#kevin had visited his grandma and then he found out through her

[tasakesi]

i am no way religious but i believe things happen for a reason. we found out our cat shares a birthday with me

[kariachi]

Yes I am still on an 'Argit is a Tennyson' au run. This one is a little more grounded, a little closer to canon.

Ben 23 lets slip about Argit 10. Ben Prime has a Crisis.

~~

If they hadn’t had the bad luck of 23 meeting Argit, nothing would have happened. Ben had never intended it to happen, at best Argit of all people would be a bad influence on 23 specifically, at worst 23 would regress back into villainy after dealing with him. The unexpected third option, previously not even a concept, was for him to recognize Argit. To explain that he’d seen him when Paradox took them between universe to find Omnitrix wielders. They hadn’t bothered to try to recruit him, but it was hard to forget him once you saw him.

Argit had been curious and confused, but Ben had quickly descended into a crisis. Just how many non-Bens had they come across (two, it turned out, Argit and Gwen) and what did this say? Because as much as people assumed otherwise, with his flippant tendencies and joking manner, he wasn’t stupid. The Omnitrix had latched onto him because he was his grandfather’s grandson. Out of all the other Omnitrix wielders he’d ever met, the only ones that hadn’t been versions of himself had been Albedo- who hardly counted, having made his own- or Gwen, and she presumably fell into the same category of ‘Grandpa’s grandchild’ as he did.

And then, there was Argit.

He’d gotten himself and 23 out of there as quickly as possible, tossing out the ‘you’re a bad influence’ excuse. Argit accepted it readily enough, though Ben could damn near hear the wheels turning in his head. 23 had been the one confused, going along where Ben dragged but asking what was wrong all the while. There’d been no choice but to pull him into an alley where they could have some privacy and explain exactly what an Argit having an Omnitrix could mean. To the pure, innocent confusion of his double.

23, it turned out, had already realized, and been assuming he was aware.

Specifically, he had explained when Ben about exploded, his Azmuth had explained the details of why the Omnitrix had attached itself to him in the first place. Then, as he’d been reconnecting with his family- long estranged at that point due to, he had thought, his fame- he had learned that Grandma Verdona had been an alien. A different species, yes, but it proved the concept. There’d been a few internal crises along the way, but he’d come to terms with having an alien relative he didn’t know. Though, he’d noted, he hadn’t told any of his other relatives yet- they would’ve wanted to connect and until now he hadn’t even had a name to use to try to find him.

Ben had, until that point, not thought it was possible to want to scream more. This proved him wrong.

Despite 23’s offers to help him through his own crisis, and confusion as to why this was such a crisis for him- after all Ben was the experienced one who, until that very day, had seemed to know about everything- the visit was quickly cut short. Ben had made him promise not to go looking for his Argit until this was all cleared up, not when there was the chance he wasn’t a relative. A hope that he wasn’t a relative. Then he’d shipped 23 back home, screamed into a pillow, and begun his investigation.

He didn’t call Gwen for help, because he could just picture her reaction to the concept and refused to subject her to that if he didn’t have to. He also didn’t immediately call Kevin, though he was the be-all-end-all of Argit information, because he would have told Gwen. Instead his first move was to try to cut out any worry directly at the source. Skipping lunch and even smoothies, Ben'd stormed to the base, found his grandfather, and drug him into his office, locking the door behind them.

“Did you knock up an Erinaen,” he’d demanded before Grandpa Max could get a word in. His eyes had gone wide for a moment before he schooled himself.

“Why would you-”

“Don’t toy with me, Grandpa, have you or not!” Max had sighed, and Ben’s gut had dropped out.

“It was a long time ago-”

“Grandpa!”

“-and your Uncle Frank was on the way, so we didn’t keep in touch.” Letting out a loud, pained noise, Ben had glared at the man.

“Because of you, now we have to worry about Argit maybe being family!” Again, Max’s eyes went wide, and there was no fixing them this time. His hands went up to his face, elbows all but slamming onto the desk as he fell into his chair. “Yeah! Your fault! I hope you’re happy with yourself!”

He didn’t know what the reaction was passed that, because he’d stormed out in a fit of horror and dismay. The more time was wasted was the more time he had to live with the uncertainty. Instead he’d made his way to the nearest console he had access to and started hunting for files. There had to be one on the bastard, after all the shit he’d been involved with. There was hope upon hope that relatives would be listed among his known associates, and they would be ones Ben could use to prove or disprove this theory.

Luckily, there was one relative listed. His mother was apparently very well known- and with what little Ben knew of their relationship he would at some point have to question how they would feel to be listed as ‘associates’- and could be readily ruled out as a Tennyson by a quick look at her own file. Though, it also meant now he had to worry about just how long Argit was going to be a thorn in his descendants’ sides on top of everything. But otherwise, there was nothing helpful regarding that situation specifically. It was all people he was known to do business with, exes, Kevin. Nothing useful. Well, except for pointing out he was close with Kevin, but that was more something that would have been useful to like, Aunt Vera. Ben already knew. Knew and knew that he was, at this point, going to need to make a phone call. There wasn’t an endless amount of leads, after all, Argit was as quiet about his history as Kevin himself could be.

Steeling himself, Ben had shut everything down, found a private corner in a back storeroom where he could have privacy, and made the call. Thankfully, Gwen should have been in class, she preferred to load up her schedule…

“Hey man, what’s up?”

“You can’t tell anyone about this conversation,” he started with, just to be on the safe side, “anyone.”

“Okaaay, you need me to get rid of a body, or…?” Somehow, this both brought up the question of why this was his best friend and answered it at the same time.

“What do you know about Argit’s parents?” Hopefully if he kept it general it would keep Kevin from catching on, or Gwen from catching on if he told her what they’d discussed.

“His mom’s a soulless cunt, his dad’s less so but still an asshole,” Kevin had answered with confusion, “why?”

“Plumber stuff,” Ben said, throwing up the exact first excuse that came into his head. “Is that really all you know?”

“Ben,” Kevin said, voice firm, “if something’s going on with my rat-”

“Nothing is going on with your rat, I’m just trying to get a timeline together about his mom.” The second excuse that came into his mind.

“Uh-huh…” Kevin hadn’t exactly sounded sure, or trusting, but he’d continued. “Parents got tossed into the Null Void with a full pouch like five years before he was born, had a third litter five years after, his mom escaped with at least two of his younger siblings sometime between… probably '05? And '09, I think that’s when he sold her ass, might have been late '08. Anything else, neither of us has a clue.” That, had actually been helpful. Dates and locations were a lead of some sort. Ben’d heaved a sigh.

“Thanks man. I appreciate it.”

“So, gonna tell me why I can’t tell people about this?” There was never going to be a way to get out of it, only to stall for time, and so he did.

“Next time you guys come out here,” Ben’d promised. “Talk to you then.”

“Stay safe, Tennyson.”

The request had niggled at him as he hung up, guilt at worrying Kevin needlessly over this. But, he needed answers, sooner rather than later, so that the uncertainty at least could stop clawing at his intestines. Back to the computers Ben had gone and started pulling up information again. Argit’s birthdate was listed as unknown, but thankfully he'd been dealing with him for years now and knew what it was in relation to Kevin's birthday. A quick bit of math there gave him an estimate of when his parents had been tossed in the Void, and from there he could track down the records of individuals who had been incarcerated that year. Settling in for a grueling several hours of trawling through criminals, Ben’d sorted the records by those sentenced to the Void, and then to show Erinaens.

There had been two.

One, the mom whose file he’d already looked at, and a ‘Seorr’.

For a long time, long enough that people walking past began to carefully steer clear like something might be wrong, Ben just stared at the name on the screen. There was no question to it, this was without a doubt the person he had been told was Argit’s dad. Who may or may not have been his uncle. Opening the file had only two results- either the information didn’t line up and he was free, Kevin would laugh himself sick later but there’d be no more worries, or the information would line up, and so much would change.

Ben pictured Argit at Christmas dinner, schmoozing up to the rest of the family just to annoy him and Gwen. Bit back a pained noise.

Shutting his eyes, he clicked the file. Waited as the computer translated everything to the local language and numbers. Normally it took a couple seconds, but he was kind enough to give it one, two, twelve, twenty more before taking a deep breath and looking at the page.

Half Erinaen, half human. His uncle’s age. Imprisoned in the Null Void at twenty. Current status: unknown.

Wordlessly, Ben closed the file. Shut down the console. Mouth clenched tight, he stood up out of his chair, heading blindly for the exit. Nothing was for certain, of course, not without DNA evidence, but disbelief had its limits. The odds of two separate Human/Erinaen pairs having children in the same year, when he was fairly certain he remembered Kevin once noting Earth hadn’t had a population of them until decades later, was extremely low. The odds that the grandchild of the other pair would just so happen to, in another universe, acquire the Omnitrix, something mostly restricted to Tennysons? Even lower. Maybe an argument could have been made about Lucy’s grandpa putting another ‘abandoned hybrid child’ notch in his belt, but then surely his grandpa would have tracked Ben down and told him so by now…

They were going to have to forgive Argit for so much shit.

Gwen was going to fucking scream.

[thisisnotourlasthunt]

Mama Bear Abby

We all know about Dadmack, but what about mama-bear Abby?

Abby always carries a bag full of stuff the foxes might need. Your throat is dry? Here, have a water bottle. It’s too sunny? Good thing I brought sunscreen.Your head hurts? Don’t worry, I came prepared *scrambling through her collection of pill bottles for any occasion* does your stomach hurt? Your throat? Your- You forgot to eat breakfast? You idiot *takes a full meal from her bag* eat up kiddo.

She has a sixth sense and knows when the foxes are having a bad day and when it happens she hates it and tries to be as close as possible so they can know that she’s there. 

For some (Neil, Kevin, Aaron), it was a little difficult to feel comfortable with this, their whole childhood consisted of horrible adults. Thus, Abby made sure to approach them slowly at first, watching them carefully and at the first sign of discomfort, she backed away.

With time, her approach didn’t make them feel uncomfortable and instead they began gaining comfort from her.

Andrew was another story, Abby knew since his first year that he didn’t like physical contact though she didn’t know why. Therefore, she never came close to him when it was obvious he was having a bad day but she did steal a few glances.

The next year, when she learned the reasons behind why Andrew did not like physical presence, she understood him better and found ways to give even a little bit of comfort to the boy. So she bought him ice cream.

Whenever Andrew was having a bad day, but not a totally horrid day when he can’t even get out from bed, and goes to the court, he can always find a pint of his favorite chocolate ice cream in Abby’s office.

Abby gives the best hugs.

Not only because they are warm and always there if the foxes need it, but because Abby was a safe place, somewhere to get comfort from. (Thus Kevin hugging Abby after the interview with Riko as the surprise visitor)

Every summer, she stays with the monsters so she knows many things from them. Aaron sleeps with pajamas a size bigger than him, Nicky has a special pillow and blanket, Kevin could sleep through an atomic bomb but if you talk badly about his footwork he will wake up, Andrew is not a morning person but if you have a box of his favorite sugary cereal and a bottle of chocolate milk, he will not be as grumpy as before.

Only two of the foxes have accidentally called her mom, Kevin and Neil. Both of them had gotten a bad cold from practicing Exy late at night while it rained, in november. They had high fevers and where not too coherent thanks to the pills. They had been banned from practices and where restrained from getting out of bed. (Andrew stayed and made sure of this)

Abby had been cooking soup when she heard a moan from the bedroom and both her and Andrew paralyzed. It was Kevin yelling “Moooooom!” and soon after that, Neil accompanied him.

“Your children are calling you.” Andrew deadpanned as he composed himself. “My children are calling me.” She had repeated under her breath dumbly, but she composed herself, took a deep breath and went for the bedroom.

She didn’t think they would remember the incident, given their drugged and feverish state, but every once in a while, the two of them would call her by mom, especially if they were alone. 

As the foxes graduate, she frames their graduation pictures in her house (including a picture of Seth, because he was also her child), and when she and Wymack buy a house and move there together, there is a special wall covered with pictures of her  foxes and their achievements through the years. Like a sort of hall of fame, just for her foxes.

The foxes visit her at least once every two months (the ones that visit her the most are Neil and Kevin) and the nine of them visit her on her birthday and on mother’s day (in the last one, Andrew leaves for a while because even though he does care for Abby, she’s more like an aunt, his mom is Bee)

When they all have children, the kids call her “Grandma Abby” and it fills her heart in a way she didn’t think it was possible.

She’s so proud of where her foxes have gone despite their pasts, they are all happy and living their life happily and free.

[mae-gi-writes]

Plus One | Kevin Moon (Around The World Collab)

When your boyfriend of eight years suddenly decides to break up with you right before your destined trip for your cousin’s wedding, nothing can cure your broken heart. In a desperate attempt to make you feel better, Kevin states that he will be your plus one.

Genre: little angst, fluff, friends to lovers. 

This fic is part of a collab “Around The World”, featuring different countries x the boyz members. I had the utmost pleasure of working with such an amazing group of talented writers for this project, so please don’t forget to check out their works too! ^^ <3 

This fic is takes place on Mauritius Island. 

Word count: 9k IZ A LONG ONE SO BUCKLE UP BUTTERCUPS

Tagging: @aniyawoos​ @chaoticdeobi​ @moondustaeil​ @juyeonzz​ @atbzkingdom​ @2hyunjae​ @jopping-to-my-kpop @jeongsinkookie @ihearttbz​ @heartyyjeno​ @bahnmi07 @sadlandia​ @itsquxxn​

-----------

Eight years, gone just like that. 

I stare at a spot on my navy blue suitcase, not really focused on what’s before me and more concerned about the memories flickering past  my lids. I can’t help it. Everytime I see luggage, it makes me think of the way I kicked him out of my life. Everytime, a slab of pain will grab my heart between its icy fingers and squeeze it so that I can barely breathe. Everytime, until I feel like I’m drowning inside dark waters without the real desire to swim to the surface. 

My psychiatrist told me that it had been for the better. That it had been an obsessive, unhealthy kind of love in the first place. But was it better now that I couldn’t even feel my heart in the hollow space where it’s supposed to be? 

“Y/N.” 

Still, I remember the messages on his phone, the way his touch would feel strange, eerily hollow for some reason, the way he’d avoid my eyes whenever he’d tell me that he was going out with the guys. I remember smelling his coat and recoiling at the cheap scent of perfume clinging to it like second skin, how he’d constantly tell me how wonderful I was-- too wonderful for him -- and that I should find better, that I didn’t deserve someone like him.

And then, when I’d stumbled into our flat a little earlier than I was meant to -- since my gym class had been cancelled -- and took note of the trail of shoes, followed by a coat, a shirt, a thong, before my ears picked up on the noises echoing from the bedroom doors…

“Y/N?” 

His face when he spotted me, the astounded expression like a dog that had just been caught sneaking into the pantry. And the girl, a prettier woman, a curvy woman, with red lips and with those beautifully deep red wine locks tumbling down her back with the perfect physique that could make any man drool. That girl, who was none other than one of my good friends at work and who had spent most part of the year listening to my rants about him. 

“Y/N!”

“Huh?” My head whips up when I register my name being called out, looking up to see a raven-haired, petite-faced man leaning against the bedroom doorway with raised brows and a concerned expression on his face. 

“Oh, you’re here,” I say, as he crosses the doorway and sits beside me. The bed dips down under his weight as he tilts his head in that knowing manner of his, “daydreaming again?” 

“No,” I mumble, but he sees right through my facade and with a sigh, his arms wrap around my shoulder before pillowing his head against my shoulder. 

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmurs as I allow myself to lean back against him, against his comfort. His lavender scent wraps around me, a little bed of comfort amidst all the pain. 

“I can’t stop thinking about him,” I murmur, tears stinging the corner of my eyes, “it hurts, Kev.” 

He only holds me a little closer, a little tighter.

If there is one person that I can trust more than myself, it’s Kevin Moon. I’ve known Kevin ever since high school, having hung out in the same friend group until we had become partners for an art project. It was only then that we’d become closer, and had been close ever since. With his angular features and almond mono lidded eyes and thin lips that were constantly shaped in a pout, the Korean-born man had moved to Canada when he was young, just like I had a few years ago. He had kept me afloat during my university days, I had comforted him through his first break up. He had been present during my final Fine Arts Photography Exhibition, I was up all night coming up with re-branding concepts for his design project. Overall, Kevin had pretty much been a constant in my life, you get the gist of it.

When he found out that my boyfriend had cheated just a few days before our destined trip to attend my cousin’s wedding -- mind you, I had been sobbing waterfalls and it was a miracle he even understood me through my blubbering mess -- he had half a mind to storm up to the guy and rip his throat out. But he did the most surprising thing; booked a ticket for himself and turned up at my flat on the eve of the departure, stating that he was going to accompany me to that wedding, whether I liked it or not.

My cousin, Emma, was getting married right where home was: Mauritius. The memories I once had of the small island nestled right in the Indian Ocean on the right of Madagascar, was of my grandma’s comforting food, the sea scented air that washed along with the too-white sandy beaches, the multitudes of merchants selling all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables on the side of the road, and small corner stores that looked like they had come out of a 1960’s movie. People liked to claim that Mauritius was paradise on earth, and in a way, it is.

“Come on,” Kevin had nagged when I shook my head adamantly. He’d wriggled his plane ticket before my nose, “you’re not going to let that loser spoil such a happy event are you? Emma’s waiting for you!” 

In the end, he’d won. Which is why we are here, staying at my cousin, Emma’s, apartment in a village called Moka, located at the foot of a mountain and has an abundance of forestry adorning the sides of the road. It's chilly here, in comparison to the harbourfront, and constantly smells like fresh rain and has a gentle fresh breeze blowing through.

“You know, assholes like him are not worth thinking about,” Kevin says now, his arm a gentle soothing caress up and down my back, “your brain might rot.” 

I can’t help but let out a soft, choked up laugh.

“It’s our first day here, let’s not ruin it by thinking about him, hm?” Kevin continues soothingly and I nod in agreement. He’s right. I’m just wasting time by reliving memories that I should be banishing from my mind. 

“Okay!” he brightens up then, “where shall we go? The sea? The market? Or do you want to go eat?!” 

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

The first few days are about meeting up with family and rediscovering Mauritius for what it is. Emma gives me a full-fledged hug the moment I open the door to her house, pressing me close to her with such motherly warmth that it takes everything in me not to break down right then and there. I greet my uncles and engage in small-talk with my aunts, help my grandma out in the kitchen as she continuously asks me why I’ve gotten so thin. While I know the main reason, I decide to smile and spare her the details, as embarrassing as it is. 

No one mentions him, until one of my uncles slips during a conversation with Kevin, “so you’re Y/N’s boyfriend. Such a pleasure to meet you! We’ve heard so much about you that we started thinking she was just making things up.” 

“Er--” Kevin reddens, “I--” 

“So how did you two meet?”

It is at this very instant that my mouth decides to move on its own and I blurt out, “we’re high school friends.” 

“Oh highschool sweethearts! How cute!” 

Kevin doesn’t fail to mention what a mistake I’ve made to lie to my entire family to save face.

“I feel guilty,” he says as we walk out to the car, keys dangling from my wrist. 

I unlock the car, “it’s fine. We’ll be in and out before they know it. They don’t have to know anything.” 

“Hm, sure.” 

After some well-deserved family time, Kevin and I decide to head to the west of the island to catch the sunset, my camera stuffed neatly in the backseat, where Kevin has tossed a few spare towels just in case. We each have donned our swimsuits for the occasion and it doesn’t take an expert to see the excitement thrumming through Kevin’s veins as he sits beside me like an excited child in the passenger seat. 

“I never realized that you guys drive on the left side of the road,” he comments, head whipping back and forth in-between the passage of cars. 

“Yeah, it takes some getting used to, especially if you’re crossing,” it is then that I notice that there is a newly built mall as we turn left at the green light, “hey, that’s new. I’ve never seen this before.” 

“Cas-ca-velle,” he mumbles out with that strong accent of his. He is definitely not one to know French and I’ve been acting as his translator all along, considering that my family speaks French at home, “what does that mean?” 

“Beats me. It’s just a fancy name for a new shopping mall,” I peer into its parking lot, “wanna visit?” 

“Whatever floats your boat, honey. I’m all in.”

The mall is longer than it is wide, with white archways decked with wooden-style roofs that give way to an open-plan exterior. A wide beige cemented pathway occupies the space, with shops lined on either side. 

“I never realized, but you guys are very multicultural,” comments Kevin as we pass by another family of four chattering quickly in a mixture of French and Creole. 

“We’re similar to Canada that way.” 

“Do you miss it here?” 

My eyes glance over at him, notice the soft empathy in his expression.

“I guess I do sometimes,” I say while I kick at a stray pebble, “It’s like homesickness. But in a way I can’t quite explain,” after a moment, I ask, “do you miss Korea?”

“The food, mostly,” he grins bashfully, “my halmeoni makes a killer gamja tang.” 

“Let’s go visit her one day.”

“Is that a promise?” he asks as I shrug, “if you want it to be.” 

It’s a little past six when we drive up to the Flic En Flac beach and as we gather our things, my eyes light up upon falling on a nearby roti stand. I quickly slap Kevin’s arm in my bout of excitement. 

“Ouch! What? What is it?” 

“Kevin, you’re not going to believe this,” I point at the stand in question, “this roti stand? It’s the best roti in Mauritius. Here, take this,” I don’t wait before shoving my bag and camera in his arms, “I’m gonna buy us some. You go and find us a spot on the beach.” 

“But--” 

I don’t wait for him to finish his sentence before taking off, greeting the merchant who is just about to be wrapping up to ask whether I can get two rotis with ‘cari saumon’ (roughly translated into salmon curry mixed with indian spices), local and freshly made. The smell wafts through the folded paper wrappers as I grab them. They smell just like my childhood, where everything had just been as easy as having rotis by the beach without a care about the future that is to come. It’s nostalgic and I can’t help the smile tugging up my mouth at the thought. 

Kevin is already settled atop a pair of spare towels and looks up at the sound of my footsteps approaching. I pass him one of the paper wrappers and he takes a peek, confusion flitting across his face. 

“This smells spicy,” he mutters loudly enough for me to hear, “it looks like naan bread.” 

“It is,” I agree, “except it’s flatter and more like a crepe.” 

Throwing me a hesitant glance, he takes a small bite. I watch his face go from confused to impressed in a few seconds, before his eyes whip up to mine, “woah, this is good.” 

“Told you so.” 

“But this is really, really good,” he can’t help but marvel at it and laughing, I proceed to dig into my own roti, allowing my mouth to be filled with that salty fish taste melting along my tastebuds, the curry spices giving it the nice tangy kick you wouldn’t find anywhere else. The roti is soft and practically melts on my tongue and I can’t help but moan at how good it is. 

“God, this is everything I’ve been looking for my whole life,” I find myself telling him, wrapped up in momentary bliss, “this, this is everything.” 

I can feel his eyes on me, so intense that my own flicker up in question. He drops his gaze the moment I do and I frown, confused. 

“What?” I can’t help but ask, wondering why he suddenly seems so meek, so shy and awkward, “what is it?” 

“Nothing,” he replies like he’s trying to be casual, except that it’s anything but. When he gazes back at me, I notice the warmth in his maroon eyes, more the color of caramel in the dim light from the sunset basking his profile in a golden glow, “I think--I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you so happy, since...” 

He doesn’t need to continue, for I know where this is going. Indeed, this is the first time in many months that I haven’t paid any attention to the hole inside my heart. 

And it feels good.

“Yeah,” I murmur as I watch the sun settle on the ocean’s horizon, fire kissing water, “I don’t know, I just feel like this is nice. Like it’s right.” 

I spare him a glance from the corner of my peripheral and watch him shift. His sleeveless shirt slips, allowing me a glimpse of the naked skin underneath. I quickly look away, slightly embarrassed at the notion of even thinking of him in such a way. 

“That’s how you should be, Y/N,” Kevin murmurs back just as softly. It’s almost like talking too loudly will break the sudden spell that has settled over our shoulders. He takes a sip of his beer before continuing, “you’ve suffered enough for someone who deserves nothing but shit for what he’s done.” 

There’s a small pause as I digest his words. Then, I manage to murmur out, “thanks, Kevin.” 

“No problem.” 

Another small bout of silence ensues, covered up by the sound of the ocean roaring up the sand, distant birds chirping in the fading light of the sunset drowning into the now orange-flecked waters. 

“Hey Y/N.” 

I glance at him. He’s gorgeous, even more so somehow. Maybe it’s the time of the day, maybe it’s the mood, or maybe it’s the way my heart can’t help but be swallowed in gratefulness whenever I look at him.

“What?” I ask.

“Do you know water has memory?” 

I choke on my beer, “do not-- and I mean this-- do not quote Frozen with me.” 

“Huh, I tried.” 

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

“So, Kevin huh?” 

My eyes shoot up to meet Emma’s in her crusty-dust-filled mirror, presently lounging on her bed and flipping through a book as I had been trying on my bridesmaid gown. Kevin is downstairs, helping out with the barbeque grill with the rest of the family, and it is only now that I get to have some alone time with the woman I consider my sister. 

She’s the only one that knew the exact details of my breakup, and that Kevin is only a mere replacement to cover my humiliated ass. I remember her trying to calm me down when I had called in a frenzy, practically hyperventilating because of the amount of pain that gripped at my heart and was choking me of all air. 

I revert my eyes back to the dress, a baby blue as bright as a summer sky, and smooth my hands down my sides, “he’s been so good to me, ever since…” I can’t finish the sentence, voice already wobbling at the thought that comes with it.

“Hey,” Emma’s murmur causes me to look up, and in her eyes I see a flicker of understanding, “he’s not worth it.” 

“I know,” I swallow back the tears crawling up my throat, “I know, it’s just--a hard pill to swallow.”

A hand comes to a rest at my elbow, before my cousin tucks her chin atop my shoulder, “it’ll be alright, Y/N. He doesn’t deserve you." 

I nod. Then, just to change the subject so that I don’t break down in her arms, I gesture towards the dress, “so? How does it look?” 

Emma tugs at some pieces here and there, rearranging the fabric as she sees fit, “I think it looks good. You look gorgeous. Kevin will swoon, for sure.” 

“It’s not like that,” I hurriedly say as I strip out of the dress and put it back on its hanger, “we’re just friends.” 

“Mhm,” she throws me a pointed look, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips, “'just friends' doesn't feel right..” 

“Emma, really? Right after my breakup?” 

“He came to Mauritius just for you Y/N,” she squeezes my shoulders comfortingly, “doesn’t that count for something?” 

“Well, we’ve been friends since high school so…”

“I don’t think just any friend in high school would do such a thing if I asked,” Emma catches my eye in the mirror, her gaze deep and meaningful, “just think about that.” 

I just nod in hopes that she’ll stop yapping away at my nonexistent relationship with Kevin, whatever that means. The hole in my heart is still so raw and filled with pain that I can’t even start thinking about another relationship. The thought alone is enough to drain me of all energy and I decide to brush it off for now as I follow Emma out in the backyard now filled with familiar chatter and the smell of cooked meat wafting through the air, with the sky bruising a soft purple to signal the end of a long summer day. 

Catching sight of Kevin as I bring out one of the many salad bowls that my family has prepared, my lips can’t help but twitch into a slow smile when I see him by the grill, whipping away the multitudes of flies zipping back and forth as my other cousin deftly flips the sausages upside down with a trained rhythm that only years of experience can bring. 

“Kevin! You’re not doing your job right!” my cousin cries playfully. Kevin attempts to flap the newspaper around while screeching, “oh god, my eyes are burning!"

“Someone bring more meat!” My cousin hollers. 

“There’s more?!” 

“He’s doing a great job,” my grandmother’s voice brings my attention back to the salad bowl in my hands, and I quickly bend to kiss her cheek as she continues, “better than any of your other cousins. They never help out.” 

“That’s because you pamper them too much, grandma,” I grin at her and follow her to the dining table where my aunts are already settling down amongst themselves. 

The evening passes by with good food and good company, the sky darkening and dotting with a veil of stars that has Kevin gawking in awe. I'm not surprised, you don't see skies like that anywhere, a sky that isn't so intoxicated with modern chemicals. My uncles take it upon themselves to introduce Kevin to all the types of Mauritian delicacies, such as chickpea fritters we call 'gato pima', small balls of graped choko vegetable and minced pork 'niouk yen', and to top it all off, a plate of cornmeal pudding also known as 'pudine mai' that makes Kevin's eyes go wide with surprise.

"This is dessert?" He holds it up in his hand, "with ...cornmeal?"

"Sure is," one of my aunts chime in with a smile, "made it just this morning."

It's past midnight when we get back to our little apartment with Emma's dress hanging off my arms, which Kevin doesn't hesitate to grab from my hold despite my protests. 

"It's fine dude," he flashes me a quick smile, albeit tired, and my heart does this weird little squeeze in my chest at his thoughtfulness. 

He's kind. Too kind. I really don't deserve someone like him. 

"I'm sorry," I say as we settle onto the small couch, shoulders fitted snugly against each other, "my family is kinda overwhelming."

"No no," Kevin looks over, edges of his lips curled up, "I actually love your family, you know."

My chest warms, "thanks."

There is a moment of silence that we enjoy, the day's events sinking into my bones. 

"Hey," he murmurs.

"Hm?"

My eyes slide over to catch his, dark pools glimmering with a certain softness that catches my attention. 

I bite my lip. It suddenly feels a little warm.

"What is it?" I ask, voice hoarse.

"Is oreo a sandwich?" 

I sit up so suddenly that I jostle him, "wait--what?"

He grins up at me with that little nose scrunch that I can't help but find endearing, "is oreo a sandwich?" I open my mouth to answer but he beats me to it, "is cereal a soup?"

"Stop."

Reclining back to lace his hands at the back of his head, he says, "is ketchup a smoothie?" 

"Stop it."

"What about hotdogs? Are they sandwiches?" He continues in a singsong voice and rolling my eyes, I make a move to punch him once more. But he's faster, hand shooting out to hold my wrists. He pulls me over and I stumble, knee pressing against the side of his leg. 

"Come on. Answer it," he wriggles his eyebrows.

"Nope."

“Don’t be a party pooper.” 

“You’re so annoying.” 

"Are you sick of me yet?" His face is so close that I notice the creases at the corner of his eyes when he smiles.

"That's an understatement."

"But really, do you think oreo is a sandwich?"

"No! Oreos are just oreos!"

“You’re no fun,” He pouts before finally releasing his hold. I draw back with a roll of my eyes, settling beside him once more and pillowing my head onto his shoulder.

Emma’s right. Kevin had sacrificed so much to be here with me, and he doesn’t even know Emma. Yet, he immediately dropped everything so that he could be my plus one, so that I wouldn’t have to face the music alone. The thought makes my heart swell with emotion and suddenly I’m all too aware of his presence beside me. 

I shift to gaze at him, eyes tracing the curve of his nose, the indent above his lips before I whisper, “hey Kevin.” 

“Hm?” 

“Why’d you come?” 

His eyes flicker over to mine then. A heartbeat passes. For a moment, I wonder if he can hear my heartbeat suddenly throbbing a little too loudly in my chest. 

“Good question.” 

Another pause. 

“That’s not an answer,” I laugh slightly, to show that it’s all just fun and games.

But when I catch his eyes next, there’s something else brimming in them. They’re tender with emotion and it catches me so off guard that I almost don’t catch his next set of words:

“Because I care about you.” 

My heart gives a quick lurch but I somehow can’t tear my gaze away. I want to say something. Anything. 

But all I can muster is a soft, “oh.” 

“Why do you ask?” he asks, voice hoarse.

I hesitate, “Emma asked why. And...I guess I wanted to know too.” 

“Oh.” 

The air feels heavy, heightened with the things that are threatening to slip off the edge of my tongue. A mixed series of ‘but why’s and ‘can’t you tell me more’ jumbling up my thoughts with so many possibilities that I decide to stay quiet for the sake of not ruining the moment. Because there’s this lingering fear that once I do say something, then it’ll just pull me down a rabbit hole that I can’t crawl out of, that the only escape lies on the other side.

And I don’t know if I want to take that leap yet. My heart is already so fragile with the aftermath of a love that went wrong. I don’t know how much more I can take. 

So I just stay quiet and let out a soft sigh, and though Kevin shifts as if he wants to say something, he doesn’t. The question just hangs there between us, in-between the slithers of moonlight and in the cold Moka air, like a perpetual ghost we ignore as we drift off to sleep.

----------

Something shifts between us after that. It’s unspoken of, but suddenly, I am all too aware of Kevin as a whole. Things that I hadn’t noticed before surface as we spend most of our free time visiting the rest of the island; like how he loves ruffling his hair whenever he feels uncomfortable, or the way his bicep curls as his arm drapes over the wheel with the barest hint of muscle that is enough to be attractive yet subtle, or how he smirks in that attractive way of his whenever he thinks something is undeniably adorable. 

The good thing about having Kevin is that I don’t get to think of him all too much, which is a blessing in itself. It’s been days since I’ve shed another tear and for that, I have to say I’m glad that I’m making progress.

We spent the last few days before the wedding traveling around the island to visit all the touristy spots that I know Kevin will enjoy, like a hike all the way to the top of Le Morne mountain, where I explain that’s where slaves would throw themselves off when their masters would find them. We visited Bois Cheri, a tea-making factory where Kevin had the pleasure of tasting all different kinds of teas cultivated in the fields below, and ate lunch on the Caudan Waterfront as we gazed at the boats lulling along the harbour. 

“Woah, this place makes me feel like I’m in Aladdin somehow,” Kevin’s mouth is wide agape as his eyes try to take in the endless racks of stands selling fresh fruits and vegetables of the day. The Port-Louis Bazaar has always been one of my favourite places to visit, but it’s also one of the busiest. Even now as we attempt to squeeze our way through, people are jostling us here and there, causing me to press my bag to my chest in case any pickpockets are nearby. I prompt Kevin to do the same. 

“Hey Y/N, I wanna check out the bags over there,” Kevin motions towards the hand-woven baskets situated at the far end of the market and I nod as we keep moving forward with the crowd like a pair of salmons trying to swim upstream. But there’s so many people, it’s so suffocating that it gets hard to keep up with Kevin’s figure. Someone elbows my shoulder and I groan, stumbling to the side in irritation, only to get pushed forward by another. 

“Seriously--” I curse under my breath, when a hand suddenly appears before my eyes.

Looking up to see Kevin’s outstretched arm, I am only greeted with his bashful smile and averted eyes. 

“Come on,” he doesn’t even wait for my consent before slipping his palm over my own and tugging me along, his hold firm and strong despite his skinny frame and the action is enough to render a flurry of butterflies soaring over my stomach. 

Stop, I try telling my subconscious. That does nothing, however, to stop my neck from tingling with unfamiliar heat. 

Kevin’s hand feels so warm. It’s comfortable, safe. 

And I’m liking it a little too much.

He doesn’t let go when we reach the desired stand and talk over which bag looks the best and keeps his hand in mine for the entirety of our journey back to the car. Only when I unlock the doors that his palm finally drops from my hold and air rushes over my palm that is now a little too cold without his warmth. But while a multitude of questions are burning the back of my throat, they fall apart halfway through at the thought of his answer, before I decide to drop it altogether. 

Kevin, on the other hand, doesn’t seem the least bit affected. 

When the day of the wedding finally rolls around, I drive my car to Emma’s after a quick breakfast that Kevin surprised me with -- to my surprise, he’d managed to make a decent eggs and toast without burning the place down -- so that I can help her get into her gown and more importantly so that she doesn’t run away, lest her mind goes in a frenzy at the thought of tying the knot. 

“You’ll be fine,” I reassure her, teasing a few of her curls so that they slip down to her chest in a perfect wave. She looks stunningly beautiful, with her strapless white dress that shimmers with diamonds in the light with every movement she makes. 

I reach out to smooth over her veil so that it falls on either side of her face, frames her perfectly, and notice her big brown eyes staring back at me through her vanity mirror. 

“You look beautiful,” I can’t keep the awe from my voice. 

Her face blossoms into a smile, “you too.” 

“Ah come on, you can’t say that to me on your wedding day,” I shove her playfully on the shoulder, “you’re the star of the show. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.” 

“Okay mom,” she rolls her eyes before changing the subject, “So, how have things been? With Kevin?” My hands freeze in mid-action, “It’s good.” 

I don’t have to look at her to know that she’s giving me a pointed look.

I sigh, “well, okay. Maybe you’re right. About the whole…’just friends’ thing not being true.” 

“Why?” she straightens up, turns to me, “what happened? Did you kiss? Did he make a move--” 

“No we didn’t kiss,” I’m quick to answer as my cheeks heat up. And after a few beats of hesitation, I give her a summary; the way he’d looked at me that night with eyes that held so much in them that it had made my chest swell, the way that he’d snitch glances at me whenever he thought I wasn’t paying attention, and the fact that he’d grabbed my hand and didn’t let go even long after the crowd wasn’t an issue anymore. 

Emma’s eyes are wide and sparkling with a feeling that I know all too well, I can practically see the cogs turning in her head and quickly shook mine in rapid retaliation, “Emma, no.” 

“But--But he’s perfect for you!” she bellows in protest, “What do you mean ‘no’?!” 

“I can’t go there. Not after,...not now, it’s too soon…” 

She rolls her eyes, “it’s not like he’s asking you to marry him, christ’s sake. He likes you, and I feel like you’re only trying to deprive yourself because you feel like it’s not right.” 

“It’s not right--”

“Who says so?” she cuts me off then, her gaze hardening on mine with such intensity it takes everything in me not to flinch back, “who says it’s not right? It doesn’t matter if it’s after two days, two weeks, two months. You think I don’t know how it feels to be heartbroken? You can’t just keep thinking about the past. You’re going to hurt yourself that way.” 

My teeth sink down onto my lower lip, her words like ice-cold knives aimed straight at my chest. 

“What you can control, right now, is the present, Y/N.” 

“I know,” I mumble out half-heartedly.

“I can see it, you know, the way he looks at you,” she shakes her head, “even if you don’t like him back, you gotta be aware of all that he’s done for you.” 

Her hands find their way to mine, enclosing them in her grasp before squeezing them with such care that I can’t stop the tears crawling up the back of my throat. 

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs next, “I don’t want to pressure you if that’s not how you feel. That--That was not my intention,” her eyes latch onto mine, filled with understanding, “I just want you to be happy.” 

Happy. 

That’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time. 

“Don’t you dare cry now,” Emma says while waving her hands around in warning, “you’re going to ruin your makeup and we definitely don’t want that.” 

I sniffle, trying my best to hold in the tears now brimming through my eyes, “you’re right,” I attempt to smile, albeit it’s wobbly, “we don’t.” 

“Come here,” she tugs my arm so that I fall into her embrace. Her head finds her way to my shoulder and she hugs me tight, not caring that her veil is getting all bunched up and wrinkled, “you’ll be okay,” she whispers, one hand stroking my back, “you’ll be just fine, little one.” 

Then, pulling back and pushing a few strands away from my face, she flashes a bright smile, “we should probably head to the church soon.” 

----------

“We now declare you, Vincent and Emma, as husband and wife.” 

The church explodes in a round of applause and I join in the clapping, furiously trying to keep the tears of joy at bay. Vincent has been there for Emma ever since they met at work and it has been the most beautiful love story ever since; filled with the purest kind of love no one can imagine. Beside me, I feel Kevin’s hand coming to squeeze my shoulder in a reassuring manner and I feel warm all over despite the rush of emotion in my heart. 

The wedding reception is to take place at a fancy restaurant overlooking the harbourfront. Our family has booked the venue for the evening, and as I enter, I take in the baby blue veils that come down each corner of the restaurant, sprinkles of glitter here and there as we make our way to our assigned tables that each have a baby blue napkin shaped in swans. 

I don’t even have time to place my butt down when I hear a voice call out, “Y/N! Look how big you’ve gotten!” 

Of course, big wedding ceremonies only mean that we get to meet all of our extended family that we haven’t seen since forever, and they’re all too happy to chat with me about living overseas. Soon enough, I’m bustled off to a table and look back over my shoulder to mouth a quick “I’m sorry” to Kevin. Bless his soul, for he only smiles and shakes his head, his hand motioning for me to go on.

I manage to catch up with cousins I haven’t seen since I was a little girl, talk over appetizers with excited aunts who want to know all about how it feels like to live away from family for such a long time, and nod along to the old uncles trying to get me to give a concrete answer about when and where will my wedding take place. 

“Come on Y/N! You’re the next one after Emma for sure,” one of my uncles bellow, face flushed red as a result of the glasses of wine he has downed like water. He is Emma’s father, no surprise that he’ll want to get drunk from happiness and pride. It is his daughter’s wedding after all. 

He leans close with a conspiratorial look in his eyes, “so tell me,” his eyes glance over to Kevin, currently deep in conversation with another one of my distant aunts. I watch as he says something to make her laugh, and something inside my chest warms at the action, “is he the lucky guy that’s going to ask for your hand?” 

“Do you think he’s the one?” another uncle pipes up. 

I purse my lips and attempt to shrug, “it’s early days,” I try laughing it off although it sounds forced, “who knows what can happen.” 

“He’s a good kid,” an aunt says, “you know how we all have this sixth sense? Well Y/N, I have a good feeling about this young man. Don’t let him go. Something tells me he’s a keeper.” 

A wild imaginative speculation, considering that we’re not even dating. But I nod along and say that yes, I’ll tell them whenever I decide to tie the knot.

It’s only when the dance floor opens and people start pooling onto the dance floor after the first dance -- led by no other than the bride and groom themselves -- that I finally allow myself to breathe. I find my way back to my chair, back to Kevin’s warm smile flashing in my direction as his eyes take in the fatigue lining my face. 

“You look like you could use a drink,” is the first thing he tells me the moment I plop my butt onto my designed seat, the one that’s been kept cold ever since I stepped foot into the dining hall. 

I gratefully accept the glass of wine he offers me, swallowing it down in a few gulps, “thanks,” I sigh with relief, “I needed that.” 

“How was catching up with family?” 

“It couldn’t be as bad as being left behind,” I peer over at him, guilt flooding me at the prospect of having left him all alone, “sorry. It’s just that everyone--” 

“Oh stop that,” Kevin nudges my shoulder with his, “don’t be sorry. It’s totally normal. I’m happy for you. And I wasn’t left behind. I had a wonderful time talking to your aunt. She seemed so happy to tell me what your childhood was like.”

“Bet you liked that, didn’t you?” 

“Hey, it works as blackmail. Why wouldn’t I like that?” 

“Dork.” 

“You’re friends with this dork.” 

“Oh piss off,” I slap his shoulder playfully in retaliation, causing him to laugh softly as we watch couples glide across the dance floor like swans over water. The lights have dimmed, the yellow hues now replaced by soft cool blues and purples that cause Emma’s dress to shimmer every time she turns. She’s absolutely stunningly beautiful, and the way she and Vincent are gazing at each other just scream of pure love that wraps around them in a golden mist so enchantingly beautiful that I find myself catching my breath in the back of my throat. 

“She’s so beautiful,” the words fall from my mouth without meaning to, and I feel Kevin’s eyes on my face from the corner of my peripheral.

“You are too.” 

I bite my lip and narrow my eyes at him playfully, “thanks, but why do I have a feeling that this isn’t a compliment?” 

“It isn’t,” he holds my gaze, “it’s just the truth.” 

Emotion lodges at the back of my throat. I stare at him. He stares back, a glimmer of tenderness echoing through the dark pools of black, his whole expression relaxed into a face that appears flooded with affection for--

Me. 

For some reason, no words seem to come to me as I open my mouth and close it. Embarrassment slowly bubbles through my stomach. I look away, unable to contain the goosebumps suddenly exploding across the back of my neck with that same familiar uncomfortable sensation I keep getting around him these days. Like I’m standing atop a cliff and preparing myself to jump.

“Wanna dance?” 

I blink in surprise, before turning to the said young man beside me who has his head cocked to the side with that same expression. My heart can’t help but squeeze inside my chest before I push down the rising protest searing through my brain. 

I nod. And off we go onto the dance floor. His hands settle on my waist, mine atop his shoulders in a casual sling. There’s enough distance between our bodies to show that we’re not together and yet, I can’t deny that electrical tension that keeps on pulling me towards Kevin like a magnet. I wonder if he feels it too, that searing heat that is so palpable I can feel sweat break out from the back of my neck. Asking, though, would mean that I’m aware of what’s happening, asking would imply that I want something to happen.

Maybe I do. 

Maybe I do want to grab life by the reins myself and steer it wherever I want it to go. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

I blink. Right up into Kevin’s brown orbs, his hair catching the shades of blue from the disco balls. My throat runs dry. 

“Uh--” my mind tries to scramble for a response, any response, “just--uhm, it’s kind of like our last day here.” 

He cocks his head, “sad?” 

“Kinda. I like it here,” my eyes brush over Emma and Vincent’s forms in the vicinity, catch my grandma sitting at one of the tables, little cousins running all over the place. Then, I look back at the said young man gazing at me with that undecipherable look in his eyes that makes my heart sing, and try not to squirm as I continue softly, “it feels like home.” 

“We can always come back,” he uses ‘we’ as though it’s now an adventure kept between the two of us, a secret to our own little neverland that nobody knows about. I can’t help but smile at the thought. 

“Do you want to come back?” I ask.

“Are you kidding? Hell yeah I want to come back. The views are amazing, the food is out of this world, and your family has been really kind to me.” 

“I’m sorry, they are kind of overbearing when you first get to know them.” 

“I love it,” Kevin says seriously, “I love that they’re overbearing. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.” 

If I had any doubts, the sincerity dripping from his eyes is enough to wipe out any suspicions left from his compliment. The sudden urge to hug him rocks through me and my hands fist on the back of his shirt in response. 

We keep on dancing silently, bobbing from one foot to another for a few minutes more before he speaks up softly. 

“Y/N?” 

“Hm?” 

“I wouldn't mind getting married here.” 

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “really now?” 

“Yup,” he grins, “really.” 

“Your future wife will have me to thank for that.” 

“Maybe my future wife won’t have to thank you.” 

There it is. That same borderline flirting that’s been happening for days on end. 

“And why is that?” I probe, partly just to tease him, and partly because I just want to know.

“Maybe she might be right here, in this room.” 

“Didn’t know you were into one of my cousins,” I start looking around the room, only for one of his hands to cup my cheek to turn my face back to his. 

There is none of that teasing glimmer now. His eyes are darker, gazing down at me with such emotion that the breath catches in the back of my throat and the air halts in my lungs. We gaze at each other for a few beats longer, before I feel his thumb graze my cheek. Gently, so gently like he’d stroke a flower petal. 

Swallowing at the heat of his hand cupping the side of my face, my hands unconsciously tighten on the back of his neck. He senses my nervousness, but only pulls me slightly closer so that we are mere millimeters from each other, noses hovering over each other in a space that causes my heart to stutter inside my chest. 

When he opens his mouth next, his alto is hoarse, pent-up with emotion. 

“I wasn’t talking about your cousins.” 

My heart practically jumps to my throat, teeth biting onto my lip. 

I can’t hear the music, nor the people. I can’t hear anything except for my pounding heart and Kevin’s soft breaths washing over my face. 

His eyes search mine and we hold gazes for a moment too long.

“Y/N?” 

I press my lips together, “Y-Yes?” 

He moves even closer then so that his nose brushes mine in the most intimate of ways. 

“I--” 

“Y/N! I was looking all over for you!” 

We spring apart like we just got burnt just in time for one of my cousins to grab onto my arm. He sends an apologetic smile at Kevin, before explaining, “we just need to sort out the takeaways. She’ll be back in a second!” 

And without listening to my protests, he proceeds to drag me away from the said young man on the dancefloor. I look back, mouthing an ‘I’m sorry” once more -- it’s the second time that night!-- and see the raven-haired man laugh good-naturedly before shaking his head and waving me away. That does nothing to keep my heart from cartwheeling out of my chest, swelling up with such affection that I grin back despite the earlier predicament. 

One thing’s for sure: I’m not done talking with Kevin Moon yet. 

----------

I find him sitting alone in the tiny garden that overlooks the decorated pavillon a few hours later. His figure, illuminated by the soft yellow hues of interior light, seems to glow in the dark, the moon bouncing off his hair and catching the strength of his cheekbone when he turns and catches me staring. He only smiles though -- that beautiful tender smile that I keep seeing more and more these days -- before waving me over. 

“What are you doing out here all alone?” I ask as I reach his figure. A soft breeze dances along the back of my spine, cool in contrast to the warm stickiness of the air. 

“Your smaller cousin was showing me what she’d learnt in astronomy at her school,” he tilts his head up at the sky, “she’s quite the prodigy at that.” 

“The next woman to land on the moon,” I joke.

“Jeez, I should get her autograph.” 

“Wise idea,” that’s when I feel his hand slip into mine and I look down at him, blinking. He grins a little shyly, before tugging me forward so that I all but stumble right into him, halfway sprawled across his lap. 

Heat explodes through my chest at the proximity of our bodies and I can’t help but avert my gaze from his, partly embarrassed that maybe there might be someone around to see, and partly because it’s only recently that I’ve started seeing Kevin in a new light that being so close makes my heart choke up and my mind to run blank. 

We’re close. So close I feel his breath mingle with mine. My hands settle atop his chest lightly, “Kev,” I breathe out but nothing follows, too scared to verbally voice out what is going on for fear that it might all crumble into nothing. 

I don’t want false hope. I also don’t want his heart -- or mine -- to break. 

This friendship is too precious to let go. I can’t imagine a life without Kevin in it.

“Listen Y/N,” Kevin’s voice is soft, a hushed murmur resonating through his chest as his eyes search mine, “I think we both know what’s happening here.” 

I nod mutely. 

Taking a shaky breath, he continues, “I don’t want to do anything that will hurt you. I know it’s been tough and that you’re still healing. I just--I just want to know.” 

As his words wash over me as gently as the forest leaves rustling around us, I feel the warmth of his hand cupping my cheek, holding me like I am fine china and stroking my skin with his thumb so that butterflies suddenly rush along my middle.

I bite my lip so hard I can taste blood, " I-- well, I think you already know how I feel."

"I know," he breathes, "but I need to hear it from you."

As if it isn't hard enough to come face to face with my own feelings, having Kevin stare me down as though I put the moon in his sky makes me want to squirm with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. 

“I like you,” I blurt out then, “a lot.” 

There is a few seconds delay, before a shit-- eating grin --the biggest I’ve ever seen -- spreads across Kevin’s face like sunshine peeking through the clouds.

“Enough for us to go on a date?”

I nod mutely. I don’t trust my voice, not right now when I already feel so pathetic. Kevin’s grin softens into a tender smile, one that I can’t help but return when our eyes meet in the most intimate of ways. Suddenly, the air feels charged and alive with electricity, the heat between our bodies palpable as his hand moves to the back of my neck. 

He tugs. I follow. 

His lips find mine mid-way in a delicate kiss. 

It’s soft. Softer than any kiss I’ve ever had. Kevin’s mouth parts over my own in a gentle caress, before he tilts his head to the side and captures my lower lip between his. 

I gasp slightly at the contact, hands unconsciously tightening around his neck. 

Slowly leaning away, I notice the film of lust like a dull glow at the back of his maroon orbs, just the slightest hint that he wants me as a woman. And that makes my lungs constrict, air suddenly halting in the back of my throat.

My skin is prickling with the aftermath of his touch. I let out a soft breath before he covers my mouth with his once more and all thoughts fly out of my brain the moment he does. 

I don’t really know how long we spend outside, exchanging the softest of kisses underneath the moonlight, until I hear the soft exclamations of my family’s voices suggesting that it is time to head home. So I part from the said man and can’t help but blush at the lack of space between our bodies.

“We should probably head back,” I hate how wanton I sound, like I’ve just sprinted a mile when in truth I’ve been sitting in this very spot for the last hour.

He agrees and I descend from his lap, his hand subtly finding mine as we walk back to the wedding hall. 

Emma is still saying her goodbyes, her hair now dotted with glitter, probably from the decorations that my younger cousins took pleasure in bathing her in. Her face lights up as soon as she spots our entwined hands and I try not to meet her eyes for I know exactly the kind of smug look she'll be giving me. 

"Enjoyed the wedding?" She says as soon as we're within earshot.

"That must've been the best cake I've had in my life," Kevin lets out a dramatic sigh, "and that says something."

"Do I trust your taste buds though?" She teases.

"I'd be offended if you didn't," he gasped in mock offense, before they both break into playful chuckles.

As we exchange our goodbyes and Vincent engages Kevin in a conversation, Emma takes this chance to drag me to her side as she whispers, "so you gonna tell me the tea or am I going to have to extract it from you?"

I press my lips together as I try to control the heat searing through the back of my neck, "...we kissed."

She gasps, "No way! OH MY GOD! Are you guys a thing then?!" The answer is as clear as water on my face and she clamps a hand over her mouth, would've jumped up and down if she could've, "OH MY, OH MY GOD. I knew it! I just knew this was going to happen--"

"Shut up!" I hiss, scared that Kevin might overhear and think I'm a big fat tattle tale. My eyes quickly swivel over to his and I'm glad to find his head bent towards Vincent in concentration. 

"You need to tell me everything," Emma's eyes are sparkling, "like--as soon as you have some free time."

"You--" I send her a pointed look, then jerk my head at Vincent, "--need to tell me everything."

"Oh I will, don't worry."

"Anyway, I'll talk to you after your honeymoon."

"Okay," I turn around to find Kevin, not failing to notice the smirk playing on Emma's lips. I slap her arm in response, causing her to laugh before she calls out: 

"Don't forget to use protection!"

-----------

"We'll come back right?"

That's the first thing that Kevin states as soon as we step inside security, away from the tears of my family that I just left behind a few seconds ago. My heart still aches when I think of their faces, all crumpled and blinking at me with tissues in hand and noses as red as traffic lights. But I seek comfort upon feeling Kevin's hand slip through mine as we walk towards our destined gate. 

"Sure," I look at him; at his red-tinted cheeks (probably the aftermath of a sunburn), his newly tanned skin a fresh contrast against his white shirt, and the permanent grin that seems impossible to wipe off his face. My heart instantly flutters.

It's only been a few days since we've confessed our growing romantic interest in each other, but I can already feel the weight of his love pouring out of his heart and into mine the moment he realized that my arms would be there to catch him when he fell.

"I'm not going to wake up to an empty bed tomorrow morning, am I?" He’d joked when we stumbled, half-asleep, into Emma's flat after the wedding. 

I frowned at him, "Why would you think that?"

"Just in case you think that kissing me was a mistake."

A small pause ensued, in which I realized that despite all my fears and all the pain I had been carrying in my heart ever since we landed on my motherland, I had not once considered how Kevin might be feeling at this very moment. 

My eyes quickly took note of his countenance, sweeping right up to his face only to notice the flash of vulnerability in his eyes, the way the corners of his mouth were tense, cheekbones taught against his skin as he awaited for my answer with baited breath. 

Clearing my throat, I whispered, "it wasn't."

A soft smile tugged at his lips, "good to know."

His answer seemed so genuine, so wholehearted that my chest tightened in a mixture of gratefulness and affection, so much so that my arms automatically reached for him to tug him close. My nose found its rightful place at his neck and I breathed in his comforting  lilac smell that I enjoyed so much.

I felt him take a breath. Then, softly, a hand caressed the back of my head. I buried even closer if that was possible.

"I really want this to work," my words were a muffled mess and I was surprised that he understood.

"Me too," he murmured into my hair, "and it will work. I promise I won't break your heart Y/N."

Looking back now at this tender moment in which we both weren't certain of where we were stepping, I can't help but laugh at the thought, for now the love and attraction is so natural I'm amazed it has taken this long to flourish. 

Maybe I hadn't been looking the right way. Maybe I had been searching so far out and wide that I hadn't noticed that my safe harbour is the one standing right beside me.

"Hey Kevin," I call out.

Kevin turns towards me, where he'd been watching planes take off from the ground into the gorgeously blue sunny sky.

"Yeah?" 

“I’m really glad you came.” 

There's a few beats of silence although his mouth immediately cracks into that gorgeous, crooked grin of his that I adore so much. 

“Me too.” 

----

[mimik-u]

Fragments III, 1-100

300 drabbles about Steven Universe/Future, 100 words each! These are the first 100 prompts and writer’s choices that have been fulfilled.

Asterisks are placed next to my personal favorites that I’ve written.

Baggage* — Steven meets his new therapist!

Eternity —How about a Bellow interaction you've always wanted to see in canon but didn't get to?

Foe —Jasper is simultaneously satisfied and yet left deeply empty inside by her self-isolation on Earth, and doesn't understand how to even begin to process this dichotomy. (So she doesn’t.)

Letter — Young Greg's POV when he wrote those letters to his parents Steven found on Mr. Universe episode.

Sword —Connie interacting with someone she doesn't usually talk to by herself (ex Jasper, Bismuth, Lapis, etc.).

Reconciliation — Idk about you but I wanna see more Mega Pearl. The others have not met Mega Pearl.

Marks —How about... Spinel, and the tiny, everyday baby steps towards healing?

Tangled — Peridot finds out/is told about PD/RQ? (And is confirmed in her guess that Pearl is fancy...?)

Challenge* — How is Steven’s TubeTube channel doing?

Bruises — Priyanka tends to Connie's wounds after training sessions with Pearl. [Writer’s Choice]

Rest* — Yellow Diamond gets to relax. (She's the one who most expresses regret and real understanding. Let her take a nap! She deserves it!)

Barbecue* — Post-movie, during cleanup, Steven and Lars talk and plan the BBQ we got a glimpse at during the final song.

Ghost — Yellowtail and Greg talk about fatherhood and how it can be ruined (mentioning Marty and Greg's father subtly).

UNO* — Date between Pearls (platonic or otherwise).

Height — The pebbles!!! They're so small???? Where are they? *Sobs, points at the Heaven and Earth Beetles.*

Embrace — Steven gets a well-deserved cuddle pile from family and friends.

Constructs — Bismuth and Peridot have a lot more in common than they think.

Horns — Amethyst makes an unexpected new friend at Little Homeschool. (Whichever other character you feel would fit best!)

Garden — Pre-show scene. While having a funny chat, Greg mentions something that reminds Rose about her abandoning Spinel, which makes her regret more of her choices.

Advice — Garnet can tell when Stevonnie has a lot on their mind. [Writer’s Choice.]

Hum — Yellow and her relationship with music.

Love* — Pearl considering her romantic feelings towards someone and thinking about how she's finally moving on from Rose. (Doesn't mean she'll ever forget her.)

Kid — A glimpse into “Sadie Killer.” Maybe when they played their first show, while Steven was still in the band. Celebrating afterward or a discussion on why Steven didn't stay IN the band?

Troubleshooting* — Integration of gem communication networks and Earth Internet and phone lines and the resulting inevitable disaster.

Fairytale — Connie gets a tour of Little Homeworld.

Hope — Jasper finally starting to let her guard down and realize her self worth.

Song* — As for prompts... Steg? Like, him in general, just being himself. It's a bummer we only got to see him in the movie.

Mistakes* — Steven talking to someone (not a therapist, just another character) about his trauma?

Forgiveness — The Topaz fusion reconnects with the Crystal Gems at Little Homeschool and apologizes for her role in the kidnapping all those years ago.

Visions — Sapphire and Ruby reflect on the events of "Together Forever." [Writer’s Choice]

Reunited — Maybe a scene where Yellow comes home from a long escapade and is reunited with a worried Spinel?

Beginnings — After CYM, Lapis and Peridot discuss where to live since the barn is destroyed.

Pet* — White Diamond happily announces one day that she has decided to take in a small creature (of your choosing) as a pet.

Together — What were Doc, Army, Navy, and Leggy doing during Future?

Desert — Steven meeting Lion from Lion's perspective. I dunno, I think it could be neat.

Freedom — For a post-CYM/SU:F prompt, what do you think about the exact moment it hit either Blue or Yellow Pearl that they were completely free to follow their whims?

Apologies — Greg apologizes to Steven due to the incident in “Mr. Universe” and both have the talk they should've had in that episode.

Change — Blue and Yellow Zircon's relationship has improved even if they are now rivals in the new democratic Homeworld. This last tiny bit is related to the “Homeworld Bound” episode.

Hug — Bellow cuddling. Yellow has no idea what to do, but Blue is loving it.

Valentine* — Steven gives Peridot a Valentine's Day gift. [Writer’s Choice]

Spite — Aquamarine and Eyeball are distraught at knowing they won't be rewarded for their actions because their worst enemy, Steven Universe, has been labeled a hero and royalty by the Diamonds.

Reevaluation — How about more Peedee and Steven friendship? Like, Peedee noticing Steven’s change in demeanor the farther along the show we get?

Camp — Connie kicking ass at space camp.

Family — The night after the events of the movie, Steven gets some quality family time.

Homestretch — Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth spend time together while preparing Little Homeworld.

Enough — We know what Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck are gonna do for their futures, but what's Kiki been up to? Is she gonna take over the pizzeria?

Spillage — Vidalia and Amethyst catch up after Steven's monster episode.

Reformation — White Diamond has learned how to be so extremely empathetic to the point that she literally becomes another person, but has she really begun to understand others?

Comment* — Sardonyx makes some Internet videos.

Unicorn — While traveling through California, Steven encounters two fishermen arguing about unicorns. [SU/GF crossover.] [Writer’s Choice]

Worry — Andy and Greg stay in touch.

Homerun* — I hopal for Opal—perhaps she will attempt some baseball.

Skydancer — Post-CYM, Pearl getting to “truly” take Steven out for a joy ride through the cosmos in a properly operational ship of her design.

Mercy* — The shattering-is-wrong discussion between Rose and Bismuth that led to Bis being bubbled.

Happy — Smoky Quartz hasn't made a self deprecating joke in a while—is it Steven's therapy?

Electric* — Yellow’s gloves—I feel like they’re covering something up, maybe.

Cake — Fusion Cuisine 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Belonging — The Rose Quartz sisters visit again.

Transcendence — Fluorite offers someone wise caterpillar grandma advice.

March — Connie and Steven reflect on changes in life after the pandemic. Not canon compliant. [Writer’s Choice.]

Understanding — Onion be doing Onion things.

Ocean* — Andy and Steven post-”I Am My Monster”? I love their relationship, lol.

Ignorance* — Does Lapis even realize Bismuth was probably the one who poofed her?

Reflection — Did I already say more Mega Pearl? ‘Cause there can never be enough Mega Pearl.

Possibility* — Yellow deciding she should try putting shattered gems back together. (She probably broke the most.)

Storyboard — Peridot’s budding career as a storyboarder.

Fall — Lapis and Steven talk about trauma and recovery. Pre-The Future.

Limbo — How the dismantled gempire has affected the lives of noble gems like Emerald, Holly Blue Agate, and others.

Now — Garnet reminds herself to live in the present.

Grief* — Alexandrite forms for the first time. [Writer’s Choice]

Inauguration — Wait, did Connie's parents ever meet Stevonnie?

Please — Did Kevin ever learn anything? Naaaaaah....unless...

Friend — General prompt? A sequel/prequel to this, please [White D’s panther].

Treatment — Greg starting to learn more about gem stuff to be more involved in Steven's life if something ugly happens.

Numbers — Pearl, please do something with all those phone numbers in your head.

Generations — Rose continues to discover the wonders of Earth, even after all this time. (No angst allowed in this one, just pure wonder.)

Survival — The Off-Colors used to have more members in the past.

Acting — How did Rainbow 2.0 even get invited to babysit Onion?

Kindness* — Former Mayor Dewey coming to terms with his new position in town.

Play — The Gems and Greg try to capture Steven's first moments on a bike. [Writer’s Choice]

Documentary — Ronaldo makes a real actually informative documentary about Little Homeworld.

Rain — Blue Diamond still cries sometimes.

Zoophobia — Also, I saw Z and my immediate thought was "Zoophobia.”

Echo* — Why does the tiny floating whale have Rose's voice before Steven ever heard it in the tape?

Sketch — Steven and Connie discover an anime character/mythological figure who bears an awfully similar resemblance to Obsidian.

Unironically — Why does Buck wanna be a doctor?

Club — How did Bismuth, Lapis, and Peri become such tight friends?

Nostalgia — Greg considers a comeback tour.

Pressure* — The creation of the Diamonds, maybe?

Coping — Amethyst and Pearl grapple with Rose's pregnancy. [Writer’s Choice]

Theatre — Sugilite, meet Rainbow 2.0.

Dadhood* — Whatever happened to Mrs. Fryman? IS there a Mrs. Fryman, or was it only a passing on-and-off thing that resulted in kids?

Lingering — Jasper finally lets Malachite go.

Human — Steven talks to his therapist about his mom, the feelings of before and the now. (It was left open-ended—his relationship with his mother.)

Words — Kofi is proud of his daughters.

Quest — [Letter prompt] Quest.

Picture — Sour Cream and Steven talking about absent parents and bad parenting. Post-The Future.

Bittersweet* — Shep finally gets to meet the notorious Lars.

Gemini — Spinel discovers memes and we're all doomed.

Weird — When he's younger, Steven doesn't quite know how to label the Gems.

[noona-clock]

Now or Never - Part 4

Genre: College!AU

Pairing: Jae x You (Female!Reader)

Warnings: Angst, cursing

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | Words: 3,328

“Is everything okay, sweetie?” Jae’s mom asked when you shuffled into the kitchen the next morning. “Jae ran out of here and didn’t even tell us why he was going to pick you up.”

Truth be told, you really wanted your own mom right now, but Jae’s mom was a very agreeable alternative. The way she was looking at you, her eyes filled with concern and her forehead wrinkled, almost made you want to cry. But that also could’ve been because you were emotionally and physically exhausted.

“I just... had a fight with my boyfriend,” you admitted with a shrug as you approached her by the stove. She was already busy cooking breakfast, but she paused to turn around and greet you with a hug.

“Aww, honey,” she murmured, squeezing you and rubbing your back. “It happens. Was it that bad?”

You simply sighed before pulling away and lifting your shoulders into a shrug. You still didn’t really want to talk about it, especially with Jae’s mom. It would just be a little embarrassing to admit to your best friend’s mother that your boyfriend had left you at a party.

“Well, you are welcome to stay here until school starts again,” she told you as she cupped your chin in her hand and shot you a very motherly smile.

“Thank you,” you grinned. “I appreciate it so much. I’m actually really glad I get to see you guys.”

“Yeah, Jae was telling us about your messages,” she replied, turning back to the stove.

“Can I help?” you asked. You stood on your toes to peer over her shoulder, though you could smell the bacon all the way from upstairs.

“Oh! N--no, that’s fine,” Jae’s mom chuckled awkwardly.

She had learned her lesson quickly after letting you help the first time you’d come to visit and overcooked the eggs into a rubbery mass. And then burnt the toast. 

I mean, seriously. How do you burn toast? Everyone knows not to set the toaster on the highest setting for toast.

But, then again, why did you go to Taco Bell so much? Because you were incapable of whipping yourself up a late-night snack, that’s why.

But anyway.

“You just go sit, sweetie, it’ll be ready soon,” Jae’s mom said, shooing you over to the kitchen table.

Just as you sat down in one of the chairs, curling a leg up underneath you, Jae appeared in the doorway with two things: your phone in his hand and a very impressively rumpled head of hair.

“Wow, someone must have a photoshoot later or something,” you quipped, trying incredibly hard to hold back a sputtering laugh.

“Shut up,” Jae tsked before handing you your phone. “It’s been going off like crazy.”

You smirked at him, and after he headed over to the fridge (reaching up a hand to attempt to smooth down his hair), you shifted your gaze to your phone screen.

...Surprise, surprise.

Messages and calls from Kevin.

You had taken Jae’s advice last night and let him know you were okay, but you hadn’t said anything about where you’d gone. Truthfully, you didn’t feel like he deserved to know. If he had been willing to just leave you at some random person’s house, then obviously, he didn’t care that much about where you were.

...Okay.

Well.

That didn’t seem exactly fair.

Kevin had been angry. You’d done a lot of stupid shit out of anger, too. You’d never left Kevin anywhere, but you also hadn’t found messages on his phone complaining about you.

And besides. He was still your boyfriend. You should at least read what he had to say.

Jae couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a more perfect day.

His dad and grandparents had joined everyone else in the kitchen not too much longer after he’d arrived and handed you your phone, and all six of you had eaten breakfast together. You and Jae had occupied the barstools at the kitchen counter while the four older adults sat at the table.

You had spent the whole meal catching his parents and grandparents up with your life, and Jae had found himself secretly smiling so many times. It was almost too much for his heart the way you got along so well with his family. And the way they loved you as if you were actually a family member.

Even though he had given up the idea long ago, he still held onto a tiny bit of hope that one day you really would be their family member.

After breakfast, the older adults had proclaimed they were going out and about for the day; Jae’s mom and grandma were going shopping for after-Christmas sales while his dad and grandpa were going to hit up the golf course.

Jae had looked over at you at the exact same time you’d looked over at him.

“Pajamas all day?” you asked.

“Video games all day?” Jae added.

And then you’d both nodded in unison.

For the next Jae didn’t even know how many hours, the two of you had lazed on the couch in your pajamas playing video games, watching movies, eating snack after snack after snack... and you know what the best part was?

You didn’t bring up Kevin once.

You didn’t say his name, you didn’t even mention the fact you had a boyfriend, and you gave not one single hint that you were worried or upset about anything.

Like I said. Jae couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a more perfect day.

When Jae’s mom and grandma got home from shopping later that afternoon, the two of you were both crying laughing about something in your video game. It was one of those situations where you had made some mildly amusing comment but then Jae had added something to make it a little funnier and then you had built on that to make it even funnier, and now here you both were five minutes later with tears streaming down your cheeks.

“What’s so funny, you two?” Jae’s grandma asked, poking her head into the living room.

“Nothing, Grandma,” Jae laughed. “Just -- you had to be here.”

“How was your shopping?” you inquired as you wiped your eyes with the cuff of Jae’s t-shirt.

“We found so many good things!” Jae’s mom called out from the kitchen where she was obviously rustling through the shopping bags. “You should have come with us, Y/N!”

“But then she would’ve missed out on playing video games with me!” Jae retorted with a slight smirk.

“Okay, well, I bet she does that all the time at school,” Jae’s grandma tutted.

“Oh, no,” you assured her, though the false sincerity in your voice wasn’t quite hidden. “We don’t play video games at school, we’re too busy studying.”

Jae pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, and then his mom replied with, “...Uh-huh. I definitely believe that.”

You nudged Jae’s knee with your own, and the two of you giggled under your breath.

“What do you guys want for dinner?” Jae’s mom asked then. “Dad and Grandpa will be home in about an hour. I can hop over to the grocery store if there’s something you’re in the mood for.”

Before Jae had the chance to tell his mom he was super craving some fried chicken, you answered her with, “Oh, I won’t be here for dinner.”

Jae furrowed his brow immediately, pausing the game and frowning over at you. “You’re not?”

“Why not?” Jae’s Grandma asked.

“I, uh -- my boyfriend’s picking me up and taking me back to his place so I can get my stuff.”

...What did you just say?

“Why can’t he bring your stuff here?” Jae asked, feeling his heart start to pound inside his chest. Surely you were coming right back here after getting your stuff... right?

“Well,” you sighed. “We’re heading back to school tomorrow and --”

“You’re going back to school with him?” Jae interrupted in clipped tones.

“We have a lot to talk about,” you explained, though you weren’t quite meeting Jae’s eyes as you spoke. “He’s been messaging me all day, and we really need to talk in person.”

Jae couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Not only were you leaving Jae’s house after he rescued you from that party last night, but you were leaving with Kevin. And going back to school with him?!

“I should actually get ready,” you murmured, setting down your game controller and pushing yourself off the couch. “He’ll be here soon-ish, I think.”

Obviously, Jae immediately followed you, and once the two of you were out of his mom and grandma’s earshot, he hissed, “You’re kidding me, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you weren’t talking to him.” Though what he’d really wanted to say was, ‘I thought you were going to break up with him.’

“I wasn’t,” you assured him. “I’m still upset. I just think we need to talk about it in person.”

You turned the corner in the downstairs hallway, holding onto the stair banister as you headed up to Jae’s room.

“You can’t wait until we get back to school? Why do you have to talk to him now? Why do you have to go back to his house?”

Jae was quite convinced these were all very valid questions.

“Because... that’s just what I think I need to do,” you answered with a shrug, a slight hint of annoyance in your voice.

“But why --”

You stopped suddenly, and Jae almost ran into you right there on the stairs.

“Jae, you know I love you,” you snapped.

Oh, boy, this did not sound good.

“And I am so thankful you came and picked me up. I will owe you for the rest of my life for this, but it’s not your relationship. You don’t know Kevin like I do, and I know he left me there at that party, but I also know that he does love me. And I love him. We’ve been together for a year, and in a relationship, you have to talk about things. You have to work through things together.”

You were the absolute last person from whom he wanted to hear relationship advice. Like, the very last person. He’d rather get a love lecture from... I mean, literally anyone else.

“I know you’re my best friend, but it isn’t really your place to butt into my relationship like this.”

There were so many things he could say right now. So many things he wanted to say.

I just want what’s best for you.

I care about you, and I’m just trying to look out for you.

I don’t want you to get hurt.

You deserve so much better than him, why can’t you see that?

If you don’t break up with him, I don’t know how much more I can take.

PLEASE BREAK UP WITH HIM!

But he was scared that if he said any of those things, you would only get upset with him. You would tell him it was none of his business and storm out and not talk to him for a month.

That had never happened before in all three and a half years of your friendship, but it was a possibility!

And also... you were actually right. He was your friend, and unless you asked him to, he really had no right to butt into your relationship with Kevin. It was your life. You were more than capable of making your own choices, even if the choices you made were frequently the wrong ones. You had the right to make your own mistakes -- and, hopefully, learn from them.

So, instead of saying any of the things he wanted to say, he simply backed down a step and murmured, “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”

He backed off and let you get ready. He backed off and watched you hug his parents and grandparents goodbye. He backed off and stood there as Kevin’s car pulled into his driveway.

He backed off and let you leave with him.

And it nearly broke his heart into a million pieces to do it because he knew, deep down, this was the last straw.

Kevin had treated you like shit for a year. He had manipulated you into spending Christmas away from your family, and he had literally left you at a party where you’d known absolutely no one.

And you had still gone back to him.

You were pretty nervous as you got in Kevin’s car, you weren’t going to lie.

His messages had seemed apologetic, but you knew him well enough to be a little wary of seeing him in person.

But, as soon as you sat down in the passenger’s seat, Kevin leaned over and placed a soft, tender kiss on your cheek. He reached out and tucked your hair behind your ear. He said, “Hey, beautiful. I missed you.”

And all of your anxiety melted away. He had a way of doing that. If you were ever nervous that he was going to break up with you or that he would start the fight to end all fights, he had a talent of soothing those nerves with just one kiss or one smile or one “Hey, beautiful. I missed you.”

A tiny smile quirked at your lips, and you looked over to see him already smiling back at you. And he took this opportunity to lean over once again and kiss you for real this time.

“Are you okay?” he murmured in-between kisses.

You hummed positively, nodding a little as you cradled his lips with yours, accepting and returning his kiss.

“Good,” he whispered. “Let’s go home.”

You nodded again, and that was that. He drove back to his house, and the two of you spent the rest of the evening acting like nothing had ever happened.

Don’t get it twisted, though -- you were still going to bring it up because you needed to talk about this. You weren’t going to let your boyfriend get away with deserting you at a party. But the two of you still had to drive all the way back to school together, so why not just enjoy this last night and save the tension for tomorrow?

And, boy, were you glad you did.

The two of you had enjoyed your last night of Winter Break (though there had been some awkward moments with his parents), and then not even ten minutes into your drive back to school, Kevin had said something so utterly ridiculous:

“I was upset at first, but I understand why you would call Jae and stay with him. I don’t like it, but I understand. And I forgive you.”

Your forehead wrinkled in confusion immediately.

“You... forgive me? What are you talking about?” you asked with a soft chuckle. Because surely he was joking.

“I mean, it was a huge slap in the face,” Kevin continued. “You’d been texting him all week when you should have been spending time with me and my family, and then when I tell you it upset me, you go running to him? You spend the night with him? Come on. But I know how long you’ve known him, and you don’t really have any other friends, so I forgive you.”

Hearing his little speech, you honestly felt like the white blinking man meme.

Like... what?

“I’m sorry,” you scoffed. “You forgive me? Kevin, that is bullshit, and you know it.”

“What?” he chuckled.

“I need to be the one forgiving you!”

“Uhh --” 

But you cut him off before he could say anything else infuriating. “You left me at your friend’s house, Kevin! I knew nobody there, you were my ride, and you just left me!”

“I was going to come back! I did come back, but you were already gone! Didn’t take you long to go running to Jae, huh?”

“Oh, you really expected me to wait for you?”

“I’m your boyfriend!” Kevin cried. “Don’t you trust me?”

“I thought I did, but why would someone I should trust leave me at a party?!”

“Oh, my god, will you just let that go?” he sighed, sounding completely over and done with everything.

What?!

“What?!” you shrieked. “Let that go?! No! I will not let that go! I didn’t know anyone there! Who knows what could have happened to me!”

“Those were my friends! And I came back for you!”

“How was I supposed to know you were going to come back?!”

“Because you’re supposed to trust me!” yelled Kevin.

“That is not a trust situation, that was a mind-reading situation. And I cannot read your mind, Kevin,” you retorted.

You could see Kevin grip the steering wheel, and he took a deep breath before he spat out, “I’m just sick of you running to him at the drop of a hat.”

“What are you talking about?” you asked with a laugh.

“Whenever you have a problem, you always go to him.”

“Well, he’s my --”

“Best friend, I know,” Kevin interrupted testily. “But put yourself in my shoes. Imagine that I had a female best friend. Imagine that I texted her constantly. Imagine that, whenever we got into an argument, I talked to her about it. Imagine that you looked at my phone and saw message after message to her just complaining about how you’re a shitty girlfriend.”

...Well. When he put it that way. But you weren’t ready to admit it to him just yet.

“But if you told me you were just friends, I would believe you! I wouldn’t try to get you to stop talking to her!”

“You say that because the situation isn’t reversed,” Kevin pointed out. “If it were really happening, you might feel differently.”

“I doubt it,” you muttered.

“All I’m saying is, I’m sick of him. I’m sick of competing with him when I am your boyfriend. I should come first.”

“But, see, I don’t think --”

“If you want to stay with me, you’re going to have to choose.”

“What?!”

“You have to choose between me and him.”

“Kevin, you’re being ridiculous! I can’t understand -- I mean, is the reason you don’t like him just because he’s my friend?”

“Does it matter why I don’t like him?”

“It matters to me!” you cried.

“I don’t like him because he’s a bad influence on you!” Kevin answered. “He puts thoughts into your head, he makes you think I’m the bad guy in this relationship when that is clearly not true.”

“Oh, so then I’m the bad guy,” you retorted. “Because if it’s not you then it has to be me.”

“Y/N,” Kevin sighed. “You’re getting off-topic. If you want to be with me, you’re going to have to stop talking to Jae.”

“Stop the car,” you told him.

“I’m sorry?”

“Stop the fucking car,” you repeated. You couldn’t be in here with him for one second longer. You weren’t even halfway back to school, but you didn’t care. You would call an Uber and get back yourself.

Kevin pulled to the side of the road, slowly rolling to a stop. When you opened the door, he called out, “Oh, come on! Don’t be so dramatic! Get back in here -- what are you going to do, walk?”

“If you were so concerned about it, why did you stop?” you pointed out as you reached for your suitcase in the back seat. “If you’re just going to keep telling me what to do for the rest of the way, I don’t want to ride with you.”

Kevin groaned, and you saw him actually roll his eyes. “Fine,” he ground out. “But don’t call me crying, asking me to come back and pick you up.”

“Oh, I won’t, trust me,” you sneered before slamming the door shut.

Kevin sped off, and you had never felt more like screaming and crying in your entire life.

Part 5

[rkxjongsuk]

Final Post ||

I spent most of yesterday evening and this morning just kind of mentally processing the actual closing of rookies after seven years. Seeing the amazing plans that would have come to fruition makes me a bit sad but also kind of happy that rookies ended where it ended. Thank you to the mods for prolonged effort to keep this rp running as long as it did and I am glad to have been here as long as I was. 

I first joined rookies six years ago on the 15th of October, 2014. 2014 and subsequently 2015 had been a chaotic formative years for me. At the time, I was in my third year of college, constantly questioning whether or not I should be doing my degree, watching my parents get divorced in the summer of 2015 and moving out of the house where I’d lived for twelve years. Rookies (at first through Sungjong in October and then through Kevin in March (03.04.2015) and Kris in April (04.29.2015)} was a writing escape and somewhat of a comfort. Over the years at rookies, I have grown, graduated from college with a business degree and ended up completely a different person then I was five years ago.  

My writing improved a lot and I can confidently say that it was mostly thanks to Rookies. I had been completely scared off writing after an English teacher bitched at me for my skills but thanks to rookies, I got more confident in my own skills. Sure, there’s been other rps before rookies and at the same time as rookies, but they had never lasted quite as long. Through the years, I have made some incredible friends through rookies and I am glad to have them in my life. You guys are genuinely the best and I’ll always love you. I have no intentions of ghosting any of you and hopefully, we’ll write again together somewhere else. 

Now, onto what everyone actually wants: rkmuses future and taking in the ideas and everything set out by Bianca in account, where they would end up?

rkxjongsuk: the trc vocal king, easter bunny, princess diva of youtube fame - formerly rkkevin 

I know I always used to say that I wanted him to debut the most since he’s my oldest muse,  but in all honesty, he would have never fit in the idol bubble. Going off the ideas set out by Bianca, however, his future would have been pretty satisfying. 

He would have ended up staying in TRC (since he had signed his contract for the second time back in may) and debuting as part of the rkmonstax group with the other trc boys in early 2021 (most likely as their main vocalist). Jongsuk would have felt pretty accomplished by this, and had been ready for the idol life. However, he was not ready for the rules and restrictions that would come into play with the group.  

he’d always had a kind of laissez faire approach to everything and so the idol life is kind of shocking to him. it wasn’t what he’d fantasized it would be. so, jongsuk would probably become the first member to officially leave the group before their six-year contract would expire citing personal difficulties and mental health issues (three years and a bit after debut) 

During those three years with the group, however, he’d make a name for himself as the King of OST. He would have gone on to King of Masked Singer (making it to R2 and shocking everyone with the high note octaves), gone on to be one of the trainers on the Voice of Korea partnering with Dynamic Duo, and make multiple appearances on Immortal Songs (a la Kyuhyun). Simultaneously, he’d also be collabing with idols across companies, most notably fellow former mga 3 contestant Gyeoul of And*Roma and Jiyeon of HEARTZ. 

Upon his departure from the group, he moved back to San Francisco and resumed his Youtube life and career. He would still support the rest of the boys, as an international fan and would always buy up a lot of their cds to support and tell his followers to stream. However, being back in his element, Jongsuk would feel a lot more relaxed and a lot more comfortable. 

A few months after his return home, he’d gain a collaboration with Smashbox or Morphe for a makeup line and he’d release an eyeshadow palette, two lipsticks and three eyeliners with the branding Smashbox x Stark: Rave on Mad (an homage to his youtube name: starkravingmad). He’d most likely send it in packages to his best friends in Korea. Jongsuk would find success in other fields outside of music and delve into what made his channel tick and what made him the happiest.  

Eventually, I think, he would have found love (maybe in the form of another tall actor who was in school 2013 with him) and been a happy youtuber, taking constant new challenges all over the place and always stepping to his own beat. 

As for his friends, he would have definitely gone back to Korea for Kangjoon’s eventual wedding and Jiyeon’s eventual wedding as well. The invites to visit him in San Francisco, California would have been extended to all his friends and even in his busy schedule, he’d always find time to show them all around the city that he’d been born. He’d even always be happy to see his former groupmates if they came on tour to California and would always be the first one for the backstage/VIP passes. 

rkxrm: the kt chaebol, nsg’s main rapper and actor extraordinaire - formerly rkkris, rkkmh, minhyukxrk

namjoon had always been the unwilling debut, since I honestly never saw him actually debuting before jongsuk and instead, here we are. he’s the established idol. 

With NSG’s debut having just happened, he would probably stick around as the rapper before KT began shoving him into acting everywhere. Most likely, would have ended up as leader of another subunit (maybe?) in the future putting that leadership expertise to the good use. After the first two successful comebacks, he would have gone into acting officially with the first main role on a web-drama as Cha Gihyun on A-TEEN. 

His charisma would have definitely shined and stolen the screen time since he’s a former actor already. Following initial drama success, he would have tried his hand in modelling and endorsement, with Honda and Skool Looks. He would have gone further in modelling and acting, eventually becoming more known as the actor Kim Namjoon than the rapper of nsg. 

He would have had his share of crazy fans (mostly noonas, pretty girls and drama grandmas) and even probably taken the top bias spot for quite a few people when they would have found out his past. Of course, during the course of promotions (I envision this would happen during Regular-Irregular promotions), it come to light that he’s an actual chaebol (he’s never hidden it but netizens think this is a big deal) and the heir to Kim Securities with a former Canadian award winning actress as his mother. It also comes to light the dysfunctional family dynamic that he’d always had with them.  

It caused some hardship between him and his family but he had the support of nsg behind him (his ride or die brothers and family) but in the end his family did began treating him a lot better and he eventually gained their support. 

He would have stayed with NSG all through their first contract, but probably wouldn’t have renewed and most likely would have either gone to acting agency where he could focus on acting or go back to that chaebol life and actually fully embrace it as a future heir. 

In terms of his love life, he would have officially asked Jiyeon to date him at the Halloween party and they would starred in a few dramas side by side (Cinderella and the Four Knights being their first). They would kept secretly dating and eventually after their mutual dating ban was over, would probably reveal it in a cute couple shoot for Ceci or Dazed and Confused (like E Dawn and Hyuna). After Joon would have left NSG (post contract non renewal), he would have probably still kept acting and modelling alongside Jiyeon. NamYeon would have been a lot like the Rain/Kim Taehee acting and visual power couple. 

He would have definitely still kept in close touch with the rest of nsg (since they’re like brothers) and even with all his former kt friends, loving the time that he had spent in the company. 

rksxngyeol: nova’s artist, the mangaka 

sungyeol had been an incredibly refreshing muse to write. he’s always been someone who actually doesn’t want to debut and he just wants to draw. i initially got him because minhyuk (joon) and jongsuk were getting really exhausting.  

there’s not much to say about sungyeol’s future. his contract with nova would have expired in november and he would have left the company on his own terms with the two years behind him. he learned a lot during those two years at nova and even realized a lot about himself. 

following his contract expiry, he would have asked his boyfriend (myungsoo) to move in with him over christmas with a key in a box  attached to a black butler keychain. if the other said yes, then the new year would have kicked off with the duo moving and cooking together and spending time with each other. 

sungyeol would have resumed drawing manhwa and mangas, combining his webtoon comic into a more professional looking five volume manga series with the same title. eventually he would have gotten an anime deal again and even a live action deal on his works (if your muse would have wanted to be in the live action of the Princess’s Sword, go for it). That would have propelled his family to actually recognize him as a talent and he would have been reinstated into the family. 

This would have led to myungsoo officially meeting Sungyeol’s family. His parents would have loved him to bits and his grandparents would have been iffy on it, but  his grandmother would end up dying three years after of heart attack and his grandfather would have followed her a year later of old age. 

After having dated Myungsoo for about five years, Sungyeol would have proposed to him and they would have most likely gotten married on the beach while on vacation somewhere warm. (we love a happy ending ;.;)  Also, he would have moved into a bigger house and brought Haebin with them so that they could be a cute happy family. 

Eventually, he would have come back to work for Nova as a producer and creative direction artist under Wendy as CEO (if that would have happened), and if not, he would have taken over his family’s company despite the lack of education and simply learned on the job. (Can I say that he would have been Myungsoo’s sugar daddy at some point even though they would be married or engaged at this point???) 

Thank you for reading to the very end and I love you all. Let’s stay friends and meet again in another rp. 

[thefifthsister-notactive]

Moon & Back

Spoilers for several Nikki Heat books!!

Future Fic!

The sound of her phone ringing broke through sleep and she heard her husband grumble.

“If that’s Jake again tell him we’ll send bail in the morning,” he moaned in his sleep and roll over away from the offending sound. Kate grabbed her phone, blinking an eye open and saw the face of her daughter lighting up the screen.

“It’s Lily.” Kate was wide awake now and worried. Castle sat up as she did and listened to her answer.

“Lily? You okay sweetheart?” Kate asked.

“Hi Mom. I’m not in jail or anything, promise. I’ll leave the trouble making to Dad and the boys,” Kate relaxed. “I know it's late there. I just…”

“Feeling a little homesick?” Kate relaxed back against the headboard, hearing it in her daughters voice. She exchanged a look of relief with her husband. It was hard for them, having their girl on the other side of the country.

“And needed my Mom... Go on, gloat.” Lily teased.

Kate mouthed ‘girl talk’ to her husband who smiled and nodded, laying back in bed and was happy to go back to sleep knowing his daughter was okay.

“You’ll never be too old to need me, little flower,” Kate teased right back. “You know you can call me anytime. What’s on your mind?”

Kate grabbed her robe and slipped into the office, settling herself into an armchair.

“Just missing home a little. I miss you. And Dad. Alexis and Eve. Even PB & J.”

“Well, I’d be happy to send your brother’s out there. As I recall there’s plenty of floor space in your dorm room for them.” Kate heard her daughter huff. “I’m serious. Your Dad and I could use the Loft to ourselves.”

“Gross. Besides, you’re worse than Dad. You’d be lost without the boys.”

Kate smiled. Yeah, turned out when Lily left for college she’d been worse than Castle, but she’d tried to do a better job at hiding it then he had.

“I love you three and as your mother I’m allowed to be overbearing. Believe me, Grandpa and Grandma did the same to me when I went to Stamford.” She felt the mood shift. “Lil?”

“I just finished reading Heat Storm,” Lily suddenly announced.

“You did?”

“Don’t tell Dad. I’ll never hear the end of it,” Lily laughed. He’d been outraged when Lily had said she’d never read the Heat books, that it would be too traumatic to read books based on her parents. The fact she had a Steven King novel in her hand at the time had not softened the blow in the slightest either.

“I promise. It’s bad enough he knows I read them. Hasn’t let that drop for almost thirty years.”

“Did you wish that was what happened? With Grandma? I… you never really told me that whole story with… with the guys that went after her. After you.”

Kate swallowed. “Every day I wished I could see her just one more time. Tell her how proud I  was she was my Mom. How much I loved her. We’d had a tough time, your Dad and I, with how that turned out and he wanted to give me the one thing he knew he never could. He gave Nikki her Mom back because he couldn’t do that for me.” She wiped a tear that had escaped and could hear her daughter sniffle a little. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“Yeah.”

“And how about the rest of the trauma?” Kate tried to make her laugh, aching for the miles apart to vanish so she could hold her little girl.

“I skipped over any of the gross parts,” Lily joked. “Is… I know Dad has always told me stories about you slaying dragons and we used to visit you but is that what it was like? You and Dad closing cases. Working with Uncle Javi and Uncle Kevin?”

“Lots of things in those books happened to us, but not everything was true. You know you’re Dad and his imagination.”

“Annnnnnd ew. Dad may have to write another book to cover my therapy now,” Lily laughed. 

“But yes, the way Nikki and Rook, Roach and Lauren work, that’s how we all worked together. We closed a lot of cases for the 12th.”

“And you and Dad really weren’t together when he wrote the first few?” Lily asked. Everyone was always skeptical about that part.

“Nope. We weren’t. He just finished Frozen Heat when we started dating. We got married just after he wrote Raging Heat and we had you just after Heat Storm. You can work out when you’re brothers came along after that. Though you’ll notice none of you or Alexis are in the series. He, we wanted to keep you all out of the public eye. It was bad enough your Dad dragged me into it,” Kate explained.

“I liked Rook proposing. Did you ever…?”

“Throw a drink at your Dad? No. I remember dumping the cup of ice chips in his lap when I was in labour with your brothers but that’s about as close as it came. You know how your Dad proposed. It was one of the least dramatic moments of our lives, all things considered, really.”

“Nikki’s cool.” Lily said when both their laughter wound down.

“Yeah?” Kate smiled.

“Yeah. You’re cooler though Mom.”

“Hang on a minute, I’m just gonna mark down the date and time and wake your Dad to tell him you said that.”

“Again with the gloating!” Lily whined. 

“You are too much like me sometimes kid,” Kate laughed. “I remember calling my Mom the first month I was away. You’re gonna be fine Lil.”

“I know.” Kate was happy to hear the confidence. Lily was headstrong, determined and smart. They knew she could handle this. 

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“I’m proud you’re my Mom.”

“You, my little flower, have no idea how much I love you and how much you changed my life and your Dad’s life. We’re so proud of you.” Kate felt the emotion creeping into her throat.

“I’ll let you go back to bed,” Lily said.

“I can talk for a little longer if you need,” Kate said, not ready to let her girl go just yet. They talked for a little while longer about her week, her classes so far, the diner she’d found nearby that wasn’t quite as good as Remy’s but it would do and that they’d have to go when Kate and Castle came out to visit in a few months during his next book tour.

Lily yawned.

“Bedtime Lilypad,” Kate ordered. “I love you.”

“Love you too Mom.”

“Expect your Dad to call and check on you tomorrow morning.”

“I’d be worried if he didn’t. Good night.”

“Moon and back, Lil.”

“Moon and back.” 

Kate climbed back in bed with her husband, setting her phone next to her on the bedside cabinet and smiled at image of her little girl tucked up with a Richard Castle novel for company.

I was re-reading Heat Rises last night and had a lovely image of Lily reading the books when she missed her parents the first few weeks she went off to college but getting to Driving Heat and Heat Storm and getting a little upset over Johanna and her Mom.

[frederator-studios]

Meet D.R. Beitzel, Creator of “The Bagheads”

DR Beitzel is a cartoonist, creative producer, and Pennsylvania fellow living a NYC dream. His day job is playing video games in a Times Square skyscraper; his evenings are occupied writing funnies and drawing comics for the likes of MAD Magazine, McSweeneys, and his own Phatypus Comics. And like several of his idols before him - Matt Groening, anyone? - he’s now making the petite leap from comics to cartoons.  His GO! Cartoon “The Bagheads” is a historically accurate depiction of trash take-out travails with former roommates and his competitive clashes with his older brother. He maintains that the Goat (”Goooat”) is its sole foray into the cartoonish make-believe. He studied politics, so you know that he has 0 capacity to - dare I even suggest it!? - fib.

Sooo, where’d you study animation?

I didn’t! I first went to a community college in central Pennsylvania. It was full of a bunch of cool people - unfortunately not Donald Glover or Alison Brie, but fortunately also not Chevy Chase. Then I went to University of Pittsburgh and studied communications and political science.

Poli- what now?

Yeah... it was the Obama era. I thought “It’s all uphill from here! We’re just riding this political train into the Promised Land!” Reality hit hard. Back then, Jon Favreau was writing Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ speeches, and I was all riled up. I wanted to be a speechwriter.

At one point a local city councilman asked me to write some remarks for him to use on Martin Luther King Day. I was idealistic and had a head full of steam, so I wrote this fiery, passionate stemwinder that drew on self-sacrifice and righteousness. I even referenced "Letter from Birmingham Jail”. The thing was, it was for a pancake breakfast at a rural Pennsylvania fire hall. So, I'm pretty sure he went out and said something like, "Thanks for coming. Go Eagles”.  I was young and naive, and didn't realize that every speech didn't have to be "Ask not what your country can do for you ..."

When did you decide to NOT work in politics?

When I met a real life politician. (I laugh) No, really! He was a hometown representative - I’m from the Pennsylvania boonies. And he was a Republican, which was fine; I was just looking for a foot in the door. But when he found out I wasn’t, he asked me if I was a double agent. Like he actually suspected me of being in cahoots with the Dems to get dirt on him! So weird. And then finally, it came down to either an unpaid internship with a politician or a paid gig without a politician, so I chose to get paid.

Chasing that dollar. What was the paid gig?

I started out as a freelance editor for fashion and fitness blogs. The biggest perk - and irony - was that I was working in sweatpants from my couch. I got jobs at some TV and radio stations. At the end of college, I did do one unpaid internship, which was the best free work I ever did. It was at WQED, the PBS affiliate in Pittsburgh where Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was filmed back in the day. They still had a bunch of the sets just hanging around the hallways - and I even got to meet Mr. McFeely, who was exactly as nice as you’d hope. Eventually, I decided to leave Pennsylvania and move to New York, probably for the cheap rent. And I’ve been here ever since, working with mobile games. I even got to visit the old MAD Magazine office when I did a comic with them. It was covered in original art from some of the all-time greats.

What kinda stuff have you done for MAD Mag and others?

For MAD, I did a comic parody called “Captain Red America”. He’s like Captain America but only represents conservative states, so a lot of his enemies are things he doesn’t actually believe in. So, when he fights the super villain Climate Change, Cap can’t fight back because he doesn’t believe in climate change, so it just beats him up. I also did some writing for McSweeneys. They have some of the funniest stuff published anywhere, and I always wanted to write for them. I love doing comics, too, because if I have an idea, I can just put it out there—there aren’t really stakeholders involved. Recently, I just finished a Valentines comic for Bushwick Daily, a local Brooklyn blog, about the types of people you meet on Tinder.

How was transplanting to NYC - did you always want to move there?

Ehhh… I’m one of those unwilling New Yorkers who loves to hate it. The city has its upsides; it’s the best comedy scene. When I first arrived I joined UCB, which I think is mandatory when you move to New York - they just issue you a membership with your MetroCard. I always brag that I got to see Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson perform their Broad City stage show before it became a TV show. I love that community, and part of me wishes I’d have stuck with it longer, but I was getting pulled in a bunch of different directions, including a new job.

Oh yeah? Where at?

At Nickelodeon! I got the opportunity very randomly, about a month after I arrived. My (soon-to-be) boss called two people in for interviews, and I guess all that theatrical training from UCB paid off, because I was able to fake being a functional person long enough for her to hire me. It’s a really fun place to work: talented artists, toys everywhere, and sometimes wide-eyed kids are touring the office or testing games for us and you remember what we’re all doing there. The downside is that we’re in Times Square, so when I venture into the street I’m guaranteed to get a face-full of armpit. But playing video games is part of my job - I produce apps and games related to Nick shows.

That is the Dream. What’s your favorite game you’ve worked on?

Probably TMNT: Legends. We had a tremendous team of real fans, and the game looks great. Plus, I got to go visit Montreal where the team is based. I highly recommend that everyone spend years developing a game with a blockbuster studio, so you can visit, too.

Did you choose the cartoon life, or did the cartoon life choose you?

Wow, I really need to get “Cartoon Life” tattooed across my stomach. It was mutual selection. As a kid, I’d go to my grandma’s house and draw through all the paper she had. I looked up to Sergio Aragones of MAD. I was always drawing in the margins of the handouts at church - that’s the only way I’d sit still. But in high school, I stopped drawing for a bit - I guess I was partying too much, or maybe I just lost all my pencils in one of my oversized neon Tommy Hilfiger jackets. Then, I got back into it in college, drawing editorial comics at my school newspapers. I get inspired by people like Matt Groening. He was grinding out “Life in Hell” for like 40 years - well after he became a TV tycoon with The Simpsons and Futurama - just for the love of it.

How did you come to pitch for GO! Cartoons?

Just a random Google search, looking for places to send some stuff. I only barely met the deadline. I put together a thumbnail pitch and sent it on in.

Did “The Bagheads” change much from pitch through production?

The core story was always a brother and sister arguing over trash take-out. But it fluctuated in length quite a bit. There were a lot parts I added and then we condensed or cut out. There were intros, flashbacks - at some point, probably dragons and ice zombies - a lot did have to be trimmed down. Which was tough, because as you can probably tell, I’m a pretty big blowhard.

Who inspired the Bagheads, and were they always, you know… bag headed?

The Bagheads were always bagheads. As a little kid, I used to doodle baghead people with my brother, who inspired me to start drawing at all. We’d draw the guys from Guns ‘N Roses, but with bags over their heads—I have no idea why, but probably because I was kid who was crappy at drawing and couldn’t draw faces. Anyway, it became a running gag between us, we called them Guns ‘N Baggies. And over the years since, I’d draw those types every now and then -- a muscle baggie, an old baggie, whatever. So when I was getting ready to submit to Frederator, I knew the character’s personalities, but I didn’t know their appearances. So I reached into my childhood and pulled out the Bagheads.

What do you enjoy the most about Elbow and Artemis?

Well, what I enjoyed most about the short in general was working with so many talented people to bring it to life. I gotta give a big shout out to Eric, Kelsey, Michelle, JoJo, Sylvia, Paul, Bill, Kevin, Stephen, our cast and everyone else at Frederator and Salami Studios who made this happen. I did not do this alone - nowhere near it.  

As for Artemis and Elbow, I’ve always liked duos with friendly antagonism, like Ren and Stimpy, Bugs and Daffy. Those good-natured conflicts where you’re kinda buddies, but you’re also kinda at each other’s throat. I like that Artemis and Elbow’s personalities create conflict: she’s hyper-competitive, he’s lazy. And then there’s their poor clueless dad, who’s working too much and constantly worried about the safety of his kids but doesn’t realize the biggest danger to them is each other. Those relationships can serve up a lot of fun, simple stories.

What inspired Nuke Man Jones, who’s still pulling off the eternal dunk as we speak?

Harlem Globe Trotters, for sure. They basically have superpowers. I was really looking for things that Elbow might see at a high altitude and I wanted something silly. Nuke Man is stuck up there in Earth’s orbit now, cursed to never complete that dunk like some Sisyphean baller fate.

The billion dollar question: do the Bagheads have bags for heads, or are they wearing bags over regular people heads?

Ya know, I’m gonna opt not to answer that one. The question of the bags can remain an unanswered mystery if it gets a series. It’ll be like The Leftovers for kids.

How about some favorite cartoons?

I mean, my Top 10 would just be The Simpsons, Seasons 1 through 10: that’s my all-time favorite TV, right there. South Park can’t get enough love—those guys have turned out classic after classic, and they’re the smartest gross-out humor in history. Looney Tunes, Ren & Stimpy, Beavis and Butthead - Mike Judge is a genius. Jim Henson and The Muppets, even though it’s not a cartoon; puppets count, right? MAD Magazine stuff like Sergio Aragones features or “Spy vs. Spy,” which was an inspiration for this Bagheads short.

I’m also really inspired by old school newspaper comics. It breaks my heart that they’re disappearing. Calvin and Hobbes is gorgeous and the most inspiring thing to me. I just read the entire series again, and it’s as good as ever. I appreciate that Bill Watterson refused all the licensing and merch deals people wanted to make for it. I read once that he left something like $400 million on the table.

That’s amazing.

Yeah. Once, I made a parody album cover for a local comic shop’s art show, and I made one based off of Notorious BIG’s “Ready to Die” cover: Notorious HOB’s “Ready to Live”. People wanted prints so I started selling them, and then it dawned on me that I was breaking the spirit of Watterson’s anti-commercial stance. So I stopped selling them, and just told people, “Sorry, they’re gone!” 

What do you like to do outside of your work*? (*everybody else’s play)

I like to connect with my inner hillbilly - errr, inner hippie - whatever it is. I go to the beach and state parks pretty often. And I love stand-up: I just saw Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, Jeff Ross and Kevin Hart at Radio City Music Hall. It was insane.

What are you working on now?

At the moment, I’m investing all my resources in trying to score “Black Panther” tickets. Otherwise, I'm working on a musical animated series idea with two musician friends, Jeff and Matt. It's really cool and is somewhere between Hamilton and Freaks & Geeks. I'm also working on a comic strip about animals in a post-human world. It's really cartoony, except the president is a photo-realistic opossum whose speeches are just incoherent, ear-piercing screeches.  I'm not sure where that falls on the fiction/non-fiction spectrum. So much for giving up politics!

Great talking with you D.R., thanks for the interview! Looking forward to all of your future endeavors. And I’ll be sure to vote for you if you ever return to politics / being a spy for those wily Pennsylvania Dems.

Everybody: keep up with Phatypus Comics on Facebook and Instagram, @phatypus! And here on Tumblr: @phatypuscomics

- Cooper

[mmsinwritings]

Plus One | Short Story

Synopsis:

When Emily's boyfriend of three years suddenly decides to break up with her right before her destined trip to attend her cousin’s wedding, nothing can cure Emily's broken heart. In a desperate attempt to make her feel better, her best friend Kevin states that he will be her plus one. 

Genre: romance, comedy, drama

-----

Three years, gone just like that. 

I stare at a spot on my navy blue suitcase, not really focused on what’s before me and more concerned about the memories flickering past  my lids. I can’t help it. Everytime I see luggage, it makes me think of the way I kicked him out of my life. Everytime, a slab of pain will grab my heart between its icy fingers and squeeze it so that I can barely breathe. Everytime, until I feel like I’m drowning inside dark waters without the real desire to swim to the surface. 

My psychiatrist told me that it had been for the better. That it had been an obsessive, unhealthy kind of love in the first place. But was it better now that I couldn’t even feel my heart in the hollow space where it’s supposed to be? 

“Emily.” 

Still, I remember the messages on his phone, the way his touch would feel strange, eerily hollow for some reason, the way he’d avoid my eyes whenever he’d tell me that he was going out with the guys. I remember smelling his coat and recoiling at the cheap scent of perfume clinging to it like second skin, how he’d constantly tell me how wonderful I was-- too wonderful for him -- and that I should find better, that I didn’t deserve someone like him.

And then, when I’d stumbled into our flat a little earlier than I was meant to -- since my gym class had been cancelled -- and took note of the trail of shoes, followed by a coat, a shirt, a thong, before my ears picked up on the noises echoing from the bedroom doors…

“Emily?” 

His face when he spotted me, the astounded expression like a dog that had just been caught sneaking into the pantry. And the girl, a prettier woman, a curvy woman, with red lips and with those beautifully deep red wine locks tumbling down her back with the perfect physique that could make any man drool. That girl, who was none other than one of my good friends at work and who had spent most part of the year listening to my rants about him. 

“Emily!”

“Huh?” My head whips up when I register my name being called out, looking up to see a raven-haired, petite-faced man leaning against the bedroom doorway with raised brows and a concerned expression on his face. 

“Oh, you’re here,” I say, as he crosses the doorway and sits beside me. The bed dips down under his weight as he tilts his head in that knowing manner of his, “daydreaming again?” 

“No,” I mumble, but he sees right through my facade and with a sigh, his arms wrap around my shoulder before pillowing his head against my shoulder. 

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmurs as I allow myself to lean back against him, against his comfort. His lavender scent wraps around me, a little bed of comfort amidst all the pain. 

“I can’t stop thinking about him,” I murmur, tears stinging the corner of my eyes, “it hurts, Kev.” 

He only holds me a little closer, a little tighter.

If there is one person that I can trust more than myself, it’s Kevin Moon. I’ve known Kevin ever since highschool, having hung out in the same friend group until we had become partners for an art project. It was only then that we’d become closer, and had been close ever since. With his angular features and almond mono lidded eyes and thin lips that were constantly shaped in a pout, the Korean-born man had moved to Canada when he was young, just like I had a few years ago. He had kept me afloat during my university days, I had comforted him through his first break up. He had been present during my final Fine Arts Photography Exhibition, I was up all night coming up with re-branding concepts for his design project. Overall, Kevin had pretty much been a constant in my life, you get the gist of it.

When he found out that my boyfriend had cheated just a few days before our destined trip to attend my cousin’s wedding -- mind you, I had been sobbing waterfalls and it was a miracle he even understood me through my blubbering mess -- he had half a mind to storm up to the guy and rip his throat out. But he did the most surprising thing; booked a ticket for himself and turned up at my flat on the eve of the departure, stating that he was going to accompany me to that wedding, whether I liked it or not.

My cousin, Emma, was getting married right where home was: Mauritius. The memories I once had of the small island nestled right in the Indian Ocean on the right of Madagascar, was of my grandma’s comforting food, the sea scented air that washed along with the too-white sandy beaches, the multitudes of merchants selling all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables on the side of the road, and small corner stores that looked like they had come out of a 1960’s movie. People liked to claim that Mauritius was paradise on earth, and in a way, it is.

“Come on,” Kevin had nagged when I shook my head adamantly. He’d wriggled his plane ticket before my nose, “you’re not going to let that loser spoil such a happy event are you? Emma’s waiting for you!” 

In the end, he’d won. Which is why we are here, staying at my cousin, Emma’s, apartment in a village called Moka, located at the foot of a mountain and has an abundance of forestry adorning the sides of the road. It's chilly here, in comparison to the harbourfront, and constantly smells like fresh rain and has a gentle fresh breeze blowing through.

“You know, assholes like him are not worth thinking about,” Kevin says now, his arm a gentle soothing caress up and down my back, “your brain might rot.” 

I can’t help but let out a soft, choked up laugh.

“It’s our first day here, let’s not ruin it by thinking about him, hm?” Kevin continues soothingly and I nod in agreement. He’s right. I’m just wasting time by reliving memories that I should be banishing from my mind. 

“Okay!” he brightens up then, “where shall we go? The sea? The market? Or do you want to go eat?!” 

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

The first few days are about meeting up with family and rediscovering Mauritius for what it is. Emma gives me a full-fledged hug the moment I open the door to her house, pressing me close to her with such motherly warmth that it takes everything in me not to break down right then and there. I greet my uncles and engage in small-talk with my aunts, help my grandma out in the kitchen as she continuously asks me why I’ve gotten so thin. While I know the main reason, I decide to smile and spare her the details, as embarrassing as it is. 

No one mentions him, until one of my uncles slips during a conversation with Kevin, “so you’re Emily’s boyfriend. Such a pleasure to meet you! We’ve heard so much about you that we started thinking she was just making things up.” 

“Er--” Kevin reddens, “I--” 

“So how did you two meet?”

It is at this very instant that my mouth decides to move on its own and I blurt out, “we’re high school friends.” 

“Oh highschool sweethearts! How cute!” 

Kevin doesn’t fail to mention what a mistake I’ve made to lie to my entire family to save face.

“I feel guilty,” he says as we walk out to the car, keys dangling from my wrist. 

I unlock the car, “it’s fine. We’ll be in and out before they know it. They don’t have to know anything.” 

“Hm, sure.” 

After some well-deserved family time, Kevin and I decide to head to the west of the island to catch the sunset, my camera stuffed neatly in the backseat, where Kevin has tossed a few spare towels just in case. We each have donned our swimsuits for the occasion and it doesn’t take an expert to see the excitement thrumming through Kevin’s veins as he sits beside me like an excited child in the passenger seat. 

“I never realized that you guys drive on the left side of the road,” he comments, head whipping back and forth in-between the passage of cars. 

“Yeah, it takes some getting used to, especially if you’re crossing,” it is then that I notice that there is a newly built mall as we turn left at the green light, “hey, that’s new. I’ve never seen this before.” 

“Cas-ca-velle,” he mumbles out with that strong accent of his. He is definitely not one to know French and I’ve been acting as his translator all along, considering that my family speaks French at home, “what does that mean?” 

“Beats me. It’s just a fancy name for a new shopping mall,” I peer into its parking lot, “wanna visit?” 

“Whatever floats your boat, honey. I’m all in.”

The mall is longer than it is wide, with white archways decked with wooden-style roofs that give way to an open-plan exterior. A wide beige cemented pathway occupies the space, with shops lined on either side. 

“I never realized, but you guys are very multicultural,” comments Kevin as we pass by another family of four chattering quickly in a mixture of French and Creole. 

“We’re similar to Canada that way.” 

“Do you miss it here?” 

My eyes glance over at him, notice the soft empathy in his expression.

“I guess I do sometimes,” I say while I kick at a stray pebble, “It’s like homesickness. But in a way I can’t quite explain,” after a moment, I ask, “do you miss Korea?”

“The food, mostly,” he grins bashfully, “my halmeoni makes a killer gamja tang.” 

“Let’s go visit her one day.”

“Is that a promise?” he asks as I shrug, “if you want it to be.” 

It’s a little past six when we drive up to the Flic En Flac beach and as we gather our things, my eyes light up upon falling on a nearby roti stand. I quickly slap Kevin’s arm in my bout of excitement. 

“Ouch! What? What is it?” 

“Kevin, you’re not going to believe this,” I point at the stand in question, “this roti stand? It’s the best roti in Mauritius. Here, take this,” I don’t wait before shoving my bag and camera in his arms, “I’m gonna buy us some. You go and find us a spot on the beach.” 

“But--” 

I don’t wait for him to finish his sentence before taking off, greeting the merchant who is just about to be wrapping up to ask whether I can get two rotis with ‘cari saumon’ (roughly translated into salmon curry mixed with indian spices), local and freshly made. The smell wafts through the folded paper wrappers as I grab them. They smell just like my childhood, where everything had just been as easy as having rotis by the beach without a care about the future that is to come. It’s nostalgic and I can’t help the smile tugging up my mouth at the thought. 

Kevin is already settled atop a pair of spare towels and looks up at the sound of my footsteps approaching. I pass him one of the paper wrappers and he takes a peek, confusion flitting across his face. 

“This smells spicy,” he mutters loudly enough for me to hear, “it looks like naan bread.” 

“It is,” I agree, “except it’s flatter and more like a crepe.” 

Throwing me a hesitant glance, he takes a small bite. I watch his face go from confused to impressed in a few seconds, before his eyes whip up to mine, “woah, this is good.” 

“Told you so.” 

“But this is really, really good,” he can’t help but marvel at it and laughing, I proceed to dig into my own roti, allowing my mouth to be filled with that salty fish taste melting along my tastebuds, the curry spices giving it the nice tangy kick you wouldn’t find anywhere else. The roti is soft and practically melts on my tongue and I can’t help but moan at how good it is. 

“God, this is everything I’ve been looking for my whole life,” I find myself telling him, wrapped up in momentary bliss, “this, this is everything.” 

I can feel his eyes on me, so intense that my own flicker up in question. He drops his gaze the moment I do and I frown, confused. 

“What?” I can’t help but ask, wondering why he suddenly seems so meek, so shy and awkward, “what is it?” 

“Nothing,” he replies like he’s trying to be casual, except that it’s anything but. When he gazes back at me, I notice the warmth in his maroon eyes, more the color of caramel in the dim light from the sunset basking his profile in a golden glow, “I think--I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you so happy, since...” 

He doesn’t need to continue, for I know where this is going. Indeed, this is the first time in many months that I haven’t paid any attention to the hole inside my heart. 

And it feels good.

“Yeah,” I murmur as I watch the sun settle on the ocean’s horizon, fire kissing water, “I don’t know, I just feel like this is nice. Like it’s right.” 

I spare him a glance from the corner of my peripheral and watch him shift. His sleeveless shirt slips, allowing me a glimpse of the naked skin underneath. I quickly look away, slightly embarrassed at the notion of even thinking of him in such a way. 

“That’s how you should be, Emily,” Kevin murmurs back just as softly. It’s almost like talking too loudly will break the sudden spell that has settled over our shoulders. He takes a sip of his beer before continuing, “you’ve suffered enough for someone who deserves nothing but shit for what he’s done.” 

There’s a small pause as I digest his words. Then, I manage to murmur out, “thanks, Kevin.” 

“No problem.” 

Another small bout of silence ensues, covered up by the sound of the ocean roaring up the sand, distant birds chirping in the fading light of the sunset drowning into the now orange-flecked waters. 

“Hey Emily.” 

I glance at him. He’s gorgeous, even more so somehow. Maybe it’s the time of the day, maybe it’s the mood, or maybe it’s the way my heart can’t help but be swallowed in gratefulness whenever I look at him.

“What?” I ask.

“Do you know water has memory?” 

I choke on my beer, “do not-- and I mean this-- do not quote Frozen with me.” 

“Huh, I tried.” 

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

“So, Kevin huh?” 

My eyes shoot up to meet Emma’s in her crusty-dust-filled mirror, presently lounging on her bed and flipping through a book as I had been trying on my bridesmaid gown. Kevin is downstairs, helping out with the barbeque grill with the rest of the family, and it is only now that I get to have some alone time with the woman I consider my sister. 

She’s the only one that knew the exact details of my breakup, and that Kevin is only a mere replacement to cover my humiliated ass. I remember her trying to calm me down when I had called in a frenzy, practically hyperventilating because of the amount of pain that gripped at my heart and was choking me of all air. 

I revert my eyes back to the dress, a baby blue as bright as a summer sky, and smooth my hands down my sides, “he’s been so good to me, ever since…” I can’t finish the sentence, voice already wobbling at the thought that comes with it.

“Hey,” Emma’s murmur causes me to look up, and in her eyes I see a flicker of understanding, “he’s not worth it.” 

“I know,” I swallow back the tears crawling up my throat, “I know, it’s just--a hard pill to swallow.”

A hand comes to a rest at my elbow, before my cousin tucks her chin atop my shoulder, “it’ll be alright, Emily. He doesn’t deserve you." 

I nod. Then, just to change the subject so that I don’t break down in her arms, I gesture towards the dress, “so? How does it look?” 

Emma tugs at some pieces here and there, rearranging the fabric as she sees fit, “I think it looks good. You look gorgeous. Kevin will swoon, for sure.” 

“It’s not like that,” I hurriedly say as I strip out of the dress and put it back on its hanger, “we’re just friends.” 

“Mhm,” she throws me a pointed look, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips, “'just friends' doesn't feel right..” 

“Emma, really? Right after my breakup?” 

“He came to Mauritius just for you Emily,” she squeezes my shoulders comfortingly, “doesn’t that count for something?” 

“Well, we’ve been friends since high school so…”

“I don’t think just any friend in high school would do such a thing if I asked,” Emma catches my eye in the mirror, her gaze deep and meaningful, “just think about that.” 

I just nod in hopes that she’ll stop yapping away at my nonexistent relationship with Kevin, whatever that means. The hole in my heart is still so raw and filled with pain that I can’t even start thinking about another relationship. The thought alone is enough to drain me of all energy and I decide to brush it off for now as I follow Emma out in the backyard now filled with familiar chatter and the smell of cooked meat wafting through the air, with the sky bruising a soft purple to signal the end of a long summer day. 

Catching sight of Kevin as I bring out one of the many salad bowls that my family has prepared, my lips can’t help but twitch into a slow smile when I see him by the grill, whipping away the multitudes of flies zipping back and forth as my other cousin deftly flips the sausages upside down with a trained rhythm that only years of experience can bring. 

“Kevin! You’re not doing your job right!” my cousin cries playfully. Kevin attempts to flap the newspaper around while screeching, “oh god, my eyes are burning!"

“Someone bring more meat!” My cousin hollers. 

“There’s more?!” 

“He’s doing a great job,” my grandmother’s voice brings my attention back to the salad bowl in my hands, and I quickly bend to kiss her cheek as she continues, “better than any of your other cousins. They never help out.” 

“That’s because you pamper them too much, grandma,” I grin at her and follow her to the dining table where my aunts are already settling down amongst themselves. 

The evening passes by with good food and good company, the sky darkening and dotting with a veil of stars that has Kevin gawking in awe. I'm not surprised, you don't see skies like that anywhere, a sky that isn't so intoxicated with modern chemicals. My uncles take it upon themselves to introduce Kevin to all the types of Mauritian delicacies, such as chickpea fritters we call 'gato pima', small balls of graped choko vegetable and minced pork 'niouk yen', and to top it all off, a plate of cornmeal pudding also known as 'pudine mai' that makes Kevin's eyes go wide with surprise.

"This is dessert?" He holds it up in his hand, "with ...cornmeal?"

"Sure is," one of my aunts chime in with a smile, "made it just this morning."

It's past midnight when we get back to our little apartment with Emma's dress hanging off my arms, which Kevin doesn't hesitate to grab from my hold despite my protests. 

"It's fine dude," he flashes me a quick smile, albeit tired, and my heart does this weird little squeeze in my chest at his thoughtfulness. 

He's kind. Too kind. I really don't deserve someone like him. 

"I'm sorry," I say as we settle onto the small couch, shoulders fitted snugly against each other, "my family is kinda overwhelming."

"No no," Kevin looks over, edges of his lips curled up, "I actually love your family, you know."

My chest warms, "thanks."

There is a moment of silence that we enjoy, the day's events sinking into my bones. 

"Hey," he murmurs.

"Hm?"

My eyes slide over to catch his, dark pools glimmering with a certain softness that catches my attention. 

I bite my lip. It suddenly feels a little warm.

"What is it?" I ask, voice hoarse.

"Is oreo a sandwich?" 

I sit up so suddenly that I jostle him, "wait--what?"

He grins up at me with that little nose scrunch that I can't help but find endearing, "is oreo a sandwich?" I open my mouth to answer but he beats me to it, "is cereal a soup?"

"Stop."

Reclining back to lace his hands at the back of his head, he says, "is ketchup a smoothie?" 

"Stop it."

"What about hotdogs? Are they sandwiches?" He continues in a singsong voice and rolling my eyes, I make a move to punch him once more. But he's faster, hand shooting out to hold my wrists. He pulls me over and I stumble, knee pressing against the side of his leg. 

"Come on. Answer it," he wriggles his eyebrows.

"Nope."

“Don’t be a party pooper.” 

“You’re so annoying.” 

"Are you sick of me yet?" His face is so close that I notice the creases at the corner of his eyes when he smiles.

"That's an understatement."

"But really, do you think oreo is a sandwich?"

"No! Oreos are just oreos!"

“You’re no fun,” He pouts before finally releasing his hold. I draw back with a roll of my eyes, settling beside him once more and pillowing my head onto his shoulder.

Emma’s right. Kevin had sacrificed so much to be here with me, and he doesn’t even know Emma. Yet, he immediately dropped everything so that he could be my plus one, so that I wouldn’t have to face the music alone. The thought makes my heart swell with emotion and suddenly I’m all too aware of his presence beside me. 

I shift to gaze at him, eyes tracing the curve of his nose, the indent above his lips before I whisper, “hey Kevin.” 

“Hm?” 

“Why’d you come?” 

His eyes flicker over to mine then. A heartbeat passes. For a moment, I wonder if he can hear my heartbeat suddenly throbbing a little too loudly in my chest. 

“Good question.” 

Another pause. 

“That’s not an answer,” I laugh slightly, to show that it’s all just fun and games.

But when I catch his eyes next, there’s something else brimming in them. They’re tender with emotion and it catches me so off guard that I almost don’t catch his next set of words:

“Because I care about you.” 

My heart gives a quick lurch but I somehow can’t tear my gaze away. I want to say something. Anything. 

But all I can muster is a soft, “oh.” 

“Why do you ask?” he asks, voice hoarse.

I hesitate, “Emma asked why. And...I guess I wanted to know too.” 

“Oh.” 

The air feels heavy, heightened with the things that are threatening to slip off the edge of my tongue. A mixed series of ‘but why’s and ‘can’t you tell me more’ jumbling up my thoughts with so many possibilities that I decide to stay quiet for the sake of not ruining the moment. Because there’s this lingering fear that once I do say something, then it’ll just pull me down a rabbit hole that I can’t crawl out of, that the only escape lies on the other side.

And I don’t know if I want to take that leap yet. My heart is already so fragile with the aftermath of a love that went wrong. I don’t know how much more I can take. 

So I just stay quiet and let out a soft sigh, and though Kevin shifts as if he wants to say something, he doesn’t. The question just hangs there between us, in-between the slithers of moonlight and in the cold Moka air, like a perpetual ghost we ignore as we drift off to sleep.

----------

Something shifts between us after that. It’s unspoken of, but suddenly, I am all too aware of Kevin as a whole. Things that I hadn’t noticed before surface as we spend most of our free time visiting the rest of the island; like how he loves ruffling his hair whenever he feels uncomfortable, or the way his bicep curls as his arm drapes over the wheel with the barest hint of muscle that is enough to be attractive yet subtle, or how he smirks in that attractive way of his whenever he thinks something is undeniably adorable. 

The good thing about having Kevin is that I don’t get to think of him all too much, which is a blessing in itself. It’s been days since I’ve shed another tear and for that, I have to say I’m glad that I’m making progress.

We spent the last few days before the wedding traveling around the island to visit all the touristy spots that I know Kevin will enjoy, like a hike all the way to the top of Le Morne mountain, where I explain that’s where slaves would throw themselves off when their masters would find them. We visited Bois Cheri, a tea-making factory where Kevin had the pleasure of tasting all different kinds of teas cultivated in the fields below, and ate lunch on the Caudan Waterfront as we gazed at the boats lulling along the harbour. 

“Woah, this place makes me feel like I’m in Aladdin somehow,” Kevin’s mouth is wide agape as his eyes try to take in the endless racks of stands selling fresh fruits and vegetables of the day. The Port-Louis Bazaar has always been one of my favourite places to visit, but it’s also one of the busiest. Even now as we attempt to squeeze our way through, people are jostling us here and there, causing me to press my bag to my chest in case any pickpockets are nearby. I prompt Kevin to do the same. 

“Hey Emily, I wanna check out the bags over there,” Kevin motions towards the hand-woven baskets situated at the far end of the market and I nod as we keep moving forward with the crowd like a pair of salmons trying to swim upstream. But there’s so many people, it’s so suffocating that it gets hard to keep up with Kevin’s figure. Someone elbows my shoulder and I groan, stumbling to the side in irritation, only to get pushed forward by another. 

“Seriously--” I curse under my breath, when a hand suddenly appears before my eyes.

Looking up to see Kevin’s outstretched arm, I am only greeted with his bashful smile and averted eyes. 

“Come on,” he doesn’t even wait for my consent before slipping his palm over my own and tugging me along, his hold firm and strong despite his skinny frame and the action is enough to render a flurry of butterflies soaring over my stomach. 

Stop, I try telling my subconscious. That does nothing, however, to stop my neck from tingling with unfamiliar heat. 

Kevin’s hand feels so warm. It’s comfortable, safe. 

And I’m liking it a little too much.

He doesn’t let go when we reach the desired stand and talk over which bag looks the best and keeps his hand in mine for the entirety of our journey back to the car. Only when I unlock the doors that his palm finally drops from my hold and air rushes over my palm that is now a little too cold without his warmth. But while a multitude of questions are burning the back of my throat, they fall apart halfway through at the thought of his answer, before I decide to drop it altogether. 

Kevin, on the other hand, doesn’t seem the least bit affected. 

When the day of the wedding finally rolls around, I drive my car to Emma’s after a quick breakfast that Kevin surprised me with -- to my surprise, he’d managed to make a decent eggs and toast without burning the place down -- so that I can help her get into her gown and more importantly so that she doesn’t run away, lest her mind goes in a frenzy at the thought of tying the knot. 

“You’ll be fine,” I reassure her, teasing a few of her curls so that they slip down to her chest in a perfect wave. She looks stunningly beautiful, with her strapless white dress that shimmers with diamonds in the light with every movement she makes. 

I reach out to smooth over her veil so that it falls on either side of her face, frames her perfectly, and notice her big brown eyes staring back at me through her vanity mirror. 

“You look beautiful,” I can’t keep the awe from my voice. 

Her face blossoms into a smile, “you too.” 

“Ah come on, you can’t say that to me on your wedding day,” I shove her playfully on the shoulder, “you’re the star of the show. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.” 

I don’t have to look at her to know that she’s giving me a pointed look.

“Okay mom,” she rolls her eyes before changing the subject, “So, how have things been? With Kevin?”

I sigh, “well, okay. Maybe you’re right. About the whole…’just friends’ thing not being true.” 

“Why?” she straightens up, turns to me, “what happened? Did you kiss? Did he make a move--” 

“No we didn’t kiss,” I’m quick to answer as my cheeks heat up. And after a few beats of hesitation, I give her a summary; the way he’d looked at me that night with eyes that held so much in them that it had made my chest swell, the way that he’d snitch glances at me whenever he thought I wasn’t paying attention, and the fact that he’d grabbed my hand and didn’t let go even long after the crowd wasn’t an issue anymore. 

Emma’s eyes are wide and sparkling with a feeling that I know all too well, I can practically see the cogs turning in her head and quickly shook mine in rapid retaliation, “Emma, no.” 

“But--But he’s perfect for you!” she bellows in protest, “What do you mean ‘no’?!” 

“I can’t go there. Not after,...not now, it’s too soon…” 

She rolls her eyes, “it’s not like he’s asking you to marry him, christ’s sake. He likes you, and I feel like you’re only trying to deprive yourself because you feel like it’s not right.” 

“It’s not right--”

“Who says so?” she cuts me off then, her gaze hardening on mine with such intensity it takes everything in me not to flinch back, “who says it’s not right? It doesn’t matter if it’s after two days, two weeks, two months. You think I don’t know how it feels to be heartbroken? You can’t just keep thinking about the past. You’re going to hurt yourself that way.” 

My teeth sink down onto my lower lip, her words like ice-cold knives aimed straight at my chest. 

“What you can control, right now, is the present, Emily.” 

“I know,” I mumble out half-heartedly.

“I can see it, you know, the way he looks at you,” she shakes her head, “even if you don’t like him back, you gotta be aware of all that he’s done for you.” 

Her hands find their way to mine, enclosing them in her grasp before squeezing them with such care that I can’t stop the tears crawling up the back of my throat. 

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs next, “I don’t want to pressure you if that’s not how you feel. That--That was not my intention,” her eyes latch onto mine, filled with understanding, “I just want you to be happy.” 

Happy. 

That’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time. 

“Don’t you dare cry now,” Emma says while waving her hands around in warning, “you’re going to ruin your makeup and we definitely don’t want that.” 

I sniffle, trying my best to hold in the tears now brimming through my eyes, “you’re right,” I attempt to smile, albeit it’s wobbly, “we don’t.” 

“Come here,” she tugs my arm so that I fall into her embrace. Her head finds her way to my shoulder and she hugs me tight, not caring that her veil is getting all bunched up and wrinkled, “you’ll be okay,” she whispers, one hand stroking my back, “you’ll be just fine, little one.” 

Then, pulling back and pushing a few strands away from my face, she flashes a bright smile, “we should probably head to the church soon.” 

----------

“We now declare you, Vincent and Emma, as husband and wife.” 

The church explodes in a round of applause and I join in the clapping, furiously trying to keep the tears of joy at bay. Vincent has been there for Emma ever since they met at work and it has been the most beautiful love story ever since; filled with the purest kind of love no one can imagine. Beside me, I feel Kevin’s hand coming to squeeze my shoulder in a reassuring manner and I feel warm all over despite the rush of emotion in my heart. 

The wedding reception is to take place at a fancy restaurant overlooking the harbourfront. Our family has booked the venue for the evening, and as I enter, I take in the baby blue veils that come down each corner of the restaurant, sprinkles of glitter here and there as we make our way to our assigned tables that each have a baby blue napkin shaped in swans. 

I don’t even have time to place my butt down when I hear a voice call out, “Emily! Look how big you’ve gotten!” 

Of course, big wedding ceremonies only mean that we get to meet all of our extended family that we haven’t seen since forever, and they’re all too happy to chat with me about living overseas. Soon enough, I’m bustled off to a table and look back over my shoulder to mouth a quick “I’m sorry” to Kevin. Bless his soul, for he only smiles and shakes his head, his hand motioning for me to go on.

I manage to catch up with cousins I haven’t seen since I was a little girl, talk over appetizers with excited aunts who want to know all about how it feels like to live away from family for such a long time, and nod along to the old uncles trying to get me to give a concrete answer about when and where will my wedding take place. 

“Come on Emily! You’re the next one after Emma for sure,” one of my uncles bellow, face flushed red as a result of the glasses of wine he has downed like water. He is Emma’s father, no surprise that he’ll want to get drunk from happiness and pride. It is his daughter’s wedding after all. 

He leans close with a conspiratorial look in his eyes, “so tell me,” his eyes glance over to Kevin, currently deep in conversation with another one of my distant aunts. I watch as he says something to make her laugh, and something inside my chest warms at the action, “is he the lucky guy that’s going to ask for your hand?” 

“Do you think he’s the one?” another uncle pipes up. 

I purse my lips and attempt to shrug, “it’s early days,” I try laughing it off although it sounds forced, “who knows what can happen.” 

“He’s a good kid,” an aunt says, “you know how we all have this sixth sense? Well Emily, I have a good feeling about this young man. Don’t let him go. Something tells me he’s a keeper.” 

A wild imaginative speculation, considering that we’re not even dating. But I nod along and say that yes, I’ll tell them whenever I decide to tie the knot.

It’s only when the dance floor opens and people start pooling onto the dance floor after the first dance -- led by no other than the bride and groom themselves -- that I finally allow myself to breathe. I find my way back to my chair, back to Kevin’s warm smile flashing in my direction as his eyes take in the fatigue lining my face. 

“You look like you could use a drink,” is the first thing he tells me the moment I plop my butt onto my designed seat, the one that’s been kept cold ever since I stepped foot into the dining hall. 

I gratefully accept the glass of wine he offers me, swallowing it down in a few gulps, “thanks,” I sigh with relief, “I needed that.” 

“How was catching up with family?” 

“It couldn’t be as bad as being left behind,” I peer over at him, guilt flooding me at the prospect of having left him all alone, “sorry. It’s just that everyone--” 

“Oh stop that,” Kevin nudges my shoulder with his, “don’t be sorry. It’s totally normal. I’m happy for you. And I wasn’t left behind. I had a wonderful time talking to your aunt. She seemed so happy to tell me what your childhood was like.”

“Bet you liked that, didn’t you?” 

“Hey, it works as blackmail. Why wouldn’t I like that?” 

“Dork.” 

“You’re friends with this dork.” 

“Oh piss off,” I slap his shoulder playfully in retaliation, causing him to laugh softly as we watch couples glide across the dance floor like swans over water. The lights have dimmed, the yellow hues now replaced by soft cool blues and purples that cause Emma’s dress to shimmer every time she turns. She’s absolutely stunningly beautiful, and the way she and Vincent are gazing at each other just scream of pure love that wraps around them in a golden mist so enchantingly beautiful that I find myself catching my breath in the back of my throat. 

“She’s so beautiful,” the words fall from my mouth without meaning to, and I feel Kevin’s eyes on my face from the corner of my peripheral.

“You are too.” 

I bite my lip and narrow my eyes at him playfully, “thanks, but why do I have a feeling that this isn’t a compliment?” 

“It isn’t,” he holds my gaze, “it’s just the truth.” 

Emotion lodges at the back of my throat. I stare at him. He stares back, a glimmer of tenderness echoing through the dark pools of black, his whole expression relaxed into a face that appears flooded with affection for--

Me. 

For some reason, no words seem to come to me as I open my mouth and close it. Embarrassment slowly bubbles through my stomach. I look away, unable to contain the goosebumps suddenly exploding across the back of my neck with that same familiar uncomfortable sensation I keep getting around him these days. Like I’m standing atop a cliff and preparing myself to jump.

“Wanna dance?” 

I blink in surprise, before turning to the said young man beside me who has his head cocked to the side with that same expression. My heart can’t help but squeeze inside my chest before I push down the rising protest searing through my brain. 

I nod. And off we go onto the dance floor. His hands settle on my waist, mine atop his shoulders in a casual sling. There’s enough distance between our bodies to show that we’re not together and yet, I can’t deny that electrical tension that keeps on pulling me towards Kevin like a magnet. I wonder if he feels it too, that searing heat that is so palpable I can feel sweat break out from the back of my neck. Asking, though, would mean that I’m aware of what’s happening, asking would imply that I want something to happen.

Maybe I do. 

Maybe I do want to grab life by the reins myself and steer it wherever I want it to go. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

I blink. Right up into Kevin’s brown orbs, his hair catching the shades of blue from the disco balls. My throat runs dry. 

“Uh--” my mind tries to scramble for a response, any response, “just--uhm, it’s kind of like our last day here.” 

He cocks his head, “sad?” 

“Kinda. I like it here,” my eyes brush over Emma and Vincent’s forms in the vicinity, catch my grandma sitting at one of the tables, little cousins running all over the place. Then, I look back at the said young man gazing at me with that undecipherable look in his eyes that makes my heart sing, and try not to squirm as I continue softly, “it feels like home.” 

“We can always come back,” he uses ‘we’ as though it’s now an adventure kept between the two of us, a secret to our own little neverland that nobody knows about. I can’t help but smile at the thought. 

“Do you want to come back?” I ask.

“Are you kidding? Hell yeah I want to come back. The views are amazing, the food is out of this world, and your family has been really kind to me.” 

“I’m sorry, they are kind of overbearing when you first get to know them.” 

“I love it,” Kevin says seriously, “I love that they’re overbearing. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.” 

If I had any doubts, the sincerity dripping from his eyes is enough to wipe out any suspicions left from his compliment. The sudden urge to hug him rocks through me and my hands fist on the back of his shirt in response. 

We keep on dancing silently, bobbing from one foot to another for a few minutes more before he speaks up softly. 

“Emily?” 

“Hm?” 

“I wouldn't mind getting married here.” 

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “really now?” 

“Yup,” he grins, “really.” 

“Your future wife will have me to thank for that.” 

“Maybe my future wife won’t have to thank you.” 

There it is. That same borderline flirting that’s been happening for days on end. 

“And why is that?” I probe, partly just to tease him, and partly because I just want to know.

“Maybe she might be right here, in this room.” 

“Didn’t know you were into one of my cousins,” I start looking around the room, only for one of his hands to cup my cheek to turn my face back to his. 

There is none of that teasing glimmer now. His eyes are darker, gazing down at me with such emotion that the breath catches in the back of my throat and the air halts in my lungs. We gaze at each other for a few beats longer, before I feel his thumb graze my cheek. Gently, so gently like he’d stroke a flower petal. 

Swallowing at the heat of his hand cupping the side of my face, my hands unconsciously tighten on the back of his neck. He senses my nervousness, but only pulls me slightly closer so that we are mere millimeters from each other, noses hovering over each other in a space that causes my heart to stutter inside my chest. 

When he opens his mouth next, his alto is hoarse, pent-up with emotion. 

“I wasn’t talking about your cousins.” 

My heart practically jumps to my throat, teeth biting onto my lip. 

I can’t hear the music, nor the people. I can’t hear anything except for my pounding heart and Kevin’s soft breaths washing over my face. 

His eyes search mine and we hold gazes for a moment too long.

“Emily?” 

I press my lips together, “Y-Yes?” 

He moves even closer then so that his nose brushes mine in the most intimate of ways. 

“I--” 

“Emily! I was looking all over for you!” 

We spring apart like we just got burnt just in time for one of my cousins to grab onto my arm. He sends an apologetic smile at Kevin, before explaining, “we just need to sort out the takeaways. She’ll be back in a second!” 

And without listening to my protests, he proceeds to drag me away from the said young man on the dancefloor. I look back, mouthing an ‘I’m sorry” once more -- it’s the second time that night!-- and see the raven-haired man laugh good-naturedly before shaking his head and waving me away. That does nothing to keep my heart from cartwheeling out of my chest, swelling up with such affection that I grin back despite the earlier predicament. 

One thing’s for sure: I’m not done talking with Kevin Moon yet. 

----------

I find him sitting alone in the tiny garden that overlooks the decorated pavillon a few hours later. His figure, illuminated by the soft yellow hues of interior light, seems to glow in the dark, the moon bouncing off his hair and catching the strength of his cheekbone when he turns and catches me staring. He only smiles though -- that beautiful tender smile that I keep seeing more and more these days -- before waving me over. 

“What are you doing out here all alone?” I ask as I reach his figure. A soft breeze dances along the back of my spine, cool in contrast to the warm stickiness of the air. 

“Your smaller cousin was showing me what she’d learnt in astronomy at her school,” he tilts his head up at the sky, “she’s quite the prodigy at that.” 

“The next woman to land on the moon,” I joke.

“Jeez, I should get her autograph.” 

“Wise idea,” that’s when I feel his hand slip into mine and I look down at him, blinking. He grins a little shyly, before tugging me forward so that I all but stumble right into him, halfway sprawled across his lap. 

Heat explodes through my chest at the proximity of our bodies and I can’t help but avert my gaze from his, partly embarrassed that maybe there might be someone around to see, and partly because it’s only recently that I’ve started seeing Kevin in a new light that being so close makes my heart choke up and my mind to run blank. 

We’re close. So close I feel his breath mingle with mine. My hands settle atop his chest lightly, “Kev,” I breathe out but nothing follows, too scared to verbally voice out what is going on for fear that it might all crumble into nothing. 

I don’t want false hope. I also don’t want his heart -- or mine -- to break. 

This friendship is too precious to let go. I can’t imagine a life without Kevin in it.

“Listen Emily,” Kevin’s voice is soft, a hushed murmur resonating through his chest as his eyes search mine, “I think we both know what’s happening here.” 

I nod mutely. 

Taking a shaky breath, he continues, “I don’t want to do anything that will hurt you. I know it’s been tough and that you’re still healing. I just--I just want to know.” 

As his words wash over me as gently as the forest leaves rustling around us, I feel the warmth of his hand cupping my cheek, holding me like I am fine china and stroking my skin with his thumb so that butterflies suddenly rush along my middle.

I bite my lip so hard I can taste blood, " I-- well, I think you already know how I feel."

"I know," he breathes, "but I need to hear it from you."

As if it isn't hard enough to come face to face with my own feelings, having Kevin stare me down as though I put the moon in his sky makes me want to squirm with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. 

“I like you,” I blurt out then, “a lot.” 

There is a few seconds delay, before a shit-- eating grin --the biggest I’ve ever seen -- spreads across Kevin’s face like sunshine peeking through the clouds.

“Enough for us to go on a date?”

I nod mutely. I don’t trust my voice, not right now when I already feel so pathetic. Kevin’s grin softens into a tender smile, one that I can’t help but return when our eyes meet in the most intimate of ways. Suddenly, the air feels charged and alive with electricity, the heat between our bodies palpable as his hand moves to the back of my neck. 

He tugs. I follow. 

His lips find mine mid-way in a delicate kiss. 

It’s soft. Softer than any kiss I’ve ever had. Kevin’s mouth parts over my own in a gentle caress, before he tilts his head to the side and captures my lower lip between his. 

I gasp slightly at the contact, hands unconsciously tightening around his neck. 

Slowly leaning away, I notice the film of lust like a dull glow at the back of his maroon orbs, just the slightest hint that he wants me as a woman. And that makes my lungs constrict, air suddenly halting in the back of my throat.

My skin is prickling with the aftermath of his touch. I let out a soft breath before he covers my mouth with his once more and all thoughts fly out of my brain the moment he does. 

I don’t really know how long we spend outside, exchanging the softest of kisses underneath the moonlight, until I hear the soft exclamations of my family’s voices suggesting that it is time to head home. So I part from the said man and can’t help but blush at the lack of space between our bodies.

“We should probably head back,” I hate how wanton I sound, like I’ve just sprinted a mile when in truth I’ve been sitting in this very spot for the last hour.

He agrees and I descend from his lap, his hand subtly finding mine as we walk back to the wedding hall. 

Emma is still saying her goodbyes, her hair now dotted with glitter, probably from the decorations that my younger cousins took pleasure in bathing her in. Her face lights up as soon as she spots our entwined hands and I try not to meet her eyes for I know exactly the kind of smug look she'll be giving me. 

"Enjoyed the wedding?" She says as soon as we're within earshot.

"That must've been the best cake I've had in my life," Kevin lets out a dramatic sigh, "and that says something."

"Do I trust your taste buds though?" She teases.

"I'd be offended if you didn't," he gasped in mock offense, before they both break into playful chuckles.

As we exchange our goodbyes and Vincent engages Kevin in a conversation, Emma takes this chance to drag me to her side as she whispers, "so you gonna tell me the tea or am I going to have to extract it from you?"

I press my lips together as I try to control the heat searing through the back of my neck, "...we kissed."

She gasps, "No way! OH MY GOD! Are you guys a thing then?!" The answer is as clear as water on my face and she clamps a hand over her mouth, would've jumped up and down if she could've, "OH MY, OH MY GOD. I knew it! I just knew this was going to happen--"

"Shut up!" I hiss, scared that Kevin might overhear and think I'm a big fat tattle tale. My eyes quickly swivel over to his and I'm glad to find his head bent towards Vincent in concentration. 

"You need to tell me everything," Emma's eyes are sparkling, "like--as soon as you have some free time."

"You--" I send her a pointed look, then jerk my head at Vincent, "--need to tell me everything."

"Oh I will, don't worry."

"Anyway, I'll talk to you after your honeymoon."

"Okay," I turn around to find Kevin, not failing to notice the smirk playing on Emma's lips. I slap her arm in response, causing her to laugh before she calls out: 

"Don't forget to use protection!"

-----------

"We'll come back right?"

That's the first thing that Kevin states as soon as we step inside security, away from the tears of my family that I just left behind a few seconds ago. My heart still aches when I think of their faces, all crumpled and blinking at me with tissues in hand and noses as red as traffic lights. But I seek comfort upon feeling Kevin's hand slip through mine as we walk towards our destined gate. 

"Sure," I look at him; at his red-tinted cheeks (probably the aftermath of a sunburn), his newly tanned skin a fresh contrast against his white shirt, and the permanent grin that seems impossible to wipe off his face. My heart instantly flutters.

It's only been a few days since we've confessed our growing romantic interest in each other, but I can already feel the weight of his love pouring out of his heart and into mine the moment he realized that my arms would be there to catch him when he fell.

"I'm not going to wake up to an empty bed tomorrow morning, am I?" He’d joked when we stumbled, half-asleep, into Emma's flat after the wedding. 

I frowned at him, "Why would you think that?"

"Just in case you think that kissing me was a mistake."

A small pause ensued, in which I realized that despite all my fears and all the pain I had been carrying in my heart ever since we landed on my motherland, I had not once considered how Kevin might be feeling at this very moment. 

My eyes quickly took note of his countenance, sweeping right up to his face only to notice the flash of vulnerability in his eyes, the way the corners of his mouth were tense, cheekbones taught against his skin as he awaited for my answer with baited breath. 

Clearing my throat, I whispered, "it wasn't."

A soft smile tugged at his lips, "good to know."

His answer seemed so genuine, so wholehearted that my chest tightened in a mixture of gratefulness and affection, so much so that my arms automatically reached for him to tug him close. My nose found its rightful place at his neck and I breathed in his comforting  lilac smell that I enjoyed so much.

I felt him take a breath. Then, softly, a hand caressed the back of my head. I buried even closer if that was possible.

"I really want this to work," my words were a muffled mess and I was surprised that he understood.

"Me too," he murmured into my hair, "and it will work. I promise I won't break your heart Emily."

Looking back now at this tender moment in which we both weren't certain of where we were stepping, I can't help but laugh at the thought, for now the love and attraction is so natural I'm amazed it has taken this long to flourish. 

Maybe I hadn't been looking the right way. Maybe I had been searching so far out and wide that I hadn't noticed that my safe harbour is the one standing right beside me.

"Hey Kevin," I call out.

Kevin turns towards me, where he'd been watching planes take off from the ground into the gorgeously blue sunny sky.

"Yeah?" 

“I’m really glad you came.” 

There's a few beats of silence although his mouth immediately cracks into that gorgeous, crooked grin of his that I adore so much. 

“Me too.” 

[classic-rock-roller]

1. You are with Crue and they are on tour. You’re all on the bus, and you’re late arriving to the next state for the show, so it looks like they’ll have to get ready on the bus. They are about to go about their business and get ready when Tommy suddenly shouts, “Everybody on the bus get naked!” The boys whoop and start changing into their stage clothes. After a minute, Nikki comes up to you and says, “He said everybody on the bus. Last I checked, you’re on the bus, sweetie.” What do you do?

“Yes, I’m on the bus. But the closest you get to see me naked with Tommy around is my underwear so that’s all you’re getting.” I’d strip down to my underwear and then quickly grab a blanket and cover myself with it, “There, I’m ‘naked’.”  

2. You went to dinner with Kevin and Co. for your birthday. Upon being seated, you tell Kevin explicitly, “Don’t tell the waiter it’s my birthday.” He nods in agreement. After a couple of minutes, Randy says he needs to get something from the car. He leaves and returns a few minutes later. When your food comes out, the wait staff all sing to you and make a big to do. Once they leave, you glare at Kevin. “I told you not to tell the waiter.” He just grins smugly and says, “I didn’t tell anybody. Randy told the manager when he said he went to the car.” Randy just grins and said “Sorry, dude, I had to tell them. Them’s the rules.” How do you respond?

“Well, even if they are the rules. You’re still annoying. I said I didn’t want a big thing for my birthday. It’s like any other day.” “But it’s your birthday we have to do a little something special to make it fun.” “Well then, take me out for ice cream.” 

3. You’re at a wedding reception with Kevin during the summer. It’s hot, and everyone is outside. You stop by a washtub full of ice to grab a can of soda when Kevin runs up, grabs you, and shoves an uncomfortably large handful of ice down your pants. How do you respond?

“Kevin, what the fuck was that for?” “You looked hot, I wanted to cool you off.” “Yeah, you don’t do it like that. I’ll be right back.” I’d head to the bathroom to dump all the ice out of my pants and once I get back, I’d lecture him about shoving the ice down my pants and acting childish.   

4. Kevin calls you one day while you’re both at work. He’s sounding chipper, but you ask what’s up. He says, very casually, “Yeah something exploded and there was a huge fire and I think one guy got hurt pretty bad. But everything’s fine, I was just calling to check on you.” How do you respond?

“What the fuck? Kevin, why do you sound chipper about this? A guy might have gotten hurt badly.” “It gave me a minute to take a break and talk to you.” “Kevin, I really appreciate that you thought of me but you should go check on the guy to make sure he’s ok. I’ll talk to you later. And please don’t do anything stupid. I don’t need you to end up like that guy.”   

5. Kevin has just proposed to you, and of course, you accepted. After a moment of giddiness, Kevin says “This might be the second happiest day of my life.” Curious, you ask, “Second? What’s the first?” “I’m not allowed to talk about it.” What did he do and how do you respond?

I try to weasel it out of him and he finally says, “It was the day I asked you out for the first time. I just found out we would be getting a record deal and I decided to just ask you out, I didn’t have anything to lose. I didn’t expect you to say yes and now we’re here.” “Aww, that’s sweet. That was one of my best days as well. I was super excited that you finally got the record deal you wanted and that you’d asked me out. I’d been waiting for weeks.” 

6. Crue invited you to a pool party without Kevin because Nikki got mad at him over something dumb. You found a super cute bikini, and you’re wearing it over there. Just as you reach the door, Kevin grabs your wrist and stops you. “Where do you think you’re going dressed like that? Your body is for my eyes only.” He’s being very possessive. What do you do?

“Kevin, I can wear whatever I want. But if it makes you nervous,” I’d run back to our bedroom and grab one of his old shirts. “I’ll wear this over, ok? I was planning on wearing a cover-up anyway.”  

7. You wake up one night because you’re too hot. Kevin isn’t next to you, so you seek him out. You find him on the balcony, gazing awestruck at the sky. It’s a full moon tonight, and he is loving it. You go up to him and lean your head on his shoulder He doesn’t move from his position and doesn’t say anything. He’s thinking. What does he eventually say to you and how do you respond?

“What do you think it’d be like if I wasn’t famous? If no one knew who I was and we didn’t get swarmed on the street every day?” “It’d be kind of boring. Plus I can’t picture you living on a farm in the middle of the country.” “Who said anything about a farm?” “You did the last time we had this conversation.”  

8. You live in the same apartment building as Crue, who live a floor below you. You have Kevin over frequently now that you don’t have to deal with roommates. One day, they all come up and knock on your door. “Oh hey guys, what’s up?” You ask them. The 4 of them look at each other uncomfortably before Tommy pipes up, “Alright look, we’re glad you have a healthy sex life, but could you maybe try to not pierce a hole in our ceiling with your bed? Thanks.” How do you respond?

I’d blush beet red and go, “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I’ll try not to.” Kevin, who is sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, says, “Can’t make any promises.” I just turn around and glare at him. “Again guys, I’m so sorry. We’ll try not to.” 

9. Kevin takes you to a murder mystery dinner. Everyone’s got to use pseudonyms given by the host, and you two aren’t paired in that respect. Kevin is acting very suspiciously all night (even for a murder mystery party), and you think he’s the killer. Eventually, you corner him and ask, but he just keeps looking you up and down and is clearly not listening. What do you do?

“Kevin, can you please listen to what I’m saying? Kevin!” “But you’re so distracting like that and when you’re angry.” “Just focus on the dinner ok? You can focus on me after.” 

10. You went over to hang out with your friend Nikki, and his Grandmother, Nona, is visiting. As soon as you arrive, she answers the door and says “If my boy doesn’t snatch you up soon, I will be very disappointed in him.” You’re surprised at her forwardness, and you hear him shout, “Grandma NO” from inside the house. What do you do next?

I’d smile at her and go, “Well, that’s very kind of you, Nona. But I don’t think that’ll happen.” Nikki is just standing at the top of the stairs blushing. 

11. You’ve got a front row seat at one of QR’s shows. As the show goes on, Kevin gets paler and paler, and he’s uncharacteristically uncoordinated and shaky. His foot catches on Randy’s guitar wire, and he just falls forward, making no effort to break his fall - he was out before he hit the ground. Now he’s unconscious on the stage in the middle of a show, and because of the size of the venue, you’re not allowed on the stage. What do you do?

Well, I’d try to get backstage and when the bouncer would try to stop me I’d go, “I’m the girlfriend of the singer who just collapsed out there. Let me through.” I’d push past him if he wouldn’t let me and get there just as they’re carrying Kevin off the stage with Randy following behind. “Randy, what happened?” One of the paramedics shouts something about him not eating all day. I’d glare at Randy, “You know he won’t eat before a show if he’s nervous and I asked you to make sure that he did because I couldn’t be here to do so.” 

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

1) You work at an amusement park in the summer. You are working on the log flume ride, sitting at the top of it to make sure no one does anything stupid before the drop. Crue is on one of the logs and as it goes around the bend to the drop, Tommy stands up. “Tommy, sit down please.” He looks over at you and says, “Well, you’re over there and I’m over here so what are you going to do about it.” You know he’ll fall out if he doesn’t sit down now. What do you do? 

2) You take Randy to a wedding to meet most of your extended family. At the reception, your grandmother comes up to the two of you and goes, “So when are you two getting married? I want my great-grandbabies.” How do you and Randy respond? 

3) You’re at Crue’s house for a pool party with Randy. The two of you are sitting on a low wall just talking. Nikki comes running over and picks you up before saying, “Come on, I’m going to jump in the pool with you.” You tell him, no but he doesn’t listen. What does Randy do? 

4) You were in the kitchen and Randy was working on a song in your bedroom. You’re making dinner when you see a spider and let out a really loud scream and jump on a chair. Randy comes running into the room, “What happened?! What’s wrong?” You look over at him and say, “I just saw a spider.” How does he respond? 

5) You are out in the living room late at night. You’d taken a nap earlier in the day and couldn’t fall back asleep. As you’re sitting reading a book, you see Stephen come out in just his boxers and take the milk carton out of the fridge before taking a swig from it. You’re just staring at him, when he looks over at you he stops, “Oh, I thought you went to bed a while ago.” “Do you do this every night?” Hoe does he respond? 

6) You and Randy are sitting on the couch when you snuggle into him. “What are you doing?” he asks. “I just want to cuddle.” “We could do more than cuddle if you want.” You sit up, “What? You mean like kissing?” How does Randy respond?

7) You are over at Kevin and his girlfriend's house. You find the tin can that is attached to the side of the fridge. Absentmindedly you look in and find about ten dollars. You pull it off and ask Kevin and his girlfriend, “Hey, whats this for?” How do they respond? 

8) You and Randy had rented a kayak to go exploring the bay. While on the way back, the water get’s really choppy as a storm is rolling in. You’re an equal distance from an island and from where you rented the boat. What do you do? 

9) You and Randy are walking in a park when you come across a wall. He climbs it and starts walking along. You’re getting nervous because the wall keeps getting higher. It’s about twenty feet high when he slips a little but catches himself. What do you say and how does he respond? 

10) You’re at a park with a wide open field with Randy and Kevin. You look to Randy and say, “Catch me if you can!” Before taking off. Randy chases after you and quickly catches you. He kisses you deeply. You can both hear Kevin gag and say, “God, can the two of you get a room?” How do you and Randy respond? 

11) You and Randy are walking along the boardwalk at the beach when you come across one of those old cheesy haunted houses. It’s about six dollars a person and Randy looks at you, “Come on, Can you go? Please?” How do you respond and do you go? 

@osbournebemydaddy, your turn, love    

[andersonswalsh]

Fic: Teach Me How Love Goes (for Klaine Advent Day 24/24)

I finished! I finished! After failing to the past two years, this is a major accomplishment. Thank you to everyone who read, reblogged, and commented, as well as those who ran the Advent. Masterpost will be up tomorrow!

Day 24: Zone | Day 23 | AO3

“I go with you?” Charlie asks as he watches Blaine and Tina make the final touches to their attire.

“No, Charlie,” Lydia sighs. “Mama and Daddy can’t take us with them, we have to stay with Grandma.”

“Gamma?” Ben asks. He’s cemented himself as Pam’s favorite grandchild--possibly because he loves looking through her makeup swatches.

“She’ll be here soon,” Tina says. “And all three of you better be on your best behavior, you got that?”

Lydia rolls her eyes. A month of third grade has given her a new attitude, one that makes Blaine fear when she becomes a teenager.

“Don’t give me that, Lydia Grace,” Tina scolds her before turning to Blaine. “Okay, are we set?”

Blaine nods. “I think so. Dress?”

“Check.” Tina spins around in her gown.

“Shoes?”

“Check.”

“Earrings?”

“Check.”

“Fiance?”

“Right here,” a voice says coming out of the bathroom. Mike puts his arm around Tina’s shoulders. “Kurt had to take my tux in a little more.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Tina coos before kissing him. She and Mike reconnected at a New Directions reunion two years ago, as he was about to have his divorce from his college sweetheart finalized. They spent hours talking and making out, and it didn’t take long for Mike to come to New York with a position secured to teach at Juilliard. He even found an apartment for sale in their building, just three floors below, where Tina ended up moving into within months. Their place has plenty of room for Lydia, Ben, Charlie, and Mike’s son Henry when he visits. It’s made everything between the two couples smoother than anyone expected, especially after Kurt moved in that summer and turned Tina’s old bedroom into a workstation for him and Blaine.

“I better go get Kurt,” Blaine says. “You know what will happen if he gets into a zone with his sewing.”

“Seriously, Blainey-days, he isn’t going to miss your opening night,” Tina replies.

Blaine shakes his head. “You’d think so…” and goes off to rescue Kurt.

Kurt is hunched over the sewing machine working on a handkerchief. “Mom will be here soon,” Blaine says when he peeks in. “We should be leaving in ten minutes or so.”

“Okay, just let me finish this.” Kurt guides the fabric through until it’s perfect. “There,” he says with a flourish, pulling the newly monogrammed handkerchief out and waving it around. “I figure I’ll need this tonight.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I’m about to watch my incredible boyfriend’s work take over a Broadway stage.” Kurt crosses the room and kisses Blaine. “I am so, so proud of you, honey. This is only the beginning for you.”

Blaine blushes. “It’s more Shawn’s work…”

“You still scored the entire thing. That’s incredible. Besides, I feel like the main characters are connected to us in a way.”

“Wait, you think Kevin and Bryce are supposed to be us?”

“Ex-lovers reuniting in a school? It does sound awfully familiar.”

“Then you should discuss that with Shawn,” Blaine says with a smile.

“You know,” Kurt adds, “maybe we could take a page out of the script anyway and follow their ending.”

Blaine stares at Kurt. “What?”

Kurt sighs. “I was going to wait until later tonight, but I can’t do that.” He drops to one knee. “Blaine, we’ve been through so much over the past two decades. There was a time--many times, I guess--that I thought this would never happen. But I don’t see any other way for our story to go. Will you marry me?”

“Oh my god, of course!” Blaine exclaims, failing to hold back the tears. Kurt pulls a box out of his pocket with a platinum band nestled inside, placing the ring on Blaine’s hand before he reaches back in and gives him the handkerchief. Blaine laughs as he dabs it against his eyes. “I love you,” he says.

“I love you too,” Kurt replies.

Blaine doesn’t mention it yet, but in his blurb in the Playbill he lists Kurt as his future husband--because he also wanted to pop the question and make tonight the best night in history.

[courtnexit-blog]

Day 101: Reminiscing

I wrote this the day of because I was so happy and excited with what an awesome day it was. I'm sure happy i did: 

Ellie and I have become like sisters. We are different people, in different walks of life, with different goals yet somehow manage to be in sync. This morning, my Great Uncle Kevin (Bernadette’s brother/Ellie’s grandad) came over for coffee to meet with me and chat. His stories nearly put me to tears. His warm welcome will forever be remembered. He walked in with 2 framed pictures in his hands. He joked that I reminded him of someone (which must be a lie since I don’t think i was quite what he was expecting being brunette). We sat down and enjoyed coffee while I grew mesmerized by his stories. He showed me the photos- 1 of nana (Bernadette) and 1 of nana and Kevin embracing. These photos hit so close to my heart I can’t seem to even explain. On the photo of Bernadette, she wrote “Your devoted sister, Bernadette.” The love and formality of it all was touching. Kevin cherished the photo and on the back was a cut out of the newspaper that announced her passing. I always have felt a sort of connection to my Nana. I guess it is because i was named after her. I just admire her courage and strength for going through this large endeavor to America to seek a better life. The other picture was one of her and Kevin embracing during her first return to England after her leaving. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such strong love between siblings. It was pure love. During this picture, she was expecting and Kevin couldn’t remember who but we all thought it had to be Uncle Kerry because she looked just TOO beautiful and vibrant to be a mother already. Ellie and I really took this picture to heart. Kevin spoke so highly of bunny that I could see the love and happiness radiating from him. It was real and true. He explained how due to their rough childhood reckoned by diphtheria- Bernadette was behind a year in school and Kevin was held back so that he could look after her. Since then, they were in the same grade throughout their lives and became such close friends. Hearing Kevin speak about my nana really made the connection real for Ellie and I. Saying “second cousins” seems distant and unrelatable but seeing her Grandpa speak so fondly of my Grandma, his sister, was really moving and connected us all as one. The connection became visible and we were able to see through the family lines. Ellie and I chatted about how it really expanded how were see each other and how we think its so important to keep these relationships going. Kevin went on to tell the story of Nana and Papa and how she was extremely reluctant to go over to America. Kevin really pushed her to do it, to seek a better life. Apparently Nana really took care of a lot of the family and didn’t wanna leave them but Kevin saw the opportunity and really pushed her there. Papa gave her a ticket to New York from London so she was reluctant due to the difficulty just to get to London. Once they figured out a ride she really tried to find a way out. She got her hair done the day she went and they did it terribly (“apparently”) and she tried to use that as an excuse not to go. (sound like us? haha) but she ended up going to NY (there was a minor gap in the story- not sure how she got to LA) but of course happily ever after and she really fell in love. It just took a little push to leave home. Kevin spoke fondly of her in a story where he was at university/seminar? which was quite far and difficult/expensive to get to but one day she showed up to visit out of the blue. The school said they really don’t have visitors but she defied their rules and came anyways. He loved her strong willed nature to do as she pleased but he was also just so shocked in her ability to find the money to visit him as they were pretty poor back then. Being the last sibling alive, I’m so grateful Kevin and Bernadette were so close. Kevin gave me an idea of who my grandmother was as a person, as a teen, and as a sister.

Uncle Kevin took me around Fitzmaurice Carriers on his way home. The brothers - Tim and Dominic who run it now took away his keys because they had his car keys on it which he's not allowed to drive right now so he wasn't able to show me inside but we walked around the outside of it. They own a TON of the area around it and rent out a lot of the office buildings. He gave me the keys to business telling me we must invest in property. It was really great having him show me around this company he built from the ground up. They didn't have a lot of money growing up so he knew what it felt like to not have the money. You could hear how proud he was of his company. I got to meet his wife too when we dropped him off. 

In the afternoon, Ellie and I went to the Library where they had an exhibit for the Us air force that was stationed in Norwich. We had heard there was a picture of my grandpa. We went around 4:30 and the museum closed at 5. we wanted to go in and see it and head out. however, NO ONE told us where this picture was! we figured it was out and about. We had to panic call the family to solve the mystery.... Ellie finally found it by looking at the index of one of the books on display. What a sight. Ellie and I both thought he looked JUST like me in the picture which was really weird..... It was super cool to see though. Im so proud to be his granddaughter! 

After we succeeded in the library with 3 minutes to spare, we got dinner at a waffle place. It had both set and savory waffles. Interesting place. We then got drinks with another second cousin, tilly, who is Dominic’s daughter (he also has 2 sons). Tilly is about 25 years old and is Ellie’s closest cousin. She was so nice and we had a blast. We hopped around a few places and then taxid home (first taxi! woohoo!). The whole fam was up and we just chatted and drank wine. It was so nice.

[awkwardlyamusing-blog]

A Dog's Journey Blu-ray Review - Dogs are friends forever!

New Post has been published on http://doggietrainingclasses.com/a-dogs-journey-blu-ray-review-dogs-are-friends-forever/

A Dog's Journey Blu-ray Review - Dogs are friends forever!

Kidzworld checked out the Blu-ray for A Dog’s Journey. This heartwarming and emotionally-charged film comes home with some really fun and entertaining extra features. Read our cool Blu-ray review!

By: Lynn Barker

The book and movie A Dog’s Purpose continues in A Dog’s Journey. Smart and sweet doggie Bailey (voiced again by Josh Gad) loves living on the Michigan farm of his “boy,” Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Ethan’s wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) who are grandparents of very young granddaughter C.J. She has a mutual lovefest with Bailey. However, C.J.’s very negative mom Gloria (Betty Gilpin) had rather have a music career than raise a baby on a boring farm and moves away with little C.J. When Bailey is passing on and ready for a new life, he promises Ethan to find C.J. and protect her at all costs. Can he keep this promise?

A Dog’s Journey Clip – “Unconditional Love”

Living on the Farm

When Hannah’s son Henry dies in an auto accident, his wife Gloria and baby C.J. come to live with Hannah and Ethan. Gloria is far from a friendly, attentive mom, however and refuses to leave C.J. with Hannah while she goes to pursue a singing career.

Gloria announces she is leaving with C.J.Courtesy of Universal Studios

Instead, after blaming a few bad parenting moments on dog Bailey, she takes C.J. and hits the road. When elderly Bailey is dying, Ethan asks him to come back, find C.J. and protect her. We know Bailey will.

It’s Bailey’s time to pass onCourtesy of Universal Studios

Another Life

Doggie Bailey is reincarnated as a beagle puppy named Molly whose brother Rocky is adopted by a cute Asian boy named Trent. He knows the now tween-aged C.J.

Young C.J. with Molly and young TrevorCourtesy of Universal Studios

She wants to adopt Molly but knows mom Gloria hates dogs. C.J. hides Molly and since Gloria drinks too much and is out a lot, she doesn’t notice the dog for a long time. Molly and C.J. meet and play with Trent and Rocky. Finally mom discovers Molly but reluctantly lets C.J. keep her. As they go through high school Trent would like C.J. to be his girlfriend. Hannah and Ethan try to visit but Gloria turns them away telling C.J. that they tried to steal the money dad left for her. 

Unhappy Gloria doesn’t like dogsCourtesy of Universal Studios

Bad Boyfriend  

18-year-old C.J. (Kathryn Prescott) who now wants to be a singer/songwriter, meets a low-life but cute guy named Shane (Jake Manley) who is into booze, drugs and partying. For a while C.J. tries to go along but when a party is busted by the cops, she is sent to jail. Trent takes care of Molly. C.J.’s community service sentence at a facility training dogs to sniff out cancer ends in Molly being a natural at it. When Shane grabs C.J., attacking her, she tells her drunk mom, who couldn’t care less. Mom also tells her she has no inheritance from her dad. Mom spent it a long time ago! C.J. is shattered. She leaves home in the family car only to be followed and chased by angry Shane in his car. A wreck follows and little Molly is killed.

Will C.J. and Trevor be a couple?Courtesy of Universal Studios

New Life

Bailey/Molly reincarnates this time as a huge mastiff dog called Big Dog by his gas station owner Joe. He has almost given up on finding C.J. but fate puts her at the gas station on her way to start a music career in New York City. She has no idea that he is the reincarnated Molly and goes on her way.

C.J. meets Big DogCourtesy of Universal Studios

Sad Big Dog leads a nice life with Joe but ends up dying before ever finding C.J. again. This time he comes back as a feisty tiny terrier puppy dubbed Max. Max is up for adoption but won’t let anyone but C.J. adopt him. He snaps at everyone and is almost scheduled for euthanasia when he spots C.J., chases after her and leaps into her arms. She adopts him.

Molly adopts MaxCourtesy of Universal Studios

Another Bad Boyfriend

Trying to make it as a singer while dog walking to earn money, Molly lives with her uptight, critical boyfriend Barry (Kevin Claydon) who has his own dog Duke and keeps telling C.J. she’ll never make it as a singer. She still has stage fright and won’t sing in public.

C.J. walks dogs for a livingCourtesy of Universal Studios

Max leads C.J. to run into Trent (Henry Lau) who has moved to NYC from London and has a girlfriend Liesl (Daniella Barbosa) who is very possessive of him. Barry and C.J. break up and she sleeps on friends’ couches finally ending up staying in Trent’s guest room.

Illness for Trent

Little Max smells cancer on Trent. His girlfriend ditches him and it is C.J. who sees him through treatment to health. Mom Gloria has cleaned up her act, meets with a reluctant C.J. who can’t forgive her. Mom encourages her to bite the bullet and sing in public.

C.J. finally performs in publicCourtesy of Universal Studios

With Trent’s support, she sings at a club and is a big success. After reading some letters Gloria gave her from her dad, C.J. wants to visit Ethan and Hannah at their farm.

Ethan, Hannah and Bailey on the farmCourtesy of Universal Studios

A Happy Ending?

While C.J., Trent and Max are visiting the farm, Ethan senses that Max is really Bailey and proves it to C.J. who realizes that the other dogs in her life were Bailey as well. She also realizes that she actually loves Trent. Will their relationship blossom? What is in store for Max next and what’s going to happen to C.J., Trent and her family? What is Bailey’s eventual fate?

Trevor has always loved C.J.Courtesy of Universal Studios

Special Extra Features

This Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set looks and sounds great and contains a bunch of really enjoyable extra features.

10 Deleted or Extended Scenes are all wonderful and are either adorable, dog-centered or build the characters well. All are very worth watching!

Young C.J. is fun-lovingCourtesy of Universal Studios

Gag Reel is a hoot. It is focused on dogs doing cute things on set that aren’t part of the script, dogs licking faces etc., Dennis Quaid who plays Ethan, joking with kids and dogs, a bug attack etc. Very silly fun to watch.

Working with Dogs –all of the film’s major actors tell us why they love working with dogs. Filmmakers and some actors bring their dogs to set. Dog trainers talk about training the film’s dogs with love and trust and they give tips on training your dog.  Dennis Quaid tells us how he felt a special bond with the dog playing Bailey. Soooo sweet.

Ethan and Bailey always playCourtesy of Universal Studios

A Dog’s Sequel – Josh Gad, the voice of Bailey in two films says he cried on reading the script. The other actors talk about their characters. The actress who plays meanie Gloria tells us she actually loves dogs and found it hard to be at all mean to them in the movie. Director Gail Mancuso on the story’s drama for dogs and people. Nice.

Everyone’s Best Friend presents all the actors talking about their personal dogs at home and the bond they feel with them. Some of them came to set. One actress has cats and dogs at home, one actor can’t wait to adopt a dog etc. Awwww.

Grandma and Bailey play with little C.J.Courtesy of Universal Studios

A Healing Journey concentrates on the reincarnation story with filmmakers and the book author talking about the possibility that animals can “come back” in other animals and our feeling that connection. The film helps kids, teens and even adults deal with the passing of a beloved pet. Cool.

Scoring the Journey deals with the film’s very touching soundtrack and a young pianist who loves dogs and provided some of the best of the film’s score. So cool!

Audio Commentary with Director Gail Mancuso is interesting as the director, who loves dogs, tells us about the scenes and filming process, working with the dogs etc.

Wrapping Up

As we said in our review when this film was in theaters, the movie is a mixed bag; very entertaining and heartwarming but with a lot of emotional push and pull that makes us feel like we are a dog on a leash being jerked through the lives and especially the passings of lots of cute dogs… there are four of them! 

C.J. has to hide MollyCourtesy of Universal Studios

If you can rally and root for the “next dog” each time Bailey passes then you will enjoy the film.

Max/Bailey is glad CJ. and Trevor are togetherCourtesy of Universal Studios

The extras provided on this Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set are wonderful and upbeat. They are so warm, funny and cuddly that they make us go up to four stars on this take home version of the film.

A Dog’s Journey Blu-ray Rating: 

Courtesy of Universal Studios

A Dog’s Journey home entertainment sets are out to purchase now! 

Share Your Feelings!

What about your dog, cat or other pet lets you know they will love you forever? Do you sometimes think your current pet is just like one you had in the past? Do you like movies that center on animals?  Let’s hear from you with a comment here or on your Kidzworld profile page!

  Source link Dog Training Tips

[iremember826chi]

梨花带雨

by JiaYu, grade 8 (from I Remember...My Brother Shouted 'Fire', Spring 2018)

November 25th, 2012. The sky was a cloudy gray and the air was cottony with fog. It had been just a few days after my ninth birthday. Early in the morning, my uncle picked up my parents and me at my grandma’s house. His blue and green taxi, which he drove for work, was parked across the street in front of the old abandoned mansion with the black metal gates. My grandma’s house was on the third floor of a small apartment building. My parents carried the luggage down the somewhat uneven concrete stairs, past the old, dark green metal door with paint peeling off that creaks every time it opened or closed, and into the trunk of the taxi as I followed behind them. My uncle drove us to the airport, the sight of the apartment building getting smaller and smaller until we turned a corner and it could no longer be seen. The morning traffic was crazy, cars driving furiously fast and beeping everywhere. We eventually arrived after thirty minutes or so and my uncle parked in front of the doors of the airport. He helped us get the luggage out of the trunk and carried them inside with us. The airport was crowded with tons of people. My parents and I went to the check-in for luggages and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to my two uncles who were there to see us off. After giving them one last hug, we joined the long lines of people to get through security. I had wished so much to have the flight delayed due to whatever reason so I could stay with my grandparents for just a little longer.

I lived in China for most of my life. My parents were too busy to take care of me after I was born so when I was only five months old, my parents entrusted me with their friends that were going back to China to take me to Dalian, a city on the northeastern part of China where my grandparents lived. Ever since I began to remember things, it was my grandparents who took care of me, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin Kevin who played with me. I had no memories of my parents because I never met them, but there I was, going halfway across the globe to the United States and away from those I was familiar with.

After getting past security, we had to take a train inside the airport that led to the runways for the airplane. The train station looked just like how a CTA station would look but much cleaner. I remember looking at the schedules and locations on the tiny TV screen, “Mom, are we going to Chicago?” “Yes,” she’d always reply with a smile. I asked her that many times but she was still patient with me and kept smiling. I knew that she was happy to see me. After we got off the train, we had to take a bus that ran on the runways to get to where the airplane was parked. The bus was crowded with people, so many that there was barely any space left to stand, everyone was just squishing each other and the luggage. I was in the middle and had nothing to hold on to. I could only keep my balance by leaning against other people when the bus took a turn or stop. I peeked out the windows through what I could see through the tiny spaces between bodies and it was slightly drizzling outside. The bus stopped in front of a metal, white open staircase that led up to the entrance of the plane. Raindrops landed on my face as we walked up. It was kind of dark inside, there was a basket of headphones and stacks of newspaper when we first stepped in. A flight attendant stood at the door to greet us and point to us where our seats should be. Once we put our bags into the the space provided above the seats, I sat in the seat next to the window and looked out. There, the familiar apartment buildings that I saw every time I went to Dalian Airport were still there. The city that I spent most of my life in, I was about to leave. Just thinking about that made tears pool at the bottom of my eyes. I loved my grandparents and I really did not want to leave them. The best memories, the best times of my life, I had shared with them.

I heard my mom talking to someone on the phone, her mom, which was my grandma. She gently tapped me on my shoulder and handed me her phone with an ongoing call. “Here, it’s your grandma. Don’t you want to talk to her before we leave?” I took the phone and put it against my ear, “Hello? Grandma?” My grandma responded, “Jiajia.” That's what she called me. My Chinese name was Jiayu and the nickname they called me was Jiajia. I can’t remember most of the conversation but I do recall tears rolling down my face and my grandma telling me to “Do well at school, study hard, listen to your parents, and continue taking dance classes.”

I couldn’t stop crying after the call ended. My mom comforted me by telling me “It’s okay, you’ll see your grandma again. We’ll come back and visit.” I knew that she was telling the truth but I couldn’t stand being away for so long. After speaking with my grandma one last time, I decided to write about that day and how I felt because I didn’t feel close enough with my parents to talk about it. I really enjoyed writing then, and I couldn’t remember that I had written something until I found a piece of paper. It was a poem in Chinese about how I felt at that time. “梨花带雨” was the word I used to describe that day and how emotional I was, the literal meaning being “pear flowers with rain.” It is used to describe tears in Chinese figurative writing. Years later, I had forgotten that I even knew that word but after reading what I wrote, it was a word I will never forget.

[emilyemcnabb]

Jess and Kevin’s wedding at Olowalu Plantation Estate

Reflecting on their Hawaii destination wedding, Jess and Kevin “recall how perfect everything was from that first moment arriving at Olowalu, to the flowers, the music, the weather, our wonderful friends and family, food — everything was absolutely perfect.” Not to mention bright, cheery and filled with playful nods to the tropical locale. We’re especially loving the punchy blue and coral color palette, pineapple motif and local Ululani’s Shaved Ice for desert. The all-star team planner Maui’s Angels  and florist Damselfly Designs put together a day filled with memorable details and photographer Wendy Laurel was on hand to capture it all.

What made the wedding special and unique?

Our wedding was completely customized and hand-picked to what we wanted. We are big foodies and wanted to make sure we chose the best appetizers, drinks, food, and dessert. We were so happy to Ululani Shave ice and mini pies from Leodas; our guests also loved this!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I brought a small entourage of family members and one of my bridesmaids to help me pick out my dress. I have always loved bling and sparkle but didn’t want something too heavy since we knew we’d be having a beach wedding. I found THE dress during my first visit to a local wedding dress boutique. I customized it by adding on more elegance/bling with a belt and tailored it to have a slight mermaid fit.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Sadly my grandma had passed away one week prior to our wedding. Growing up my grandma and I were very close as she helped to raise me while my mom was working. Of course I wanted her to still be a part of the wedding so I had borrowed my grandma’s ring from my mom and had it tied to my bouquet. When we tied it to the bouquet, our florist Damselfly had made sure to ask my mom and I to tie the ring to my bouquet together — it was truly a very special moment for us.

We also loved that we had Marvin Tevaga perform during our wedding. We chose songs that were very close to our hearts — Kevin walked down the aisle to Beegee’s “How Deep is Your Love”, which is the song his parents walked down the aisle to, and I walked down to “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, the song that Kevin played while we watched the sunrise at Haleakala (our first vacation together to Maui). Marvin absolutely has the voice of an angel!

Lastly, we chose some of our favorite Hawaiian dishes to notate our table names rather than using the traditional numbers.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The simple answer is everything — we look back on our special day frequently and just recall how perfect everything was from that first moment arriving at Olowalu, to the flowers, the music, the weather, our wonderful friends and family, food — everything was absolutely perfect for us.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Kevin and I met towards the end of our undergraduate years through a mutual friend (the best man). We developed a close friendship but I was already in a long-term relationship with someone. When that relationship finally ended, Kevin did the swoop and charmed his way into my life. Kevin supported me through the hardships of veterinary school and when I graduated we finally no longer had to have a long-distance relationship. Our relationship grew stronger through our continuous love and support for one another. After about 4 years of dating, Kevin proposed to me at the restaurant where we had our first date — the restaurant was decorated with photos of us through our years together that were tied onto balloons. I thought I was going out to have drinks with his sister and was so shocked at what was going on, but of course I said yes. I also always told Kevin that if/when he proposed, I wanted to make sure my nails were done for all the photos to come so he brought a bottle of nail polish to the restaurant too!

  Photographer: Wendy Laurel // Wedding Planner: Maui’s Angels // Florist: Damselfly Designs // Invitation Design: Lin Kung // Venue: Olowalu Plantation Estate // Gown Maggie Sottero // Salon Janene’s Bridal Boutique // Officiate: Ernest Puaa // Musician: Marvin Tevaga // Hair & Makeup: Maui Make Up Artistry // Cake: Cake Fanatics // Event Rentals: Hawaiian Style Event Rentals // Catering: Aloha Events Catering // Shaved Ice: Ululani’s Shaved Ice // DJ: Maui DJ Services

  The post Jess and Kevin’s wedding at Olowalu Plantation Estate appeared first on Grey Likes Weddings | Wedding Fashion & Inspiration | Best Wedding Blog.