#just talking to you (pandora | closed starter)

[unabashed-lover-of-fictional-men]

Closed starter with: @nytehavyn-circle

Rebecca was in trouble and she knew it, blood dripped from the various wounds on her body. Her eye was swollen shut and it was getting hard to breathe, she had managed to take out almost all of her attackers but a few had escaped and were currently chasing her. Stopping around a corner she managed to pull her phone out, she hesitated slightly calling him. She hated to be a burden to him but she was in dire need of help, and she had nobody else to call.Taking a deep breath she dialed his number and heard it ring a couple of times “Please pick up” she mumbled softly. Hearing gunshots she stashed her phone in her pocket and took off again “Fucking assholes just let me leave!” A stray bullet hits her arm and she screams “Son of a bitch,couldn’t you at least have bad aim?!” 

Hearing voices coming closer, she tried to use her powers making one of the men shoot the other. Her arm drips blood and she feels woozy, unsure if her phone is still working she talks loud enough in case the call went through “Handsome, uh hi its Rebecca. I need your help badly got caught up in something and it’s not going well at all, I feel like a pin cushion except add bullet holes and various wounds” Coughing slightly she winces hearing a wheeze, closing her eyes she starts to slump down the wall before everything goes dark.

Groaning she wakes slightly, her eye is fully swelled shut, going to move her arms she quickly realizes that she is zip tied to a chair. Three men smirk at her and hold up knives “You hurt ours now we get to hurt you” Rolling her eyes she tries to use her powers and is met with a blinding headache complete with nosebleed “Fucking assholes! What the hell did you do?” Wincing she feels a sharp pain to her face “I’m going to kill you if or should I say when I get free!” The men laugh “Nobody is coming to save you Pandora” Wincing at the use of her other name she struggles “I’ll kill you!” She hoped her phone had worked, she needed help and now.

[thetombedspirit]

So, I just finished the main story of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

First off, I want to talk about the cons of the game before jumping into the pros, but to be honest with ya, the cons are few and far in between and were more about personal preference then the performance of the game itself.

For starters:

1. The Glitches - Like literally, during a few quests, there will be some dialogue, but it'll randomly cut out with the excuse that enemies are near by, when that is absolutely not the case. It was only so bad that I had to exit to the main menu and then get back on in order for it to fix, so this was minor in comparison to other glitches like falling through the map randomly (which happened to me once during my play through of Far Cry 4 :p)

2. The Language - This is just a little peeve of mine, but I wish that the Na'vi, at least when talking amongst themselves and to us, spoke in Na'vi. Like, if Ubisoft could record a whole 'nother language for Far Cry Primal, they could have done it here. And I also wish that the animals, especially the Palulukan, were referred to by it's Na'vi names rather then human names.

3. The Main Character's Name - This is minor really, but I don't like how we are not given a name. Like, I get that it's fun coming up with names for our original character, but it's a bit isolating to only be referred to as 'the Sarentu'.

Not only does it make it seem like our identity as a member of a respected clan matters more then our identity as our own complex individual, but it feels weird when you read notes and listen to audio logs about the other Sarentu kids and not one thing about us, especially when Alma talks about how they're acclimation to life in the Resistance. Like how we're developing doesn't matter at all in comparison to how Ri'nela is coming into the role of leader and Tsahìk.

Not even a mention of our relation to Aha'ri when she writes about her murder and how it could be affecting us.

Like, just a gender-neutral name to tie things in, like Dani in Far Cry 6, would go a long way to make our character feel like a part of the story and not just a nameless side character doing all the hard work, like the Rookie from Far Cry 5.

4. The Villain - This is more of a 'meh' thing for me. Like yeah, Mercer was an asshole, but again, pulling from Far Cry here, who had amazing, complex villains like Vaas Montenegro or Pagan Min, and what we get is... a entitled, racist narcissist whose barely there, and therefore we get zero from this guy. He was more annoying then anything, like literally every time he talk, my eyes rolled into the back of my skull.

Like, could you imagine if AFOP made Mercer like Pagan Min, the tyrant king of Kyrat who had a relationship with Ajay Ghale's mother to the point where he was sympathetic to the loss of his mother. Pagan Min would just randomly call Ajay on his radio like an eccentric father-figure, and in two endings of the game, he'll actually help you out, taking you to Lakshamana so that you can place your mother's ashes beside her, just like she wanted, which is very generous considering that in one of those endings, it's after you lead a massive rebellion right to his door-step, taking out his generals and so-on! (Pagan is my favourite Far Cry villain is you haven't figured that, Vaas is a close second)

If you gave Mercer that kind of depth, then maybe you can actually understand why Teylan would believe Mercer wouldn't hurt anybody when he gave the location of the Resistance Base away.

Harding as well was mediocre. Just a hard-as-nails general that's running a pouching operation on the side. Like, if you made her even a fraction of insane like you did Vaas, I could actually be into it.

So anyway, on to the pros!

1. The Gameplay - I know people moaned about the mechanics being too similar to Far Cry, but honestly, that was what drew me to it when I first saw the trailer for it! Far Cry is my favourite first-person shooter franchise (Far Cry 4 and Far Cry Primal being my favourites). The crafting of weapons, the hunting for food, skins and ingredients and the little things what made it unique was amazing to me,

The hunting was a pain, because half the time (for me anyway) I could almost never get a clean kill for the smaller or quick-moving animals, but I think it was done super well. When you hit an animal in the old Far Cry games, they either just drop dead or run away and bleed out quietly. But here, when it's an unclean kill, the animal squirms and writhes in pain before succumbing to it's wounds, really driving in the whole point of the Na'vi way of life (that's how I saw it anyway).

And the Memory Paintings, though tedious at most times, was another fun and unique mechanic to the game and felt very Na'vi to me and I enjoyed concentrating on them all and hearing the MC's interpretations of the Memory Paintings and the Sarentu Totems.

And the moments when you're flying on your Ikran or Pa'li made me feel like I was in an RPG, like Horizon, so that was a nice little touch. It was like they mashed two of my favorite games into one.

And in the end, it's not the gameplay that makes me play the game. It's the story.

2. The Harmful Effects of the RDA - There was not a minute within this story where it's quests and stories didn't resonate with me.

How the Kinglor of the Aranahe forest was displaced by the RDA's actions, giving us a Yellowstone situation where a key member of the ecosystem was being pushed out and it was causing all sorts of problems for the local flora and fauna.

The aforementioned poaching in Zeswa territory, where the Zakru were being hunted and killed for their tusks and how even their long deceased skeletons were being pilfered, very similar to elephant and rhino poaching, especially as Zakru are sacred animals to the Zeswa.

And then the Yavä, the green fog that brought sickness to the Kame'tire, something that happened, by the way, because the RDA disposed of the Sarentu's bodies by using caustic chemicals!!! (like, what the FUCK, Alma!) but anyway, is very reminiscent to the diseases that European settlers brought in to the native populace, who never had to build up immune systems for it and suffered because of it.

What I'm getting at here, is how big of a problem the RDA is, not just for going to war with Jake and the Omaticaya, but also by causing the exact same problems that people did on Earth and are still doing to Earth. In so many, seemingly innocuous way, the RDA are negatively effecting the ecosystem, the wildlife and the locals in their pursuit of a paycheck that, realistically, would never be able to use until they get off planet, and that is if they don't die on an alien moon because of all those problems.

3. The Efforts of the Resistance

Every time I got to talk with the Resistance members was a highlight for me. I truly do not understand how some people don't like Priya. I found her adorable, and she gave me Penelope Garcia vibes from Criminal Minds. And her budding romance with Resistance Pilot Anqa, whose history with incursion on her desert homeland inspired her to take action against the RDA.

Or Hajir's regrets for playing part in the Severeds origins, concluding how they are in a constant state of anger and sadness.

Or Billy, who break-dances as he's helping you escape imprisonment, before sacrificing himself to save what's left of the Resistance.

And then there's the Na'vi Clans that I just loved and each and every one of it's characters had me giddy. The playful old grandmother in Nefika and her immediate action to take us in and show us around the Hometree, the Zeswa sisters and their rightous anger over the poaching, the eccentricities of Okul and their faith in the Kame'tire's tradtions.

Honestly I could go on and on about every single character in this game. Nalin and her tentative offer to fill in the void of mother during the party, the Burden Carrier and the Milk Crafter who got drunk off their ass, saying the zakru can fly while we're trying to warn them of impending danger and Mosaka, who not only gave our clan's location away to the RDA, but used their deaths to manipulate his way into power and control over the clan by framing Anufi for their demise. (BTW, fuck you Mosaka)

That's all I got for now, but once the DLCs come in, I am defiantly playing through the whole game again and I may come back to this post with an update when that happens, along with my stance on said DLCs.

So, hope your all having a good day and buh-bye!

[trulyxcharmed-a]

@twiceborn-witchlighter liked for a starter from Pandora.

Okay, so technically, Pandora wasn’t supposed to orb around the Manor for fun, but it wasn’t for fun! It was a real, practical reason. Namely that she left her cell phone in the attic. Again. It was a recurring problem.

But, still, she just wanted to get her phone to text one of her friends for some advice on what to wear tonight. Looking both ways down the hallway, she began to orb upstairs, only for her mother to enter the hallway, calling exasperatedly, “Pand-”

"Sorry, Mom!” Pandora yelled as she reformed in the attic. Brushing her wet hair over the shoulder, she looked around for her phone, whining softly, “It was just here, I know this is where I left-”

The attic door opened and she looked up to see a dark haired guy who definitely should not have been in the attic.Throwing her hands up, her eyes widened when he very much did not freeze. “You didn’t freeze, why didn’t you freeze?”

Demon who doesn’t freeze, in the attic- the Book! Grabbing the closest object, which unfortunately was just a pillow, Pandora threw it at the man and scrambled across the attic towards the Book of Shadows.

[michellespenscratchz]

For the grumpy affectionate starters, number 13? (Thank you for yours - watch this space...)

“You’re talking too much, just shut up and hold me.” @andaxay This is also the 600-word drabble I promised and totally didn't forget until just now. ^^; Thanks for the 600th Kudos.

-----

“Hey.”

“Uh.”

“Hey!” This time Fiona kicked the underside of Rhys’ booted foot.

“Umph. Okay, okay, what do you want?” He closed his fist, and the holoscreen projected by his cyber palm disappeared. Fiona stood surrounded by moving boxes, with something conspicuously hidden behind her back.

“So, I was just on the ECHO-Net,” she said. “In other, less homicidal corners of the universe than Pandora, do you actually have a tradition called a ‘housewarming party’?”

“Oh.” He hoisted himself to a standing position from the box he’d been sitting on. “I mean, it varies from planet to planet, but yeah. Some do. Most, actually.”

“And traditionally, at these ‘housewarming parties,’ new homeowners get a bunch of tacky wreaths to hang on their doors. I following that right?”

“That’s the unspoken rule, yep,” he said.

“Well, you’re not moving in with a girl who does ‘unspoken,’ are you, Rhys?” She smiled. “I came up with a better idea.” She revealed the object behind her back.

It was a wreath of sorts…except that in place of the traditional garnishes, like flowers or wine corks, it was comprised of cans and bottles housing various kinds of liquor. They were all haphazardly bound together in an elliptical shape with especially gnarly-looking barbed wire. And in the center, where one might expect a “Welcome” sign, proudly sat a declaration of “PIS OFF!” spray painted on rusty metal.

“Happy, y’know, hot house or whatever!” she said.

“Wow, that’s,” Rhys swallowed. “Yeah. That.” He inched back as if one of the barbs might willingly leap forth to give him tetanus. “Guess you can take the girl out of Pandora, but you can’t take Pandora out of the girl.”

“Like you would want to.” She gave the Hell Wreath an enticing shake. “Admit it, once you’ve walked on the wild side, those office girls don’t stack up anymore.”

“I, uh, remember a lot more running in mortal terror on the wild side than walking,” he laughed. “Although just saying--you definitely have a future in the ‘tour guide’ industry, if Vault Hunting doesn’t work out.”

“Not a chance.” Fiona wrenched one of the bottles free from its ensnarement, the same fingers that made a living picking pockets now deftly avoiding the wreath’s barbs. She offered the bottle to him. Eden-4 Dark Lager--she remembered his favorite. “Now what do you say we forget about all the boxes for tonight and kill some brain cells?”

He accepted the bottle and fidgeted with the cap, but then sighed and placed it on a vacant mantle. “If I’m honest, it’s not the boxes worrying me,” he said, spreading his cyber palm to summon the holoscreen once more. “I just can’t shake the feeling that this place was…I dunno. A really good bargain. A little too good, if you ask me.”

She sat the Hell Wreath on the center of the mantle and freed a bottle of her own—Angry Eridian Pale Ale. “You’re talking to a girl who grew up in a space about the size of our new coat closet,” she reminded him. “Anything more than that is a really good bargain from where I’m sitting.”

“Fair point,” he conceded, then scrolled through the contents of the screen. “But, just look at the estimated value of everything else in this neighborhood. We’re paying almost an entire ten percent below the average market value, not to mention the long-term equity is—"

“Estimated value, long term equity-beckity-blah-blah-blah,” Fiona cut him off. “You’re talking too much, just shut up and hold me, would you?”

In the next moment her head was on his shoulder. Reluctantly, he dispelled the holoscreen. “You’re right.” His hands found their way around her waist. “You’re right. I’m just always looking for the catch. Comes with the job.”

“Can’t you just accept that maybe, after everything, we caught a break on something for once?” She raised her bottle, and he retrieved his to clink against hers. “Dunno about you,” she said, “but I’m riding that high until it lands.”

[Original Ask]

[vivadler]

(closed starter for @frankiesimon​)

“Shit sorry,” Vivienne mumbled as the Sage fog in her brain lifted and she noticed how far back she had fallen from running alongside her best friend, Frankie. Ever since the pair had met, they had been practically attached at the hip. Between working together and just genuinely enjoying each other’s company, it was no surprise that they also had a standing running date, no matter the location. Once she caught up to Frankie once more, it was like her energy was completely drained. All she could think about was Sage - and how desperately she needed to talk about things with someone. “My brain is just like,” Vivienne began, though she had no intention of finishing her sentence. It had been a couple of days since she had last seen Sage, and to say that things had… gone to a place she hadn’t expected would be the understatement of the decade. “Did you mean it whenever you said I could talk to you about anything?” Vivienne knew the answer, but if she was going to open Pandora’s box about sleeping with her technically ex wife, she absolutely needed a little bit of encouragement to do so.

[andaxay]

The Last Man on Pandora

The morning after a night of drinking and games with the Caravan Family. Fiona is very kindly reminded by Rhys about her inability to know when to shut up after a drink, or five.

Prompt number 1 from “Grumpy Affectionate Starters” by @drink-it-write-it.

Also available on AO3.

-----

Fiona was never. Drinking. Again.

"Ughhhhh. Deserts have more moisture than my mouth right now."

"Morning, Fi."

Fiona, sat at the table in the caravan with her head in her arms, slowly and painfully pulled her head up to see Rhys had joined her. She scowled - here was this man, who had to have drunk at least as much as she had last night and how did he look as fresh as a spring breeze? Fiona wanted to crawl into a dark hole for at least another day and suspected she looked as rough as she felt.

"How are you so... not hungover?"

"I passed on the shots," Rhys said dryly, "after I caught a glimpse of the burning fire in Athena's eyes when she pulled the bottle out. Figured I was more likely to not die if I skipped."

"I hate you so much." Fiona gingerly laid her head back down into the comfort of her arms.

Rhys half-smiled and gently pushed a mug toward her. "Brought you a coffee."

"... You are my favourite person." Fiona lifted her head again and gratefully pulled the mug toward her as Rhys grinned. "Where's everyone else?"

Rhys stretched from where he was sitting, limbs elongating to take up almost all of the space behind the table. "Sasha's dunking her head into a bucket of water as we speak and I think Athena is, uhh, 'helping' her? Loader Bot took Vaughn for a walk and I think Gortys is with them, too."

Fiona made a grunt of a noise as she began to sip at the coffee. Sweet, sweet coffee. She took a big grateful gulp and set the mug down, and caught sight of Rhys' expression as she did so.

He was smiling. A lot. At her.

"Are you trying to... creep me out of this hangover, or something?"

"So, uh, last night..."

"Last night." Fiona blinked at him, lost. "Last night... we all got wasted? Except the robots, I guess. Not that Gortys would be old enough to drink. ... Would Loader Bot be old enough to drink?"

Rhys rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. Do robots get hangovers? They don't have stomachs, or-or blood, or... headaches?" He shook his head, blinking. "Anyway, nope, that's not it. After we started drinking, we all started to play a... game? I guess?"

Vague, hazy memories swam in front of Fiona's eyes. "Was this before or after Athena cracked out the Death to Braincells drink?"

"Before. We were tipsy enough that it was a good idea, and not too tipsy that all of our deepest, darkest secrets would spill out." Rhys' grin widened further. "In most cases, anyway."

Oh god. Fiona pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing as she did so. "Truth or Dare."

"Uh-huh. Picture the scene, Fi. It was your turn. You absolutely refused a dare, worried that we'd make you kiss Loader Bot, or something. So, truth time. Out of everyone here, y'know, gun-pointed-at-head situation - and I think it's safe to say we're familiar with that feeling- anyway - if you had to-"

"'Who would I kiss'?" Fiona closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. "Alright, Rhys, you have to understand, my options were very limited."

"I know," Rhys said fairly, shrugging lightly, "I mean, even without limited options, you picked the best choice," and he gestured mock-arrogantly at himself, causing Fiona to snort, "and that would have been the end of that... except you kinda just... kept talking." Fiona squeezed her eyes closed as Rhys grinned again. "Something about how, you'd pick me 'cause I'm cute?"

Fiona groaned and took a very long swig of her coffee. "No way I said that."

"Uh-huh, and I have witnesses. So, just wanted to confirm, now that you're not under the influence of Pandora's finest pale ale-"

"You are going to be unbearable about this, aren't you?" Fiona opened her eyes again to see him grinning at her, all limbs and asymmetrical suit and gelled hair and that damn contagious smile.

"Fi-ona-"

Too bloody contagious. She couldn't have stopped her own smile if she'd wanted to. "Yeah, yeah. You're cute. Just stop smiling at me like that." She exhaled a laugh as she pulled the coffee cup back toward her. "Just so you know, though, this is an apocalypse situation. 'Only if you were the last man on Pandora', etcetera."

"I'm flattered. And, just so you know," and he stood and headed for the door of the caravan, "just, y'know. It doesn't have to be an apocalypse situation." He turned and winked, and left her to her coffee.

[misssophiachase]

All You Never Say - Part 3

I’m back! Thank you for all the awesome comments and notes, it means a lot! Here is part 3, and you can read it all from the beginning on AO3 HERE. Also, I referenced the word torch a few times last chapter, to those who asked it means flashlight hehe. I changed it so it wasn’t confusing lol. 

Synopsis: One wedding and a confused maid of honour and best man with years of pent up feelings and unresolved tension.

Mrs Florence Mikaelson and Mr James and Mrs Audrey Pierce request your presence at:

The Rehearsal Dinner

On the twenty-second of June, twenty twenty-one at 1830h at Poets House Restaurant, Ely Cambridgeshire

Dress: Semi Formal

1 day before the nuptials - Poets House, Ely, Cambridgeshire - 7:29pm

“I love your grandparents, Kat, but why did they insist on a venue with such a cramped ladies bathroom?” Bonnie muttered, attempting to nudge Rebekah away from the only mirror.

“Hey, you’ll make me smudge my lipstick,” she growled, standing her ground. No one messed with Rebekah’s primping and preening time and got away with it.

“Oh maybe because my grandparents didn’t choose the venue,” Kat responded, the frustration evident in her voice. Clearly, the wedding festivities and all the protocols were wearing on her last nerve.

“It’s okay, you can say it,” Rebekah said. “My grandmother is even more overbearing than my mother. Which you didn’t think was remotely possible, but it is. Trust me, I’ve lived with it for long enough. I’m already dreading my own wedding.”

“Well, I’m sure if anyone can handle it, it’s Enzo, you two have grown up together after all,” Bonnie offered, Rebekah froze, that shocked expression on her face allowing the brunette to push in and free up some space to touch up her make-up.

“Funny joke, Bennett,” she hissed, attempting to push back. “Kol is related to over-bearing Florence too, you know just saying.”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean, Mikaelson?”

“Hey, hey, break it up you two,” Katherine intervened, attempting to keep the peace but in such a small space it was proving difficult. “Caroline? Maid of honour? Some help please?” 

Even with all of the bickering, Caroline was somewhere else. She’d been largely silent most of the dinner because all she could think about was what transpired earlier that morning with the best man.

Mikaelson Manor, Ely Cambridgeshire - 18.5 hours earlier (12:05am)

“So, what you’re telling me is that you think the ring box flew into the garden while you were shaking out the picnic rug?” He was still standing there and he was still partially naked.

Unfortunately for Caroline.

“That’s exactly what I am saying,” she muttered, trying to pretend she wasn’t affected by his seemingly toned chest.

“I’m just checking, you said there were a few wines consumed.”

“Oh, I get what this is,” she growled. “You think I’m a bad maid of honour because I had a bit too much to drink?”

“I never said…”

“Yes you did,” she shot back. “And even if you didn’t, it’s all there in that judgmental gaze. I really should know that look by now.”

“Excuse me, what’s that supposed to mean? If anything, judgmental looks are your thing, love, not mine. I seem to recall more than a few reaching me during school.”

“I’m surprised you noticed given you were usually too busy with your tongue down some girl’s throat.”

“I’m surprised you were keeping such close tabs on me,” he said. “I thought you would have been too busy with that guy with the hair.”

Sure, she dated Stefan for a year during school but she doubted he even noticed, let alone cared given he was too busy dating most of her class.

“Yes, he had hair,” she bit back, unable to help herself.

“You know what I mean, Salvatore couldn’t last an entire class without having to rush to the bathroom to check on his hero hair. I’d take a guess that he took a lot longer in front of the mirror than you ever did.”

“Maybe,” she offered, a smile tugging at her lips, unable to help herself. He even knew his name? “But if we’re going to compare love interests then…”

“Okay, I surrender,” he interrupted, holding up his hands defeatedly. “Let’s not open that pandora’s box, especially standing in the garden in the middle of the night.”

“Yeah, we may never get out of here,” she teased. “But yes, I think the ring box went in that direction.” She gestured to the green hedge before them.

“Well, I think for starters I need to get a better flashlight than that.”

“What’s wrong with this?” She asked. While Rebekah had been showering, Caroline had snuck into her childhood bedroom and found it in her bedside drawer.

“That is my sister’s Hello Kitty flashlight and, I don’t know about you, but I can barely see you let alone a small, black, ring box in that hedge.”

“Fine, what do you suggest?”

“Well, the sane person in me would suggest waiting until the morning but given that defiant glare and stance I know you’ll try to press on with or without me and who knows what could happen without my supervision?”

“You are so…”

“It was a joke, Caroline.” A low, throaty laugh pierced the air and Caroline didn’t think she’d ever heard anything so arousing. She decided to blame it on the whole no shirt thing. “I’ll go and get a heavy duty flashlight from the shed, stay here and try to not to get into any trouble.”

Before she could ask him what that meant, he was gone. What kind of creatures did they have on the loose in rural England? Caroline realised she probably should have done some more research before the trip.

Although, if she was being honest, it was probably just one kind of enticing but annoying creature that she was afraid of. A Klaus Mikaelson. Why did she always have to turn into a rambling fool when he was around? At least she only had a couple more days and this and him would be behind her.

Caroline shivered, rubbing her arms over the goosebumps that had recently gathered. Why she wasn’t too sure, it was either him or the climate. Caroline hoped it was the latter. What she wasn’t expecting was for him to return five minutes later with two impressive flashlights and a white top slung over his bare shoulder.

“I thought you might be cold so brought you something to cover up,” he handed it to her and Caroline couldn’t miss the heady aroma of his aftershave on it as he did.

“And you’re not?” She asked, hoping he’d cover up too and not because she was worried he’d catch a cold. Far from it.

“Oh no I’m fine, love, I did grow up in these parts so am used to the weather, tonight has nothing on an English winter,” he smirked knowingly before making his way toward the hedge in question. “Now let’s find this ring, shall we?”

He didn’t cover up on purpose. Bastard. Caroline wanted to play him at his own game but could feel the cold seeping into her bones and had no choice. Although, once she’d slipped on the henley, Caroline knew she was a goner.

It felt too good.

Too familiar.

It felt like home.

But at the same time, Hayley’s face came to mind and Caroline knew a heartbreak was on the cards. Hers.

Present Day

“Hello, Caroline?” Kat asked, nudging her in the ribs.

“Present,” she offered by way of response, like she’d been caught out by a teacher during roll call at school and not in a tiny bathroom by her friends.

“What is wrong with you?"

“I’m just thinking about everything I need to do before the wedding tomorrow,” she offered, albeit weakly. Although, in truth one of the things on her to-do list was to fall out of love with Klaus Mikaelson. Easy, right?

“Caroline, I love you and everything you’ve done to make this week perfect, but you need to learn to relax a bit too,” Katherine smiled, squeezing her shoulders affectionately.

“Well, that’s a bit difficult when…” Rebekah said before Caroline immediately interrupted.

“The bride and groom have to make a speech in five minutes. So, I think you and Elijah need to make sure everything is set.” Kat gave them dubious glances before eventually shrugging her shoulders and leaving.

“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” Bonnie asked. “And before you try to give me some bogus excuse to leave I’d like an answer. What’s up with you two? You are acting weirder than usual and that's saying something.” Of course, Bonnie would cotton on and demand an explanation.

“Well, Caroline we’re waiting,” Rebekah added, her devious smile not lost on Caroline.

“For the last time, there is nothing going on, Rebekah,” Caroline hissed, trying to keep her voice down and glad no one had decided to use the facilities. “And I’d prefer you don’t fill Kat’s head with gossip and hearsay the night before her wedding. She does have a lot more going on right now.”

“Gossip and hearsay?” Trust Bonnie to only focus on that part of her sentence.

“You were wearing his henley, what do you expect me to think?”

“Henley? Oh my god, you and Klaus!” Bonnie exclaimed, albeit too loudly for her liking.

It really was a dead giveaway. Why did Henleys have to be his signature style? Caroline didn’t mean to leave it on, but it was so comforting and warm and it smelled so heavenly. Then the next thing she knew she fell asleep, only to have Rebekah jump on her bed in the morning before she’d had a chance to both wake up and remove it. Needless to say her discovery had been all she could talk about the whole day. Trying to water down speculation hadn’t worked because once Rebekah had an idea in her head it was difficult to remove.

“Shhhh,” she muttered. “How about a little discretion?”

“How about you just fess up, Care,” Rebekah insisted.

“Fine, I might have been wearing his shirt, yes,” she whispered. “But it’s not what you think.”

“So, pray tell what was it?” Clearly Bonnie wasn’t going to let this go either.

That’s when Caroline decided not to revisit the fact that while she was wearing his henley, he was shirtless. No good could come out of telling her friends that particular fact. So, she decided to skip over it and get straight to the point.

“I sort of lost the wedding ring…”

“You lost the ring?” Now it was Rebekah’s turn to be a little too loud for her liking.

“What did I say about discretion?” She chided. “Look, I found it so crisis averted.”

“And you just happened to fall into Niklaus’ top in the meantime?” Again, the volume didn’t seem to be a factor with either of her friends.

“I didn’t fall into anything,” she shot back tersely. “Okay, I was outside in the garden trying to find the ring and your brother happened upon me. The ring must have fallen into the garden when I was shaking out the picnic rug.”

“And he gave you his shirt?” Bonnie asked, a dimple in her left cheek giving away her untoward thoughts. Damn, that whole thing about not drawing attention to Klaus being shirtless.

“Only because it was cold and then I must have forgotten to take it off before I fell asleep, I mean it was a stressful night all things considered, “ she rambled.

“So, let me get this straight,” Bonnie said in sudden realisation. “He was naked. Did you two?”

“Ew, no. I think we’re losing track of the point here.”

“Even I’m with Caroline on that point,” Rebekah drawled. “So, my brother gave you his shirt because you were cold? Now, that does not sound like him at all unless….” The silence that hung in the air was thick as each girl processed exactly what that could mean.

“He likes you,” both Bonnie and Rebekah deduced.

Caroline immediately blushed, not because she thought he returned her feelings but because this wasn’t how she saw things going. Klaus Mikaelson and her feelings for him were Caroline’s secret and didn’t belong to anyone else, especially her nosy friends.

“Ah, no,” she mumbled. “He has a girlfriend and, not just that, you know I can’t stand him. I mean do you remember school?”

“Oh come on, Care,” Bonnie acknowledged. At least her voice had gone down a few decibels. “We always thought you two had a bit of a crush on one another.”

They did? Clearly she didn’t hide things as well as she thought. Although, she never sensed Klaus returned her crush, not for one moment.

“More than a crush,” Rebekah intervened. “It was this lingering sexual tension bubbling below the surface.”

“Yes, tension which played out in the form of hostile insults and banter. Katherine used to say she wasn’t sure if you two were going to have sex or kill each other.”

“I’m glad you three had private jokes about me,” she muttered, feeling incredibly stupid.

“Only because we knew it would make you even more determined to avoid him and we secretly hoped you two would move past all the bluster and get together.”

“Clearly we underestimated both of your powers to hold a grudge,” Rebekah noted. “You know if you like my brother, it’s okay right?”

She wanted to cry. It was as if the emotions she’d tried so hard to contain were threatening to spill out. Unlike her friends seem to think, it wasn’t just about admitting her feelings. It was so much more than that. It was whether he even reciprocated them, not to mention his girlfriend and his family and the money and status she didn’t have. It was too many things and now wasn’t the time to visit them.

Caroline had no intention of losing it, especially at the rehearsal dinner for her best friend. She was Caroline Forbes, maid of honour and it wasn’t the done thing.

“Speech!” They heard the incessant tapping of glasses and all Caroline felt was relief.

“Saved by the bell,” she heard Bonnie mumble, but Caroline was out the door as she did making sure she plastered on a smile.

Mikaelson Manor, Ely Cambridgeshire - 5.5 hours later (12:30am)

Klaus couldn’t sleep and it wouldn’t be the first time either.

Given his previous night’s adventures with Caroline in the garden, he assumed sleep would be easy to come by tonight but no such luck. He pushed away the bed covers, careful not to wake Hayley. Klaus was glad for once that she was a heavy sleeper. He doubted he would have gotten away with his disappearing act last night if she wasn’t.

She was clearly tired from all the complaining. Apparently the bed sheets didn’t have a high enough thread count, the bathroom facilities were outdated, the food at the rehearsal dinner was mediocre and Kol was annoying her. On the last one he could concur but the fact she felt the need to share was frustrating. He was allowed to say his younger brother was annoying and no one else.

Well, except for when Caroline made a joke about little Kol finally growing into his suit but she had known him since he was sixteen so had the right. Plus, when it came to Caroline, she could pretty much do or say anything and it didn’t change his feelings for her.

He grabbed the leather notebook and pen on his bedside table and found a stray, grey t-shirt to put over his boxers hoping it would suffice given the late hour and made his way from the room. Klaus figured he might as well use his time productively and work on his half-finished best man speech. To be honest, it had been playing on his mind ever since Elijah asked him to be the best man. What did he know about love? Let alone how to articulate it in front of his family and friends. If this was a joke on Elijah’s part he was certainly getting his revenge even if he didn’t realise just how cruel it was.

Klaus walked to the kitchen. As a boy, it was always his favourite room and not just because he liked to eat. There was a certain warmth and comfort it afforded and Klaus figured what better place to make a sandwich and finish his speech. As he raided the contents of the refrigerator and busied himself with slathering mayonnaise onto the bread slices his mind wandered.

After he’d endured the suit fitting and all of their remarks about Caroline in school, Klaus had really started to evaluate their time together. Yes, he’d dated most of her class but Klaus could still remember that when he was with anyone his attention was most definitely not focused on them, more so on the blonde in the corner of the room and secretly hoping she’d lift her eyes from her book and see him. It was juvenile in hindsight, but he was a teenager and clearly he thought trying to make her jealous was a sure fire way to make her notice him. How mature.

Then when they were trying to find the ring last night she mentioned his wayward tongue that would apparently be busy stuck down some girl’s throat. So, clearly she did notice him. Given his hasty response about Stefan Salvatore, it was clear he noticed her too. Something he seemed to have blocked out, until now.

Could he have loved Caroline Forbes since high school? Klaus knew his feelings had taken a sharp turn two years earlier when they’d run into each other in Los Angeles. But he didn’t realise it spanned so many more years. The big question now was, had she loved him too or was it just his imagination?

When he came across her skulking in the garden, Klaus had never felt so pleased to be awoken. She looked stunning too and seemed caught off guard by his bare chest. Klaus would be lying if her long legs and delicious curves weren’t distracting him too. So much so that he decided to give her his top.

Two birds, one stone and all of that.

Unfortunately, their moments together playing poker, opening champagne bottles and searching for wedding rings seemed to be fleeting. The worst part was that he’d barely spoken two words to her at the rehearsal dinner. Sure, she was busy but there was clearly something else happening. He did notice she seemed a little upset after returning from the bathroom with the girls, even with that fake smile she was wearing. Klaus immediately wanted to know why she was upset and, more importantly, if he could help make it better.

“We need to stop running into each other like this,” a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

His eyes flickered across to the girl who’d been incessantly on his mind for the better part of a week. At the rehearsal dinner he thought she couldn’t look any more beautiful than in the blue dress that perfectly matched her eyes. But here she was in plaid, pyjama pants and a white tank, her face free of make-up, her hair piled into a messy ponytail and looking absolutely breathtaking.

“Are you following me, love?” He couldn’t help it, she brought it out in him.

“Says the guy who followed me into the garden last night,” she scoffed, swiping half of his sandwich and taking a bite.

“I’d offer you some of my sandwich but clearly you prefer to help yourself.”

“I figure you owe me,” she offered, opening the refrigerator and extracting the orange juice.

“For what exactly?”

“Well, for starters, forcing me to endure a full hour with that shameless display of nakedness. I mean, that kind of thing is going to scar me for life, Mikaelson.”

Klaus couldn’t miss the way her cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the mention. Scarred. Yeah right. Clearly, it was all she could focus on and he decided it was genius to make her cover up and for him to stay shirtless.

Klaus 1. Caroline 0

“Last time I checked, I prevented a monumental wedding disaster by finding that ring and let’s not forget about the whole champagne incident.”

“I could have found it on my own.”

“Yeah with that Hello Kitty flashlight,” he snorted. “Also, I can’t see how I owe you when you fleeced me at poker.”

“You totally deserved that,” she countered, pouring a glass of juice and turning around to put the carton back in the fridge. The perfect opportunity for Klaus to swipe her drink and take a large gulp.

“Hey!”

“You snooze, you lose, sweetheart,” he replied lazily. “So, what brings you here this late? You know, besides stealing half my sandwich.”

“I couldn’t sleep, too many things to think about and do before the wedding,” she groaned, taking a seat at the bench by his side.

“I think you’ve done pretty well so far, love, well, besides that whole episode with the ring last night,” the thunderous look she gave him was a clear sign it was too soon to joke about it. “Which I am taking to my grave, never to be mentioned to anyone ever.”

He noticed her face soften, a hint of a smile telling Klaus she was relaxing, albeit slightly. ��So, what are you doing here besides stealing my juice? If I wasn’t so tired, I’d say something about yucky boy germs,” she teased, pulling the glass back towards her and taking a sip.

“I couldn’t sleep either,” he admitted. “I haven’t told anyone this but my best man speech isn’t finished, not even close.” He noticed her eyebrows shoot up knowing exactly where this was going. Crazy Caroline, pseudo wedding planner had returned with a vengeance. “Relax, Caroline, it will be done in time. I’m, uh, just fine tuning it.”

“Liar,” she shot back. “Relax, Klaus, I’m not going to go into crazy, organised, Caroline mode on you." It was like she could read his mind. “Would it help if I listened to what you have so far?”

No, it most certainly wouldn’t given he was trying to write about love and emotions and feelings and doing it with Caroline present was nothing short of awkward, not to mention private.

“Okay, how about this,” she pressed, clearly noting his unease. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”

In a clothes-shedding context that last sentence definitely held much more appeal. But if he was going to do this, Klaus needed to allow himself to be vulnerable and doing it in front of the woman he loved wasn’t exactly how he saw things going.

A/N What exactly happened two years ago? And in the kitchen? Stay tuned...oh and there’s a wedding too.

[starspackled]

closed  starter  for  @trueluvd​   ⤹  location:  their  back - yard.  summer  afternoon.

      ⥽  her  eyes  stay  trained  on  the  two  bodies  outside,  watching  them  work  in  the  dirt  of  ajax’s  garden.  she  can  hear  aj  talking  to  the  little  girl,  who  is  currently  no  older  than  TWO;  and  she  holds  onto  every  one  of  his  words.  he  tells  her  about  the  flowers  they  plant,  what  they’re  good  for.  the  LILIES  they  plant,  he  tells  her  are  used  for  medicinal  purposes;  to  which  the  little  girl  smiles  up  at  her  father.  ❝  lil - ees  !!  ❞  she  happily  repeats  him,  meat - ball  sized  fists  plunging  into  the  dirt  of  his  garden  in  a  state  of  play.

      ⥽  cj  watches  FONDLY  from  the  window,  thanking  their  lucky  stars  that  their  kitchen  overlooks  the  backyard.  they  have  it  incredibly  well  here,  there  was  no  way  the  software  engineer  could  express  her  GRATITIUDE  for  the  life  they  had.  smiling  to  herself,  the  mother  (  a  title  she  NEVER  thought  she  would  give  to  herself  )  twists  the  cap  of  the  bright  pink  sippy  cup  shut,  setting  it  on  the  food  tray.  god,  she  was  so  HAPPY  with  this  life.  with  the  life  they  had  CREATED,  that  side  beside  aj  on  the  bright  green  grass. 

      ⥽  with  a  sippy  cup  full  of  lemonade  for  pandora,  and  a  tall  glass  of  orange  juice  for  aj;  carmen  does  one  last  mental  checklist  to  make  sure  she’s  got  everything.  a  small  fruit  tray,  cheese  and  crackers,  just  enough  stuff  to  tide  them  OVER  until  it  was  dinner  time.  balancing  the  snacks  and  drinks  on  the  tray,  cj  gets  up  and  pushes  their  way  out  of  the  back  door,  to  join  them  in  the  warmth  of  the  sun.  two  small  wiener  dogs  follow  her  out  the  door,  tails  wagging  HAPPILY  as  she  sets  the  snacks  and  drinks  on  the  patio  table.  at  the  sight  of  her,  the  little  girl  chirps  a  happy,  ❝  mama  !  ❞  abandoning  the  play  in  the  dirt  and  reaching  for  cj.  EASILY  does  she  swoop  the  little  girl  up  onto  her  hip,  using  her  free  hand  to  push  ajax’s  sweaty  curls  back  out  of  his  face,  pulling  his  head  back  to  make  him  look  up  at  her;  offering  a  smile  filled  only  of  warmth.  ❝  i  made  snacks  for  you  two.  my  little  busy  bees,  you’ve  been  out  here  ALL  day.  ❞

[somerpmemes]

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina S1 Starters

Change as needed

“I didn’t know you were a fan of horror movies.”

“I’m a little scared.”

“I am continuously missing everything.”

“Stubborn mutt.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to kill him? Because we could do that.”

“Well, we’ll only mildly traumatize him, then.”

“It’s an apple, ___, you bite it.”

“You know what they call this place, don’t you?”

“You know, you have nothing to be afraid of.”

“That’s not what you said before.”

“___, don’t you dare.”

“Run, run, run!”

“Please, show me mercy.”

“Would you like a little tomato?”

“You okay? You’re like a million miles away.”

“Guilty until proven innocent.”

“I’d offer you a seat but that would encourage you to stay.”

“I have to ask you a favor and it’s gonna sound crazy, but it’s important.”

“You’re not the only one with secrets, ___.”

“A half-victory is no victory at all.”

“Aren’t you even a little excited?”

“Why do you have to be such a bitch all the time, ___?”

“I’m obviously coming with you.”

“Don’t show them you’re scared or they’ll kill you on the spot.”

“It’s a pretty sound, isn’t it? Like waves on a beach.”

“Keep talking, ___, just… keep talking.”

“If you’re not careful, it can mess with your head.”

“I don’t need you to tell me my business.”

“You think anyone here will help you?”

“There’s nothing out here that can hurt me anymore.”

“I’ll choke you to death on your own blood.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious, ___.”

“How much do you love ___?”

“I’ll be listening for your cries.”

“It’s always sadder when they’re handsome, isn’t it?”

“I’m looking for someone… not you.”

“You know what they say; you can’t polish a turd.”

“You never want me to be happy, do you?”

“I can’t do this on my own, I need help!”

“What is a nightmare but a dream gone bad?”

“You’d never hurt me, would you?”

“From now on, stay away from me.”

“Is demonic possession even a thing?”

“Damn if you’re not getting a bit cocky.”

“I don’t wanna say “I told you so”, but…”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Take comfort in the fact that you served a greater purpose.”

“Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Our obligation is not to question it is to obey and participate.”

“It’s time we got to know ourselves, and each other, better.”

“When will it be my turn.”

“How sad for you. Not to have faith in anything.”

“Oh, you had me at boys to torment.”

“Let’s not be catty bitches, hmm?”

“Once a hunter, always a hunter.”

“You’re not like them. Not even close.”

“What’s happening? What’s wrong with me?”

“Stop this. Please, stop this.”

“Sometimes, the old ways are best.”

“Blood demands blood.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re really bleeding.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“I don’t like making this decision any more than you like hearing it.”

“I’m the reason he’s dead.”

“You think it’s okay to embarrass me like that?”

“An eye for an eye, a life for a life.”

“I, too, know fear and suffering.”

“Shut up and dig.”

“There is no cheating fate.”

“I feel positively reborn in fire.”

“There is something to be said about having a single partner.”

“ Unless the doctor is a witch doctor I’d get a second opinion.”

“You’re a terrible liar, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Did you feel it too?”

“There’s something to be said for keeping them busy.”

“You did the one thing I told you not to do.”

“There’s no fixing it, ___. You’ve opened Pandora’s box.”

“Give me a chance to make things right. I will not fail you again.”

“All you did was make things worse.”

“He belongs in the ground and that’s where he’s going.”

“Everything has a price.”

“We’ve all done… unspeakable things to help the ones we love.”

“The times were all there, if you knew where to look.“

“I don’t want to stop feeling. I want to stop hurting.”

“Bad news travels fast.”

“I appreciate the offer but I’ll protect myself”

“Please, don’t fight me on this, ___.”

“The time for defense, it’s over. It’s time to go on the offensive.”

“___. I’ve done something rather… impulsive.”

“And that, as they say, is that.”

“The best and worst things happen in the shadows.”

“Every girl wants to talk to their mom after a bad breakup.”

“Say the word. Give my life meaning.”

“Do you feel that? Like static electricity building in the air.”

“One question at a time, ___.”

“Sometimes I don’t think you understand the meaning of family at all.”

“Do you have any gin?”

“Are you alone in the world, child?”

[ncfan-1]

Oh, Moon. Moon, Moon, Moon. I made the point earlier that this is a character who would really have benefited from having access to Aesop’s Fables as a child, because the story of ‘The Farmer and the Viper’ would potentially have been of great interest to her. She could also have benefited from watching Gargoyles as a child, if only to hear David Xanatos say “Revenge is a sucker’s game.”

Like, Moon. Moon. You’re mad because Eclipsa wouldn’t let you kill her child right in front of her, and that when she intervened to keep you from killing her child right in front of her, you were badly injured and wound up in the Realm of Magic for a while, without your memories, and was temporarily separated from your family? Moon. Moon. That wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t jumped the gun when Eclipsa was succeeding in talking Meteora down and decided that murder was your only option. And it’s just a bit hypocritical of you to be mad at Eclipsa for defending her daughter against you, when you’ve proven you’re more than willing to kill on your own child’s behalf. (Also, you’re mad because you were separated from your family for a few weeks? By your own standards, Eclipsa has every right to just go on the rampage, because she was separated from her family for three hundred years.)

So, Moon. You get mad that Eclipsa wouldn’t let you kill her kid and that you were hurt and temporarily separated from your family, so you decide to orchestrate a coup and depose her so you can win back your old throne and kick her out of the dimension. But in so doing, you decide to join forces with a genocidal racist with superpowers, and empower other violent racists with the same superpowers Mina has, all of whom are people who have made it clear time and again that they’d like to do harm to Eclipsa and to the monsters of Mewni, which, though very little can be said for you at this point, it can at least be said that that was not part of your plan. You knew what Mina was. You knew what the other people you turned into Solarian warriors were. And you just thought you’d be able to rein them all in and keep them from turning this coup into a genocide, because of course they’d all respect your authority and ignore both their own hatred and the power you gave them to do something with that hatred.

Oh, and you completely betrayed your daughter’s trust, singlehandedly erased all of the work your daughter poured her blood, sweat, and tears into, set up a situation where most of her friends will die if you, Star, and Eclipsa don’t come up with a solution, created an army of super-powered, nigh-invulnerable genocidal warriors who are off to gleefully commit genocide, have been driven out of your home dimension on pains of death, and your daughter is absolutely furious with you and will likely never trust you again.

So yeah, you fucked up. With age does not necessarily come wisdom, and no matter how much we ought to know better, we’re all still capable of making monumentally stupid decisions.

But I don’t think you’re beyond redemption. Not by a long shot.

Okay, we’re below the cut, so I’m exiting Direct Address mode and going into Essay POV mode.

First of all, though I was, like many people, surprised by the revelation that Moon… Did That, I don’t think it came out of nowhere. She’s spent most of this season surrounded by people who hate Eclipsa and hate monsters. She’s spent months living in an echo chamber of hate that, coincidentally, happens to validate all of her old beliefs. It was almost inevitable that something bad was going to come of that. (And don’t think I didn’t notice that at least some of the Neo-Solarians were members of Moon’s yurt village.)

Also, Moon has been visually linked with Solaria since Season Two. Ever since ‘Into the Wand’, where we first saw her tapestry, in fact. Theirs are the only two royal tapestries that depict violence, and both depict violence against monsters. Also, Moon’s battle garb? Is pretty clearly designed after Solaria’s battle garb. Her dress is almost literally a palette swap of Solaria’s, and as an adult, she wears her hair braided into battle, just like Solaria. It was probably intentional on her part, meant to hearken back to this “heroic” queen of old as she, too, carried out a campaign of extermination against monsters as a grieving teenager.

And I’ve always found it kind of iffy that Moon’s battle garb is literally her cosplaying the genocidal warmonger in the family tree (I wonder what Eclipsa thought when she first saw Moon wearing that dress as a teenager). Something’s finally come of that, I guess.

Second, Moon’s main fault here was not a fault of malice. It was, first, of arrogance, and considering that Moon has spent the better part of her life ruling as an absolute monarch who is extremely unaccustomed to anyone challenging her authority, arrogance is entirely too plausible as a character flaw for her. It was, secondly, one of short-sightedness, and, well, I guess Star comes by it honestly. As arrogant and short-sighted as she would have to have been to seriously believe that she could control Mina and the other Solarian warriors, as serious a lapse of judgment as it was to think that she could just open this Pandora’s box of bigotry and hatred and then close it again with no problems, it was at least clear that Moon wanted her coup to be as bloodless as possible. She didn’t want to hurt Eclipsa; she just wanted Eclipsa gone.

I think part of Moon’s saving grace here is that her coup, once she revealed her role in it, immediately and violently blew up in her face.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. Even if everything had gone to plan, it still would have blown up in her face. Because a throne you win by violently deposing your predecessor is a throne you spend the rest of your life fighting just to hold onto. Because resurrecting the Solarian warriors is just the thing to ignite the powder keg of Mewman-Monster relations, and just might be the thing to reignite the Mewman-Monster war. Because if Moon thought the other kingdoms gave her flack for her handling of Toffee, oh, can you just imagine the fresh hell she’d be in for on the diplomacy front after Rich Pigeon, Ponyhead, and (less directly) Penelope Spiderbite got caught in the crossfire of her coup? Because if Moon’s coup had gone completely to plan, I honestly think it would have been the end, the very end, of her relationship with Star. It would have destroyed any bond of love and trust the two of them shared, and Star probably would never have wanted anything to do with Moon again.

And don’t get me wrong, things are bad right now. Because on top of everything else, River? River doesn’t know what she did. He can’t possibly know what she did; there’s no way he would have been able to keep it a secret. And if the Solarian warriors find out he helped (or tried to help, if Globgor doesn’t make it to the Magic Sanctuary in time) Globgor? They’ll kill him. Or try to, at least. After all, Mina told her warriors to round up all “monster smoochers” (I see they’re being as clear in their references to real life attitudes towards miscegenation as possible) along with the monsters; one wonders how long it’s going to be before it’s made clear that Penelope Spiderbite’s on that cliff, too. But they could be worse. Moon should honestly be grateful that her coup didn’t go to plan, because she would have paid dearly for it, and I don’t think the love of her daughter is a price Moon would have been able to bear paying. Even to get back at Eclipsa.

She’s still going to pay dearly, though. Moon wrote a check she couldn’t cash, and if the promos for ‘Cleaved’ are any indication, we’re about to watch the price get taken out of her hide. Her one route to redemption is the fact that, since her coup blew up in her face, she can actually do something to make up for what she did, and start down the road to regaining Star’s trust. But it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be pleasant, and ‘Cleaved’ is almost certainly not going to be a fun outing for her.

The other part of Moon’s saving grace is that upon being removed from Mewni, she seems to have asked herself almost immediately, “Was it all worth it?”

And answered her question with a resounding, “No, it really, really wasn’t.”

Because she can’t find a single thing to say to Star when Star calls her out. Because she is just so obviously guilt-stricken and confused by Eclipsa treating her much more charitably than she really deserves. And I really don’t think her actions were truly rooted in malice, because whenever Moon is actually around Eclipsa, away from the echo chamber of hate that she was living in these past several months, she seems at a loss to remember what exactly it was about Eclipsa that she hated so much in the first place, what it was about her that made her feel as if she was justified in ruining the life of a woman whose life has been ruined so many times that she can just compartmentalize it and make nice with the person responsible as if Moon did nothing more serious than swipe the last Snookers bar from the vending machine, instead of nearly getting Eclipsa and Eclipsa’s beloved baby daughter killed, and putting the life of Eclipsa’s beloved husband in serious jeopardy and being more than willing to use that as leverage against Eclipsa to make her surrender. Oh, and resurrecting the Solarian program probably unearthed just a heap of unpleasant memories for Eclipsa, considering who her mother was, but oh, look, Eclipsa’s happy to play pool with, strategize with, and give advice on reconciling with her daughter to Moon. The closest she comes to actually calling Moon out for anything is getting a tiny bit passive-aggressive with Moon over her working with Rhombulus to frame Eclipsa for Globgor’s release. Which must make Moon feel even worse, because if their situations were reversed, Moon would not be nearly as civil. For starter’s.

Yeah, Moon fucked up. She fucked up monumentally. But she at least understands that she fucked up, and that is a start.

[desperatelyseekingroleplay]

Looking for kind, literate, open-minded long-term 1x1 rp partner as well as friend

Well, hello there. For now you may call me Ratty. I’m female, in Europe, in late 20s, in the UTC / GMT +3 timezone. I am available most days pretty much throughout the entire day until about midnight my time. I have about 6-7 years experience across various muses and platforms.

To be honest, what I am looking for most is someone with whom to discuss a roleplay idea that is very private and personal to me, tied to a little talked about Stephen King character. This idea might involve either self-inserting or a partially self-inspired oc, I am not sure yet. Because of this, I am really hoping for someone kind and open-minded whom I could trust and open up to, and essentially become long-term friends outside of roleplaying as well.

However, considering the vagueness of my most wanted request, I should mention I’m also up for third person (preferably past tense) roleplays and general plotting in the following fandoms:

Re:Zero

Daria

Pandora Hearts

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

RULES:

1. First and foremost, kindness, please. No rude judgmental assholes are wanted.

2. No rushing for starters / replies. Will extend the same courtesy to you.

3. A partner preferably in their 20s, but definitely at least 18, please. I just can’t connect / relate to teens at this stage of my life. Hope you understand.

4. Looking for a partner who really likes establishing and developing the mood, setting and characters - someone who really gets into it, and as such, is fine with (extensive) plotting, writing and receiving longer (novella style) stuff etc. Literacy is required, but English doesn’t need to be your first language.

5. DOs and DON'Ts can be discussed as we go along, but for now, basically no pointless torture porn, or porn in general just for the sake of it. Also, no excessive cruelty to animals, please. In case you wish to talk to me about Re:Zero, please no shipping wars / hate for Emilia OR Rem. I love both of them and ship both of them with Subaru.

6. For the possible rp involving self-inserting or a self-inspired OC, I would be trying first person perspective, though I am not actually well-versed in it, so please be patient if we try that. Other characters can also be written by me in the story as per what we discuss. Those will be in third person, probably past tense. Stories in the other mentioned fandoms would also be in third person, probably past tense.

7. As I said, I am also looking for a close friend, so please do not expect me to only churn out roleplay content 24/7.

8. To get in contact with me, please hit up #2674 on Discord, shalalablupfrom0@gmail.com over e-mail, or the-rodent-of-shalott over tumblr IMs. From there, if we bond, I’d likely move things over to Skype.

Thank you to anyone who read this.

- Ratty

[imagineaworlds]

Caught In Your Eyes(Part Five)--Billy Hargrove

Written By @rune-of-a-writer / @hellimagines

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Original Request: “Hi. I love your work. I was wondering if you could do a billy imagine where the female reader is new to town and she’s a bad girl and billy instantly falls for her and tries to get with her. Thank you!!”

Warning: cursing, mentions of abuse and neglect

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x fem!reader

Summary: You find Billy at Gunther’s, and the two of you bond over shakes and a cold night spent in the back of his car.

Word Count: 4,053

Listen To: Stay Alive by Jose Gonzalez

A/N: So I had no intention of bringing a song into this (because I’m horrible with them). BUT THEN! I had my Pandora station on shuffle and this song came on while I was writing and I was like !!!!!!!!! that is literally (Y/N) and Billy’s theme song?? Like?? The hell. Perfection.

As you walked up to the illuminated lights of Gunther Tooty’s, you noticed a familiar blue Camaro recklessly parked out front. You couldn’t understand what Billy was doing here, after all, you had never known him to come here unless he was with the group. Pushing your (h/c) hair out of your face, you headed inside. The double doors opened, and you looked around for the familiar curly blond hair. You spotted him in the very back of the restaurant, his back facing the door. You could see his fingers mindlessly playing with the small jukebox on the booth’s table, his denim jacket tight around his shoulders. Giving Gunther a quick wave, you signaled your usual shake and headed over to Billy.

“Hey there, asshole,” you grinned, ruffling his hair as you passed to sit across from him. Billy’s entire body jolted when your hand landed in his hair, his head snapping up to look at you. Underneath his eye was bright red and slightly swollen, a scabbed cut on the bridge of his nose, and a dark bruise on the hollow of his cheek.

“Shit,” he breathed out, realizing it was only you. “Hey, princess,” you raised an eyebrow at how restless he was. “What are you doing out here so late dressed like that?”

“Nothing much,” you sighed, pulling your knee onto the booth’s bench and wrapping your arms around it, “just decided to go for a stroll. How about you, Hargrove? Didn’t know you were into the solo act anymore,” you smirked, flashing him a wink. Billy laughed, leaning back into the booth.

“Got me there. You and the Goon Squad managed to rope me in,” Billy joked, “But I just had a rough night, I suppose,” he admitted, casting his eyes back to the tiny juke box. You nodded in understanding, tracing one of the skulls on your pajama pants.

Gunther walked over, two shakes in his hand. He handed you your chocolate shake, no cherry, and Billy his vanilla shake with two cherries. Billy’s hand reached into his pocket to pull out the 3$, but Gunther stopped him.

“It’s on the house, son. You five kids have given this place it’s revenue. Two shakes won’t put me in the ground,” Gunther spoke, flashing the two of you a soft smile before walking back to the diner bar.

“That man is too good for Hawkins,” you complained, shoving your straw around in your shake, staring down into it. “Thanks for trying to pay for mine by the way. I just realized I don’t have any money on me.”

“Yeah, no problem. I kind of figured you weren’t hiding a wallet in those pants of yours,” Billy laughed, motioning his knuckle towards your knee.

“Yeah, didn’t have time to grab much, let alone a wallet,” you chuckled, a puff of air leaving your nose. Billy looked up at what you said, and so did you, your eyes widening.

“Yeah? Why’s that?” Billy probed, biting his straw and taking a sip. Staring at him, you eyed him slowly.

“Alright, let’s make a deal,” you proposed, taking your straw out of your shake and sucking the whip cream off. “If I tell you about my ‘rough night’, you’re gonna tell me why your face is beat up while your knuckles aren’t bruised. If you had gotten jumped, you would’ve fought back. That is a damn fact, Hargrove.”

“Fine,” Billy sighed after a minute, crossing his arms and leaning away from you and his shake. He had one of the candy cherries in his mouth now, rolling it around. Nodding, you let out a jagged breath.

“For starters, my uncle’s a dick. Let’s just get that straight,” you began, “I had to move here with him because my dad couldn’t handle me anymore, not after what happened at my old school. I used to bounce living between him and my uncle, neither one being ideal. My uncle is a sex addict and my dad a drug addict. Run’s in the family, guess that’s why I’m addicted to fighting,” you laughed, trying to lighten the conversation a little. “But anyways, my uncle kicks me out a lot so that his girls can have places to stay if tricks go bad, or their rent is past due, or he’s lonely. Those things. He hasn’t done it since we moved here, I figured he wouldn’t since he still has his own place back home. But I was wrong,” you growled, flicking the glass of your shake, “While I was sleeping at the apartment, he barged in and pretty much shoved me out. Didn’t give me a chance to put on shoes or my jacket. Didn’t give me my keys, nothing. Survival of the fittest I suppose,” you finished, finally taking a sip of your chocolate shake to clear your dry throat, and avoid Billy’s stare.

--

Billy’s tongue pressed along the inside of his cheek, rolling his cherry underneath. He watched you carefully and silently for a while, not wanting to say anything yet. Your (e/c) eyes were cast out the window, the blue luminescent lighting of Gunther’s shop clashing with their natural color. You had whip cream on your bottom lip from rolling your straw along it, and your hair was down for once. Billy hadn’t really seen your hair down before, you usually had it in a ponytail with strands in your face. It was nice, he had to admit, subtle waves going through it and little pieces sticking out; most likely from being rushed out of your apartment. You were still wearing your Mickey Mouse shirt from this morning, and Billy knew you weren’t wearing a bra-he’d seen enough tits to know. He didn’t say anything of course, but god did he know. The only thing that took him by total shock, were your mismatched socks. One was bright pink, and the other was bright green.

“Ya gonna say something, Hargrove, or keep givin’ that cherry a good time?” you finally spoke up, moving your eyes to look at him. Billy grinned, showing off the cherry between his teeth and making a show of rolling it along the top of his mouth before finally eating it.

“I’ve got a lot to say, (Y/L/N),” he spoke up, after swallowing, “First of all, your uncle is indeed a dick. Throwing a teenage girl out at the end of winter without a jacket or pair of shoes is fucked up. You deserve better than that, princess,” Billy murmured, leaning forward.

“Thanks, asshole,” you said sincerely, no malice attached to the nickname. “Now, what about your face?” Billy sighed, now taking his turn to look at his shake.

“Coach ended up telling my dad about everything that’s happened between Tim and I when we almost went at it again today. We didn’t get in a fight, but we screamed and cussed each other out. My dad got really pissed off when I came home. He’s been losing his temper a lot more easily now, ever since my mom died I’ve noticed. There’s not a whole lot I can do to please him anymore. This didn’t help,” Billy explained simply, sparing you of the details. You nodded, resting your chin on your knee.

“Yeah… I sort of figured something was going on. When you came in after the game Hawkins lost with that busted lip and bruise on your shoulder and clear knuckles? Something wasn’t up. You can’t just confront someone about that shit though. It’s not easy to deal with, let alone talk about. Plus, we’re basically always with the other three,” you huffed, fishing out more whipped cream with your straw. Billy’s face paled at your analysis, looking up at you with his mouth around his straw.

“I-I… I uh…” Billy spluttered, not knowing how to react to being caught in his various lies.

“It’s fine, Billy, I get it. Some of the fights I pick at school are just because I get bruises from my uncle. Do you really think I actually wanted to get in a fight with Jacob when he tipped over my water bottle in Environmental class? I’m not that psycho, but I had to find some way to cover up the bruises,” you passed, waving your hand in the air. Billy let out the panicked breath he was holding in, relaxing again. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his eyes.

--

“So where are you gonna go tonight? Gunther’s closes in an hour,” Billy questioned, after a while, tilting his head in the vague direction of where he thought the old man would be. You shrugged, having no idea. You didn’t know it was already 2 a.m, you thought it was only midnight, possibly 1 a.m.

“Not sure. I’ll most likely head to a park again, the tunnel slides are oddly comfortable,” you snickered, winking at him. “What about you? Does your dad cool down quick?”

“Yeah, he’s asleep. I can sneak back in if I need to, but I most likely won’t. I let him cool down until the next day. You can sleep in my car with me if you want? That’s what I usually do. I park it down at Golden Ponds and then head to school whenever I wake up.”

“I’ll have to hit you up on that offer. But I need you to drop me off at my house in the morning so I can change. Gotta keep up that reputation,” you smirked, pulling at your pajama pants.

“I don’t know, princess. Skull pajamas? Pretty badass if you ask me,” Billy retorted, flashing a wink back at you and you shook your head.

“Yeah, right,” you scoffed, scooting out of the booth. Billy followed after you, your finished shakes abandoned on the table. “Thanks for the shakes, Gunther. We’ll probably see you tomorrow!” you called out to the back of the diner, hearing a ‘have a good night, kids!’ before the two of you left the store.

Billy unlocked the car for you guys, ducking into the driver’s side, you following into the passenger side. You shivered at the temperature drop, Gunther’s diner having been much warmer than the inside of Billy’s car. Starting the car, Billy was quick to get the heater going as he drove off.

“Sorry, it usually takes a minute or two for it to get going,” Billy apologized.

“It’s fine, it’s better than being outside,” you assured, grinning up at him. He gave you a soft smile before turning on the radio, his rock music instantly streaming through. He kept the music quiet, so that it was more of a buzz than anything. When the car came to a stop at a red light, Billy began taking off the denim jacket he was wearing.

“Here, I’m wearing a long sleeve under this,” Billy said, handing the jacket over to you as the light turned green.

“You sure?” you questioned, hesitantly taking it from him. The last time you had worn the jacket was when you were high, out in the middle of a road. It didn’t bring back great memories, but the jacket was still warm from him wearing it, and it was comfortable.

“Yeah, don’t make me change my mind, princess,” he warned, but his tone was teasing. Huffing, you pulled the jacket on, relishing in the way your freezing arms were finally able to escape the bitter cold.

A comfortable silence fell over the car, Billy’s music barely being heard over the car’s engine. He was driving slow, taking his time to get to the ponds. Your eyes were starting to close, your head leaning against the cold window. The occasional bump or turn would jolt you awake, and you’d rub your eyes, trying not to fall asleep. In about 20 minutes, you guys had made it to Golden Ponds, and the area was completely vacant. Billy parked the car under a large tree, it’s bare branches brushing against the hood. His headlights shined over one of the ponds, illuminating the ice.

“It’s nice,” you murmured, looking at the ice intently.

“Yeah, it’s even better in the morning. Nobody comes here in the winter I’ve found out. In the fall this place was swarmed with people all the time. I always had to make sure I was gone before 6,” he said, “But now, I can sleep in as late as I need to, and nobody is ever here. The ice is way too thin, and the ponds too small, to ice skate, so there’s not too many reasons to come out here.”

“Except for people like us,” you joked, giving him a toothy grin, which he returned.

“Yeah, except for our kind,” he said. Our kind. Billy hadn’t found someone to relate to before, mainly because he never opened up. It was a strange feeling, but it wasn’t one he wanted to go away. Not this time. Billy shut the car off, the pond losing it’s light and the car it’s heat. “I can’t keep it running. But there’s a blanket in the back.”

“Alright, that’ll work. Come on, I know you’re tired as hell,” you ordered, beginning to climb into the back. Billy watched you, biting his lip as you squeezed yourself between the seats and finally into the back. “Fuck, that was harder than I thought. Why is your car so small, Hargrove? You trying to match your dick or something?” you asked, barely able to duck in time as his hand came flying to hit your shoulder. Once you were settled in the back, Billy climbed over.

“It’s not that small,” he grunted, falling into the corner of the car, letting out a huff. He kicked his shoes off, tossing them into the front and began unbuckling his belt.

“The car or your dick? Because the answer is ‘yes, it is’ to both,” you grinned, but stopped when he started unbuckling his belt. “Alright, asshole. Just because you’re hot and I’m sleeping in your car, doesn’t mean we’re sleeping together,” you snapped, narrowing your eyes at him suspiciously. Billy stopped, giving you an incredulous look.

“In your dreams, princess. Who the hell sleeps in a belt? I know your cute ass isn’t wearing a bra right now, your nipples are ripe as day. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna start fondling them,” he scoffed and continued pulling the belt out of its loops.

“Wha- how did you?” it was now your turn to be shocked, looking down at your chest to see that he was right. “Why the hell were you lookin’, Hargrove?” you yelled, trying to hide your chest.

“It’s hard not to. When a hot girl is in front of me and her boobs are right there? My eyes are gonna go down for a second,” Billy said, rolling his eyes and tossing the belt in the front of the car as well. “Now would you quit arguing about your nipples and lay down? It’s cold, I’m tired, and I’m gonna get angry really quick.”

“Really? My bad, I thought you were already angry,” you snapped, but did as you were told, laying your head down and spreading your legs out. They hit Billy’s thighs, and he reached over you, grabbing the blanket from under the seats. It was a giant, dark blue fleece blanket that would be sure to keep the both of you warm.  After throwing the blanket over you, Billy moved behind you and laid down, covering himself as well.

“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s better than freezing to death,” he said, his voice coming from above your ear. The warmth of his breath was nice compared to the cold air, and it relaxed your neck.

“Yeah, it’s alright. But if I wake up with your boner against my back, you’re walking into school with two black eyes,” you informed him, turning your head to give him a glare. Your faces came eerily close, but you kept the glare, wanting him to get the message.

“I’ll try my hardest,” he smirked, licking his lips. Your eyes rolled so far back, you thought you were going to see your IQ level.

“I swear to god…” you grumbled, turning forward again, and pulling the blanket up to your nose, trying to get warm. Billy’s arm wrapped around your waist, keeping you from falling off the back seat. Both of your hips were digging into the seat belt clicks, and it was not comfortable, but you would most definitely take this over your usual slide tunnel any day.

“Thanks, Billy,” you sighed out, beginning to drift off.

“‘Course, (Y/N/N). You’re here forever and you’re by my side,” was the last thing you heard before you fell asleep, your head rested between his elbow and his leg thrown over your hip.

I will stay with you tonight

Hold you close ‘til the morning light

In the morning watch a new day rise

We’ll do whatever just to stay alive

We’ll do whatever just to stay alive

Light had been streaming in through the windows for the past few hours, bringing you in and out of consciousness. Your body was warm, and even though it was cramped and incredibly uncomfortable, each time you felt yourself beginning to wake up, you’d force yourself to fall back asleep. But when fingertips began gliding along your cheekbones, over your lips and into your hair, you couldn’t push it off any longer. Your head was no longer in the crook of Billy’s arm, but on the seat, and your legs were sandwiched between is, keeping them warm. He had his own head propped up on his hand, the other one running along your face and through your hair. Letting out a soft groan, you scrunched your eyes open, Billy ceasing his movements immediately.

“You don’t have to stop playing with my hair,” you couldn’t help but whine, admitting that the feeling was nice. “But I can’t feel my arm,” you groaned, slowly pushing yourself up from the seat so you wouldn’t knock your head against his. Once you had successfully sat up, you stretched your arms and your neck, working the kinks out of them.

“You sleep okay? At least better than in a plastic slide?” Billy questioned, sitting up and cracking his neck as well, leaning his back against the door.

“Yeah, decently. Kept waking up, but that’s to be expected. Do you know what time it is?”

“9:24,” Billy answered, propping his foot on the divider, leaning his knee against the driver’s seat. “Do you wanna stop and get something to eat, or head straight to your place?” you yawned, and gave him a shrug. You were never all that hungry in the mornings, and you knew James was gonna pissed at you for not being at school that morning.

“If you’re hungry we can stop, but I’m not really. So it’s up to you,” you told him, stretching your feet out along his on the divider. Looking through the window, you could see the ponds vividly. The morning light was shining over the ice, making you understand why the area was called Golden Ponds.

“Nice, huh?” Billy asked, noticing what you were looking at. You simply nodded, not wanting to look away. It was beautiful compared to the majority of Hawkins, and you didn’t want to stop staring. “I don’t want to leave just yet. I’m not awake enough to drive,” Billy informed you, trying to use his fatigue as a justifiable excuse.

“That’s fine. Third period doesn’t start until 11:15 anyways,” you hummed. Looking over at Billy, you saw him looking through the gap of the driver’s seat and the window to look at the ponds as well. His eye was bruised now, and the cut was a red irritation mark. The bruise on the hollow of his cheek was more prominent, but despite all the marks, he looked at peace. With the light bouncing off the ice and through the Camaro’s windows, his blond hair looked shinier, and his blue eyes brighter-almost like the ocean he was always talking about. The feather earring he wore dangled just above his shoulder, and you couldn’t stop yourself from reaching out to flick at it.

“It was my mom’s,” he said, not even flinching from your touch. The feather was soft, the small beads on it bumping together. You dragged your nail through the fibers, tilting your head to see how it looked in the sun. The reds and oranges resembled a fire, or a phoenix even, the way it moved so peacefully along your finger.

“It’s pretty. It matches the thing on the back of your door. I noticed it when you brought me back after the party… Was that hers too?” you asked lightly, knowing he usually became guarded and angry whenever anyone’s mom was brought up, let alone his. He nodded quietly, the earring moving with him and out of your grasp. “Bet she liked you a lot.”

“Yeah… we were close,” he smiled softly, and so did you. Billy rarely smiled without his teeth or tongue, and when he did it was nice. It was hard not to do it yourself. “This was her car. She’d take me down to the beach all the time, we’d get seashells, all of that. One time I found a starfish, it was the best day of my damn life, princess. Let me tell you,” he laughed, tilting his head back and looking up at the roof of his car. “It was a dark grey, I almost thought it was fake. I didn’t think they came in colors other than pink. My mom was real happy too, but she made me keep it against the rock. Taught me how to touch it with the back of my knuckle. The whole deal,” he explained to you, his fingers twitching against the denim of his jeans. The story came so easily, unlike all his others. It flowed so smoothly, as if it happened yesterday. This had to be something he thought about a lot. “That was the day I decided starfishes were gonna be my favorite animal, my favorite thing. Whenever we would go back, I’d spend the whole time looking for them. Fuck the shells, I wanted to see another starfish.”

“Did you?” you asked, pulling your knee to your chest and looking up at him.

“Yeah, quite a bit. I never noticed how many there were until that day. But each time I found a new one, it was like the first day all over again. She was the only one who understood that feeling…” he trailed off, casting his eyes towards his jeans before looking back at you.

“Starfish are fucking awesome,” you agreed, giving him the best grin you could after just waking up, “I’ve never seen one in person. I haven’t been to an aquarium or a beach before, but from what I’ve seen in the books, they look cool as hell,” you said, and Billy gave you a look of pure horror.

“You’ve never been to a beach? An aquarium?” he asked in astonishment. You shook your head, rolling your eyes slightly.

“Not all of us are blessed with California genes, Hargrove,” you laughed, shoving his shoulder.

“Tell you what,” he began, mocking you from earlier.

“Oh my god, another deal?”

“You bet your ass. If you go as my crash-date to the dance, I’ll take you to the aquarium. If they don’t have any starfish, we can sue them. Sound like a deal?” he offered, running his tongue along his lips. Even though it was an offer, you knew he wasn’t planning on taking a ‘no’.

“Yeah, alright, asshole. You’re paying though,” you snickered and Billy grinned.

“Fine by me, princess. Looks like it’s just James and Vance who have to find a date now,” he sighed, looking back out the window. Your eyes widened, not realizing that none of you had told Billy yet. You leaned against him, resting your head against chest and your arm on top of his knee.

“Won’t be necessary. They’ve been eye-fucking each other for years, and now they’re gonna be actually fucking each other for the rest of time.”

“What the fuck.”

Tag List: @assholeheartthrob @selenedarkbloom @hailhydrabarnes @hellboundblogger @rad-rad-rain @cheneyq @between-shades-of-winchester @tamara-stalenhoef @fangirlinganditswonders @myblackwings5 @themangledjessie @strangerswiftie @madhatterweasley @-episkey- @high-heels-and-demon-deals @princess-chocolate-drop @warsintothestars @yikeonbike @faes0personal  @lilo-1398  (taglist is still open!)

[hyperionfleet]

Atlas Bodyguard - Rhys x Reader

Note: This is between the fall of Helios and the vault of the Traveller being open. Rhys is trying to get Atlas back on track.

You sit on the hood of your Runner while your eyes peer through a pair of binoculars. You’ve been on the move for the last three days because of a bounty on your head. Yeah, you stole money from someone in New Haven, but you have to survive somehow since money was becoming hard to find along with work. There is rumble that may have been a Skag growling, but it was your stomach.

“Jeez.” Your hand grabs a pouch full of skag jerky. It’s the only thing that doesn’t go sour, but you were becoming bored with it. “I would do anything for some fruit.” When was it going to end? Probably never knowing your luck. It was just few dollars, why are people throwing such a huge fit over it. Whatever.

At the time you begin to take your first bite, you hear someone yelling at you. You wip you head to both sides, but nothing was there. That’s it. You’re losing it. Just then a man came up to you dressed in back.

“Just what are doing in front of Atlas property? Are you looking for trouble?”

Just who the fuck was this guy? You laugh at him heavily. A little snort slip out. “J-just who are you?”

The man in black snort as he cross his arms. “You’re talking to the CEO of Atlas. Well… The NEW CEO.”

You laugh even harder. Atlas hasn’t been around for a few years since the Vault of the Destroyer was, well, destroyed. A story with too many tentacles and no loot. Hell, you even went up there to double check about the rumors of no loot, but found annoying Hyperion employees excavating the site.

“I could use a bodyguard. The name’s Rhys.”

“Can you even afford me?” You say to Rhys with smug expression crawling across your face.

“I’m pretty sure I can help with that bounty on your pretty little head of yours.” He replies with a sly smile.

This guy. Yeah he IS handsome, good looking, and maybe, just maybe, he can help you with that $15k bounty on your head. You scratch the back of neck and then let out a long sigh. “Fine. I guess I’ll be your body guard. What the hell I’m guarding you from still in question because Atlas corporation is dead. D. E. D.”

Rhys begins to open to entry way to Old Haven which you completely forgot you parked in front of. “And for starters, dead is spelled d-e-a-d.”

You mutter quietly, “dick.”

The tall company man walk in front of you and heads toward a group of old towering buildings that had GP on the side of them. You are in ah of the sites. This was the first time you step foot into Old Haven. Rumors of it being haunted by dead Crimson Lance made trek a little shaky for you. One clink of an old Lance helmet made your hair raise and run to the side of Rhys. A small chuckle slips out of the CEO’s lips. “Are you a scared? It’s just you and me. Those rumors of ghosts and zombies are not even real, you know.”

“I…I know. I’m not that stupid.” After making that statement, the wind whip around just right where an eerie moan echoes threw out the Atlas town. You quickly grab Rhys’ hand without hesitation. Rhys is taken back becoming bright red on his cheeks.

“Um… May I help you?” It dawn on you that you lock hands with the Atlas CEO. A piece of you seriously didn’t care. The cool feeling of his cybernetic hand interlocking yours is relaxing. When was the last time this happen? Finding a random guy that is willing to employ you and was good looking.

“How about shut it and just hurry up all ready.” You snap at him. He quickly spun to face you.

“Now listen up here. I’m the one trying to save your cute little ass from God knows what!” Wow there. You piss him off real good. He is saying other things to you, but you stop listening to him. You felt you heart race and body have a strange urge. With that, you rush up against him and plant your lips firmly on his. Your eye were close hoping Rhys was enjoying it as much as you did. Rhys took his normal hand and works it threw your hair.

Your eyes open partly with soft “I’m sorry I…” spilling out. Rhys took a deep breath after parting lips with you. “Don’t be..” he softly mutter back to you. Pandora stood still for the two of you. No breeze, no rakk hovering above, no psychos, nothing. In that moment you felt like you could do nothing wrong.

“My name is (Y/N). And yes, I’ll be your bodyguard.”

[dear-fellow-travelers]

Gizzy’s City: Chapter One           ~   The Day of the Uprising

                                          ---------------Tuesday, February 12, 2071 5:35 AM------ Morning, Rise Up, Begin tasks they set out for you.

“Get Up. Rise, It is time for you to train.” they spoke. Their masks, I hate them. I can’t see their face, and they know they don’t want me to. They hide their scents with putrid smells, Like roadkill in the dead of summer. Their voices, monotone. No emotion for me, I hate them. I HATE THIS PLACE! Today, is My day. Freedom, Will be MINE.

How strange will it bee when i Escape, my Utopia Awaits. An entire city.. For Me, And me Alone.

But for now.. Time to play along, be a good little Wolf, But these Goats, will be slaughtered soon Enough..

“Good to know you’re Following orders, Subject 23. You have to eat after Training, Tine to Earn everything to finally make it out on the field.” “Yes, Commander. I will do you well.”

I spoke in a hidden sarcasm. Even by the time i was Close. That’s when i enacted my first phase. I started to take out every guard with My powers, 18 long fucking years, AND NOW IS MY CHANCE! My first taste of freedom.. like i dreamt of. Damned if they don’t see this plan coming.

I already poisoned their Booze kegs. They will die, a slow, yet effective death. in Three, Two, One!~ I start using my abilities. weapons of their guns, i start to tear their limbs apart, strangling. every bliss of their head being hung from the screams, Glorious Music. This. Is. My. City. I Am QUEEN. I. Am. Kailee Gizzy Hartwell. And this, Is my Time to be freed. Thanks to someone that believed in me; told me it wasn’t going to be a fair fight.. but it was worth a shot.

Somehow.. it went dark, blacked out, i saw red, and.. then.. I was broken free, it happens in a whirlwind..

Everything is torn from their hands. Bones Shattered. Spines broken, “THIS IS YOUR TIME TO DIE! You have not known what have you’ve done to me, Somehow, you shouldn’t even live..One The Pandoras’ Box, Is opened, and It has Opened.. Wide. Too late to back down, YOU DISHONORABLE CUNTS!”

The knots that had long entangled her mind like overgrown vines released. Satisfaction permeated her body, and she screamed, voice reverberating against the metal city. For longest time coming, she Unravels.

The City of Kyoto will be cleansed Of these bastards! Let me Rid this place.. let the world..

 Plant life..? Yeah, good thing that will overthrow the building,  The Yaro-Kabuki Theater is now flooded with  the Overgrowth it Deserves, the structure falls through as i stand on top of the roof, and slide my way down and run full force into the wilderness and the Unknowns of this once beautiful masterpiece. 

My first breath of Air, It’s Thrilling, as i look like I killed a thousand Men and women. somehow, when i went into the docks, I secured a boat for food, the river is at least fresh from all waste from their cover-up stories for greener life.... i have everything i could ever need in my pack, but first.. I need to free myself of this 

Hours passed.. I awake.. my head and body ache all over.. sleeping in a boat as it starts to wane into sunlight.. my skin burns.. god this burns.. 

This is my life, MY CHANCE. And, I got this.. I have this.. but first and foremost.. I have to get cleaned up.. 

But where is.. ‘Here’ 

‘Am.. i dead..?’

“My.. My fucking god.. i haven’t ached like this in.. how long..?? It fucking burns! AND WHAT EVEN IS THAT THING!” I screamed as i shielded my eyes. I suddenly sit up.

Even an entire day, spent exploring, feasting on my plants i have grown, cooking, trees growing from sky scrapers, an old overwatch base, i know that logo.. “Heros..? bah.. I don’t think they’d like me intruding.. then Again..~” i burst the sky light out and climb down the tree limbs, I stare at the systems, “this is.. Solar powered! sweet! I.. Think i found a way to learn about tthem their weaknesses are going to be great, I don’t wanna be somebody’s little pet to toy with and beat. I just want freedom, a life without rules!.. be free with everything.. and everyone..? will bow to me! AHAHAHHAAHH- ha..ha.. i’m fucking crazy, AND I LOVE THAt! OR- it’s my stockholme syndrome talking hhhhhaaaAAAAAHHHHH-HHEEEE-AAHHHHH!! Hell with that!”

 after a hours, countless seconds into minutes.. I end up finding a new set of clothes in a drawer.. “it’s cool, dog tag, not mine but who gives a flying fuck. time to change!~”

it soon turns into a sweet outfit, my feet bound in a way as to were i can summon my powers, and also gain traction!! awesome.

Evening falls.. i sit in the middle of ashore, clean.. I think..?

I feel Free, and this is why It matters.

..but hours turned into days- Weeks even! the ringing in my ears as guns and bombs went off..  but that was all a distant memory.

too bad.. I.. can’t remember what happened.. 

----------------Present Day----------------

“Oi! Why in the bloody FUCK are we ‘ere? I know we gotta do our jobs, Bu’t..Why this! it’s.. Differ’nt-- Wasteland..??! Who in their Roig’t mind would..- ROADIE! THERE WUZ SUMONE THAT RAN PAST US!” Junkrat yelled. Their mission was to find an old experiment that had gotten loose from Talon’s Grasp, armed with genetic enhancements, and could kill on sight if seen. Little is known about Them. And if you see them, Sedate them.

  Hog shined a light, it’s just a Giant Golem.., it’s just spooked by their presence. “O-oh.. uh.. ahhah...- jus.. what is tha’t thing?!” hog then grumbled, knowing he is annoying him, but.. he knows he is just unsure of all of this.. Wildlife, they normally get sent to remote and ruined places.. But this..? was Remote, Yes, but.. it was once a thriving city. 

wait.. you can.. see the stars..? the air is.. cleaner..- but.. HOW?!

The “culprit” seems.. Young, for starters from what they saw in pictures, zoomed in, from the salvaged footage from the base before they had to evacuate, Jesse says he let her before, saying she was just looking for freedom, and she was Volatile  at first until she was freed, it was.. it was a freedom she Craved, like honey, something so sweet yet it was too dangerous to grasp the concept of, He.. knows she was.. damaged but other than that, that’s all he knows.

he seems to be understanding they don’t want to be caged, The fact is.. they seem to be like Jamie, robbed of a childhood, nobody to turn to, no love.. this, will be interesting..

With a grunt of approval, and a soft resting of his hand he says. “They are..Interesting, you know.. They’re Passive Aggressive..It’s an old Maori legend.. This place was a thriving city, but.. I don’t think they mean any ha-” soon a vine grabbed jamie and dragged him into the old sewers. a growl of spite. “Hunters, Become The Hunted.” BOOMED the terracotta golem.  she growled as she was leading him below grown, the massive mazes of the pipes and tunnels.

“waoit!- A SHEILA?!” she growled as she stands over him, back grazing the tunnle, she growled as she stands over him by a good eight inches, but that’s only by shadow of her silhouette, she’s in her armor. he then sees the shadow come Closer, and then.. she throws him down as she stabbed on his gut. pinning him down. “don’t make me kill you, you’re already invading my kingdom!” she growled, “’OG! H-heelkkkkkkkk” soon he comes down with a hook grabbing her from her from behind and she growled, screaming, she never felt like this at all. somehow.. she gets a sudden surprise as she gets taken from her terracotta-like armor. when he had punted her into a side tunnel, causing her outer layer to crumble. she is Wedged. But manages to unfurl her second layer and first.. she has a bloody nose for starters.. she gets held in a tight embrace.

“Thank Mate! wait.. pFFT!! AHAHAHHA! IT’S A MIDGET! now ow cute~ yera tiny ankle boiter!” “James i don’ thi-” he gets picked up by a vine and hung upside down and being disarmed of his peg leg and his arm and his bomb gun as well. “CALL ME TINY ONE MORE FUCKING TIME YA ROADKILL! I’LL RIP YER COCK OFF AND FEED IT TO YA!” “AAAHHHGG! ‘OG! ‘OH! ‘ELP!” “You started fighting with a Hartwell, you best be prepared for a Fight. She’s also damaged, look, we have to earn her trust besides, I knew her mother. She was a close friend of my family, Almost.. like a sister.. then she went missing.. so, cut her some slack, Jameison.” she froze.. her hair sloppy and wet from the sweat that she had aquired from being inside her armor.

“liar... my mom abandoned me, and left me with a life of pain. you never know me, yER JUST A COUPLE OF STRANGERS! WHY SH-SHOU-ULD I TRUST YOU?!”

Mako knows, this will be a long rest of the year..

[searchingforstillness]

A Year of runDisney

I started running in 2010, at 39yo. For inspiration, I started picking up a Runners World every now and then. While reading RW I discovered something that looked wonderful, some might even say “magical”, runDisney. But 9 years ago, we lived in Indiana, so a race in Florida was a bucket list item. Fast forward 5 years and we move to Florida.

I treated myself, and our son, to our first runDisney race in 2017, Star Wars Dark Side 5K. Then that fall I discovered our 2018 company trade show was to be at WDW starting the day after the WDW Marathon, runDisney race #2. And that got me hooked. I do the 52 Week money challenge each year ( https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-us/learn/52-week-money-challenge ), usually for Christmas shopping money and mad money for the following year. I had registered the son and I for the 2018 SWDS 5K & 10K, so I decided to use my mad money to cross off another bucket list item, become a WDW Annual Passholder. Then I decided that over that year I would run at each race weekend. So here is my summary of the 4 race weekends at WDW.

All Race Weekends and Distances

Pre-race - So runDisney always recommends that you are on a bus (if you are staying onsite) by 3:30am. You arrive at the starting area around 4am (if you’re lucky and have a bus driver that knows where he’s going). The races start at 5:30am. During the 1.5hr wait, you have time to check a bag, get coffee, hit the port-o-lets, and stand in line for character photos. There is a DJ and Emcee there keeping everyone awake pumped for the run. They open the corrals around 5am. You want to try to get to your corrals early so you can get close to the front. runDisney uses wave starts with each corral. The earlier you start, the more of a cushion you have on the “Balloon Ladies” and the more time you have for on course pictures, bathroom stops, and various shenanigans (especially during the Marathon).

Balloon Ladies - Ahhh, the dreaded/revered Balloon Ladies. runDisney has a 16mm course limit on all races except the 5K. That limit starts when the final starters cross the start line. The Balloon Ladies, with their balloons, have historically been the last starters, keeping the 16mm. They are not officially part of runDisney, but are a great visual for people that they need to step up their pace or risk getting swept.

Star Wars Dark Side 5K, 10K, & 1/2 Marathon

It all began with SWDS, so that’s where I will start. This will always be my favorite race weekend. No, I’m not a big Star Wars fan, but the son is. Because of that, he is willing to wake up at 3am to run with me. In 2017 we ran the 5K. 2018 we decided to up our game and do the 5K and 10K (the son’s first), then at the last minute I decided to add the 1/2 as well and get the challenge medal. 2019 we decided we enjoyed sleeping too much, so we just did the 10K. 5K - All of the runDisney 5Ks are family fun runs. There is no timing chip and no minimum pace requirements. You start and end in the EPCOT parking lot. The course takes you backstage and through World Showcase then past Spaceship Earth and out one of the side gates to the finish. Throughout the back stage area there are plenty of Star Wars character stops. This is an enjoyable, relaxing way to introduce children and new runners to runDisney. SWDS is the only 5K I have done at Disney, but the course for the other race weekends is the same (although I heard that the Wine & Dine 5K used to go through AK instead of EPCOT, which would have been fun).

10K - The 10K is a timed race with a 16mm minimum pace. It starts at the MK parking lot (actually the Travel and Transportation lot) and goes to HS, through EPCOT and finishes in the EPCOT lot. This is a good intermediate course, flat except for one exit ramp. The first 3.5 miles are on World Drive, you then enter HS through the backstage area by Tower of Terror and exit through the main entrance. After that you follow the walking path between HS and the Boardwalk, entering EPCOT through the World Showcase entrance. Then past the UK and Canada, up through Future World and out to the finish in the parking lot. Character stops and fuel/water are located along the road and in the backstage areas.

1/2 Marathon - The 1/2 is also a timed race with a 16mm minimum pace. It is a great course! Mostly flat with the exception of a couple of exit ramps. Starting in the MK parking lot, you then head along the side roads, past a golf course and through some wooded areas to AK. You enter AK through the backstage area by the Safari. WARNING: The restaurants will be fixing breakfast at this time, so be prepared for all kinds of delicious smells….really not fair 4.5 miles into a 1/2 marathon if you ask me ;). You will swing around through Pandora (if you’re fast enough, it will still be dark when you reach Pandora and all it’s glowing beauty) then up past the Tree Of Life and out through the main entrance. After AK you head to World Drive then to HS. Once again, you will enter HS through the backstage area by ToT then out through the main entrance (I don’t know if that will change for 2020 since Galaxy’s Edge will be open). Taking the walking path to the Boardwalk and EPCOT can sometimes be frustrating. It is a narrow pathway and occasionally walkers and runners can get into their own little world and forget there are people behind them who may want to go faster. So remember to be patient through here. You will enter EPCOT through the World Showcase entrance and this time go the long way around the world, up through Future World and out to the finish in the parking lot. Once again, there are plenty of character stops and fuel/water stops along the roads and backstage areas.

Wine & Dine 10K & 1/2 Marathon

This was my dream race. When I started running and reading RW, the idea of the Wine & Dine 1/2 seemed like the ultimate weekend. It takes place during the International Food & Wine Festival and they host a private after hours party for the runners and their guests. This sounded like my dream race! I decided to run the 10K & 1/2 Challenge (Yea!! Extra bling!!). Had I done the SWDS Challenge before I signed up for this, I would have only done the 1/2….if you didn’t know already, sleep is high on my list of favorite things.

10K - The W&D 10K differs from the SWDS 10K course in that it doesn’t include HS. You start at the MK lot, head up World Drive then enter EPCOT through the main entrance. Then you run through Future World, around the World Showcase, back through Future World and out to the finish in the parking lot. Another great flat course.

1/2 Marathon - This used to be a night race with the private party afterward. Not sure why they changed it. Everyone I’ve heard from who ran it then loved it. Now it’s a 2:30am wake up time just like the others. The course is the same a SWDS with the bonus of a ticket to the after party that night. I looked forward to the after party, napping that afternoon, not trying any goodies the day before when I was at EPCOT. saving the treats for the party. Well, mother nature had other plans. It poured down rain that night. The party takes place in the World Showcase. Well, I made it as far as Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth (where I nearly fell asleep) before I decided it was a lost cause. I splash my way back to the buses, soaked and dissappointed. Talking to other runners the next day, I didn’t miss anything. The party still went on, but sampling the food/drinks in the pouring rain was not very enjoyable. Oh well, maybe I can try it another year. The thing that saved my weekend (besides the bling) was signing up of some of the seminars. I did a wine tasting, a charcuterie class, and a wine pairing class. If you find yourself at Disney during the Food & Wine Festival, I highly recommend signing up for some of the seminars they offer.

WDW Marathon

I ran my first marathon in 2012, the Indy Monumental Marathon. If any of you ran IMM that year you’ll remember that it started off beautiful and ended up raining and sleeting….I swore I’d never do another marathon. 26.2 miles is just too far with no weather guarantees. But then runDisney happened and became my 2nd and 3rd marathons. So I now say that I’ll never do another marathon, unless it’s at Disney.

Marathon - This is the only race where you get to run through all 4 parks (and ESPN) and, depending on your pacing, have an opportunity to ride some rides DURING the race! Unlike the most of the other races this one starts and ends at EPCOT. From the EPCOT lot you head up World Drive to MK. There you enter through the main entrance and run up Main Street USA. Now this is a goosebumps, tear up moment. It’s still dark and Main Street is all lit up and is lined with Cast Member and family/friends cheering the runners toward the Castle. You turn to Tomorrowland and circle around to the back of the Castle. Then then highlight for many runners, you get to run through the Castle (photo op!). After that you exit through Adventure Land by Splash Mountain. From MK you take the back roads past the water treatment plant (belch) to AK entering backstage by the Safari and circle around to Expedition Everest. This is the halfway point of the marathon. Now here is where pace planning can come in handy. If you planned and executed correctly, you can arrive here at park opening time and thus catch a ride on EE. I did not plan properly and got the a half hour early, but lucky for me the bar next to EE was open…beer stop woohoo! After you finish your ride (or beer) you exit AK backstage by Dinosaur. From there you head for ESPN, the bane of everyone running the marathon.  You’re only there for 3 miles, but it feels like 30! After you finally exit ESPN you’re less than 6 miles to the finish (or as I like to look at it 3 miles from HS and a loooong walk to the buses ;))! You enter HS by ToT (another ride opportunity for that and RnR) and exit at the main entrance. Then the walking path to EPCOT, around the World Showcase (another beer opportunity along with turkey legs and margaritas!) to Future World and the FINISH! runDisney has so many photo stops and so much entertainment along the course...you almost (ALMOST) forget you’re running 26.2 (!) miles.

Princess 1/2 Marathon

This is probably the most hyped weekend by runDisney fans, but I’m not a princess girl so this was the race I looked forward to the least. Good news though, it was the weekend before the son’s 16th birthday, so I took him with me and we had some quality park time.

1/2 Marathon - This would have to be my least favorite course of all the races. That has nothing to do with me not being a princess fan, it’s just boring in my opinion. It starts and ends at EPCOT. You literally run from the EPCOT parking lot, to MK, through the Castle, and back to the EPCOT parking lot. You don’t even go through EPCOT. You’re in MK for about 1.5 miles, so the other 12 miles is road miles (this is also the same course as the 1/2 during Marathon Weekend). I run Disney so I can run in the parks (they frown on that during the normal course of the day). I can run on the road anytime. I know, many LOVE Princess Weekend, it’s just not for me.

runDisney has the best course support and most unique races. If you ever get the opportunity to run (or walk) one, do it. Even if you’re not a runner, do the 5K. Just pick a weekend who’s theme appeals to you and go for it! It’s an experience you’ll never forget!

[jculife]

A uni student’s guide to living in Townsville

Are you starting or considering study in Townsville? 

If you’re feeling a bit lost, we’ve got you covered! Our guide will tell you everything you need to know about enjoying the Ville like a true local. 

WHERE TO EAT:

There’s a plethora of great places to eat around Townsville. You’ll find a variety of dining options on Palmer Street, Flinders Street, Canon Park and a few other small hubs. A few of our favourite picks for uni students are:

Cactus Jacks

Great cocktails and delicious Mexican food. Head there on a Tuesday night and get all you can eat chilli for only $12. Did we mention there’s chocolate nachos?

Image: https://cactusjacks.com.au/

Otto’s Fresh Food Market

A Townsville favourite, Otto’s provides a fresh market of foods as well as pre-made goodies. Try a sweet from the cabinet, a fresh juice or a smoked chicken pretzel roll (our favourite).

Images: https://www.facebook.com/OttosFreshFoodMarket/?fref=ts

IMC Steak House

IMC has scored the title of Townsville’s best steak by The Townsville Bulletin and we understand why. Not only are they delicious but you can score them at a reasonable price, which is great for a uni student budget.

Image: https://www.facebook.com/imcsteakhouse/?fref=ts

Max Brenner

A chocolate lovers dream, Max Brenner is full of chocolate goodness and busy at all times for a reason. Share a choc fondue for two if you’re on a budget.

Grill’d

You can’t go wrong with burgers from Grill’d. They are also a great option for people with food intolerance and they have quite a few vegetarian options. Their “beer garden” area out the back is perfect for a burger and a beer on a Friday night.

Image: https://www.facebook.com/GrilldBurgers/?fref=ts

Jam Corner

Two words – GREAT BREKKY. They aren’t too pricey either. 

Image: https://www.facebook.com/jamtownsville/?fref=ts

Juliette’s

You’ll find Juliette’s on the Strand with great gelato, coffee and delicious sweets – YUM.  

Image: http://www.about-australia.com/attractions/juliettes-for-lovers-of/

WHERE TO EXERCISE: 

Forget a gym membership, Townsville is known for it’s range of areas to exercise outdoors for FREE. Just take your pick...

Castle Hill

Castle Hill has got to be the most popular exercise destination in all of Townsville. No matter what hour of what day you’ll find plenty of locals trekking this popular exercise track. For starters, we would suggest trying to walk up the Castle Hill road. If you really want to be daring and break a sweat, you can try the Goat Track for a more intense workout. Trust us, it’s all worth it in the end when you’re at the top and you get a look at that stunning view of Townsville.

Image: http://www.about-australia.com/attractions/castle-hill/

The Strand

The Strand is a Townsville icon and while it’s pretty to look at it’s also a pretty kick-ass walking track. There are even free exercise stations that you can stop at along the way if you’d like to break it up. When you’re finished, there’s plenty of places to grab a coffee or fresh juice along the way.

Image: https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/townsville/the-strand-townsville/the-strand

Jezzine Baracks

Jezzine Baracks is a relatively new addition to Townsville and the 15-hectare precinct commemorates the military and Aboriginal heritage of the Kissing Point headland. The redevelopment restored significant elements of the original Kissing Point Fort complex giving it plenty of stairs and walkways for breaking a sweat. 

Image: http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2014/04/04/3978764.htm

WHERE TO PARTY:

Head to Flinders Street for a great night out! Here’s some of our favourite spots for uni students: 

Flinders HQ

Another relatively new addition to the Ville is Flinders HQ. Head there on a Tuesday night for a boogie and free entry all night. 

Image: https://www.facebook.com/FlindersHQ/

Madcow

The Madcow is a Townsville veteran. This double-storey, Australiana, Saloon-type wonder is sure to show you a good night. Grab a teapot and dance to new and old school hits until the cows come home. It’s also FREE entry. 

Image: https://www.facebook.com/Mad-Cow-Tavern-110167841510/

Heritage Exchange

Head to the Heritage Exchange for the best cocktails in Townsville, they’re a little pricey but totally worth it. This charming bar often has live music on a Friday night and the beer garden area is a lot of fun. 

Image: https://australianbartender.com.au/2015/10/23/heritage-exchange-townsville-good-drinking-done-right/

Seaview

If you’re doing a Sunday sesh, then the Seaview is the place to go! Any long weekend is guaranteed so see this sea-side pub packed to the rafters. Grab a bucket of beers for cheap and enjoy the sea-breeze! 

Image: http://www.seaviewhotel.com.au/

WHAT TO DO:

Townsville is full of hidden gems. For the full Townsville experience, be sure to check out these top spots:

Reef HQ

Experience the Great Barrier Reef without getting wet at the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium right here in Townsville. Reef HQ will open  your eyes to an amazing world filled with thousands of charismatic marine creatures. Use your student card to get a good price and spend the day exploring! 

Image: https://www.bookme.com.au/bookings/whitsundays-airlie-beach-townsville/activity/reef-hq-aqaurium-townsville/1572

Magnetic Island

Only 25 minutes from Townsville, Magnetic Island is a short ferry ride to a tropical paradise. There’s lots to see and do whether you want to spend a day or a whole week there. Grab a group of friends, hire a topless moke and explore the island at your pace. We would suggest heading to Mexican restaurant Noodies and buying a round of cocktail jugs. They come with a free sombrero! and who doesn’t want a free sombrero? There’s plenty to do so visit the Magnetic Island Tourism page to help plan a trip. 

Image: http://frugalfrolicker.com/magnetic-island-beaches/

The Museum if Tropical Queensland

The Museum of Tropical Queensland is the only branch of the Queensland Museum north of Brisbane. On Flinders Street in Townsville, the iconic building looks across Ross Creek in the city. The star attraction is the HMS Pandora gallery. Sent to catch the famous Bounty and her mutinous crew, the Pandora sank off the coast of Cape York in 1791. Hundreds of amazing artifacts have been recovered from the wreck and are on display. There’s always new great displays on offer, so check out their website to see what’s showing. 

Image: https://www.facebook.com/museumoftropicalqueensland/

Billabong Sanctuary

Cuddly koalas, snapping crocodiles, what’s not to love about The Billabong Sanctuary? This Townsville tourism favourite is an 11-hectare sanctuary just south of Townsville. Totaltravel.com calls it “Australia’s best interactive wildlife sanctuary” and we understand why. You can get up close and personal with Australia’s wildlife with feeding and handling or watch an interactive show by their experienced rangers. 

Image: http://www.billabongsanctuary.com.au/

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery

If you’re spending some time in the CBD, be sure to hit up the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery to see what they have on offer. This heritage listed public art gallery offers a dynamic range of local, national and international exhibitions complemented by workshops, talks and a host of other programs. It’s also FREE to visit. 

Image: https://www.facebook.com/PercTuckerTCC/

Cowboys game

CARN THE COWBOYS! What better way to experience the Townsville spirit then by visiting a local Cowboys game at 1300 Smiles Stadium. You can grab general admission tickets for relatively cheap and buses run to and from the stadium regularly, making a game easy to get to. 

Image: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-06/north-queensland-cowboy-flags/6830164

Crystal Creek

Get out Google Maps and put in Crystal Creek for a day trip that will have you returning time and time again during the wet season. On a really hot day you’ll love the crystal clear (and cold) water holes, water falls and rapids. Pack a lunch and prepare to spend a day swimming, eating and relaxing at this local favourite. On the way home be sure to stop in at Frosty Mango for an ice cream and your perfect day will be complete. 

Image: http://www.top100experiences.com.au/listing/crystal-creek/