#lavender cafe ghost

[the-lavender-cafe]

he is enjoying a lil drink!

[thatonesalmonlingnamedspike]

oops! all memes

[wandasreallover]

Obsession| wanda Maximoff x reader

Warnings-mean wanda, readers bf

Part2

The air crackled with unspoken threats and suppressed desires, leaving me paralyzed with fear and a strange, unsettling fascination. I had no idea what was happening, what Wanda was capable of, what she intended to do with the power of her obsession. All I knew was that something had changed, the game had shifted, and the stakes had been raised to a level I could never have imagined.

It had started subtly, with lingering glances across the crowded lecture hall, a whispered 'hello' in the hallway that was just a shade too long, a note slipped under my door with a single word – 'mine.' The possessiveness in that word, the way it sent a shiver down my spine, was the first sign of the danger I was in.

Wanda Maximoff was a whirlwind of contradictions. She was the girl everyone feared and admired, the one with the sharp wit and the colder demeanor. I had always stood on the periphery, watching her from afar, mesmerized by her aura of mystery. But now, she was drawing me in, each interaction a step closer to a precipice I was both terrified and strangely drawn to. Rationally i knew i shouldn't give her even a thought, i mean i had the perfect boyfriend, grades and i was somewhat satified at my current life.

However, She was relentless. In class, her gaze was a laser beam, following my every movement, making me self-conscious, my every word carefully measured. In the library, our fingers brushed over the same book, sending a jolt of electricity through me. In the cafe, her presence was a weight, a suffocating pressure that made it difficult to breathe. I moved out not long after her confession, haunted by the words spoken that night, too unsettled by her presence to stay there.

'You're mine,' she said one night, her voice low and husky, the words barely a whisper. I was caught in my own apartment, drawn there by an invitation I didn't understand. The space was cramped, filled with an odd mix of vintage furniture and the scent of lavender incense. Her eyes, those deep dark apetures, held me captive, their intensity making my heart pound against my ribs.

'Wanda,' I tried to pull back, 'I don't understand.'despite every fibre of being screaming of the danger i still found it hard not to get somewhat lost in her overwhelming gaze.

She laughed, a brittle sound that echoed in the small space, her fingers tracing my jawline, her touch sending shivers down my spine. 'You're mine, and I won't let you go. You're mine, and soon you'll come to understand.'

Her words were a threat, but there was something else in her eyes, a flicker of vulnerability, a desperate need for connection that I couldn't ignore. I had always seen her as a fortress, impenetrable and cold, but now, beneath the hardened exterior, I saw a wounded soul, yearning for something she couldn't have. Much like before when the idea of her obsession was first spoken.

I tried to break free, to put distance between us, but she was everywhere. She was the ghost in my dreams, the voice in my head, the shadow that followed me like a relentless stalker. My friends noticed the change in me, the anxiety that gnawed at my insides, the constant fear that she was watching, that she knew everything.

Then came the incident.

She cornered me in the hallway, her eyes burning with a feverish intensity. 'You're mine,' she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, her hand gripping my arm with a force that made my skin crawl. The air around us crackled with an unseen energy, a palpable tension that made my hair stand on end.

Panic seized me, and I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened, her eyes burning into mine. I saw a flicker of something dark in her gaze, something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

'You're mine, and I will not be denied,' she whispered, her voice dangerous, her fingers digging into my flesh.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty apartment, a note on the table, a single word scrawled across the page - 'yours.' The air was heavy, the lingering scent of her perfume still clinging to the room.

The fear was replaced with a strange sense of relief. I was free, at least for now. But the experience had left a permanent scar, a constant reminder of the power of obsession, of the dark depths a human heart could reach.

Wanda was gone for now she didn't show up to classes in the following days and i couldn't help but miss her presence.the fear still remained, a constant shadow in my life. I knew, with a chilling certainty, that she was watching, waiting for her chance to claim what she believed was rightfully hers. The game had changed, and the stakes were higher than could have ever imagined, leaving me trapped in a twisted game of obsession, with no control over my own life.

[redzie02]

Not Just a Dream m.m.

this is my first time ever posting a fic :) there's not much dialogue in here, i'm experimenting a bit. I haven't proof read but i hope y'all like it!!

summary(974 words): Matt is pining for you but you don't even know he exists.

warnings: none

Manuka honey and lavender. That's what he smelled whenever you were near. He searched for it. Craved it. He smelled it in his dreams. And in his dreams is where he feared you would stay. You ran through his mind at times when he needed comfort and a light in the dark, yet you didn’t even know he existed.

Matt had tried to make his presence known to you by holding the door open to the cafe you loved and visited every weekday at eight in the morning. You would thank him and quickly make your way inside to order your favorite drink. To be honest, Matt wasn’t sure if you’d even taken a second to glance his way. He noticed how swiftly and quietly you moved. Like a ghost. Or a dancer. It was almost like you wanted to go unnoticed, undetected by the world around you, but he noticed. He always did.

Matt would focus on your voice whenever you would give your name to the barista. He’d whisper it to himself, repeating it over and over on his walk to work. Why was he so obsessed with this stranger who hadn’t even taken the time to acknowledge him? It almost pained him to think about the idea of you living your days without him. You were his favorite part of his morning routine. He looked forward to those ten minutes in the cafe when you were standing only a few feet away from him, absentmindedly picking at your nails while waiting for your daily dose of caffeine.

There was something about you he desired, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. Maybe it was the scent of your shampoo swimming in the air and into his airways. Maybe it was the way every word that fell from your lips was a melodic resonance that danced in circles around him. Or was it your soft, steady breathing that seemed to reel him back to earth before he suffocated in his billowing thoughts?

And now as you both wait for your coffees, Matt stands a couple feet away- as he usually does- trying to gain the courage to finally strike a conversation with you. Matt knows by the smell of your upcoming coffee order that he doesn’t have much time, so he swallows his nerves and makes his way to you.

You feel something tap at your foot and you look down to find the tip of a cane. Your eyes move up the cane, stopping at the faintly scarred hand firmly holding the black leather grip. Your eyes shot up to meet a pair of red tinted glasses when you heard his voice. “Oh,” Matt laughed, running his free hand through his hair. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to bother. Are you okay?” Of course he meant to, but you didn’t know that yet.

You’ve been to this coffee shop countless times and somehow never exchanged words with anyone besides the baristas. The slight change in your routine made you a little nervous, but you were also glad this beautiful stranger was the cause of it. “Y-yeah I’m good…you’re good. I almost didn't notice.” You smiled at him and he mirrored your expression, adjusting his glasses and holding out his hand.

“I’m Matthew, by the way. I’ve, uh, I think I’ve heard your voice around here a couple of times.” You take his hand in yours, shaking it. You notice he has a strong, calloused grip. You give him your name, still not letting go of his hand.

“That’s actually really impressive. I can’t believe you’ve heard me ordering coffee…” You finally let go of Matt’s hand. He wonders if you miss his warmth as much as he misses yours. You do, he just doesn’t know that yet. “Oh man, I feel so bad! I’m always too caught up in my own mind- I never notice what’s going on around me- I- It’s nice to meet you, Matthew.” You gave him a sheepish look, truly apologetic that you hadn’t ever noticed him before. But that’s not what Matt was focused on.

Matt’s heart jumps a little when you say his name. Matthew. You make his name sound like a song. His new favorite song. He’s never loved his name more than at this moment. Matt tries to suppress the smile begging to spread across his face, but he fails, the crinkles by his eyes making an appearance. You basked in the sight of this moment, taking a mental picture and hoping it doesn’t get lost in the files in your mind.

You and Matt continued talking about everything,- work, friends, hobbies, favorite snacks- eventually taking the conversation outside when you both had your drinks in hand. It almost freaked you out just how easy it was to slip into dialogue with Matt and how comfortable you felt with him. You could’ve known Matt a hell of a lot sooner if you’d just looked around once in a while. You mentally swore at yourself.

“Do you happen to know the time, by any chance?” Matt asked, standing barely a foot from you. When did you two get so close?

You check your watch for the time and swear. “Ah shit, it’s almost nine! I’m thirty minutes late to work. Uhh…I gotta go but it was so incredibly lovely to meet you! We should talk more…see you tomorrow then, Matthew?”

“You know where to find me.” Matt smiled at you and stood as you sped walked a few blocks over to your job. He was also incredibly late for work, but he didn’t care. It was worth it. You were worth it. He had a stupid grin on his face the entire walk to his office and the stupid grin never left his face that day. You were more than just a dream now.

[levans44]

chapter 4 - london fog, hot

Rain knocked on her shop window on a dull, cold Thursday as she sat behind the counter, chin in hand, listening to the tiny tv in the corner.

“… confirmed that Tony Stark, billionaire industrialist and former CEO of Stark Industries, has been spotted checking into New York-Presbyterian Hospital just last night. Mr. Stark seemed to be on a temporary hiatus this past month, and this is his first public spotting since a Stark Tech press conference in October. While witnesses claim he was not in critical condition, the exact source of his injury has remained undisclosed. Recent reports have linked his condition to the Avengers initiative and related S.H.I.E.L.D activity, an organization currently under the leadership of Director Nicholas Fur-“

The tv powered off with a click as she let out a loud sigh, stretching her feet.

Hearing the news about Tony felt strange. Somehow, that short meeting she had with him made her worry about him in a way she wouldn’t have before. This kind of thing was on the news all the time, public speculations about the most recent Avengers activity, but having met Tony it just felt more real.

In more personal news, it had been over a month since Steve came to visit. When he didn’t call or text within the first few days, she started to worry that maybe she had scared her off by giving him her number, or by telling him that she knew who he was.

By the second week, she was beating herself over it — could she have pushed him away by being too impatient?

But by the third week, she was angry. Could he seriously not have given her a text, a call, just to tell her he wasn’t interested? She thought he was different, or maybe she had just wanted him to be different. There was one brief thought that had passed her mind while watching the news about Tony — could his hiatus have something to do with Steve ghosting her?

Maybe they weren’t related at all.

Maybe it was just a bad coincidence.

Maybe he just didn’t want to call.

Pushing the thoughts away from her mind, she glanced outside, clutching tighter to her cup of London Fog — earl grey tea and lavender foam, a touch of vanilla syrup.

It was coming down even harder, and dark clouds were starting rolling over the sky even though the clock read just past 7. She wrapped the cardigan around her waist tighter, standing up to close up shop early.

As she reached the door, she saw a tall figure with a hoodie pulled low, quickly rounding the corner. Before she could expect the worst, she caught a glimpse of the face, barely visible in the dark.

“Steve?”

He seemed startled, lifting his head and coming to an abrupt stop in front of her. “Hi” his deep voice barely audible in the rain, she had to squint to confirm that it was him. 

“I… c-come in!” His clothes were soaked through, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. He nodded in appreciation as she let him step in and closed the door behind him.

“Do you.. want some coffee, or a blanket maybe?”

Or a new change of clothes? He must be freezing, she thought.

“No no, thank you I’m good. I just…” He sighed, voice rougher than usual, face still tucked under the hoodie.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been here… in a while.”

Yeah, a month.

“It’s just that I…” he glanced off to the side, hand rubbing the back of his neck — he was nervous.

But about what? Maybe he was here to let her down gently. Like ‘hey, sorry I ghosted you for a whole month after you gave me your number. I could have texted or called, but nope, I didn’t. Anyway, the answer’s no. Bye!’

“I’ve just been a bit… preoccupied these past few weeks. I should’ve called you but-“ Steve sighed, glancing up.

At that gesture, the dim cafe lights caught this face from underneath the hood, and she couldn’t help but let out a loud gasp at the sight.

His entire face was bruised black and blue — a huge, dark red gash on his cheek, a bruise and a small bump on the bridge of his nose like it’s been broken, and a split lip.

“Holy shit, Steve, w-what happened?”

A momentary look of confusion replaced by realization.

“Oh this is just a…” Steve let out a small laugh to himself. She didn’t get the joke.

“…an occupational hazard” He made it out to sound more like a question, but it clicked for her nonetheless.

Tony Stark, the most public figure out of all of the Avengers, withdrawing from any and all public appearances for the last few weeks, for the same amount of time Steve stopped visiting. The rumors about new Avengers activity. Tony Stark’s ‘return’ last night. Everything made sense now, and she felt a huge sense of relief wash over her.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

He had meant to call back.

“I…” she was still stunned, attention still mostly absorbed by how messed up his face looked. Still insanely handsome, though.

“I don’t mean to keep you for long. I know it’s late. I just wanted to apologize for not calling earlier and…” A deep breath as she held hers.

“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner tomorrow, with me.”

At the absolutely nauseating yet wonderful feeling in her gut, she was sure that her heart had dropped straight down to her stomach.

After a few seconds had passed, during which she stood there gaping like a silent idiot, Steve nodded, dash of disappointment flashing across his face, and turned around to leave.

“Wait, Steve” she all but yelled, hand frantically landing on his forearm in an attempt to hold him back. He looked back at her, her hand retracting just as quickly as she’d extended it.

“Uhm…” she fidgeted under his gaze. She was never good at this kid of stuff. Was she really going to do this?

“Have you… have you eaten yet?”

He shook his head out of the corner of her eye.

“I was just about to close. Did you want to get dinner… now?”

Steve smiled, about to nod his head, before his smile faltered. “I would love to, I really would” he said, seeming the most exasperated she’s ever seen him. “It’s just that. I can’t really go out looking like…” he gestured to his face and the rest of his ensemble, dripping-wet hoodie and sweats, sneakers squeaking unpleasantly from the rain.

At the frustration on his bruised face, she smiled.

“Who said anything about going out?”

(cap)puccino, w/ milk and sugar masterlist

[thecatastrophic]

GRUVIA WEEK 2023 — DAY SEVEN: CONTENTMENT

@gruviaweek

FROSTY WIND gusting through the pine trees, the sweet aroma of gingerbread cookies and candy cane, a picture-perfect warm fire dancing with the wood in the fireplace, and gooey love drifting through the atmosphere enveloping the people in a mist.

Shades of white covered the entire land in a thick blanket as pointed icicles decorated the window, cyan orbs lost in the motion of snowflakes trickling down the quaint town of Magnolia as he brought the cup of cafe mocha in his mouth, the rich chocolate flavors bursting through his system.

Years had gone by, trends had changed, and old buildings and roads had been refurbished, yet the sweet taste of the beverages in Mira's Cafe that he had known ever since he was a kid had always stayed the same. He despised changes more than anything in the world, maybe it was also the reason that he resisted the urge to leave their hometown like anyone else; there were times when he had to welcome the inevitable unknown only to go back to where he was used to growing up.

The screeching of the chair against the marble floor brought him out of his reverie, turning his head to meet the gaze of the person standing before his hooded eyes. He could feel his breath hitching, his dark pupils widening as his heart thumped out of his ribcage coming face to face with the person — no, a ghost from his past.

The first thing he noticed about her was her azure loose waves, they had grown longer with specks of lavender hues on their ends, resting on the luxurious beige coat around her body which had grown more mature, voluptuous as it perfectly embraced her figure donning a black top that matched her skirt that reached up to her mid-thigh. 

The stars dancing in her oceanic orbs were shining brighter than he could remember, the last time he gazed into her eyes — it was laced with tears and pain that he had caused. In her delicate hands was a net basket of carnations blooming in vivid pink shades, he also took note of the snowflake diamond jewelry on her ring finger.

"Juvia," her name seems foreign tumbling out of his lips, yet in the same way, familiar.

"Lyon," her voice had grown more feminine as a sweet smile graced her features, one that he hadn't seen in years.

Acting politely, he stood up to help her towards the sit before him to which she reciprocated with a simple 'thank you.' He sat down in front of her, only feeling the awkward atmosphere that seems to envelop the two young adults.

"Juvia knew she'd find you here, Lyon," the blue-haired lady was the first one to break the silence, trying to ease the awkwardness circling their space with the joyful rhythm of her voice. "How has Lyon been?" she intoned.

Lyon faked a cough before answering, "I've been good, Juvia. Working as a public lawyer had been tiring, but it was fun. How about you?"

"Juvia had been doing good too, she learned a lot of new things about marine life while working at Alvarez. She's been saying yes, instead of no. Also, did Lyon know that dolphins sleep with only one-eyed close?" she seemed excited, her fingers tracing the G initial engraved on her circular pendant which did not go unremarked by the silver-head man, he can't help but wonder what the initial meant.

"I have no idea," Lyon chuckled at her display of excitement remembering the same old Juvia who easily got excited over the minuscule of things.

Juvia genuinely smiled as she observed the crease by his hooded eyes as he cackled, the melody of his laughter seeming like an old song that she hadn't heard in years that she almost forgot how it sounded like; even though his cries when she left him by the lakes constantly haunted her in her sleep a few years back. 

"Juvia had this dream Lyon's doing cool shit."

Lyon halt from laughing, tilting his head as he never heard her curse even before, "Like what?"

"Having adventures on your own. Juvia dreamt that Lyon met some woman on the internet and take her home," Juvia responded, looking out at the scenery at the window.

Lyon's brows drew in a straight line, "Wow! That's quite the dream. Contrary to your sleep visions, I haven't been seeing anyone after Ultear." And after you left, he wanted to drag those words out of his mouth, yet found it improper, instead, he asked to further get the conversation going. "How about you? Have you been seeing someone?" he queried his former best friend.

With a flicker of overwhelming emotions that flashed through her orbs, further enhancing the glow of the stars beneath her voids that resembled that of the ocean that she fancy, and the tint of roses coating her high cheekbones, he could only deduce that she's caught in a love mist.

One, two, three.

Lyon waited for the excruciating waves of grief to trickle through his heart; to feel his lungs screaming for air as it felt like a thousand roses laced with thorns is blocking his airway as death knocked through his door of life — the same anguish that he felt almost ten years ago, only that it didn't come.

Had time changed his feelings contrary to his belief? 

"Who's the lucky guy?" he didn't know but his mouth somehow formulated those words.

Hazy chuckles erupted from Juvia as she handed him the basket of carnations, he had only noticed the ivory envelope resting in the center with a gold wax seal. The blue-haired girl gestured for him to open the envelope which he instantly obliged, curious.

Together with their families

Gray and Juvia 

Request the pleasure of your gracious 

presence at their engagement celebration.

It was Gray, of course, he should have known.

Gray and Juvia, their names etched with a fine foil print on the scented paper in swooping, sloping, cursive alphabetical characters were the catalysts to the memories that he had tried to bury deep in his soul; the moments that he realized that it has always been Gray for Juvia as Juvia had always been for Gray.

The tale of the trio's friendship had its genesis in snowy weather with three snowmen clad in Juvia's Santa hats, the ridiculous purple hand-me-down gloves from Gray's sister, and the scarves that Lyon stole from his mother.

The cold breeze continuously prompts the six-year-old Juvia to erupt in a cute sneeze as her tiny fingers moved to shape the snow in a circle, the plush sweater that resembled that of a pink frog failing to do its job to shield her from the cold.

"Stupid Juvia, just go inside the house," shrieked the seven-year-old raven-haired boy, pointing to the house beside his home as he had enough of her sneezes. 

"No, Juvia wants to win!" the younger girl cried as she thumped her feet against the snow-covered ground.

"Let her be, you idiot!" taunted an eight-year-old Lyon who was lost in his world as he sculpt his snowman to perfection.

Gray stood up from his comfortable squat on the ground, harshly removing the scarf draped around his almost-finished snowman which caused the figure that he made for half an hour to crumble down into nothing but an ugly lump, mixing with the ivory land.

The silver-haired kid jumped up and down as he watch his friend's snowman disintegrate, "I won!"

"No!" 

Gray paid Lyon no heed, walking towards the blue-haired girl having a tantrum at Lyon's outburst. Standing in front of her, he encircled the red frozen scarf around her which engaged a shriek from Juvia. "G-Gray, no way! It's cold!" she embraced her arms around her body, squatting down on the ground.

Gray's hand trembled, quite shocked at her reaction as he quickly moved to untangle the scarf around the younger kid, confusion dancing in his deep-blue orbs. "What's wrong? Teacher Elfman said that scarves are made to keep people warm, right?" he questioned naively.

The sound of Juvia's sweet snortles resonated through his ears as he helped her stand up, the blue-haired girl tilted her head in a wavy azure bob as she began to wonder alongside Gray, she motioned the older boy to scoot down as she whispered in his ear, "Maybe Lyon's scarf is broken because he just stole it from Auntie?"

"Hey, I heard it!"

A seventeen-year-old Lyon threw his phone on the bed, his fingers raking his silver hair as he felt the frustration from his never-ending fights with his girlfriend consume him. He lay on the bed, covering his eyes with his hand as he debated climbing over to Ultear's balcony which is a house away from his own to fix their misunderstanding, and if he was lucky, he can have her writhing underneath him or the other way around and make out thoroughly with her, but he decided against it as she says over the phone and he quoted, "I need space."

The teenager stood up from his bed, deciding to just take a much-needed cold shower he opened the blinds to let some light from the sunset seep through his room when a scenery from the next door window caught his eye. His brows drew in a thick line, confused as to what were those two doing. Ever since he dated the purple-haired lady next-next door, he hadn't been able to hang out with his best friends. 

Gray lazily sit on Juvia's bed with Frosch resting on his bare stomach as he read one of the beauty's books about marine life, while the female was slumped in front of him with his bejeweled guitar (courtesy of Juvia) resting on her front seemingly playing a song which prompts the raven-haired athlete to cover his ears with his hands. 

The tune of Juvia's carefree laughter drifted through the air, even engaging a smile on the silver-haired teenager's forlorn features. Her laughter ceased when Gray rested his forehead against hers, their pointed noses brushing against each other. Juvia put down the guitar, her forefinger moving against her best friend's bare chest as she traced stars around the area where his heart resides. The raven-haired male moved his head away from her, only to rest it against her shoulder as he buried his face in her azure curls, the spectator couldn't help but to take notice of Gray's ear blushing to a healthy shade of red. 

The silver-haired male closed the blinds as his jaw clenched, feeling rather vexed over something that he didn't know.

The golden rays of the morning star spread their scorching warmth on the beach, providing heat on the water, the sound of the waves meeting the shore should have been peaceful yet it felt menacingly eerie. The pure sand seeped its way inside his sandals, despite the heat beating down against his body; Lyon could feel the cold sweat trickling down his pale skin as he stood frozen on the ground, his dark pupils shrinking as he stared at Juvia who seems rather pale and unbreathing as she lay in the arms of Gray.

As if she was a delicate China that could break with mishandling, Gray gingerly placed her on the ground as he sat next to her. Trying to be as calm as he could, feigning ignorance to the quivering of his body as his mind dreaded the worst-case scenarios or how he felt like air is being punched out of his lungs, the raven-head placed his hands at the center of the female's chest. His palms pushed as hard and fast as he could, deducing that his best friend wasn't responding, he was swift to tilt her chin upwards as he pinch her nose, sealing her lips with his own as he blew as much air into her mouth. 

The hockey player kept repeating the cycle several times, until the blue-haired girl began coughing up a huge amount of water, feebly shifting to her side to vomit more water. The first thing that she saw was Gray when she opened her blue eyes, heaving rapidly with heavy panting as she tuck Gray in a tight embrace as memories underneath the surface of the sea began flooding her mind. 

"J-Juvia t-thought she'd," blazing tears began to course down her red cheeks, slender fingers clinging to his back. Her shoulders tremble with the force of her emotions as she forced herself to say, choking on her sobs, "N-never sees you again, G-Gray-sama." 

Broad shoulders quivering, the hockey athlete only stroked her tangled locks with his fingers, responding to her cries with the feel of his pale lips planted on her left temple as he embraced her tighter as if she'd evaporate in his arms.

Relief began to wash over Lyon as he watched his best friend alive and breathing, yet he couldn't help but taste an acidic flavor in his mouth as he realized that he did nothing but just stood there while she was fighting for her life. His cyan eyes watched over the two figures on the ground, a green monster emotion burning behind his dark orbs as he felt that there was more to his two best friends than meets the eye, he just can't seem to decipher what.

"Juvia's leaving in a month to study in Alvarez."

Lyon felt like the moment had stopped as her words registered in his mind, he stared wide-eyed and mouth agape as enormous emotions began to consume his being. The chirping of the crickets residing in the pine trees remained as the only music that enveloped the quiet evening, the glow of the crescent moon burning brightly in the ceiling of midnight sky gifted light in the quaint town of Magnolia in which the two figures sat side by side in front of Juvia's porch. 

The barking of his dog next door bestowed him the courage to let out strangled words, "W-what do you mean?" A crease formed between his thick eyebrows as he gazed at the young lady, who exuded a melancholic aura as she further buried herself inside the embrace of her thick blanket.

Her bloodshot eyes were decorated with dark circles, and the radiance that she once emanate seemed to have flown out in the air as her pale lips trembled; it dawned on him that she must have been feeling under the weather for the past few days. The confusion began to circle his mind, ever since they were just children playing around in the neighborhood, it had always been her dream to leave this town and study abroad as her parents did before.

"Alvarez University is sponsoring Juvia a scholarship to study marine biology," she smiled weakly, her gaze drifting towards the empty road in front of them as she sink further into her sheets.

"Truth be told, Juvia's hesitating to leave. Somewhere deep in her soul, Juvia wants to stay in her comfort zone with her comfort people!" the acidic water trailing down her face was glistening under the moonlight. "Juvia does not want to leave G-Gray-sama behind, Juvia doesn't understand why he kept pushing her to go to Alvarez. And does Lyon know what's worst? He said he'd catch up on Juvia so she should just go, but Juvia knew how much he loves the hockey team here! Of course, Juvia being Juvia said no which resulted in a fight. Plus, other girls would probably make a move on him!" she ranted, breathing heavily, she broke out in a childish wail as her hands moved to conceal her face. 

Lyon did not say anything, he ignored how she just blurted out her feelings for Gray, instead he hauled the blue-haired girl in a firm hug to show his sympathy as she let out her pent-up anguish to her friend. She buried her halo of blue in Lyon's shoulder, seeking warmth and comfort after being in solitude for days, without the familiar arms that used to hold her to tend her broken heart.

The heavy footsteps ghosting against the blue-haired chick's front lawn rang through his ears as he looked up, before he could register the storm brewing inside the dark-haired athlete's irises of oceanic blue, the older teenager was drawn upwards as his sharp jaw met his friend's fist causing him to tumble on the ground.

"Dude, what the fuck?!" Lyon screamed in the late evening, gaining the interest of their neighbors who instantly opened their respective windows to eavesdrop, desperate for some gossip, and that includes his ex-girlfriend with an unamused stare as cucumber coated her entire face.

Before Gray had the chance to pounce at him for the second time, Juvia was quick to intervene as she clasp her painted fingers around the furious male's wrists. "Gray-sama, no! Stop!" she shrieked as she leaned her head on his trembling back, drawing stars around his bruised fist to calm him down. Deducing that she needs to lay her armor down to end this cold war with Gray, the beauty flashed Lyon an apologetic smile before hauling the vexed man inside her house.

A flicker of realization dawned on the nineteen-year-old boy, he completely understood now. 

"No."

Gravel-grey clouds hover above the pitched-black painted sky, droplets of rain plunged like thousand of icicles scraping his pale skin as he knelt in the wet ground holding out a raindrop ring residing inside a heart-shaped velvet box. The loud cries of the heavens failed to mask her single answer to his proposal, he clenched his teeth with the feeling that the natural calamity was mocking him with the acidic taste of the rain in the corner of his lips, how it rumbled throughout the sky resembling that of a madman's laugh.

Grueling waves of anguish transverse to his heart as a feeling of being ruptured over by a thousand shards flickered through his being, swift yet excruciating; roseate lace thorns seeped through his airways, heartwrenching, and bloody, blocking his means of breathing. The tears that escaped his cyan voids as it hauntingly coursed down his face like a river seeming as the only remedy to ease his pain as he grieved for the living, watching her azure waves drift as she ran away from him reflecting the agony that he was enduring.

Loath.

Underneath the shower of the petals of water, as he dreads the path towards his house, Lyon loathed himself and his foolish decisions more than anything in the world. It was ungentlemanly, proposing to Juvia on a whim as he strive to stop her from leaving Alvarez to chase her childhood dreams.

Egocentric.

The silver-haired man embraced his feelings, feigning ignorance of the emotions of his closest friends as he caused them misery, their prosperous yesterdays of childish laughs and cries seeming to fade into thin air with his act of egoism.

Lyon's soul felt thin as shame washed over his being, the hurt in his heart escalated as if he was struck by lightning, standing frozen a few meters in their neighborhood; his melancholic voids watched as the love of his life tiptoed to savor the taste of Gray's lips as if it is her greatest luxury, with the raven-head's arms embraced tightly around her quivering figure as if it'd shield her from the demons lurking in the world.

Or maybe it was Lyon, himself.

The homey aroma of hot chocolate laced with a hint of burnt wood wafting through Mira's cafe, gently tickling his nostrils was the catalyst to bring his mind back to reality. His keen eyes observed the person in front of her, her oceanic orbs drifting around the cafe she frequented as a child, trying to spot as many changes as she failed to do so. 

Lyon brought the cup of his beverage to his lips, the sweet flavor providing him the determination to speak the words he failed to do back then. "Juvia," he began which caught her interest. "About the night before you left the country," recognition danced inside her starlike voids, "I sincerely apologize. Believe me, when I say, there wasn't a single night where I did not regret what I did. In my defense, I have none for not respecting your feelings to save my own." 

The fair lady painted a ray of sunshine over her angelic features, "Juvia had long forgiven Lyon for that. And it's alright now, but that stunt is something, doesn't Lyon think so?"

"Well," he responded with a nervous laugh.

The awkward aura that he felt earlier ceased to exist as it seemed to have evaporated into the dense air, they continued to converse about their lives for half an hour over cups of hot chocolate and cafe mocha with gingerbread cookies on the side — a similar scenery back when they were foolish teenagers.

The silver-haired man had learned that she and Gray had been together for more than ten years, turns out the former hockey player found himself fascinated with glaciology when he set foot in Alvarez. Juvia had also told him that her relationship with the raven-haired male had hit quite a bump in the road, like how she thought they would break up in the morning after 'the great war' as she quoted, but contrary to her insecurities, the man had remained patient with her as she is for him.

Lyon relish the way how her orbs were sparkling every time she talked about her glaciologist of a fiance, yet there was a selfish part of him that couldn't help but wonder that if one of his wishes had come true, would he be the one to light up the stars in her eyes?

"No!" Juvia exclaimed as she fixed her gaze on her phone, a crease forming in between her defined eyebrows as she gaze back at him with an apologetic smile. "Juvia had to go now, does Lyon remember Lucy? She's going into labor now!" she hastily stood up on her heels, as she fished out two cards from her purse that ranges from blue to black colors.

Lyon stood up with a grin on his lips, receiving the cards in her beige-painted fingers before briefly checking it to see that it was Juvia and Gray's contact details. "Oh! The writer who's dating Dragneel? I'm hoping for her best delivery," intoned the man. 

"Juvia truly enjoyed the chat today, she hopes we can catch up again some other time with Gray-sama like old times!" Juvia took a few steps towards the silver-haired man engaging him in a friendly hug as she pats his back before drawing away, "Be sure to bring a date next month! Juvia heard from Gray-sama that Ultear's single," she winked teasingly, before waving goodbye.

The lawyer stared at her as she walked towards the decorated door with a jump in her steps, observing her through the large window adorned with gilded pinecones, he noticed how she tucked a stray lock of azure behind her ear when a black Lexus car halted before her. 

Gray emerged from the driver's seat to open up the car door for her, he rested his palms on both of her shoulders which made her stop in her strides, before removing the woolen grey-colored scarf around his neck to drape it around her, making sure to hide her gorgeous face from the cold.

Some things never change. 

Satisfastion coursed through his veins, pleased that Gray and Juvia ended up with each other, despite trying to act as the villain of their story to sabotage fate himself. Some things are just meant to be, he thought as he took a sip from his beverage, catching a glimpse of vivid curls of bubblegum pink, and maroon eyes, walking past the couple.

Juvia encircled her slender arms around Gray's broad shoulders, sneakily pointing at the mistletoe by the bejeweled pivot door of the cafe. The raven-haired man rolled his blue eyes, whispering sweet nothings into her flushed ear, before leaning down to claim her luscious lips with his own. 

A sense of contentment washer over Lyon as his orbs of cyan voids stared at his old friends with a proud gaze, the quaint town of Magnolia had never seen a love as pure as these childhood sweethearts who seemed oblivious to the lavender haze that they emanates.

All's well that ends well.

[your-old-sins-tournament]

OC NAVAL WARFARE BRACKETS

Rules:

Tie sweeps given to polls with a 0.2% percentage. Also I'm allowed to come up with the most messed up name possible for future polls

Propaganda is encouraged! I will reblog propaganda reblogs, as well as any propaganda that @s me. However, for the polls themselves, I will be using the propaganda submitted to me through the google form. If a ship was submitted twice with different propaganda, I will use both pieces of propaganda

Fandom ships will not be tagged with the fandom tag

Please be nice to each other. Do not tear down other ships. I will not reblog any propaganda remotely like that.

All polls are one week!

If i need to change anything, please send me a ask. I will change it I swear.

The main tag will be: #oc ship tournament

LIST OF SHIPS BELOW;

ROUND 1

Valley Ghost (Felix Tawfic/Griffith) vs. Aurel * Kiki (critical)

Solshuu (Solaria Aoi/Shu Kurenai) vs. Elitheocecily (Elijah Scott * Theodore Churchill * Cecily Churchill, @failboyfriend)

HG^2 (Charlie "Chuck" Beaumont/Octavian "Tavi Osborne, @the-random-phan + @cabincryptid51) vs. Geheneres (Teneres/"Gehenna", @i-hear-a-sound)

LuNal (Luca/Petra/Nails, Tass) vs. Maisther (Esther/Maidy, @cafe-au-tism)

[TIE; ships will go on under the name of LuNal-Maisther!]

SpicyFlowerSnakeNoodles (Red Son/Lotus/Nyrel/MK, Fan + Hue) vs. Dexereign (Dex/Sovereign, @caekhoi)

Eraser (Ezra/Ace, Ren) vs. Anthony Mitchetti/Emily Valentino (@sing-the-beginning-of-moana)

Pruett Pennbum/Remedy Espina (Harvey Millipedia) vs. Vargas (Edgar Vargas * Scriabin, @zarla-s)

Jax * Elin (@sypersweet) vs. Amariya (Amaya/Mariya, @what-if-i-just-did-this + anon)

Ravery (Raven Scofflaw/Avery Fracas, @what-if-i-just-did-this) vs. Dairyun (Darian/Daiyu)

Acid Dragon (VSB * ESB, @silviaflowers) vs. Pip the Jackal/Agent 27 (@squidthechaotickid)

Watercolor Dreams (Oliver Fernsby & Princess Guinevere, @hermannsprecursors) vs. Graveyards (Olly Graves * Susan Yards, @thatonegaybastard)

Golden Fleece (Yang Xiao Long/Eirian Esna, @dragynkeep) vs. Blade of Justice (Jasper Jones/Ikeda Saigo, @hermannsprecursors)

Lavender (Lavon + Devion Taillien, @mx-yippeee) vs. Featherfluff (Virtue Courtenlock/Comet Mhorlborne, @timetokrill)

Archangel (Gabriel Trinh/Raphael Madsen, @gelatinous-jellyfish) vs. Ginatré/Žydrūnas (@the-land-of-eternal-winter-novel)

Marleksei (Marlowe * Aleksei, @cowboymkb) vs. Montcia (Alex Garcia * Jules Montgomery, @gelatinous-jellyfish)

Icefang/Greatness (vox) vs. Luna * Jade * Ciela * Them (@iwillstealyourjawbone)

ROUND 2

Dairyun (Darian/Daiyu) vs. Acid Dragon (VSB * ESB, @silviaflowers)

Watercolor Dreams (Oliver Fernsby & Princess Guinevere, @hermannsprecursors) and Graveyards (Olly Graves * Susan Yards, @thatonegaybastard) vs. Golden Fleece (Yang Xiao Long/Eirian Esna, @dragynkeep)

Lavender (Lavon + Devion Taillien, @mx-yippeee) vs. Archangel (Gabriel Trinh/Raphael Madsen, @gelatinous-jellyfish)

Montcia (Alex Garcia * Jules Montgomery, @gelatinous-jellyfish) vs. Luna * Jade * Ciela * Them (@iwillstealyourjawbone)

Aurel * Kiki (critical) vs. Elitheocecily (Elijah Scott * Theodore Churchill * Cecily Churchill, @failboyfriend)

HG^2 (Charlie "Chuck" Beaumont/Octavian "Tavi Osborne, @the-random-phan + @cabincryptid51) vs. LuNal (Luca/Petra/Nails, Tass) and Maisther (Esther/Maidy, @cafe-au-tism)

Dexereign (Dex/Sovereign, @caekhoi) vs. Eraser (Ezra/Ace, Ren)

Pruett Pennbum/Remedy Espina (Harvey Millipedia) vs. Jax * Elin (@sypersweet)

ROUND 3

Dairyun (Darian/Daiyu, @vwnz and @bowie556) vs. Golden Fleece (Yang Xiao Long/Eirian Esna, @dragynkeep)

Lavender (Lavon + Devion Taillien, @mx-yippeee) vs. Montcia (Alex Garcia * Jules Montgomery, @gelatinous-jellyfish)

Elitheocecily (Elijah Scott * Theodore Churchill * Cecily Churchill, @failboyfriend) vs. HG^2 (Charlie "Chuck" Beaumont/Octavian "Tavi Osborne, @the-random-phan + @cabincryptid51)

Eraser (Ezra/Ace, Ren) vs. Jax * Elin (@sypersweet)

For some reason tumblr wont let me put the rest of the results here so here's the link to Round 4 and beyond

[sidhewrites]

If your characters were dishes at a restaurant, what kind of restaurant would they be served at and what kind of dishes would they be?

Thank you for the ask!

As always, these characters are from I met a Girl in the Graveyard

Kaz is a 5'2 gym bro who loves halloween and landscaping. She dyes her hair pink, drinks too much coffee, and spoils her geriatric cat Renfield (so named because he used to like eating bugs). All this leads to the obvious: She is a sugar-filled chocolate frappe with a heap of whipped cream and chocolate syrup drizzled on top, specifically purchased from a locally-owned cafe that overcharges on this specific drink because it's a headache to make, but it's still popular.

Josie is much more level-headed but still undeniably approachable -- a squid-ink fettucini cooked al dente with alfredo sauce, with the perfect amount of seasoning and butter. She's a pushover and a people pleaser who struggles to speak up when her boundaries are crossed, but she's also incredibly passionate and intelligent. She'd be at a mid-tier Italian restaurant where you can expect each plate to be approx $20-30, but the bread they serve you before the meal is to die for.

(The squid ink pasta specifically is because she's spooky and wouldn't accept being just any color pasta)

Lucy is (a ghost) a deceptively sweet, incredibly intelligent woman who has a not-so-secret mischievous side. She would likely be a unique, surprisingly alcoholic drink at a trendy bar that you wouldn't expect to find anywhere else. I'm thinking it would be something really fun like an alcoholic dark chocolate-lavender ice cream float, with black edible glitter mixed in (because she's extra). It would be mildly sweet, but not too sweet that you couldn't taste the alcohol. I unfortunately know next to nothing about alcohol types so I'm just sort of gesturing vaguely at whatever that one is.

Bonus: Renfield is a tuna salad sandwich from Subway. It probably won't make you sick, but do you really want to risk it?

[tiny-elf-of-doom]

Ghost As Cafe Orders

Papa I

-Regular coffee with ONLY ONE sugar.

Papa II

-Regular coffee, dark roast, evil.

Papa III

-Skinny mocha latte with oat milk and extra foam, plus a croissant.

Papa IV

-Kid’s temp coffee with cream and sugar.

Aether

-Regular coffee with bailey’s.

Sodo

-Monster energy.

Rain

-Vanilla Frappuccino with extra whip.

Swiss

-Espresso, twice a day.

Mountain

-Water.

Cirrus

-Lavender London Fog.

Cumulus

-Cold brew, plain.

Sunshine

-Cold brew, Dunkin’ Style

[thelonecalzone]

At long last, here is the official reading list for There'll Be Some Changes Made, and a few recommendations from some of the readers! It's long, so hopefully there's a little something for everyone.

Thank you again to the wonderful readers, both for your encouragement, and for helping me compile this list <3

Recommendations (Named Throughout TBSCM)

The Pearl - John Steinbeck The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde Upon the Blue Couch - Laurie Kolp In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith Paradise Rot - Jenny Hval Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters Fingersmith - Sarah Waters Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown Under the Udala Trees - Chinelo Okparanta In at the Deep End - Kate Davies Some Girls Do - Jennifer Dugan This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid Lavender House - Lev AC Rosen My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg Straight Jacket Winter - Esther DuQuette and Gilles Poulin-Denis

Source Books (Referenced, but not named)

The Odyssey - Homer The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams Hamlet - William Shakespeare The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald Come Along with Me - Shirley Jackson (unfinished novel) We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson A Certain Hunger - Chelsea G. Summers The Poison Garden - AJ Banner

Honorable Mentions:

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson Different Class - Joanne Harris The Lost Girls of Ireland (Book 1) - Susanne O’Leary The Girl Next Door - Jack Ketchum The Broken Girls - Simone St. James Dear Fahrenheit 451 - Annie Spence The Canterville Ghost - Oscar Wilde One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston Ash - Malinda Lo Everything Leads to You - Nina LaCour Camp Slaughter - Sergio Gomez The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily M. Danforth Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

Banished (Under the Coffee Table) Books - DO NOT READ:

Ulysses - James Joyce Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara The Hunting Party - Lucy Foley My Sister’s Keeper - Jodi Picoult The Book Thief - Markus Zusak In the Darkroom - Susan Faludi Marley & Me - John Grogan

Recs from Fellow Readers

Things We Lost in the Fire - Marina Enriquez Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado The Well of Loneliness - Radclyffe Hall Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg Mouthful of Birds - Samantha Schweblin  The Safety of Objects - A.M. Homes Crush - Richard Siken The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare I’ve Got a Time Bomb - Sybil Lamb The Thing Around Your Neck - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo Sadie - Courtney Summers The Messy Lives of Book People - Phaedra Patrick The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix The Lying Lives of Adults - Elena Ferrante They Were Here Before Us - Eric LaRocca The Patience Stone - Atiq Rahimi Agamemnon - Aeschylus Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz's poetry - (start with "You Foolish Men") The poems of Sappho - (“Anactoria”, the book of fragments, and “Goatherd” specifically)

[the-lavender-cafe]

time for an UPGRADED INTRODUCTION POST!!

hello!! i’m ghost!! im an artist and content creator obsessed with all things spooky or purple!! i make a variety of content over on my youtube! 🦇

outside of being dumb on the internet, i also run a small business where i sell my art! 🎨

some of my current fandoms:

- just roll with it

- pokemon (special interest)

- dan and phil

- smosh

my tags:

#the lavender cafe = shop updates, youtube updates

#lavender cafe art = art (obviously)

#ghost the bat plushie, #lavender cafe ghost = my fursona and mascot, ghost!

#ghosts stories = general ramblings/infodumps

commission status: OPEN! (dm me for a slot!)

welcome to the LAVENDER CAFE!! i hope you enjoy your stay! ☕️

[steeltwigz]

after sonic adventure 2 rouge keeps the inhibitor ring on her bedside table. if you even care. if she wakes up early enough, the sunlight breaks through her curtains and hits it just right, bouncing off and throwing light refraction onto the wall. she hadnt known shadow for very long yet, but she cared about him, deeply, from the beginning. in those moments, holding her hand up to the light, she wonders if he's okay. wonders what might have been, if he didn't die to save the world. would he have been happy with what he found on earth? was their planet worth it? would it have mattered?

like a month(?) later she finds out he's alive again, so its all good. rouge returns the inhibitor and she doesnt rlly think abt it again. (and she finds out shadow would mostly listen to bad music too loudly, and learn to climb trees, and eat coffee beans straight from the bag. learns what movies he likes to watch, learns what flower is his favorite, learns where he shops and what he likes to wear. watches him care for chao, learns that his favorite restaurant is a cat cafe when he comes home one night covered in an array of different fur, smelling like tea and lavender and kittens. listens to endless rants about different motorcycles, watches him paint flames onto his own when GUN gifts him his first bike. helps him move on. gets to watch him enjoy his life. she doesnt want to spend time worrying abt ghosts anymore, either).

[jess-le-mess]

Feedist Kinktober 2024 - Day 31 (Part 2)

(Prompt: Monster Mash 💀)

(Content notes: fat cis woman main character; thin cis woman love interest; f/f romance; body issues)

(Author's note: So as I said in part 1 for today, this ended up being really long so I divided it up into two logical parts and this second part is mainly romance-oriented. Just wanted my girl Jade to get the girl in the end. Also it refers to a specific event from my Day 10 entry and if you want you can read that here.)

Disco Mermaid, Part 2

Yeah, okay. I eventually figured out what she meant. Sitting alone in the living room and petting Dana's golden retriver was Aurelie, the barista I'd hooked up with and ghosted because she's so lithe and perfect and indie cool and she has all these bracelets and god I figured why would she want some fat sloshy potato like me.

When she sees me, her eyes light up from behind her round glasses. "Jade?"

"A-Aurelie, hey..."

Not sensing the awkwardness or maybe not caring, she pats the chair beside her. "How're ya doing?"

"I'm good, Aurelie. And yourself." I am no longer a mermaid. I am a robot. My soul has left my body. What the hell is this situation. What the hell Dana.

Aurlie smiles. Her teeth are a bit crooked, white, she has an overbite. "Hey, not too bad. Especially now that you're here."

"Uh. Okay. So what is your costume?" I am mechanical. I am robo-Jade now. I can only generate meaning-shaped statements.

"Ooh, well, it's just from a little online game I play. Kind of, like, a sexy elf but a vampire? It's probably not your thing. And you're, like, a 70s mermaid or something?"

The comment brings me back to life a little bit. I laugh quietly. "Uh, well, mermaid yeah. But 70s? Where do you get 70s?"

"It's the pants. They're, like, sparkly. You know, like, disco? I really like the outfit though. You're so pretty, Jade."

Okay, I'm blushing now, dammit. What the hell do I even say? She's pretty too, but she must know that and she wouldn't want to hear that coming from a fat disco mermaid anyway. I mean, we did hook up, but that was in the dark, right? Like I could accept maybe that she has some kind of fetish for big girls, but---

"You know, I missed you," she continues, seemingly eating up all the air and sound in the entire room. "Why did you never call?"

Damn, she sounds hurt? What do I do now? Who could even save me now?

Well, Dana's busy hostessing, and I know my therapist had her own Halloween party tonight.

I let out a long, long sigh as I finally sit. And then I just look at her.

Aurelie frowns. God, her bushy unkempt eyebrows are so cute. They're like drunk caterpillars or something. "What was it? You know, a lot of people tell me I'm too much. Was it that I offered you tea after we hooked up? Ugh, I'm so twee. I'm sorry Jade. I really am. I really like you and---"

I'm just breathing. Just breathing. I'm just floating on some kind of inflatable thing, just drifting down a calm river. "I'm sorry. You what?"

Her eyes meet mine. She looks serious about this. "Was I too clingy? Ugh, you just wanted us to be a sex thing, like, I get it. But you complimented my books, Jade! You were nice to my cat! And dammit I had a crush you from the first time you ordered that lavender latte in my cafe."

I giggle at the memory. Lavender lattes are so good. I saw that online and just knew I had to try one, and Aurelie was the one working when I stopped at her cafe after work. "A crush?"

"Yeah! Like, I thought you were hot but I just found you very knowledgeable about things, a good conversationalist, like I feel like we clicked, Jade? I really did, you know? When we hooked up, I figured that's all you wanted. But then I reached out again when I saw, like, you know; I don't know what I was thinking. I thought maybe you got busy or you'd give me some closure or and really I just stepped in it more because it made me kinda want to see you again? So, like, when your friend hit me up to come tonight and I didn't say no and, uh, yeah. I'm just really sorry Jade."

I thought about that. I mean, I didn't really process it or understand it. But I did think about it.

And I realized something.

All these bigger folks I'm jealous of all the time, like my therapist, Heather, B, random fat girls on social media---my normal response is to just see them out living their best life and then curl up into a ball and want to die because I will never have that, can never have that.

But, like, life is probably hard for them too. It must be. The world sucks for fat people; so many people are so mean to us. And the difference between those folks and me is that they try stuff.

Well.

This is me trying too, goddammit.

"I like you, Aurelie," I state plainly, figuring that's a nice calm strategy that nice calm girls dressed as disco mermaids say to their crush who apparently still has a crush back even after messily hooking up in the dark and seeing said crush's ass go viral.

Well, I suppose that's where I would've stopped if I was, like, one of those normal, self-composed and perfect and fashionable fat girls who do and say all the right things and are never self-conscious in public.

But, well, I'm not. I'm still just self-conscious little Jade who has to fight every day to make myself feel like I'm worth it, like I'm capable and likeable and smart and kind, like I'm a goddamn fucking gorgeous 70s disco mermaid.

"I actually like you a lot, Aurelie. You're pretty and I love your style and I really did like your books---I read a lot too! I really love romance novels, queer ones, but I read a lot of other stuff; did you know I was into riot grrrl bands when I was younger? Like I wasn't a punk but I just loved the music and sometimes me and my best friend play board games and---well anyway Aurelie, I really like you a lot and the truth is..." I swallowed hard. "I just didn't think I was good enough for you. You're, like, about to get cast in some music video with a scruffy guy singing and like a guitar and I'm just, like, a squishy potato but not even like one of the ones people like. I'm, like, a garbage potato."

Aurelie places her hand over her mouth. "My god, Jade. I just...you're a special girl."

She's grinning.

"Wait."

"Mm?"

"So...we like each other then?" I just had to clarify.

Aurelie nodded. "Seems like it."

"And the lights are on this time?" I asked, looking up at the lamp behind our chairs..

"They seem to be, yes."

"Hmm, so I guess that means you really like me, huh?"

Aurelie nodded.

"Even though my ass went viral?"

She laughed. "Like, your ass is pretty rad."

I blush. "Oh."

"But it's the other stuff, Jade. I'm just very charmed by you."

I swallow hard, and then take a breath. "Okay. Does that mean you'd like maybe go out with me sometime? Maybe I could treat you to a lavender latte?"

"I would love that," she smiles, reaching out for my hand.

As I take it, she leans in for a kiss and looks at me. "Hey, can I?"

I nod, and close my eyes as she leans in and our lips touch.

[tommyoboe]

BRISTOL 2024.

Hello and Happy New Year! Is this a time where one should be making lots of resolutions such as going to the gym and eating vegan food, which will ultimately fall short to the temptation of lebkuchen at Lidl for 20p and the lure of a Knoops hot chocolate wrapped up in an Arket blanket? Don't mean to show off there, but no.

Instead, on a sort of impulse and conversation I had the other day with Cameron, I thought I would write about our recent trip to Bristol that kicked off the new year. Following this up with some music I have recently been enjoying, here is what we found.

We stayed in a delightful Shepherd's Hut filled with everything we needed for a cosy night after roaming the marvellous streets of Bristol. With Wi-Fi included, teas, coffees and underfloor heating for the cool January nights, it was an ideal choice. The neighbourhood was quiet but full of character, and the hut itself was essentially tucked at the back of a residential garden. However, we had full privacy, security, and check in and out was super straightforward.

We enjoyed some excellent food on the harbour from Small Goods, including an insanely good stracciatella focaccia and ginger and lemon curd doughnut to go with a fruity batch filter.

A stroll along the harbour front took us past a fun selection of quirky buildings and barges, then up to Bristol's main shopping centre. The layout was much friendlier than other shopping centres across the UK, with light pouring through a sky roof and a generally more outdoorsy feel. We only stopped briefly to browse a cute stationery store before moving on to Gloucester Road, Europe's longest road of independent shops and cafés. If we had another day or two here we would have tried one of the many scrumptious looking eateries and coffee shops, like The Crafty Egg, Poquito Coffee and Cafe Kino, but we were treated to many sightings along the way.

Here was the first stop, providing us with an array of colourful books, stationery, framed pieces and greetings cards. This was followed by Wild Leaf, a plant haven with expert advice and practically every plant imaginable, including some new finds for both of us to take home.

Ustudio was a huge highlight for. This was bursting to the brim with high quality decorative pieces, from Studio Arhoj's fantastic collection of ghosts and crystal blobs to indulgent Fatso Chocolate to a pristine selection of Kinto glassware and travel gear. I did well to only walk out with some dried lavender for a new pot I received for Christmas, but this Scandinavian feast of wonders had Cameron and I filled with excitement.

After a pause at Tincan for further caffeination, we strolled in the rain back down the street towards the promise of an evening meal. I always enjoy cities where the rain doesn't become a debilitating factor, and rather it is just part of a buzzing atmosphere and people continue with their daily lives with looks of content. Bristol is one of those places.

Three Brother's Burgers was our choice for the evening, offering up an impressive amount of choice on toppings, sides and a whole separate menu for veggies and vegans. I enjoyed the Smokey Bro Burger, with cheddar, smoked bacon, BBQ relish and crispy onions, along with loaded fries and chicken wings, which we shared. This came with a blue cheese dip; although I don't normally go for blue cheese, this sauce complimented the chicken nicely!

Rounding off our evening were some terrific cocktails from The Clockwork Rose. This candlelit establishment had several nods to the Steampunk era with decorative masks and ornaments hanging from an inviting fireplace, but it struck a balance between these elements and a more general feel of stepping into the 1920s, which I found highly comforting. My drink of choice was an Old Fashioned, while Cameron had a silky combination of Canadian whisky, bourbon and espresso all brought together with flavours of maple. Sublime.

We gently rose the next morning and headed over to bustling Bedminster for coffee and shopping. Sweven was our choice for a caffeine fix, with a wonderful selection of espresso and filter options, and a counter of delicious cakes and pastries. Our house filters were so well balanced, with the first containing notes of blackcurrant and butterscotch, and the second watermelon and jasmine. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was warm and relaxed.

On we went through this lively suburb, through corners of street art; board game stores with old childhood favourites like Quirkle, and idyllic houses I would happily to move to in the future. We reached Clifton Village, known primarily for its Suspension Bridge. We took in the view before heading into the village itself for a bite to eat at Foliage Café. The croque monsieur was excellent, fresh and full of flavour. I loved the combination of brunch offerings, convenience foods and greenery.

We ended our trip on Whiteladies Road, including a visit to Oskar Furniture to delight over pieces we would like for our future home and embracing the Georgian architecture more typical of neighbouring Bath.

Bristol is somewhere I could easily do again and again; it has everything and feels truly alive!

Here is an album I have recently enjoyed:

Roosevelt - Embrace. The fourth album from the German musician gloriously kicks off with the anthem like Ordinary Love. Yucca Mesa builds to Paralyzed, a track I couldn't help but dance and dance to. My favourite listing is Fall Right In, which asserts an overwhelming motion of life and the moment. Perhaps fitting as we approach the last song: Alive.

That's all from me; I shall spend my last day of the Christmas holiday watching quiz shows, gorging on treats from the Early Bird Bakery and practising cor anglais. See you soon!

[minusgangtime]

The kitty crew: Spooky cafe/Halloween night funkin (pt 2)

Temp (skeleton)

Sunny (alien)

Simba (vampire)

Herb (werewolf)

Seasalt (siren)

Lavender (Frankenstein)

Blaze (scarecrow)

Snow (gorgon)

Nightfall (ghost)

Galaxy (swamp monster)

-mod Shelby

(Why does Simba have a mask? 🤨)

[theid0loftimeandspace]

there's a cafe i haven't been to since before the pandemic and i went in a whim and it's sad to see how places just kinda go to shit but struggle to stay open after the effects of the pandemic. wish there were things to go do that didn't involve spending money on food&drink. i would kill to go to an arcade that wasn't also a bar or ending up the one killed at the end of the night .... the lavender steamer still tastes like i always remembered it tho but for a friday night this place is a ghost town. took me 40 min to get here but i'm only gonna be here like 20. this is why i never go out.