tummy.

“So I’m gonna ask you one more time: what do you want, Virgil?”

Virgil groaned even louder, slamming his arms down. “I want you to tickle me!”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Virgil’s gaze flicked from Roman’s face to his hands, now mere inches away from his vulnerable tummy. He gasped, sucking in his gut, but Roman only laughed.

“Oh? That’s it?” He responded, wiggling his fingers as he slowly edged them toward Virgil’s tummy. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?”

“Wait wait wait wahahait,” Virgil begged, giggles already coming out of his mouth.

Roman hummed in consideration. “No, I think you’ve waited long enough.”

With that, he touched down on Virgil’s skin, drawing delicate designs with his newly-filed fingernails.

There was no hiding his laughter this time; Virgil was already way too keyed up to even try that. Instead he broke into nervous giggles immediately, a steady stream of laughter that increased in volume whenever Roman moved too close to certain spots- like his bottom rib, for instance. Or just above his naval. Or the dip of his hipbone. Or halfway down his side. Or- well. Let’s just say there were a lot of ticklish little spots for Roman to work with.

“Aw, Virgil,” Roman cooed as the usually grumpy side laughed his head off, half-curled up in Roman’s lap, “I had no idea you’d like my nails so much! I wish I’d known sooner- we could’ve played together like this all day long.” He made sure to lace his words with as much sugar as he could muster, knowing that the one thing that made Virgil more ticklish, was talking about his ticklishness.

Well, Roman thought as he remembered how desperate the emo side had been for some tummy tickles, who was he to deny his good friend Virgil what he so obviously desired?

“Now Virgil, this is an experiment, you know,” he continued as if Virgil wasn’t giggling uncontrollably. “So I need to know, what tickles more? When I do this-” 

He spidered his nails on either side of Virgil’s belly button, causing him to squeal.

“-Or this?” He finished, slowly raking his nails down Virgil’s ribs. Virgil’s laughter turned into gasps as he struggled not to pull Roman’s hands away from his belly, instead waving his arms rather uselessly around him.

“N- no- Ro- I cahahahan’t!” He cried, his wide smile lighting up the room.

Roman laughed. “Didn’t you ask for this, stormcloud? Isn’t this what you wanted?” Virgil couldn’t answer through his laughter, but the blush across his cheeks told Roman that he was right. He redirected his hands yet again, one hand raking his nails across where Virgil’s side met his tummy, and the other dipping it pointer finger inside Virgil’s bellybutton.

“Ahahahahaha- Roman!” Virgil shrieked, kicking his legs as his peals of laughter left him.

Roman hummed. “If it’s such a problem, then move away.” He did slow his tickle attack, just in case Virgil really wanted to stop, but the other side made no move to escape.

“Sh- shuhuhut up!” He spit through his giggles, which grew back into loud laughter as Roman resumed his fierce tickles.

“No one tells me to shut up!” Roman declared, not holding back as he scratched and skittered his nails all over Virgil’s tummy, sides, and hips. “Prepare for death!”

Death was right; by the time Virgil batted Roman’s arm, giving the signal to stop, he was nearly out of breath altogether. Roman rubbed away the tingles with the palm of his hand, making sure to keep his nails from accidentally grazing Virgil’s skin.

“So? What do you think?” He asked Virgil once he caught his breath.

He shrugged, looking up at Roman with a content expression. “It was your experiment. What do you think?”

Roman stopped and pondered, before smiling. “I think these nails will definitely come in handy around here.”

[generaldisdainn]

Four of a Kind

AO3 link

Rating: MA

Summary: After accepting a job as the head of marketing for a local animal shelter, Anna finds herself in a new city in need of a place to live. Luckily, 3 guys know just the place.

Previous chapter

Chapter 6 (another reminder of the fic rating for this chapter!!!)

This whole fic has been written in collaboration with my friend happycap77 on ao3, and this is another one of his amazing chapters! <3 

“I think we make a pretty damn good team,” Ryder boasted.

Ryder and Anna both stepped back from the banner they had spent the better part of the afternoon on. The words “Adoption Day” were written in huge multicolored letters, followed by enough exclamation marks for a short novel. Several large and small illustrations of dogs and cats were dotted around and between the letters; Ryder was particularly proud of the one he drew poking out through the “O” of “Adoption.”

“Yeah, we do,” Anna agreed, holding up her hand for a high-five. Ryder obliged, making a satisfying slap that rang through the apartment’s common area.

“Thank you for helping me with this, Ryder. It really means a lot.”

“It’s no trouble at all. I’m happy to help you with creative stuff.”

“Yeah, but really. It wouldn’t have looked even half as good if it was just me doing this.”

“Don’t say that, the design was your idea!”

“Yeah, but actually being good at arts and crafts was yours.”

“Agree to disagree, then?”

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

They stood and admired their work for a bit in comfortable silence.

“It really does look good, though,” Ryder said.

“I can’t wait to show it to Kristoff,” Anna said eagerly. Ryder gave her a sideways look. “...And Sven,” Anna continued. “It’s just that...that Kristoff has visited me at work and Sven hasn’t yet, so...I don’t know, I think he might appreciate it more.”

Ryder turned his head back slowly, then checked the time on his phone. 4:30 PM. He looked back at Anna, and a shadow of a smirk appeared on his face. “Well, it’s a good thing he’ll be home soon.”

Anna shot a puzzled look Ryder’s way. “No, he...he always gets home a few minutes after 6:30 on Fridays.”

Ryder smiled. “Thought so.” He decided to take the scheme one step further. “It’s too bad Sven has to stay at the school late today, though.”

“Oh...yeah,” Anna said absent-mindedly, lost in the hope that Kristoff will show her his adorable, boyish smile when he sees the banner. She almost didn’t notice Sven walk through the door.

“Oh, wow, hi Sven!” Anna spun around to greet him. “I thought you-”

“Can’t talk, must eat,” Sven interrupted and headed straight for the fridge. “Y’all better not have eaten the last slice of pizza. Someone will die if-” He opened the door to find the slice still there in a plastic bag. He offered the two of them a sweet smile. “I never doubted you.”

“Bon appetit,” Ryder said. He turned to Anna, unable to contain his mischievous grin.

“What?” Anna asked, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“Oh, nothing,” Ryder answered. “I just really think the shelter will love the banner.” He started to walk away. He paused, as a thought occurred to him. “Hey Sven, can we break into the liquor tonight?”

“Fine,” Sven said, a morsel of chewed pizza erupting from his mouth. “Leave me in peace.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Ryder said, and he walked off.

Anna remained perplexed by their interaction. First, he said Kristoff was coming home early, which she was certain he wasn’t. Then Sven walked through the door seconds after Ryder said he had to stay late. Was he really that unaware of his roommates’ schedules? The people he’d been living with for well over a year now? And why did he say “thought so”? Anna knew he was the most reserved of the four of them, but he seemed to be good friends with the two of them; she imagined he would at least know when they usually get home. Then again, she didn’t know when Sven was off work today--

Then it hit her like a bag of ice. Of course Ryder knew when the two of them were supposed to get home today. He wanted to see if she knew. That sneaky little bastard, Anna thought. She strode over to Ryder’s door and quickly rapped on it. “Ryder, can we talk?”

The door swung open a few moments later. “Yeah, of course. Come on in.”

She walked right past him, making sure to avoid Carlos the cactus, and sat down on his bed. The instant Ryder closed the door, she started talking.

“Look, Ryder, I don’t know what you think you know about how I feel about Kristoff, or why I knew when he was supposed to get home and not Sven or whatever, but it really felt like you were testing me out there and...well, I didn’t appreciate that.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about that. I’m sorry, I was just trying to have a little fun.”

“Okay. Apology accepted. But still, I want you to know that there’s nothing between Kristoff and me because that would be weird.”

“Anna, it’s-”

“And I really don’t want to make things weird, I mean I just got here—well, I didn’t just get here, but compared to you guys I’ve barely been living here at all and to just show up and start dating one of you would be, like, overstepping boundaries or something.”

“Okay, can I-”

“And also me knowing when he gets home doesn’t prove I’m into him, FYI, it just means I pay attention to people’s schedules, like you always water the bathroom plants every three days in the afternoon.”

“Anna, can I say something?”

“Yes, sorry, go ahead.”

“It’s okay if you’re into Kristoff.”

Anna’s eyebrows shot up before furrowing just above her nose. “I...um-”

“And I’ll let you in on a secret.” He leaned in a bit and spoke in softer tones. “I’m pretty sure Kristoff’s into you too.”

Anna wanted to smile from ear to ear, but she didn’t want to seem overexcited at hearing the news. Still, despite her best efforts, the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly upward. “...Oh.”

“Kristoff...he just acts differently around you. I don’t know about Sven, but I’ve certainly noticed that his whole demeanor changes from…” He paused, as though trying to find the right word. “...sulky and...and standoffish to uncharacteristically cheerful. You just have that effect on him. And I’ve never seen him get that way before, even with-” He cut himself off.

“With who?” Anna asked.

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter,” Ryder responded. “What does matter is that you’re bringing out a side of him that we haven’t seen in a while.”

Anna’s face reddened against her will. Did she actually have a chance to realize her fantasies? All of a sudden getting there seemed so easy. She swelled with anticipation.

“...Really?”

“Here’s my advice to you,” Ryder continued. “Show him that it’s working. I’m not going to give you details, but he’s had it rough. Sven and I, we do the best we can, but...to me at least, it seems like you’re exactly the kind of person he needs in his life right now.”

Every word Ryder said gave Anna a rush. She had no idea she meant that much to Kristoff. That, or he was scheming again, Anna thought. But he sounded sincere in everything that he said. She knew Ryder fairly well at this point, and she knew that he wouldn’t want to embarrass her.

“That, um...yeah, I’ll...I guess I’ll try,” Anna said.

“No pressure, Anna. If you don’t want to, you shouldn’t have to. But I just want to see you and Kristoff be happy, and I really think the best way to do that is for you to be together.”

“No, yeah, that definitely makes sense,” Anna murmured. “We’ll see what happens.”

“I guess we will.”

Anna stood up and turned to leave, but stopped to say one more thing. “Ryder, I’m...I’m actually kinda excited for tonight.” A smile touched her face.

Ryder laughed and returned her smile. “Me too. Now get outta here,” he teased.

Anna scurried out of Ryder’s room and shut the door behind her. She really was excited for tonight, but the excitement was bogged down by uncertainty. She knew almost for certain that Kristoff was a big softie underneath his stoic exterior, but she didn’t know if it was actually because of her or if it was just because she was getting to know him better.

There’s history you don’t know, Anna, she thought to herself. Don’t assume anything.

***

“Drink, bitches!” Sven shouted.

Drinking socially wasn’t something that Anma did often, but she was determined to venture beyond her comfort zone. It was already paying off; tonight, she discovered she had a taste for rum and coke.

Anna growled in protest. Sven never told her he was so good at quarters. Of the twenty-five turns they’d taken, he’d landed twelve quarters in the glass that sat in the center of the four of them. Ryder, who was on his team, had scored four times. Kristoff, who was on Anna’s team, had fared slightly better with a score of seven, and Anna had a score of...zero. Not to mention aiming at the glass was getting harder and harder with every swig she took.

Anna tried to stay as sober as possible by remembering how the evening started. She spent almost half an hour trying to pick out an outfit that she hoped Kristoff would think was cute. She settled on a floral-print tube top that exposed her midriff and the freckles on her shoulders, and a pair of denim cutoffs that were the tiniest bit too short. She checked herself out in the mirror and decided she looked hot, but also couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. Was she showing too much skin? Would it seem like she’s trying too hard? Would Kristoff even pay attention to her? What would Sven and Ryder think?

All the questions flew out of her head as she heard the front door slam. She opened her bedroom door to find Kristoff working his boots off of his feet.

“Welcome home, good sir,” Anna jokingly announced in a posh British accent.

“Thanks,” Kristoff responded absentmindedly. “Have you talked to Sven recently? He told me he wanted to get wasted tonight and I don’t think that’s a, um...uh…” His words trailed off as he looked up at Anna. A few more seconds, and he completely forgot what he wanted to say.

Anna relaxed. Her reservations about her outfit dissipated as she smiled and bit her lower lip. “Yeah, it was actually Ryder’s idea. I haven’t gotten drunk with you guys before and I think it would be fun!”

“Uh...yeah,” Kristoff forced out.

“Awesome!” Anna said. She turned around to walk back to her room. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked, but it didn’t seem creepy; rather, she had cast a line and he had taken the bait. “Let us know when you’re ready!”

“Uh...I gotta-” Kristoff was cut off by the slam of Anna’s bedroom door.

Anna never found out what he was thinking, but it must have been good because they were now sharing the large papasan chair, the curved sides of it encouraging the two occupants to be pressed up against each other. Though Kristoff hadn’t tried as hard with his outfit as she had; he wore a black V-neck tee that was a size too small and, Anna noticed, the same jeans he wore when he helped her with her dresser.

Maybe he did try , Anna thought. He does look sexy.

Kristoff looked at Anna every chance he got, though he tried to be discreet about it. Throughout the entire night his nose was inundated with the scent of her shampoo, the sweet strawberries-and-cream aroma to which he developed a Pavlovian response. His heart lifted and his blood rushed whenever he smelled it.

He watched her turn the quarter over in her fingers, trying to find the right angle, or the right technique, or the right whatever she was looking for to score her first point.

“Hurry it up, honey,” Sven said.

“Don’t listen to him, Anna, you got this,” Kristoff said. “I believe in you.”

Anna shot him a dirty look that couldn’t contain the smile behind it. “Don’t patronize me,” she said, enunciating clearly in an attempt to keep from slurring her words, mostly effectively.

“I’m not!” Kristoff’s smile broadened. “I really do believe in you!”

Getting a few drinks in him loosened Kristoff up without making him too loopy. He found himself feeling really happy having fun with friends, but mostly being this close to Anna. He couldn’t remember why he never let himself get this close before.

Anna squinted her eyes and curled her tongue up to her nose as she aimed and aimed again, before finally letting the quarter loose. It bounced off the table, spun in the air, seemed to hover there for a second or two...and landed in the cup with a satisfying clink .

“FUCK YES!!” Anna shouted as she shot her hands up in the air.

“Ah, Christ, Anna,” Kristoff said as he clapped his hand over his ear. Anna’s elation immediately turned to concern as she turned to lay her hands on Kristoff’s arm.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god, I’m so sorry, I was just really excited,” Anna said, tripping over the words. “Are you okay? Do you want me to kiss it?”

“Kiss the inside of my ear?” Kristoff laughed, causing Anna to burst into laughter. Her laugh wasn’t reserved or bubbly like the ones Kristoff couldn’t stand; it was loud and irregular, full of snorts and gasps. He loved it.

“Yeah, just limme git in ther-r-re,” Anna giggled, pursing her lips into a tight ring. Anna talking into and breathing on his ear sent a euphoric chill through his body.

“No, no, come on, Anna,” Kristoff said. “Let’s keep playing. Ryder, it’s your turn.”

“Um, uh, I’m actually out of quarters,” Ryder said. “I’m pretty sure that was all twenty-five.”

“Looks like we win!” Sven said. “Victory, Team...uh...Svyder? Ryden? Ren?”

“Aw, fuck you guys,” Kristoff said. “We’ll get you next time, right, Anna?”

“Pfffffft, no we won’t,” Anna said, laughing and flopping over onto Kristoff’s lap.

“Anna, come on,” Kristoff protested, trying to lift her off of him. “God, how are you…” No matter how he tried, she kept falling out of his hands and back onto his lap. “You’re like liquid! Stop!”

“I’m just happy-y-y-y,” Anna said, almost melodically. “I’m so glad I moved here, I love you guys.” She looked up at Kristoff, her eyes half-open and dreamy. “Even you, grumpy man,” she said, pitching her voice down as she spoke.

Kristoff didn’t know what to do. Here was Anna, inebriated and uninhibited, in the cutest outfit he’d ever seen her in, literally throwing herself at him. He knew what he wanted to do, but he didn’t think now was the right time.

“Anna, seriously, you’re drunk.”

“No I’m not!” Anna shouted as she sat up. “Watch! Z, Y, X, uh, V-”

“You couldn’t even make it three letters in!”

“No no no no no hold on hold on hold on, uh, Z, Y, X, W ,” she said, pointing a finger at Kristoff. “V, U, T...um…”

“Okay, Anna-”

“ S!! ” she shouted.

“Alright, we get it,” Kristoff responded. “You’re not that drunk.”

“Hey Sven, wanna try playing Halo drunk?” Ryder asked all of a sudden.

“What? Ryder, we’re-” Sven cut himself off when he turned to look at Ryder’s face. His head was cocked at a slight angle, eyes wide and lips pressed into a fine line. He shot a quick sideways glance at Kristoff and Anna before looking back at Sven.

“Oh. Uh, sure thing. I have to get another drink, though,” Sven answered.

“Okay, great, I’ll get it set up,” Ryder said and scurried off to his room. Sven followed shortly after, an unopened beer can in his hand. They were gone before either Anna or Kristoff had time to respond.

“Oh, alright, bye guys,” Kristoff said to no one in particular.

For a moment the two of them sat in silence. It was a comfortable silence, just as it usually was with them, but this silence in particular was charged with potential. Anything could happen from this moment, and it all depended on the two of them.

“So…” Anna finally broke the silence, “...what do you wanna do?”

Get you out of that adorable outfit, Kristoff thought. “Umm…” is what he said.

“We could...keep drinking, we could watch something, we could-”

“Oh, yeah, what’s that show you’re into right now? ‘Throne Games?’ ‘Throne...Battle?’ ‘Throne…’”

“‘Gilmore Girls?’”

“Yeah, that. We could watch that.” Kristoff started to stand up. “I’ll turn the-”

Anna grabbed his arm. “Kristoff...wait,” she said. He turned to look at her and saw her eyes, wide and heavy with emotion.

Kristoff sat back down. “...Yeah?”

“I just...I’m sorry if I come off strong sometimes, I know I can be overbearing, and our personalities are so different, I just, I don’t know, I just kept trying to get to know you better and I try to be nice around you, but I’m also loud a lot and I don’t know if you’re okay with that-”

“Anna.”

She looked up at his face. His bright, hazel eyes that bored into her own eyes. His gentle, soft smile that imprinted directly on her heart. Kristoff, she thought. She couldn’t think of anything else. Kristoff.

He opened his mouth to speak. “It’s oka-”

Before she could stop herself or even realize what she was doing, her mouth was pressed against his. He recoiled, pulling away from her.

“Anna!” he shouted, seemingly upset. In an instant, Anna sobered up.

“Oh my god, I didn’t--I don’t know--I’m so sorry-”

“Stop.” The world froze for the two of them.

This time, Kristoff couldn’t resist. I want this, he convinced himself. He laid his hands on the sides of her face, stroking the softness of her cheek and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He leaned in and kissed her. Anna tensed for a second, then relaxed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Pants and moans escaped their mouths as they kissed, tongues moving in to explore. They whispered each other’s names. Hands roamed to unexplored places. They couldn’t stop themselves.

Anna climbed on top of Kristoff, straddling his broad frame with her legs. She could feel the bulge in his pants straining against the denim. She pressed herself up against him and he moaned into her lips. His arms tightened their grip on her. She laid a hand on his arm and guided it down her back until his hand was on her ass, which he took a firm hold of. His mouth and tongue left trails of hot breath and gentle kisses on her neck and cheeks. She threw her head back and shuddered as he worked.

Without warning, Kristoff placed his other hand on Anna’s ass and lifted her into the air. A small cry escaped her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist and giggled. “I’ve waited so long,” she breathed, before pressing her mouth to his again. Kristoff chuckled as he carried her into his bedroom and shut the door behind them.

 “Put me down,” Anna said, and Kristoff obeyed.

She wasted no time in pulling her top off, revealing her black strapless bra. Kristoff’s mouth went dry as he marveled at her.

“Take off your shirt,” Anna demanded, the deep, uncharacteristic rumble of her voice breaking him out of his trance.

Kristoff wordlessly complied, revealing his large and slightly chubby, but ultimately finely sculpted form that Anna had been dying to see. She ran eager hands up his sides, placing kisses on his firm chest.

She rushed to undo the button on Kristoff’s pants as he struggled to unlatch her bra. The two worked at each other, hands and fingers feverishly trying to get each other out of their clothes to reveal all they had been fantasizing about. As Anna’s bra fell away to reveal her perky, freckled breasts, a quiet “holy shit” escaped through Kristoff’s lips.

“Do you like them?” Anna asked, a twinge of self-consciousness in her voice.

“I love them,” Kristoff responded as he filled his hands with them. She moaned softly at the contact.

Anna tugged his pants down past his bulge, pulling his underwear with them, revealing his completely hard cock. “Oh my god,” she said. “This is really happening.”

“Should we-” Kristoff started to say.

“Don’t think,” Anna said, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. Kristoff sucked air through his teeth as she wrapped her hand around his shaft and began stroking it. Kristoff responded by reaching down to her pussy and trailing a finger through her folds. He smiled into her lips as he heard the hitch of her breath when he touched her. She was sopping and eager.

“I need you inside me,” Anna said breathlessly after a moment. She couldn’t wait any longer.

“Turn around,” Kristoff directed. It was Anna’s turn to obey. She turned, braced herself against the wall, and presented herself to him.

Kristoff couldn’t believe what he was looking at. The freckles dotting her smooth and otherwise flawless skin, her orange hair seeming to glow in the otherwise dimly-lit room, her slim waist, her wide hips, her incredible ass, the lusty expression on her face as she looked back, impatiently awaiting him to enter her. There was no doubt in Kristoff’s mind anymore. She wanted him, and he wanted her.

Tonight, he would give himself to her.

Anna let out a gasp and Kristoff grunted as he slipped his cock inside of her. Anna’s head dropped as she pushed back against his cock, taking his entire length and pressing her ass to his hips. Kristoff threw his head back.

Kristoff’s rough, strong hands wrapped around Anna’s waist, gripping her tightly. He threw his hips forward and back, pulling her onto him with his hands. His pace was slow at first, but quickly became rapid as his lust grew exponentially stronger.

Anna reached between her legs with one hand to massage her clit. She felt victorious. This was the culmination of well over a month of waiting and turning hopes into actions. With every one of Kristoff's thrusts, she became more and more pleased with herself.

Kristoff grabbed Anna’s idle arm and pulled, forcing her upright and pressing more of her ass against his pelvis. “Fuck, you feel so good,” Kristoff breathed into her ear.

Anna moaned through a smile as a response to Kristoff. “Pull my hair,” she begged. Her head jerked back as he grabbed a handful of her wavy locks and tugged, forcing a moan out of her. With his other hand he cupped and massaged one of her breasts, pinching and caressing the nipple. Her moans arced and soared as Kristoff’s own moans deepened and lengthened.

Anna threw herself back against him, a satisfying slap ringing out every time their skin made contact. She felt him building up inside her, approaching his peak. The pulsing of his cock within her brought her closer to her own.

“Fuck, Anna, I’m gonna cum,” Kristoff moaned. “Where can I-”

“I’m on the pill. Cum inside me,” Anna said between breaths. “I’m almost there too.”

Anna’s legs began to shake. Kristoff’s vice-like grip grew tighter. Their moans grew more frequent and fiery, full of desire for each other, their unspoken promises becoming fulfilled. Kristoff called out her name and she shuddered against him.

She pressed herself up against Kristoff as much as she was able as she felt him release inside of her, the warm fluid erupting from his cock and filling her. Her walls closed and constricted around him, forcing out every last drop.

They fell in a heap on a pile of unwashed clothes. They were huffing and panting, content with each other, sitting in the glowing aftermath of their orgasms.

“Holy fuck,” Anna said.

“Yeah,” Kristoff responded. “I can’t believe we did that.”

“I can,” Anna said, climbing on top of him to offer a kiss.

Kristoff chuckled and kissed her back. He couldn’t lie to himself; he was happy. But there was still that speck of doubt, that modicum of guilt.

I’ll worry about it tomorrow, he thought. I’m happy now. I don’t want to ruin that.

They stayed with each other that night. They both remembered how wonderful it was to fall asleep next to someone.

[13-reasons-ideas]

Hey🌸 your blog is my fave I love all the Monty love! Could u do #21 from Drabble Challenge: 1-150 “he’s a bad kisser” I kinda had this idea where she’s excited and getting ready for a date with this guy from school that’s she’s had a crush on, turns out he’s not as great as she thought and calls Monty (her best friend) and vents to him about everything & he’s secretly happy cause he’s always liked her ... let’s just say he shows her what a good kiss feels like😉

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long. I had a hard time figuring out the date, because its been... at least 5 years since I went on an actual first date. I hope you like this. I combined a couple of asks because they asked for basically the same thing. I also suck at titles. I hope you like it! 

Bad Date? 

t finally happened. Dillion finally asked me out. Tonight was the night of our first date. I cannot tell you how long I’ve had a crush on him, probably since the seventh grade at least. The first and only person I wanted to tell about my excitement was nowhere to be found. I checked my watch quickly and saw that it was 3:25. Monty would be heading into the locker room to change for baseball practice. If I run there, I could probably catch him. As I looked up from my watch, I caught sight of everyone’s favourite jock. “Jeff. Hey Atkins!” I called out to him. He turned around and saw me.

“Hey flapjack, what’s up?” He asked, using the nickname the boys had given me back in fourth grade, when I snuck them all in on a Saturday morning and made pancakes while we watched cartoons.

“Have you seen Monty?” I asked, trying to contain my excitement.

“No, but I can grab him from the locker room for you if you need. Is everything okay?” He asked, mild concern etching his face.

“Yeah. No everything’s great. Would you mind? I’d go in myself but… I don’t need to see that.” I was trying not to bounce at this point. He nodded and motioned for me to follow him. As I waited for him to send Monty out, I heard the boys yelling and generally being idiots.

“Hey de la Cruz, your girl needs to talk to you. I’d hurry before she gives herself an aneurysm or something. She seems pretty eager about whatever it is.” Jeff called through the room. I heard the guys give Monty a playful hard time about it, but they knew that there was nothing romantic between us. Monty popped out of the room and I couldn’t help the brief look to his chiseled abdomen. I said nothing romantic, not that I didn’t appreciate that my best friend is hot.

“What’s up Hailey? Jeff seemed concerned. Are you okay?” He rattled off quickly.

“I’m good Monty. Actually, I’m better than good. I’m great. You’ll never guess what happened?” I sang, beginning to bounce on my heels. He watched me with an amused expression.

“Your parents bought you a new used Civic?” He asked, jokingly. I made a face and rolled my eyes.

“No you goof. Dillion asked me out.” I exclaimed excitedly. He smiled and laughed at my overly excited demeanor.

“That’s great. Need me to come over after practice? It’ll probably get cut short because of the rain.” He offered.

“Sure. He’s not picking me up until 7 so you’ll have time.” He nodded and before he could say anything, Bryce stuck his head out the door.

“Hate to break up the love fest or whatever this is, but we have to go practice Monty.”

“I’m coming. Just a second. I’ll text you when we are done and head over.” Monty said before leaning down and giving me a tight hug.

Monty was right. Practice ended at 4:15, a mere forty-five minutes after it began, so he was currently watching me pull out every item of clothing in my closet. “This one?” I asked, holding up a red sweater. He thought for a moment before shaking his head.  I shook my head and groaned, “I have nothing to wear.” I sank down on the bed beside him and covered my face “I should just cancel. You’ve said no to everything and I can’t very well go naked, can I?”

He chuckled and muttered “I mean, you could. I don’t think Dillion will complain.” I gasped scandalously, grabbed my pillow, and whacked him playfully with it. “Hey! Violence!”

“Oh please. You’re going to tell me about how violence is bad? Coach said if you screw up your full ride hand in another fight, he will skin you.”

Monty laughed heartily and tapped my knee a few times, “okay fine. Come on, get up. We need to find you some clothes to wear Missy.” I groaned again and went back to my closet. “What about that shirt with the flowers and girly shit on it? That’s cute.” I considered it for a moment before shrugging the suggested top on. I turned around and showed him and he gave me a quick thumbs up. Knowing that he isn’t exactly the most fashion forward person known to man-he wears a different variation of the same shirt everyday- I grabbed a pair of 501’s and pulled them on.

As I tackled my hair and makeup, Monty and I caught up for a while. We had both been busy with school and our own activities, so this was the most uninterrupted time we had alone together recently. “So, any big plans for the evening?” I asked casually.

“Not really. Dad is out of town visiting family or whatever, so I’ll probably just have a chill night at home with my mom. She’s trying some new chicken thing tonight, so hopefully I don’t get sick. Remember the slow cooker ‘pork’?”

“You mean the pulled mush? Of course I remember. I still can’t eat pork chops.”

Monty barked out a laugh and shuddered. The sound of a car pulling in the driveway pulled us from our revere. “Oh crap. He’s here. Montgomery, what do I do?”

“Relax. It’ll be fine. Grab a jacket and I’ll go with you to answer the door.”

I took a deep breath and went with Monty to answer the door. He stood next to me, suspiciously close behind me. Dillion knocked a few raps before I opened it. He looked me up and down, taking me in, and smiled smoothly, “Hey Hailey. You look very pretty tonight.” He looked to Monty and his smile faltered for a brief second, “de la Cruz.”

“Sanders.” Monty replied, more coolly than I expected him to.

Finally finding my voice after taking in his blue Billy Reid Henley and tailored jeans, I replied shakily. “Hey Dillion. Thanks, you look good too. You ready?” Thanks? Really? Get it together.

“I’m ready if you are.” He replied, helping me into my coat.

I blushed slightly but caught Monty roll his eyes. What crawled up his ass? Turning to him I addressed Monty and gave him a quick hug, “Feel free to stay as long as you want. Just make sure you set the alarm before you go. I’ll call you tonight.”

In the shiny black BMW on the way to Rosie’s, Dillion was a perfect gentleman. He let me pick the music and we chatted casually, more of his attention understandably on the road than on me. That would be a hell of a first date. When we arrived, he opened my door and helped me out of the car. He even gave me his arm as we walked in. This is great.

When we were seated, things started to change. In the car, his divided attention could be explained away with driving. When sitting across from each other at dinner on the other hand, it was a little harder to explain. He was polite to the waitress at the door at least. When we sat down there was a period of awkward silence. The people around us chatted freely while we just sat. Dillion plucked a piece of thread from his sleeve and I inspected the hem of my top. Finally, the waitress arrived. “Good evening, my name’s Riley, what can I get for you?”

“A chocolate-“

“A cherry-“ we started together.

“Sorry. You first.” Dillion acquiesced with a wave of his hand, as though he was doing me a favour. I smiled at him before ordering.

“May I get a cherry chocolate shake please?”

“Sure thing. Yourself?” Riley replied, marking my order on her well used notepad.

“May I get a chocolate shake please Riley?” Dillion asked, giving her a flirty smirk. Seriously? I’m sitting right here. I pretended not to notice and after another moment or two we were able to start a conversation of sorts.

“So Hailey, you’re quite a hard girl to track down. It took me weeks to track you down in our little town to ask you out.” Dillion started suavely.

I blushed before deciding to play coy, “I’m a busy girl Dillion, lots going on, you know?”

“Yeah, I noticed.” He chuckled. “Most of my issue was getting you away from your friends, so I could ask you privately.”

“Well, you could of asked to talk privately. They wouldn’t have minded.” I was growing confused and concerned with his comments.

“Your bodyguard would have been okay with it?” He asked before muttering under his breath, “sure.”

I was taken aback by his comment about Monty but after considering it for a moment, let it slide. If it were me in his place, I probably would be scared shitless too. Before I could think of a response, Riley arrived with our milkshakes. “Here you go guys. What can I getcha?” I motioned to Dillion to order first.

“I’ll get a bacon cheeseburger.”

“And I’ll have a club sandwich with a soup please.”

“Comin’ right up.”

After she left to put our orders in, in an attempt to salvage the conversation, I decided to ask Dillion about himself. “Tell me about yourself? We’ve never really talked about non-school related things.”

He immediately perked up and grinned, “well, where do I start? Oh, I know. My hobbies consist of being awesome and being a badass. To preface, my friends and I are idiots when we get together.” I felt my eyes widen slightly before smoothing my face. “This one night, Marshall, a few of our buddies, and I ‘borrowed’ his dad’s truck and took it for a spin in Mr. Johnston’s field.”

“Oh, coo-” I started.

“He has no cameras. Probably not the smartest idea on his part. Anyway, Jacob-he goes to Hillcrest, private school boy- cracked a beer in the box as Marshall had the brilliant idea to floor it. Beer went everywhere. All over Jacob, the back window, the box, and the field. I opened my beer before getting in the truck.”

“Ah, of course.” I nodded along, trying to fain interest.

“A few beers in, we decided to switch drivers. I took charge and did a few doughnuts, no big deal. By the end of the night the field was messed up. Would show you pictures, but we weren’t dumb enough to take them. Not illegal if you don’t get caught, am I right?”

“I-I guess?”

“I’m right. But enough about me, how was the bio test last week?”

“It was okay, some of the questions were dumb. The vitamin K question gave me some trouble.”

“Oh yeah, totally. I barely got a C- on it. How’d you do?” he bragged, as though it was an accomplishment. Fuck this guy is annoying.

I blinked before answering dryly, “I got an A- that had to be adjusted to an A because the scantron machine screwed up.” Dillion blinked at me clearly at a loss for words and thankfully, Riley came with our food. Bless her and her timing.

We ate our food quietly, or at least, more quietly than before. Dillion was still regaling me with stories of his shenanigans and ‘not illegal because we didn’t get caught’ antics with his friends. I was counting down the bites until I would be done my sandwich and we could leave. After we had finished and gotten the bill, he pulled out his wallet before I had time to even think about grabbing my purse. Huh. He’s paying without discussion. Maybe he’s trying to make up for talking my ear off. He offered me his hand to help me up and, after helping me into my jacket again, held it as we walked back to the car. Maybe he’s just awkward on dates. Maybe I’m judging him too harshly.

The ride back to my place was quiet, thankfully. I tried to keep a smile on my face, even though I wanted to do nothing more than make my feelings known. Just have to get to the house. Then I can be done with this. Drama class is coming in really handy now. As we pulled up to my house and parked, Dillion cut the engine and undid his seatbelt. I plastered a big smile on my face and once again, tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. At least he’s walking me to the door. That’s a plus, right? He came around and opened my door for me, pulling me from my thoughts. Taking my hand, he led me to the door and we stood on the step for a moment looking into each other’s eyes. He is very pretty. “I had a really great time tonight Hailey.” Dillion said. He brushed a strand of hair that fell back behind my ear. “And I know I said it already, but you look beautiful tonight.”

My eyes softened as I again, thought of how sweet and charming he could be. My smile became less forced and I relaxed. I didn’t want to lie to him, so I just nodded, playing it off as being shy. Under the soft light of my front porch and the spotlight of the full moon, he leaned in slightly. I let out a quiet breath when his hand fell naturally on my hip, to pull me closer. This is it. He’s going to kiss me. He closed his eyes and I closed mine. My hands rested comfortably on his shoulders and I felt his lips touch mine and it felt… wet. Not ‘used a gel lip balm wet’. Not ‘just had a drink and there’s liquid left on my lips’ wet. It was saliva. Oh. My. God. He pulled me closer still and I could swear I felt… god no. teeth. This is terrible. Trying not to pull away too quickly, I managed to smoothly detach myself from him. I cleared my throat and tried to make it look like I was catching my breath. “W-wow.” I stuttered. I stepped away and tried to keep my expression relaxed. I turned and backed against the door, reaching for the handle. Dillion smiled at me again before checking his watch.

“It’s getting late, I should probably head home. I had fun tonight.”

“Uh, yeah. Me too. Drive safe. See you at school.” I said, blinking a few times to confirm I was in fact, awake and this wasn’t some alternate universe or nightmare.

I turned to unlock the door and he was driving away before I was even had my key in the lock. Leaning back against the door I tried to catch my breath and digest what a disaster tonight had turned into. I grabbed a blanket and curled up on the couch to call Montgomery. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey Hales. How’d it go?”

“Uuuuuggggghhhhhh.” I groaned in response.

“That bad? What happened?” his voice took on a concerned tone.

“Where do I begin? Let’s see. The drive over was nice. But when we got to the restaurant everything changed. He was polite to the waitress which is good. But he just… talked the whole time. About himself. I barely got a word in edgewise. And he was so arrogant.”

“Ouch, that bites. I’m sorry Hailey.”

“That’s not even the worst part. There’s more. So, he was an arrogant prick at dinner and I think I said a total of twenty words the whole time. When we got back to my place, he walked me to the door.”

“As he should have.” Monty interjected.

“I mean yes. It was what happened after we got to the door that’s the problem.”

“I’m listening.”

“He kissed me.” I groaned.

“Did you want him to kiss you?” His voice had an edge to it I didn’t like.

“Yeah I guess? I really didn’t think that it could be that bad. It’s not like he kissed me when I told him no or anything, so chill.”

“Oh. Well that’s good. How bad could it have been Hales?”

“He’s a bad kisser.”

“Define bad exactly?”

“It was wet Monty. To be more specific it felt wet, sloppy, and when he pulled me closer, toothy. And it’s not like he has an overbite and can’t help the teeth, at least then you can’t really blame the guy.” I heard Monty stifle a laugh on the other end of the line. “Go ahead, you can laugh.” He burst out laughing and I couldn’t help but laugh along.

“I-I’m so-sorry. I shouldn’t-” he choked out between laughs. Pausing to catch his breath he continued, “I shouldn’t laugh. That’s really not good.”

“Not good? Monty its bad. Worse than just bad. It’s very bad.”

Monty sighed after another moment. “I’m sorry you had such a shit date. Your mom still in Vermont?”

“Yeah, she’ll be back Saturday. Why?”

“I tell you what. I’ll come over and try to make up for the horrible evening you had to endure. I’m free the rest of the night so I can stay over. You, me, popcorn, two-liter Dr. Pepper, and a movie. You in?”

“Throw in Mike & Ikes and Hot Tamales and you’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll make the popcorn this time though. I for one don’t like snacking on charcoal.”

Monty chuckled, “It was ONE time. You drive a hard bargain but sure. You’re still not a fuckin’ child though.”

“Yeah yeah, you love me. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“You know it.” He said and I could hear the smile in his voice before he hung up.

I knew he would have to stop at Blue Spot for the Dr. Pepper at this time of night so I could hold off on the popcorn for now. I decided to get out of the uncomfortable clothes I wore on my date and put on something more homely. I quickly changed into one of Monty’s old gym shirts I stole from his drawer and a pair of bike shorts. The shirt was so big on me it hit me mid-thigh. I took off my makeup and brushed my hair out before heading down to put the popcorn on the stove and pick out a movie.

I was just taking the popcorn off the burner when Monty knocked on the door. “One second!” I called. I ran to open the door and Monty stood with his arms full. He looked alluring in the moonlight. The light pulling the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes out. I welcomed him inside and he placed our various snacks and drinks on the coffee table while I grabbed the popcorn. When I reached for the bowl, his shirt rode up and I felt his eyes on my ass. Oh boys. “Enjoying the view?” I flirted playfully. He coughed, caught off guard by my comment and tried to recover.

“Nah, I’m admiring my shirt. I wondered where it disappeared to. Looks good on you though.” he flirted back.

“Uh-huh. Here, come get the butter and cups. I’ve got the popcorn.” I sauntered back to the couch and pulled the blanket over my legs. Monty took his usual spot beside me and I cuddled close to him as I got comfortable. Holding the popcorn in my lap, I grabbed the remote and hit play on Christopher Robin. We settled in for a quiet evening.

By the time we got halfway through the movie, the pop had been half finished, the candy was more on the floor and couch than in our mouths, and the popcorn had been long forgotten. I had spent most of the movie thinking about the failure of the date I had and watching Monty’s facial expressions at the film, even though we had seen it many times before. I thought about feelings I had either ignored or pushed away and about comments the two of us had shared that could be construed as something more than simply two friends joking around. I sat up suddenly, startling Monty slightly.

“Hey Monty?” I asked shyly.

“Yeah Hailey?” he asked, still mostly focused on the movie.

“Do… is… what’s happening here?”

“Uh… we are watching a movie?” His attention turning to me.

“No. Well, technically yes. But that’s not what I mean.”

“I’m not following.”

I sighed, grabbed the remote and pressed pause, and continued even though every fibre of my being was telling me not to, that I had to be reading everything wrong. “It’s just, when I told you about Dillion at school you seemed really detached. And you said no to literally every option when I was asking about clothes. It wasn’t until I looked upset about cancelling that you made a suggestion. And then when he picked me up, you were really quiet and cold towards him. And I get that the date was a literal burning shit pile, but you seemed almost… glad that it went badly. Like you were happy we wouldn’t be going on another date.”

“I… uh.” He was at a loss for words.

“I’ve heard Scott and Jeff talk. I’ve heard the other guys comment on stuff we say to each other. I just...” I was being to lose my nerve. “Actually you know what? Just... just forget it. Forget I said anything. I’m going to go get a glass of water.” I stood up and started to walk to the kitchen. I could hear Monty stand up and walk towards me but I refused to turn around. I felt his hand grab my arm gently and turn me around.

“Hailey.”

“Hmm?” I still couldn’t look at him.

“You’re right.”

“I’m right? About what?”

“I was happy your date went bad. Not that you were upset or that you didn’t enjoy yourself. I was happy that there wouldn’t be a second date. That I wouldn’t have to...”

“Have to what? Share me?” I turned to look at him now. “I wouldn’t stop being your friend if I had a boyfriend Monty.”

“Well I would hope not. Who else would keep me in check Hales? Scotty could try but it’s not like he could hold me back. And he doesn’t seem like type to hug another dude unless someone died or some shit. And Bryce, well who knows what he’d do.” He paused to take a breath, as though he was gathering some of that tiger courage the boys always talk about. “But that’s not the point. I don’t want to have to watch you be with someone else. Someone who isn’t....”

“Isn’t what Montgomery?” I asked, not daring to breathe too much. This couldn’t be real. I have to have fallen asleep. He looked at me and all the things I had ignored or pushed away came to the forefront of my mind. The way the dim kitchen light illuminated his face and caught the freckles faintly scattered across his face, made him look almost angelic. He’s going to kiss me.

“Someone that isn’t me.” He said before he pulled me in, placed his hand on my hip, leaned in, and kissed me in one quick smooth motion. For the second time that night, my hands found themselves resting against firm shoulders, more confidently this time. This time though, it wasn’t wet, or sloppy, and there were no teeth. When he pulled me closer, he ran his tongue along my bottom lip, asking permission for entrance. When I granted it, he wrapped his strong arms around my waist and lifted me onto the counter so I could wrap my arms around his neck more easily. When we pulled away, I smiled and then I had a thought. “So…”

“Yes?”

“Does this mean I get to keep the shirt?” I asked cheekily.

Monty laughed wholeheartedly. “Yeah, yeah I guess it does. I was serious, it looks better on you than me.” He helped me down and we walked back to the couch holding hands.

[lovejustforaday]

2020 year in review - honourable mentions

It’s year-end list season folks. I’m gonna be listing off my top 10 for this year with some tasty reviews, but I also wanted to make an appreciation post for a few albums that didn’t make the cut, so here’s a collection of mini reviews for five albums that almost made the top 10:

WEST OF EDEN - HMLTD

Main Genres: Art Punk, Glam Punk, Art Pop A decent sampling of: Dark Cabaret, Progressive Pop, Synth Punk, Post-Punk, Punk Blues

West of Eden is what I imagine what happens when a bunch of theatre kids become punk rockers. I had no idea who HMLTD were before I checked them out this year on a whim, and boy am I glad I did. This is very eclectic punk music with pop hooks and a lot of influence from cabaret and musical theatre. Definitely the kind of album where the artist throws everything at the wall to see what sticks, so it’s a mixed bag, but there’s a lot of pay off too. “The West Is Dead” is a wondrously flamboyant opener, and “Satan, Luella, and I” is a such a massive song, with a brilliant clash of aesthetics that is one part wild west, one part gothic, and one part broadway fanfare. Also I swear they’re sampling a vocaloid voice track on “Why?” so that’s something. Check this album out if you wanna get weird. 8/10

Highlights: “Satan, Luella, & I”, “The West Is Dead”, “Where’s Joanna?”, “To The Door”

FUTURE NOSTALGIA – DUA LIPA

Main Genres: Nu-Disco, Dance Pop A decent sampling of: Funktronica, Synth Pop

Ironically, 2020 has been a really big year for nu-disco even though we can’t go out to the clubs. Likewise, this somehow ended up only being my second favourite disco/pop crossover project this year, but this is still a great album and the singles are easily the best thing to dominate the charts this year. If Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? is classy, sensual, and soulful, than Future Nostalgia is spunky and free-spirited, like the perfect soundtrack to a night out with the girls. Dua Lipa has really proven she’s a force to be reckoned with in the pop world, and I’m glad she’s starting to approach the level of stardom of artists like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande who frankly I think she’s starting to really outperform musically. The last two tracks standout as easily being the weakest, although unlike some man-children I’m not mad at the lyrics of “Boys Will Be Boys”; it’s just a weak song musically, but not enough to make me forget how much the rest of this kicks ass. Honestly, it’s a crime that I can’t be drunk off my ass shouting the lyrics to “Hallucinate” in a gay bar right now as I’m writing this, but I digress. Very good album, proud of Dula Peep. 8/10 Highlights: “Hallucinate”, “Break My Heart”, “Don’t Start Now”, “Levitating”

SILVER LADDERS – MARY LATTIMORE

Main Genres: Ambient A decent sampling of: Post-Minimalism, New Age, Electroacoustic

I checked out this album because it was co-produced by Neil Halstead of Slowdive (my all-time favourite band), and I didn’t know what to expect from the process of a shoegaze giant producing an album of instrumental harp music. Thankfully, I’m happy to report that the end result is both unconventional and beautifully mesmerizing. Mary Lattimore’s Silver Ladders is a heavenly ambient album comprised mostly of just gently plucked harps, warm reverb, and the occasional addition of sparse bass and synths. Lattimore’s harp work is intricate but subtle, and the songs make a lot of good use of the space between notes, especially on the title track “Silver Ladders”, a haunting siren song that ends in a crescendo of shimmering echoes. I find the shorter ambient pieces on the album work a lot better than the two darker, longer pieces “Til A Mermaid Drags You Under” and “Don’t Look” which I find to be a tad bit dreary. Still, like all good ambient music, this entire project is a lot more than just ‘background music’ and it really captures the imagination of the listener. I want to get lost at sea listening to the cold air of Mary Lattimore’s harp, but I’ll gladly settle for listening to Silver Ladders on the bus ride home instead. 8/10

Highlights: “Silver Ladders“, “Sometimes He’s In My Dreams”, “Chop on the Climbout”

SHRINES – ARMAND HAMMER

Main Genres: Abstract Rap, Experimental Rap, East Coast Rap A decent sampling of: Conscious Rap, Hardcore Rap

Definitely my favourite album cover of the year, and it’s a completely real photo of an incident that actually happened so that’s pretty crazy. As for the music, Shrines is a hypnotic, cryptic hip hop album with hard leftist politics and very interesting production that sounds like the sonic manifestation of a head full of cynical thoughts. Billy Woods and Elucid spit rhymes with a lot of poetic frustration, expressing the feeling of utter disenfranchisement by the power systems of classism and racism that dominate their society. The first half of the album is mostly tracks that are energetic like the absolutely ferocious “Leopards”, while later tracks like “Flavor Flav” and “Ramesses II” are mostly mellow and bitter. The beats can be disorienting and confusing, and some of the tracks are kinda formless, so its definitely not an album to dance to, but Shrines is great for a more introspective listen on a late night walk. If I had to pick an album that captured the zeitgeist of 2020, this is probably it. Great music and important subject matter. 8/10

Highlights: “Leopards”, “Dead Cars”, “Flavor Flav”, “Pommelhorse”

ISLAND – OWEN PALLETT

Main Genres: Chamber Folk A decent sampling of: Art Pop, Modern Classical, Ambient

Owen Pallett is an indie folk artist who has had one foot in the sophisticated world of modern classical music for some time now. Likewise, Pallett’s 2020 concept album Island is grand and orchestral with distinct movements. Continuing the saga of his character Lewis from his 2010 LP Heartland, the new album is equally philosophical and complex, telling the story of Lewis being metaphorically stranded after killing his manipulator god at the end of the last album in the saga. The majority of this album is brilliantly nocturnal in a way that is neither creepy nor unsettling, instead conjuring the invigorating fantasy of a mysterious and enchanting night of a full moon. “Paragon of Order” is particularly enchanting, and while this album only sits at #11 on my year-end list, this one track in particular is probably in my top 3 of the year because it’s just so incredibly magical and captivating in a way that feels like it’s lifting me to a heightened sensory experience every time I listen to it. The last few tracks are a little confusing, especially “Lewis Gets Fucked into Space”, taking a somewhat abstract direction that deviates from the gorgeous imagery of the first half that I fell in love with. Nevertheless, Island is an album I’ll want to revisit on nights when I’m feeling excited or inspired. 8/10

Highlights: “Paragon of Order”, “--> (i)”, “Perseverance of The Saints”, “--> (iii)”, “--> (ii)”, “The Sound of The Engines”

[praphit]

BAMFs of 2019

Here's last year’s CHAMP -

THANOS

(Thanos: ”WTF did you just say?” #Mood)

Let's see if he made it back.

But, first, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions, as well as some people who were trying too hard:

Rey - 

Of course she is a total BAMF. So, why isn't she on this list? 3 REASONS: 1) She looks like a racist ex that I once dated. How can someone who decided to date you (a black man) be racist? Did y'all see the movie "Get Out"? You didn't know that the story was based off one of my relationships did you? So, yeah, she ain't ever gettin on this list.

2) The force is cheating - their I said it.

3) This last movie sucked. This rap she did didn't help her cause.

ALSO - there’s this - her rapping. I repeat, she ain’t ever getting on this list.

Nic Cage - cuz he's Nic bleepin Cage

Cardi B - cuz she’s Cardi bleepin B

Hooded Justice - if only he had been in more episodes. A black man disguising himself in a hood, as well as white, to fight evil in his neighborhood, that the police force (of which he is a part of) refuses to stop. Hell yeah! I love "Watchmen".

Lupita! - her brilliantly scary performance in "Us" is def BAMF material.

The Rock - honestly, The Rock is so awesome, and has been for so long, that he needs to be extra awesome to make it.

Trying too Hard. Please STOP:

Batwoman -

I like Ruby, but she's like an elf. She's an elf model. It's not bad to be an elf model, but... If a villain in Gotham, let's say "Bane" 

has me cornered, and Batwoman shows up to "rescue me", Imma start praying. He'd swing her around by that red hair of hers until her head pops off.

Rambo - He’s like 80! C’mon, Sly. Please STOP.

Dark Phoenix - a movie about her temper tantrum 

Joker -

 - not with all of that awkward dancing he was doing

NOW, finally, the top Bad Ass Muthas of 2019!

12) Greta - 

Say what you will about climate change, but you can't deny her passion and dedication, and how inspiring it is (unless you're Prez Trump or Fox News) to see and hear a kid like her do her thing. I admit that her winning the honor of "Person of the Year" is too much. But, we all wish our kids would be this dedicated to what they believe is positive change. Plus, she has a kickass soundtrack. Gets me hyped every time!

11) Dave Chappelle

Back in the day, comedians used to be brought on stage, tasked with the difficult job of making a room full of different types of people laugh. Now, it's not just about the job of jokes, but you have to do so without offending anyone, and with clean living. When did we start holding a comedian's behavior to a higher standard than we do elected officials? Dave saw this, and kept doing what made him popular anyway. In a world where most comedians are running scared from difficult topics, Dave plunges right in. BAD ASS. 

10) Linda Hamilton - 

Old as bleep! We have what's-her-face here, 

who is kinda badass herself, but despite being a badass cyborg (or whatever the hell she is), she still felt the need to ask for help from Linda bleepin Hamilton. LH traded her Hospice bingo card in for some guns and went to town on some machines! It'd be like if your home was being surrounded by aliens, and despite you having some fire power in your home and 911 at your disposal, everyone's first thought is to call grandma. That'd have to be one BAMF of a granny!

9) Masvidal - 

Allow me to describe this brotha to y'all who might not know.

Some guy was talkin smack to Masvidal, and that guy got kneed in the face by Masvidal (fastest knock out in UFC history = 5 secs). Some guy was arrogant enough to say he was the baddest mofo around, and Masvidal scheduled a fight with this dude for a literal baddest mofo around belt. Plus, that same night of the fight, when he was talking to the media after he had won, he started mocking Conor McGregor, talkin bout Conor don't want none of this. He was talking trash, publicly, about Conor, while people were feeding him pizza. BADASS!

If there is ever a fork in the road, and on one side you see The Rock, Jason Statham, and Will Smith chasing after you, and the other you have Masvidal sitting down, eating a slice of pizza, you had better take your chances with the three action heroes over this BAMF.

8) Nunes - 

If you don't know who she is, I wouldn't be surprised. The UFC botched her marketing before and after she fought and beat (badly) Ronda Rousey - yeah, RONDA ROUSEY; remember her? Nunes pretty much ended her career.

The UFC was so certain that Ronda was going to win, and so shocked when she lost, that they missed an opp to get behind a fighter who is better than Ronda (though mad respect for Ronda), and is currently holding TWO belts (first woman to do so). ALSO, she's the first openly gay UFC champ in history. She's so sweet too! - well, unless you're locked in the octagon with her, then she turns into a werewolf.

7) MANDO

I don't know about you, but all of this talk of teamwork from comic book movies can be a bit tiresome. The Avengers, The Justice League, The X-Men. Everybody wants to form a band. What happened to solo acts? What happened to lone rangers? People may say "There's no I in TEAM." Yeah, that's the prob! What about I?! Sometimes, you're Justin Timberlake, and the rest of the group is simply holding you back. That's Mando. He's Disney's updated (non-racist, unless you’re talkin drones) Lone Ranger. He doesn't need teamwork (maybe a weekly cameo, and a baby tag-along, but that's it!). He has beaten up gangs of robots, burnt people up, taken people out Jason Voorhees style, cut people in half, blown people up, blown off heads, BUT because it's Disney, we haven't seen any of that good stuff. He'd be higher on this list if they gave my man an R-rating.

6) Capt Marvel -

Captain Marvel is definitely the most powerful person on this list. She is probably also the fiercest person on this list. In Endgame, when she saw her black daddy (Nick Fury) on the screen, talkin bout Thanos snapped him away, and then something snapped inside of her, and she said "I'm going to go kill that mofo." The Avengers accompanied her, but I don't think she would have needed their help. She didn't really need their help in the final showdown with Thanos. He threw her aside, but you know she was coming back, until Tony got in her way. She is so fiery that it wouldn't surprise me if in her sequel, she goes back in time in order to rematch Thanos by herself, to prove her dominance. The reason that she's not higher on the list is because she's so damned destructive. She's just like The Hulk in the fact that she shows up to destroy everything. Now, she's a lot more focused than The Hulk, but she's so powerful that she does more damage. And she doesn't have much of a personality (so far), so it's hard to gauge her badassery of attitude, you know?? Like, if you're a villain, and you get in the way of a gorilla, that gorilla will destroy you in a very spectacularly badass way, but... it's a gorilla, you know??

I’M NOT CALLING HER A GORILLA. Don’t go snitching on me to her.

I just don’t know if she’s a hero or simply has anger management issues. Is she badass or too powerful not to do badass things?

Either way, RESPECT... or she'll come for that ass.

TIME FOR A BREAK - 

Let’s break from all of this badassery with some cuteness

Look how cute it is - I CAN’T TAKE IT!

Ok, back to action.

5) Iron Man - 

Look, Iron-Man started this shit! Who knows what would have become of the MCU had Robert Downey Jr. blew it. Tony Stark assembled the team (granted, he was partly the reason for the break-up), he gave us Spider-Man (with that suit) (he also gave us Ultron, but let's not get bogged down with details), he held his own against Thanos in "Infinity War",

Dr. Strange thought HIM worthy of saving, and no way time travel would have worked in "Endgame" without him. Plus, in the very end, he out-smarted Thanos, and countered Thanos' one-liner ("I am inevitable.") with his own ("And I... [five minutes later - I swear that's what it felt like] am Iron-Man.").

Paid the ultimate sacrifice. Hell yeah, he's on this list. I felt kinda bad for his wife. After IM3, she was barely around. And when Tony died, she was barely comforted... cuz nobody knew her. Oh, well.. she be aiight.

4) Thanos - 

This dude saw his demise coming, and still went straight ahead towards the foes who cut his head off. BADASS! He was exceptionally crafty in playing The Avengers and blowing up their base. Then, he was just sitting around waiting for the main Avengers (Capt, Iron, and Fat Thor). He wanted to gloat a bit first. BADASS! And had Gamora not betrayed him, and had given him the gaunlet, he would have beaten The Avengers AGAIN!

He even died with a cool pose (he took a knee and got his "Thinking Man" on). BADASS!

3) Arya Stark - 

This young lady scared the bleep out of me. She has my fear AND respect. I was actually scared for whomever her current target was... I was like "Run, fool! She gonna get ya! Damn, Arya, you didn't have to do them like that!"

Now, I know I talked about Ruby Rose being a ridiculous choice for Batwoman, but if Arya Stark left on a voyage to Gotham and became Batwoman, I'd buy that. I can see her killing Bane very slowly. This woman is a frickin psychopath, and I love it. She's fearless! She also went up against the top cheese of the white walkers. Y'all remember that badass move she had at the end!

YES! I only wish she had said something cool when she took him out, like... "You've been Starked." No, that's terrible, but something like that. I wish she was the one sitting on the throne, but they... you know... did what they did.

2) Capt America - 

I think that it's fair to say that Capt America was the rock of The Avengers After the snap, he was the only one to keep his shit together; he actually worked to help others keep their shit together.

Meanwhile, Widow is crying in the dark every night while having a PB sandwich and bourbon dinner. And she just gave up on her hair.

Thor became an alcoholic.

And you could say Hulk was ok, but... was he?

I mean, that ain't right. This is avoidance behavior if I've ever seen it.

But, Capt kept it together. Then, that fight with Thanos at the end was one of, if not THE best one on one fight of the series. Using both Thor weapons, meaning he was both badass on a fighting level and a righteousness level - which ain't easy to accomplish. And when he straped tight his shield in that trailer, and gritted his teeth - hell yeah!

Chills. Capt to Thanos: You motha bleeper"

1) John Wick - 

Three movies with no time in-between to shower, sleep, take a piss, brush his teeth, NOTHING! His life for the last few years (it seems like) has been running, lurking, hiding, beating ass.. and beating ass some more. Lord knows what this dude's kill count is up to. His nickname is "Baba Yaga" Have y'all seen what the actual Baba Yaga looks like?

Terrifying. And yet, not as terrifying as John Wick when he's angry at you.

The amount of endurance and focus that has gone into this long stint of murdering (only fueled by rage and a few shots of bourbon from time to time) is uncanny.

In JW3 he makes a guy eat a book (imagine what must be done to a person's jaw for that to happen), he gets shot, stabbed, hit my two cars (seconds within each other)... Nah, y'all ain't hear me! TWO CARS! The people in the cars were trying to kill him! He fought two super ninjas - like IP Man caliber, he beat up an army of soldiers, crawled through a desert, got shot by a friend who betrayed him, fell off of a building (bouncing around a few times before hitting the pavement), and was somehow still good to schedule a fourth movie after all of that - which I assume will pickup right there.

He doesn't have any superpowers (though you wouldn't know), but his tenacity is to be envied, and outdoes everyone else's on this list.

BAMF!!!

[kimarchive]

“keep it moving” | lil’ kim by mtv news, 2003.

"I'm locked in a five-year contract with [Kim]," said Cease, who's signed as a solo artist to Queen Bee Records. Other than albums that Kim herself has recorded, Cease's poor-selling but critically acclaimed 1999 solo debut, The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo, is the only release to come from the Queen Bee Records imprint since it was founded in 1998.

-- by Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway, Jeff Cornell and Quddus Phillipe Kimberly Jones is dying to go Hollywood, but some people are hissing that she already has. She definitely isn't the same 'round-the-way girl the Notorious B.I.G. introduced us to in 1995. Little Ms. Jones has estranged herself from old ideals and friends from her 'hood that she once considered family. She's got a fresh attitude to go with her new set of Hollywood and high-society buddies and associates, people such as Hugh Hefner, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Don King, Donatella Versace and Victoria Gotti.

Kimberly doesn't even look the same — she switches hairstyles almost as often as she changes rhyme flows. Plus she's got a new surgically altered nose to go with her voluptuous, augmented breasts. "When I decided to finally do that is when I realized I was a sex symbol," she has said about her implants. "It's something that I felt would make me have more fun with my photo shoots and enhance my look a little bit." But going Hollywood for Kim really means just that: She wants to make movies. Her dreams have nothing to do with forgetting where she came from, or — as they might say in her native Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood — "acting brand new." Kim maintains she's the same Brooklyn girl at heart: feisty, focused and determined not to fail. Like Will Smith and, more recently, Queen Latifah, rap's Queen Bee wants to make it big in Tinsletown. Yeah, she's appeared in such flicks as "Juwanna Mann" (2002) and "Zoolander" (2001), but Kim knows she's capable of bigger roles and more explosive performances. "Being involved in different entities of the game is so much fun 'cause you don't just get stuck in one genre," she explained. "I like to be here and there. My personality and my character are versatile." But unlike the aforementioned rap legends, she still wants to keep the music industry buzzing about her material. "That's one thing I don't like," Kim said, referring to how some of her fellow MCs' music careers suffered as their movie careers took off. "Will [Smith] was doing it at one point. Regular rappers were trying to [sell] five million [albums] and he was doing seven million, with flicks out that were doing $50 million a week. That's the type of success I want to follow. I think what happens is that the rappers [who] have success in Hollywood kinda start ignoring their music. I don't think it matters to them anymore. I ain't gonna front, [if] you're getting $20 to 25 million a film ... even $10 million a film is enough to make you say, 'I don't have to do an album this year.' [But] I wouldn't do that." And that's no Hollywood talk, either. Kim not only has a movie called "Guns and Roses" due out this summer, she has a new LP, La Bella Mafia, in stores now. Named La Bella Mafia after a 1997 made-for-TV movie, "Bella Mafia," in which widows of mob figures take over the family business, this LP has been heralded as Kim's best work since her trailblazing 1996 solo debut, Hard Core. On Mafia, she runs away from the syrupy melodies and hooks that hampered 2000's Notorious K.I.M.'s "How Many Licks" and "I'm Human," which seemed to pander to radio and dancefloors. Kim's latest opus is a return to the streets, where she enlists such sound-shapers as the always-unpredictable Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch, who has co-produced some of Dr. Dre's classic jeep thumpers, and Mobb Deep's master of morose tracks, Havoc.

"She's a star, [and] people respect stars," said Havoc, who first worked with Kim on Mobb Deep's remix to "Quiet Storm." "She's smart, and most of the decisions she makes are good musically. She's among the top people in the game, and she's better than a lot of [guys]. You don't have a choice but to give her that respect." "I think she's on top of the game," concurred Queen Latifah, who recorded with Kim on the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning film "Chicago." "I just bought her album the other day and I love it. I think it's [about] her growing up. She still ballsy, and she's still gonna pop junk to any other female rapper out there, but I like where she is right now. I like to see her in control of where she wants to go. I'm proud of her." And while Kim loves the praise she's received from her peers and fans, she feels things could still be a lot better. Although Mafia put her on pace to equal or surpass the numbers she posted with her biggest selling LP, the double platinum Hard Core (despite its lukewarm reception, Notorious K.I.M. still sold over a million copies as well), Kim wasn't pleased with La Bella Mafia's first-week sales of close to 167,000 copies. "A lot of people say 'Kim is up there,' " the Queen Bee lamented, "but I don't feel that I'm up there 'cause I haven't accomplished my goal yet, which is to sell 10 million records of one album. Imagine what people will say when I reach that point." One thing people do talk about is how long it takes Kim to churn out albums. There was a four-year gap between the first two records, and even with the widely heralded Trackmasters and the spirit of Mafia co-executive producer B.I.G. fueling this album's beats and rhymes, it took years to make as well.

"It's kind of hard because I like to take my time to make things perfect," Kim said, explaining why she always has such a long gap between projects. "I went into this album thinking, 'I'm just going to have fun with it.' I said, 'I'm going to do what I want to do. Let me do this the way I feel B.I.G would have wanted me to do this.' He's the one that taught me everything I know, and he tells me things still. That's why B.I.G is listed as the co-executive producer on my album. It's just me and him." What also slows down production is the fact that you just can't keep the black Erica Kane locked in the studio for too long. She's got her manicured hands dipped in far too many projects to be getting stuck in a sound booth all night. For one thing, she's got a new clothing line, Hollyhood, still in development, with a launch tentatively planned for the fall. A true fashion aficionado, Kim's wild outfits, trend-setting hairdos and modeling stints for Mac and Candies and have given her a strong presence in the fashion world. Hobnobbing with clothing kingpins with last names like Prada, Versace and Armani have only strengthened her cause. "When she did 'Guns and Roses,' she was on the mark," LisaRaye said of Kim's spin as Chastity, the vixen of the bunch. In addition to the movie, the two worked together on a song for the film's soundtrack. "We filmed that movie in 18 days, so you know how quick and steady the flow was," she continued. "She was actually excellent." "It was fun," Kim said with a grin. "It's like a female 'Young Guns.' Us five females, we're like sisters. When we all got together it was nothing but love. For the most part, we were all sisters on that set — we all had each other's back. I like to surround myself with good people — positive people committed to their work." 

And make no mistake — if you're not committed to Kim, you can't be down. At her album release party a few weeks ago, celebrities such as Dave Chappelle, Mobb Deep, Jagged Edge and Wayne Wonder came out to one of Manhattan's newest hot spots, the Lobby, all ready to hail the Queen. Conspicuously absent were Kim's longtime running mates, Lil' Cease and the rest of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. Kim and the J.M., all friends and protégés of Biggie's, had been virtually inseparable since they were introduced back in 1995. The originally nine-member crew appeared on classic songs together, put out a gold album and performed at countless shows nationwide. When B.I.G. died, they leaned on each other during their collective time of mourning, and his memory was the glue that held them all together. And the bond was deep. When Kim went solo, she looked out for her boys as their careers stagnated. If they needed money, she hit them off. If one of her guys got in trouble with the law, as Larceny and Cease were known to do on a few occasions, Kim, the perennial mother figure, always bailed them out. At one point, the clique was so close that they all lived together in Kim's New Jersey mansion. But since then, the group's relationship has soured, and the Queen Bee has had to literally clean house. "Well, you have to move on and you have to grow," Kim said, visibly holding back venom and opting to give a more politically correct answer as to why she no longer associates with Cease and Co. "You can't be taken advantage of for too long, and it's a case where unfortunately, [the relationship] just went bad. In the same sense, I hope they do well and [that] they can find God in their hearts." On La Bella Mafia's "Heavenly Father," however, Kim's a little less restrained. She raps, "And was it enough that I split 20 percent of what I make?/ Was it enough that I cut n----s half of what I bake?" 

Lil' Cease is just as angry with Kim these days as she is with him. His biggest beef with her is not that she cut him off — it's that she won't let him go. He's so miffed at his onetime homegirl that he's started a "Free Cease A Leo" T-shirt campaign.

"I'm locked in a five-year contract with [Kim]," said Cease, who's signed as a solo artist to Queen Bee Records. Other than albums that Kim herself has recorded, Cease's poor-selling but critically acclaimed 1999 solo debut, The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo, is the only release to come from the Queen Bee Records imprint since it was founded in 1998.

"She's putting all this stuff out like she's not messing with me right now," Biggie's puffy-cheeked former best friend fumed. "I feel like if you [are] not messing with me, give me walking papers so I can do me. We had our differences [and] I thought we could patch them up, but honey is doing her thing. I'm not knocking her, but she still got me under paperwork. [I've] been trying to get in touch with her, [but] she's ducking me. I call the office, [but] she don't want to talk to me. I go to the office [and] I can't see her."

"There's a lot of truth to what Cease was saying," Kim retorted with a snarl before clamming up. "I don't really want to get into that. The only thing I'm concerned with is La Bella Mafia being in stores. The whole truth will come out later and I can't wait." Although Kim is being clandestine and won't say exactly when her and the Mafia started to fall out, she is more than willing to reveal when her relationship with her former manager, mentor, friend and Notorious K.I.M.'s executive producer P. Diddy went south. "I can honestly say that during the whole process of [making Notorious K.I.M.], Puff and I were like a brother and a sister arguing," said the 26-year-old. "One minute we'd be the best of friends, and then the next minute things weren't working out at all," Kim said. "Sometimes Puffy likes people to do whatever he says. I'm a creative person, an entertainer. I'm a boss lady. A lot of times when you [are] working with a boss man, you have to respect each other's opinion. I just wanted my respect and because I was young and female, I don't think he gave it to me fully." "I'm a hard coach from beginning to end," Diddy said unapologetically about his meticulous work ethic. "I'mma push an artist to [be] the best. Some artists feel [like], 'I've grown up, and I don't want you to push me this hard no more.' I can't really do that. I'm not crazy or anything, I just want to be the best. We gotta be the best every time." Kim said she was also hurt because when times got tough for her after Notorious K.I.M. received mixed reactions, Diddy abandoned her. "I loved Puffy with all my heart, [and] if you look back, I was the only one supporting him. [At the time we were making my album] I wasn't even signed to Bad Boy," she vented. "During those times I held his hands, like, 'I know these people hate you right now, but I'm with you, dawg.' Puffy can be very selfish. I had to let him go do him and I had to go do me. I needed people at that time that was going to support me 150 percent. I was only getting 50 percent. Unfortunately, I don't speak to him at all."

P. Diddy, who seems indifferent about the split, offers a simpler explanation: "I think it's [about] people outgrowing each other and people wanting different things." While Kim hasn't cut off all her old friends, she has been gravitating toward a new crowd on the road to becoming a better-rounded person. One of her biggest cheerleaders now is Victoria Gotti, a multimedia personality and the daughter of late mob boss John Gotti. The two met over a year ago at an event in New Jersey and have built a nurturing relationship. They've done their share of partying and have at least one big adventure in common: The line-slinging siren recently held her buddy to a long-standing promise to appear in one of her videos. In February, the pair braved the bitter cold to shoot the unreleased clip for Kim's song "I Came Back For You" in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. Gotti says she'd do anything for her homie. "It's weird because she's everything she is onstage and nothing like her [persona]," Gotti said, describing why such a diverse group of people show Kim love. "She is a chameleon. She can just rise to [any] occasion and fit whatever mood everybody's in. That's the one thing I adore about Kim, [and] that's the first thing that shines through. Forget her looks, forget her outrageous outfits — she's got personality that's second to none." And what Kim's hoping for is that soon, her success in all fields will be second to none. Even as her fan base broadens, she maintains that she'll never forget the gig that first put her on to all the other opportunities. In fact, she is as hungry as ever to stand out and rock the mic.  "I don't ever worry about competition," she says confidently in regards to her fellow female rappers. "I do a totally different thing from all these females. Everybody feels that 'I have to be at the top.' We can all be at the top selling records. There is no 'I'm better.' I know I'm a Queen and I do what I do.' "

    And what she is doing is everything.

[honeymoonjin]

roomie - taehyung x reader

A/N 2k words, angst+fluff oneshot. When an unfortunate circumstance lands you in jail overnight, you don’t expect to fall in love with the criminal sharing the cell with you.

“Hey, princess.”

You scowl and try to avoid his hungry gaze, glaring at the guard just outside the cell who seems to be completely disinterested in them.

“Princess,” he repeats, “I’m talking to you. Come on, we’re stuck here together for the night. Might as well make the most of it.” You can hear the smug grin in his tone. “Isn’t it so cold in this cell? I’ll keep you warm.”

Before you can think to be the bigger person and just ignore him, you scoff. “I’m not having sex with you, asshole. Pretty sure sex in public is illegal.”

He chuckles deeply, and you swallow hard at the richness of his voice. “What are they gonna do, arrest us? Anyway, I wasn’t meaning I fuck you in this grimy shithole. It’s good to know being in public was your only deal breaker, though.”

This time you do turn to glare at him and his shiteating grin. “This is all just a misunderstanding. I wasn’t actually arrested. Some of us know how to follow the rules.”

He raises an eyebrow languidly, gesturing to the small cell you both find yourselves in. “And how is that working out for you?”

Your face heats up. “Look, I don’t want to do…whatever this is, I just want to sit in silence and wait for my friend to come pick me up. So, just shut up, okay?”

To your relief, the man just shrugs and leans back against the wall, legs spread wide as he sits on the metal cot across from yours. His eyes begin roaming over you, inch by inch, taking in the minutest of expressions on your face, and the exact curve of your breasts underneath your thin pajama top, and then finally landing right between your thighs.

You fold your arms over your chest and cross your legs. “What are you doing?”

His dark eyes slide back up to make eye contact with you. He grins and makes a motion of zipping his lips, then shrugs.

You roll your eyes and make a sound of frustration deep in your throat. “Fuck, stop being such a child! Is it too much to ask for you to act like a decent human being for five minutes?”

He tuts at you. “Princess is full of demands today. Do you want me to cut my dick off and hand it to you on a silver platter too, so you don’t feel threatened?”

Before you can reply with a scathing retort, the guard is rapping on the cell bars with his nightstick and pointing to you. You look over in relief, hopping up immediately and stretching out the aches from sitting on the stiff metal.

“Woah, lady, don’t get excited. Boss just called in to tell me your friend can’t make it tonight. Says she’ll come back tomorrow first thing. Sorry ‘bout it.”

The man across from you cracks up, eyes clenched shut and hand over his stomach as his whole body shakes from the force of it. You take a deep breath, and walk over to him slowly, waiting until he finally calms down to shove your hand out.

He wipes some non-existent tears from his eyes and blinks up at you. “What’s this?”

You clear your throat to make sure your voice comes out polite enough. “We got off on the wrong foot, but we’re stuck here overnight, so let’s start from scratch. I’m Y/n.”

His eyes flit over your face curiously, and after a moment, he takes your hand in his much larger one, shaking firmly but gently. “Kim Taehyung.”

You give him a short smile and return to your side of the room, sitting cross-legged on the cot and hugging a pillow to your chest. “So, what crime did you commit to get in here? I hope I didn’t just give my name to a serial rapist.”

He lifts his legs up and mirrors your position, giving you a flat look. “If I was a serial rapist, would they put me in a room with a scantily-clad woman?”

You frown at him, feeling self-conscious for being in a jail cell in nothing but a pair of Dumbo printed pajama shorts and an old t-shirt. You shrug petulantly. “You could be a gay rapist. Then putting you in a room with a woman would be preferable to another man.”

He stares at you oddly for a moment, before nodding. “I guess that’s true. At any rate, I’m not gay nor am I a rapist.” You raise your eyebrows at him, indicating that he should answer your original question. He bites his lip and sighs, the first hint of vulnerability you’ve seen from him yet. “My best friend did some stupid shit. Hacked into our high school database to change our grades for a final. The police found the IP address leading to his computer, but I told them it was just me.”

You stare at him deeply, seeing the hidden depths of pain behind his eyes. “Why?”

“He wants to go to a good university, get a good job. He doesn’t need a criminal record holding him back.”

“You’re a good friend,” you reply genuinely. “He’s lucky to have someone like you looking out for him. Won’t it affect you, though? A criminal record, I mean.”

He just shrugs apathetically. “He was always the smarter one. I’ll be happy flipping burgers and watching him become CEO of Apple or some shit.” He gives you a cheeky grin. “Who knows, maybe when he gets rich and famous, he’ll give me some of his money as a thank-you and I can retire at 30.”

You stay silent for a while, thinking it over. From the moment you were led into the cell and laid eyes upon him, you had self-righteously pinned him as a dirty criminal, some scumbag who needed to be kept off the streets. But here was a man basically throwing his life away completely unwarranted because he wanted a better future for his friend.

Taehyung coughs, breaking the heavy silence. “What are you here for, princess? Had a bad nightmare?”

You laugh weakly at him. “My apartment was broken into, and I have to wait for my friend to pick me up so I can stay with her. But she’s not nice like you. She’s probably out partying right now, trying to flirt with the cheerleading caption. Fucking Jung Hoseok. If he didn’t exist, I’d be at her house with a nice hot chocolate, curled up in bed.”

His eyes twinkle. “Looks like you need a Taehyung in your life to take care of her when she’s not around.”

“Sure seems that way.” You smile back at him, then crane your head to try and read the time off the wall clock in the hallway. Just after 2 in the morning. You look back at him sheepishly. “I’m kinda tired after the whole ordeal, I think I’m gonna turn in. Stay on that side of the room, okay? No funny business.”

He laughs good-naturedly. “No funny business.”

The cell falls into a more comfortable silence for about twenty or so minutes as you breathe steadily, throwing a hand over your eyes to block out the light from the harsh bulbs in the ceiling. After a while, though, a thought fills your mind and you can’t get rid of it. “Taehyung?” you whisper out.

A soft chuckle and a baritone whisper. “Yes?”

“What happens after?”

“What do you mean?”

You lift up your arm and look over to him, squinting in the light. “Will you get a fine, will you do community service? Will you go to jail?”

He’s silent for a while, and just when you think he’s not going to answer, he replies softly, “up to one year in prison. Hopefully less since it’s my first offense.”

Your sniff and shaky exhale echoes around the quiet cell, and you know he can hear your voice crack. “That’s really sad, Taehyung. It’s not fair.”

“Hey,” he soothes, “it’s for the best. Kookie, my friend, would never survive in prison.”

“And you can?”

His voice is lilting, trying to keep the atmosphere light. “You believed I was a thug. I’m sure I can convince others.”

You feel exhaustion begin to take a hold of you. “Tae,” you mumble sleepily.

A bemused chuckle. “Mm?”

“Can I come visit you?”

The last thing you see before falling asleep is his kind eyes and soft smile. “I would love that.”

The cell is empty when you wake up.

In the end, Taehyung only got three months. You knew this because you were at his hearing. He was let out after only two on good behavior. You also knew this because you were the one who picked him up at the front gates of the men’s prison.

In fact, you had been planning this very day once a week since he was sentenced, during the Thursday afternoon visiting hours.

It was difficult forming a relationship with someone when your every move was dictated by the very loud and insistent ‘no touching!’ yelled from the guards every ten or so minutes, but in many ways the two of you got so close so fast because you knew you were being completely honest and open. You were homeless, living on your friends couch while insurance took ages to come through, and he was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

The day you two had planned begun with you taking him straight to his apartment so he could have a hot shower and some decent food.

He lived with that friend of his, Kookie, but the kid was home visiting parents, and so they had the place to themselves, not that they stayed there long.

Taehyung wanted to experience all the joys of freedom the world had to offer: walking in the park, drinking freshly brewed coffee in his favorite café, running down the street to make the green pedestrian light. It was exhilarating seeing this man, who had always stayed positive in those two and a half months you had known him, be overcome with joy at the little things.

He insisted it would be your first date, because he didn’t want to count anything before that, and so from 10am until long after the sun had set, he barely let go of your hand for a moment, walking so close that your shoulders would bump.

Just before midnight, he drove you back to your friend’s apartment, walking you up to the door.

“I had fun today,” you confessed. “I’m so glad you’re finally out. You didn’t deserve to be in that place.”

He tuts at you playfully, swinging your interlocked hands between you. “We’re not going to talk about that place anymore. I want to look forward. Enjoy the taste of freedom.”

You laugh, breath billowing out like smoke in the cold night, although you feel warm all over. “Oh, and what does freedom taste like?”

His tongue darts out to wet his lips. “Let’s see.”

Before you can process it, he’s placing his hands on either side of your face and swooping in for a bruising kiss.

Two months of ‘no touching!’ result in some pent-up emotions, and you can feel each and every one of them in the passion he kisses you with.

His lips are chilled, but the inside of his mouth is hot, and he wastes no time before he’s tipping your head back and pressing on your jaw with his thumb, opening your mouth up to him wider.

He claims you with all the fire of a man possessed, and it’s all you can do to keep standing straight and take it, nerves alight with the way his tongue intertwines desperately with yours.

When he finally pulls away, it’s only because the two of you have run out of breath. He pants, resting his forehead against you.

Even though he’s too close for you to see properly, you know he’s grinning. “That’s odd,” he comments lightly.

You hum contentedly. “What’s odd?”

He flicks his tongue out to lick at the corners of your lips teasingly, making your breath hitch. “Freedom tastes exactly like Sal’s pepperoni pizza.”