#it’s a purple poodle and that things going EVERYWHERE with me now

[playbarbies]

i gave my 4yr old cousin some of my littlest pet shops from my collection for christmas and before we went to leave she stopped me and handed me one to take home. i thanked her but said it’s hers, she gets to keep them, and she goes ‘no i want you to have that one! it’s a gift!’ 🥹

[spookyceph]

Garden-variety

ShigaDabi Week Day 5 | Civilians

Summary: Just your average, everyday family. Nothing to see here.

Rating: SFW

Warnings: Swearing

The door swings open, setting off a pleasant tinkle from the bell hung above it. The man who enters the shop halts two steps in. Stares, moon-eyed, at the wall-to-wall jungle surrounding him. Plants hang from the ceiling, trailing shiny leaves and flowers as big as an open hand just overhead. They cluster on shelves outfitted with lights and temperature control running along both walls, organized by type and need: prickly cacti, tender herbs, seasonal blooms, medicinal roots. Potted specimens that populated office buildings just like the one he’d clocked out from not long ago dominate the tiled floor, leaving only a narrow path to the register deeper in. The air is close and sweet and alive with the scent of green, growing things. When the man received directions to this side street he’d had his doubts. Now he sees why Anai from accounting recommended it. Though small, the shop has impressive variety as well as healthy stock. He walks up to the counter and gives the service bell a single, polite tap.

A tall figure emerges from a doorway to the right. The man freezes halfway through his standard smile of greeting.

It has to be an employee. Maybe even the owner. Logic leaves no room for other explanations. Yet the mental images the man carries of such people share as much in common with what he sees as a poodle does with a wolf. It has nothing to do with the scars—though they’re impossible to miss. They ripple up the stranger’s forearms and cover the whole lower half of his face, mottled pink and white, textured like a half-melted wax museum figure. No, it’s more the multiple piercings gleaming in both ears, the side of the nose, right eyebrow, even two in the scarred lower lip. Another factor is the spiky mess of half-white, half-black hair. His clothes clinch it. They have a worn, handmade look, his shirt a thin linen, and rips in a few random places on his jeans.

The way he arches a brow, wiping long-fingered hands on a rag, does nothing to dispel first impressions. “Yes?”

Though the question is curt, the voice asking it remains rather soft. Its still enough to throw the man further off balance.

“I…er…flowers?”

The lack of coherency doesn’t slow the stranger a but. “Anniversary, funeral, hot date, what?”

“Um, well, an apology, actually.”

“To whom, and how bad did you fuck up?”

The man clutches his messenger bag to his chest as if it’s a shield. “E-excuse me?”

Employee, owner, whoever he is sighs and throws the rag onto the counter. “I don’t give a shit about the details—I’m a florist, not your therapist. But I do need some idea of what you’re going for so I can plan accordingly. So, again, who’d you piss off, and how much?”

Anyone with a decent amount of common sense and even a scrap of pride would have told the odd stranger to mind his own business, thank you very much. Maybe even stormed out. Written a bad review. Found some way to file a complaint. The man knows this. Yet nothing about their interaction thus far suggests the other would regret the loss of a customer whatsoever. More important, something in the unflinching intensity of the stranger’s electric-blue eyes says that threatening him in any way would be a bigger mistake than what the flowers are for in the first place.

So, suddenly sweating and feeling suffocated by the shop’s tropical air, the man stammers out the truth. “M-my girlfriend.”

The other takes one look at his red, damp face and nods. “That bad, huh? Fine. I’ll see what I can do. No promises, though.”

Meek as a mouse, he watches the shopkeeper—the stranger can be no one else, fearless as he is—pull a pair of shears from his back pocket. He goes to one shelf, clipping several examples of a deep purple flower that grows in long clusters. Going to another, he cuts a few sprigs of bluebells—these the man recognizes. Lastly, he gathers a bunch of large clovers from a long tray. Selections decided, the florist goes to work arranging them.

The purple flowers he staggers at descending heights so the clusters aren’t mashed together. Between them, the bluebells are hung like strings of tears. Partway below the other two, he groups the clovers. All three are bound with a rubberband around the stems and slipped into a narrow glass vase from beneath the counter. He sets the arrangement down.

“There you go. Anything else?”

With one look, the man forgives the shopkeeper’s rough edges. While flowers won’t make up for anything, the thought and beauty of these serve as a promise that he’s willing to back the gesture up with action.

“These are perfect. Thank you.” He surrenders his credit card.

“You’ll want a pink rose from the place two streets over next time,” the florist says while ringing him up. “I don’t usually carry any here.”

The man blinks. “Next time?”

“After your girlfriend and the other woman dump you. A pink rose is a good choice for people on a first date. Romantic, but not as intense as a red one.”

His heart and jaw drop simultaneously. “B-but…you don’t think…they won’t both dump me, will they?”

Bright blue eyes piercing, the florist hands the credit card back. “Only if they’re smart. Have a nice evening.”

Shell-shocked, the man shambles his way to the exit, flowers in hand, glazed stare not registering the shop door as it opens before he reaches it. Nor the boy with half red, half white hair who holds it open for him with a wry smile as he staggers out.

The door closes quietly behind the newcomer.

“Another satisfied customer, I see.” His soft-spoken cadence bears an unmistakable resemblance to the shopkeeper’s, just as his face, hair, and left eye do.

“He had it coming. Anyway, you have uncanny timing. He was my last for the day.”

Shrugging, the boy holds up the plastic shopping bag in his right hand. “Fuyumi sent me to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. I figured I might as well walk home with you since I was in the area.”

“And make sure your delinquent older brother stays out of trouble. Right.” The florist sighs. “It’s been two years since Deika City, Shōto. No one’s come after my head. Not much of a Hero Commission left to.”

“That doesn’t mean the remainder aren’t still looking. Natsuo, Fuyumi, and I are just watching your back, Touya.”

“Keeping me on a short leash, you mean.”

“Your husband agrees with us.”

“My husband can use whatever leash he wants on me. It’s just annoying when you three do it.”

The boy’s—Shōto’s—nose wrinkles. “Too much information.”

“Like you don’t feel the same about your friend. The one that was over last—”

A sudden cough interrupts him. “I’m not one of the country’s most wanted villains.”

The shopkeeper—Touya—presses a hand to his chest. “I’m but a humble florist. Not a villainous bone in my body.”

“Explain the theft charges then.”

Black eyebrows shoot up. “What theft charges?”

“Stealing my hair’s color scheme, you jerk.”

A smirk creeps across Touya’s face. “There’s hope for you yet.”

-

As predicted, they arrive home without incident. While Shōto goes to deliver the groceries to Fuyumi and Natsuo, who can be heard clattering around in the kitchen, Touya heads to the other side of the sprawling house. Also as expected, he slides open the partition to his room and finds a blanket-draped figure still sitting on the futon, hunched over a handheld game.

“Haven’t moved since I left this morning, have you?” he says with no real disapproval.

“Nope,” comes the shameless reply.

Smiling, Touya kneels beside the figure and pulls the top part of the blanket away. Long white hair that curls every which way is revealed. The figure’s eyes don’t tear themselves away from the flickering screen. Eyes as red as the crown of camellias Touya plops onto the other’s head.

At last, the game pauses.

“Must be the end of the week if you’re bringing me dead plants.” The way the crimson eyes look everywhere but at Touya ruin the sneer on chapped, scarred lips, though.

“Tenko.”

“What?”

Touya leans in, closer and closer, until the concept of personal space vanishes, and he has to be stopped with an annoyed—yet still gentle—elbow to the ribs.

“What? What do you—?”

“Nothin’.” He tucks some of the unruly curls behind the other man’s ear. “Just happy to see you is all.”

That does the trick. Tenko’s gaze locks with his for a split second before skittering away again. Touya watches, biting the insides of his cheeks to hold back a laugh, as his husband grabs an empty cup beside the futon. He fumbles, nearly dropping it—and not because one hand is missing fingers either.

“Make yourself useful and get me some water.”

“Hm…you are looking flushed.” Touya puts a palm to Tenko’s forehead. “You’re not coming down with a fever, are you?”

The offending hand is smacked away. “I’m your king. You aren’t allowed to make fun of me. I forbid it.”

With a bow meant to hide his grin more than anything else, Touya takes the cup and heads for the kitchen.

One glance at the piles of chopped vegetables covering the counter tell him something is up.

“We expecting an army?” he asks as he opens the refrigerator.

“Just three of your friends who led one,” Natsuo replies, still slicing and adding to the heap (and occasionally sneaking a bite or two). “Tenko asked if we could have them over tonight.”

Touya’s fingers slip on the handle of the water pitcher. Only a last-second scoop and grab saves it from shattering all over the floor. “He did? When?”

“A couple of days ago.” Fuyumi taste-tests whatever she has simmering on the stove before adding a pinch of salt. “They’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

“Atsuhiro-san offered to bring sushi, but…” Natsuo taps the knife on the cutting board, looking bemused. “I think he was joking? Only I don’t get it.”

“He’s joking if he knows what’s good for him.” Body curiously light, Touya closes the refrigerator. “Need any help?”

Fuyumi shakes her head and wipes her steamed up glasses off on the hem of her shirt. “We took care of most of the prep work before you came home from work. Anyway, we’ve agreed to keep all sharp objects away from you.”

“Besides, you over spice everything,” chimes in Natsuo.

“Haha. Everyone in this house is suddenly full of snappy comebacks.”

“We learned from the best.”

-

Touya is still smiling when he returns to the bedroom. Not only has Tenko gotten up, but he’s in the middle of stripping off his pajamas. As he pulls his shirt over his head, Touya admires the dozes of scars crisscrossing his torso. The scars that had bought their lives. That proved how far he was willing to go for those he loved.

“Hm?” Tenko drops the shirt and blinks down at the finger tracing an old, jagged slice running diagonally through his chest. The flower crown is still on his head, though askew.

“You asked the others to come over.”

Caught, he raises one hand to the side of his neck, lightly scratching. “Yeah, well…it’s been a while since we saw them, that’s all.”

Touya sets the cup aside on the dresser. Gently pulls the worrying fingers away, pressing them over his heart instead. The index and thumb lift to keep away from full contact purely out of habit.

“I’m glad.”

Tension drains away from Tenko’s posture with a sigh. His free hand rises to stroke the pinkish ripples of scar tissue on Touya's cheek. The ripples that had once been so much half-living skin on a half-dead man.

“You know…they won’t be here for a couple hours yet.” A smile flickers to life on Tenko’s face as the heartbeat under his palm picks up its tempo.

“I suppose we can keep busy in the meantime. We never did cross everything off those lists of ours.”

Tenko’s eyebrows leap up. “You remember what was left on them? Off the top of your head?”

Smirking, Touya leans in to nuzzle his neck. “I only went over them about a million times, imagining doing everything with you.”

Though Tenko huffs, his eyes go half-lidded, breath speeding up a notch. “Do you happen to remember whose turn it was to pick then?”

“Hmm…no. But I concede the choice to you.”

“How generous.”

“You are my king, after all.”

Tenko’s hand buries itself in the undyed half of Touya’s hair. “I am, aren’t I?” A tug earns a rewarding gasp. “Even though you’ve always been the sort of subject who follows orders only when he wants to.”

“You finally gonna teach me to behave?”

“Doubtful.” A show of teeth, thrilling and fearsome. “But I guess I’ll just have to keep trying, won’t I? You’re bound to learn one of these days.”

An answering smirk. “Sure. One of these days.”

[parkliet]

Dear anon that called me a coward. I am not, fuck you. //lh

*green was answered by Wei, Red by Harley, Blue by eirynn, Pink by aydi. Sorry if it’s confusing.

1. Is there a boy/girl in my life? There is someone in aydi’s life.

2. Think of the last person that hurt you? Do you forgive them? Yes, I know I actually shouldn’t but I do.

3. What do you think of when you hear the word meow? I’ll meow back because I want too.

4. What’s something you really want right now? A beer and some love 😭

5. Are you afraid of falling in love? Yes, because it involves vulnerability and sappy stuff and I hate that.

6. Do you like the beach? Kinda, it’s not bad.

7. Have you ever slept on a couch with someone? Yes and I hated every minute of it.

8. What’s the background on your cell? The lockscreen below. The Home Screen is none of your business.

9. Name the last 4 beds you sat on? Mine, aydi’s ex’s, xyr brother’s and a friends.

10. Do you like your phone? Well if I say no I sound spoilt but I wouldn’t mind better y’know...

11. Honestly, are things going the way you planned? No, I hate everything and need death :/

12. Who’s the last person you added to your contacts? A friend from school, he found my number and I dunno how.

13. Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler? Rottweiler

14. What hurts more, physical or emotional pain? Depending on what’s going on, currently it’s emotional pain being a bitch.

15. Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? All I want is a date at an art museum ;-;

16. Are you tired? Absolutely exhausted

17. How long have you known your first contact? Since January 2019

18. Are they a relative? No, school friend.

19. Have you ever considered getting back with an ex? No but *some people* have and I personally find it annoying because the ex is a jerk.

20. When was the last time you talked to the person you shared a kiss with? ...yesterday

21. If you knew you had the right person would you marry them today? I don’t see why not, sure.

22. Would you kiss the person you kissed last again? No, don’t think I would.

23. How many bracelets are you wearing? Currently 2.

24. Is there a certain quote you live by? “No”

25. What’s on your mind? This really big teddy bear i saw in the store, but I couldn’t get it and I’m sad 😢

26. Do you have any tattoos? Can’t get any yet but I really want a few!

27. What’s your favorite color? Pink and green

28. Next time you will kiss someone on the lips? Do you want a date or sumn?

29. Who are you texting? Currently my Classmates

30. Think of the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? Yes... why are all of these about kissing?

31. Do you ever have a feeling something bad is going to happen and it did? All the time bc nothing good happens

32. Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? Yes, quite a few

33. Do you think anyone has feelings for you? From what I hear recently, I’m gonna say yes.

34. Has anyone told you you have pretty eyes? Yes and it makes me melt each time.

35. Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone else right in front of you? Not my problem, we’re not together so he can kiss who he wants.

36. Were you single last Valentine’s Day? No.

37. Are you friends with the last person you kissed? Yes

38. What do your friends call you? Whatever they want to at the time, I don’t care.

39. Has anyone upset you in the past week? Myself

40. Have you ever cried over a text? I do that a lot.

41. Where’s your last bruise located? My face, under my eye.

42. What is it from? I’d rather not say.

43. Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really badly? All the time when I have to be with people who don’t give me space.

44. Last person you were on the phone with? I don’t make calls so the last person I texted was a friend.

45. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes? Heels/boots make me feel good.

46. Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day? Yea if it’s necessary or it’s a cute hat

47. Would you ever go bald if it was in style? No, I love my hair too much.

48. Do you make supper for your family? No but I can cook if need be

49. Does your bedroom have a door? Yes

50. Top 3 webpages? Tumblr.com, picrew and Pinterest

51. Do you know anyone that hates shopping? My friends like shopping but hate shopping with me bc I wanna go to every shop.

52. Does anything on your body hurt? Everywhere (not even joking) currently it’s my left arm that hurts the most

53. Are goodbyes hard for you? Depends on the person really, if you were a bully or just a bad person I won’t miss you.

54. What’s the last Beverage you spilled on yourself? Coffee

55. How is your hair? Currently curly and not set properly so my bangs look uneven ;-;

56. What do you usually do first in the morning? Lie there for a few minutes, cos I’ll probably still be tired.

57. Do you think 2 people can last forever? Yes, if they are happy with each other.

58. Think back to January 2007, we’re you single? I was 9 months old so yeah...

59. Green or purple grapes? Both suck

60. When’s the next time you will give someone a big hug? As soon as I can without the chance of death.

61. Do you wish you were somewhere else rn? Probably somewhere quiet

62. When will be the next time you text someoone? Later today bc time zones

63. Where will you be 5 hours from now? Still at home, maybe the store idk

64. What were you doing at 8 this morning? Still sleeping

65. This time last year can you remember who you liked? An ex I think, not sure

66. Is there a person in your life that always makes you smile? Yes, the tumblr mutuals

67. Did you kiss or hug anyone today? No

68. What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? “Ow my fucking head” after hitting it while trying to get comfy at 4am

69. Have you ever tried your hardest then get disappointed at the end? Yeah, happens a lot and sucked every time

70. How many windows are open on your computer? I’m on mobile but 16 tabs are open rn.

71. How many fingers do you have? 10

72. What’s your ringtone? Whatever’s the iPhone default

73. How old will you be in 5 months? I don’t know how old I am now but the body will be 15

74. Where’s your mum right now? Lol who?

75. Why aren’t you with the person you first loved or almost loved? If you are talking exes, then it’s because we weren’t happy

76. Have you held hands with someone in the past 3 days? No

77. Are you friends with the same people you were with 2 years ago? Sort of

78. Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7? No

79. Do you know anyone with the name mike? Nope

80. Have you ever fallen asleep in someone’s arms? Yes because I sleep in class a lot and my classmates let me

81. How many people have you like in the past 3 months? Between all of us, 3

82. Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the past 3 days? No, or I hope not

83. Will you talk the person you like tonight? Hopefully

84. You’re drunk and yelling at hot people from your car, your with? All my guy friends bc I’m more likely to get drunk with and I’m more comfortable doing weird stuff with them.

85. If your bf/gf was into drugs would you care? I mean I would prefer them to not but honestly it’s their life in the end. I would try to help but if I can’t stop it it’s not my problem, it would also be kinda hypocritical of me

86. What was the most eventful thing that happened when you went to see a movie? Can’t remember

87. Who was your last received call from? A missed call from my friend, I texted her back tho

88. If someone gave you $1000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? ...yeah

89. What is something you wish you had more of? Love

90. Have you ever trusted someone too much? Sadly yes

91. Do you sleep with your window open? No

92. Do you get along with girls? Yes, if they’re nice

93. Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? I’m not exactly sure if they need to know

94. Does sex mean love? Absolutely NOT, lol just bc someone is horny and wants to sleep with you, doesn’t mean they love you

95. You’re locked in the room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? Not really

96. Have you ever kissed someone with a lip ring? No but I did kiss a guy with a tongue stud...

97. did you sleep alone this week? All except one day, or was that last week...

98.do you have someone who makes you happy?Yea I guess

99. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, not really actually

100. Who was the last person you pinky promised? A friend

[okimargarvez]

PENELOPE 2.0

Original title: Penelope 2.0. Tutto accade per una ragione.

Prompt: what if Luke would be Derek’ friend, and the last asking him to help after Penelope is shot? Warning: slight A.U., 3x9, song-fic.

Genre: action, thriller, comedy, romantic, friendship.

Characters: Penelope Garcia, Luke Alvez, Derek, Phil Brooks, Jason Clark Battle.

Pairing: Garvez.

Note: oneshot 36 in Garvez collection.

Legend: 👓🎲🎵.

Song mentioned: Each tear, Mary J. Blige feat Tiziano Ferro.

GARVEZ STORIES

PENELOPE 2.0

 Everything happens for a reason. This she had told me when I asked her if she believed in luck or coincidences. I still had to figure out why a magnificent person like her had been forced to experience so much suffering.

**

 I look at the bullets one last time, then take off my goggles and look around. A man greets me, and I also walk to meet him. -Hey, Alvez, I need a favor.- he says directly. Derek Morgan is not one of those people who love to lose time, to make many unnecessary turns; he gets to the point directly. This is one of the things I like about him. I nod to make him continue. – It’s about my best friend, do you remember? I told you about her. Penelope.- I look at him squinting, wondering what the hell could have happened. Of course, I remember it. He always talked about her every time we met. It was as if somehow, I knew her too.

-Who, the oracle of the BAU?- just one of the thousand nicknames that it had been given to her. But he doesn’t smile, his expression remains serious and grave. -What happened?- we walk outside.

-It happened that someone shot her, Luke. To the heart.- he is quickly to point out. I feel my mouth open wide, but I don’t make a sound. -It’s a miracle that she is still alive.- sigh of relief. -I promised her I would protect her, and I failed. Tomorrow they will resign her from the hospital, but it is she who doesn’t want to stay there and I will not be able to stay close to her. There's another emergency at home, my mother, a mess, it's all a mess. Why do trouble always come arm in arm?- a rhetorical question. But he still hasn’t finished. -You are the best I trust. Can you keep an eye on her for me? Only until my team takes the bastard.- I let the information penetrate consciously into my mind.

-Do you know who it was?- I ask. It seemed to me that she was always at Quantico, in the office, and therefore theoretically safe.

-Yes, he's a man who asked her out and only at the end of the appointment, he shot her. We have a name, but it is certainly false. James Colby Baylor- I nod. This doesn’t tell me anything. Although, considering that the goal was that she didn’t survive to go around saying how her killer was called... it could also be the real one.

-You think he'll try again?- just routine questions. It's hard to stop being an agent or a policeman when you've been it for a while.

-Yes, I'm sure. That guy wants her dead, Alvez. I still don’t know why, but I'll find out.- I wouldn’t want to find myself in place of that man at the time. Morgan's anger is scary, because it only transpires from the eyes. And I've seen some bad things since I'm a federal. -So, are you in?- he holds out his hand.

I hold it in mine. -Yeah, I’m in.-

 I'm still dubious, as I wait for Penelope to arrive outside the hospital. Morgan told me that there was no need to warn her and that for someone like her, Maxie's presence wouldn’t be a problem. That she was an animalist and would have been happy. Otherwise, I'll have to call Phil and ask him to help me. I look around. I saw her in photography, but people are often very different in person. Especially if someone shots you. At one point I see a blonde girl supported by a nurse. She sees me too. I approach. -Penelope Garcia? I'm Luke Alvez. Morgan sends me.- her eyes flicker behind the glasses. The hair is collected in two very infant braids. She wears a red sweater under a black and white flowered jacket and dark trousers. Certainly, she is very different from what I had seen in the picture, but not in negative. She seems truer than with those sequins, shabby low-cut dresses and heels that make Morgan so crazy.

The nurse looks at me and then takes her leave. -Derek hadn’t told me that his friend would be so attractive.- says Penelope mischievously. Although I should have waited for it, because I had heard so much about her effect jokes, it left me displaced. I blush.

-I hope you don’t mind, but I brought Maxie with me.- I hasten to change the subject. -He's a better bodyguard than I am.- I smile, giving him a light caress, scanning the woman's reaction to my announcement.

-I have no doubt!- she replies, holding out a hand to make the dog smell. Maxie licks it and then tries to jump on her. I’m able to stop him and scold him, but she tells me to not do it. -He didn’t want to hurt me, right, honey?- she caresses him and he moans as I've never seen him do. My big scary dog, the best to find bombs in Iraq, has turned into a poodle.

-My car is here.- she nods and leans on Maxie, who seems happy to help her, walking slowly, much more than usual. I realize then that I should probably take care of her. -Wait, slow down, hang on me.- with some embarrassment, she puts her arm around my shoulders. There are only a few steps to do. Then I help her to sit in the car and then I get in Maxie behind. I drive in silence, not knowing what to talk about. Derek gave me the address. I park and accompany her to the entrance, with the dog on a leash. I certainly didn’t expect such an apartment. It is also difficult to describe. Everywhere there are things. Little stuff of any kind. Statuettes of animals, puppets of all kinds and fashion, some ethnic. The dominant color is pink. There is a purple bed. I'm without words, but I hope I don’t seem too upset and that she will not be offended.

-I'm sorry, I don’t have a guest room.- she says, hanging her jacket. I notice that she makes a little grimace of pain when she moves her left arm.

-There is no problem, I will sleep on the couch.- the latter is dappled and covered with fuchsia and purple cushions. But I've been in much worse places.

-I'm going to get some blankets and a pillow for you.- I catch her, taking her gently.

-Don’t bother. You shouldn’t make any effort, you're convalescent.- she nods and I let her go.

-You're right a friend of Morgan, you talk like him. He doesn’t want to let me do anything!- she complains but with affectionate tone, her eyes shine and she smiles. -They are in that closet there.- strange thing, her "room" can’t really be defined as such, because all the walls are missing. One can understand the bed area only by the presence of the latter, a bedside table and the wardrobe. I find the necessary and the support on the sofa. Max tries to lie on it. I'm about to block him, but she reads my mind. -Leave him do it. Some dog hair is not a tragedy, and he will be more comfortable up here, will not you, honey?- the animal wags his tail satisfied, placing his huge snout on her knees and looking at her with the eyes of love. Morgan wasn’t joking, with the story that she was an animalist.

-Anyway, Derek is right.- I return to the living room and she rolls her eyes. -He only wants your own good. That you to get better.- I sit in the space left by Maxie. Penelope nods.

-I know, but ... I'm not used to ... this.- she indicates with her arms everything it's around her. -Doing nothing. I'm bored.- now she looks like a child. Those braids certainly don’t help. I wonder how old she is. More than thirty? I can’t hold back a laugh seeing her snort. Then I hear a strange noise, like a rumble. I take some time to understand that this is her stomach. -Did not you have dinner yet?- it's nine o'clock and the question is plausible.

She shakes her head, swinging the braids. -No, and you?- I do the same without obviously long blond hair to accompany the movement.

-No, I didn’t really think about bringing me anything.- and I don’t add that this is the first time happens such a thing since I've done this job. Ok, usually it was about being under cover or hidden in inaccessible places or spending hours in the car, so an escort wasn’t comfortable, it was absolutely necessary. But it is still a strange forgetfulness, for one who is considered the best of his session. -I brought food for Max, but not for me.- I admit, spreading my arms. Penelope seems to appreciate that I put the dog first.

She smiles and it is a beautiful smile, which reminds me of my mother's. I try not to stare her too much. -If you want, we can order something from the Indian that's nearby. If you want, I mean...- I'm not a profiler, I've never followed any psychology course that would help me how to read people. But Penelope seems extremely simple to decipher. The keyword it’s seems. She says an idea and then takes over the uncertainty of being too precipitous. Who knows if she had done it with that James too?

-Yes, that's fine with me.- I reassure her. She nods, takes a laptop that I hadn’t noticed on the table, was so camouflaged in the midst of all that stuff and type quickly. -Hey, Penelope, you're a vegetarian, are not you?- I'm not the type who can easily converse with people just met, not even for work, except when I'm under-covering and I have to play a part. And I usually try to keep the two worlds separate. But with her it seems impossible to me and this is not just any case.

-Yes, Morgan told you so?- everything leads back to him. I make a sign of denial. -How did you understand it, then?- she looks at me with suspicious look.

-I don’t know, intuition.- I shrug, with a modest attitude. Maxie barks, softly, as if to protest. Maybe he's hungry too.

-You are sure you're not a profiler?- she asks, and I notice the corners of her eyes darting. She is kidding me. It's a nice feeling, new and strange, but I feel all the muscles of the body relax. Needless to say, it had never happened to me before in the working hours.

-Sure.- I say with a tone of voice that I don’t recognize. -I'm a federal, but from another department. And an army ranger.- I try not to look like someone attached to the titles. -I have just returned from a mission in Iraq.- I find myself telling it, without knowing why. Penelope seems surprised and opens her eyes, hearing the name of that country.

-Wow.- she exclaims without enthusiasm. She looks me straight in the eye. I like women who have the courage to support the look of their interlocutor.

-Yeah.- I nod. War is never a pleasant subject. And talking about it in this sort of pink temple with stuffed dolls instead of statues... it seems out of place.

-How did you meet Morgan?- Penelope is as good as me to change the subject by pretending nothing. I give Maxie a caress and he looks at me as if to say why I still have not given him his food. I stand up, going towards my backpack.

-At the polygon.- I start to explain, while I extract a small box of food and a bowl. I hear the dog behind me jump off the couch to run towards the goal. -We were always the last two to go home.- I remember perfectly the first day. We made the owner pissed off, because nobody wanted to surrender to the other. I've never fired so many bullets like that night. At home, in my head I had still hear the noise. In the end we were thrown out at the same time. The challenge is over in a tie.

-And how long?- I look for and find a bin where to throw the aluminum box, then I reach her. She put her legs in place of Maxie and holds her knees with her hands.

-I don’t know.- I try to mentally calculate. -They will be... at least three years.- Penelope nods. I understand easy far that she would like to ask me more, but she doesn’t want to seem stressful, rather than nosy. It is her job to dig into secrets and even private matters of the people. Being curious is an advantage. -Instead, you met at work.- it's not a question.

For a second a shadow passes in her eyes. -Yes.- she says, but it's as if I partly know she's lying. -Did he talk about me or did you hear any rumors about it? Or both?- again she looks at me in that strange way, as if I were under the lens of a microscope. I pretend it's nothing of that.

-Well, it's hard not to know who you are. Your fame precedes you. The legendary Penelope Garcia, the oracle of BAU.- I use an exaggerated tone as TV announcer. -Derek Morgan baby girl.- I add with less emphasis. Penelope blushes and then bursts out laughing. She is forced to stop, because her chest hurts.

-You know, he could kill you for saying it.- I decide to stay in the game.

-I don’t doubt it.- I give her a slight smile. For a moment we are silently watching Maxie scrutinize the empty bowl, as if hoping it will fill itself up again.

-Do you have any film preferences?- she asks, standing up and walking in the direction of a piece of furniture. She turns to me.

-No, choose you too. I'm a guest, here. I don’t want to make my presence weigh.- it would have been easier to patrol the area by a car, parked right at the entrance of her apartment building, but Derek insisted that I have to take care of her as he would do it, from within and very close and begged me to keep an eye on her for other reasons.

-What you say!- she grabs a VHS and discards it, takes another one, looks at the back, then returns to take the first one. -You are not a guest, you have been kindly forced to be my bodyguard.- the tone is ironic, but also a bit bitter. -Sure you had better things to do, than pay attention to me... like... staying with your girlfriend?- the look and the voice are innocent.

-No, I'm single.- no reaction from her. -And I guess you are, otherwise your boyfriend must be a really little jealous guy.- I add, I don’t know the reason, as a joke. But it fails me. Perhaps, Penelope is not the only curious one here. She is generous, however, and gives a light and brief laugh.

-Yes, I'm sentimentally free.- she sighs, a small grimace that tries to dissemble. -I had an important and complicated story, a bit of years ago... it was enough. Right now, I'm fine by myself.- I wonder what kind of relationship it was. She doesn’t seem to me the kind of girl who would suffer abuse in silence, she is not as fragile as her house would leave thinking. But there is a lot of suffering, in the way she talks about it. -And then, did you see what happened to me, for trying to get back on track?- she tries to joke about her attempted murder, but it's bad, I can see. And it is normal that this is so. I'm about to say something, but someone is ringing at the door. -Oh, the food has arrived!- she exclaims, standing up too quickly. -Ouch!- she falls down like a sack of potatoes, holding her side and breathing in a labored way.

-Stay sitting there, I'll go. We can’t know who is, have you not thought for a moment that it could be him?- no need to make names and even my question is useless, because the answer is obvious. She shakes her head, the lost look of a puppy that is lost and no longer finds his way home, while the clouds announce a storm. This is how most of the films with dogs are started. -Maxie, stay with Penelope.- the dog obeys, putting himself in a position of defense next to her.

-You think he can really ring the bell like...?- she asks, as I approach the door slowly, the gun hidden behind my back. I nod.

-Yes. You have no idea what kinds there are around. Don’t move.- I whisper and I signal her to be silent. I look at the peephole. He really looks like the guy of the Indian restaurant. He wears a compatible uniform, has a bag in his hand and above all is very young. I put the gun in the holster and she is behind me. I move slowly so as not to frighten her. -It’s all ok.- I say. I open the door.

-Take the money.- Penelope's hand puts the money into mine and I give it to the boy.

-Thank you sir. Good evening, Miss Garcia.- he glances at her mischievously, leaving me dazed. I lock the door and turn around as if I were hoping for an explanation.

-Can we eat now?- she says instead, going to sit on the sofa and makes starting the movie she has chosen. He’s not just that into you. Weird choice. I've heard about it and, I admit it, I've already seen it. With another girl, in a different situation than this. -You would rather prefer an action, but a comedy is better right now. Even just jolting on the sofa is... torture, for my body. And this doesn’t make laugh nor cry too much.- I can really see her looking at those tearful films and consuming lots of handkerchiefs. When we finish eating, I don’t have time to get up first, she precedes me and goes to throw everything. We exchange a long look. I scold her and challeng her. Maxie has decided that the hairy carpet next to the bed is also convenient. We're about halfway through the film when I feel something push me and I understand it's her feet. -Sorry.- she says immediately, but doesn’t pull away them. -It hurts my back atrociously.- she takes them a few millimeters away.

-You don’t have to apologize. You're at your house, Penelope. You can do whatever you want.- she nods, stretching out better. Her socks decorated with thousand kittens snatch me a smile. Are those coated with plastic imprints to allow you to walk well even without shoes. But then, she changes expression.

So, I focus on the film. I'm a boy, it's true, and it was quite obvious that it was going to end like this, but that the protagonist would end up just with that cynical boy who would take away all the romantic dreams... well, I always found it perfect. Perhaps it make me think about myself. I am so caught up and I don’t notice that she has fallen asleep until the end credits appear. I watch her rest. The braids are no longer perfectly in order. The glasses are likely to be broken. I extend a hand to take them off, then I think about it, then I finally do it. She doesn’t wake up. I support them on the table, and I continue to look at her. Her face is serene, and yes, she looks like a child's. I don’t think it's so uncomfortable, so I don’t wake her up.

 I don’t realize that I have collapsed in my turn, unworthy of someone who had been able to stay awake even more than forty-eight hours in a row, but it must have been that way, because we both jumped, hearing a familiar noise, and, sadly, also for Penelope. The detonation of a gunshot. And then another. She opens her eyes wide, terrified. -What was it, Luke?- she hopes I have an alternative explanation, but there isn’t. The phone vibrates in the pocket. Maxie growls in his silent, almost inaudible, as disquieting as Morgan's anger.

-Alvez.- I say. -It's okay.- Penelope grabs my arm, her nails digging in my flesh. I stand up anyway. And she does not give up. The dog puts himself between us.

-What was it?- she asks in a shriek that dies in the bud.

-I'm going to see.- I look at the street behind the curtain. The car is parked in the same place. I grab the phone again. -It's me. Can you handle everything? Perfect.- I hang up and come back to her. She sighs. Lying, especially to those who don’t deserve it, like Penelope, is never easy for me. But this is my job, and it is better that she doesn’t know the truth. -There's nothing.- I start, sitting on the couch. -Or he was afraid, or it wasn’t him.- or someone made him run away, but I don’t say this out loud.

Penelope doesn’t seem convinced, but not because she doesn’t believe me. -This is not living.- she only says, then gets up and goes to the bed. She pulls curtains, purple, which I had obviously not noticed, and here she has obtained her privacy. I stay as a jerk staring in that direction, maybe it's really too much time that I don’t... socialize in a normal way with a woman. I look at the silhouette of Penelope as she undresses. She removes the sweater first, I also notice the moan of pain that emits when she raises her arm. Then another sweater. So, the pants. I look away as she also pulls off the bra. I swallow and immediately meet Maxie's eyes, which seems to want to blame me, but I don’t know whether to have looked at something forbidden or for not to have gone to the end.

 The next morning, I wake up with a scent I'm not used to. But I can still recognize its aroma. Coffee. And something else. I blink a few times, so I stand up and see that the curtains are open, and she is not in her bed. I look forward to the time clock. It is seven twenty-five. I don’t know why, but I didn’t think she would wake up so early. I head to the kitchen and she is there at the stove.

-Didn’t we decide you would not have to make any more efforts?- I ask. Penelope jumps and turns slowly in my direction. -If you should miss even one point, Morgan will take it with me, do you know this?- she nods, but understands that I'm (partly) joking. She sits down and makes me sign to imitate her. Only then known that someone has preceded me. Maxie is already lying at her feet and looks at her as if he could convince her to give him some of those cookies that the vet says are forbidden.

-It is not that preparing breakfast is then a big effort.- she says in her defend. -I don’t know what you were used to eat, there's milk, coffee, biscuits, if you want I can make a toast...- I stop her by placing my hand on hers, unknowingly. But the gesture succeeds in its intent. I smile at her to make her understand that anything will be fine. -Did you sleep well?- she asks, stirring her cup of milk and not looking at me.

-Yes, I'm used to worse places.- she raises the  head and our eyes meet. That strange shade again. Perhaps she imagined what they could be. It doesn’t take much imagination. -And you?- she shrugs.

-Enough.- Maxie puts a paw on her knee, attracting her full attention. He looks at her in an irresistible way and she reciprocates him, starting a competition that seems infinite. I feel something melt even inside of me. I've never met a woman like her. Morgan and even all the rumors were right.

-So...- bad debut. -What do you plan to do today?- for a while she doesn’t answer, she takes the time to fix the table, then sighs and shrugs, or at least tries. Again, a sharp stabbing grimaces her in the face.

-I don’t know, I'm not used to...- she says, then changes her mind. -Usually at this time I'm already in front of my babies.- she notices my eyes open wide to the last word she said and is quick to point out. -I call in this way my computers.- something not so bizarre for an IT specialist of her level. For a moment I imagined that she was already a mother and seeing how she behaves with Maxie I wouldn’t have been surprised, but... I thought I felt like a sting in my neck. I don’t analyze it.

-You?- it's a really weird situation. On one hand I think I've known her for years and it's not so crazy the fact that I’m having breakfast in her kitchen after sleeping on her couch and involuntarily glimpsing her while she undressed and I watched her sleep a few inches from me and... enough, Luke, you're going on a dangerous road.

-I run, usually. In a wood near here.- suddenly cross her gaze seems above my possibilities. -With Maxie.- I add and the dog barks, which he never does, except in case of danger, having been trained for this purpose. He is also an exception, since most dogs that participate in such programs are females. They are more available to learn the discipline and evaluate situations. They would never let themselves be distracted from work because of a beautiful dog in heat, a ball or... who knows what else. Maxie and I are very much alike.

-Uh, it doesn’t surprise me.- again that mischievous tone. Maybe she's imagining me in a sweaty shirt and shorts, that is exactly the uniform I use, but I couldn’t tell her anything, thinking of what I did. -And how come you didn’t go today?- and yet, in some strange way, her mischievousness coexists with this childlike naivete. On the contrary, the two reinforce each other.

-Because my job is to protect you until your team will not get the bastard that hurted you.- just one epithet to realize that the story is, in a short time, had becomed personal. Ok, I've never endured violence against women, as it should be for any normal human being. But the fact that someone took advantage of a woman like Penelope, who tried to kill her... seems to me a sacrilege. -I'll never letting you out of my sight.- I add, making my position worse. She nods, then gets up and, in spite of my reproaches, starts to wash the dishes. I go behind her without saying anything. But I know that she feels the weight of my gaze on her.

She turns her head slightly while rinsing a cup. -Uh, Luke, if we were in a spy story and I was another kind of woman, I could even believe that you were flirting with me...- for a few seconds our eyes remain chained, then Penelope returns to focus on the sink.

-I don’t...- she interrupts me as well as close the tap blocking the flow of water.

The low look. The bitter tone. -I know, I was joking. I would never think of something like that.- I don’t know if I should feel relieved or worry even more. However, before I have time to protest, her phone rings. Actually, I don’t know if I would have been able to carry on this conversation. Morgan has always called her with adjectives such as her goddess, princess, splendor, darling, baby and at least a couple of times he called her sexy. From what I was talking about, I thought she was convinced of it too. But maybe it's not like that, or, again perhaps, the fact that she was attacked by the man she'd gone out with for dinner may have damaged her self-esteem. -JJ?- a colleague and a friend. The tone changes, it becomes bright and quite cheerful. But I think she's forcing a bit. -OK, it's good. Yes, all right.- she doesn’t mention the gunshots we've heard. -I know. Bye!- she sighs, softly. -They haven’t identified him yet.- she sits down on the couch badly, but this time no moan of pain. -On the other hand I was replaced.- she crosses the arms and bites her lips.

-Hey, you know it's just temporary change.- I think I took Morgan's advice a little too literally. My hand ends up on hers and brushes her knee. She raises her eyes on me and I withdraw it. -No IT can be as skilled as you.- but what is this conviction based on, if I've never seen her at work? The doubts are quieted when they are rewarded by a slight smile.

-Thanks, charcoal curls, you're very kind.- it's my turn to open wide eyes and stare her. Charcoal curls? There is something extremely sexy about those few words. They make me think of clear fingers wrapped in my hair, while a moan coming out of a mouth that whispers my name...

-Uh, you’re welcome.- I try to focus on anything else.

-Morgan didn’t tell you about my mania to give everyone nicknames?- I nod. Of course, he had done it. I remember perfectly the way he smiled when he told me that she called him chocolate thunder or statue of a god carved in dark chocolate. -If it bothers you...- insecurity comes back. I hasten to denial.

-No, it's just...- I hold out my arms. -I'm not used to it, but it sounds good. I like it.- my total sincerity is rewarded by another smile, this time much more felt and extremely sweet, because it also involves the eyes. I find myself smiling too. -So... what do we do?- I'd be able to stare at her all the time, but I don’t know how it could end. Maybe I should call Phil and talk to him about this situation, and he could take my place. I trust him as a brother.

But Penelope has another idea. -Do you play videogames?-

I thought I was back a kid. I couldn’t convince her to rest completely, she insisted on preparing both dinner and lunch and I could only supervise to make sure she didn’t strain her arm too much or give signs of fatigue. Then, suddenly, Penelope gets up from the sofa with a determined look on her face. -I'm tired of having the smell of a hospital on me. I absolutely have to take a bath.- two thoughts chase each other parallel in my mind, until they coincide. First, fortunately, the concern. And then... forget it.

-Are you sure that it's the case?- I didn't even get up, so much has already made a decision and nothing will make her change her mind.

-Yes, after what happened I need to feel good, and so instead...- she slightly widens the arms, as long as the pain allows. -My mood is dependent on the state of my body and my hair and currently...- she shakes her head. -I'm a woman, I don’t think you can understand.- she's probably right. I stand up, simultaneously declaring the surrender.

-Ok, but you have to make me sure that I can feel that you are well.- on this I can’t accept compromises. I place my arms folded, trying to look as inflexible and authoritative as possible. Of course. it is difficult when you have in front of a girl with blonde braids, glasses almost bigger than her, huge brown eyes and so much lower than me. I've never seen her with her famous kilometric heels because they're not recommended for healing.

-Okay, daddy.- she chooses to play together both the card of the child and the sexy one and the effect is... luckily she disappears behind the bathroom door, the only real room that can be said to be separate from the rest of the house. I throw myself back on the sofa and start flipping through an old book that I carry with me from a lot of missions and yet I can never finish. Soon, however, my concentration is attracted like a magnet by a celestial sound. Penelope is singing.

I want you to remember… In each tear, there's a lesson, (there's a lesson)… Makes you wiser than before (wiser)… Makes you stronger than you know (stronger)… And each tear (each tear) brings you closer to your dreams… No mistake, no heartbreak… Can take away what you're meant to be…

I don’t know if she has chosen this song on purpose, because the theme is profoundly apt. About the first part I don’t understand much, because I get completely lost listening to the only melody of her voice. I don’t think I've ever heard something like that... I 'm not even used to not having words. Yes, I've never been a big talker, but when I need, I know what to say and instead now... I feel completely lost.

We can't change the things… That we done that's in the past… But fighting won't get us anyway… So if you want, here's my hand… Every night there is one thing I do, I bow my head and I pray for you (pray for you)… And the last thing that I want… Is for you to fall apart… Your future will be clearer… I want you to remember…

I should tell, these things, to her. What am I saying? Morgan should tell her, he is her best friend and I think something more. He worries too much, is too involved, when he talks about her or with her... what is this feeling of puncture, again?

In each tear there's a lesson, (there's a lesson)… Makes you wiser than before (wiser)… Makes you stronger than you know (stronger)…  And each tear (each tear)… Brings you closer to your dreams… No mistake, no heartbreak… Can take away what you're meant to be…

The flowing water doesn’t bother at all, doesn’t clash, indeed, it is a perfect background. In her voice I feel all the pain she feels, not only physical, but above all emotional and I realize that I would like to be with her to embrace and console her, to tell her what she is singing.

You're much more than a struggle that you go trough… From nine till five I open things so let it go … You' re not a victim… You're more like a winner… And you're not defeat … You're more like a queen… In each tear… There's a lesson… Makes you wiser than before… Makes you stronger than you know (stronger than you know)… And each tear (in each tear)…Brings you closer to your dreams… No mistake, no heartbreak… Can take away what your meant to be…

She gives me only that song, then nothing more. I hold out my ear to listen to every kind of noise and let my imagination run wild. At least with myself, it is useless to deny anything. There is something (more than something) that attracts me, in her. The rubbing of the sponge on the skin. Bottle caps definitely shampoo and conditioner, that open and close. A different kind of symphony that fills about half an hour. Then that too ceases. Nothing is heard anymore. I try to call her once, trying not to sound too alarmed. -Penelope?- silence. I let it go just a second and I went to the bathroom door. -Penelope?- one more attempt before I let the panic win. -Penelope?- that's enough. -Penelope, I'm going in, I swear I will not looking, but I have to go in.- what's the use of warning who surely can’t hear me? I turn the handle and disobey what I told her, because I can’t save her blindly. I immediately notice two things: she has fainted, her head out of the water, fortunately; and the foam completely covers her body, from the clavicles down. I put a finger on her neck, yes, there is a beat. Before calling an ambulance, I try some techniques learned at the first aid course. I caress her cheek, calling her and holding her head up so she can breathe properly.

She opens her eyes suddenly, a terrified expression on her face, then her eyelids fall back and this time she lifts them more calmly. She coughs. -God, what... what happened?- she doesn’t look at me. I don’t know if she is more worried about the fact that I saw her almost naked or because of her health.

-You fainted.- I explained. -And I had to go in, but I didn’t see anything.- she seems slightly reassured.

-Fortunately, I love the foam!- she even ventures a joke, which costs her another cough. I realize that I held my breath while I waited for her to recover, because my lungs hurt when I start breathing normally again.

-You can get up alone?- she can’t think of staying there. It's better if it's far from water, if the crisis should happen again... I don’t want to think about it.

-I must, no wonder.- the tone of voice is weak, tired. -For my feminine dignity.- I almost laugh, but luckily I can hold myself back. The brain returns to full function.

-Listen, we can do this: I lift you from the arms, without looking, then I'll take your bathrobe, you wear it and then I lift you again to go out...- why do I feel a dip in my heart while I visualize the scene? Penelope doesn’t seem very convinced. -Or we can stay here, like this, until tomorrow and beyond.- she seems to seriously consider the option. -But the foam will soon start to fade.- I remember her. She gives up.

-Ok.- she says only.

-Ok?- I repeat. I want to make sure she's ready. She nods softly and her wet hair ends up in my face. I settle them and even though she keeps staring at me while I'm doing it, this time she doesn’t turn back. I get a pink bathrobe, fuchsia to be precise, which in another situation would have ripped a smile or a giggle from me. -I'm removing the stapper.- I hear the pop that confirms that she did, and I close my eyes after placing both hands on her arms, under the armpits to be precise, as per standard regulation in case of rescue. I try to keep my fingers as far as possible from her breasts, a very difficult undertaking, because I already understood that... she has a beautiful package. I lift it until I realize that she is in a standing position, even if her weight is strongly unbalanced towards me. -Hold onto me, I don’t care if you will wet my clothes.- and Penelope does it, just barely, while with my hands free I open the bathrobe and holding her in front of it as a sort of safety shield, finally I open my eyes helping her to put her arms through it. I realize that she holds back more moans of pain.

-Closed.- she says only. I look at the bathtub almost completely empty. I pick her up, as men do in the movies with brides on the wedding day and I settle her on the couch. The robe lifts up a little, leaving a leg uncovered. It's nothing, but I'm forced to swallow. -My... my... hair...- she hasn’t recovered much and Maxie runs to lick her face, but Penelope seems not to notice. I go back to the bathroom and take the first towel that I find, I raise her head and wrap as best I can the blond hair that looks brown for the water.

-I think it's better if I dry them, you have to be careful to move the arm...- she doesn’t even try to protest and this means that she was really having a second crisis, while I pulled her out of the water. She sits down without my help. -You feel bad when you lift it, don’t you?- here's a glimpse of the real Garcia.

-What are you, even a doctor?- I shake my head.

-No, but I had direct experience. My sister.- I add. Every trace of the desire to joke fades from her face.

-Oh, wow.- I appreciate that she didn’t say the generic phrase I'm sorry. -And how is she now?- I smile.

-Well, thank you for asking.- she nods. I saw the hair dryer while I was looking for the towel, so I'm going to get it and start. Needless to say, I've never done such a thing, I'm not even used to using this thing, because having never had the hair long more than just a few centimeters, I've never used it. For those twenty minutes only the buzz of the hair dryer is heard, and I have the opportunity to reflect too much. I can’t get rid of a thought that I've, since I seen her fainted in the tub, covered only with soap bubbles. How would it have ended up if Morgan had been in my place? Would he be able to keep his attraction at bay? I don’t think it's just flirting, as he says. But it's not even the kind that takes advantage of women... ouch, heck again that sting, and yet I haven’t seen a single insect. And always in the same place, in the middle of the back.

When I turn it off, I admire the cascade of golden hair in front of me. -So, would you have ever thought of adding hairstylist to your cv?- she seems to have recovered. She laughs, infecting me instantly. -Luke, seriously. You're doing too much for me. You should have just made sure someone didn’t kill me...- she adds. I'm about to protest when we both hear a shot. I signal her to keep quiet. -Have... have you heard?- obviously she doesn’t obey, but at least whispers. I go to the window.

-Oh, shit.- I run away. I seem to see someone hurt behind the car. What if it was Phil? I come back to her, which trembles literally like a leaf shaken by the wind that is close to detach itself from the branch. -Listen to me.- I force her to concentrate on my voice. -Are you capable of shooting?- naturally, she shakes her head.

-No, I don’t… believe in guns.- someone could grasp the ironic side of this story. Another rumble. -Luke!- she moans, her fingernail is digging in the flesh of my hand.

-Take it.- I give her my gun. It looks even bigger in her hands. -You have to make an exception.- Penelope swallows.

-Where are you going?- she has already understood everything. She is not a damsel in distress, but a super computer genius and a federal agent surrounded by profilers.

-I had to go and see what happened, but I'll be back soon.- with a nod of my head, I call Maxie. The dog rushes and without saying anything, puts himself in a defensive position in front of her, wrapped in a fuchsia bathrobe, barefoot, with her hair still swollen without being combed. And that black gun to conclude.

-No, please, stay here! It's dangerous!- she puts the weapon on an armrest and grabs my arm with all the strength she has. I have no time to be moved.

-I know, I'm here for this, remember?- I say a little too loud. She pulls off.

-I don’t want you to die because of me. Be careful.- she gives up. I nod. Time continues to flow, inexorable.

-Everything will be fine.- I hope it is the truth. -Stay hidden behind, and if you see the door open and the person who enters doesn’t say my name... shoot.- she just looks me in the eye. -Be careful with the recoil, try to balance the weight as much as possible.- I absolutely have to go. But she is so terrified that I find myself making a gesture that I would never have expected, not before these two days, at least. I lean over her and lay a kiss on the hair that a few minutes ago I was quietly drying.

I close the door slowly and I go down the stairs bent in a defensive position and at the same time ready to attack. The ears stretched to pick up every little noise or change. I try not to think that Phil could be seriously hurt or dead. It doesn’t help anyone this kind of reflections. I kick off the door and scrutinize the street. Nothing suspicious, just the car, whose red and blue lights blind me. I walk around the car and finally I see him. -Phil, hey, brother.- he is awake and holds his leg, from which blood comes out.

-He is… ran… towards there.- he puts first the safety of the person he has to protect. -I don’t think that this time he will come back.- he is able even to smile. -I have already call the ambulance.- I look towards Penelope’ apartment and Phil notices it. -Tell me, Luke…- just a slight grimace. -She is so nice?- I blush and I prefer to concentrate on his wound. Luckily, it’s not the femoral artery, if it was so, he would be just dead bled out. -Go to her, I can handle this on my own.- I know that I shouldn’t, but fortunately I listened to it. I’m just started to climb the stairs when I hear the ambulance siren and I sigh for relief. A second after I see a dark shadow and one later a bullet brushes my ear. I can barely see him but I shoot in my turn, he does the same and also me. It seems to me that I can hear a female scream, but maybe it’s just my imagination. He still walk, towards her, but then I understand his strategy. From a window he throws himself on the terrace of the next building and I see him running away. I run in the direction of Penelope, slow down and open the door.

-It's me, Luke.- I say, and she is there, trembling, with the gun dangling. I grab it and put it in a safe place, on the table, but she doesn’t stop vibrating. Silent tears flow down her cheeks. She is still wearing the fuchsia bathrobe. Could she be more vulnerable than this way? Maxie growls in the direction of the window. I make another step and Penelope hugs me; I don’t send her away, but I hold her tight, not too much to hurt, but enough to make her feel that I am there.

-Why he want to kill me?- she sobs. -I didn’t do anything.- a hand on the head, I stroke her hair. She puts the head on my chest. Perhaps the beating of my heart is a reassuring sound for her.

-I have no idea.- I whisper in a calm tone. -But your team will find out.- I hope so. A siren blow, stronger than the others makes her jump. -No, no, don’t get agitated, they are the rescuers.- she pulls off, wiping with the palms of the hands the last salty drops.

-Who was hurt?- the moment of the truth has arrived. I sigh.

-There was another man on guard, outside the building. He is my best friend. His name is Phil.- she takes it quite well, at least the fact that she wasn't aware of such a detail about her own safety.

She covers her mouth with the hands. -Is it very serious?- her only concern is this. I feel a lump in my throat.

-No, Penolope, he will be fine. And it's not your fault.- I add, reading her mind. -Ok?- silence means consent. -You think that you can get dressed alone?- the idea of having to help her do this too is tempting and terrifying at the same time.

-I think I will be able.- she replies, perhaps sensing what I'm thinking. She disappears behind the purple curtains and this time I don’t even look in passing. A few minutes later she emerges wrapped in a dog-themed pajamas. I notice that she is not wearing a bra. My conscience tries in vain to bring me back to reason. -Did they let you know something about your friend?- she asks, sitting some distance away from me.

-Yes, everything is ok, as I told you.- she still looks at me in a strange way. -I am not lying to you, Penelope, believe me.- I raise my hands. -You don’t know me, but look at my eyes.- I don’t know where came from this last sentence. She only does it for a second, then withdraws, as if frightened.

-I can’t. They are so deep...- yet, after a few seconds, her eyes are chained to mine again and we stay like that, looking at each other for a time that seems endless. She is the first to give up. -You really don’t have a girlfriend?- she says so softly that I almost hear it.

-Yeah.- I confirm. -Is it so hard to believe?- she nods and restores eye contact.

-A lot.- she answers with such frank sincerity to displace me. -Now you don’t want to tell me you're not used to hearing people say you're beautiful...- that little bit of malice again. I smile, thanking her in this way of the implicit compliment and then shake my head.

-In the places where I've been lately, beauty matters nothing.- but Penelope misunderstands.

-I'm sorry, I didn’t want to seem superficial...- she moves away a little more.

-You didn’t seemed it.- before I can stop it, my hand starts to caress her. -I'm not a profiler, but I think I understand how you really are. And superficial is not an adjective I would use for you.- she nods and decides to end the discussion here. She taps twice the couch calling Maxie and the dog hurries to reach her. She caresses him and he kisses her with such sweetness and affection that makes me feel a third wheels.

 The next day it's a ringtone that is unknown to me that wake me up. I'm really started to losing it. -It's Morgan.- I hear her scream. I look at the purple transparent curtains. -I'll show you a good morning, hot staff.- I listen her giggle. -Yup. No.- of course it's strange to be able to take advantage of only one half of a conversation. -Luke sent him away.- I straighten up the antennas when I hearing my name. -You couldn’t have made a better choice.- another giggle. -I love you too.- again that sting in the back, like a shock. -Greeting for me my mother-in-law and my sisters-in-law.- final laugh. I'm afraid I've figured out what the cause of these pinches is, but I don’t want to say it not even in my mind. A second later comes out in the open. -What's there?- she looks at me now.

-Nothing.- I answer, shrugging.

-No, you're thinking of something, charcoal curls.- she says. The nickname get a smug grimace from me. I sit up and she is positioned not far away, less than last night. -You don’t want to shake a poor girl with a weak heart...- she plays the winning card.

-Ok. I give up.- I raise my arms. -It's just... you and Derek have never tried to go out together?- I had to ask her, I needed to know. Truth can hurt, but you can also overcome it. Uncertainty deludes you and deceived you in an infinite circle. -If I didn’t know that you are just friends...- I miss the words. -It's not just for nicknames.- I'm able to specify.

Penelope leans better on the back. -You are not the first to ask. It is true, ours is an atypical friendship, but there is nothing more.- but a shadow passes into her eyes as she says it.

-That seemed to me a miss pick.- I put off her protests. -I know, it's not my business, but you're in love with him. I can tell.- jealousy, that sting is called jealousy.

-No.- she continues to deny. -It's true- she admits -I've been.- I've never appreciated the use of verb tense as now. -I think you're the first living being I’m telling it.- her gaze poses on Maxie. -At first, I thought there might be something behind those jokes, but it was just in my head. He sees me as a friend and he certainly doesn’t need me, to have a woman. All very different from me.- again a topic that she seems not to want to deal with. My eyes escape.

-Do you mean superficial and brainless?- I try to get at least a half smile from her.

-No, I mean models, tall and thin.- what I feared.

-Penelope...- she shakes her head violently and I can’t tell if she's about to cry.

-Now don’t start saying film quotes like "true beauty is in the heart" or "in the eyes of the beholder". Please. I don’t feel ugly or inferior to those women, I am simply aware of not falling into the category of interest of those like Morgan or you.- I can’t stay silent after being put in the middle.

-Me?- why do I need to hear another compliment? She already said she found me attractive.

-You're very similar to him.- she says simply. -Physically and mentally.- sometimes a conjunction can change your life. -Now, I'm sorry but I'm going to rest. I'm not hungry.- she gets up but I grab her wrist gently. She keeps giving me her back.

-Penelope, wait.- she doesn’t move a millimeter.

-Call me Garcia, like everyone else. The fact that you use my name almost makes it seem that you care about me.- I get up in my turn and force her to turn around. I take her face in my hands but I will never know what I would do, because, as the last time, we hear a shot that looks like the detonation of a gun. There is no one outside, Phil is in the hospital and since his presence was "abusive", not authorized, like mine, he wasn’t replaced. This time I jump with her.

-Stay close to Maxie. I'm going to see what it was.- in the middle of the day. This means that he is desperate, this is a hail mary. He wants to bet everything.

-No, don’t do it, I have a bad feeling...- this time she seems less scared, almost... resigned. I shake my head. Maxie rushes and cowers by her side.

-Nothing will happen to me, ok?- self-conviction helps a lot. She swallows. -Come on.- I put in her hands the same weapon as yesterday. -I’ll see you soon.- a promise that I intend to keep. I look out of the peephole. Desert. I keep the gun hidden, I wouldn’t want to terrorize some neighbor of Penelope. I descend the stairs immersed in doubts. Possible that he really tried to hit her in the sunlight? It means that he is also willing to die or... Shit. As I realize it, I hear a scream, definitely feminine and I recognize the tone.

-No!- I run, grinding three steps at a time and again I'm in front of the door of her apartment. I hear a male voice mumble something. It was a fucking trap. Penelope is crying, so she should be alive, but for how long? He wanted to lure me out to be able to act undisturbed. I open the door with a kick. I point the weapon on him, but the one of the asshole is in the direction of the woman's head, kneeling with Maxie in her lap.

-Son of a bitch.- I can’t help myself. I loved, I love that dog madly. He didn’t deserve to die like that. I can’t shoot him. I have to stay lucid. I would like to kill him with my own hands. That one turns but doesn’t lose sight on his main objective. I notice that Penelope's lip is bleeding and has a bad sign under the eye. The broken glasses on the ground next to the dog. I clench my fists. -What did you do to her, piece of shit?- I don’t think I've ever said so many bad words like today. The asshole laughs.

-Hey, buddy, don’t take it too personal. I'm not one who beats women, but this bitch doesn’t want to die... she has messed up my life. She deserved a lesson.- I can no longer hold myself back and I get to him. He didn’t expect it, we both lose the gun. Mine ends at the feet of Penelope, who doesn’t seem to be able to move. I catch a lot of kicks in the stomach, but I do the same and at the end he is KO. I grab the handcuffs and control that he still breathes. Yes, unfortunately his existence will still weigh on the shoulders of taxpayers. I reach the blonde and put my hands on her face, as I did just before this mess.

-Pen, hey, how are you, did he hurt you?- all the questions come out together. I look better at the swelling and the rest of the signs. He must have used the butt of the gun, that bastard.

-It doesn’t matter, now... you have to call the rescue for Maxie.- even in this moment her priority is always those around her. Can you fall in love in three or four days? I never believed in lightning strikes. Maybe I should stop asking these things and just... live the moment. I lean over the dog and feel the heartbeat. I caress him, touching his leg. Maxie slowly opens his eyes and moans.

-He just fainted, he'll be fine, we'll all be fine.- she doesn’t believe me. -Really, he's not dying.- She nods and then look at my arm.

-But you're bleeding!- I look at a series of cuts, some deeper than others, caused by the bastard's soles. I can’t and I’m not able to say otherwise.

-Really? We are a nice couple.- Maxie whine while I sit on the ground and wrap both in a hug. Just a nice picture. We stay like this until the arrival of her team. All worried but happy that this story has ended.

 I let a few days pass so as not to look like a crazy maniac and I got Morgan's go-ahead. After all, it's his fault that I ended up in this mess. Will he necessarily have to be a witness to the marriage, but for which one of us two? Seriously, I tremble as I open the door of her hospital room. I have flowers with me. She notices me immediately.

-Luke!- we smile at each other.

-Pen, are you better?- the diminutive escapes me again, but she doesn’t seem bothered.

-Mmm, let's say that the morphine helps.- I approach a little more and put the bouquet on the bedside table.

-I'm here to tell you that Maxie is fine. He will recover.- extreme joy on her face. -And I have only a few cracked ribs, nothing serious.- she doesn’t seem to agree, but she doesn’t protest.

-Thank you for warning me.- we both know that I could have delegate the task to anyone. Even to Derek. My job ended when I put the handcuffs on the bastard, real name Jason Clark Battle, deputy sheriff with the killer hero syndrome. In the end, Penelope's team had solved the mystery. Her extreme generosity had made her end in his sights. The bastard was convinced that she was tracking him, because she had drawn attention to many of the unsolved cases of which he was the author. But let's forget him, it's just a nothingness.

-Yes, here, there would be another thing...- it is easier to shoot than to face a woman. Phil would laugh at me if he knew. -When you have completely recover...- I imagine Morgan's metaphorical push. -Would you like to go on a date with me?-

TAGS: @theshamelessmanatee  @arses21434 @kathy5654 @martinab26 @reidskitty13 @jenf42 @gracieeelizabeth27 @silviajajaja @smalliemichelle99 @charchampagne14 @thinitta   @myhollyhanna23 @garvezz @mercedes-maldonado  @shyladystudentfan @cosmicmelaninflower

[7r0773r]

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

American Legend

So I was driving with my old man. The day wasted save for the cobalt haze closing around us. We were on our way to kill our dog, Susan. I mean, we had to bring her to the clinic to put her down, this murder or maybe they meant put her in the ground—though I knew Susan would be ashed in the incinerator out back. Puffs of smoke, little ghost poodles. Where was I going with this? Right—the car, the rain, the legend of joy & pain. My old man & I, the Ford big enough for us to never touch. & maybe I meant to  make the hairpin turn too hard. & the thing flipped like a new law, going 80. Maybe I wanted, at last, to feel him against me—& it worked. As the colors spun through the windshield, wild metal clanking our shoulders, the sudden wetness warm everywhere, he slammed  into me & we hugged for the first time in decades. It was perfect & wrong, like money on fire. The skin around his neck so soft, his aftershave somehow summer. It lasted not a second but he was smiling, his teeth already half-gone, as if someone wiped them away to make room for something truer. Put it down on the page, son, he said one night, after telling me why he did what he did with his life, shitfaced on Hennessy. We were sitting at the kitchen table before his shift at the sock factory. His eyes: raindrops in a nightmare. I touched him, then let go. The car stopped rolling, we hung upside down as things dripped. Steam or breath. I did what any boy would do after getting exactly what he wanted: I kissed my father. He grinned I think. His pupils elsewhere. I reached back, unlatched the cage. The dog stepped out, sniffed my old man, still warm, then ran into the trees, into her second future. I walked from the wreck till the yards became years, the dirt road a city, until my face became this face & the rain washed the gasoline clean from my fingers. I found a payphone in the heart of the poem & called you collect to say all this knowing it won’t make  a difference, only more. So hello, hi, the blood inside my hands is now inside the world. Words, the prophets tell us, destroy nothing they can’t rebuild. I did it to hold my father, to free my dog. It’s an old story, Ma, anyone can tell it.

***

Rise & Shine

Scraped the last $8.48 from the glass jar. Your day’s worth of tips

at the nail salon. Enough for one hit. Enough to be good

til noon but these hands already blurring. The money a weird

hummingbird caught in my fingers. I take out the carton of eggs. Crack

four yolks into a day -white bowl, spoon the shells. Scallions hiss

in oil. A flick of fish sauce, garlic crushed the way you

taught me. The pan bubbling into a small possible sun. I am

a decent son. Salt & pepper. A sprig of parsley softened

in steam. Done, the plate fogs its own ghosts. I draw a smiley face

on a napkin with purple marker. I lace my boots. It doesn’t

work—so I tuck them in. Close the back door. Gently the birches sway but never

touch. The crickets unhinge their jaws in first light, last

syllables crackling like a pipe steady over a blue flame

as footsteps dim down a dawn-gold road & your face

at the window a thumbprint left over from whose god?

[gabriellapatterson-blog]

What goes bump in the night? More like who steals shoes in the night.

A/N thanks for the RP @natalyabloom and @wyattschreave 

I sat in bed dangling the small phone about arms length above my head watching a youtube video called “only 1% of people will figure out these insane riddles” I knew I wouldn’t be able to get it but I loved the “OHHHHH DANG” moments.

Suddenly my grip faltered and smack the phone went on my nose. “Ow ow ow ow!” I yelped as I picked the phone up off of my face and rubbed my nose. “Alright, that’s enough of you.” I mumbled to myself as I got up and returned the phone to my desk. I paused for a moment and looked at the picture of Emma and I. I sighed a bit to myself. I missed Emma deeply, I missed my goofy friend who would watch videos with me. I need some friends here too.

I “plopped back down on my bed and started to think of the girls. I could approach someone from my group from the political lessons? Maybe they’d want to be friends? OH NATALYA. I should do apologize to Natalya. We argued back at the lessons but she seems like a smart girl, maybe we could be friends.

I got up from my bed and walked over to her room and then knocked on her door, “Hi Natalya, it's me Gabriella from the political lessons.” I introduced from outside.

A maid came and opened the door, “Excuse me, Miss. I hope you won’t mind coming back later. Lady Natal-”

Suddenly Natalya appeared standing next to the maid in her reading glasses and spoke softly to her maid, “I told you to stop calling me that. I’ve got it from here, Raylen. You can go back in and…I don’t know, the bathroom is covered in soil.” Soil?

“Yes?” She asked addressing me.

“Oh! Hi yes! I was hoping I could talk with you for a moment, may I come in?”

She turned around quickly and went into her room, “Watch out for the floor.” The floor? As I walked in there were plants everywhere. It was so cool. This had to be the best decorating job in the palace.

“Oh wow! Your room is so cool it’s like a mini garden!” I exclaimed.

Natalya sat down on her bed next to a stack of books, “Yes, I guess it’s sort of my thing…So, what is it?”

“I like animals myself but plants are really cute too and oh right! I just wanted to make sure you knew I was sorry for the...debate during the lessons today. I can get kind of competitive so I got a little too into it. You seem like a super smart and interesting girl though so I'd like to try and be friends with you if that’s alright.” Maybe that was too direct.

She slightly adjusted her glasses, “A surprising amount of you girls are awfully blunt. But…I guess I should apologize too. I was out of it that day.” She then flattened her hair a bit, “Still am.” She added.

“I prefer to be direct. It makes things much more simple. Why do you think you were out of it? Did you get enough sleep?” I asked.

“Not exactly. Being Selected is much more stressful than I thought.” I wonder where she gets stress from? I think this is fun. We’ll the lessons were stressful but overall this has been more fun and exciting than stressful. I suppose though that’s because I’m spending a lot of time with Ben and he’s fun and exciting to me.

“Hmmm, well what's something that you love to do back at home. I normally visit the ocean when I'm stressed which has been helping me…” I paused and looked around, “Do the plants help you?” I asked.

“Botany, the science of plants, though some of them dive more into the field of hydroponics, still a part of botany. So, yes.” ????

“Hydro what now? Sorry I'm a bit of a moron. The caste of a 3 is misleading.” Hydro means water. I got that far.

She smiled a bit. Yes! She’s warming up to me, “The science of growing plants without fertilizer or dirt.” WHAT

“What the!? That sounds amazing! How do they do it?” I asked honestly eager to learn. I loved learning new things and this just seemed so interesting.

“It involves mixing nutrients usually found in fertilizer into the water. I could show you if you want. It’s not all that complicated.” She can show me? Like right here? This is like an episode of Bill Nye.

“Please do, it sounds so cool! I always sucked at growing plants. I'm too forgetful for them, I did have a cactus that lived a long time though. It was a good fit for me.”

She stood from the bed and made her way over to a drawer, “You probably weren’t all that bad. Cacti are actually surprisingly hard to maintain.” She then took two bottles out of the drawer and began to shake them, “The gardens here are maintained wonderfully, though.”

“I had them in my windowsill so they got plenty of sun, when they had those like purple flowers blossom it was really pretty. I was very proud. Somehow I've managed to take care of our dog Gregory though. He's a very silly dog. A very big diva.”

She brought the bottles over to one of the plants and poured the nutrients into what almost looks like a small pool of water that the plant sat in, the colors of the shampoo swirl around and disappear quickly, like a small leaf tornado. “You have a dog too? What kind?”

“Oooh! That was cool! And he's a poodle. Fitting for his personality. His favourite color is salmon. Not a hue off.”

Natalya and I seemed to get along well. I’m glad we were able to get through all of that drama from the political lessons. As I thought back to the lessons my idea for vengeance on Wyatt came to mind. Natalya seemed to like Wyatt though, not in a romantic way of course that would be inappropriate and I really don’t know her too well. But, she didn’t seem to dislike him. I suppose you could say the same for me, I just had a slight annoyance for him here and there but he was still interesting to talk with. Anyways, maybe I should just ask instead of trying to guess her perspective.

“By the way you acted really well with prince Wyatt. Are you two friends?” I asked deciding a lead in would be best.

She sat up suddenly looking startled, “Uh, yes, I think I’m close with the prince.” She answered. Huh. Maybe there is something more there. That’s a rather large reaction to a small question.

“Do you think he's slightly deserving of being pranked? Two times now he's been kind of rude to me, not rude enough for like pain but for sure pranking. I need a partner in crime.” I asked deciding to brush past my suspicion. If she had feelings for him that was between the two of them. If later she decided to talk to me as a friend that was up to her, but I wasn’t going to prod.

“I’ve never pulled a prank on anyone before.” She answered. First time for everything.

“I have many times. I'm actually pretty good at it. I got the idea early on to switch all of my horrible heels with his nice comfy shoes. You can add yours to the pile if you'd like. You in?” Maybe she would be tempted by the idea to lose her stilts too.

She sighed and pet her hair down, “Well, I have a pair of bright purple six inch tie ups I’m sure he’d look gorgeous in.”

I smiled widely, “Wonderful. We can lipstick so he knows what to match them with. Can you ask one of your maids for like a cart so we can roll the heels upstairs. Oh! Wait one us distract him while the other goes in.” I suggested. I should probably distract, if I did the sneaky work we’d end up with all of his shoes falling in the hallway and the cart toppled.

She agreed and said one of her maids should be able to get the cart for us. We gathered the heels and began to push the cart up. We used one of the elevators that the staff used when taking carts of food to people. Soon we made it sneakily up to the royals hall.

I turned and nodded at Natalya to let her know I was moving out and went down the hall to his room and promptly knocked on his door, “Wyatt! Come quickly! Its Gabriella!” I shouted.

There was the sound of clatter as he seemed to rush to the door knocking over things on his way out, “What?! What’s wrong?” He asked as he looked me up in down probably for an injury. He seemed to notice I was fine and straightened himself up, “How did you even get up here?” He asked.

“Doesn't matter. Come look at this!” I replied loudly so Natalya would hear and grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway.

He seemed surprised as I pulled him down and looked back over his shoulder once more, “Where are we going?”

“It's something amazing. you'll love to see it. I thought of you right away. It has to do with one of your many interests.”

He looked confused as I looked back at his face, my eyes quickly catching a glance of Natalya as she made her way into Wyatt’s room. “My many interests?” He asked as stopped walking, “Gabriella, what’s this really about?” Crap crap crap we weren’t to the vase yet. I need a conversation topic. I glanced around quickly.

“Oh we're here!” I said and gestured to the wall, “ It's your favorite thing. A wall. They're very interesting right. But this wall, is really cool because like look at it it's so cool. They wall paper looks more like it's painted than it is just with a paper over it.”

He looked blankly at the wall for a moment before turning and ripping my soul out of my body with an ice cold glare and throwing it in the trashcan of hell. This is it. This is how I die. Murdered at the hands of Wyatt.

“Alright don't be mad.” I said and put my hands up defensively. Natalya isn’t out yet, oh fiddlesticks. A new conversation topic. Um….BEN.

“The truth is.......I need advice...it's just awkward to ask....ummmm......” I said making long pauses to insure I was stalling well.

He pressed his lips together for a moment before he let out a sigh, “ About what?”

“well it's about your brother, so I'm trying to figure out what I should get him for his birthday. My family has a tradition of making...well, I'll keep that part hidden. But we do handmade gifts but I know some people don't like them so well I was wondering if you knew if Ben did?” I gave a small fib to add a little extra time. Yes my family made handmade things as a tradition but we didn’t make one specific thing. I just figured the awkward pause would give Nat some more time.

“Handmade gifts?” He asked with a snort, “Have you met him? Yes, he likes them. Though... I guess it depends on how weird you make it.” What would I make that would be weird?

I chuckled, “They're not too weird. Just small little things. What are you getting him? Or doing for him?” I asked trying to move along the conversation as I waited for Natalya.

“How do I know you’re not going to tell him? Maybe this is all a plan to figure out what I’m getting him ahead of time.” He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, “He always does that.” He always sends a spy to find out what Wyatt got him for his birthday?

“Why in the world would I try and tell him that.” I trailed off for a moment as I saw natalya pulling out of there and heading for out meetup location, “I'm a fan of surprises so if you're just trying to keep it a secret then I get that. Anyways, I have something to go do now, so I'll talk to you later.” I exited and pat him on his shoulder as I past him and briskly made my way to natalya.

“wait—“ He said and started to follow me.

“Run. Run. Run.” I ordered to natalya as we made it back together and made out escape.

“HEY, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” I heard him yell. We stopped and waited a moment a little curious of the aftermath.

“OH, YOU LITTLE—” There was distant yelling as he seemed to realize that he had been hustled. I couldn’t help but to burst out in laughter as we had won and made our way back to his room.

Turns out Wyatt had tiny feet. So small his shoes didn’t fit either natalya or I. So we decided we had to send them back. But- not that simply. Wyatt would be gaining his shoes back one left shoe at a time.

[sinkingorswimming]

Prompt: how'd you find my address

*hey hope you’re down with a super ridonk X-Men based AU*It’s always the same for him—the thrill of the crowd, the roaring applause, the  cheers and acoustics and reverb and backing tracks spun by his DJ. His new costume’s oddly sedate—dark indigo covered in expensive beading over mesh and purple bedecked additions. His eyes are masked in matching indigo and purple make up to hide his eyes. 

Dazzler got his start on Youtube in a similar incognito state, filming with his face cut off and his uniquely tailored lighting a distraction from anything but his voice while he put his touch on “Cranes in the Sky,” “New Rules,” and even “Fool For You.”

The lighting still exists in his live acts, though—blues patterned like deep sea waves for ballads, red and pink for the passionate hard beats, purple and white for the fun dance tracks, explosions of gold and sparks everywhere to close out the final encore.

People always ask about his lighting designer. He demurs.

His manager Celestino and aforementioned mixer Phichit know the truth that his parents and sister don’t. They can’t—until mutant rights actually gain a real foothold, he’ll lose it all if he’s exposed. 

So by day he’s Katsuki Yuuri, pre-law at NYU, and at night he blows out the speakers and the crowds at Webster Hall. Ciao Ciao swears he’ll sell out MSG in two years max, but…he’ll see.

It’s a show night and he does his make up, rests his voice. Phichit yammers in the background about some social media thing since he manages Dazzler’s IG page and Twitter too. “Someone really wants you to read their RPF of you and the King,” Phichit says with a chortle. “Apparently his actual girlfriend is a beard, and you’re his true love.”

Yuuri pauses putting in the violet contacts (with prescription) he uses that glow in his lightshows. “Really.”

“Yo, I think it’s funny,” Phichit replies. “All ‘cause you got drunk at that SNL after party when he was the musical guest.”

“Shut up,” Yuuri grumbles as he completes the transformation. Tonight’s outift is a deep teal metallic stretch with a gold star on the back shaped like a sunburst. The boots are the best part—over the knee and same metallic teal as the jacket. He looks great.

“You look great,” Phichit confirms. “Chris outdid himself.”

“Mmm,” Yuuri agrees, sipping the chamomile he grinds a Xanax into. Stage fright. Preposterous but crippling. He has no choice.

There’s a commotion beyond the green room door, and Yuuri—Dazzler now, rather– and Phichit both snap their heads towards it.

”What the hell?” Phichit narrows his eyes a little. He holds up a finger to Dazzler, then disappears in an implosion of air that smells like sulphur. 

Dazzler gags as Phichit reappears in the same spot. “Don’t do that so close.”

“Sorry but—there’s weird shit out there—” Phichit says. “Like…silvery liquid animal things? Like T1000…but they’re…four leggers with talons and they’re like some kind of wrecking crew. We should—probably bail.”

“Ciao Ciao,” Dazzler says.

“Ciao Ciao turns to metal, Ciao Ciao can deal,” Phichit reminds Dazzler. “We’re meatbags. We gotta scoot!”

Dazzler doesn’t argue as Phichit puts an arm around him and they, as Phichit calls it, BAMF elsewhere. They’re limited by distance, so he manages the roof at least. 

Except the roof is swarmed by those silver things, making gross sounds like if they were a hive of metal cobras. “How’d they even get here? What are they?”

A loud whistle rings from a nearby rooftop. Dazzler and Phichit book look—there’s a golden flash similar to the emblem on Dazzler’s coat followed by sounds of small objects darting through the air. The—things get clipped but not felled.

A stranger lands in front of Dazzler and Phichit—he wears a black and hot pink suit with pouches. His hair is also silver, and it’s in a mullet of all things. He looks back over his shoulder at them for a moment, eyes lingering on Dazzler. Then he winks, gesturing with a hand that…does he only have four fingers?

“Hope my luck doesn’t run out,” he says. His eye gleams gold as he whistles again and a creature that looks like a much too large standard poodle charges the things. “Good girl, Makka!”

A brief flash glimmers in Dazzler’s periphery—there’s a six armed woman with a severe bun and sharp cheekbones like a diamond saw in white. Each arm has a sword from a different culture. She spins and dances like a whirlwind towards the unassuming mullet dude and without even thinking Dazzler puts his two hands together like he’s mimicking a gun, winces, aims, and fires a huge blast of ambient energy into her. It’s a beam of prismatic light that’s solidified to where it knocks her off the roof to the street below.

“Did you know you could do that?” Phichit whispers.

“Kinda?” Dazzler hedges. More of the silver things appear from some kind of messed up black hole thing, and Dazzler this time opens his palm upright and a large glowing rainbow ball forms. He pitches it like a grenade and it explodes, taking out the remainder of the monsters.

Pink suit silver mullet turns to them, and gives Dazzler a bright grin. He picks up his hand (yeah he somehow only has four fingers what the fuck) and he kisses Dazzler’s right ring finger. “Thank you, pretty boy,” he says and…he sounds Russian for some reason. “It’s good to know that you had my six.” He looks Dazzler up and down in a very obviously flirtatious and sexy manner. “Better than good.”

Dazzler’s face turns red as he wrests his hand out of his grip. “Um—” he clears his throat. Phichit makes a noise like a sitcom audience member watching a live taping of a make out session.

“Who are you? What happened?” Phichit grins and winks. “Are you…married? Single? Going steady? Dazzler here hasn’t been on a date since Obama was still President so like—”

“Phichit!” Dazzler shrieks.

The man smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and his giant poodle sits next to him with a smile and pink tongue hanging out. He’s devastating, Dazzler thinks. Oh god. 

The blue eyes sparkle. “I’m named Victor, but everyone just calls me Longshot. It’s my stage name. You really bailed me out here—sometimes, not often, I get scared my Luck Power won’t work.”

“Luck Power? Are you a mut—” Dazzler stomps on Phichit’s foot, and Phichit waps him with his tail in reply, though Longshot can’t tell thanks to the image inducer. “Jackass.”

“I’m sorry to cause you trouble,” Longshot continues. “But as they say, the Revolution will be televised!” 

“Revolution?” Dazzler asks. 

“Frightfully long story,” Longshot says. “I can…explain over food.”

“He’d love to,” Phichit blurts. Then he shoves Dazzler bodily at Longshot, the singer’s face turning beet red and Longshot’s own cheeks dusting a deep pink while he gives him a sweet smile. 

Dazzler looks up at him, contemplating running. His life is complicated enough—pre-law and LSAT prep balanced with being a rising pop act. 

Is he really adding superheroics to the resume?

“Did you retrieve him?” 

The six-armed woman shakes her head. “No, Lord Yakov. He managed to escape thanks to some kind of metahuman intervention.”

“Hm,” the Lord and King of the Yakoverse says. “Metahumans? Are they…entertaining?”

“The footage is impressive,” she admits.

“Good,” he answers. “We’ll run in the prime Thursday slot. Oh…and Spiral?”

The woman once called Lilia gives him a curious look.

Yakov smiles. “Send some insurance next time. Send in the Fairy.”

Spiral grins.

For reference, Longshot: http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Longshot_(Mojoverse)Dazzler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzler

[charbsessed-blog]

1: Is there a boy/girl in your life? Two. 

2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them? Not really... but I choose to stay with him. 

3: What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?” My husband. 

4: What’s something you really want right now? My best friend. 

5: Are you afraid of falling in love? In a sense, yes. 

6: Do you like the beach? Never been there, but it looks lovely. 

7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? Yes. 

8: What’s the background on your cell? Fun Girl. DUH. I’m fucking obsessed lol

9: Name the last four beds you were sat on? Good question.. mine, my mom’s, my dad’s/stepmoms, aaaaaand .... uh ... I can’t remember. 

10: Do you like your phone? It could use more space, but yes. 

11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned? Not really. So I’m just winging it at this point. 

12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? I have all numbers memorized. I don’t have any contacts. 

13: Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler? Hmmm... I guess a rottweiler. 

14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain? Emotional. 

15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? Zoo. 

16: Are you tired? No. 

17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact? No contacts, so I’m using the oldest entry in my phone history. I’ve known him since 2009(?) He’s one of my husband’s best friends. 

18: Are they a relative? No. Thank God LOL. 

19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes? Nope. 

20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with? I would. 

21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? Nope. I hate the fact that I got married. 

22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes. 

23: How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? Zero.

24: Is there a certain quote you live by? Lebe Deinen Traum. 

25: What’s on your mind? A lot of shit.

26: Do you have any tattoos? One, for Autism. 

27: What is your favorite color? Neon colors; pink, purple and green. :)

28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips? Whenever I see him again, I guess. 

29: Who are you texting? Nobody at the moment.

30: Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? I’ve kissed that mother fucker everywhere. 

31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? Ohhhhh yeah. 

32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? “Kylie.” 

33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you? I know “Kylie” does. I love him too.

34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? All the time.

35: Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you? I’d honestly wouldn’t give a shit. But I would go kiss Kylie. 

36: Were you single on Valentines Day? Haven’t been single on Valentine’s Day since I’ve started dating... 

37: Are you friends with the last person you kissed? Yeah, I guess. lol

38: What do your friends call you? By my name. 

39: Has anyone upset you in the last week? Oh yes. 

40: Have you ever cried over a text? Ohhh yes. 

41: Where’s your last bruise located? I’m not bruised, and if I am, I don’t know about it. 

42: What is it from? ^

43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad? Right now. 

44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with? My mother. 

45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes? My combat boots. 

46: Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day? I. Hate. Hats. 

47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style? No way. I’m too obsessed with my hair. 

48: Do you make supper for your family? I do. 

49: Does your bedroom have a door? Yes. 

50: Top 3 web-pages? Youtube, Facebook, and Tumblr. 

51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping? Chyeah. 

52: Does anything on your body hurt? My gums; I just had two root canals done today.

53: Are goodbyes hard for you? Of course. 

54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself? Couldn’t tell you. 

55: How is your hair? Fine, thank you :) 

56: What do you usually do first in the morning? Cuss. 

57: Do you think two people can last forever? It can happen, but I believe it’s very, very hard. 

58: Think back to January 2007, were you single? Actually, I’m not sure. I know I got with my son’s dad for the first time in March 2007, but I can’t remember who I was with before him. 

59: Green or purple grapes? Green. 

60: When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug? Tomorrow, when my husband and Kylie go out. :) 

61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? Yes.

62: When will be the next time you text someone? Whenever someone texts me. I rarely initiate lol.

63: Where will you be 5 hours from now? Hopefully asleep. 

64: What were you doing at 8 this morning. Waking up. 

65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked? I’m married, but I don’t think I really liked anyone. 

66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? Yes. <3 

67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today? I did both. 

68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? Why in the fuck did I stay up until 4am watching Clerks? 

69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? Oh yes. 

70: How many windows are open on your computer? 2. 

71: How many fingers do you have? ... 10?

72: What is your ringtone? Just a standard ringtone that rings when you call it (for now.) 

73: How old will you be in 5 months? ... 29. 

74: Where is your Mum right now? In her bedroom. 

75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love? Well.... I let an asshole get into my head and convince me that he was better than my son’s dad.. so I let him break us up. Can’t do anything aout it now. But it turns out the other guy has EXTREME mental issues and is borderline abusive. He’s just a very toxic person. 

76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days? Yes. 

77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago? Yes.

78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7? Year 7 is 7th grade, right? I know I had a crush on Roger. He was an 8th grader, with tons of piercings. 

79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike? My cousin.. who molested me.

80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms? Yes. But I have to be extremely tired, or I can’t fall asleep in anyone’s arms.

81: How many people have you liked in the past three months? 2. 

82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days? I don’t wear underwear. Therefore, no.

83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight? Already have. 

84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? Probably Kylie lol.

85: If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care? Hell yeah I would care. Care enough to leave. 

86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie? I saw a movie. LOL

87: Who was your last received call from? My mother.

88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? Yes. I would just find a dead one somewhere. Nowhere in the question does it say it has to be alive when you do it. ;) 

89: What is something you wish you had more of? BALLS. I need balls.

90: Have you ever trusted someone too much? I do.

91: Do you sleep with your window open? Fuck no. Way too cold.

92: Do you get along with girls? Yyyyeah?

93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? Yes. 

94: *deleted* lol k

95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? Not really.

96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring? Yep.

97: Did you sleep alone this week? Nope.

98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you? I do.

99: Do you believe in love at first sight? I do.

100: Who was the last person that you pinky promise? Hell, I don’t know.

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

“Stay”, ML Reveal Week - Day 3: Reluctant

Day: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

(AO3 / FFnet)

The apartment was dark as usual when Marinette sneaked inside, just like she had done a countless number of times before in hope of not being discovered. That night luck wasn’t on her side.

‘That was a bit too late for an evening stroll if you’d ask me,’ Nino said from the couch, his voice hollow.

‘Ninny?! I thought you were asleep,’ Marinette blinked a few times when he reached behind and lit a lamp.

Her husband chuckled humorlessly, ‘Yes, you seem to think that a lot lately.’

‘What?’

‘Is there really a point of asking where you’ve been?’ There was so much hurt and sadness in his eyes that it ripped Marinette’s heart just to look at him.

‘I’m sorry- ,’ voice hitched in her throat. ‘I can’t… No, there’s no point,’ she finally choked out, resigned.

He studied her for a few moments, his posture stiff, his teeth clenched and hands lying on his lap balled into fists. His chest was heaving with each heavy breath. Narrowed hazelnut eyes inspected her hunched figure noting every little detail out of place. Mismatched clothes she had put in a rush, disheveled hair slipping from the bun, pupils still dilated from adrenaline boost and cheeks colored with blush.

Marinette knew this could very well give him a totally wrong impression.

Her clothes were discordant because she threw on the first thing she could find when the alert came earlier that evening. The rest of her look was the result of the battle itself and a frantic trip home, when she ran out of time and Adrien had to carry her over the rooftops before his own transformation faded.

But her husband couldn’t have known that. For years he had no idea he had managed to befriend Chat Noir and then started dating to eventually marry Ladybug. He had been akumatized once, and throughout the years she’d seen too many victims accepting second and even third purple butterfly to risk exposing her spouse by telling him her secret.

Nino had been nothing but wonderful, caring and loving husband and she felt like falling to pieces every time she had to lie to him. But usually she was able to talk her way out of doubtful situations like this, she was able to placate him eventually with gentleness and calm.

Marinette put all the love she had for this man in her look, which made her features soften. ‘Please, let’s just go to bed. Everything will look better in the morning,’ she pleaded.

‘This won’t work, Nettie,’ he replied raising from the couch. ‘Not this time,’ he added silently.

It was then she noticed the suitcase by the door and felt as if her heart was pierced with cold steel.

Nino nodded towards the bag. ‘I’ve packed just a few things,’ he explained. ‘I’ll take the rest when I’m settled in a new place.’

‘Where are you going to stay?’ She asked quietly. ‘At Adrien’s?’

She apparently had been underestimating the weight of the situation and it hit her hard when he gave a snort of disgust. ‘Why would I want to have anything to do with the man who cuckolded me?’

It was like a bucket of icy water spilled over her. She whipped her head to look at him, seeing his features sharp and twisted with hurt. This was a man who was not only leaving his seemingly unfaithful wife, but also suspecting it was his best friend that delivered the blow.

Nino noticed her shock and snickered bitterly, ‘Oh, you thought I wouldn’t find out? Did you both think I was that stupid?’ he asked as he turned to reach for his suitcase.

‘Old flames die hard, I guess,’ he shrugged. ‘I thought you two were better than that. Close friends – sure. Close friends my ass!’

Marinette could only stare at him, unable to find any words that would help here, while Nino reached the boiling point, all the hurt and disappointment finally overflowing.

‘I always knew there was something odd going on between you two. You were just too comfortable with each other, always so like-minded, always inseparable, like you had some kind of connection, always just so… Ugh! Alya warned me about you, but would I listen? Hah!’ he threw his hands up, while the bile kept flowing.

‘Have either of you even thought about Amélie and Adèle? Or did you forget he has a wife and a daughter?!’ Now Nino was shouting, his face red with anger. ‘I just… I can’t believe you! Who the hell are you, Nettie?’

Marinette felt tears spilling from her eyes. Her whole body was trembling with fear and despair. All the strength left her at the sight of her husband picking up the suitcase and turning to the door. She dropped to the floor with a loud thud as her legs suddenly became too weak to support her.

Nino turned around alarmed by the sound. His eyes grew wide when he saw her on the ground. Hesitantly he walked to help her up.

She reached for his hand and asked in a voice broken with sobs, ‘Please, Nino. Please, stay.’

He pursed his lips and helped her to the couch.

‘Why?’ he asked quietly. ‘Why would I?’

Marinette felt something stir in her little ornamental bag. She dropped her eyes and saw Tikki giving her a silent nod, her red face concerned, determined.

‘Because there’s something I need to tell you,’ the woman stated, the final decision pouring Ladybug’s strength back into her limbs. ‘Something I should have told you a long time ago, my love.’

She drew closer to him and kissed him, before standing up. ‘I promise I’ll answer all of your questions and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, but you need to know this first, before you make any kind of decision. Before you end things with me or with Adrien.’

Nino looked at her, puzzlement slowly replacing the distress.

‘Keep your eyes on me, love,’ Marinette whispered taking a few steps back.

She took a deep breath as relief washed over her, the burden of her secret finally to be shifted.

The sapphire locked with the hazelnut, as she finally said, ‘Tikki, spots on!’

The scene below was added thanks to lil_fangirl27′s comment on AO3. Leave comments people! It pays off! ;)

Ladybug stumbled in the balcony door, drenched to the bone with the heavy rain. Chat Noir feeling every bit the scare crow he looked like, with his hair dripping water helped her inside the dark apartment.

‘Here. Take this,’ someone said passing him a fluffy towel.

Strong hands wrapped another one around Ladybug’s shivering body.

‘Come to the couch,’ the voice instructed. ‘There are blankets there.’

Ladybug obediently slumped to the couch and was instantly enveloped by warm and soft wool.

Chat Noir plopped himself beside her.

‘It’s raining cats and dogs there,’ the voice pointed out. ‘Let me get you some hot tea,’ it said disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.

‘So that’s why there are poodles everywhere,’ Chat said with a grin dropping his transformation.

There was a loud sneeze from the small mound of wool beside him before it glowed red and  Marinette’s head emerged from under the blankets.

‘Please tell me you didn’t leave puddles on my white carpet, Adrien,’ she complained reaching out to the lamp and turning the light on.

‘Don’t worry, love. I folded it before letting you two in,’ Nino said passing them warm mugs that smelled of earl grey and honey.

‘Amélie just texted me. Your driver will be here in a few minutes, Ade,’ he added putting a plate full of already sliced camembert and chocolate cookies on the coffee table.

‘Eat up, Plagg,’ Nino chuckled at the sight of the little black cat making a beeline to the plate followed closely by tired Tikki.

‘You’re an angel, Nino. You know that,’ the kwami declared holding out his tiny paw to Nino for the customary fistbump.

‘Thanks for bringing my Lady back to me, guys,’ Nino said pulling his wife in for a hug.

If you liked it, check out my other stories on AO3 or FFnet.

Ninette series, parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

[old-stellar]

A purple fantasy

- Violet: Violet zircon Piper: Purple Zircon - It's was 11PM, the clouds covered the moon's shine making below a dark place. The only light source were the street lights which were flickering. "The damn mayor can't fix those things..." a women mumbled under her breath. She had wavy hair, all messy from the long day. She had tanned skin and had bags in her eyes. She held an empty cup of coffee in one hand and a middle sized case in another. Violet just finished her work and was heading to the near by bar to cool her jets and get a few drinks or so. She already changed in her 'party' clothes back at work. She always had them around, just in case. She wore a fashionable Violet skirt with a purple short sleeved shirt. Her make up was in pretty good condition compared to herself. She was weak, tired, and eye bags hung heavy but that didn't stop her from Wanting a drink. It was about a 17 minute walk from work to the bar, the neon sign read, 'Late night Fight' he bar had a reputation for being an argument hot spot. (Does that make sense???) for there have been maybe hundreds of fights in that place. Used to be 'late night action' but they changed it for better recognition. It worked. At this point Violet didn't really care if she got into a fight or watched one. Upon entering, the first thing you smelled was alcohol. It burned her nose for a little bit before getting accustomed. She walked towards the bar tender, which happened to be a friend of hers she met. Her name was Whitney, she was the average height for someone her age. She had brown eyes and black hair with pale skin. She looked as tired as Violet, but even she had a better sleep schedule than Violet. "Hey V, what can I get for you?" Whitney asked as she cleaned a wine cup. "Can I have a Purple Fantasy? With-" Whitney interrupted her, "Extra Vodka? Like every other drink you buy?" Violet nodded, "Yeah, have a problem with that?" She scuffed. Whitney shook her head, "Alright give me a second" she said and turned around, gathering her ingredients for Violet's cocktail. Violet quietly sat on a high chair and looked around. To her left, one couple was having a hot make out, to her right, men played pool and... some girl. She was pretty. It looked like she was talking to a man, he was broad shouldered with blond hair and pale skin. He also green eyes, a black shirt with the Pepsi brand, and some shots. Violet couldn't help but stare at the girl. She looked about her age, tanned skin with puffy purple hair. She wore one of those 50's dresses, (boopers apparently??) the top of the dress was black and white stripes while the dress itself was pink with a little poodle. Violet thought it was cute, but it wasn't until she heard the girl's laugh when she figured what really was cute. "Hey V!" Whitney shouted and snapped her fingers at her. Violet turned back to Whitney. "What? Can't you see I'm admiring a beauty?" She smirked and darted her eyes towards the girl. Whitney followed her gaze, "Oh! You mean Piper? She comes by like two or three times a week, she likes the Purple fantasy as well believe it or not" she told her and gave her her drink, "Hey how about this, I'll make you another free Purple fantasy, you give it to Piper and you two get closer together. If you leave this bar without her number, you pay me back. If you do leave with her number, it comes off of my wallet" she snickered. Violet scuffed, "deal." Just as Violet grabbed hold of the drinks, she heard a small screech escape Piper's lips. She looked over and saw the man getting closer to her. "Hey doll,, why don't you and me go to my place and mash it up?" He whispered in Piper's ear, she looked uncomfortable. "N-no thank you, why don't you leave instead? You have clearly drunk way to much" she scuffed and pushed him away. He looked angry now, "Don't you push me, Doll." He grumbled. At this point Violet knew she had to do something. She put her drinks back on the counter and stormed over. She tapped the man's shoulder and he whooped his head towards her. "Listen here, 'doll' this girl doesn't want to join your little party at your home. You should respect that." She began. This dude was only about a few inches taller than her, which is weird for most guys about his age, they were usually way taller than her by then. He chuckled, "oh yeah, what are you gonna do about it?" Now Violet was upset, no, angry. "Might I suggest you leave and never bother her or any girl again?" She spat and clenched her hands into a fist. "Hmmm, no" he replied and laughed. Violet was done with his bullshit. She swing her fist against his face, he stumbled back and put his hand on his check. It was bruised badly, which was unexpected from an 18 year old girl. He stood and and stared at her, then walked up to her and kicked her to the ground. Violet was fast though, she got right back up and threw another punch, right at his nose and he once again he fell back. About half of the people in the bar where looking at them at this point. People were chanting, rooting, and placing bets on them at this point. While he was dazed, he grabbed his head and slammed it on the bar table, his nose was bleeding at this point. The crowd was wild and they cheered for Violet, just as she was about to slam his head again, Piper stood between them. "Wait! Don't beat him up, let me talk to him" she replied and gave Violet a small smile as she sat next to him. "Now, are you going to apologize to me or not?" She asked creepily, she gave him a wide smile. He glared at her. "No way in hell." He stated. Piper got up and looked at him, then at Violet. She chuckled and handed Violet an empty beer bottle, which happened to be on the table. She leaned in close to her ear, "Please, continue" she whispered and backed away with a small grin on her face. Violet looked at her then back at the man, face all beaten up, struggling to get up. She laughed, "my pleasure." She chucked and slammed the bottle on his head, glass flew everywhere and he fell on his face. "I think that's enough" she declared and held her arm up in the air with pride as the crowd cheered for her. Whitney ran in the scene, "V what the hell happened?" She asked as she helped the guy up, "He wouldn't leave her alone" she replied cooly and pointed at Piper, who simply waved. Whitney sighed, "listen bucko, if my job weren't at stake right now I would have killed you. Now leave before I change my mind." She threatened as she heaved him towards the door. Violet and the rest of the people watched Whitney take out the trash then went back to doing their things, like as if a fight didn't totally just break out. Violet's back hurt by then and she sat down by one of the broken sofas by the door. Before she knew it, Piper was sitting next to her with two purple fantasies. "I saw these and quickly snatched them before anyone saw me" she snickered. Violet smiled, "wow a bad girl are you now?" She laughed. Piper nodded and handed one to Violet. "I uh, appreciate what you did back there" she told Violet, Violet turned towards her, "Yeah, I only do that to pretty faces." She smirked and drank her cocktail. "To be honest, I didn't think you'd encourage the fight to keep going. You seemed like a good girl" she added. Piper laughed, "YeA sure. But I can be a good girl if I really wanted too" she replied with a smile. "So, what brings you to the bar?" She asked and turned her attention to the guys playing pool. "Well I just came from my work in the office, drinks and pretty gals help me destress" she replied and cooly sipped her cocktail. "So I guess you are now really feeling better" Piper joked. Violet nodded, "it's true though. That fight helped me get rid of the stress, I did good didn't I?" She bragged. Piper raised her brow, "Yeah sure, he probably won't be able to walk for awhile." She chuckled. They talked for awhile, sharing what went down during the day and the conversation lasted a few hours. By the time they seemed to have finished, the bar was right about empty. Whitney was on her phone and there were the same two men playing pool. They looked more drunk though. "Well I think it's about time I leave" Piper interrupted Violet's thoughts as she got up and quickly cleaned off her dress. "Thanks for backing me up there though" she smiled and handed Violet a slip of paper. "I have my number ready just in case, I'm well prepared" She smirked and walked out of the bar. Violet took awhile to fully recollect she got Piper's number. "In yoUR FACE MY MAIN bITCH" she screamed happily and ran over to Whitney and shoved the paper in her face. "Guess that's $25 off of my wallet" she sighed and reached for her wallet. Violet quietly stared at the slip of paper and cracked a sly smile. Today was good, not only did she kick ass, but also the number of the prettiest girl in town. - SorRRY THIS IS SUPER LONG AND PRETTY BAD BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT GUYS! @genericartistt : Violet @porlspeaches : Piper

[noonetosmilefor]

100 questions because I'm bored.

Thanks for asking me all 100 questions, @hopedreamssoul. <3 Who needs sleep anyway?

1: Is there a boy/girl in your life? - There are a lot of boys and girls in my life. But atm, no one in particular.

2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them? - I surely would, sadly.

3: What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?” - My cats and ‘awww’.

4: What’s something you really want right now? - A good time.

5: Are you afraid of falling in love? - Nah.

6: Do you like the beach? - As Anakin Skywalker would say: "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere."

7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? - Yes.

8: What’s the background on your cell? - A picture of the Themse and Big Ben in the background I took in London this year in March.

9: Name the last four beds you were sat on? - Mine, my sisters, my best friends and my bed at my dad’s place.

10: Do you like your phone? - Yeah kinda, but I have no storage left.

11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned? - HA, no fucking way.

12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? - The number of a new co-worker of mine.

13: Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler? - Rottweiler.

14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain? - Emotional.

15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? - Art museum.

16: Are you tired? - Kinda. Of live. Tired? Nah.

17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact? - Since my first day of school.

18: Are they a relative? - No.

19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes? - No.

20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with? - About 1 week ago. 

21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? - YES.

22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? - Yes.

23: How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? - None.

24: Is there a certain quote you live by? - Yes: “You can close your eyes to the things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel.”

25: What’s on your mind? - I currently think about how much I love Lorde’s new album. My fav song on this one is a love song. I really hate these kind of songs, but this one really gets me. I LOVE IT!

26: Do you have any tattoos? - Nope. But soon, hopefully.

27: What is your favorite color? - Any shades of blue.

28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips? - Uh, idk?

29: Who are you texting? - Currently my best friend.

30: Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? - No.

31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? - YES, too often.

32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? - Yes.

33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you? - I don’t think so.

34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? - Yeah.

35: Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you? - I kinda would feel hurt but I can’t do anything against it, can I?

36: Were you single on Valentines Day? - HAHA, yes. Still am. 

37: Are you friends with the last person you kissed? - Kinda, I guess.

38: What do your friends call you? - Freaky but lovely.

39: Has anyone upset you in the last week? - YES. 

40: Have you ever cried over a text? - Yep.

41: Where’s your last bruise located? - On my knee.

42: What is it from? - From my cupboard.

43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad? - Today.

44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with? - My dad.

45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes? - Yes. 

46: Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day? - NO, no way.

47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style? - Nope.

48: Do you make supper for your family? - Not that often.

49: Does your bedroom have a door? - Yes.

50: Top 3 web-pages? - Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube.

51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping? - Yes. Me.

52: Does anything on your body hurt? - Not atm.

53: Are goodbyes hard for you? - If it’s someone who’s really close to me, yes very hard.

54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself? - Water.

55: How is your hair? - I got fresh washed wavy hair right now.

56: What do you usually do first in the morning? - Groan, because I have to get up.

57: Do you think two people can last forever? - Yes.

58: Think back to January 2007, were you single? - Yes.

59: Green or purple grapes? - Green.

60: When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug? - Next week, when I see my best friend again.

61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? - Yeah, somewhere colder.

62: When will be the next time you text someone? - In a few minutes.

63: Where will you be 5 hours from now? - Hopefully sleeping.

64: What were you doing at 8 this morning. - Working.

65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked? - Yes.

66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? - A few people.

67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today? - Yes.

68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? - “I don’t want to go to work tomorrow.”

69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? - YES.

70: How many windows are open on your computer? - 3.

71: How many fingers do you have? - 10. 

72: What is your ringtone? - The HIMYM theme song.

73: How old will you be in 5 months? - 22.

74: Where is your Mum right now? - Probably sleeping or watching TV.

75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love? - Because back than he was an 24 year old actor called Orlando Bloom and I was 6.

76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days? - No.

77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago? - Manly, yes.

78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7? - Uh, yeah I guess my boyfriend back then.

79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike? - No.

80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms? - Yep.

81: How many people have you liked in the past three months? - 1.

82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days? - Yes.

83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight? - Like, like like or just like? Idk, like, like like, no.

84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? - Probably my best friend. Because we also do that even though we’re not drunk.

85: If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care? - Yes.

86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie? - My best friend cried a whole river.

87: Who was your last received call from? - My dad.

88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? - NO WAY!

89: What is something you wish you had more of? - Money and books.

90: Have you ever trusted someone too much? - Yes.

91: Do you sleep with your window open? - YES, it get’s to damn hot.

92: Do you get along with girls? - Yes.

93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? - Yes. 

94: Does sex mean love? - No.

95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? - No.

96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring? - Yes.

97: Did you sleep alone this week? - Yes.

98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you? - YEP. 

99: Do you believe in love at first sight? - No.

100: Who was the last person that you pinky promise? - My sister.

[angeleyesandfaerielullabies]

All of the questions ;)))))) you'll never know who this is ;)))) ya know cause I'm on anon ;))))))))))))))

Sammy, I know it's you. You aren't being discrete at all1: Is there a boy/girl in your life?Yes, many of them actually, they're everywhere, along with the people who are both or neither, everywhere I turn, they're there
2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them?No.
3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17."An off day isn't a cocktail issue."
4: What’s something you really want right now? A girlfriend
5: Are you afraid of falling in love?HAHAHAHHA 
6: How can I win your heart?Listen to me and try to understand what I'm saying and shit and give me compliments and books and cuddles and just don't be obnoxious 
7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else?No
8: What’s the background on your cell?On my lock green it's a bunch of cactiOn my home screen it's a great picture by Sophierosebrampton (that's her Instagram name) and it's a girl with only underwear on and a crop top that says "not ur babygirl" on it and shows the bottom of her boobs (it's a really great drawing and she's a really cool artist, I highly recommend you check her page out)
9: Name the last four beds you were sat on?My bed??? That's it's??? Idk???
10: Think of the last person who said I love you, do you think they meant it?Probably not
11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned?Hell no
12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?I don't know
13: Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler?Rottweiler
14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?Emotional
15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?Both
16: Are you tired?All the time
17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact?Seeing as my 1st phone contact was my mother, I'd say I've known her for awhile, although, I could be wrong 
18: If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be?2014-2015 (all of 8th grade including the summer before and half of the summer after)
19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes?Maybe
20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with?HAH
21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today?Ehhhhhhh, I don't know, probably not, I'm not big on the whole marriage concept 
22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?HAH
23: When was the last time you were disappointed?I am disappointed literally almost 99.9% of the time sooo
24: Is there a certain quote you live by?"Fuck you, Fuck you, and ESPECIALLY Fuck you"
25: What’s on your mind?Nothing
26: Do you have any tattoos?No
27: What is your favorite color?Green
28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips?I'm done with these kissing questions 
29: Who are you texting?No one 
30: Are you superstitious about anything?Yes
31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right?Yes
32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?Yes
33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you? No
34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?No because although my entire family swears that I have hazel eyes but that they just lean more towards brown than green, they are actual shit stains and the only time you can even see the apparent green is when I cry and that happens like never
35: What was the reason for your last breakup?He made a rape joke and so I decided to cut him out of my life
36: Were you single on Valentines Day?Yes
37: Name one physical feature that you like about yourself, and one you dislike.Fuck you.
38: What do your friends call you?Melissa or Mel or Asshole
39: Has anyone upset you in the last week?Yes
40: Have you ever cried over a text?Yes
41: Where’s your last bruise located?My arm
42: What is it from?Tubing
43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad?Every second of everyday so I guess the last time would be right now 
44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with?My uncle
45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?Yes
46: Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day?No
47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style?No
48: Do you make supper for your family?Who the hell says "supper"??? (Sammy probably does) And I make food all the time for my brother and I 
49: What’s the toughest decision you made this year?To live 
50: Top 3 web-pages?Idk
51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping?Yes. Me.
52: Does anything on your body hurt?Yes
53: Are goodbyes hard for you?No
54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?Water
55: How is your hair?Wtf kind of question is this??? It's a wavy/curly, frizzy, tangled, knotted, thick af, super annoying Mess
56: What do you usually do first in the morning?Lay in bed contemplating the universe 
57: Do you think two people can last forever?No
58: Think back to January 2007, were you single?I don't even remember what I was talking about two minutes ago but you want me to remember if I was single in January 2007??? Fuck off
59: Green or purple grapes?Both
60: When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug?Never
61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?Yes
62: What did your father teach you?Fuck off.
63: Where will you be 5 hours from now?I don't freaking know 
64: What were you doing at 8 this morning.Idk
65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked?No
66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile?Yes
67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today?No
68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night?I didn't go to bed last night so joke's on you
69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?Yes
70: How many windows are open on your computer?None
71: If you won 100 million dollars, what would you buy first?A good life
72: What is your ringtone?Idk
73: How old will you be in 5 months?The same age as I am now 
74: Where is your Mum right now?I don't know and I don't care 
75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love?Because I have never actually really felt love before 
76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days?Yes, my brother because he can't Ross the street by himself for shit
77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago?Sure
78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7?No
79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike?Yes
80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms?No
81: How many people have you liked in the past three months?Idk
82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days?No
83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight?No
84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with?I would never get drunk and I would never yell at people no matter how physically attractive I found them so fuck you
85: If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care?Probably not but maybe
86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie?Idk
87: Who was your last received call from?My uncle 
88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?Yes because I hate butterflies 
89: What is something you wish you had more of?Money
90: Have you ever trusted someone too much?No
91: Do you sleep with your window open?No
92: Do you get along with girls?Sure
93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?No
94: Does sex mean love?No
95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem?HAH
96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?HAH
97: Did you sleep alone this week?Yes
98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?Yes
99: Do you believe in love at first sight?Not really
100: Who was the last person that you pinky promise?My brother

[nonbinarysasquatch]

Because it amuses me, I’ve decided to assemble list of Weird Al polka songs and mark what songs I’ve heard along with notations of which ones are actually in my collection. Skipping Hot Rocks Polka from UHF (yeah, I have heard all of those, and I have some of them in my collection) and Bohemian Polka (is there a human being who hasn’t heard Bohemian Rhapsody, and of course it’s in my collection.)

Songs in bold I’ve heard at some point. Songs and artists in italics I literally know nothing about.

Just because something is in my collection doesn’t mean I love it (though more often than not I do) and just because something ISN’T doesn’t mean I don’t like it.

Polkas on 45 from “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D (1984):

"Jocko Homo" by Devo (In My Collection) "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (In My Collection) "Sex (I'm A...)" by Berlin (In My Collection) "Hey Jude" by The Beatles (In My Collection) "L.A. Woman" by The Doors (In My Collection) "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads (In My Collection) "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner "Every Breath You Take" by The Police (In My Collection) "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash (In My Collection) "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones (In My Collection)

Hooked on Polkas from Dare to Be Stupid (1985):

"State of Shock" by The Jacksons and Mick Jagger "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top "What's Love Got to Do with It" by Tina Turner (In My Collection) "Method of Modern Love" by Hall & Oates (In My Collection) "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes (In My Collection) "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister (In My Collection) "99 Luftballons" by Nena (In My Collection) "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins "The Reflex" by Duran Duran (In My Collection) "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" by Quiet Riot "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (In My Collection)

Polka Party! from Polka Party! (1986) (one of Al’s best albums imo):

"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel (In My Collection) "Sussudio" by Phil Collins (In My Collection) "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie (In My Collection) "Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin (may have heard as child) "What You Need" by INXS (In My Collection) "Harlem Shuffle" by The Rolling Stones (In My Collection) "Venus" by Bananarama (In My Collection) "Nasty" by Janet Jackson "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco (WHY IS THIS NOT IN MY COLLECTION?) "Shout" by Tears for Fears (In My Collection) "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna (In My Collection)

Polka Your Eyes Out from Off the Deep End (1992):

"Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol (In My Collection) "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega (In My Collection) "Love Shack" by The B-52's (In My Collection) "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. (In My Collection) "Unbelievable" by EMF (another I’m surprised I don’t have) "Do Me!" by Bell Biv DeVoe "Enter Sandman" by Metallica (In My Collection) "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground "Cherry Pie" by Warrant "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls (In My Collection) "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice

The Alternative Polka from Bad Hair Day (1996) (welcome to my teen years)

"Loser" by Beck (In My Collection) "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots (In My Collection) "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow (In My Collection) "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails (In My Collection) "Bang and Blame" by R.E.M. (In My Collection) "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette (In My Collection) "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by The Smashing Pumpkins (In My Collection) "My Friends" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (In My Collection) "I'll Stick Around" by Foo Fighters (In My Collection) "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden (In My Collection) "Basket Case" by Green Day (In My Collection)

Polka Power! from Running with Scissors (1999): (the beginning of the end of my time listening to the radio/watching MTV... seriously 1999 me was so bitter about how music was going to shit...)

"Wannabe" by the Spice Girls "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger (In My Collection) "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" by Pras featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mýa "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys "Walkin' on the Sun" by Smash Mouth (In My Collection) "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys (In My Collection) "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba (In My Collection) "Ray of Light" by Madonna (In My Collection) "Push" by Matchbox Twenty (In My Collection) "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind (I HATE THIS SONG AND I SAW THEM IN CONCERT AT ROCK FEST BEFORE THEY WERE BIG AND I WAS LIKE “WOW, THAT BAND SUCKED” THEN INEXPLICABLY THEY WERE SUDDENLY FAMOUS LIKE TWO MONTHS LATER) "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson (In My Collection) "MMMBop" by Hanson (I kinda wish I had some Hanson) "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground (In My Collection) "Closing Time" by Semisonic (In My Collection)

Angry White Boy Polka from Poodle Hat (2003) (I wasn’t listening much to the radio at this point, and some of these songs I’m pretty sure I heard a good while after they were in the Polka, I either don’t care about or don’t like most of these songs.):

"Last Resort" by Papa Roach "Chop Suey!" by System of a Down (In My Collection) "Get Free" by The Vines "Hate to Say I Told You So" by The Hives "Fell in Love with a Girl" by The White Stripes (In My Collection) "Last Nite" by The Strokes (In My Collection) "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed (In My Collection) "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine "My Way" by Limp Bizkit "Outside" by Staind (In My Collection) "Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock "Youth of the Nation" by P.O.D. "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem

Polkarama! from Straight Outta Lynwood (2006): (We’re at the point where unless I just randomly caught it on the radio or someone I knew played it, I was pretty over popular music and was digging through other musical interests)

"Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas (I’m unsure on this one. I know I’ve heard some Black Eyed Peas in the past) "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand (In My Collection) "Beverly Hills" by Weezer (In My Collection) "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay "Float On" by Modest Mouse "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz featuring De La Soul  (In My Collection) "Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers (In My Collection) "Slither" by Velvet Revolver "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent featuring Olivia "Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell "Pon de Replay" by Rihanna (I feel like Umbrella is the only Rihanna song I’ve heard) "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx

Polka Face from Alpocalypse (2011):

“Poker Face” by Lady Gaga “Womanizer” by Britney Spears “Right Round” by Flo Rida ft. Ke$ha (the first time I heard this in the polka I thought Al was suddenly doing Dead or Alive) “Day 'n' Nite” by Kid Cudi “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum (In My Collection, weirdly enough) “Baby” by Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris “So What” by Pink (I’m surprised I don’t have more Pink) “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry “Fireflies” by Owl City (I know nothing about this band but the name sounds gothic, which probably means it’s pop) “Blame It” by Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain “Replay” by Iyaz “Down” by Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris “Tik Tok” by Kesha (she’s on the periphery on the sort of thing I’m into so I checked her out and determined I wasn’t feeling it)

Now That’s What I Call Polka! from Mandatory Fun (2014): (To say that at this point I’ve long since abandoned any way to check out music that isn’t a deliberate choice is almost an understatement but at the same time I’ve become a lot more musically opened minded in recent years AND I’ve been on tumblr which has made me more vaguely aware of stuff younger folks are into):

“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus (checked out re: controversy iirc) “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People (In My Collection) “Best Song Ever” by One Direction (I legit was like, well hey maybe One Direction is surprisingly good since so many people on Tumblr love them... nope. Sounded like every boy band in the history of ever as far as I could tell.) “Gangnam Style” by Psy (Too heavily referenced everywhere to have not checked it out) “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen (see above re: references) “Scream & Shout” by will.i.am feat. Britney Spears “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye feat. Kimbra (I legit love this song because it sounds like Peter Gabriel, I checked out Gotye without having any idea he had a hit song though) “Timber” by Pitbull feat. Kesha “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz (Yeah, I’ve BEEN to the Value Village that has since closed on Capitol Hill in Seattle but I’ve never heard the song or seen the video in which it is featured... in fact I’ve never heard any Macklemore, despite Seattleite status) “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams

I think the polkas from recent years come out better than I thought, though I literally only have two songs in my collection from the last one so...

[morganbelarus]

I can’t believe it’s not clutter: maximalism hits our homes

After decades of bland minimalism, people are decorating their homes to the max. Is it a response to our troubled times or individual expressionism?

Outside, Tania Jamess home looks fairly average, a flat in a Victorian conversion on a north London street lined with trees and speed bumps. Inside, its a riot of colour.

Neon pink, yellow and orange zap across the walls, while dozens of 60s and 70s tea trays line the stairs, each a different pattern. In the living room are green and pink sofas with leopard-print cushions. A pink plastic light-up pigeon and a toy plastic horse sit on a shelf alongside a big yellow plastic bird she found in a charity shop. I was like, oh my God, 4 thatll go with the pigeon! she says. On another shelf sits her brightly coloured glass-bottle collection, which she has been adding to for the past 20 years its a one-in, oneout policy now. There is a fireplace painted highlighter yellow, pink and purple, with a baby-sized blue plastic bear standing to attention in the grate. In the bay window, a jungle of house plants spreads its fronds. I dont want to say Im attached to stuff, says James. Im not materialistic but its important to me to have how I feel inside, out.

She understands that the home she shares with her family is Marmite someone once told her: Its like 10 cups of coffee with a migraine. But she loves it. I work from home and I literally need it, she says. And while it may sound chaotic, on a sunny Monday morning it feels surprisingly serene.

Tania AKA Ms Pink who runs and online store called Quirk and Rescue. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian

In 2018, Jamess maximalism has found its moment. After decades in which the idea of a stylish home tended towards a minimalist aesthetic of pale walls and bare wood, the past few years have seen a decisive turn, with everywhere from Gucci to John Lewis to River Island bringing out flamboyant homeware ranges. Ikea once urged people to chuck out your chintz, but last month it launched an accessories collection by artist Per B Sundberg, who describes his work as lush, rough and burlesque; it includes skull-shaped vases and candlesticks in the shape of poodles.

On Instagram, maximalist interiors abound. James is known as Ms Pink on the site (she and her partner run a company called Quirk and Rescue, selling cushions and prints) and she points out the democratic nature of social media; you would have had to buy specialist magazines in the past to access anything approaching this range of ideas. But the move towards maximalism also seems to be about other shifts: a reaction to grim political times, and a rejection of the idea of a house as, primarily, a commodity.

In the 00s, as house prices rose swiftly, cultural forces, including TV property shows, encouraged home-owners to keep their house beige and bland, the idea being that this would increase its appeal should they ever need to sell or let it. Now there seems to be a move towards making our living space big or small, rented or owned into an expression of our personality. In other words, a home.

Maximalism can be read as an escape from a world and culture that at times seems bleak. James sees it in part as a backlash against austerity: People are like, right, what can we do to make ourselves feel good? The American interior designer Jonathan Adler suggests its because minimalism is a bummer. When youre about to kick the bucket, you dont want to look back and see an endless haze of beige. He says maximalism is about surrounding yourself with things that make you feel a little bit more glamorous than you think you are. Rather than more-is-more, he describes this as glamour-upon-glamour.

Pati Robins, a full-time carer whose maximalist rented home on the outskirts of Cardiff has attracted more than 50,000 Instagram followers, says maximalism for her is about a collection of things that I love I have to feel something for them. If something gives me a great joy or any reaction, I pick it up.

When she and her husband first started renting their home from a housing association in 2006, she says it was a nicotine-stained, magnolia hell, all Scandi and Ikea, all white and empty. She had moved from Poland with one suitcase and her husband was a homeless veteran, so he didnt have many belongings. When you live like someone else is living because you dont want to stick out too much, she says, you end up feeling like a guest in your own home it was just awful.

Luke Edward Halls living room. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian

Tomris Tangaz, the course director in interior design at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London, says that during eras when things get tough, people find ways of negotiating those climates and I think private spaces in particular your four walls are the only spaces that are not loaded, that are free of authority and rules. (There are, of course, often a lot of rules that come with renting a property, which can impinge on tenants ability to express themselves, so its interesting to see how Robins and many other people on Instagram are finding ways to negotiate that.)

Tangaz says there is a sense that our homes represent a rest from the world outside, and while Robins doesnt want to ascribe too much of her homes decor to turbulent political times I didnt start maximalism after Brexit, she says she does think of it as her own personal sanctuary. I close the door and I escape the world. Its a feeling she says her husband, who suffers from mental health problems, shares. When the house was still empty, he felt more on edge it reminded him of hospitals. Now it is filled with their objects, hes a bit calmer, she says.

Her version of the aesthetic feels very different from Jamess her walls are painted dark colours, for instance. In her living room, the head of a donkey juts from a neon pink frame.

Maximalism is all about expressing individuality and personality, and so the cultural reference points are hugely varied. Ben Spriggs, executive editor of Elle Decoration magazine, mentions the colour-saturated worlds of Wes Anderson and the Italian palazzo look of Call Me By Your Name. Both he and James namecheck the 1980s Memphis design movement, with its squiggly patterns and bold colours, especially the aesthetic of its founder, Ettore Sottsass, whose fans included David Bowie and Elio Fiorucci Sottsass co-designed the latters flagship New York store.

It is a way of expressing yourself Hall in his flat. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian

In Luke Edward Halls one-bedroom flat, there are shell-shaped wall lamps, merman candlesticks and so many books that his shelves sag under their weight. He is one of the artists and interior designers most associated with todays maximalism, and says that at a time when the world can be quite grim, it is about escaping into a fantastical universe.

For him, that involves being surrounded by objects that have a story. It is a way of expressing yourself, he says, sitting on a mustard yellow sofa. In the same way I have scrapbooks, its a way of having these memories surrounding you. On a nearby table are small glass anchovies picked up on a trip to the Amalfi coast with his partner; on another there are glass chicory and asparagus picked up in Venice. He and his partner love anything shaped like a fish, vegetable or animal, he says. His fridge is adorned with magnets of crustaceans, Campari and Botticellis The Birth of Venus. In the bedroom, there are palm-print bedsheets and a leopard-print carpet, green wallpaper and pink curtains.

Halls bedroom. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian

For James, one of the most appealing aspects of maximalism is its DIY quality her living room includes fake cheese plant leaves bought for less than 2 from Ikea and spray-painted neon orange and pink, as well as a customised Mothercare clock from when her children were young. This customisation reminds her of the punk scene she was part of in the 70s: People are realising that you dont have to be rich and able to employ an interior designer you can just get stuff you love and make it look good.

With minimalism there was a clear aesthetic, while maximalism embraces everything from Robinss dark walls, Jamess neon birds, and Halls shrimp magnets. Its much more personal, says Tangaz, much more about what you want to create. Robins believes people are getting sick and tired of living like everybody else. I think we just want to be seen as individuals. If that means pink walls, orange floors and lamps in the shape of artichokes, so be it.

Original Article : HERE ; This post was curated & posted using : RealSpecific

=> *********************************************** Original Post Here: I can’t believe it’s not clutter: maximalism hits our homes ************************************ =>

I can’t believe it’s not clutter: maximalism hits our homes was originally posted by 16 MP Just news

[gleefullysad]

Question Time

Filled out 2/9/17 1: is there a boy/girl in your life? Not as of now, no. 2: think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them? Not yet, but I'm working on it. I know once I do my life'll be a lot less stressful overall. 3: what do you think of when you hear the word “meow?” My friend's cat, Ming. I hate cats but god do I love me some Ming. 4: what’s something you really want right now? A tall glass of ice water, I'm parched. 5: are you afraid of falling in love? In a broad sense, no. But kinda. 6: do you like the beach? I hate it. It's hot, the sand gets everywhere, and so many people piss in the ocean. 7: have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? Never. Let me know when there's a couch big enough to comfortably sleep two people. 8: what’s the background on your cell? Josh Dun making a face as he drums. God he's gorgeous. 9: name the last four beds you were sat on? Mine, my mom's, my sister's, my friend's. 10: do you like your phone? Yeah, although I just got a tiny crack in it so I need to fix that. 11: honestly, are things going the way you planned? I don't plan things, makes it easier to avoid disappointment. So yes and no. 12: who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? My former teacher-turned-family friend. 13: would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler? Poodle. They're more demanding in terms of grooming but they're crazy intelligent, not that Rottweilers are dumb. 14: which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain? Emotional pain. Physical pain can usually heal or diminish. 15: would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? An art museum, I hate the crowds at zoos. 16: are you tired? Am I ever NOT tired? The answer's no. 17: how long have you known your 1st phone contact? For about two years now, he's amazing. 18: are they a relative? No, he's better to me than half my family is though. 19: would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes? Never. Exes for a reason. 20: when did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with? A few months ago. 21: if you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? No, it's 11:40pm and I'm young. 22: would you kiss the last person you kissed again? No. 23: how many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? None. I've never been a big jewelry person. 24: is there a certain quote you live by? Not really, just being a good person overall. 25: what’s on your mind? What isn't? Thing shat bother me, my friends, my dog. 26: do you have any tattoos? I will be able to answer yes in June! 27: what is your favorite color? Blue, all shades of it. 28: next time you will kiss someone on the lips? Hopefully soon, but I'm no psychic. 29: who are you texting? No one currently, just sent a picture to my best friend. 30: think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? Yes. 31: have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? Yes, it's terrifying. 32: do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? Yes I do, he's a great person who doesn't think that he is. 33: do you think anyone has feelings for you? Maybe. 34: has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? Always. I agree, they're a striking shade of blue like a China doll. 35: say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you? Good for him? Not sure why he'd be around me though. 36: were you single on valentines day? Yes. 37: are you friends with the last person you kissed? Not friends but not on bad terms. 38: what do your friends call you? Brianna, some Bri. 39: has anyone upset you in the last week? Yes. 40: have you ever cried over a text? More often than I should. 41: where’s your last bruise located? My inner elbow from donating blood yesterday. 42: what is it from? Oh, I answered it above, oops. 43: last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad? Right now. I hate my hometown. 44: who was the last person you were on the phone with? My mom earlier to tell her my dinner order. 45: do you have a favourite pair of shoes? Yes, my black Vans. 46: do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day? Never, I usually just toss it into a bun and go. 47: would you ever go bald if it was the style? No. 48: do you make supper for your family? On occasion. 49: does your bedroom have a door? Yes it does. 50: top 3 web-pages? My school login, my work login, Reddit. 51: do you know anyone who hates shopping? Myself lol. 52: does anything on your body hurt? My elbow. 53: are goodbyes hard for you? Always, I avoid them if I can. 54: what was the last beverage you spilled on yourself? Water, earlier today when I was bumped by my dog. 55: how is your hair? Pretty healthy, nice auburn shade. 56: what do you usually do first in the morning? Put my glasses on since I'm blind. 57: do you think two people can last forever? Yes. 58: think back to january 2007, were you single? I was 7, so yes lol. 59: green or purple grapes? Green always, same with apples. 60: when’s the next time you will give someone a big hug? Maybe tomorrow just because I was asked now. 61: do you wish you were somewhere else right now? Yes, I wish I was in Hawaii so badly to visit my friend. 62: when will be the next time you text someone? Tomorrow morning since I'm about to fall asleep. 63: where will you be 5 hours from now? Still in my bed. 64: what were you doing at 8 this morning? Sleeping. 65: this time last year, can you remember who you liked? No one! 66: is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? My dogs, even when they're bad. 67: did you kiss or hug anyone today? Yes. 68: what was your last thought before you went to bed last night? "Will I have school tomorrow?" 69: have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? Who hasn't though? 70: how many windows are open on your computer? Right now, just Tumblr. I hate multiple windows. 71: how many fingers do you have? 10. 72: what is your ringtone? The generic Marimba one. 73: how old will you be in 5 months? 18. 74: where is your mum right now? Upstairs in her bed. 75: why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love? I've never been in love. 76: have you held hands with somebody in the past three days? No. 77: are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago? Yes! 78: do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7? Ugh yeah. 79: is there anyone you know with the name mike? Yes, he's a douche. 80: have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms? Many times. It's one of my favorite feelings. 81: how many people have you liked in the past three months? One. 82: has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days? Myself lol. 83: will you talk to the person you like tonight? No. 84: you’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? No one, I don't drink. 85: if your bf/gf was into drugs would you care? Yes of course. 86: what was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie? Someone tripped and fell down a few stairs. 87: who was your last received call from? My mom. 88: if someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? Yes. I'm a broke bitch lol. 89: what is something you wish you had more of? Happiness, always. 90: have you ever trusted someone too much? Sadly. 91: do you sleep with your window open? If I'm hot. 92: do you get along with girls? Yes. 93: are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? Not currently. 94: does sex mean love? It can, but not always. 95: you’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? No, I'm not an immature shit. 96: have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring? No. 97: did you sleep alone this week? Sadly. 98: everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you? Yes I do. 99: do you believe in love at first sight? No. 100: who was the last person that you pinky promise? No idea.

[villainousunsub]

fuck alright lets do this 

tagged by @writerinthedarkabyss

1: Is there a boy/girl in your life?

Nope, im a single bean

2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them?

Fuck no 

3: What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?”

kittens

4: What’s something you really want right now?

those eggs that Hersey makes only around Easter

5: Are you afraid of falling in love?

Not like I should be.

6: Do you like the beach?

No, I get sand everywhere 

7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else?

All the fucking time

8: What’s the background on your cell?

lock screen is a galaxy and home is one of paris

9: Name the last four beds you were sat on?

Mine, my mom’s, my bro’s, and my aunt and uncles

10: Do you like your phone?

Yea

11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned?

When do they ever?

12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?

my brother since he just got a phone

13: Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler?

Rottweiler

14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?

Emotional it hurts the longest and deepest 

15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?

the zoo i could spend all day there

16: Are you tired?

my whole life all i wanna do is sleep

17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact?

yikes i have no idea

18: Are they a relative?

no

19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes?

no i only have like two and one is a guy and one is a bitch

20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with?

never, ive never been kissed

21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today?

Hell no, just because they are the right person now that doesnt mean they will be forever

22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

see last kiss ?

23: How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?

one-my rainbow braid bracelet 

24: Is there a certain quote you live by?

“Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life.”-Gregory Maguire

25: What’s on your mind?

all the shit i need to finish/start

26: Do you have any tattoos?

no, not yet

27: What is your favorite color?

pretty blues 

28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips?

who knows???

29: Who are you texting?

no one right now 

30: Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch?

i really have never kissed anyone.

31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right?

my entire life

32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?

yea he is the best

33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you?

Yea but they are all friends or guys, so 

34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?

Yea

35: Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you?

this makes me hate my life rn 

36: Were you single on Valentines Day?

of course

37: Are you friends with the last person you kissed?

im done i swear to god

38: What do your friends call you?

Lauren, Lori, gorgeous, babe

39: Has anyone upset you in the last week?

im a feisty lil one so yes

40: Have you ever cried over a text?

oh yea

41: Where’s your last bruise located?

my legs are almost always covered in bruises

42: What is it from?

that is a good question and I too would like an answer 

43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad?

yesterday

44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with?

my mom.

45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?

yes but they are falling apart now

46: Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day?

beanies are life on those days

47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style?

No i love my hair too much 

48: Do you make supper for your family?

yes none of these fools know how to cook

49: Does your bedroom have a door?

Yes

50: Top 3 web-pages?

AO3 Tumblr and Youtube

51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping?

yea

52: Does anything on your body hurt?

my back is killing me right now 

53: Are goodbyes hard for you?

depends on how close we are

54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?

water

55: How is your hair?

a mess 

56: What do you usually do first in the morning?

pop all my joints

57: Do you think two people can last forever?

I want to believe so

58: Think back to January 2007, were you single?

yea i was just a smol kid

59: Green or purple grapes?

PURPLE

60: When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug?

????

61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?

hells yea

62: When will be the next time you text someone?

tonight for math hw 

63: Where will you be 5 hours from now?

sitting in my living room watching empire

64: What were you doing at 8 this morning.

walking into school

65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked?

no... i dont think i really did

66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile?

oh yea totally 

67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today?

No

68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night?

shit i forgot to do that paper

69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

my entire academic career

70: How many windows are open on your computer?

5

71: How many fingers do you have?

all of’em

72: What is your ringtone?

truthfully i have no idea my phone is always on vibrate

73: How old will you be in 5 months?

still 17

74: Where is your Mum right now?

work

75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love?

fucking asshole thats why

76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days?

yea

77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago?

a few

78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7?

unfortunately yes

79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike?

Yea

80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms?

nope

81: How many people have you liked in the past three months?

one

82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days?

Yea

83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight?

probably not 

84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with?

my idiot of a friend and probably like one DD 

85: If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care?

yea i cant stand the smell of most of them

86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie?

my brother put too much butter on his popcorn but didnt want to get a new one so i watched him slowly eat with regret on his face

87: Who was your last received call from?

My mom

88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?

NO!!

89: What is something you wish you had more of?

money, hours in the day, energy

90: Have you ever trusted someone too much?

big down fall for me

91: Do you sleep with your window open?

yea except in the dead of winter

92: Do you get along with girls?

Yea

93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?

i dont think so 

94: Does sex mean love?

hell no

95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem?

im not even-

96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?

^

97: Did you sleep alone this week?

Yea

98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?

of course

99: Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yea

100: Who was the last person that you pinky promised?

my brother