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[didasgomas]

MiM anti-characters

Silly idea that I had for @moonlightsmasquerade 's story "Monsters in Mayweather" that I (unsurprisingly) ended up developing a bit too much

"Anti-characters" are basically doppelgangers of some of the main cast, with often the only attributes that set them apart physically being the eye color, height and voice, but are otherwise completely different when it comes to personality.

Issac Doppelganger - Lewis Martins:

Lewis is a relatively tall man in his late 30s, but he has ginger hair and grey eyes, and is not as pale as Issac. He was actually born in a big city, but moved to Mayweather in search of a more tranquil life, away from large urban drama.

He has always had the fame of having bad luck, from birds stealing his snacks, to his umbrellas never working, to him always forgetting something, be it a piece of school material or extra cents. Despite sometimes lamenting this "trait" of his, Lewis remains a hopeful and magnanimous man who keeps trying his best.

His "bad luck trend" has only worsened now that he lives in Mayweather, as he is often assigned to deliver mail either overnight or during the early morning hours, and despite his physical differences and the fact that he's just a mailman, many still confuse him for Issac due to the lack of light, which often ends in Lewis being chased down by both monsters and other humans.

The real Issac actually helps him out of being mauled a lot of the time, both out of pity and out of amusement. Lewis doesn't fully understand what is up with Issac, or why so many people seem to hate them both for no reason, but the one thing he knows is that Issac is somehow always nearby.

Azrael Doppelganger - Erin Jacobs

Born with dark ash blonde hair and dark brown eyes, in one of the neighboring towns around Black Oak forest, Erin only lives in Mayweather for the cheap rent prices, but to his luck, his job as a dressmaker's assistant pays enough, and his employer doesn't mind that he's technically underqualified.

With a liking for parties and drinks, and a goofy but scaredy-cat attitude, Erin may behave and have the appearance of young college student, but he's actually 28 and with only his middle school diploma under the belt. He repeated 9th grade four times but never once passed, up until the point his school expelled him, and his parents evicted him after two years when he failed many times to hold a steady job.

Erin does have a "special ability", though he sees it more as a curse, where when he "senses" someone is in immediate danger from a certain distance, his body acts outside of his control to help said person. This has resulted in him literally jumping into heavy traffic to help small children, pushing people to the side to avoid a falling vase, to even saving people from monsters.

Secretly, shouting Erin's name when in danger, forces a reaction out of his body, though still against his will. As long as the person is within range, not literally miles away, his body will somehow know exactly where they are, no matter what he's doing, he'll drop everything and run straight to help, even in his sleep. This has caused a few, rare but nonetheless embarrassing, episodes where Erin had to cycle through town in his pajamas, groggy and with socks, only to wake up mid-rescue wondering how he got there.

Aaron Doppelganger - Gregory "Greg" Pace

With the only differences being his amber eyes and shorter stature, Gregory only has one piercing on his lower lip that he was forced to get after a dare, and that he is not proud of. He loves cosplaying, especially kawaii characters, but he only shares this with people he trusts. To remain comfortable though, he keeps a soft color palette in his everyday clothing.

Greg grew up over protected and over-coddled by his single mother, thus turned out a huge softie who often relies on others for reassurance, and a bit of a crybaby who wears his emotions on his sleeve and prefers to keep out of conflicts.

He was popular during middle and high school due to his looks, and his overly gentle and emphatic nature made it difficult for him to reject the crowds, even though he didn't want the popularity. This miscommunication caused a rift between him and his best friend Harlow, who eventually became his rival, something that Gregory laments.

Right now, Greg is taking up a gardener apprenticeship while still living with his mother, and is saving up to participate in his first cosplay convention outside of Mayweather.

Joshua Doppelganger - Harlow Geary (he/they)

With jet-black hair and eyes, Harlow's most attention grabbing feature is his left eye, or rather, his left eyelid. Following their dad's truck crashing when he tried to kidnap them away from their mother, Harlow had to undergo an orbital exenteration and then a permanent tarsorrhaphy, followed by CPS taking him away from his parents, all at the age of just 12. Understandably, he refuses to give more than a rushed explanation when asked about it. After being discharged and taken in by their godparents, Harlow's demeanor changed a lot, becoming tetchy and sharp-tongued, often using sarcasm and bluntness when dealing with unpleasant situations or people.

The one exception to that rule is Gregory, his former best friend since kindergarten, who started becoming popular in 7th grade, less than a year after Harlow was taken away from his parents. Needing support then more than ever, Harlow felt abandoned by his closest friend, and eventually started antagonizing the other in disappointment.

Many people wrongly assume at first that Harlow is Greg's bully, because of his mean comments and jabs, often delivered at every chance, with Gregory, ever gentle, merely responding with a simple request for them to stop, which only fuels the misconception. In truth, Harlow never hated Gregory and remains secretly protective of him, though their fear of rejection keeps them from making the first move towards reconciliation.

Also following their godparents taking them in, Harlow started taking Muay Thai classes, both as stress-relief and training for any future danger. Though their physique is strong, their baggy clothing doesn't allow it to shine through much, which isn't a problem for Harlow, as their current ambition is to complete their 10 years of training.

Selena Doppelganger - Claudia O'Phelan

Being shorter and younger than Selena, and having blue eyes and cayenne red hair, Claudia isn't an expected sight within Mayweather, having always been a bubbly and cheerful girl, sheltered from the real horrors of the town all her life by her dad and older sister.

Claudia is an exceptionally social and optimistic young woman, even if her innocence gets in the way at times, and has always had more than enough friends to never feel lonely, and even when alone, she has many hobbies to distract herself, like baking, drawing and reading.

Though she wore her sister's hand-me-downs as a child, after puberty she defined her own sense of style, filling her wardrobe, and overall bedroom, with pastel colors and cute accessories, which has earned her the term 'pretty' throughout high school.

Claudia has been saving up for a while to eventually pay for culinary school, as she has decided she wants to become a confectioner, but she won't rush it because she still has to finish 12th grade.

Ellen Doppelganger - Jolene "Lena" O'Phelan

Claudia's older half-sister by three years, who has green eyes and long, auburn hair that she dyed almost completely black. She appears to be the tallest in her family, but such an effect is due to her constant use of platform shoes, and in reality, she's average height just like her father. Jolene resembles her dad far more, both in appearance and in personality, than Claudia does, being tranquil and confident, which makes others feel at ease when around her, despite her style preferences, which are the pole opposite of her little sister's.

While Claudia is a pastel colors lover, Jolene is a trad goth, as she always admired the original goths of the 80s, with her dad being friends with a few in college, and a part of herself that she isn't ashamed of ever since she debuted it in middle school.

Though she is very accepting and supportive most of the time, Lena can become very protective and agitated when she herself or someone she cares about is verbally attacked, and she is not afraid of ending friendships over these things, which she has done more than once.

Jolene has already moved out of her dad's house into a shared apartment with two friends, who both work at the barbershop next to the tattoo studio Jolene has her eyes set on, with the apartment being just across the street from the two businesses, and Lena is simply waiting for her application to be analysed and approved.

Theron Doppelganger - Issiah O'Phelan Father to both Jolene and Claudia, with auburn hair and black eyes, Issiah is a university professor of Fine Arts in one of Mayweather's few private schools, having studied there himself. He is an straightforward but relaxed and friendly individual, which has earned him a lot of respect from students and teachers alike, and a surprisingly large amount of romantic confessions and flings, with two of of them being his daughters' mothers, though his relationships tend to never last too long, mostly because his partners would get jealous and clingy, or simply due to one of them losing the attraction they had for the other.

Despite all of this, Issiah has always tried his best to raise his two daughters, even as single parent, making sure to always have free time to spend with them, remembering to buy them gifts outside of holidays, and accepting who they grew to be. Issiah doesn't care if other parents disagree with his methods and call him a "soft" father for not being stricter, because he can see that his girls are happy because of and around him, even with his own flaws.

[thisismelblack]

City Ghost Waiting At Night

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[iloveweedmorethanyou]

[rebel-lion-heart]

Miffy traffic light, Utrecht Netherlands

[hxseok-honee]

atlas heart || part 37

a/n : uhm,,, so this was 20 pages long,,,, whoops -- hope you enjoy the pain!

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___________________________________

“Jimin… psst-- Jimin, wake up--”

“Wake up, motherfucker!” Jimin’s eyes fly open right before he’s shutting them again, unable to cover his face in time to block the throw pillow that’s being launched at him. It falls to his lap when he sits up, and Jungkook chuckles in the doorway.

“Y/n’s been in here for fifteen minutes, trying to be nice and soft about waking you up, but you sleep like the dead. We’re gonna miss our ride at this rate.” Jimin blinks the sleep from his eyes as he focuses in on the girl that’s kneeling next to him on the bed. She’s nodding along as Jungkook speaks, and even in his half-awake state, Jimin finds her insufferably cute. He also notices that she’s fully dressed and seemingly ready to leave, her backpack by the door.

“What time is it?” His voice is groggy, but the yell he lets out when Hoseok appears suddenly at the door, disheveled and angry, is crystal clear. It looks like the Slytherin’s also just woken up, which is bad news for someone who’s yet to see Hoseok’s infamous ‘morning temper’.

“It’s almost 4:30 in the fucking morning, that’s what time it is. Our ride gets here at 5 -- I’m leaving whether you’re ready or not.” He disappears then, dragging a fearful Jungkook with him back to their room to pack their bags. Y/n turns from the doorway, settling back on her heels as she chuckles awkwardly.

“He’s just really excited to see Yoongi…”

--

When a minivan fit for a soccer mom with 4 kids screeches to a halt in front of the house, Jimin has to rub at his eyes to make sure he’s seeing things correctly. At the wheel sits Jin, an alarming amount of excitement in his eyes as he chugs coffee from what’s less of a cup and more of a vase with a lid. In the passenger’s seat is Namjoon, clinging to his seatbelt for dear life, and behind him are Taehyung and Yoongi, the Slytherin scooting into the middle so Jungkook can pull the end seat down and squeeze into the back row.

He waves Y/n in, and she pulls a stunned Jimin into the back with them. When the end seat locks back into place, Hoseok is throwing himself into it, wrapping himself around Yoongi once the door is closed. His boyfriend smiles with contentment, and even half-asleep, Jimin can appreciate the quiet happiness they share.

Jin slams his concerningly large coffee cup, now empty, down into the middle console and lets out a roar of energy.

“Next stop, Quidditch World Cup!” Pressing down on the gas hard enough that Y/n actually feels the tires squeal against the pavement before starting to turn, Jin takes off, rounding the rest of the massive courtyard before flying back down the winding driveway. Her hand reaches for Jimin’s on instinct, and if she wasn’t squeezing so hard, he might have blushed.

“What’re the chances of us dying before we even get there?” Jimin chuckles at her question, cutting himself short when the car slides into traffic much too recklessly, so he just hums.

“Probably much higher than you want me to admit--”

“Hey, who has my road snacks? I’ve got such a hankering for one of those cinnamon roll thingies--” Jin reaches blindly back into the middle row, searching for the bag of food on Taehyung’s lap.

“Both hands on the wheel!” It seems the entire car’s in agreement, because Jin just returns to his previous position, a small whine leaving him.

“Alright, alright, you big babies. Namjoon -- feed me, buddy.” The Ravenclaw groans loudly, and for a moment Jimin can’t believe he’d missed all these idiots while he was away.

--

When Jin pulls into the campground for the World Cup, they’re all gasping as they take in the scene around them. The arena’s unbelievably massive, towering over them in the distance. The sea of people is endless, crowded beyond belief with spectators and traveling merchants preparing for tomorrow’s match. Following Yoongi’s directions until they manage to find the plot of land his parents had reserved for them, Jin pulls off into the treeline and puts the car in park.

The group stumbles from the vehicle, groaning and stretching, shaking off the anxiety of entrusting Jin with their lives for hours. It’s a little past 11am, enough time for them to set up before lunch. Y/n follows Jimin into the spacious area, admiring the excited chaos of the enormous campground around them. She can hear Jin mumbling a spell under his breath to shrink the car and put it in his pocket, followed almost immediately by Jungkook excitedly asking if he can 'do that with a house -- or Hogwarts!'

Jimin takes her hand, and for a second, she thinks that maybe he’s making a move on her, something that leaves her embarrassingly hopeful. But all he does is pull her close to him, pointing at Yoongi with his other hand. The Slytherin is pulling a tiny tent out of his own pocket and setting it on the ground in the middle of their plot of land. Y/n doesn’t even see Yoongi utter a spell before the tent is growing to full size, and she can only imagine that the inside has been bewitched to fit all 8 of them -- something else that Yoongi’s done without speaking.

“Nonverbal magic?” It slips out without her thinking, and Yoongi hears it, glancing at her and becoming visibly shy under her curious gaze. He nods, pointing back at Hoseok, whose attention is caught trying to convince Jungkook not to try shrinking himself with Jin’s spell.

“We both know it -- most Slytherins do, actually… should I call it a defense mechanism? We don’t like to let people know what we’re thinking.”

“It’s pretty fascinating, if you think about it.” It comes from Namjoon, where he and Tae are unpacking not too far away. “Even in class, Yoongi would always practice nonverbally -- he’d get in trouble for it, too.” The Slytherin shrugs as if performing nonverbal magic isn’t difficult for most people unless the caster is under incredible distress.

“What can I say? A habit’s a habit. I haven’t used verbal magic in years -- it’s just more comfortable this way.” He ducks into the tent then, poking his head out and waving them in once he’s checked the quality of his adjustments to their living space for the next couple days.

They all head inside, Y/n looking around in awe when she sees just how big it is. There’s a section of bunk beds on the far side of the room, and the rest is filled with endlessly cozy spaces -- couches and cushions, corners piled high with blankets and pillows. There’s a small kitchenette in the corner, which Jin makes a beeline for in order to 'preserve his perishables'. Jimin shakes his head at the scene, always amused by the depth of the Hufflepuff’s stomach.

Jungkook pulls Y/n to one of the couches, where they collapse on it in a sibling pile that Jimin’s gotten used to seeing over the last 24 hours. It doesn’t stop the rest of the group (sans Hoseok, of course) from gawking at the pair, everyone unused to seeing the dynamic that’s been essentially nonexistent at Hogwarts. They don’t even notice, Y/n looking up at Jungkook with emotional eyes.

“I can’t believe I have friends to share this with.” She doesn’t realize the group is listening, and they all feel simultaneously touched and saddened by her words. Jungkook only ruffles her hair fondly.

“Get used to it, kid -- things are looking up for us.” It’s then that Jungkook happens to glance up, catching Taehyung’s gaze and seeing glossy tears in the boy’s eyes. Looking around, he notes that everyone’s got a similar expression, and he wonders what they must think of Y/n -- of the girl they don’t know enough about to understand her sentiments. He also wonders why they seem so moved by her words.

The awkward moment’s cut short by Namjoon clearing his throat. He points toward Jin, who’s standing by the fridge.

“We have enough food in there to feed us for a week, but Jin said it’s all ‘snacks’, so it looks like we have to go buy lunch.” Everyone nods, accepting that Jin would probably bite them before letting them into the kitchenette, and they start heading back out into the campground.

--

By the time night’s fallen, they’re all exhausted and a bit giddy. It’s almost 10, the effects of waking up at 4am weighing down on the group as they sit together in front of their tent. Hoseok and Yoongi had set up a small fire for them to gather around, Jimin playing music quietly from the small speaker Tae had packed as they talk amongst themselves.

Namjoon leans against a decently sized pile of rocks, reading quietly with the light from the fire. Y/n suspects he’s not actually reading, having caught his smile every time someone had cracked a lame joke, but she doesn’t call him on it. He looks peaceful there, in his quiet corner. Yoongi and Hoseok sit together on one side of the fire, whispering to each other and smiling about things only they know. Jungkook, Tae, and Jin are huddled, having a small argument about some of the merchandise being sold by the traveling shops that are set up around the campground.

Y/n sits with Jimin, watching the group and jokingly judging Jimin’s music taste as he scrolls through his phone. They’re sitting awfully close together, and Jimin thinks in the back of his mind that they must look about as cozy as Yoongi and Hoseok do -- that thought brings him much more joy than it should.

Despite the endless chatter and liveliness of the campground, the night starts to wind down, the sky clouding over in a way that makes it seem darker than it already is. It’s a perfectly good time for everyone to head to bed, but the chaotic trio has apparently decided to escalate their quarrel, the three of them jumping up at the same time.

“We’re going to check out some stuff -- it’s important!” Jungkook calls out to the rest of the group right before disappearing into the crowd with Jin and Tae. Namjoon promptly shuts his book, standing with a groan and heading in the direction they’d just gone. He offers them a shrug as an explanation.

“Someone needs to keep an eye on them.” He’s gone soon, leaving Jimin and Y/n to make awkward eye contact with Hoseok and Yoongi. Y/n locks eyes with Hoseok, and Jimin gets the strange feeling, from the way Hoseok’s eyes widen and then narrow suspiciously, that they’re communicating telepathically. The Slytherin shakes his head subtly, and then again a little more forcefully, before sighing heavily and rising to his feet. Holding his hand out, he helps Yoongi -- who looks as confused as Jimin feels -- to his feet before pointing noncommittally in the same direction their friends had gone.

“Apparently, I’m hungry enough to go searching for a snack, even though we have snacks in the tent.” Yoongi smirks at the clear annoyance in Hoseok’s voice, tugging him toward the crowd.

“Come on -- let’s go find a tree to make out under.” Immediately, Hoseok’s gaze becomes one of mischievous excitement, and he practically skips after the shorter boy into the distance. Jimin makes a noise of disgust, mirrored by Y/n’s expression.

Jimin only properly registers that they’re alone when his phone automatically starts playing a slower song -- rather, he properly registers that Y/n had asked Hoseok to leave them alone. Turning to her suddenly as if for an explanation, he finds that she’s staring into the fire with the intensity of someone who’s very socially awkward. He can’t help the breath of laughter that leaves him, one that becomes real laughter when she glares at him.

“You look like you just realized the consequences of your actions.” Her jaw drops, and she pushes at his shoulder, affronted.

“Sue me for wanting to spend time alone with you!” Immediately, she’s hiding her face in her hands, groaning. She wonders if maybe -- if she wishes for it enough -- the ground will just open up around her and swallow her whole. Her ears feel like they’re being set on fire when she hears Jimin’s laughter ringing through the air, and she hates that she loves the sound anyway.

“When are you just going to admit that you’re in love with me, Y/n? I promise I won’t laugh.” She mumbles something into her hands, and it sounds suspiciously like ‘you’re already laughing’. Jimin tugs at her wrist, dragging her out from her hiding spot and forcing her to look at him.

“How about we make a deal?” Y/n sends him another glare, but it’s her pout that catches his attention and drives him to the brink of insanity. “We can say it together -- count to three and admit how crazy we are about each other at the same time.” Y/n rolls her eyes and snatches her wrist from his hold, turning back to the fire, which has basically died down completely by now.

“Stop messing around, you big dork.” Jimin holds his hand to his chest and gasps.

“I have never been so serious about something in my life as I am about this.” He keeps talking, a dramatic monologue about his integrity, but something triggers the alarm bells in the back of her head -- the same alarm bells that have kept her alive up to this point -- and she’s immediately distracted.

Glancing around, she finds that nothing’s changed in their surroundings -- families and groups of friends still celebrate the start of the World Cup, the chaos of thousands of people in one place never-ending. But there’s something in the air, something that sets her nerves on edge. Looking up, she realizes that it’s gotten exceptionally dark, the clouds concentrating into one dense curtain in the sky, removing any sign that the stars had been there in the first place.

“Jimin, wait… this doesn’t feel right.” Realizing, based on the pained expression that fills Jimin’s face when she interrupts his secretly heartfelt rant, that she’s said the wrong thing at the wrong time, Y/n shakes her head quickly, motioning out into the distance. “I’m talking about this -- something’s off.” She ignores Jimin’s lingering eyes on her when she stands from her spot on the ground, looking to the treeline and taking in their surroundings. He joins her when he gets a clear look at her face and sees how urgent her gaze is.

The breeze is gone, leaving her with the taste of stale smoke in her lungs, the air still foggy from the bonfire. It seems the sense of freedom had left with the boys, since all she can feel is an invisible weight coming down on her chest -- something coming for her.

And come it does, in Jimin’s frozen form and horrified gaze, staring straight over Y/n’s shoulder into the sky behind her. Whipping around, terrified about what she might find, she’s stepping backwards and colliding with Jimin’s chest before she can even register what she’s seeing. The clouds have darkened considerably and are moving of their own accord, twisting and turning as they take shape in the sky. Jimin begins to shake uncontrollably as the storm clouds become one, revealing the skull with the open jaw, a massive snake emerging from within and wrapping itself cleanly around the top.

“That’s-”

“Guys!”

“Jimin, Y/n-”

“We’re so fucked!” The rest of the group comes crashing into the space in panicked chaos, tearing through their campsite with thinly veiled terror. Taehyung and Namjoon make a beeline for their tent as the sounds of pained screams start to filter in, replacing the comfortable memories of the bonfire with something much darker. Yoongi stands near the fire pit, turning in circles and pulling at his hair desperately as he realizes where they are.

“This isn’t -- this tent, it’s in the middle of --” He stops, breathing hard, hands still buried in his hair as the thought finally hits. “My parents put us in the middle of Slytherin territory.”

Jin comes in behind everyone else, firing curses over his shoulder as he calls out to the group, scanning their faces and doing a mental headcount.

“We need to get out of here -- the muggleborns should go first.” He locks eyes with Namjoon as the older Ravenclaw exits the tent carrying a bag. Namjoon nods, grabbing hold of Taehyung’s wrist and moving toward Y/n, who hasn’t left Jimin’s side.

“I grabbed everything important, so let’s just go.” He reaches for Y/n’s arm, triggering Jimin’s protectiveness. Jimin pulls her closer on instinct, and Namjoon sighs as he releases Taehyung in order to grab both of them. “We need to go.” He addresses Y/n under his breath. “You’re not safe here, either.” They keep eye contact for just a moment, but it’s enough that Y/n is left with the feeling of ice in her blood even after Namjoon’s turned back to the group.

How much… does he know?

Before she can question Jimin about Namjoon’s suspicious behavior, Jimin’s tugging her toward his friends as they move toward the edge of the forest. Pulling back and forcing Jimin to a stop, Y/n points at Jungkook, who has now flanked Jin and is defending one part of their campsite from the oncoming hoard of Slytherins.

“I’m not leaving without him.” The conflicted look that crosses Jimin’s face tears at Y/n’s heart, but she stands her ground, motioning back toward Jungkook. “I have to stay-”

“What? No, you have to go!” The call comes from behind her, and it’s only a matter of moments before Jungkook is by her side, shoving her into Jimin’s arms. “Take her with you! Don’t you ever let her out of your sight-”

“Jungkook, watch out-”

Taehyung yells out to him, just a moment too late. Y/n watches in horror as a red light appears just over Jungkook’s shoulder. It grows bigger and bigger as it flies toward them, accompanied by the disgusted shriek of “Blood Traitor!”, and all she can do is hug Jungkook to her as she waits for the curse to strike him in between his shoulder blades.

Pulling him close, she barely manages to catch the flash of silver that appears, encompassing them as another body slides into view and blocks out everything else. The shield charm is cast wordlessly and so powerfully that it knocks the Slytherin who’d attacked them clean off his feet. Thrown back at least ten feet, he’s left bewildered and sore.

Hoseok stands between Jungkook and the army of Slytherins, breathing heavily as the shield dissipates around them. He holds his head high as he stares down the group, resigning himself to the fact that, after years of hiding his true self from his housemates, his loyalties have been clearly defined in that moment.

The silence that follows is only broken by the soft fwip of a wand being slipped out of a pocket, and it’s as Hoseok is whipping his head around that another red light appears, its caster completely silent. The curse burns through the air, almost as if in slow motion, cutting through the space right under Hoseok’s ear with the sharp precision of a skilled marksman and meeting its target on the other side, searing the ends of Hoseok’s hair as it goes. The Slytherin who’d been poised to attack from the treeline is hurled backwards, disappearing into the forest as everyone watches him go, Yoongi’s wand still trained on the spot where he’d stood.

The cold fury that fills Yoongi’s eyes is replaced with concern as he lowers his wand and rushes to Hoseok’s side, giving him a once over before turning to face the growing crowd of Death Eaters in-training, aligning his loyalties just the same as Hoseok had. Y/n allows herself the small smile that arises when she sees the gaze that Hoseok casts upon Yoongi, filled with the kind of love she could only hope to have in her own life. The moment doesn’t last long.

The group of friends, realizing almost simultaneously that they’re being surrounded, forms a huddle facing outward, wands steady as they prepare for the attack.

“If we make it out of this shit alive, I’m going to throw the biggest fit of my life when I get home.” The mention of the Dark Lord’s most loyal Min family sets off the first wave of curses, their traitorous son the target.

One by one, the group takes down their attackers, tiring out but never giving up. Minimal injuries are sustained on their end, their will to survive too strong to forgive even the slightest mistake. Jimin keeps one hand on Y/n at all times, unwilling to lose track of her for even a moment, as if she’s not been stuck to his side all night.

Curses rain down on them from all sides, the Dark Mark in the sky peeking through the shower of red lights as they fight for their lives. Jimin feels Y/n stagger beside him, but she seems to be unharmed when he looks her over. Glancing in alarm at the moon, barely visible amongst all the smoke and mayhem, Jimin curses under his breath as he remembers the date -- and more importantly, that she hadn’t yet taken her dose for the night. He pours all his energy into his attacks from that moment on, everything suddenly becoming much more urgent.

Time passes so slowly that none of them are quite sure how long they’ve been there, fighting in a war they’d never asked for. Just when Y/n thinks they might be losing -- that they might be forced to pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord, or even killed where they stand -- there’s a loud pop and a gush of wind passes over all of them.

From within their circle comes the angered cry of Sirius Black, who manages to deflect a rather mean curse headed straight for Jin’s chest. He’s followed by James and Remus, the three of them throwing themselves into the mix so carelessly that it catches the Slytherins by surprise. James takes advantage of the delay, surging out of the circle toward the largest density of Slytherins and pointing his wand at the ground closest to them.

“Confringo!” The earth beneath their feet shudders under James’ command, collapsing in on itself before exploding outward, sending no less than 10 people flying through the air and creating a chaos too intense for the rest to handle. The world around them becomes fuzzy and confusing, and Y/n feels nothing except the hands that pull at her and urge her forward into the forest.

They all manage to stumble far enough away from the mess to gather their bearings, but the shouts of their enemies are not far off. As soon as they confirm that they’re all alive and relatively unscathed, Remus takes Y/n by the elbow and pulls her gently to him. Jimin is reluctant to let her go.

“I need to talk to you -- we have to go somewhere safe.” Sirius is collecting the rest of the group and giving them the location of a safe place to meet, a small cottage in the countryside where he and Remus had been living.

“You guys head there first, we’ll meet you.” He hands the keys to Jungkook, who nods in understanding as he sees that Remus has no intention to rejoin the group. Jimin starts to reach for Y/n, unhappy with their separation, but Hoseok speaks up from the back. He’s being half-carried by Yoongi, his leg having suffered a bit of damage from James’ blasting curse, but not so much that he couldn’t walk. Y/n bites back a smirk, suspecting that Hoseok had just been looking for an excuse to need Yoongi, who is absolute garbage at hiding how pleased he is.

“Make sure you come back soon. I trust you guys, and I know you need to talk in private, but I don’t like not having Y/n close in times like this.” Remus nods, acknowledging Jungkook as well, before leading Y/n away. The boys start to apparate away, James helping Hoseok and Yoongi get to the house safely before returning to join his friends. Remus has led Y/n a safe enough distance away that the Slytherins would have a hard time finding them and is explaining the gravity of the situation to her.

“-- to infiltrate a pack of werewolves living in the mountains. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, Y/n.” Y/n examines Remus’ face, noting the new scars and the exhaustion that lies heavy in his eyes. He looks nothing like the bright school boy from just a few months ago, and she knows he’s seen unimaginable things in the short time that he’s been working under Dumbledore. They all look drained and, frankly, terrified. The lives they’d been promised from a young age were fading away into this dreary nothingness, this thankless job where nothing is more uncertain than the future.

“You’ll be careful, won’t you? Just tell me you’ll be careful -- all of you.” Remus looks taken aback by her words, and Sirius can’t suppress the soft chuckle that escapes him, amazed at this girl standing before him, not nearly as reserved as they’d all thought her to be.

“Of course we’ll be careful, love. Don’t you trust us?” Y/n shakes her head, smiling despite her scoff.

“Trust you guys? I didn’t realize you were an aspiring comedian, Sirius.” They laugh openly now, thankful for even just this moment of reprieve from the hell they live in. Remus leans over, patting her adoringly on her head, as if they weren’t damn near the same age.

“Good, that’s good. Don’t trust anyone, Y/n, you hear me? Don’t trust anyone you wouldn’t die for. Can you do that for me?” Y/n nods, the picture of those boys in that cottage in the countryside coming to mind so easily.

“I know who my people are. There’s no one else besides them -- and you guys. So try your best not to get yourselves killed?” James salutes her once as Sirius nods. Remus moves to agree, but the sound of leaves crunching not too far away triggers an immediate response in him. Lunging forward and taking her into his arms, he throws Y/n over his shoulder and takes off running, knowing better than anyone else what it would mean if she were caught. Y/n watches with horror as two Death Eaters appear out of what looks like thin air, sending James and Sirius into action. She can do nothing but watch as they deflect curses while maintaining their ground.

Remus sets her down a long distance away, trying to warn her again, but her attention is on the action they’d just managed to escape. She tries to push past him to go help James and Sirius, but he grabs her by the shoulders quickly and forces her to look at him, shaking her roughly in the process.

“Listen to me, Y/n- listen to me!” She meets his eyes, alarmed by the frustration in his voice. “The public knows. They know now just to what extent the werewolf population is siding with Voldemort. Everything before this summer was just speculation -- of course the evil magical beasts should side with the Dark Lord, right? Well, the Minister of Magic just released a statement this morning. Everyone knows now. And it won’t matter how much we cry and beg and plead for our lives -- if they catch us, we’re dead. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Y/n can do no more than stare into Remus’ eyes, wishing this all away -- wishing that they could just be back in school, a bunch of kids with no worries about the war. But the longer she stares into his eyes, the longer she realizes that they don’t just have to worry about the war now. They’re part of it. Two werewolves with way too many people keeping their secret. James, Sirius, Peter, Jungkook, Hoseok, and now Jimin? And --

Does Namjoon know, too? Just who the hell else has to be put into danger because of what I am?

--

Y/n steps through the front gate of the cottage, having been dropped off by Remus -- she’s not of age yet to apparate alone -- before he disappeared again, presumably to help his friends escape. She’s barely within ten feet of the front door when it’s flying open, Jimin appearing before her with wild eyes. He rushes at her, taking her into his arms with a desperation he didn’t even know he felt. She pats at his back, unsure of what to say, still dazed from everything Remus had told her.

“I was only gone a few minutes…” Jimin pulls back, looking at her as if she’s insane.

“I don’t care. Those were the worst few minutes of my life. I hated not knowing if you were okay.” He looks her over, patting at her arms gently. “You are okay, right?” When she nods he sighs before glancing around them urgently as if realizing they’re out in the open. He tugs her inside, shutting the door tightly behind them. He’s about to motion her down the hallway into the living room, where the rest of their friends are regrouping, but she stops him. The look she gives him is suspicious, and he’s unsure why.

“Jimin, you told me you would never breathe a word of what I am to anyone…” He looks at her with alarm, shaking his head.

“I didn’t tell anyone anything -- why? What happened?” She examines him for a moment, seeing that Jimin’s as confused as she is. She proceeds with caution, realizing that if Jimin really hadn’t said anything, then this conversation is about to be very uncomfortable.

“I think… Namjoon might know something…” Jimin feels like he can’t breathe then, the air stopping short in his chest as his heart drops out from under him. He swears without thinking, the word slipping out as he processes what she’s saying.

“Fuck… shit… fuck…” Y/n squints at him, unsure of where his mind’s just gone. Jimin squeezes his eyes shut, another swear falling from his lips as guilt overcomes him. He opens his mouth to explain, but he can’t bring himself to look her in the eyes.

“Before I figured out… everything, I would talk to Joon about things that confused me… about you.” He opens his eyes just enough to glance at her before looking away, but he’s surprised that she isn’t fuming with anger. She’s only thinking carefully about his words.

“So, he probably put it together on his own.” She comes to the conclusion as she ponders, offering the reason for Namjoon’s comment to her earlier. Jimin lurches forward, taking her hand in both of his, eyes pleading.

“I swear to you, Y/n, I didn’t say a word of this to him after I figured it out. I completely dropped it, and when he asked me why, I just told him I was respecting your privacy by minding my own business -- I promise, I never said anything--”

“Jimin!” His name cuts through the air, and his mouth snaps shut immediately to give her room to talk. “I’m not mad at you. I’m more worried than anything… I wonder who else knows…”

“Uhm, actually--” The new voice has them both turning to look to the end of the hallway, where Tae’s standing awkwardly in the doorway to the living room. He’s flanked by Jin and Yoongi, Namjoon standing with Jungkook and Hoseok just inside the room.

“--I think we all know…” The blood drains from both Y/n and Jimin’s faces as Jungkook and Hoseok look to each other in alarm. Jin nods, Yoongi smiling awkwardly to confirm what Tae’s saying. The air in the house is cold, no one willing to break the tense silence while Y/n processes what she’s just heard. She meets Jungkook’s eyes then, his gaze betraying the immense fear that he’s feeling, much like the ice running through her veins.

None of them even notice the front door opening behind Jimin, the three Marauders stumbling into the house, disheveled but generally unscathed. They stop short at the scene before them, glancing amongst themselves before James is breaking the silence himself.

“Are we… interrupting something…?”

--

“Okay, someone start talking before I go insane.” They’re all crowded into the living room meant only for a few people, Y/n and Remus sitting together on a couch in the middle of the room, everyone else taking up the extra seats and floor space. It looks like a club meeting gone horribly wrong, if the discomfort in everyone’s eyes is anything to go by. Y/n looks around after demanding an explanation, finally looking to Namjoon, as he’s the only one she’d been aware of until a few minutes ago. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“After Jimin suddenly stopped all the obsessive theorizing and curiosities, I got suspicious… I had a feeling he’d put everything together, and I was worried that he was getting himself into some kind of trouble because that’s just the kind of nosy Ravenclaw he is. I just put it together myself so I could help him if I needed to…” Jimin grimaces at Namjoon’s words, knowing them to be true but disliking the description all the same.

The glare of irritation Jungkook’s been shooting him doesn’t help, but Hoseok pulls the Gryffindor’s attention away with a bump of his knee against Jungkook’s thigh. When Jungkook drags his burning gaze away from Jimin to look at Hoseok, Jimin’s shocked to see that Hoseok’s simply shaking his head at the Jeon heir, silently telling him to back off. Jimin’s eyes widen then, never having experienced such a sense of stunned relief as he feels in this moment with Hoseok’s quiet support.

Jungkook turns his annoyed gaze over to the spot where Taehyung, Jin, and Yoongi sit. He locks eyes with his roommate of six years.

“Tae?” The boy in question looks down at his hands sheepishly, glancing at Y/n in a way that seems almost apologetic. When he lifts his head, he speaks directly to her, feeling that his explanation should be for her and her alone.

“Jimin’s my best friend… it would be weird if I wasn’t worried about him with him acting so strange. I didn’t really figure it out until the beginning of the summer, when I started spending more time with you -- I noticed how sick you’d get around the same time each month, and you’d always look so tired afterwards. I know we don’t know each other as well as Jimin knows you, but I was worried about you, so I… did my own digging and put the pieces together. It also explained a lot about all the times Jungkook would run out of our room in a panic in the middle of the night. There were just… a lot of things that made sense once I’d started to think about it.” Y/n keeps her eyes on him, trying to process the guilt in his eyes and wondering why he sounds so upset. “I know that you’re probably terrified of us knowing, but I promise I was just worried about you. I’m sorry I was snooping in your life…”

Y/n sees then that Taehyung feels the same kind of responsibility that Jimin had always carried in his eyes -- one of fear that his actions would bring her harm. He’d been sitting with that for the whole summer, quietly trying his best to keep her safe by pretending he knew nothing at all. She opens her mouth to tell him that he has nothing to feel bad about, but Jin’s clearing his throat.

“I, uh-- we--” He gestures to the space between himself and Yoongi, whose gaze is one of cautious observation as the conversation goes on around him. “We… were on our way back to Yoongi’s room and overheard you and Hoseok talking -- something about Jimin finding out… Hoseok was really upset, and he was kind of yelling. We didn’t mean to eavesdrop -- it’s just that we were right outside, and you were trying to calm him down, and he was just saying a lot of stuff that was confusing and weird, but it was obvious what was going on.” Jin glances over at Yoongi as if to confirm his story, and the Slytherin only nods. He turns back to Y/n, finishing his explanation. “We found out together--”

“Actually--” Everyone’s attention turns to Yoongi, who shifts uncomfortably under the weight of their gazes. He clears his throat, scratching at his neck while he finds his words. “Actually… I already knew by then. I think, based on what everyone’s been saying, that I probably knew before any of them…” He trails off, leaving the group to devolve into strained chaos.

“Wait, you knew?”

“How long have you known?!”

“When did you find out?” Ignoring the barrage of questions, Yoongi only looks to Hoseok, whose eyes tell how shocked he is. Flicking his gaze to Y/n, Yoongi continues.

“Do you remember when we first met? That night in the Hospital Wing -- it was before winter break.” Y/n’s jaw drops as her memories fly all the way back to December -- almost a year prior. “I went to visit you, originally because Hobi had mentioned something about going to visit a friend and I was looking for an excuse to see him.” Hoseok laughs under his breath, still stunned into disbelief about the situation, but Yoongi hasn’t stopped talking, almost rambling now.

“I had just found out that you guys were even friends -- it was really weird for me to think about, you know? Until then, he’d only ever been friends with Slytherins, and even then he seemed hesitant about getting close to them. I mean, I get it, that’s how I was, too. But to find out that my roommate since first year had a secret friend group with people that made no sense for him to know -- I was curious about you. I wanted to see what you were like. Especially because Jimin was, like, obsessed with you -- sorry, Jimin.” The Ravenclaw grimaces again, hating that he’s been described only as obsessive but knowing that that’s exactly what he’d been like.

“So… what does that have to do with finding out about me? How did you know?” Y/n leans forward, elbows on her knees as she looks intently at Yoongi. He sighs in response.

“Look. My entire life, I’ve been trying to separate myself from my name. My parents are objectively fucking insane, and I want nothing to do with them, especially now that they pulled that bullshit with the World Cup reservation. I can’t be like them, okay? I would rather die fighting on the right side of this war than ever pledge my allegiance to that nose-less freak. But that doesn’t change the fact that I still live at the Min Estate. And the Min Estate -- it’s like a beacon for the wicked and evil. I’ve seen every kind of creature walk through the doors of my house whenever my parents hold their Death Eater meetings. It’s like a monthly book club, but for murder. So I know what werewolves are like. I know the signs and the symptoms, and I know how cruel and vicious they can be.”

Y/n breaks her gaze then, staring down at her feet as he confirms every fear that she’s ever felt -- that she would be seen as a monster, an evil beast with only the instinct to kill. All the same, it hurts to hear him say it out loud.

“And that’s why I knew you were nothing like them.” Y/n’s head whips up, and she sees that Yoongi’s focused on conveying to her with his eyes that he means what he’s said. He doesn’t see the affection that fills Hoseok’s gaze, replacing the icy fear he’d been feeling the entire time Yoongi’s been talking.

“You’re nothing like them, Y/n. You’re kind and considerate, and you’re so shy around new people that even I’m in pain just watching you struggle to talk. You’re really fucking weird, and your sense of humor has been shaped by growing up with a crazy ass Gryffindor brother and this sarcastic asshole--” He points then to his boyfriend, finally feeling confident enough to look Hoseok in the eye as he cracks the joke before returning his attention to Y/n.

“So, yes, you’re a werewolf. But you’ve got nothing to worry about with me. Or any of us, to be honest.” The rest of the group nods then, and Y/n feels the air returning to her lungs after so long of holding her breath. It’s only when she looks to Remus, who still seems unsure, that she remembers how complicated their situation is.

“I appreciate that, I really do. You guys have no idea how scared I was that you’d find out… but it’s not as simple as you think -- not that any of this has been simple to begin with. It’s just… more complicated--”

“So, are we talking about Remus, or something else?” Taehyung speaks up, looking genuinely confused about what she’s alluding to. James and Sirius tense where they sit on either side of Remus, whose gaze has just become very guarded.

“I’m not sure what you mean--”

“The ‘you being a werewolf’ thing? Yeah, that wasn’t hard to figure out once I knew what to look for in Y/n.” It’s Jin who cuts him off, Yoongi and Namjoon nodding along. Jungkook throws his hands in the air, flopping back against the couch with an exasperated sigh.

“Just how bad are we at keeping things a secret around here?!” Remus groans in response, but James and Sirius seem to be taking the news in stride.

“Look on the bright side, Moony -- now we have an army of hooligans to keep you guys safe!” Remus rolls his eyes in irritation before looking to Y/n for help. She stares down at her hands, feeling more exhausted than she’s ever felt in her life -- and she experiences monthly painful transformations that leave her bedridden for days after.

“This isn’t a joke, James.” The Potter boy snaps his mouth shut when, for the first time since meeting her, Y/n’s voice carries an edge when she addresses him. “The number of people that are in danger now because of what we are has just doubled. And now there are muggleborns involved -- what’s going to happen if anyone gets wind that they know something about us? With what the Ministry’s just released… it’s too much. This is all too much.” Namjoon hums then, pulling Y/n out of the dangerously dark mental dive she was just about to take.

“I mean, we’re involved in this war whether we know about you guys or not. We’re already fighting for our lives -- what difference does it make if we know what you are? If anything, it gives us a reason to fight harder.” He gestures among all of them, all eleven of them in that room.

“We’re all we have left in this war -- why wouldn’t we do everything it takes to keep each other safe?”

[decadent-lip-whip]

[taylorlynn-art]

I’m walking fast through the traffic lights. Busy streets and busy lives. And all we know is touch and go 🎶

A quick shot for the Sailor Moon @heartsinice-reanimated collab.

I wanted to make it more kawaii than the original so I added a rainbow, rounded some lines, and turned the pedestrian to a meow meow for Luna.

Digital ✍🏻 12/22/2021

[pumpkinsandsuckers]

I think we should get together now

Catradora, BG Scorfuma.

Summary: Karaoke AU. The only thing is that Catra and Adora never met, and there was no war.  Scorpia and Perfuma host a (couples) karaoke night. Catra gets jealous. Between singing a song or be subject to a penalty? Fine, she’ll sing a stupid song.

AN: This has been heavily inspired by @ CambieArt 's tweet about which songs Adora and Catra would sing to each other during a Karaoke session. She makes good art too, so feel free to check her out! 

I also died from embarrassment writing this.

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The blinking of the traffic lights, the smoky, dusty street lights were something Catra was used to. The thudding of bass from bars blasting music, the edgier, grittier music she had grown up with.

But not now. She had been dragged into the heart of the city of Etheria. The fluorescent glare of neon pink and yellow dazzled her, and she scowled. Everything was so… poppy here. Even the bars! It was, as Lonnie would have called it, a “bastardized fusion of jazz and pop”. Catra was beginning to regret joining Scorpia.

But that was what friends were for. If Scorpia needed a wingwoman for her date, Catra would gladly accompany her. A bright blue hologram flashed up, an advertisement for some fizzy beverage from Dryl. Catra weaved past the diverse crowd, grumbling under her breath as she followed her communications pad. Scorpia had dropped her the venue address, but this district - well, everything nearing Bright Moon City was just so confusing.

The roads in the Fright Zone, and even Dryl, were crooked and winding, but so much easier to distinguish from each other. The layout in Bright Moon though, was repetitive, grids and grids of identical buildings and crossings.

Catra growled as she passed by a familiar statue of what looked like a tall, muscular athlete in a tight costume. She had a ponytail flowing behind her, frozen in this marvellous pose.  ‘Mara, Our Hero’ it read.

“Not again.” Catra sighed. It was the city probably. Navigational systems functioned poorly in areas of congestion. It was a bloody miracle how she made her way here.

‘I’m at the Mara statue. How! Do! I! Reach! The! Enchanted! Grotto?!!!?!’ She typed out a message to Scorpia, hissing when a beep alerted her of Scorpia’s rapid response. How did she even type with her claws?

‘ Whih? ’

Frustrated, Catra swept her hair back and sighed, looking around.

‘ w, there arr 10 Mara statuesd ’

‘You have got to be kidding me!!!’

‘ Whoopd, 20 Maras tautes ’

Catra clenched her fists and took a deep breath, finding a safe space to calm down. 20 statues around Bright Moon City?! If they were supposed to be landmarks, they had failed. If she had been winding around a single Mara statue, it would have been fine. But 20!? She could have been walking around the entire city and not realise it.

She switched to the navigational app. Curses. Her icon flickered and jumped from location to location, eventually settling in a blue blob marked as a lake. Her eyebrow twitched. She was this close to flinging her pad at the floor.

“Scorpia can handle it.” She grunted, as she looked around cluelessly, trying to find a sign, anything that could guide her to the Enchanted Grotto. She had never been to Bright Moon much. Seen it on her screens, yes. Seen more of it on Entrapta’s screens, yes. But Bright Moon was unfamiliar territory. She definitely wasn’t scared. Nope, just uncomfortable with how bright and loud everything was. Okay, she had to do this. It was simple.

Catra took a deep breath, patted her shirt and pants, and approached the first stranger she saw. A young girl with a bright pink shirt with ‘Kawaii AF’ smacked across, in even horribly brighter pink. She wore a skirt and black leggings, and had her hair tied in two buns.

“Hey! Where’s the Enchanted Grotto?” She asked, realising how small this creature was.

The creature blinked at her once, twice, then grinned. Catra thought she saw a creepily long tongue slither out. Probably not.

“I know where it is! I can lead you there!” She beamed, and Catra raised an eyebrow. Suspiciously bubbly. Eh, any help was appreciated.

“Heh. Great. Where to?” She followed the stranger from a distance, looking around for any other paths. She wasn’t going to be blindly led into an alleyway for a mugging. And even if she did, she would hold her ground. It would be a great tale to tell when she finally arrived at her destination.

“Uh, hell no.” A stern voice cut through them, and a hand extended, separating Catra from the small pink creature. “Double Trouble, cut this out.” It was a girl, and her body followed her arm, becoming a barricade between Catra and … Double Trouble?

“Aww, but I was having so much fun!” Double Trouble winked at Catra. “Maybe I’ll see you again, Kitten.” They slinked off, pink visage blending with the crowd.

“Whew, that was a close one.”

“What?!” Catra frowned, as the female in front of her turned around. She had blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. A white long sleeved shirt was partially covered by a half-sleeve red jacket. Grey pants accentuating muscular legs followed down, and Catra realised she was checking out a complete stranger. She brought her eyes back up, hoping she had not been caught.

“Yeah, Double Trouble doesn’t mean harm, they just like dragging people around Bright Moon like a tour guide. You’re looking for the Enchanted Grotto? I can take you there.”

“I could have handled that myself!” Catra spat out, furious. The adorable snort mixed with laughter from the girl killed her anger instantly.

“Of course you could. I’m Adora. I can bring you there.”

‘Oh. OH.’ Catra smacked herself. Adora. Relative of Mara. The Adora. The same Adora she had been stalking online. Seeing her in real life… was really different. A good different. Without filters and angled shots, Adora looked… real.

“Catra.” Catra stuttered out, and froze when Adora grabbed her wrist.

“I’m headed there too, what a coincidence.” Adora grinned, a real, sincere grin, not what Double Trouble had presented. “So, Catra, what brings you to the Enchanted Grotto? It’s a very niche place.”

Catra tried to focus on walking. ‘Left foot. Right foot. Adora is holding my wrist, fuck, fuck fuCK! Left foot? Or was it right?’

“Catra?” Adora turned around to check on her companion once they reached a crosswalk.

“Hnh, yeah.” Catra’s brain struggled to think of something, grasping at anything she could use to hide the fact that she totally did not hear what Adora was saying. Her eyes landed on yet another familiar sight.

“Hey Adora,” Catra squirmed internally as she almost purred out Adora’s name. That was not supposed to happen! “Why are there so many statues of Mara, they got me lost.”

Adora laughed, and used her free hand to point to where Catra had laid her eyes on. “That’s the Mara statue of Hope. I met you near the statue of heroism. There’s an inscription reading ‘Mara, Our Hero’. Each Mara statue has a similar inscription, except the statue of friendship. It reads ‘Friend Of Mara’. Mara actually looks towards different directions. It’s supposed to guide us around.”

“Well, it clearly didn’t work.” Catra muttered, and wished her fur wasn’t so sweaty. She swore Adora’s hand slid down for a moment.

“Oh, green light, we gotta go.”

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Catra’s communication pad had been silenced, but was vibrating furiously near her rear pocket. It had caught Adora’s attention as they walked from the bustling streets to a quieter pathway.

“Hey, your… butt is vibrating?” Adora cocked an eyebrow at Catra.

“It’s called a communication pad, genius.” Catra rebutted, and whipped the small device (modified courtesy of Entrapta) out, detaching her wrist from Adora’s grip. A regrettable decision.

“What?!” She answered, crankier than usual. Adora kept an eye on her, switching between several awkward poses to rest her now very empty hands.

“ Catra, where are you? Perfuma is going to show up anytime soon! ” Catra noticed Adora’s hands shifting from her hips to being folded, her biceps and triceps flexing with that change.

“Then let her! I’m on my way!” Catra hissed as Adora’s hands drifted back down, her fingers tucking into the belt around her pants.

“ But the surprise will be ruined! ”

“Surprise?” Catra frowned. “Scorpia, what do you me-”

“ Oops, I didn’t say anything! See you, Wildcat! ”

As much as that nickname brought a smile to Catra’s face, she rolled her eyes at Scorpia’s panic. A surprise, huh? She forgot all about it when Adora’s fingers wrapped around her wrist again.

“We’re almost there.” Adora stated as Catra slipped the block back into her pocket. “I’m really curious though.” Catra felt Adora’s eyes on her entire body. “I had no idea… Well, here’s the Enchanted Grotto.”

Adora waved at a group of people outside what seemed like a rundown, dead shop. The windows were pitch dark, but as they neared the building, she could make out some sort of weird singing and music blasting from speakers. Heh, the perks of having heightened senses.

“Hey guys!”

“Adora!” the group, consisting of three individuals waved back.

“I see you made a new friend.” The tallest of the trio, a boy with dark hair, a clean undercut, and a tight muscle shirt waggled his eyebrows. “I’m Bow, nice to meet you!”

Behind him was a shorter female, her hair dyed(?) a shade between pink and purple, seemingly glittering as the sole lamppost hovered above her. Clad in a loose, sleeveless outfit, she was engaged in a whispered conversation with another female.

“Perfuma!” Adora waved, trying to get her attention. “Meet Catra!”

“Catra?” Bow’s head could have snapped with that speed, switching between Catra and Adora abruptly. “Catra?”

“Yep, that’s my name.” Catra crossed her arms. “Got a problem with it?”

“No! Not at all!” Bow shook his head, hands in front of him in a defensive stance. Catra immediately pegged him down as a softie. Just like Scorpia.

“Bow!” Adora nudged her friend, and he shrugged. “Catra, these are my friends. Glimmer.”

The one with sparkling hair gave a curt wave..

Catra smirked. What an appropriate name. “Nice to meet you, Sparkles.”

“It’s Glimmer.” she corrected, and Adora released Catra’s wrist. Again. “This is-”

“Perfuma.” Catra and Perfuma said in unison, and relaxed their tense postures.

“Yes, you’re acquainted.” Adora mumbled, and Glimmer wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the establishment.

“It is nice to see you again, Catra. I hope you will enjoy this evening.” Perfuma smiled, and Catra gave a generic response absent mindedly, eyes fixed on Adora and Glimmer.

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Inside the Enchanted Grotto, things were very different. They had stepped past a screen of magic properties, which had blocked out most of the noise coming from within.

The whole group seemed familiar with the place, waving to the staff and strolling in with a sense of confidence. Except Catra. She didn’t hate it, surprisingly. The decor was pleasant. The whole floor was dimly lit, save a few brighter bulbs along a separate corridor. There was a main stage, and a few tables scattered before it.

Instrumental music was blasting, and a man was belting out a cheesy love song on stage. He was practically wailing the high notes into the microphone, and Catra winced as she shuffled along to the brighter bulbs.

Bow was behind all of them, herding them towards a private room. The bulbs in the corridor led to a quieter, secluded lobby, different coloured lights hanging before different doors.

“The Red Garnet.” Perfuma squealed, and pranced towards the red light.

“You know, not everyone approves of this place. Some even disapprove of it.” Bow whispered to Catra, and she shot him a questioning look.

“The folk here are what some consider to be… different.” Bow explained.

Catra thought about Scorpia and Perfuma. Or Adora and Glimmer. Could it be? They were about to enter the room, and she wanted to get an answer from Bow.

“Is it because Bright Moon doesn’t support G-”

“Group Karaoke! You’re absolutely right!” Bow clapped Catra on the back, and she nearly fell over.

“Group Karaoke?” There was no time to process her thoughts and Bow’s statement, as she tripped straight into the private room.

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

Of course, she regained her balance, turning an unsightly fall into a proper entrance. As proper as a very wide stride could get. Her eyes, luckily, adjusted to the lighting quickly, and she spotted Scorpia in the corner, Perfuma already by her side.

“Oh hey, Wildcat.” Scorpia had that look. THAT LOOK! Catra was familiar with it. Everytime Scorpia had something up her sleeve (an ironic phrase, as Scorpia wore sleeveless clothing exclusively), she had that look of guilt. She couldn’t hide it, and it was a telling sign.

“Scorpia!” Catra lunged forward, squeezing Scorpia towards Perfuma, and lodging herself in the corner. The couch rounded into a three-quarter, with Adora and Glimmer sitting on the other end. Bow found his spot between Perfuma and Glimmer, looking at everyone excitedly.

“You knew about this, didn’t you. I really overshare sometimes!” Catra hissed into Scorpia’s ear, and Scorpia laughed nervously.

“They’re friends of Perfuma!” Scorpia protested, as Catra narrowed her eyes.

“ She ’s a friend of Perfuma. And you didn’t tell me!” Catra gritted her teeth. “And they didn’t post pictures online?”

“They did! You just don’t follow Perfuma.” Scorpia pouted, and Catra gave up.

“Fine, my bad. Say, you never told me what’s going on.”

“Oh.” Scorpia looked genuinely surprised. “Oh.”

“GROUP KARAOKE!” Bow yelled, opening the wooden box in front of them, revealing 2 wireless microphones.”

“I thought he was joking!” Catra groaned, and buried her face into her hands.

“There, there.” Scorpia patted her with her heavy claws, and Catra choked.

“Alright, you know the drill, guys. Everyone has to sing a song.”

Perfuma cheered, and Bow continued, “No singing, and you get a penalty issued by all members present.”

“This is horrible.” Catra moaned.

“As we all know, we have two new participants joining us today! Perfuma’s girlfriend, the lovely powerhouse Scorpia!”

Scorpia waved as Perfuma leaned into her.

“And Scorpia’s friend, and also, Adora’s new friend, Catra! She appears in Scorpia’s feed so much!”

Bow was dragged down by both Glimmer and Adora, unintelligible muffles unable to be deciphered. Catra looked at Scorpia, who evaded her gaze, crossing over to sit between Perfuma and Bow instead.

“Wow, look at that, I’m going to sing first!” She reached for the microphone, aided by Perfuma. The rest cheered her on.

Catra sank back into the couch, training her gaze on Adora and Glimmer. Were they…?

Adora was leaning against Glimmer, who was patting her hand. The same hand that held Catra’s wrist.

“Ew! Adora, your hand’s all sweaty.” Glimmer complained, and Adora blushed.

“Sickening.” Catra muttered, her eyes refusing to leave them. Her ears however, had shifted to appreciate Scorpia’s amazing singing. Damn, she knew her friend could sing, but ever since she moved to Plumeria, she had not had a chance to hear her strong vocals. Scorpia was a completely different person in her element, full of raw confidence, charm, and even some cockiness as she winked in the middle of her song. Perfuma swooned and even Catra could see why Scorpia had won her over.

Bow was next, belting out a song about friendship, with Glimmer joining in. Catra however, was still focused on Adora.

The same Adora who held her hand and made her heart skip a bit, made her feel giddy. The same Adora who snorted in such a cute manner. The same Adora whom she had stalked online, with so much determination Scorpia had suggested Catra make a move. Catra had refused, of course, instead scrolling her feed of Adora’s pictures. The professional athlete, relative of Mara (effectively making her a princess of Etheria), was actually in the same room as her.

AND FLIRTING WITH GLIMMER, APPARENTLY! Catra growled at the last thought, causing Perfuma to look at her with alarm.

Bow ended his song with a deep bow, passing the microphone to Adora.

“Uh, not now.” Adora looked at Perfuma desperately.

“We all know I like to end Karaoke sessions with heavy metal.” Perfuma took the other microphone. “I think we should let Catra sing.” she smiled at the astonished girl.

“Absolutely not!” Catra pushed the microphone away.

“Penalty! Penalty!” Bow chanted, and Scorpia joined in.

“Catra’s penalty should be to go out on a date with someone we choose.” Perfuma clapped her hands together, and Catra balked at the suggestion.

“Penalty! Penalty!” Bow resumed, and Catra felt betrayed by Adora’s addition to the cheer.

“Fine, fine!” She snatched the microphone, and the controls. “I’ll sing a stupid song!”

Scorpia actually lifted Catra with her claw, shifting her to the middle of the couch.

“Urgh! Why are all the songs so old?!” Catra grimaced.

“That’s what’s so great about the Enchanted Grotto!” Bow gave her a thumbs up.

From the corner of her eye, Catra caught Glimmer whispering into Adora’s ear, and they both giggled, Adora snorting again. Alright, that was the last straw. A familiar song was an easy choice, although Catra barely remembered the lyrics. She only remembered her preteen self being fuelled with a sense of rebellious courage and the melody of the song.

“Oooh, bold choice.” Scorpia pushed Catra up, and she responded with an angry yowl. “Go get her, Wildcat! I mean, er, go get ‘em, Wildcat!”

The mini stage had a mic stand, which Catra ignored. A display in front of her lit up, the lyrics appearing with a countdown. Ah yes, those familiar words. Just like how she remembered.

As the background music started, Catra smirked, her usual confidence returning in a snap.

Hey! Hey! You! You!

I don't like your girlfriend

No way! No way!

I think you need a new one

Hey! Hey! You! You!

I could be your girlfriend

She saw Glimmer’s eyes widen, and Bow’s jaw drop. Heh. The lyrics were… more embarrassing than she remembered, but what the hell, she was already going with it. Perfuma and Scorpia actually joined in the background

Hey! Hey! You! You!

Catra smirked, looking directly at Adora

I know that you like me

Oh shit, she was mouthing the lyrics and staring at Catra

No way! No way!

You know it's not a secret

Catra turned back to the mini screen, glancing at the lyrics.

Hey! Hey! You! You!

I want to be your girlfriend

Oh god, what was her preteen self doing? Not looking at the lyrics, for sure.

You're so fine, I want you mine, You're so delicious

Not a lie.

I think about you all the time, You're so addictive

Don't you know what I can do to make you feel all right?

Her mind worked quickly as she changed the lyrics

Don't pretend, I think you know I'm damn precious

And hell yeah, you’re my mother fucking princess

Catra enjoyed how Adora’s blank stare evolved to a blush. Hell yeah!

I can tell you like me too, and you know I'm right

Glimmer let out a “whoo!”, fist pumping along to the beat. Heh, maybe it was her preteen anthem as well.

She's like, so whatever

You can do so much better

As the hook rounded to the chorus, everyone was cheering now. Except Adora. And of course, the adrenaline and defiance egged her on, as she took a step off the stage and towards Adora, practically stalking around her with the aura of a predator.

I think we should get together now

She looked at Adora with sultry eyes (Glimmer would describe it as bedroom eyes later), and Adora let out a strained gurgle. Catra pushed off, leaping back onto the elevated platform.

And that's what everyone's talking about

She repeated the chorus again, her preteen self roaring with pride. She licked her lips, deciding to strike again.

I can see the way, I see the way you look at me

And even when you look away, I know you think of me

I know you talk about me all the time again and again

She pointed at Adora, curling her finger towards her.

So come over here and tell me what I wanna hear

Adora actually nodded dumbly, almost rising from her seat.

Or better, yet, make your girlfriend disappear

I don't wanna hear you say her name ever again

Her steely glare at Glimmer was met with a bewildered look and a high pitched “I’m not?!”

Catra rolled her eyes, grinning triumphantly at that realisation. The next verse meant nothing, but she was way too pumped up.

Because

She's like so whatever

You can do so much better

I think we should get together now

And that's what everyone's talking about

She entered the chorus again, Bow joining Scorpia and Perfuma in yelling the alternate chorus verses.

Uh!

Adora wiped at her mouth at that sound as Catra started the bridge.

In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger

'Cause I can, 'cause I can do it better

Catra was now brimming with an absurd assertiveness, bending over the stage to meet Adora’s eyes.

There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in

She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking?

Adora looked away quickly, her head turned but her eyes still darting back to the stage.

In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger

Adora yelped as her chin was grabbed suddenly, pulled back to look at Catra who was right in front of her.

'Cause I can, 'cause I can do it better

There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in

She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking?

Glimmer joined in the chorus now, sliding beside Bow. Their fingers intertwined, raised as they sang the background vocals.

The chorus seemed to repeat itself forever, and Catra could do nothing but lean in real close to Adora while singing. As she approached the last verse of the chorus, she switched off the mic, leaving the ensemble chanting.

I want to be your girlfriend

She softly finished the song, her breath tickling Adora’s now bright red ear.

Hey Hey!

The rest finished, and the music died, slamming them back into reality.

Catra was now panting from her performance, and strangely, Adora was as well.

“Pee break?” Bow jumped up and nearly ran into the door trying to get out.

“Uh, right. Pee breaks. Be back in five.” Glimmer hugged Perfuma and Scorpia, and teleported out in a shimmer.

“Uh. Huh. Mmm.” Adora babbled, looking at Catra’s face.

“Oh my god, I’m an idiot.” Catra pushed off the couch, releasing Adora from that pin. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh no!” Adora stood up, grabbing onto Catra’s wrist again. “Don’t be?”

Catra realised it wasn’t her wrist and fur being sweaty all along.

“So, er, yeah.” Adora covered the bottom half of her face, doing little to hide her blush. Not that it was obvious with the lighting.

“Huh?”

“You want to be my girlfriend?”

“Oh hell yeah.”

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

Epilogue:

“I’ve actually been following you on some pages with my personal account.” Catra admitted.

“What? I’ve been trying to find it since forever!” Adora pouted, ruffling Catra’s short hair. “Catra! What’s your account name?”

Catra paused, giving into Adora’s pets and scratches near her jawline.

“Tell me~”

“Only if you kiss me.” Catra grumbled and Adora gave her a short, swift peck.

“That totally didn’t count.” Catra huffed, and Adora placed both hands on Catra’s cheeks. “Tongue and we’ll talk.”

“Is it AdoraFan01? Or WatermelonCrusher? Or TinyBaby4Adora?”

“Hey!” Catra yelled before Adora pressed their lips together, tongue sliding in with Catra’s gasp. Catra gave in completely, Adora licking her lips in victory when they parted.

“Fine.” Catra passed her her pad.

“You can’t be serious.”

Catra rolled her eyes and groaned.

“Yes, I’m ApplesauceMeowMeow”

[pharaohsparklefists]

It’s part 2 of Episode 115, and you can catch up with the zany antics of part 1 right here if you missed it!

(If you enjoy these recaps and want to see them continue, please think about helping me navigate my currently highly unstable life by becoming a patron. I am having a bit of a Time right now in my real life and it would mean the world to me!)

So iiiiiit’s Kaiba vs Noah in the Irritating Boy Prodigy World Championship and Kaiba is tired of Noah’s posturing and “pretentious” statements. He claims that such talk...

Which is really quite lovely and poetic, although also perhaps a touch unclear as an example of card game trash talk, no? And of course, I wouldn’t go so far myself as to suggest it is also bordering on, ahem, pretentious. I will leave that to the judgement of my honoured reader.

I do think it’s cool that Seto sees a version of himself on steroids if he’d stayed as a good Kaiba son, and recognises all his disdain for humanity as an excuse to avoid emotions. I mean, it’s nice he can recognise it, although it would be EVEN NICER if Seto didn’t also reasonably frequently disguise his normal human emotions with disdain but HEY baby steps.

Anyway he confronts Noah’s story of Gozaburo’s intentions and fatherly love with a direct challenge; if Gozaburo really intended for AI!Noah to take over KaibaCorp instead of Seto, then...

This triggers a loooong flashback from Noah, during which, I have to imagine, Seto et al just stood around in awkward and slightly huffy silence, presuming Noah was just buffering.

Lil Noah (same size, probably, but younger) wakes up after a “bad dream” in which he was killed in a traffic accident. He discovers he’s locked in his bedroom with NO MAIDS which is very unusual for him. One wall turns semi-transparent which is also pretty unusual, I assume, and Gozaburo appears.

It’s translated as “Father” which is usually 父 (chichi) or more formally お父さん (otosan) in Japanese, but I thiiiink he’s calling him 父上 (chichiue) and sort of mushing the sounds together cause it sounds like he’s saying something like “chiiue”. I dunno if that’s more or less formal but it literally means “father-up” or “father-above” soooo... check out the notes and see if someone who understands Japanese better than I do added any information!

From Gozaburo’s perspective, he now has less of a son and more of a big chibi tamagotchi on a screen in his creepy sci-fi basement

“Can you, uh ... step back. You’re freaking me out. Creepy-ass ghost boy.”

Gozaburo is actually really really Nice and Kind about the whole thing which I personally think is bullshit because Gozaburo is an abusive monster and yeah you get real life abusive monsters who are nice to their own (dead?) kids but “poor Gozabuwo he’s so saaad he bought his dead kid a puppy” is not the hard-hitting addition to the Kaiba brothers’ backstory that I asked for.

Here’s the fuckin puppy:

It is not, Mr Gozaburo, it is creepy. It looks like a sad puppy-kitten hybrid. You pushed the KAWAII slider too far.

Anyway for a while everything is totally fine and great in Dead Kid Digital Paradise. Noah gets a trip to space AND a cake for his birthday whereas usually children only get ONE of those two things and they don’t even get to choose which (get in the fucking rocket, Timmy). Noah sometimes forgets he’s not real.

“Ha yes, when I uploaded render=>seas[d=HD,colour=#2B94FC] I definitely saw exactly what you saw...”

But Noah has become disillusioned with the NPCs in his digital world, even “Sunny” the miserable hybrid. Gozaburo asks after Sunny and Noah assures him Sunny is TOTALLY FINE

“That’s what I most wanted to add to my living arrangements. A rabid animal auditioning for Mad Max 5: Also The Pets Went Feral.

So then, making light birthday conversation, Noah’s like “hey dad you know what’s cool, if we tried hard and believed in ourselves...”

Gozaburo is like “huh. how many people would survive?” and Noah’s like, “eh probably 3%” and I was a lil worried they were going to have Gozaburo go all ~genocide is wrong, what have I done to raise this monster~ but instead he was like, “hmm seems a little low? anyway interesting idea but now I’m bored byeeeee”

Apparently that brush-off was Noah’s first indication that Gozaburo was not quite as into his digital son as he was into his physical-reality son

Shortly thereafter, Seto and Mokuba showed up, but apparently Noah was never mentioned to them and they never noticed Gozaburo’s time in his creepy child-tamagotchi-dungeon and I DON’T KNOW guys I just don’t like the implications of this post-hoc rejiggery of a very strong backstory. You know what Seto’s backstory did not need? The removal of all little!Seto’s agency, in order to reframe Gozaburo’s abuse as arising from grief. 

Anyway, Kaiba’s like,

And I’m like, you’re tragically lost to some undergraduate philosophy discussion group, my sweet darling pretentious teenager. Can you IMAGINE how insufferable 16-year-old private-jet-owning history-refusing god-killing Seto motherfucking Kaiba would be in your undergrad philosophy class? Some incisive but retiring young woman is, in another universe, as we speak type read, raising both eyebrows at something he just declaimed in response to the long-suffering TA and adding it to her wildly successful That Crazy Rich Kid In My Phil Class twitter.

Despite his ridiculousness, Kaiba does make an excellent point:

Noah has shunned his humanity, cocooning himself in contextless (and GEOLOGICALLY INACCURATE) knowledge and smug disdain. On the other hand, people could definitely turn out WORSE after like 10? years in near-total isolation with godlike powers over a virtual reality but no ability to affect the outside world.

Noah doesn’t like Kaiba pointing out his flaws so he tries to get the conversation back on track by making a VERY UNDERWHELMING “prediction”

He’s holding up his fingers like that because he ~~predicts~~ that this ~~mysterious event~~ will take place on the third turn. It’s currently the second turn. AND HE IS IN CONTROL OF LIKE THEIR ENTIRE SENSORY EXPERIENCE. It’s not a ~~~~prediction~~~~ it’s just a fucking THREAT and you just know, you just KNOW, when he follows through on his THREAT, next fuCKING TURN, he’s gonna be all like ohoho I’m sooooo SMART I ~~~~~~predicted~~~~~~ this very outcome ohohohoho. 

Fuck you Noah.

In any case, no one is particularly phased by his prediction THREAT because after all, 

“Shock is not one of his core emotions. They are contemptuous disdain, glee, attention-seeking, Mokuba!, DUEL, and I must kill god and I will. 

[charleshight123]

What Are Characteristic Features Of Quality Wireless Headphones?

The Wireless Bluetooth Headphones have been a boon to music lovers. You get incredible flexibility as there won’t be any chords that get stuck now and then at random places. So, there won’t be any constrained movements and you don’t have to worry about detangling the knotted chords. Wireless Bluetooth Headphones can be used with any device that supports Bluetooth, irrespective of the headphone jack of the device. Let’s have a look at some key features you must keep in mind while purchasing new headphones.

Good Battery Life

Unlike wired headphones, wireless headphones have their power source. So, you need to monitor the battery usage while using them. You don’t want the battery of your headphones to die during a workout session, a gaming stream, a small morning walk, or while traveling. Therefore, you need to choose a headphone that offers a good battery life of at least 7-8 hours. The Kawaii Headphones by Kawaii Amai have an amazing battery life that goes on for hours.

Easy Access To Volume Controls

The main perk of using wireless headphones is that it gives you the ability to use them even when the connected device is kept at a distance. Just imagine that while working out in a gym, if you need to control the volume of the music. It would be convenient for you if the volume controls are in the headphones themselves rather than controlling the volume from the connected device. So, look for a pair of headphones that has access to the volume controls.

Lightweight And Easy To Carry

The weight of the headphones plays a very important role as feeling weighed down while using them is the last thing one ever wants. You need to look out for light-weighting headphones if you plan to wear them for longer durations. Also, foldable headphones are trending nowadays as they’re easier to store and carry around.

Easy On The Wallet

Whether you’re a music enthusiast or you’re buying a Bluetooth headset for the first time, it can be a very expensive purchase for you. The Bluetooth wireless headphones you choose should retail within a range of the “sweet spot” you wish to spend on the purchase. So, do your research and spend an amount that’s within your budget. Don’t go for too expensive products unless you have a healthy budget to spend.

Try the Kawaii Cat Wireless Bluetooth Headphones that retail for only $48.

Noise Cancellation

It’s common to use headphones in crowded places nowadays. But what’s the use if you still hear the people and traffic around you after putting on the headphones!!

That’s where noise cancellation comes into play. Choose for yourself a pair that offers noise cancellation if you wish to enjoy the music or have an amazing gaming experience.

These are some key features to need to keep an eye on while purchasing wireless Bluetooth headphones.

[charleshight121]

What Are Characteristic Features Of Quality Wireless Headphones?

The Wireless Bluetooth Headphones have been a boon to music lovers. You get incredible flexibility as there won’t be any chords that get stuck now and then at random places. So, there won’t be any constrained movements and you don’t have to worry about detangling the knotted chords. Wireless Bluetooth Headphones can be used with any device that supports Bluetooth, irrespective of the headphone jack of the device. Let’s have a look at some key features you must keep in mind while purchasing new headphones.

Good Battery Life

Unlike wired headphones, wireless headphones have their power source. So, you need to monitor the battery usage while using them. You don’t want the battery of your headphones to die during a workout session, a gaming stream, a small morning walk, or while traveling. Therefore, you need to choose a headphone that offers a good battery life of at least 7-8 hours. The Kawaii Headphones by Kawaii Amai have an amazing battery life that goes on for hours.

Easy Access To Volume Controls

The main perk of using wireless headphones is that it gives you the ability to use them even when the connected device is kept at a distance. Just imagine that while working out in a gym, if you need to control the volume of the music. It would be convenient for you if the volume controls are in the headphones themselves rather than controlling the volume from the connected device. So, look for a pair of headphones that has access to the volume controls.

Lightweight And Easy To Carry

The weight of the headphones plays a very important role as feeling weighed down while using them is the last thing one ever wants. You need to look out for light-weighting headphones if you plan to wear them for longer durations. Also, foldable headphones are trending nowadays as they’re easier to store and carry around.

Easy On The Wallet

Whether you’re a music enthusiast or you’re buying a Bluetooth headset for the first time, it can be a very expensive purchase for you. The Bluetooth wireless headphones you choose should retail within a range of the “sweet spot” you wish to spend on the purchase. So, do your research and spend an amount that’s within your budget. Don’t go for too expensive products unless you have a healthy budget to spend.

Try the Kawaii Cat Wireless Bluetooth Headphones that retail for only $48.

Noise Cancellation

It’s common to use headphones in crowded places nowadays. But what’s the use if you still hear the people and traffic around you after putting on the headphones!!

That’s where noise cancellation comes into play. Choose for yourself a pair that offers noise cancellation if you wish to enjoy the music or have an amazing gaming experience.

These are some key features to need to keep an eye on while purchasing wireless Bluetooth headphones. 

[rebeccacclarke-blog]

Week 10: Individual App design research- Prototyping Questions

What elements do you like?

Rebecca’s App design:

Willow & Pauline: 

Colour- simple- one colour didn’t take too much away from info- easy to navigate- nothing missing- location things are distracting, grey colour, or less opacity

Phatt: 

A very realistic app. FAQ has too much info. I like the keypad screen instead of it linking straight to dialling the company. Make actions more cohesive i.e some pages animate across/ left and some slide up. No back button on ‘Pay with’  page. Match review colours with meaning as it’s quite confusing. What do the red/ green/ orange colours stand for in the review? Green colour means low price however there might be less parking available, doesn’t understand what the colour stands for. If arrow points left, screen should flow/ slide left too. Everything else like the colour and font work well together!

Tammy:

I like the grey arrow tab. I prefer the pages to slide left/right rather than up/ down because it’s how apps normally work so we’re used to it. It can be a bit too much. I really like the home page design because the layout looks good however colour can be improved.

Natalie: I like the colour and how it’s simple. I like the icons with the pin/ car and it’s the same throughout all the pages and makes it cohesive. Really good overall but not sure if I like the green since it usually goes with environmental and money/ cash related so not suitable for a parking app.

G:

 No back button- on timer. Add notification- for topping up time- don’t want to think about it- organization is good- buttons are too big

Likes the colour-coded aspect of the reviews

Debbie’s App design:

Natalie:

Colour, cute, font is really cute

Have an option for saved park (bookmark option maybe)

Phatt:

Contrast colours work well together. Make the background for homescreen teal to tie in with the rest of the app more.

For ‘add new card’ screen, have another option. No question mark- change to confirm

Like the rounded font, easy to read

For hamburger option, don’t make it go back to the home screen but keep it in the side menu

Cute icons, but needs more

Understandable and easy to use

Tammy:

Like the two colours in title screen.

Like the font

Cute design. Like the colour combination. Add new icon for successful screen

The colour combination, easy to understand layout

Willow & Pauline:

Similar to Michelle’s just diff colour.

Map - showed up the different prices and places and could click - simple and clean layout but preferred the other colours more as looked like taxi

G: 

Nice to have a visual to see how much time is leftover

Needs to have a date enter for the Booking Function

Text size for ‘Save Location’ is not easy to read, maybe make it bigger

Michelle’s App design:

Phatt: 

Colours, icons, everything, the gradient, it’s so cute, the flow is good, understandable, easy to use, i like how the colour is clear, font is cute and easy to read, simple and it suits the colour and i love it!

Tammy: 

I love the colours from the first look. I like the rounded font, apps normally use typical fonts like arial etc so it’s boring however with the rounded look it’s more friendly. Love the gradient circles combined with the icons. I especially like the icons because it’s colourful and detailed yet simple. 10/10!

Natalie: 

It’s so cute and pretty. I like your icons! (the car icon, it’s not too much and simple) I like the history tab. I like how the font is really easy to read. Easy to use. Add a bookmark/ saved/ favourite locations for facilities that they find for the future.

Willow & Pauline: 

colour, pleasing- book a carpark- plus of minus- auto calculate easy as. Illustrations were nice.

G: 

I like how I can go back. Like having a choice to move around. Reviews text is a bit small. per/hr. I like the circle/ timer, nice visual. Type in end time.

Delete account button/ log out?

In general of our apps:

1) Favourite colour choices and fonts?

Willow & Pauline: 

Pauline is Bias to blue but likes the blue or greeny blue as it is one colour, white and one colour worked really well and kept it clear and simple. Could maybe use the blue used as detail colour accent.

Tammy: 

Blue/ purple with the pink accent because it stands out the most. It’s very calming especially when combined with the gradient. It might appear very colourful however when using it on the phone it’s not and it’s simple and clean. For the font I prefer Rebecca’s font when she uses the bold with the normal typeface style in the title ‘ParkPal’.

Natalie: 

Favourite colour choice is Michelle’s because it’s the easiest to see (dark background with white font). Along with the font since it’s bubbly and cute. Debbie’s light font is really nice as well as Futura.

Phatt: 

I didn’t have a favourite however it would look nice with Debbie’s yellow and Michelle’s blue! Because it’s a good colour combo for both genders. Michelle’s pink might be aimed for female audience. Rebecca’s green is a bit harsh and green usually means ‘go’ like in traffic lights but your app is for parking. Blue represents calming and when you park your car it’s parked and still, not moving. Font choice favourite is Debbie’s, I prefer the rounded font more rather than Arial. Arial font is too typical and simple as you see it everywhere.

2) Overall favourite and why?

Willow & Pauline: 

Both think we need to combine the different aspects and incorporate it into one app.

Tammy: 

I like all of them! You should combine Michelle’s colours with some of Rebecca’s designs and Debbie’s icons as well as Michelle’s icons.

Natalie: 

I like all of them. Each parts of each of our designs should be combined. I like Michelle’s colours and Debbie’s font as well as how simple Rebecca’s one is.

Phatt: 

My overall favourite is Rebecca’s because it looks more realistic. More general for everyone to use because car parking, most people are adults so keeping it simple might be better. However for the icons I like Michelle’s because it’s easy to understand.

3) What stood out to you the most?

Willow & Pauline: 

How it automatically calculated prices- easy and quick- in a rush for parking seemed speed up process. Showed prices for each parking worked well

Tammy: 

The designs and functionality works well i.e the map $ where you can tap to see prices. Colours stood out to me the most especially Michelle’s. Also the icons (particularly the vector line art with the sparkles)

Natalie: 

Michelle’s stood out to me the most because of her icons. I don’t like reading and when there’s a lot of pictures it’s easy to understand. It’s really nice when you book/ pay and the icons pop up because it relates to what it says so it’s just nice.

Phatt: 

The design and functions. I didn’t like how there’s too much blank/ negative space on certain pages. I liked how in Michelle’s one her layout is clean and also stands out with the box + shadow along with the gradient circle. I prefer having the book, find, pay on the top than bottom. I prefer Debbie’s review design with a solid colour contrasting against the white. I like Rebecca’s side menu with the profile photo and her realistic keypad screenshot. Also having the main logo flow across all the pages (if you have space). 

G: 

Consider open navigation and user needs as they’ll want to be able to easily change out or decide that they want to cancel bookings. Maybe have a calendar pop-up to select booking dates.

4) What mood/ style did you like the most?

Willow & Pauline: 

Green and blue- one colour and white or black. Two colours need to go together really well otherwise distracting, that’s why I liked the green as it was striking and blue seemed to work well too.

Tammy: 

Simplistic style, clean and minimalistic. Rebecca’s one was good but she could add colour to the background instead of having a plain white background. I like the teal colour!

Natalie: 

I like Debbie’s mood the most personally but I’m not sure if others would prefer it since it might remind them of ASB. Michelle’s style was my favourite because of the icon drawings and lowkey kawaii, i love it.

Phatt: 

Debbie’s font and colour is quite friendly and playful. It’s simple and minimal which I like. Michelle’s I like her icon’s the most and the gradient circles also the blue colour is calming and good colour to view since it’s cool toned. Rebecca’s I liked her flow and information throughout her pages.

[proeticshadows]

Monthly favorites: August 2017

Hello everyone!

My blog is currently undergoing some changes as I am on the process of launching new content series here and this is one of them. I’ve been seeing posts about “Monthly Favorites” from other lifestyle bloggers that I follow and read, and I figured out that in a way, my blog should have this series (lol). I was supposed to start this for July but that month felt too far from me now, even if it is my birth month.

So much for quite lengthy introductions! For the month of August, here are my current favorites:

1. My new Bible app!

I’ve been a user of a simple Bible app on my iTouch for years but I must admit, it is a challenging app, especially for my Bible reading because its easiest version is King James, with which I find the Scripture difficult to comprehend. I remember my good friend Aya to have a better and woman-friendly Bible app on her iPhone so I asked her (again) about it, and I immediately downloaded it from the App Store. It’s an engaging Bible app targeting Christian women called “She Reads Truth” and with this app, I got to choose the English Standard Version for my digital Bible and I’m loving it! The app also has additional attractions like music, shop, news, and lock screens which are all beautiful. I’m recommending this app for beginners in reading His word on the go!

2. Papemelroti postcards

I’m a huge fan of Papemelroti but it was only lately when I discovered how cute their postcards are, thanks to my sister’s new passion in collecting them. Papemelroti products are perfect for someone who’s a vintage-themed stationery lover and is on always on a budget (lol) like me, and their stuff are also Christian and positivity related. I’ve put some of the postcards on my work desk and they give me extra good vibes everyday!

3. Holidays (believe it or not!)

I’ll keep it short and simple: Holidays are perfect for long distance work travels - in my case - because there are no traffic! Also, workloads are lesser for the bosses are not around (haha!) and the demand of the job is also toned down.

4. 10 minute writing challenge!

I came across with this while I was searching for new content ideas for this blog and I was inspired because this will give me no excuse to not write content on a regular basis. My struggles for personal writing are strong and I want to overcome these. With the 10 minute writing challenge, I’m getting better with writing down my personal thoughts spontaneously.

5. Kawaii sticker packs from Ate Chichi aka Little Miss Paintbrush!

Aaahhh, this may be my most favorite for this month! My boyfriend went to this year’s Asia Pop Comic Con and he bought me two packs of really cute stickers from one of the booths for local artists. I’ve been meaning to order LMP’s stickers online but I was out of the budget most of the time and I’m still learning how to do online shopping (I’m such a loser, lol), but thankfully, Angelo Rico got me some. I don’t want to waste them as much as possible for they are really cute!

6. #artPH trend on Twitter

Lastly, despite of every negative thing that is happening around me and my country, Filipinos were still capable to put smiles and let the light of hope shine for good things with an online trend called #artPH. This aims to showcase and support budding Filipino art talents and I myself have participated with it. My eyes were filled with amazement when I browsed through the trend. I blogged about it here!

What were your favorites for the month of August? Share it with me!

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[imnottechsupport]

Personal Survey

I was tagged by @bts-aegyo ~thanks a bunch!! :D

1: Are you named after someone?  No

2: When is the last time you cried? a few days ago

3: Do you like your handwriting? my handwriting is horrendous

4: What is your favorite lunch meat? turkey

5: Do you have kids? No

6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? probably

7: Do you use sarcasm? no, I’m sooooo bad with sarcasm. Especially recognizing it. I’m like Sheldon from the BigBang Theory. I need a sarcasm sign or something. lol

8: Do you still have your tonsils? Yes

9: Would you bungee jump? nope

10: What is your favourite kind of cereal? Probably honey nut cheerios

11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? no, I hate tying shoes. I just slip them on and off.

12: Do you think you’re a strong person? physically, emotionally, or mentally? Cause I’d say probably not for all three tbh 13: What is your favourite ice cream flavor? rocky road

14: What is the first thing you notice about people? probably their character in general

15: Red or pink? red for sure. I’m not really fond of pink.

16: What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? Probably my weight, even though I’m at a “normal” weight.

17: What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? blue jeans and white socks

18: What was the last thing you ate? chicken, a banana, and peas

19: What are you listening to right now? my laptop’s fan running and the traffic outside

20: If you were a crayon, what color would you be? cerulean

21: Favorite smell? freshly mowed grass, rain

22: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? my dad

23: Favorite sport to watch? I don’t watch sports

24: Hair color? light brown

25: Eye color? blue

26: Do you wear contacts? nope, but I’ve got glasses. I don’t think I could ever handle having contacts. I can’t stand having something near my eyes. It weirds me out.

27: Favorite food to eat? steak maybe...? and fruit in general

28: Scary movies or comedy? comedy

29: Last movie you watched? Hidden Figures, it was sooooo good!

30: What color of shirt are you wearing?  yellow

31: Summer or winter? summer for sure

32: Hugs or kisses? hugs

33: What book are you currently reading? My classes’ textbooks -.-

34: Who do you miss right now? lots of loved ones

35: What is on your mouse pad? i have a laptop

36: What is the last TV program you watched? SNL

37: What is the best sound? my favorite songs

38: Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Beatles for sure

39: What is the furthest you have ever traveled? Barcelona

40: Do you have a special talent? not particularly

41: Where were you born? US

42: People you wanna participate in this: @pockyoongi @i-have-a-kawaii-unicorn @un-naranjo-sin-dulzura​ @the-ship-that-wont-sink @cowjimin @dlazaru @littlebyuns @iamquelyn @fanipxndx1993 @89ghoul @shaewithlove @manda-too-cool @jhobisunshine @thekpopphan

[iamlogu]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh jeez! Does that count as four!??

1. I’m the shortest adult in my family! I’m a whole 10 inches shorter than my twin sister, I can’t reach most things in our house! but i’m the only one who can wear awesome light up kids shoes so ha!

2. I have a traffic cone in my room i painted a kawaii face on!

3. I collect cute little squishy toys!!! I have a pig named Mako, a frog named Lucio, and a tomato named Romano!!

4. I have a sculpture i've been working on for two years now because i keep losing my nerve.