#like I’ve never gone out and randomly saw someone famous

[cryley]

I wish I lived in a place where cool things happen

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 294: A Half-Assed Escape

Previously on BnHA: Mirio was all “SURPRISE I’M BACK THANKS TO OUR RESIDENT SEVEN-YEAR-OLD WHO RECENTLY EARNED HER BACHELOR’S OF BEING A TOTAL BADASS.” Kacchan was all, “you know what, Dabi’s been trending long enough, time to remind the fandom what a real G looks like,” and he blasted his little bleeding body back into the fray and was all “FROM HERE ON OUT CALL ME DYNAMIGHT!!” Mirio was all, “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... oh, you’re serious,” and Kacchan was all “!!”, and so that’s the story of how my son got murdered twice in one day. Meanwhile in the Todoroki Drama Zone, Deku was all “STOP MURDERING MY FRIEND” and Dabi was all “THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS” and fandom had a whole big debate about Whether Or Not Dabi Trying To Murder Deku’s Friends And Mentors Is Any Of Deku’s Business, which went exactly how you think it went. Anyway, so then Deku yelled at Dabi, and Endeavor was all moved by his manly words and randomly went to go uppercut Machia in the chin. And, seeing as how the Momoserum finally chose that exact moment to kick in, Machia is now down for the count.

Today on BnHA: The Miriosquad handles the Nearly High End Noumus, freeing up Jeanist to jasphyxiate (okay that one doesn’t really work so well) the rest of the League. Compress is all “TIME FOR THIS MILD-MANNERED SIDE CHARACTER VILLAIN TO SHINE”, except that by “shine” what he actually means is “use his quirk to punch a literal hole right through his own ass to free himself.” The rest of the chapter is basically just a back and forth between him and Jeanist, with Jeanist trying to recapture him, and Compress repeatedly thwarting him by chopping more holes out of himself because HE’S FRESH OUT OF FUCKS, AND THE ONES AT THE STORE ARE ALL SOLD OUT, MOTHERFUCKERS. Anyway, so with Compress basically dying and all, Horikoshi is all “you know what that means”, and delivers a freshly-baked villain flashback revealing that Compress is a descendant of Harima Ouji, a.k.a. the Peerless Thief, a.k.a. some famous guy whom Gentle mentioned this one time for like two seconds back in the day. The chapter ends with Compress finally demasking himself and dumping Tomura back onto the ground, a.k.a. The Worst Possible Place For Tomura To Be. ( •﹏•)

WHY IS CRUST HERE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD

-- OH WAIT, SHIT. OH

AIZAWAAAA you’re alive and receiving medical help thank GOD. HOW MANY EYES DO YOU HAVE. AND MIRKO!! HOW MANY LIMBS DO YOU HAVE, OMG

so is this Aizawa dreaming about Crust’s final moments, then?? jesus. with All Due Respect to Crust’s memory, does Aizawa not already have enough misplaced guilt on his conscience as it is?? “nope, we’re gonna keep piling it on. that’s all he is now. three limbs, an indeterminate number of eyes, sexy hair, and Guilt” well shit

motherfucker y’all really out here placing an oxygen mask on Gran Torino’s corpse. fucking shounen characters. each one comes with a lifetime warranty

DAMN YOU HORIKOSHI WHY DO YOU KEEP SHOWING THESE CLOSE-UPS OF HAWKS’S UNCONSCIOUS FACE ALL WHUMPED OUT AND EXHAUSTED. HOW MUCH MORE OF THIS ARE WE GOING TO GET. ARE YOU PLANNING ON KILLING ME WITH THE UPCOMING CONVALESCENCE ARC, BECAUSE IF SO, AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO TELL ME AHEAD OF TIME SO I CAN MAKE A WILL

for a moment I considered going back and checking my previous recaps to count how many times I’ve already made a joke about Dabi’s fire incinerating Hawks’s wings but not touching so much as a hair on his five o’clock shadow, so that I could calculate whether or not I could possibly get away with making that same joke one more time. but then I realized I could just do it in this kind of roundabout way I’m doing right now instead. so there you have it

FFFFFFFMT LADY AND MIDNIGHT NOOOOO

PLEASE BE ALIVE. PLEASE RESPECT THE SIGN ON THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. THE ONE THAT SAYS “NO LADY CHARACTERS ALLOWED TO DIE”, WITH THE FINE PRINT AT THE BOTTOM “AT LEAST NOT UNTIL HORIKOSHI GIVES US LIKE TWENTY-SIX MORE OF THEM FIRST IF THAT’S THE WAY HE WANTS TO PLAY IT.” IT’S A GOOD SIGN, PLEASE RESPECT ITS WISHES!!

so anyway though, Jeanist is giving a speech about how god knows how many people all worked together to bring Machia down. and now RHA is getting in on those fabric puns too, I see. “A SINGLE STRAND MAY BE THIN BUT TOGETHER THEY FORM A STRONG ROPE” oh so you think you guys are funny eh? I’m a frayed knot

MEANWHILE EXCUSE ME BUT WHY ARE YOU FUCKING CRYING BLOOD, HOLY SHIT

fffffff. so much for him taking over as the Number One once all this is over. so let’s just recap real quick, because Horikoshi has long since made it clear that one of his plot goals for this arc is to wipe out every single member of the Billboard Top Ten. so how we doin?

Endeavor - was just figuratively eviscerated in front of the entire nation by his homicidal zombiepunk son. also burnt half to death and possibly down a lung. will almost certainly be forced to retire after this one way or the other

Hawks - lying prettily in a medical tent. wings status: gone. hair status: still perfect

Jeanist - WELL I THOUGHT HE WAS FINE BUT APPARENTLY HE’S OUT HERE DYING, JESUS CHRIST

Edgeshot - MIA, last seen fighting Re-Destro. I really want him to have kicked RD’s ass because fuck that guy, but realistically they probably fought to a draw at best

Mirko - alive but in critical condition and missing something like 1.5 limbs

Crust - dead, currently haunting Aizawa’s traumatized dreams. now he’s gonna be triggered the rest of his life by people giving him the thumbs up, THANKS A LOT

Kamui Woods - was set on fire which is His Weakness. thoughts and prayers

Wash - last seen floating hospital patients to safety as Tomura’s wave of decay descended towards him. probably dead ffff

Old Man Samurai - haven’t seen this fucker in a hot minute, who even knows where he’s wandered off to

Ryuukyuu - currently being treated for her wounds, looked pretty bad off. but it’s hard to tell how hurt she is since most of the injuries were acquired in her transformed state. SHE BETTER GET WELL SOON

anyways, so yeah. so much for the top ten. guess that’s another reason Horikoshi brought Mirio back now, huh

so there’s a big panel of everyone fighting the Noumu while Machia lies there all “blurgh.” good riddance my dude. it took like twenty chapters and a hundred people to stop this guy so I really fucking hope he stays down. you’ve had your fun

anyway so Jeanist is sending another steel thread towards Dabi! and he’s all “just a bit more!!” fklklj this is gonna go real well isn’t it

meanwhile Mirio’s fighting a Nearly High End with all of these weird rock formations jutting out of its skin. go on and kick his ass then, Mirio

“each of these guys is probably just as strong as the Noumu from Kyuushuu” hold on I thought Ujiko or Tomura or someone said that wasn’t the case? not that Mirio would know I suppose. anyways let’s just hope he’s wrong cuz if not these kids are probably screwed

kLSDKFHLSKHGLKLK OH MY GODDDD

IIDA FUCKING TENYA YOU’RE A PEACH. THINKS THE NAME IS OUTRAGEOUS, CHECK. USES IT ANYWAY, CHECK. “JUST BECAUSE I DON’T UNDERSTAND DOESN’T MEAN I CAN’T BE SUPPORTIVE.” WHAT A CLASS ACT

AND KACCHAN IS RESPONDING WITH AS MUCH DIGNITY AS HE CAN MUSTER

WOW, SON. IT’S ALMOST AS THOUGH YOU HAVE A HOLE IN YOUR TORSO, OR SOMETHING!! although listen up, real talk, the fact that Kacchan of all people can’t muster the energy to yell at someone questioning his ability to kick ass is HIGHKEY troubling and we may be in need of an intervention here soon :/

now Jeanist is finally turning his attention to the League! was... was it not already on the League. omg

ACTUAL SCREAMING AHHHHHH FUCK FUCKLK LK AHHLKHKFFFF

hey so um. what the actual fucked up hell. my soul left my body. imagine if you saw the reflection of this panel on your bedroom window. you would never sleep again

OKAY RHA TRANSLATORS ARE YOU HAVING YOURSELF A LAUGH AGAIN

THIS CANNOT BE WHAT HE’S ACTUALLY SAYING RIGHT. BUT IT’S RIGHT IN THAT UNCANNY VALLEY OF NOT BEING QUITE SURE, THOUGH... (　ﾟдﾟ)

(ETA: just a next-day clarification here, apparently my sleep-deprived ADHD word-skipping brain completely skipped right over the “a” in that last panel, so what I read was, “and Shigaraki’s limp noodle.” so yeah, the moral of this story is always read the speech bubble carefully before you start making running jokes throughout the rest of your post, folks.)

oh wow he’s really freaking out lmao

to be fair though, I’d argue that Dabi has gotten pre-tty close at this point :’) thrilled for him, really I am

but anyway, well then figure something out you big dramatic robot-armed fiend. didn’t you just say you could touch your own ass? can you not just Compress yourself to break free?? does it not work on you? or would you be stuck afterwards lol

(ETA: I was picturing him compressing his entire body at once, not just chunks of it. ghhhlkh.)

um

holy shit Jeanist. are you stupidly trying to cut off their air, or are you going for more of a sleeper hold (jleeper hold??) thing instead. the latter would be way smarter and faster and probably safer as well just saying

but unless Spinner is just being super dramatic, it sure looks like he’s fucking strangling them djslkjlk. this will certainly cement his popularity among the villain stans. good thing you’re not running for office any time soon bud

anyway so I have no idea what these guys are trying to do now. what is this

do you even have till the count of 5 at this rate. I mean

OH MY GOODNESS

HE’S REALLY FUCKING DOING IT!! HE’S COMPRESSING HIS BUTT!! OMFG. TOMURA HIDE YOUR NOODLE!!!

WHAT THE FUCK

DID YOU COMPRESS A PIECE OF YOUR OWN ASS. FUCKING WHAT. PUT THIS MAN’S PICTURE IN THE DICTIONARY NEXT TO THE WORD “LOYALTY”, HOLY CRAP

HOLY SHIT COMPRESS

“HOLY SHIT DID THAT GUY JUST PUNCH A HOLE THROUGH HIS OWN ASS IN ORDER TO SAVE HIS VILLAIN PALS. FUCK IT, HE DESERVES TO ESCAPE”

jeez, talk about... A HALF-ASSED ESCAPE ATTEMPT :D :D :D hahaha. but real talk though, Horikoshi has clearly never tried to leap twelve feet straight up in the air multiple times in succession with only half his glutes though. everyone, I regret to inform you that this panel right here on the left may be slightly unrealistic

also where the hell is he going to go?? did you pack a jetpack away in one of those little marbles sir. and what about Dabi?? and Skeptic too, I guess, but we don’t really care about Skeptic

(ETA: at this point I had to stop reading for about two hours because I had to go out and take care of something; that’s also why this is being posted later than usual lol. anyways so where were we.)

oh my lord

the existence of a translator’s note here implies that the earlier line about Compress being able to reach Tomura’s junk was not, in fact, ad-libbed. hmm. hmmmmmmmm

anyway so now he’s grabbing Compress again because OF COURSE HE IS, so now we’re right back to square one! except now Tomura and Spinner are secured inside of little marbles, and presumably Compress is the only one who can release them

oh nevermind he’s just maiming himself again instead, SHEESH

Skeptic a man is dying please have some goddamn respect

so, uh. is he gonna die, though??

I really can’t tell wtf is going on here, this is the most confusing the art has been in a while. Horikoshi put all of his spoons into that creepyass close-up panel earlier, that bastard

OMG WHAT ARE YOU SERIOUS

DON’T FUCKING TELL ME THE “COMPRESS IS RELATED TO THIS THIEF GUY FROM OLDEN TIMES” THEORY IS ACTUALLY TRUE WHAAAAAAT. OH SHIT

so apparently Harima was a Robin Hood type guy who stole from... heroes?? wtf. are heroes the 1% in this scenario. y’all didn’t have any Fortune 500 CEOs to steal from?

THAT’S THE BLOOD THAT FLOWS THROUGH YOU, OH SHIT. and in a related oh shit, the fact that we are getting a Compress flashback now of all times doesn’t bode super well for him. ffff

MEANWHILE THE TODOROKIS ARE STILL TODOROKI-ING

listen here boy if you touch one freaking hair on Shouto’s candy cane head I swear to god --

WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY!!!

SHOUTO NOOOOOO. WTF YOU’RE LITERALLY THE ONE GUY WHOSE WEAKNESS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FIRE. DABI YOU SHIT, YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF!! I’M PRINTING OUT A COPY OF THAT COMPRESS PANEL!!! KEEP AN EYE OUT ON THAT BEDROOM WINDOW YOU PUNK!!!

SO NOW POOR SHOUTO IS UNCONSCIOUS AND FALLING!! SOMEONE SAVE HIM!! WHO CATCHES THE CATCHER

COMPRESS LITERALLY HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING

PLEASE DON’T CALL TOMURA LEADER OF THE “PLF” YOU KNOW I CAN’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY WHEN YOU DO THAT. ARE YOU DYING. ARE YOU JUST A FUCKING HEAD NOW WTF

(ETA: “masks are removable, makeste” you know what it’s been a long day okay lmao. or I suppose Compress is really the one who is lmao.)

GASPPPPPP

okay. okay. looooool okay then

WHY WERE YOU COVERING THIS SEXY MOP OF HAIR UNDER THAT HOOD YOU TOOL. IT WOULD HAVE LOOKED SO GOOD WITH THE TOP HAT. I’M SO MAD AT YOU RIGHT NOW

as if it wasn’t enough for him to demask himself, he also had to get all shirtless and then do this weird attempt at a sexypose too huh

hard to say exactly how much of his torso is currently missing, but safe to say that’s proooooooobably not good. :///// fuck

on the other hand, Kacchan also has a torso hole and he’s still flying around like he just drank a dozen red bulls, so

this man lost his ass and he’s still out here monologuing like it’s the last two minutes of The Prestige. one might say he is monologuing his ass off

so he let Spinner and Tomura free, but is Dabi still trapped in his marble?? wasn’t he all on fire and stuff?? hopefully he can still turn off his quirk in there because if not that’s a pretty fucked up way to die. somewhere out there Snatch’s ghost is all “YEAH I’LL SAY.” oh how the turntables

last but not least, sooooooo. Tomura. back on the ground. that’s. um. ...shiiiiiiiit

[plussizeappreciationfics]

Series: Just the assistant..?

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Plus sized reader

Summary: [Y/N], Tom's personal assistant knows that she shouldn't have fallen in love with her employer but she just couldn't help herself. When she thinks that her biggest wish is about to come true, a third party arrives and makes her question whether she'd ever have a chance to escape her situation and simply be loved back by the person she loves the most...

Warning(s): adult language

Word count: 2,3k 

Picture(s) found on: Pinterest/Google

CHAPTER TWO: The boundaries have been overstepped

“I’m fine, just make sure that the stylist closes the door behind her once you’re gone” [Y/N] spoke into her phone before letting out a soft cough, her throat sore and itchy. She heard a long sigh from the other end of the line and rolled her eyes.

“Tom, this isn’t the first time I’m sick. So what, I caught a cold a three days ago, it’s not the end of the world” she couldn’t see the actor’s frown increasing on his face as he listened to her weak voice explaining her situation. 

Hours before, the assistant had been tossing and turning in her bed for quite a while, her body not being at peace because it longed to be held again by Tom. She couldn’t stop thinking about the dinner, how intense his stares has been and how he suddenly seemed so interested in her. [Y/N] was staring at the dark ceiling of her room and shook her head in contentment, having a feeling that something special would happen to her very soon.

He felt bad because he technically had been the reason his assistant had gotten sick in the first place; After their celebration dinner, Tom had ended up not being able to fall asleep, so he had called [Y/N] over and they ended up stargazing in his backyard, barely speaking a word with each other. They just sat next to each other, shoulders and arms touching and looked up the beautiful sky with a faint smile ghosting on their lips.

By the time [Y/N] had returned home, she was a coughing and sneezing mess and thus resulted in her having to take a week off because she had caught a nasty cold. She was on her 4th day off and pretty much enjoyed not having to do much physical activity besides feeding herself and taking her medication on time.

“Tom? Are you still there?” the assistant asked, wondering why he was being so silent. The actor cleared his throat and felt his stomach churn in discomfort, the intense need to take care of [Y/N] making it hard for him to focus on anything else. He couldn’t have a good day while knowing that she was in poor health and discomfort, he wished that he could heal her with a simple hug but that was obviously impossible.

Her thoughts had been interrupted by Tom calling her, nervously asking her if his call wasn’t a disturbance because the world was fast asleep. [Y/N] gently told him that she hadn’t been able to sleep either before happily accepting his invitation to stargaze in his backyard as he had one of the best views.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m still here…Just let me know if there’s anything I can do for you. Anything. I-need you-I mean we need you strong and healthy again” Tom added a quick fake cough at the end as he had realized that he was starting to slip, he had been thinking about his assistant a lot the past few days and had found himself calling and texting her more than usual, she reciprocated to his mood and energy though. So he knew that he wasn’t bothering her at all.

Her stomach was fluttering in delight and she couldn’t help but smile and stare into space. Something is happening, Tom has been very attentive and kinda needy of my presence the last few days…Maybe he’s starting to feel the same way…Or maybe he’s going through something and is gathering the courage to finally share it with me…

“I’ll be fineeeeee, just don’t forget to tell me who your costars will be on the play. Bye” and with that, [Y/N] quickly hung up the phone before releasing the breath she didn’t know she was holding in. She had heard the slip up and forced herself to not read too much in between the lines. 

“Anyhow” [Y/N] muttered to herself while getting comfortable under the warm sheets of her bed. She still had three days of peace and quiet and was enjoying them by getting as much sleep as possible and catching up with her reading list. Today she would’ve had a busy day ahead; Tom had 2 talk shows appearances. 

She thankfully already had helped him arrange his wardrobe for the appearances through her phone and laptop, the stylist only had to come by and deliver the suits, which would be in an hour, but [Y/N] already had strictly (but kindly) instructed her to do her job and make sure that everything was alright with the clothes.

Tom had gotten a fresh trim the morning and had decided to let his long curls stay the way they were (because [Y/N] had voiced a nice compliment about the way it looked so the actor silently decided to grow it out a little more).

His driver was also on his way as he preferred to be driven to public events. Tom’s fans were known for blocking entries and streets once they’d know he’d be present somewhere. He loved his fans to death, but he knew that driving himself through a sea of frantic people (with his already bad eyesight) could cause a serious accident. 

Everything that had to be done, was done. So, [Y/N] was able to relax and focus on getting her health back on track.

She took one final glance at her phone before locking the screen and placing it on her nightstand, feeling tired and sore. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep, with her special someone lingering in her mind…

“What are you doing here?” [Y/N] wondered in confusion upon seeing Tom welcome himself into her home, his jacket already removed along with the shoes. He then made his way over to the couch where she comfortably seated, her phone in her hand and looking through her mails. She silently was thankfully for the shower she had taken thirty minutes ago because she looked like her normal self and also smelled good.

“I am here to keep you company on your final days off as I know that you have missed my presence oh so much” the actor added a dramatic sigh while sitting next to his assistant and appreciating her beauty from up close. “Of course did I miss you, I can’t stand to be parted from you for so long, oh my dear Thomas” she reciprocated his dramatic and sarcastic tone, although she was being completely honest.

Three days later

“Then we shall enjoy each other’s company before the hectic and busy world seeks our attention again, M’lady” the actor spoke with a chuckle, the bright smile on his face still very much present. He was wearing a simple pair of blue pants and his famous dark blue sweater, he looked as scrumptious as always. 

[Y/N] had to swallow hard as she forced her eyes to not scan him from head to toe, it would make it obvious that she was attracted to him, emotionally and physically. These next few hours certainly would be trick and tempting…

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Tom suggested, placed his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze for no reason at all (Well…we all know the reason, don’t we?). “Sure, you can pick one out!” [Y/N] spoke with excitement, euphoria pumping through her blood as she now knew that she was addicted to his touch. No one had ever made her feel so comfortable. She was a confident woman but to feel this extra layer of security and comfort just soothed her soul on the daily.

“We can watch whatever you want, darling” Tom mumbled, feeling a rush of contentment himself from purely having her this close to him. [Y/N] took the remote in her hand and opened the Netflix app, she looked through her daily suggestions and the top ten of most popular movies that were currently trending. Tom’s soft fingers were playing with the material of her shirt, reaching the hem of her sleeve and then smoothly drawing random patterns on her soft skin.

“How about Spirited Away? It’s been years since I’ve seen that masterpiece!” [Y/N] happily suggested, “Plus the movie also shows how love can be so strong, even when the two people barely acknowledge or talk about it. It’s all about the actions”. Hearing the short description had the actor instantly curious and so he agreed to watch it, despite never having seen it himself.

Both relaxed against the couch (yes, Tom’s arm still around [Y/N]’s shoulder, now having moved even closer so that their bodies were in constant contact), before the movie was playing on the screen. [Y/N] randomly explained certain scenes that had the actor a little bit confused and once he’d understand the reference or meaning behind it, he couldn’t help but lean in and whisper his thanks into her ear. To say that the tension was thick, sizzling yet light and delicate was an understatement.

__

[Y/N] slowly opened her eyes, letting out a tired sigh while slowly acknowledging the conscious world again. “Mhm” she mumbled, realizing that she had fallen asleep sometime during the movie. She was about to sit up straight when a strong, but gentle grip around her thick waist pulled her back.

Fuck.

She turned her head to look behind her and saw Tom sleeping peacefully, having lied down behind her at some point. He grumbled softly in his slumber before pulling her warm body closer to him again. [Y/N] felt like she was about to have a heart attack. But she still slowly repositioned herself in her previous position and stared at the TV screen.

She knew that they had overstepped a heavy boundary of their professional relationship. But did she feel bad? Nope. She felt so at ease, it was like his arms were made just for her. The current moment was one she had often dreamed about and to actually have the privilege to experience it was just indescribable.

“[Y/N]….” Tom whispered in his sleep, his voice low and rich with smoothness. He was literally trying to pull her into his body, his hands gently squeezing one of her stomach rolls. She felt his toned chest against her back along with the body heat he was radiating onto her, his head now nuzzling in the crook of her neck. When his soft breaths tickled her sensitive skin, [Y/N] thought that she was about to burst into flames. The acts were so intimate yet tender, everything she had always assumed about him now being true.

Tom Hiddleston was a clingy sleep cuddler.

“Fuck” she whispered again when he let out a content sigh, already having tears brim her eyes as this all felt like dream. The man she had been loving for three years now was finally reciprocating her love. 

[Y/N] closed her eyes and enjoyed the amazing feeling of pure love and joy, she even reached her arm out and gently ran her hand through Tom’s soft curls and sighed in pure delight herself. She wished that she could stay like this forever, just the two of them. 

__

“[Y/N]?”

Her eyes fluttered open and she (again) took acknowledgment of her surroundings. She still was lying on her couch, But Tom was now sitting next to her, along with two bags of takeout resting on her coffee table.

“Mhm? I’m awake” [Y/N] mumbled once her brain recognized the sound of Tom’s soft voice calling out for her.

“Are you hungry? I ordered Thai as it’s almost six in the evening and you haven’t eaten anything yet” his gaze was soft and kind. The assistant nodded her head and slowly sat up, silently comprehending that Tom had woken up after she had fallen back asleep again. She felt a pang of disappointment churn in her stomach once she also realized that he was pretending like nothing had happened.

“Thanks Tom, I must have fallen asleep. My bad”

But she also understood and accepted why.

“Nothing to be sorry about, I fell asleep myself and actually had a great rest. The past few days had been very stressful, and I had really needed an afternoon of peace and quiet. So thanks again, [Y/N], for letting me enjoy your company”.

Tom’s appreciation speech actually mended the disappointment she felt, she hadn’t known about the few sorrows and stressed he had had because he hadn’t voiced them to her at all, despite having texted and called her plenty of times throughout the day.

Wow…

“You’re welcome, Tom” was all she was able to respond before reaching for the takeout bags and looking at what deliciousness were awaiting her. She ignored his piercing stare, not knowing why she suddenly was the sole focus of his attention. It was hard doing so because she felt like his eyes were burning holes on the side of her face.

“You’re very beautiful, [Y/N].

She turned to him, a bright smile creeping upon her face as her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you Tom, you are handsome yourself”. He chuckled and finally looked down at his lap, a slight crimson shade appearing on his cheeks as he felt flustered and appreciated.

[Y/N] handed him the second bag of food before removing the items in her own bag. 

“That’s amazing! Do you want me to book a table at your usual restaurant?” [Y/N] asked while feeling happy for Tom’s friends, she knew that he’d have a blast with the play and that sole thought left her smiling to herself while the actor continued to share the details of the upcoming play to her, still sitting very close to her and barely being able to keep her eyes off her beautiful face.

“By the way, I have great news”, [Y/N] hummed as in indication that she was listening while continuing to unpack her food. “Charlie and Zawe have been casted as the other two main characters in the play! We’ll be all going to dinner tomorrow!”

Tag list: @jamesbarnesappreciationclubub  l @pleasantdreamqueen l @disneymarina l l @harleycativy  l @sparklemichele l @melaninmarvel l @amethyst09 l @the-force-of-imagines l @bossyboyd03 l @pebblesz892 l @stars8melanin l @brittyevans l @toc1985 l @janeyboo l @badassbaker l @winters-beauty l @cannonindeez  l @ilovefanfic86  l @adorablespecialsnowflakes l @brittanyovens l @kanupps06 l @jazmynejack l @thebookwormslytherin l @theunsweetenedtruth l @talannalew l @littlexmissxfandomxlover l @amethyst-dreams-and-candy-canes l @crimsonash330 l @booklover2929 l @aranelgrey l @panda-duuu l @thisismysecrethappyplace  l @titty-teetee l @honey-anon l @princess-evans-addict l @hp-hogwartsexpress l @malindacath  l @letsdisneythings l @scorpionchild81 l @shado-raven l @alisoncdariel l @plutoneu l  @queenoftheworldisdead l @briannab1234l @miyaeadys-blog l @thenamelesscorpse2185 l @hihellogoodbyebruh l @nackrosor l @nerdgurl1985 l @2darkskinbeauty l @bugngiz l @african-melanin-goddess l @barnes-wilson-love l @ktiz90 l @let-the-love-in l @forlornfortitude l @robinredboob l @hopefuloperaangelnerd l @kola95 l @partypoison00 l @alwaysadreamingoptimist l @reniescarlett l @g0thicdream l @mayasopinions l @captaintightpants58 l @leillee​ l @kayleighsimone​ 

-Emmanuelle 💋❤️

[mysticprofessoralienhumanoid]

Ml salt: Never Specify, Unless They Ask

So, this is what I randomly came up with at 1 am

--------

This is probably class salt, maybe a little bit Marinette salt, if you squint. (I still love Marinette, don’t get me wrong)

It’s all based on just asking yourself ‘what if’ and I want you to understand that I’m not trying to explain Lila’s actions because hell no am I doing that. It’s a simple idea I came up with and decided to share.

---------

What if Lila didn’t lie, just didn’t say the whole truth?

It’s her protection, because she technically isn’t lying, right? She never specified anything. They can’t be mad at her, because they misunderstood the information.

“Oh, of course I know Jagged Stone. I loved his newest song!” 

Everyone knows Jagged Stone. He’s a world famous singer, he has a title of King of Rock n’ Roll. And she never specified what songs she’s talking about. It doesn’t have to be a song no one, but Lila, have heard before, because she personally knows him; it could simply be his newly released one.

“Clara Nightindale’s newest music video is amazing. I know these dance moves really well, want me to teach you?”

Maybe Lila is a dancer and Clara’s dance moves are commonly used by Lila. Maybe Lila has already watched the video before them and she’s a fast learner, so she already can dance Clara’s choreography. It doesn’t have to mean she and Clara are besties and Lila showed the moves to the singer, or that Clara stole them from Lila.

“Yes, I do know Prince Ali. I love his charity organizations. I actually volunteer in some too.”

Again, she never said she has her own charities or that she knows him personally. But her mother is a diplomat, for crying out loud. There is always a possibility they’d met once on some gala or event, when Lila accompanied her mom. And believe it or not, maybe Lila does have a heart (maybe just not for people, but for animals? Like, I”d support caring about animals)

“I’m Ladybug’s best friend.”

Ah, a tough one. But, and consider this, what if LB said on TV she wishes to be friends with all Paris’s citizens and Lila took it just a tiny bit too seriously? What if she saw or heard the superheroine comforting the akuma victim, saying they were friends or they could consider her their friend and tell her what made them so upset that devilish insect transformed them into Hawk Moron’s minion and Lila just felt it was so nice of her and as a sign of being LB’s fan or supporter she decided to call herself her friend to show her trust for Ladybug? Or it was a simple language misunderstanding; Lila’s italian and this is her first day in a country where everyone’s speaking french. Maybe her french is rusty and instead of saying she’s a fan, she told Adrien she’s Ladybug’s best friend.

“I’m Volpina, a superhero.”

Another hard one! Bear with me here; let’s presume that it’s Lila’s way of coping with everything. Assume that her grandma really did give her the necklace, but it’s not a miraculous, it’s a simple necklace. No magic in it. But it to Lila it is magical. Maybe when Lila was little, she was shy and scared of meeting new people, so her grandma made up a story about how it’s  a magical necklace that can transform girl into a brave hero if she wears it. And now Lila just carries it with her as a reminder  of her grandma and that she can always be brave, even when everything and everyone gets too much. Ladybug just happens to hear Lila claiming to be superhero, so goes there to clear things up. She does it harshly, but Marinette is 13 year old girl who was not prepared to become a hero and she hasn’t even met Idiot Fu yet. (It’s officialy master Fu salt, I’ve never liked him tbh). She freaks out on Lila a bit, because she’s not aware of another hero and she doesn’t know what to do in situations like this, so she reacts emotionally. It just happens to make Lila hate her.

Trips to other countries? They could always happen or are going to happen, but in the far future and Lila is just a bitch and decides to use the information to her advance and ditches school.

Many disabilities? Are possible. I know someone who gets pains in random places on their body depending on weather. They can’t do anything about it and it’s not like it puts them in danger, it’s just an effect of something they had gone through in their life. The pains come and go and like I said appear in randoms spots in their body.

Ugh, the tinnitus. Maybe Lila has something similar to tinnitus, not as drastic, but she sometimes (rarely, but she’s not gonna tell that anyone) hears soft noises in her ears. But can we just pretend Lila is smarter than that? I never said this Lila isn’t a little ooc. Yes? Okay, good.

Also, Lila's just dramatic af. That can be an explanation too.

Akumas take long to be taken down by Chat Noir and Ladybug. Like I said, Lila is still evil in this. And some akumas really do take longer, so there’s that... Schools cancel classes due the attacks, so she could say her classes got canceled due the akuma. And her mother never asked for how long they’re canceled. Lila's mother is busy all the time, and her daughter isn't afraid to use it ot her advantage.

And our favorite one called "Threaten Marinette In The Bathroom To Take Away All Her Friends"

Lila is smarter here. Why would she risk losing to Marinette by threating her and doing it in a public place like that? Nu-uh, Lila's better than this.

She does it quietly, without all the dramatics. She warns Marinette, she tells her to be careful with how much of this dislike towards Lila she shows, because it can backfire on her. It's an advice, but there's a warning hidden beneath it.

And while Lila may not always say everything, she means what she says.

Don't worry, I didn't forget about the class.

They don't read too much into Lila's words. They assume she knows those people, they assume she did she things she mentions, even though she never said "I did it"

The way the start bullying Marinette is different (a little bit) from most fanfics I read usually too.

Lila doesn't come crying to school. She doesn't have bruises on her. She never outright says Marinette did something to her.

She just casually says she was talking to Marinette the other day and the girl seemed angry. She never told them if Marinette was angry at her. Hell, she just mentioned Marinette seemed to be angry, but it doesn't even have to mean she was.

Lila comes to class limping a little, says her ankle hurts because she bumped into Marinette, when the girl was running because she was late again. It was an accident.

The class reads into it. They hear "Marinette bullies me" even though the word "bully" never even left Lila's mouth. They all do it by themselves and Lila just watches.

And the grand final: when the class finally starts to understand Lila's words.

"You lied to us!" Alya yelled.

Lila snorted, "I've never lied to you." It was the truth, she doesn't lie.

"But you don't know Jagged Stone, you don't know Clara. You don't know Ladybug. You lied!" Rose cried out.

"Well, it's not my fault you never asked." She shrugged. They couldn't be that dense, could they?

"What?" Nino asked, staring at her in desbelief.

"You've never told me to specify. You've never demanded any proof. You just chose to believe. It's not my fault." She shrugged again.

Lila Rossi is not a liar. Never were. Never will.

There's a reason why Lila's favorite animal is a fox. Fox is a symbol of cunningness. And Lila always prouded herself for being cunning.

[ixellent]

So in case you’re not on twitter a bunch of artists recently announced they were working with an “eco friendly” NFT company and the reactions were mixed but I wanted to put a few simple notes without even talking about the environmental impact of NFTs as a whole, like let’s just skip the whole discussion of that part for a second. It’s not that I don’t think it’s important, but it’s a little bit of a distraction on this issue because people can split hairs and pull statistics over the cost of NFT vs carbon offsetting vs how much electricity we waste vs big corporations all day. This is probably not going to be how we finally pass legislation to stop pollution and save the planet, so let’s just put a pin in that aspect and talk about ethically what’s going on.

1) Money Laundering A lot of artists were interested in NFT because they saw how much money people were allegedly making, right? We want that money, we feel that art is underpriced, undercut, underappreciated, it sucks out there! But! Why does NFT go for so much? Because it’s certified authentic ownership of digital art or whatever? We have been able to do this with digital files for a long time, quickly and easily, it’s called DRM. "Authenticity” and “owning an original” was never the reason. This has been happening in the fine art community for decades. (Rich) People use art to launder money because they can buy it for some amount of money*, insure it for even more money, have it valued at more money, and sell it to other people for obscene money and that’s a lot easier to explain than randomly paying someone thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars for doing you a favor. It also effectively “hides” money the same way real estate can. It doesn’t mean it’s easy but it’s a loophole to avoid taxes and the IRS and makes your money look more “legitimate” on paper because less of your assets are liquid, they can still “appreciate” because the object of value the money is tied to can be subjectively desirable as to make it “worth” whatever you want. * Art CAN be somewhat objectively valued by experts and historians, kind of like how comics or Magic cards can be valued, but it is a unique good in that people can decide its value based on literally whatever they want, which is to say, nothing at all. And you can be like “Well what about LEGITIMATE art sales!” I don’t know how to explain to you that most art isn’t going to suddenly be worth thousands of more dollars overnight legitimately. Like aren’t people suspicious of the fact that people would suddenly be paying a lot of money for wafer-thin ownership of an image they made? You can be like “idc where the money comes from” I guess, but then you’re probably not concerned about the issue of unregulated markets in the first place lol. Here’s some articles: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/art-and-money-laundering  - This one does a great job explaining how private art sales and real estate manage this and what they’ve been trying to do to stymie it, as well as making it obvious how NFT sales are exactly the same as the warehouses people keep art in lol https://www.artandobject.com/news/how-money-laundering-works-art-world - this talks a bit about the big famous warehouse https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/business/art-money-laundering-sanctions-senate/index.html - I know it’s CNN but it talks a little about the red tape that allegedly exists and where it doesn’t https://news.artnet.com/market/think-artists-are-getting-rich-off-nfts-think-again-1962752 - your art isn’t worth thousands overnight lol

2) Artificial Scarcity So this is one of those things that people can come down a few different ways on. In the last few decades of The Internet, you’ll have some people who believe in a free and open internet and exchange of ideas and media, while other people want to keep ownership of the things they create and protect that ownership, and if you ask me, neither of them are wrong exactly! But that doesn’t matter because when we “mint NFTs” for art, it is artificial scarcity, because with a digital copy of work, you can redistribute, copy, paste, screenshot it as much as you want for personal use. It’s not illegal until you try to sell copies of things you DIDN’T create (and as we’ve seen with some vehement NFT benefiters, the lines for fair use, parody, and ownership are being ground into dust in order to make a buck), and it’s certainly frowned upon to repost or share it without permission. But NFTs create limited “certified original copies” or “ownership” of an image for no reason other than to give people a reason to inflate its value (see money laundering above).  As a digital artist, I’m not saying I think my art is less valuable because it’s digital, but I can create infinite copies of it - the file itself is worth virtually nothing but the demand for the labor it took to create it. A limited physical run of prints of digital art has ACTUAL scarcity because it may not be printed again, or might not be printed in that way, so the price can be set by demand/by the market! There are physical costs of materials, shipping etc. The physical cost of digital goods is measurable but not as easily because of the myriad of ways it is produced. My digital commissioners actually pay for the service of art rather than a physical good, and my freelance clients pay for the RIGHT to use an image as well as my labor, because there is no scarcity of digital materials themselves. This is not to say digital art does not need preservation at some point, or that it is a zero-cost-to-produce situation, but I hope you can see why limiting certificates of ownership of a digital file in this way to do art sales is suspicious and kind of weird. We have had secure methods of demonstrating creation and ownership of a digital file for a long time if we really wanted it to be about “ownership” but it wouldn’t stop people just screenshotting all the same. That’s why so many artists will offer the option to pay for ACCESS to the files and we still depend largely on the honor system! As they’ve been saying with piracy all these years, anyone who was going to pay for it would have, and all we can do is give people convenient, accessible ways to get the content they want to try and prevent them from stealing it, and some people always will because they think it should all be free. (And I’m not here to pass judgement on that! I’ve been on the internet a long time lol.) I just wanted to get this out because people got so up in arms about the ecological impact of NFTs (and rightly in a lot of ways! Sure!) and missed the part where the fine art business is MONEY LAUNDERING. Also idk but the fact that all the NFT stuff can literally just shut down and be gone forever isn’t really secure finances. You can tell me that it’s spread out on a bunch of computers so it doesn’t just disappear when one goes down, but it doesn’t appear to be so seamless in practice, and like all currency, we have to agree collectively that it’s worth something for it to be worth anything. https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-to-digital-art-nft-servers-shut-down-2021-3

[strangerthingsharrington]

Can’t Fight This Feeling

-22-

The three of us sat in silence for the most part. Too afraid to talk because of the realization hitting us that the monster was closing in on the group at Starcourt.

The pain in my body began to catch up with me. Every inch of me was in pain, but especially my neck and arm. I looked down at my arm and the saw the deep purple bruise. I stared at it, wishing for it to go away. Wishing for me to wake up from this insane nightmare.

But if this nightmare hadn’t happened...then I would still look at Steve as the douchy king Steve version I had built up in my head for so long. And I was so happy and relieved to know that wasn’t the real him. At least not anymore.

“It’s gonna heal,” Dustin said.

I looked over at my brother, seeing him looking down at my bruise as well, “What? This?” I asked, moving my arm slightly.

He nodded and looked at me, “I know,” I told him, “doesn’t make it suck any less.”

He sighed, “I’m...Lou I’m really sorry for getting you involved in this.”

I shrugged lightly as I brought my knees up to my chest, “I would have been more upset to be left out...again. I’d rather be involved and know and help keep everyone safe, then just be sitting at home not knowing how much danger everyone was in.”

He kept his eyes on me for a few more seconds before looking away, to the tree line near Starcourt.

“I never told you anything to keep you safe,” Dustin began, “if something happened to me-I mean that obviously wouldn’t be good, but at least mom would still have someone,” he told me as his eyes began to tear, “dad just-he left her and us. And it sucks. It really does,” he said with a sniffle.

“By keeping you out of the loop, I was-ya know...trying to make sure that mom didn’t lose absolutely everyone in her life. I wanted to keep you safe and make sure that if something happened,” he stopped and looked to me with tears ready to overflow, “then at least you’d be okay and still here with mom so she wouldn’t be alone.”

My cheeks were damp with my own tears and I shook my head, “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with that, Dust. I appreciate you looking out for me, and I’m here now...and I will do anything to keep you safe. Anything.”

“I know, I just wish this shit wasn’t life or death,” he shrugged.

I grinned at him and wiped my cheeks, “We’re in this together, Dustin. All of us,” I added, looking over to Erica who had been watching us silently, “we’re gonna be good,” I promised.

Erica nodded once to me and looked away, not before a tear slipped down her face.

“Bald eagle has landed!” the panting voice of Murray Bauman came through Cerebro, “repay. Bald eagle has landed.”

I breathed out a laugh and looked to my brother who was grinning as well, “Holy shit, it’s gonna work,” Erica said, with a surprised edge to her voice.

“Come on,” Hop growled through the radio, “how much longer?”

“I dont know, I’ve never done this before!” Murray responded harshly.

The three of us again sat in silence waiting for Murray or Hop to give us the good news that they had gotten the keys. The sooner they got the keys, the sooner this would be over, then we could make sure everyone was okay.

I was hoping that Steve and a Robin had made it to the mall alright and nothing had happened to them while driving.

My heart rate started picking up just thinking about something bad happening to them or to anyone. It was like Dustin said. It really was life and death here unfortunately.

“Get ready lovebirds, you’re almost up to bat!” Bauman announced.

I felt the adrenaline begin picking back up in me. I stood up and walked the few steps to the edge of the hill and looked towards Starcourt. The lights were still flashing like crazy.

I started pacing back and forth waiting for something, anything to come over the radio.

“Lou, come back and sit, your legs are probably killing!” Dustin told me.

I shook my head, “I’m fine,” I insisted since I truly couldn’t feel the pain in my body anymore.

“Lou sit back down!” Erica called.

I shook my head, “I can’t, I’ll sit when we know Mrs. Byers and Hop got the keys.”

“Murray?” Hop questioned aggressively, “Your goddamn code is wrong.”

“What? Are you sure?” Murray responded.

“Yeah im sure,” Hop responded back.

“Well-I suppose it could be wrong...”

“How could it be wrong?” Hop shouted.

“The code is a number! A famous number. Planck’s constant. I -I thought I knew it,” Murray explained, tripping over his words.

“Shit,” I whispered to myself continuing to pace back and forth, “shit, shit, shit, shit.”

“Lou, you do know Planck’s constant?” Dustin called to me.

I looked back to the mall then back to him quickly, “No, I -I used to but not anymore.”

I looked back to the mall, as if I was expecting to see Steve and Robin arriving in one piece. I couldn’t focus on anything without knowing they were okay. I should’ve gone with him.

I knew in my heart that Dustin and Erica would be okay. I knew it and still believed it.

“What are you doing?” Erica asked loudly.

I looked back at the two of them and heard the static of the radio channels as Dustin moved through them.

“What are you doing, Dust?” I asked, taking a step towards them.

He looked up at me, “Trying to get the number for Hop!”

His hand stopped moving the radio knob as he settled on a different channel, he brought the microphone up to his lips, “Suzie do you copy?”

Suzie.

I walked over to them and dropped to my knees next to Dustin.

“Will she know it?” I asked him.

He looked to my with a grin and nodded, “She is one of the smartest people I know...if anyone knows it off by heart it’s her.”

“Suzie, you do copy?” he repeated.

“This is Suzie! I copy!” a sweet voice came through the radio, a pleasant change from Hopper and his angry tone all the time.

“Suzie!” Dustin said happily.

“Dusty-bun?” she questioned.

“Dusty-bun?” Erica repeated, disgusted.

“Where have you been?” Suzie asked my brother.

Dustin closed his eyes, “I’m so so sorry. I’ve-I’ve been really busy...uh, trying to save the world from Russians and monsters.”

Suzie giggled on the other end, “Of course you have!”

“Get the goddamn number!” Erica scolded loudly.

“Who was that?” Suzie asked, sounding worried about hearing another girl on my brothers end of the radio.

Dustin looked over to Erica angrily, “It was-huh I don’t know actually. I think it was just interference,” he said almost questioningly looking over to me.

I nodded and motioned with my hand to keep going.

“So why don’t we huh...change frequency to fourteen point one five eight?” he suggested.

“Copy that, changing frequency. Standby!” Suzie responded eagerly.

Dustin changed the radio to the frequency he told Suzie and sat back waiting for to talk to him again.

He looked at me quickly, “Everyone else is on this one...then they’ll be able to get Plancks constant right from her,” he explained.

I nodded, “Nice,” I said approvingly.

I looked over to Erica and she looked irritated beyond belief. She looked at me and raised her eye brow, motioning between Dustin and the radio. I shook my head, and brought a finger to my lips to make sure she knew to keep quiet.

I loved her sass, but we needed this number to save everyone. And the only way to get it was through Suzie.

“Dusty-bun, you copy?” her voice cut through the static.

“I copy Suzie-poo,” he smiled.

At that I’ll admit I almost lost it and started laughing. But I composed myself and calmed down.

“It sounds so much better now, thanks,” he told her, he cleared his throat, “Okay so listen, do you know Planck’s constant?” he asked cutting right to the chase.

“Do you know the earth orbits the sun?” she asked back as Dustin chuckled with a head nod.

“Okay so I know it starts with two sixes and then a...what is it?”

“Okay let me just be clear on this,” she began, “I haven’t heard from you in a week and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can...save the world?”

I grimaced. I couldn’t help but agree with her. If Steve...or anyone hadn’t talked to me for a week then called me randomly for a reason like this...I’d be a little upset too.

“Suzie-poo, I promise I will make it up to you as soon as possible,” he pleaded.

“You can make it up to me now?” she suggested.

My brow furrowed as I looked to my brother who looked alarmed.

“What?” he questioned.

“I want to hear it,” she said.

“Not right now,” he said immediately looking to me.

“Yes now Dusty-bun!”

“Suzie-poo, this is urgent-“

“Yes, yes,” she cut him off, “you’re saving the world I got that the first time. But Ged is also saving Earthsea and he’s about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie signing off.”

My eyes widened and I smacked my brother roughly on the shoulder motioning to the microphone, “Wait wait wait!” he called into the microphone, giving me a dirty look, “Okay! Okay!”

He took his finger off the button and looked ahead, “Shit,” he murmured.

I rolled by eyes at his attitude. What in the actual world could she be asking him to do that would make him hesitate getting the number that would unlock the key that would finally close this gate?

“Turn around, look at what you see,” my eyes widened and I looked to him unable to form any words.

He looked to me quickly before looking away awkwardly, “In her face, the mirror of your dream.”

Erica and I made eye contact behind Dustin’s back and the shear...dismay on her face was unmistakeable. She really did look utterly disgusted with what was happening.

Dustin was singing the theme for The Neverending Story. Over a radio. To his girlfriend in a different state.

I was more confused than anything.

“Make believe I'm everywhere, given in the light. Written on the pages is, the answer to our never ending story, ah. Reach the stars, fly a fantasy. Dream a dream. And what you see will be. Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds. And there upon a rainbow is the answer to our never ending story, ah. Story, ah.”

Dustin had a smile on his face at the conclusion of their surprising musical number. I had my eyes trained on him the whole time absolutely perplexed at what was happening.

“Plancks constant is six point six two six zero seven zero zero four,” Suzie said over the radio, much to my relief.

I smiled and looked to Dustin who was grinning while looking ahead, “You just saved the world,” he explained.

“Gosh I missed you Dusty-bun,” she sighed happily to him.

“I missed you more, Suzie-poo,” Dustin cooed to her.

“I miss you more multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy.”

“No I miss you more-“

“Enough,” Erica demanded shutting down their radio connection and cutting off Dustin mid sentence.

“So rude, Erica!” Dustin snapped.

She scoffed, “Well sorry that I don’t want to hear the two of you dorks talking all stupid to each other!”

“I’m sorry you’ve never been in love before!”

“I’m ten you dork, I don’t care about that shit! I care about not puking while you’re making googly eyes at a radio!”

“Both of you, enough!” I said as I stood up, “Can we just appreciate that they got the keys and this shit could be over any time now?”

I walked back to the spot where I could see the mall. The lights weren’t flickering anymore.

“Guys!” I called, smiling, “The mall-the lights are back to normal!”

They were at my sides immediately and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Maybe El managed to kill the monster before they closed the gate? Either way knowing they were, hopefully, safe was a relief.

“How much longer?” Erica wondered.

I shrugged, “Who’s to say? Hopefully soon.”

“I knew El could do it,” Dustin said quietly.

I turned to him and smirked, “Now back to the Neverending Story singalong.”

He rolled his eyes, “Look it’s our little-little thing we do! We both love the movie and-and it’s just...our thing!”

I was already laughing as he explained himself, “Come on, Lou,” he stressed, “we got the number didn’t we? Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Oh it’ll count for something once you see the party again,” I laughed.

“Um. Guys?” Erica questioned.

I looked back at her as my laughter subsided, “Yeah?”

She didn’t turn her head to look at me, just stuck her arm out and pointed her finger.

I looked back out over the trees back to Starcourt. The lights...they were flickering even worse if that was possible.

My stomach dropped and my chest tightened. The monster was still there. Still going after them. And I wasn’t there to help.

——

Title credit to REO Speedwagon and gif credit to owner

Tag list : @queenofthehairharrington

[marveloussupernerd]

Halloween Charity Stream - Jumin Han

Alright I know this may not be everyone’s cup of tea (people were not horribly fond of my interview Jumin fic) but just trust me on this one. Let me take the wheel. Happy Halloween week! If you haven’t heard, I’ve randomly generating all the prompts for each character’s Halloween story this week

Prompts: Charity fundraiser, blindfolded “feely” challenge (idk what it’s called, I’ve seen it called “Mystery Box” before tho), TP Jumin’s house

Summary: Korea’s favorite married couple, the Hans are hosting a charity livestream this Halloween. You have a few tricks and treats and activities planned along the way to make up for Jumin’s lack of celebrating in the past.

Tonight was the night. A crew had been setting up lights and cameras and props in your living room all day for your charity livestream. You and Jumin had gotten a pretty good slot for the stream: 7 pm on Halloween on three national stations. You were also streaming on YouTube, of course. Today’s goal was to raise as much money for a Children’s Hospital as possible. The hospital had been looking for someone to host their event, and why not choose not only members of the RFA, one of the most sought-after party planning groups in the country, but also the country’s favorite couple.

This was actually you and Jumin’s second Halloween together, but first as a married couple. You were super excited! Jumin was not super into Halloween last year; you had to force him to dress up and even then he wouldn’t even carve a pumpkin! You had gone out of you way to prepare “tricks” and “treats” for him to get during the stream, hoping to push the spooky spirit into him.

You had on a burnt orange dress and Jumin had his usually suit on, but a tie with cartoony pumpkins on it. The outfits wouldn’t last for long; after the first milestone the two of you would change into Halloween costumes.

You were kind of nervous as you glanced at the clock, the seconds ticking down before the show started. Jumin, sitting next to you on the sofa, sensed your nerves and grabbed your hand. You had done interviews before and speeches at different events, but you had never run a show for a four-hour block. You were nervous. When they told you you were rolling, you didn’t even process it at first.

Luckily, Jumin spoke up, snapping you out of your gaze. “Hi everyone. And welcome to Halloween with the Hans. It’s me, Jumin Han, and my lovely wife with me tonight. We’re going to be accepting donations for the Korean Children’s Hospital.” He was such a natural. Such a show-off.

It was probably your turn to speak. “Now, for each milestone we hit in the next four hours, I’ve got a little surprise.” Jumin raised an eyebrow. “I’ve planned a trick or treat game on the side. You get to pull it out of the hat and see if you’ll get a trick or a treat.”

“To clarify,” Jumin told the camera. “I didn’t know about this.”

“Well it would be boring if there weren’t any surprises,” you teased him. “But the first milestone of the day will be a treat for the audience: Jumin and I will get dressed up in Halloween costumes, and those who donate get to vote for what we wear!”

“There are pretty out-there options. But if that’s what you all want we’ll do it for you,” Jumin chuckled. His eyes told a different story, pleading the audience to not pick what he was sure they would pick.

They picked it once the first milestone was hit. You cut to commercial and very quickly pulled your costume on, settling the headpiece so it sat in your hair just right. You grabbed Elizabeth the 3rd. She was sort of the star in this costume.

You and Jumin agreed to walk into the room at the same time to let the camera grab your reactions. When you saw him in a mullet, a baseball cap, and a tiger print shirt, you lost it, nearly dropping Elizabeth as you doubled over in laughter.

“Well you actually look okay! This isn’t fair. Did you put stripes on Elizabeth the 3rd?” He asked, extremely surprised to see the black (easily washable) marks on her white fur.

“She’s a tiger! And if you hadn’t guessed it yet, we are indeed dressed as Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin from the Tiger King show,” you explained to the camera, setting Elizabeth down before she got fussy.

“I hope you all enjoyed the wig but I cannot possibly keep it on. I will keep the hat though in good faith,” he apologized to the audience. You helped him fix his hair after he took the wig off, only for him to cover it up with the hat once again.

You squeezed Jumin in a sickeningly sweet hug. “Get your screen caps now people. He’ll never dress like this again.”

Eventually it was time for the first challenge. You held out a Jack-o-lantern trick or treating basket and made him pull out a piece of paper. “Trick.” He said, keeping his face expressionless.

“Oo! Fun. We’ll have to dive into the trick bucket then.” The trick bucket was a spoopy ghost bucket, much like the Jack o lantern.

“My Love, what in heaven’s name is a ‘feely game’?” He asked, trying to hold back his laughter but eventually failing.

“Oh!” You laughed too. “I didn’t really know what to call it. But no worries.” You grabbed three boxes that had been hidden under your coffee table. “I put some scary stuff in these boxes, and it’s your job to guess what they actually are.”

“Without looking, right?”

“Right. It’d be way too easy if you looked. I played this once at an elementary school Halloween party. Keep in mind, this is real food.” You pulled the first box closer to you. “First up: EYEBALLS!” You announced in the spookiest voice possible.

He simply shook his head, turning it so he couldn’t see into the box then feeling inside. It was just grapes. You had peeled grapes and hoped they felt like eyeballs. This was probably way harder for kids in retrospect. “Ew. I don’t like the way it feels.” He complained. He took his hand out of the box and wiped it on his jeans.

“Well? What are the eyeballs actually?”

“I don’t know. Olives?” He guessed.

“Close! Peeled grapes.” You opened the box to show him.

“What happens if I get it wrong?”

“Oh...” you hadn’t thought about that. “Nothing I guess. But everyone watching will make fun of you.”

“Oh boy. That’s the worst fate of all,” he confessed, a small smile on his face. He grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles. He just couldn’t help himself. You were so cute.

“Next item!” You declared, pulling out of his grasp to grab the next box and keep the game going. “Guts!”

He seemed to get this one pretty quickly, only having to feel inside for a moment. “Those are noodles, right?”

“One point for Mr. Jumin Han! I knew you could do it. You might just redeem yourself yet. Last round,” you winked at him, grabbing the final box. “Hair.”

“Just... hair?” He questioned.

“Yes. Hair. Go ahead and feel it.”

He put his hand in and retracted it immediately, jumping in his seat closer to you, wiping his hand against your shirt. “That’s actually just hair. Did you just put your hair in there?”

“I didn’t realize you disliked hair so much, Honey,” you giggled, wrapping an arm around his waist to ‘protect him’. “You never seem to be bothered with Elizabeth the 3rds hair.”

“That is nothing like this. That is literally hair.”

“It’s not hair.”

“It is too hair.” He was pouting now.

You opened the box to show him and the camera. It was the ‘hair’ you took off he husk of the corn. “That is genuinely hair.”

“No! It’s part of corn!”

“They call it the hair of the corn. I think I’m right. Maybe we should ask the audience,” he glanced at the camera, “Please, let me be right over my wife just this one time.”

They, believe it or not, sympathized and sided with him.

Next prize was also a trick. He pulled out the next piece of paper. “T... P? As in toilet paper?”

“So, when you TP it’s basically you throwing toilet paper all over the exterior of the house. It’s like a Halloween prank,” you explained.

“How silly. Whose house are we TP-ing?” You saw the glint in his eyes. He just wanted to TP Zen’s house.

“We actually made a wheel to decide! Spin the wheel! Your options are our house, renowned photographer V’s house, Chief Assistant Jaehee Kang’s house, or famous actor Zen’s house,” you explained to the camera. You were pretty proud of the little wheel you made; it held up even with the strong spin Jumin made.

It landed on the little emoji of Jumin. “Guess we’re TP-ing our own house,” you chuckled. You went to go get a few rolls of toilet paper, and the camera crew helped you move outside.

“Have you done this before?” Jumin asked as the two of you walked outside. You shrugged. You’d never tell. “You little Minx, you.”

“So, if I remember correctly from the good old days when this was a thing,” you handed Jumin a roll so he could follow along, “you unroll a little, and then just yeet it at the house.” Your throw went sailing over the house, leaving a nice trail behind. Jumin’s roll hit the side of the house without unraveling, then bounced back.

“I think I did it wrong.” He commented blankly.

“Alright, let me help.” You stood behind him, covering his hand with your own to help him perfect his form. “For everyone watching, this is why you need a partner. So that they can teach you how to TP your own house,” you joked to the camera. Jumin was blushing bright red from the close contact on live television, but you were far too focused on the perfect throw to care. It was flawless. It sailed over the house.

“Wait, that was kind of fun. Let me try on my own now.” Jumin offered. You handed him another roll. Next you’d have to go to the side of the house to keep going with the previous rolls. His next throw was perfect we well.

He went over-the-top with his throwing. It was more like he was decorating your house in the end, aiming perfectly so that each roll could fall where he wanted it to. The house actually looked pretty cool. You’d clean it up tomorrow (A/N: y’all this is a Covid free story don’t be TPing houses in this economy)

The viewers really seemed to enjoy that segment. A few more tricks and treats (which were mainly just candy or a kiss) later and you were onto the last gift of the night. “Alright, before we close things up, we’re going to do the last trick or treat,” you announced. You grabbed the basket, with one piece of paper in it, and held it out to Jumin.

He didn’t bother looking away to grab it, opening it up. “Treat. What a good way to end the night.” He was glowing. It had been a good stream overall, you had raised three times the money you had expected to.

“And for your final treat of the night...” you opened the last slip of paper for him, showing it to him and the cameras. It just read “surprise” in big bold letters.

“Surprise? What’s that mean?” He asked, taking the paper from your hands to inspect it for any other potential markings. There were none.

“I’ve been saving this one. Kind of appropriate it was the last thing actually,” you grinned, pulling an envelope out from behind the pillow you were sitting by. You handed it to Jumin. “Open it up.” You couldn’t contain your smile.

He opened it very meticulously, ensuring not to rip the envelope. He pulled out the piece of paper on top. “A kitten is on the way?” He read, extremely confused. Your grin was unmistakable now.

“Wait! Is Elizabeth the 3rd pregnant!?” He seemed appalled. “This is not a treat.”

“No. I’m pretty sure she can’t get pregnant Jumin,” you giggled.

“Then what could that mean? A kitten...” he was hopelessly lost. His thinking face was so cute yoi almost didn’t want to help him out, but you were so excited.

“The audience chose well. Look at our costumes, Honey.” You explained, grabbing his hand in yours.

He looked down at your outfits. “Tiger King. Carole Baskin. Cool cats and kitt- you’re pregnant!?” He exclaimed, dropping the envelope.

“Our own little kitten is on the way,” you confirmed excitedly. He pulled you into a hug instantaneously. You could feel his chest shaking with laughter. You couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off your face. This was just perfect.

He may have been hugging you for a little too long. “Jumin, Love. We still are on the air,” you reminded him.

He pulled back, still with his arms around you too though. “You all heard it here first, with me huh? Thank you for coming out tonight and donating. You’re helping so many children in need. And hey, guess you never know when a child may come into your life.” He glanced at you, smiling. He also couldn’t get the stupid grin off his face.

“Good night all. Happy Halloween,” you bid the audience goodnight.

The first thing Jumin did after the program ended was pull you into a loving kiss.

[qtyanan]

Flashback

Summary: “You and Mark hadn’t seen each other in years. Now he’s famous, and you didn’t think he’d recognize you.”

Pairing&Rating: NCT Mark Lee + female reader ; FLUFF, slight angst

a/n: this is longer than expected, and super sappy, and it took me forever to finish it... but wow, soft mark hours are REAL and im gonna cry over him gn

“Where do you think we’ll be in five years?” 

“Mark, it’s like 3am, I thought you were asleep.”

“Well, you’re not asleep.”

You blindly reach towards Mark in the darkness, trying to hit him with a stuffed animal, causing him to snicker. Weekend sleepovers together were pretty normal, sleeping in the same bed wasn’t a worry from your parents since you’ve known each other for so long. Mark randomly saying things and asking questions about the past or future in the middle of the night was more common than sleeping

“Really, though. Do you think we’ll still be friends in five years?”

“I don’t know, probably,” you weren’t really sure on the answer, but you didn’t really have doubts. You two had been friends are as long as you can remember - classes, clubs, and sports were taken on as an unstoppable duo. Now you’re in eighth grade, half a year away from high school, and you’re closer than ever. It seems like nothing could tear you apart - and you liked it that way.

“I bet we will. I hope so, at least,” his voice sounds so sincere, it seems as if he had been thinking deeply on it for a while before he spoke of it. 

“Yeah, me too.” With that, he let out a delighted chuckle, and you both fell asleep. 

It had been six years. Six years and that conversation still plays in your mind late at night when you can’t sleep, painfully missing your favorite childhood friend. 

Not even a month after that sleepover, he moved away, seemingly never to be heard from again. All of your friends in class pestered you about where he went, and it only upset you more - because he didn’t tell you he was leaving. 

Him becoming a kpop star was probably the last thing you thought would happen to him; it was quite a slap in the face. BTS got you into kpop, then EXO, GOT7, now you’re into many different groups, including NCT. When you found them, and saw your prepubescent best friend, all grown up, dancing and rapping, you thought it was a dream. 

Now they’re on a world tour, and Canada is one of the stops. You could never pay for a fansign ticket, but finally, you managed to save the money to be able to attend. 

There were so many people around you. Many had some kind of merch, a lightstick or a sign. You could even count maybe 5 girls crying about meeting NCT. 

Your hand was in your pocket, nervously sweating and gripping your ticket - second row, 5th seat. In your other hand, was a baby pink gift bag with a little stuffed animal in it. Years ago, Mark had left the little bear at your house, and it seemed like a nice time to give it back to him. The wait in line outside seemed to take forever, and it added to your anxiety. 

You couldn’t understand why you were so anxious. He was your best friend, shouldn’t you be happy to see him? But you were so scared - what if he didn’t remember you? What if you went up to meet him, and he doesn’t even look twice? If you told someone, would they believe you? Of course not. The negatives in this situation made it hard for you to breathe. 

The girls sitting next to you on either side both shifted excitedly. One had a mask on and didn’t turn your way, but the other smiled at you. 

“Who’s your bias?” She asks, and you couldn’t control your smile. “Mark,” you say, and she smiles and nods. It was hard not to bias him, since you knew how he was off camera. 

“Aw, he’s so cute. He’s my bias too, he seems like such a sweetheart!” She squealed in delight, causing you to blush a little bit. 

This is it. As your row stood up and walked towards the fansign table, you felt like you could pass out. Yes, you were so excited to say hello to the other members, but it was almost the moment of truth - and you could only think of the bad. 

As you took the seat in front of Mark, he didn’t look up at you at first. For that half second, you really admired him. He looked so grown up, you realized just how long it’s been. You suddenly felt a wave of so many emotions wash over you.

“Hi! What’s your name?” 

“Y/N” 

He had his sharpie in his hand, your album in the other, ready to sign it like everyone else - but he obviously froze. Your stomach dropped, gulping hard. He slowly looked up at you, his eyes wide and mouth open. You almost really did cry, but then,

“Y/n... [your full name]..?” He went quiet, and you smile, nodding at him, trying to hold back your tears. 

“Hey, Mark, long time no see,” You chuckle, trying to joke so you don’t actually cry. 

“Wow, yeah, oh my gosh, how have you been!?” He said quickly then started scribbling something on the inside of the album cover. You laugh at his awkwardness, shrugging at the question with a little “eh.” 

“Here, I brought this for you.” You put the gift bag on the table, causing him to raise a brow at you. “It’s actually yours, from forever ago..” He looked inside the bag, and you noticed him take a big breath. He looked at you with big, glassy eyes - he felt this emotion too, he never thought he would see you again, or if you would even know where he was. 

“Y/n... I’m sorry I didn’t tell you-” He spoke quietly, but you were being pushed along to the next member by the manager and the girl next to you. You gave Mark a small smile, then shifted over to Johnny.

“Y/n, huh? Mark talks a lot about you.” Johnny gives you a little smile, causing you to blush madly. You glance over at Mark, who’s blushing as well, and he gave you a quick glance with a happy smile. 

When you finally arrive home, the day seemed like a dream. It was late at night, the drive home was only an hour, but you were tired. You kept playing the day in your head - he recognized you. Right away. That alone made you happy, but what you wouldn’t give to spend more time with him. 

Oh yeah, he signed your album, but you didn’t look at it yet. When you opened it, you knew his writing - his signature, and then... a number? He wrote ‘Whatsapp’ in messy letters. Of course, you message him right away, hoping at this hour, he’d answer.

And he did. All you said was ‘hey.’ 

‘you still live in the same house, right?’

‘yeah, why??’

‘go to the park, i want to see you’

Your heart was beating in your ears. You didn’t think it would lead to that, but at the same time you expected it. It was late, yes, but you hurriedly slip your sneakers back on and go back out to your car. 

You remember the park of course. It was mostly fields and trees, but you two would sneak out and play on the swings when you were younger. The last time you two went, Mark fell off his bike and hurt his ankle, so you had to call your mom and you two got in trouble. As you were driving, you snickered thinking about it. 

But... You couldn’t help but to feel nervous. It had been years, you didn’t think at all that you were ever on his mind. 

There wasn’t a single car on the road. The air was a bitter cold, it had snowed when you were on your way home, but none of it stayed on the ground. Every time you stopped at a red light, your stomach would turn again. You tried to calm yourself, but for some reason, it was just hard. You didn’t realize that you missed him this much. Now he had asked you to meet up at your childhood hangout place, and none of it seemed real. 

The gates to the park were closed, and a padlock kept them shut. You knew it would be like that, so you parked down the street and cut through the trees to the lonely swing set. You looked around, you didn’t see anyone. But, sitting alone on a swing, was a single person. In the bright moonlight, you could just barely make out that it was Mark. His back was turned to you, and you could see that his head was hung low, and he was holding himself from the cold. 

“Hey, Mark Lee,” Your voice startled him, but he stood and turned to face you. You couldn’t read his expression in the dim light. Neither of you walked closer for a moment, and the tension in the air made your shoulders go rigid. He didn’t say anything for a bit, he just stared at you. 

“You look exactly the same.” He finally said, taking slow steps towards you. You look away, afraid to see the look in his eyes now that he’s close enough to see it. His words oddly made you feel warmer, but you still shivered when the wind blew. 

“That’s surprising, it’s been six years.” You didn’t mean for your words to sound bitter, but they did. You hear him take in a heavy breath, and when he says nothing, you finally look up at him. His brown eyes glistened in the moonlight, and the shadows on his face made him look mature and defined. “You look different, though.” You say, a dry laugh following. “Older.”

“Well, it’s been six years.” He mocks you in the joking way, and you couldn’t hide your smile. This makes him smile as well, and while you looked away again, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.

“It’s been... six years...” He sounds breathless this time, like it finally settled on him how long it’s been. This forces you to look back up, and he now has a sad smile. His eyes are apologetic, same as when he tried to speak to you at the event. In a way it hurt you. His face holds pain in the situation, but in a way, this was his doing.  He was the one that left to be an idol. You didn’t hold that against him, but you were still upset that he left without telling you. You didn’t think that you two were ever going to part, and you still can’t believe that now his life has gone so differently from yours. He seems to be having an amazing life, but you’re lonely without him, and for some reason... mad.

But the way he looked at you, you didn’t show your anger - it melted away when he put his hand on your arm. 

“I’ve missed you, Y/n. You don’t have to believe me, but I think about you all the time.”  You wouldn’t believe him normally, but even Johnny said it.  “Y/n, huh? Mark talks a lot about you.”

You chew on your lip nervously, you have no idea what to say to him. What does a person do in a situation like this? You just stare at him for a moment. He’s closer to you now, and you see just how tired he is. His blonde hair is messy, different from how you saw him earlier. 

“Are you okay, Mark? You look... so tired.” 

“Mark, please, calm down.” Johnny tries to make Mark sit down, but the younger is pacing across the hotel room, almost pulling out his own hair.  “I am so stupid!! How could I not have said more?! It’s been years and I barely said anything!! She probably hates me for leaving...” Mark’s almost on the verge of tears as he speaks frantically, and all he wants to do is scream.

“She came today, so she doesn’t hate you. Just talk to her some more-” 

There’s a ding from Mark’s phone. He quickly picks it up, then looks at Johnny. 

“It’s Y/n. Oh god, what do I say?!” 

“Maybe you should go and see her. You said we’re pretty close to your hometown right?” 

“Yeah...yeah! But how will I meet her anywhere?” 

“I’ll drive you, just tell her to meet you somewhere.” 

The moments that happened before he came here played in his head, but he said nothing to you about it. He just gave you a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. 

“I just haven’t been sleeping well. Surprise, surprise, right?” You just give him an awkward smile. This made you chuckle. He’s always had trouble sleeping, he used to tell you how his mind was moving too fast for him to fall asleep. He always wanted to listen to soft songs to sleep, or he would ask you to sing along to a song you knew well. 

“I guess things like that will never change.” You say, and for some reason, your words lingered in the cold air for a moment. Without any thought, you put your hand over Mark’s, feeling how cold his fingers are. You took both of his hands into your jacket sleeves, something you used to do as you two waited for the school bus during winter. 

He feels another wave of emotion flood over him, and this time, he can’t seem to keep the tears away. He sucks in a shaky breath, looking down at your hands.

“Mark...” You feel this aching pain in your chest at seeing him like this. 

“I-I’m sorry, Y/n...” His voice cracks, and he can’t bring himself to look up at you.

“Mark, look at me.” Your voice is soft but stern enough for him to obey, his body relaxing slightly at the sweet look in your eyes. “I’m not mad at you. I never was.” You tell him, holding on tightly to his hands now. 

“R-really?”

You can see his tears glistening in the moonlight, and you release one of your hands to wipe his cheeks. He flutters his eyes closed, resting his face against your hand.

“Really, Mark. I’m so proud of you. I just want you to be happy.” 

His lip quivers at your words, and he closes his eyes tightly. “I’m not happy. Not without you being my best friend.” 

The feeling his words gave you made you want to burst into tears, but instead, you threw yourself into his chest, wrapping your arms around his neck. He doesn’t hesitate to hold you, gripping your jacket with a death grip, as if he knows you’ll disappear any second. You stand in silence for what feels like forever. His embrace doesn’t loosen at all, and you’re okay with it. You miss his hugs, his smell and his warmth. He’s taller and more muscular now, making the way he holds you make you feel even warmer. 

“Please... keep contact with me, okay? Please...” You say into his shoulder, feeling a little ridiculous that you begged him like that. He takes a deep breath into your hair as if imprinting your smell into his soul.

“I promise, Y/n. I don’t want to leave you again. God, I’ve missed you so much...” He loosens his arms around you just enough to be able to look you in the eye, watching how the moon and stars seemed to be held in your eyes. 

The thought of being able to see and talk to him more made a weight lift off your shoulders. A happy smile forms on your face as you nod at him, and he nods back. 

“So, uh... I had to sneak out to see you... I should probably get back before my manager kills me.” He awkwardly chuckles, but even with saying that, he doesn’t let you go - God please, not yet, just a little longer.

“Yeah... My mom might kill me if she finds out I’ve stayed out so late.” You giggle, making his chest warm up. You wouldn’t believe how much he has missed your laugh. 

“I’ll text you, okay?” He finally lets go of you, and you shiver from the cold air once again. He nod at him, waving goodbye to him as he runs to Johnny’s car. You stand there for a moment, watching as they pull away. It takes a moment for you to actually comprehend what just happened, and you ended up standing there for almost 5 minutes.  Your phone chimes, and you look down to see another message from Mark.

‘get home safe. I love you, dork.’ 

bitch im so fkin soft 

[kinghoranshit]

Tell Me A Lie (NH) Ch 4

Word Count: 2,153

Warnings: swearing, anxiety

Six hours seemed to go by in a blink of an eye, and I felt like I was going to throw up as the plane came to a stop at the terminal and I had to get off. 

I hauled my stuff with me and exited the plane, going through the terminal. I took more deep breaths, trying to control my nerves.  

I shouldn’t have been shocked to see as many people swarming around as I did, and I saw my vision blur a bit as my anxiety kicked in. So, on top of the nausea, I felt great. 

I was told to stay close to the gate, Niall and security would come get me. Hopefully it'll be soon. I felt like people were staring at me just standing there; probably had the look of being lost, which wasn’t necessarily far from the truth. I decided to take out my airpods and block out all the noises with music. The flow of it guided my heart rate to slow back to normal and I let out another heavy breath.  

It’d be okay. Everything would be great. 

There was a tap on my shoulder so I took out one of the pods, curious, and then someone whispered, “Lauren.” 

My scream caught in my throat as I turned around in a jump. My reaction after turning around was to hit him in the arm. “Niall, not funny!”

He laughed, his eyes dancing. “I thought it was.”

Both of us looked at each other, smiling, and I sighed. “It’s great to finally see you in person again.”

“You too, Kelly.” He opened his arms for a hug and I accepted it. I couldn’t help myself from snuggling my face in his neck. He was just so soft and strong at the same time; humbled and still obviously so Irish. 

“You’re not gonna cry are you?” Niall asked. 

I scoffed with a small laugh, “No.”

He pulled back and it wasn’t hard to miss the small eye roll. “Come on.” He picked up my duffel from the floor. “I’m parked in one of the closer lots. It’s still gonna be crazy gettin’ out of er’.” 

I couldn’t stop the look I gave him. 

“What?” He laughed.

“Nothing,” I mumbled, laughing a little. “I didn’t expect you to drive us.”

He furrowed his brows now, and slightly scoffed, “Why not?” 

I shrugged, then bit my lip. “You don’t seem like the best driver.” 

“I’m loads good!” 

When my eyes landed on the vehicle he started going towards, I rolled my eyes once again. Of course it was his black Range Rover. But the windows were tinted, so I assumed it was the safest option. 

When I was a few steps from reaching the door, there was a flash and I couldn’t stop myself flinching and stepping back to catch my balance. Now, voices rushed.

“Lauren Kelly, right?”

“How’s it to be dating Niall Horan?” 

“Where are you two at in your relationship?” 

“Any wedding bells yet?” 

“Have any major fights?”

The flashes continued and a tight wave flowed through my body as they closed in on me. I was confused how they managed to find us at this parking lot. It was a random spot hidden in the back. It was so under the radar. 

A hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me forward, and I was pushed into the front passenger seat. I couldn’t rip my eye sight away from the security ushering the four paps and journalists away. After they’d done that, they nodded in our direction and Niall waved to them. 

Once we were gone, Niall gave me an apologetic look. “I didn’t think they’d track us down here. But that’s what the security is for.”

I only nodded and folded my shaky hands together. I licked at my tingling lips. 

Niall reached over to take one of my hands and kissed it. “You handled that so well, Lauren.”

To be honest, my mind was still fogged. That was more intense than I thought it would be. Oh my God. 

I shook my head and cleared my throat. “I did not… I didn’t expect paps to be that intense. I’m fine.”

“I can’t promise that won’t happen again, but we’ll have security, and more than likely they’re gonna be the ones hired by Modest.”

“Perfect,” I retorted.

Today was meant to be a buffer day where he and I could hangout at his house. He had some studio work to do. I knew that my adhd and anxiety made things difficult, but that’s what the medications were for and I had my exercises. 

Tomorrow would be our day out in public at Melrose, which I’d only been there once so it would be cool to go with Niall. The paps that Modest hired were supposed to snap us randomly over there.

We waited for this guard to open these massive gates that went into a development in Beverly Hills. This was not shocking to me, yet I felt out of place as Niall pulled through them. The buildings were definitely mansions and one of them was his. Holy shit. 

“Will there be security at the house?” I asked, and that was for sure the dumbest question I’ve asked thus far. 

“Oh, no, there's security at the gate. It’s a private community.” 

I snorted. “Any of your neighbors famous?” 

He laughed now. “All of them.” 

“You fuckin posh prick,” I scoffed with a laugh.

The Range Rover came to a stop and I gasped. His house was absolutely stunning. A mixture of California and Victorian; white bricks, orange roofing, two pillars framed the front entrance, and a two door garage accented on the side. There was a lot more greenery than I anticipated as well; I wasn’t shocked by the palm trees he had out front. 

“It’s really gorgeous, Niall,” I breathed. 

He ran a hand through his tips a couple times, a laugh trailing after. “Wait until you see the inside. Less impressive.” 

I rolled my eyes and didn’t say anything else as I stepped onto the concrete of the driveway. There was no way that it wasn’t just as nice inside. I pieced together that this wasn’t the home he spent the most time at when we stepped into the entrance; he probably did prefer his London home. The simple white walls and white marbled floor accented well with the greys, blues, and gold decor and furniture. I smiled at the framed golf photos and large canvas of an Ireland flag. 

Niall cleared his throat as he rocked back and forth on his feet. “Uhm, as you can see the living room is here, bedrooms are upstairs… Feel free to pick whichever you’d like. The studio is in the basement which is where I’ll be for the remainder of today. Need anything else right now?”

I shot him a warm smile. “Thanks, Ni. I’m good for now.”

He leaned in to leave a kiss on my cheek. “Get comfy. I’ll see you later, Lauren.” 

“Will do.” I laughed under my breath. 

He disappeared down the second spiral staircase. I was back to being lost. I willed myself to go adventuring upstairs. There was an office with a sleek, glass desk that looked like it was never used; it was spotless clean though. The guest bedrooms all had their own attached bathrooms and that was where the extraness came from, otherwise it didn’t actually seem that large. Not like I’d imagined; Niall has always been a simple man. 

The guest room closest to Niall’s room practically called my name so I plopped my duffel and backpack on the floor beside the bed. I sat down on the end and fell backward onto the soft cotton. My eyes found themselves having a hard time staying open, so I closed them for a bit.

Just a little bit… 

***

I lightly groaned as I involuntarily stretched. My hand rubbed one eye as I sat up. Part of my hair had stuck to my cheek so I wiped it away behind my ear. It was clearly much later and I cursed under my breath. Despite the guilt of wasting time I could’ve used doing anything else, I did feel like a whole new person. 

It was a nice nap I had to admit. 

I grabbed the binder for Stone Cold, my pouch of pens and sticky notes, and airpods before I padded my way to the first floor. I’m sure there was a nook I could use to do some editing before we ate dinner, whenever that was. There was no way I would push Niall on a time.

Speaking of, there was a faint strumming that came from the basement. A flutter appeared in my chest hearing his sweet voice following it. This was an invasion of his privacy, even if I couldn’t make out the words. It wasn’t morally right to stand around. 

The search for a spot to settle myself was back on. I finally found a small inset seating space under a window in the kitchen area; it was a beautiful navy velvet with a couple grey pillows. It was so comfortable, more than I could ever have predicted. It was my time to get invested in my own art and let the time slip by. 

***

There was a muffled voice that didn’t match the music I was playing. As much as I wanted to keep going, I marked the paragraph I just finished and looked up. Niall’s tired, yet cheery, features filled my vision and I couldn’t stop the smile. I took out one of the airpods, which automatically paused the song, and cleared my throat. 

“How’s the writing?” 

He shrugged. “Not bad I think. Have you been here the whole time?” 

“No.” I shook my head. “I actually fell asleep for a couple hours unintentionally.” 

“The best kind of naps.” He laughed.

I bit my lip. “Yeah, and then I came here to edit. It’s a nice nook.” 

He bit into the red apple he took from the bowl placed in the middle of the island and cheesed. “That it is… What should we do for dinner? We could go out, or get something to eat here.” 

I thought about it. If we went out, I probably should change into a more put together outfit that didn’t reek of travel. That didn’t seem the slightest bit appealing to be honest. We had the rest of the trip to eat out. 

“Do you mind eating in tonight?” 

“Of course not. There’s this amazing Thai place not too far that delivers if you’ve got no objections.” 

I smirked and shook my head as I stood. “Nope, Thai sounds wonderful.” 

Within twenty minutes, the two of us were sprawled on the black suede L Couch in the living room with our own entrees and pot stickers. I used the chopsticks to bring some noodles and a piece of broccoli to my mouth. We had the first season of Stranger Things going and I tensed at the sight of Eleven using all her strength on the monster. I hadn’t realized I held my breath until that thing and she were gone.

I ate more of my Thai now, switching my focus to Niall who’d wiggled his way to lay his upper half across my lap at the beginning of the episode. I didn’t mind his weight though, it was more comforting than anything; even if the pressure on my pelvic area did emulate the sensation of needing to pee. 

“That part gets me every time,” I stated. “She’s so badass.” 

“I agree,” he remarked and reached over for another pot sticker from the coffee table. 

“Get me one?” 

He raised his brows momentarily before breaking out a smile and reached again, then handed it to me.

I cheesed. “You’re the best. This was really good. I might be addicted.” 

“Don’t even get me started,” he scoffed with a laugh. “I get it every time I’m in LA.” 

“Was the choice to eat out or in going to lead to this place no matter what?” I narrowed my eyes playfully. 

“Maybe,” he mumbled, crossing his arms, and Niall made himself more comfortable; his eyes closed even.

I shook my head. “Such a dork.” 

A small smile spread on his lips. He didn’t say anything else, and it didn’t take me long for me to catch on that he’d fallen asleep by the slow rise of his chest and soft snores. Netflix rolled into the second season of Stranger Things. I laid my head back, and found my fingers running through the tips of his hair. 

Part of me realized that this should be more weird than it is, and the other part of me found calm happiness in it. It was okay for friends to do this sort of thing; platonic snuggles were normal. 

Eventually, I drifted off too. 

Next: Ch 5 

[Masterlist]

[prism-rush]

King of Prism Road to Shiny Seven Stars event 3 translation

Well Then, Let’s Creep the Night in Kyoto

Since this is the third event in the Road to SSS series, you may want to read the previous ones if you haven’t yet:

Road to SSS 1 Main Story Road to SSS 2 Main Story

Translator’s notes: Event synopsis: Kakeru has a new crush. But really though, even though Kakeru and Yukinojo headline for this event, it’s actually about a lot of characters. It touches upon Taiga’s relationship with Alexander, Leo’s insecurities, and it even has a long Shin/Louis tangent. If you feel like you have read the Shin/Louis part before, you probably have. I translated it immediately after it came out. (Which is also why the images are differently sized in just that part. I used to have a different method of resizing images...) I don’t remember posting much about the rest of this event when it was going on though, because I was busy or couldn’t figure out how to break it down or whatnot. (At the time, I had no idea things such as Shabadaba and the mysterious golden haired and silver haired boys which appear briefly would be important.....) So now I can finally make it up to you guys. This is what you missed!

(One day, in front of the entrance to Edel Rose...)

Shin: *yawn* ... For some reason I woke up before my alarm. I guess I’ll go running. 

...Huh? There’s something in the mailbox. A letter...? This is from Louis--

Yukinojo: Good morning, Shin. You’re up early this morning. 

Shin: Ah, Yukinojo-san! Good morning. Are you heading out already?

Yukinojo: Yes. I have a family matter to attend to. I’m going to stop by my parents’ house before heading to a performance at a theater in Kyoto. 

Shin: Kyoto!? Wow, that’s great! Take care then! 

Yukinojo: Thank you. Let everyone else know I said goodbye. 

Shin: No problem! (Yukinojo-san is always so busy...) Okay, time to get to running. 

(A few hours later)

Kazuki: Mornin’! Man I really had a blast with you guys at the Rainbow Hot Springs the other day.

Taiga: Kazuki-san!? Shouldn’t you be on the way to university.... !?

Kazuki: Hey, Taiga. I don’t have any classes until afternoon today. By the way, you guys, have you decided who you’re gonna pair with for the duo tournament?

Taiga: K-K-K-KAZUKI-SAN!!

Kazuki: Huh?

Taiga: (AH! It just slipped out!) 

Uh, um, I mean… n… not yet…

Kazuki: ??? What’s wrong Taiga? You’re face is like a ripe apple! 

Taiga: ……….. (I want to partner with Kazuk-san, but he’s probably gonna pair with Hiro-san and I don’t have the courage to ask him... What! No! I have plenty of that! That thing! Courage I mean!)

Leo: Um... not yet....

(I think I would be the happiest if I could get to pair with Yuki-sama, but... I haven’t seen him all morning. Come to think of it I haven’t seen Kakeru-kun either. I’d like to ask Shin as well, but... I haven’t been able to find him. And Taiga-kun... I’m sure he’s got someone else in mind.) ........*sigh*

Taiga: .............*sigh*

Kazuki: Hey hey hey now, what’s with this chorus of sighs. If there’s something on your minds I’m here to listen. So don’t look so glum, OK?

Leo: Kazuki-san....!

Taiga: Got it! Thank you!

Kazuki: Oh yeah I heard Minato’s gonna pair up with Kouji! Kouji told me about it. 

Leo: Huh!? Really!?

Minato: Yup! To think I’m going to be able to perform a show with Kouji... it’s like a dream! When I decided to just gather up my courage and ask him straight, he actually agreed...

 A flavor mariage with Kouji-san! I’m so excited!

Leo: Wow... wow wow....

Taiga: .............

Kazuki: Well I think that’s great! I think Kouji and Minato will make a perfect flavor combination! Yu, what about you?

Yu: Me?

Leo: *gasp* (Maybe I could form a duo with Yu...?)

Yu: I’m sure anyone would be grateful to pair with me, but when it all comes down to it I’m just not interested in the street-style! 

Leo: Huuh?

Yu: (There was a brief moment when I felt something with Hiro during the table tennis tournament at Five Star Hotel, but...) This is the age of rock! And I’m a rock song composer! I for live it! I breathe it!

Leo: Oh.... Yuki-sama, Shin-kun... Where are you!

Shin: Uh... umm... Well I’m right here. And Yukinojo-san is--

Leo: Shin-kun!? Where have you been!

Shin: O-Oh, I randomly woke up early so I went running. Then I got on a role and didn’t want to stop exercising so I came back to get a ball and went to go play some soccer. 

Leo: Oh, I see... I didn’t even notice you come back....

Kazuki: Oh ho! You’re really active this morning, Shin! That’s the spirit!  

Shin: Oh, Kazuki-san! Good morning! 

Kazuki: Yo! Mornin’! By the way, Shin. You were saying something about Yukinojo?

Shin: Oh yeah, that’s right. I saw him this morning. He said he’s going to Kyoto for his family. 

Leo: Kyoto!? Oh yeah, I think he did mention it earlier... He won’t be coming back tonight, then. 

Shin: I guess not? Sorry, Leo. I didn’t think to ask him how long he’d be gone for. 

Leo: No, no it’s not your fault. .....Um, Shin-kun......

Shin: ….Ah! Oh no, it’s already this late? I gotta go!

Leo: Huh?! Go where…

Shin: Sorry, there’s something I have to do! Kazuki-san, everyone, I’m heading out! See you later!!

Kazuki: Alright! Take care!

Leo: He only just got back but he’s gone already… Where is he off to in such a hurry?

Yu: Probably off to see his girlfriend.

Leo: ….?! S… Shin-kun… has a…. girlfriend?! B… but who…?!

Yu: Hm? Oh no, I was just kidding…

Leo: B… But he’s in senior high school now.

So, it’s probably only natural that he would…

Yu: Hey! Leo! Look, I didn’t mean it, OK? You can come back now!

Taiga: .............

…. U.. UM! K… K-K-Kazuki-san! Do you have…s… s… someone?!

Kazuki: Huh? What do you mean?

Taiga: I mean… A… Are you… with someone? Do you have a p-p-p-partner?

Kazuki: Partner?! Are you asking…

I…. I.. No I’m not dating anyone!

Taiga: *THUMP*

Minato: Kougami’s on the floor?!

Yu: ........ (Everyone’s so immature.)

Taiga: .....Ow.....

Minato: Are you OK? Here, let me give you a hand.

Taiga: ......kay... My bad..... (If I don’t get my act together soon I may not even make it into the duo tournament at all. At a time like this, there’s only one place to go.)

(A little earlier, at Tokyo station)

???: Oh ho ho! Well if it isn’t chan-Yuki!

Yukinojo: Kakeru? What are you doing here? And dressed to the nines... for work?

Kakeru: Yes indeed. I have sudden business to attend to in Kyoto. 

Heheh. I sure look sharp in a suit, don’t I?

Yukinojo: ...Heheh. Indeed you do. By the way, I’ll be heading to Kyoto too. 

Kakeru: No kidding? What time is your train? If you have some extra time, how about we get some tea?

Yukinojo: Let me see, my ticket is... ah, here it is. 

Kakeru: Lemme see ♪ ......Oh?

Yukinojo: Hm? What’s wrong?

Kakeru: This... is the exact same train I’m going to be on! And we’re even sitting right next to each other!?

Yukinojo: ....What? You’re right. But I guess....

Yukinojo & Kakeru: I guess it’s possible... / I guess such things can happen!

Kakeru: Ahah. Even our reaction is in sync. But this really is such a huge coincidence! 

Yukinojo: Indeed... it really is.

Kakeru: Well you know, I think everything happens for a reason. So, let’s use this fateful encounter as a chance to enjoy a trip to Kyoto together. 

Yukinojo: Yes. Surely things won’t ever get boring having you along. Sorry this is so sudden, but I’m looking forward to spending time with you. 

Kakeru: That’s my line ♪ Well, how about we start off by going ahead and getting lunchboxes to eat on the train. I’ll give you a special tour of the best eats at Tokyo station!

Yukinojo: That would be wonderful. And I’ll show you where to buy Japanese sweets. 

Kakeru: Yay! ☆ Well then let’s go! But man, it really took a whole chain of coincidences lining up for something like this to happen.

Yukinojo: You’re right. Perhaps all these coincidences had some kind of a purpose-- 

*grumble*

Yukinojo: ..........

Kakeru: .........

Kakeru: Heheh... I guess I’m hungry. 

Yukinojo: Okay. Let’s hurry to your favorite lunchbox shop.

Kakeru: Roger that! Let’s book it!

(Tokyo Station, lunchbox shop)

Kakeru: Oh boy! No matter when I come here there’s always people, people, and more people. 

Yukinojo: This place has lunches made with famous local delicacies from all over the country....

Kakeru: I know right? And they are all suuuuper delish!

Yukinojo: Hmm....

Kakeru: Ah-hah! ☆ Yuki-chan-sensei, such deep concentration! Now, I wonder which one I should get....

(At Edel Rose)

Minato: Sorry to keep you waiting! Lunch is here. Today I have made original-style, authentic carbonara pasta without heavy cream. Kouji taught me the recipe ♪

Kazuki: ....Woah, this is great! You’ve managed to copy Kouji’s recipe to a T!

Yu: *chew, chew* .....Delicious! Seconds, please!

Taiga: *chew, chew* ...... Mm. Seconds. 

Minato: Step right up. There’s more where that came from.

Leo: Wow wow... it’s so good ♡ (I wonder if Yuki-sama is enjoying his lunch right now too.)

(Tokyo station, lunchbox shop)

Yukinojo: Hmm....

Kakeru: Yuki-chan, I think it’s about time to make that decision! 

Yukinojo: Yes. Sorry for keeping you. I have narrowed it down to two selections, but the competition is steep...

Kakeru: ....Really?

Yukinojo: Hm?

Kakeru: Ah, it’s just that I’ve narrowed it down to two myself. By the way, the ones I’m considering are the light sushi lunchbox and the hearty beef lunchbox...

Yukinojo: What!? I was considering those exact two...

Kakeru: ...Ahah, I knew it! Something gave me that feeling. So how about we buy both and split them half and half? ♪

Yukinojo: Yes. What a great plan. 

Kakeru: Heyhey, do you think our level of synchronicity increased since that time we did karaoke together?

Yukinojo: It does seem that way. You know, I never noticed it before, but now that I think about it, we have always had somewhat similar taste haven’t we...

Kakeru: Heheh. You’re getting me all riled up ♪

Yukinojo: Riled up?

Kakeru: It’s just so neat discovering we have so many similarities all of a sudden. It’s like we’re two peas in a pod. For example, I think the best spot in Kyoto is Nanzen temple. What about you?

Yukinojo: I agree... gazing upon the canal really soothes my soul...

Kakeru: I know right!! It’s so relaxing... Oh, oh, and what else? You know what I love, that roasted green tea-flavored soft serve--

Yukinojo: Could you possible be referring to the small shop near Nishi Hongan Temple?

Kakeru: Ding ding ding! I knew you’d catch on ☆ That place isn’t even listed in any guidebooks! We really are tied by some kind of fate aren’t we ♪

Yukinojo: Indeed. Just talking about it really makes me want to go get some of that soft serve for old times sake...

Kakeru: Heyhey, do you also feel like this is the beginning of a new love story?

Yukinojo: About our love for soft serve? Yeah. I do. 

Kakeru: .......Well great ☆

Yukinojo: Kakeru?

Kakeru: ....Oh! I think we ought to start heading to the platform, don’t you think?

Yukinojo: Oh? Wow it’s already getting this late. 

(While Yukinojo and Kakeru began their journey to Kyoto, down by the river was...)

Shin: Hmm… I think it was around here, wasn’t it?

Louis: Hey.

Shin: Oh! There you are Louis! I’m so glad I was able to find you!

Louis: Eheh. Thanks for coming.

Shin: I was pretty surprised when I woke up and suddenly found a letter…

Since it said “I’ll be waiting for you where we first met” I figured I ought to come here.

Louis: You remembered. That makes me happy.

Shin: Louis…? This was really sudden! What happened? Is everything OK?

Louis: I’m fine. I just thought that…

I wanted to see your face again.

Shin: Really?

Louis: …Am I bothering you?

Shin: What! Of course not! I was just thinking I wanted to meet up with you too.

Louis: …Really? You… wanted to see me?

Shin: Yeah! I missed you! So as soon as I saw that letter I was really happy!

Louis: I see… I’m glad. So, shall we go for a walk? The weather is nice.

Shin: Of course! We might as well. Actually I’ve been exercising all morning.

Louis: You have?

Shin: Yeah. I went jogging because I woke up early, and then I even played some soccer!

Louis: I see. You’re so sporty.

Shin: Ehehe. You’re exaggerating. Oh! Look Louis! These flowers are so beautiful!

Louis: Yeah… they really are. …

…Hey Shin. Do you have a partner for the duo tournament?

Shin: Huh? Um no, not yet… When I think of “street style”, I think about super strong and cool guys like Kazuki-san and Taiga-kun… Oh yeah! And Alexander-kun from Schwarz Rose too! I don’t know if I can handle street style, or even a duo audition….

Louis: Eheh. Shin, you can do it. I know you can.

Shin: Really? Something about hearing you say that just gave me the confidence to start believing I can.

Louis: …Oh. I think I just saw a fish jump out of the water over there.

Shin: Really? Where where?

Louis: The water surface is shining…. It’s so beautiful. Being able to enjoy this scenery with you, Shin… I can’t think of anything better….

Shin: L… Louis… now you’re really exaggerating…

(…Huh? What is this feeling?)

Aah! I suddenly remembered!

Louis: …Shin?

Shin: (Before the Prism King Cup… Louis and I… )

(Meanwhile at Edel Rose)

Leo: Yuki-sama hasn’t returned my text messages.... I wanted to ask him about the duo tournament, but.... I guess he’s just too busy. (Minato-san said he’s going to pair with Kouji-san, and Kakeru-kun is busy with his job... Yu-kun doesn’t seem to be interested, and Shin-kun disappeared off somewhere....)

I guess maybe I should just give up on the duo tournament...

....YUKI-SAMaaAAA.....!!

(Back to the river)

Louis: …Shin? What’s wrong?

Shin: Yeah… Oh yeah! I think the two of us did a duo show together here one time!

Louis: …Wha.

Shin: Yeah!! But, it was just a dream I had…

Louis: ……. A dream……. …What kind of a dream was it?

Shin: Hmmm…. You know, it felt so real…. I was just riding my bike down this way. And you were here. And then…

You took me hand and invited me to do a show with you! It was really fun! But…

Then I was really… scared.

Louis: …Why?

Shin: Well. I noticed all of a sudden I couldn’t move. And then you… with a sword… right here…

You…. stabbed me from behind.

Louis: ……!

Shin: W… Well it was only a dream! I’m sorry, this suddenly got weird.

Louis: ….. ……..Hey Shin, do you remember anything else?

Shin: Anything else? Hmm… let me think… Oh! Now that you mention it! I think before you stabbed me, you told me something….?

Louis: *gasp*

Shin: You got up real close to me, and then…

Louis: A… And then?

Shin: Uhh… I feel like you did… something… But I don’t really remember!

Louis: ……….

Shin: Well, it was such a long time ago. I guess I forgot.

Louis: ……….

Well if you don’t remember, I guess I just have to make you remember.

Shin: What?! Um um, Louis?! You’re getting pretty close to me…?!

Louis: ………

Shin: Louis? W.. What’s going on…?!

Louis: ….Nevermind. Just kidding.

Shin: Huh? Huh?? (That scared me for a second…)

Louis: Ahaha. Sorry about that.

…But what I’m about to say next is serious.

Shin: …Huh?

Louis: Shin… Let’s be partners in the duo tournament!

Shin: Wha…. WHAAT?! Me! And you! Together?!

Louis: Sure. You said you don’t have a partner, right?

Shin: Well, um…

Louis: You don’t want to be my partner?

Shin: N-No no, it’s not that at all! I’d love to enter the tournament with you! But… 

Louis: But?

Shin: Um, well… I’m just worried that… since we’re from different organizations… do you think we can?

Louis: Well… I don’t know.

(Meanwhile, at Schwarz Rose)

Jin: Alexander Yamato. Regarding the street duo tournament that’s going to be held soon... I’ll be having you enter with Louis.

Alexander: HUH!? I came all the way up here just to hear you spew that senseless nonsense? I’ll enter by myself--

Jin: I do not repeat myself. This isn’t a request, it’s an order. 

Alexander: .....Gah......

Jin: ...Hmph. It seems you have understood. You are dismissed. 

Alexander: Ugh. 

(At the practice rink)

Alexander: (Enter the street duo tournament with Louis Kisaragi...)

Joji: Oh oh oh! If it isn’t the muscle meathead! You’re looking especially terrifying today ☆

Alexader: GR!

Joji: So scawwy! You could stick a whole deck of cards in between those forehead wrinkles! 

Alexander: Hmph...

Joji: Hey. Hold on. 

(While Yukinojo and Kakeru enthusiastically enjoyed their lunchboxes on the train.)

Kakeru: Delish! ♪ This sweet and sour beef just melts in your mouth! 

Yukinojo: *chew, chew* Indeed... it’s very tasty! And the wonderful, non-fishy aroma of this this pressed mackerel sushi is like a symphony my nostrils...

Kakeru: You don’t say!? Heyhey, isn’t about time we trade ♪

Yukinojo: Ah, you’re right. 

Kakeru: ....Hey, Yuki-chan.

Yukinojo: Hm? If it’s about the lunchbox, just give me one more bite...

Kakeru: Ahaha! No I’m not that impatient. 

I was just wondering what you were thinking... about the duo tournament. 

Yukinojo: Oh, that. Well I... I don’t really feel I’m cut out for the street style...

Kakeru: You’re really not interested at all?

Yukinojo: No, that’s not it. To be honest I am quite interested. But it’s just not an area where I have any expertise, so... it’s difficult to come to any sort of conclusion.

Kakeru: ....I see. But hey! You’re sure into hard rock kinda songs, aren’t you chan-Yuki? If you ask me, I totally think “street Yuki-sama” could be a thing ♪

Yukinojo: I... I already told you to lay off the “-sama” once before. But now that you have breached the subject, what were you thinking Kakeru? When we were at the hot springs you seemed to show a hint of resistance. 

Kakeru: Woah woah! No fair throwing the same question at me when you haven’t decided yourself, chan-Yuki! But, did it really seem that way?

Yukinojo: It’s also not very fair of you to hide your true intentions. 

Kakeru: *gulp* 

Oh you.... I can’t take such a straightforward, pure-hearted approach. It’s not allowed.

Yukinojo: *staaaaare*

Kakeru: C... cut it out already! Okay, I got it! I got it already! I’ll tell you! I was thinking the same thing as you, Yuki-chan. I’m definitely interested, but... Hey! I’m a gentleman after all. The street just isn’t my style y’know ☆

Yukinojo: Oh really? I think “street Kakeru-kun” could be a thing.

Kakeru: Wha... how-so!?

Yukinojo: Well you’re always trying to be cool.

Kakeru: That didn’t sound like a compliment!?

Yukinojo: No, it was. I find myself in awe at your inquisitive nature and drive to take action. You have really helped us out a lot at Edel Rose. 

Kakeru: O..Oh.... But hey hey! You just snuck in a Kakeru”-kun” didn’t you!

Yukinojo: ....Mm-hm. This beef lunchbox is quite delicious as well. 

Kakeru: Ah! You changed the subject already! 

-----♪

Yukinojo: Kakeru, your phone.

Kakeru: Grr.... Okay, okay. Take care. ...........Hm.

Yukinojo: A business call?

Kakeru: Ah, yeah. My evening dinner meeting was cancelled all of a sudden. Oh well, it can’t be helped--Oh! Yuki-chan! What are you up to for dinner?

Yukinojo: Hm? After the performance I plan to exchange pleasantries with my family friends, but after that I don’t have any particular plans. 

Kakeru: All right ♪ In that case, come eat with me! 

Yukinojo: Sure, sounds good. I’ll make a reservation at Kawadoko. 

Kakeru: Yaay! I knew I could could on you! Well then, when you’ve finished all your this and that, give me a ring!

Yukinojo: Understood. I’ll go ahead and make that reservation first thing--

Hm? 

Kakeru: What’s wrong?

Yukinojo: It’s... I.... I can’t find my phone. 

Kakeru: No way! Should I try and call it?

Yukinojo: Yes, sorry to be a bother.

Kakeru: No prob, no prob. ♪ ....Hmm. It doesn’t seem to be around here does it....?

Yukinojo: It seems I must have forgotten it at the dorm. I might forget my head if it wasn’t attached to me....

Kakeru: Don’t sweat it, that’s just another part of your charm. No worries, no worries. For now, I’ll just plan to wait outside the theater this afternoon. Surely I’ll run into you ♪

Yukinojo: That would be fine. Thank you. 

Kakeru: No trouble. Oh yeah, shall I tell the Edel Rose home team that you don’t have your phone?

Yukinojo: No, I have already informed Shin and Yamada-san that I would be in Kyoto at the theater. So it shouldn’t be a problem....  If anything comes up they should be able to contact me there.

Kakeru: Okay! Then I’ll reserve the restaurant tout suite! 

Yukinojo: Kakeru.... 

Kakeru: What’s this? Did I just melt your heart with my gentlemanly ways?

Yukinojo: Ah, indeed. Earlier I said you were always trying to be cool. So I think I’ll add trying to be suave as well.

Kakeru: ...Uh... thank you.

(Back at Edel Rose)

Leo: *staaaaaare* 

Grr......... 

Wah..... Yuki-sama...... 

(I texted him hours ago and there’s still no response.... There’s no way he couldn’t have seen it.... Yuki-sama.... This can only mean he doesn’t want to pair with me.... The more I think of it, I may be not worthy of being Yuki-sama’s partner anyway.... ) ....*sigh*....

*footsteps*

Leo: Ah.... that sounds like...! 

(Downstairs)

Leo: Shin-kun!!!

Shin: Woaaaaah!!! L-Leo-kun!? What’s going on! You seem so frantic! 

Leo: Shin-kun! Have you decided your partner for the duo tournament!? 

Shin: EEEK! (W-W-What do I do.... Could it be, did he hear what Louis and I were talking about...)

Leo: Shin-kun? Is something wrong?

Shin: NO um! Nothing.... 

Leo: .........  If it’s OK with you, would you enter the duo tournament with me!?

Shin: Huh!? .....Um........ Well I........... 

(What do I do now. It makes me happy to hear Leo-kun wants to pair with me, but...) Umm, ummm! 

Leo: Please I’m begging you! I’ll work really, really hard!

Shin: (WOOaaaAAAah!!! What do I do!?)

Leo: Are you still listening..... Shin-kun?

Shin: I AM!! 

Leo: *sniff* .... Shin-kun, you hate me don’t you.....

Shin: What!? No of course I don’t! (Aaahhhaaaahhhh what do I do! Leo-kun looks so sad! I have to find some way not to mention Louis, and to not hurt his feelings either.. ahh....) 

O-Oh yeah! Yes! On that day I have to go to... a memorial service! 

Leo: ...A memorial service?

Oh, I see... In that case there’s no use. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had something like that to do. I’m sorry for troubling you. 

Shin: N-No, it was no trouble! Don’t worry about me! Really! (Well now what do I do!? I just spit out a lie in the spur of the moment... I’m sorry, Leo-kun....! A-And now it’s only a matter of time before he finds out....!?) 

Leo: ....I’m going to keep looking for someone to pair with. Thank you for listening to me. 

Shin: O-Okay! You’re welcome. 

Leo: *gloom*

Shin: ..... He left. Aaah.... I’ve done something terrible.... *sigh* ... I’m really sorry Leo-kun.... 

(At the dance battle club, Nest of Dragon)

Taiga: ......I don’t even know if I have the strength to step into the ring here. 

???: I have no choice. Here goes.

Taiga: Huh? It’s you.... Alexander!

Alexander: Oh? Taiga Kougami....

Taiga: .....Why do you have to show up everywhere I go these days.....

Alexander: Hah. That’s my line. I think it’s a little early for a brat like you to be at a joint like this, no?

Taiga: WHAT!! What did you say!? Who are you calling a brat!?

 Alexander: ....Heh heh.... The person who is whining like one. ...... Hmph. Hey! How much longer are you going to follow me huh?!

Taiga: Oh shut up! You’re the one who’s following me!

(Inside)

Hiro: This place is....

Kouji: Hehe. It really seems to have piqued your interest. 

Hiro: Ahah, no way! Kouji, you’re kidding! Hey, Kazuki. I know Kouji could use some preparation for the street duo tournament, but why am I here too? I’m not entering, you know. 

Kouji: ...You heard him. Kazuki?

Kazuki: Oh just relax and enjoy it! It’s fun to check out some street battles every so often, isn’t it?

Hiro: ..........

Kazuki: Hiro, are you alright? You can leave early if you really don’t like it....

Hiro: No, I don’t mind. It’s not that I’m overly bothered, I just... 

Kouji: ....Heh.

Hiro: ...What. 

Kouji: Eheh, nothing. But anyway, this is really a collection of rough-looking fellows, I’d say. Just watching them really makes you feel the pressure.

Kazuki: I know, right? This tense atmosphere really makes you feel like the heat is on! 

Hiro: Hm? ...Hey, guys...... Isn’t that Taiga?

Kouji: It is. And the boy he’s with... it’s Yamato-kun, right?

Alexander: Huuuaaah! 

Taiga: Huaaaaaah! 

Alexander: Headspin Levitation! 

Taiga:  Festival! Celebrate! Flowers for a Fortune Boy!

Street Dancer 1: W-What’s with those guys....!

Street Dancer 2: They are battling each other continuously while squashing other opponents at the same time...! This isn’t something you see every day! 

Street Dancer 3: Hah! This is great! Let them have at it until one of them falls!

Taiga: I’m not done yet! 

Alexander: You really think you have a chance against me?

Taiga: Just you wait and see! 

Alexander: (....To think I have to use this much of my strength against him.)

Taiga: (Alexander... is really strong. I want to get stronger!!) Hey! You guys over there! I’ll take all of you on at once!

Hiro: ....That’s amazing. No regular competitors stand a chance against them....

Kouji: It’s like they are second to none. There are two of them, though. 

Kazuki: ......... 

You know, Taiga and Alec make a good combo.

Kouji: Yeah, I think so too. If only they would get along. 

Hiro: True. Right now the source of their energy is their drive to defeat each other.

Taiga: *panting*

Alexander: *panting* ....I think I’ll let you off here, for now.....

Taiga: ....What. You’re just making an excuse to run away. 

Alexander: I’m showing mercy by giving you an opportunity to run away. Be grateful. 

Taiga: YOU....!! 

Hiro: Okay, okay, settle down you too. I know you’re having fun together and all, but let’s take a break for today. 

Kouji: Yes, yes. I bet you’re starting to get hungry aren’t you. 

Taiga: Wha.... Hiro-san and Kouji-san!? What are you two doing here....

Kazuki: I brought them. You guys were on fire as always! Today’s battle was the best! 

Alexander: KA-KAZUKI NISHINA! 

Kouji: You did a good job keeping each other on your toes. Rather than a battle it looked more like a synchronized show. 

Taiga: Synchronized!?

Alexander: Show!?

Kazuki: I thought so too! I could feel your passionate emotions clashing against each other very clearly. You guys would make a pretty good combo, y’know?

Taiga: Hey, not you too Kazuki-san!? No way in hell!!!

Kazuki: But you don’t have a duo partner yet, do you?

Taiga: W...Well I don’t but... I... I want to pair with y....

Kazuki: Who?

Taiga: ...A... Anyway! Even if you say so Kazuki-san, the chance of me making a good combination with Alexander is negative 1000%! We belong to different organizations, anyway....

Alexander: Hmph. For once we agree on something. 

Kazuki Nishina! Don’t make me laugh! ....Pffft. I don’t have time for this. I’m out. 

Kazuki: Hey, wait a sec! Alec! Haha, he’s straight to the point as always. 

Hiro: But we really had a good time watching you two battle, whether you agree on forming a combo or not. 

Taiga: Hiro-san..... thanks.....

Hiro: But of course, I for one would like to see you two form an overwhelmingly powerful duo. But even if you pair with someone from Edel Rose, I’m sure you’ll be able to show us a well coordinated duo show!

Kouji: Yes, yes. Before you know it the time you have spent with someone becomes a powerful bond. Your bond with Yamato-san is a bit different, but I think the two of you have the potential to push each other to your limits.

Taiga: ....A partner.... Hm.....

Kouji: Taiga, you seem really troubled. Well. No matter who you pair with, I think it will open up a new world for you. Don’t you think?

Taiga: A new... world....

Hiro: I agree. Competing as a duo is in itself a new challenge. 

Kouji: Perhaps the true appeal of the duo tournament is the chance to try out a new method of performing. 

Taiga: ....Yeah. Thanks. (I guess you could put it that way...)

Kazuki: I think it would be great if you could find a partner you are comfortable around, without needing to to overthink things.  

Hiro: Oh ho ho! I’m really looking forward to seeing who you end up pairing with, Taiga! 

Kouji: Me too. If we end up in the ring together, please go easy on me!

Kazuki: I have never had an official battle with you, Taiga. But if we ever do, I’m really looking forward to seeing how it’d go!

Taiga: (.....! Kazuki-san’s looking forward to battling me....!) ........ (Someone I can be comfortable around, huh....)

(Shijo, Kyoto)

Kakeru: Ah, there he is.

Yuki-chuwan! All finished for the day? ☆

Yukinojo: Ah, Kakeru. You too? I’m glad we could meet up at the same time. ...Well then, we have still got some time before our reservation. Shall we go kill time somewhere?

Kakeru: Ah, about that. There’s somewhere I’d like to go. 

Yukinojo: Oh?

Kakeru: I just heard from someone at the company... What was it called... I’ll look for it on the map. Hold on a sec.... Ah! Yes yes, it’s here! Shabadaba!

Yukinojo: ...? Sha... ba... daba...?? It has a very... unique... name....

Kakeru: Apparently this is a place where they do street-style prism shows! You know, like that “Nest of Dragon” place Taiga-kyun talks about! 

Yukinojo: Oh really. So there is a place like that in Kyoto too...

Kakeru: And there are some suuuuper tough prism stars there too!

Yukinojo: I see. So we’ll be checking out the competition. You really are interested in being in the duo tournament, aren’t you?

Kakeru: Maybe so. You’re about half right. But let’s not dwell too much on having a reason. We came all the way out to Kyoto after all, so why not check it out?

Yukinojo: Indeed. You have my attention. I’d like to see it as well. 

Kakeru: Alright, “competitor Yuki-chan”. You really are interested the duo tournament too, aren’t you?

Yukinojo: Heheh. You’re about half right. 

(Kyoto, Shabadaba in Ponto town)

Kakeru: Wooowee! This really is quite the collection of rock-hard street stars, isn’t it? 

It’s such a sausage festival too. I can’t see any beautiful mademoiselles anywhere. 

Yukinojo: Well, it is where all the street ruffians gather. By the way, Kakeru. What are we wearing?

Kakeru: I borrowed these from the theater. This hair, make-up, and color contact getup is pretty sweet, isn’t it?

Yukinojo: Yeah. Not bad. 

....But that wasn’t my concern.....

Kakeru: It’s difficult to blend in wearing casual clothes. Besides, since I came for work I only packed suits. 

Yukinojo: ....Oh yeah. I’d already forgotten that this meeting occurred by chance. 

Kakeru: Exactly. I don’t have the courage to go to a place like this in a three-piece suit. 

Yukinojo: Heheh. I wouldn’t either. Okay. Let’s see if we can find the strongest prism stars. 

Kakeru: Roger that. ☆ Hmm hmm I see. So this is what a place like this is like. Where are those two I’ve heard rumors about... Oh! 

Yukinojo: It looks like there are two people performing a show on center stage.

Kakeru: Hmm... So could it be, those two are...? 

Street Dancer 1: Hey, hey you guys. I haven’t seen you around here before. Ya new?

Kakeru: ...Wow. You could sail across the ocean with that hair. 

Street Dancer 2: Hm? Nah, I think I have seen these guys before... 

Street Dance 3: ....Ah! Aren’t these those guys from that Edel Rose place in Tokyo!

Street Dancer 4: HAH! What are a couple academy-style worms doing in a place like this?

Street Dancer 5: Whatever. You’ll get what’s coming to you either way. 

Kakeru: ............

Yukinojo: How did they recognize us.... I thought our disguises were flawless....

Kakeru: I guess there’s just no disguising our aura. I’m a lover, not a fighter though...

Yukinojo: Understood. But that aside, we shouldn’t do anything that could cause trouble for Edel Rose. 

Kakeru: I agree. .... This is gonna take some improv, but follow my lead, OK?

Yukinojo: Improv?

Kakeru: YES! I’m counting on you, “princess”!

Yukinojo: .......! 

....Understood. 

Kakeru: Whaaa? What’s an Edel Rose? Never heard of it. Have you, “Hana-chan”?

Yukinojo: ....Me neither. I have no idea what they’re talking about, “Juu-chan”.

Kakeru: The two of us are nothing but a humble street duo. We heard there were some pretty tough guys here so we came to see for ourselves!

???: Well, good ta have ya here.

Yukinojo & Kakeru: ....!?

???: You guys came to gawk at our shows huh? Do we look funny ta you? Well, this is a good opportunity. How ‘bout we have ourselves a little match? What d’ya say, Yubacchi?

Yubacchi: I see yer point, Hamocchi. These guys think they can just waltz in here like they own da place....

Hamocchi: It’s like they are expecting us ta bow to them like gods that flew down from Kiyomizu Temple....

Kakeru: (The number of weirdos keeps growing...!) 

Yuki.. *cough* I mean, Y...Yubacchi-san and Hamocchi-san, huh.... 

“Hana-chan” what do you think....

Yukinojo: It looks like we’ve got no choice. ...We’ve got to defeat them. 

(And so Yukinojo and Kakeru became caught up in an unexpected battle...)

Hamocchi: Let’s do this, Yubacchi! 

Yubacchi: Right with you, Hamocchi!

Yubacchi & Hamocchi: Last one! Will you be taking that meal to go...!

Audience: They nailed it! O-BANZAI’S finishing jump! No one can win against that! 

Kakeru: Woah, those guys are no small potatoes. Welp, we’re up next. 

Yukinojo: Yes. But since whoever fires up the crowd the most is the winner... We are at a great disadvantage being unknowns. 

Kakeru: You don’t say? But you’re already all fired up, aren’t you “Hana-chan”?

Yukinojo: Oh, I am, am I? For someone who is a lover, not a fighter, you sure look as though you are looking forward to this, “Juu-chan”.

Street Dancers: What’s with those guys! How can they dance like that right out of the gate!? 

Yubacchi: They’re in total sync... Those guys may be pretty tough after all. 

Hamocchi: Maybe so. But they ain’t nothing compared to us.... huh!?

Kakeru: And here’s the finale! 

GINZA No. 1 Glamorous Heaven! 

I’m about to put you under my spell! 

Yukinojo: This is it! Like roaring thunder! Kunitachiya Secret Move!

 Hidden Moonlit Heavenly Lightning!

Audience: Woah...! I’ve never seen a show like this! Juu-chan is so cool! Hana-chan is so beautiful!

Golden-haired boy: ....!

Silver-haired boy: .....!

Yukinojo: (So this is the street-style...? So this is a duo show....)

Kakeru: (The duo tournament... is really gonna be off the chain....)

Yukinojo & Kakeru: This is so fun!

 Yukinojo: I want to keep performing duo shows for as long as time allows! 

Kakeru: Ahah. When we run out of time, we can always find more. Let me ask you one again, about the duo tournament...

(And so night fell...)

Yukinojo: We’re home. 

Kakeru: We’re home. ....But aren’t all good little children supposed to be in bed by now?

Yukinojo: Indeed. It’s gotten very late so I imagine nobody’s still up--

*footsteps*

Leo: ....I knew it! Yuki-sama you’re back! And Kakeru! Welcome back! 

Yukinojo: Leo! You were still awake?

Kakeru: ....Leo-kyun, what’s wrong? Why are you still up at this hour?

Leo: It’s because I wanted to apologize to Yuki-sama....

Yukinojo: Apologize to me? I can’t imagine why...

Leo: I’m sorry for sending you so many texts....! I made you mad, didn’t I....?

Yukinojo: Texts....? 

I’m sorry. The truth is I forgot to bring my phone. 

Leo: ........Huh? So.... so the reason you never replied to me wasn’t because you were angry...?

Yukinojo: Of course I’m not angry. I’m sorry for worrying you. 

Leo: Oh, oh I see! Phew, that’s a relief....

Kakeru: ....I guess we should have gave you guys a heads up after all. But at least we got that all cleared up ♪

Leo: ...Ahem, Yuki-sama!

Yukinojo: What’s wrong? You look so serious all of a sudden. Did something else happen?

Leo: About the duo tournament.... Please be my partner! 

Yukinojo: ........What?

Kakeru: Huh.......

Yukinojo: Leo, about that....

Leo: .........?

Yukinojo: The truth is, I have already agreed to pair with Kakeru.

Leo: Whaaaaaaat!? (Oh nooooooo!!)

Kakeru: Ah. Well, if you two would rather be together, I wouldn’t want to stand in your way...

Leo: No, no that’s alright! I couldn’t bear to break you two apart if you already promised each other!

(But... what do I do now....)

(And so, on a bittersweet note, a new partnership was formed.)

(What will become of our stars who haven’t yet found partners...!?)

Continue to Road To SSS 4.

[aleapoffaithfiction]

XI.

"I know you think I'm crazy. Maybe that's because I am. About life, about this moment, about you." ― Crystal Woods

“Fine as hell. She fine as hell. Hungry as hell, but fine as hell nonetheless.” I nearly choked as I dropped the po’ boy back onto the plate in front of me and stuck up my finger for both Odell and his iPhone camera to see. The crispy shrimp were flavored and fried to perfection, and Chef Pierre certainly didn’t hold back from piling them into the buttered toasted French roll. With the shrimp is shredded and lightly cooked crunchy cabbage, sliced tomatoes, and a drizzled remoulade sauce that nearly made me melt onto the floor.

It’s not even noon yet and I’m already eating a heavy ass lunch. Actually, I’ve been overindulging ever since we arrived here last night and have no intention on stopping until we’re back in the northeast. My stomach has morphed into a bottomless pit that is willing and ready to withhold any dish offered and the man who brought me here seems to want to do nothing more than leave me with a swiftly gained ten pounds lingering around my waistline and thighs.

“Now if I go home looking pregnant, don’t try to deny me because I’m absolutely going to blame it on you.” For breakfast, we indulged on freshly made beignets drenched in powdered sugar. While I had coffee, he settled for hot chocolate and we sat outdoors in the midst of the cool Baton Rouge air on a plush deep beige sectional on the back patio of the four-bedroom, six-bathroom contemporary highland home we’re residing in for the next two days.

With only our teeth brushed, we lazy lounged around in our nightclothes with nothing on our feet. Rather than the television being on, we used one another as sources of information and I was able to understand why Baton Rouge and New Orleans made and raised him. Though he spent some time living in both Georgia and Texas, Louisiana is home. He’s a 504 boy to the core.

“How they say that shit? Something about cushion for the pushing.” The silly little smirk dancing along his flawless lips was enough to make me launch my plastic fork in his direction. His mouth knows no boundaries sometimes.

“More cushion for the pushing? That?”

“Yeah, that baby. No complaints over here. I told you that you have to get the complete NOLA experience and food is a major part of that. I know you’ve been down here once before, but I know you ain’t eat like this.” I didn’t. Celeste’s selective eating limited everyone’s opportunity to explore the different spices and textures of New Orleans’ famous dishes and I mentally complained about it the entire time. The morning I wandered off to find coffee and breakfast while in the midst of a brutal hangover was the first and only time that I was able to have a dish that I felt was worth the trip and the irony in that is, it’s the same morning that I saw him.

“You’re still recording? I look crazy when I eat. Turn it off.” Like the professional athlete that he is, he was able to dodge my attempt to grab his phone out of his hands and he jogged to the opposite side of the cool grey marbled kitchen island. Its width kept him out of my reach.

“You fine though.”

“Turn it off.”

“Tell me I’m your favorite person ever first.”

“Get out of here.” I don’t have on make-up; not even a smidge of concealer. I know my eyes look like they’re shot to hell. I’m absolutely going to pay him back for this.

“Say it.”

“You’re my favorite person ever.”

“And that I’m the best boyfriend ever.” Boyfriend?

“Beckham.”

“Say it.”

“You’re my boyfriend?”

“I’d like to think so, but you tell me. Am I your boyfriend?”

Suddenly the delectable sandwich in front of me no longer mattered and neither did the fact that his camera was still creating a memory of my every reaction and response to his words.

I’ve been single for four years. Two years ago, I found myself in a silent embarrassment over the reality of it. I’m certainly within the years of my life where I’m supposed to be actively either anticipating or seeking out some sort of companionship and yet, I found a comfort zone in keeping that particular slate as clean as possible. Sure, my lower region suffered in a cry for pleasure that went beyond anything that I could do on my own, but there was a peace of mind that I clung to and could no longer sacrifice after Shamel begrudgingly sucked the life out of me.

I needed a decent amount of time to evaluate the failures of and within that relationship and to mentally regroup. The emotional turmoil took me to a dark place and men were not something I viewed in a positive light, so how could I ever accept one into my life? If anything, any man interested would have become a passionate punching bag; paying for the mistakes of the man prior to him.

Some months back, I don’t want to say that I gave up hope because I wasn’t hoping for anything in particular, but everything about being with someone felt completely irrelevant to the place that I’m at in my life. I closed the gap that I once had to nurture that particular type of connection while being in the midst of the height of my professional career. Despite the pressure from family, the distasteful questions about a husband and children I get when interviewed by other media outlets, and the ignorant talk about my fertility clock ticking away along with my childbearing years, none of it seemed to matter.

I found solace in the comfort of my home and couldn’t bear the thought of anything or anyone coming in to deliberately invade that space with their own desires, requirements, and opinions that I need to appease all for the sake of having them. I built a bubble around myself for self-preservation outside of my Edgewater personal space and like a vicious tornado, a Louisiana bred freak of nature athlete came blitzing into my life and overran every bubble, wall, and defense mechanism I spent a ridiculous amount of time perfectly creating. Like Ernes Kanter, I became a defensive liability to my damn self and I haven’t been able to block anything he’s ardently done or sent my way.

If anything, I’ve clung to every rush of excitement and the moments filled with wonder about just how much he’d impress me next. I’ve cherished feeling like a young school girl in Brooklyn blushing from across the room at the most mindless act my crush would do all for the sake of garnering the attention of others. I’ve found myself enthralled in a new world that interestingly intertwines with mine in a numinous beauty that I’ve never experienced before. It’s the first time I’ve ever undeniably wanted someone; flaws and all.

The unknown will always be fearsome but nothing amazing ever comes without either believing in what could possibly be a major failure or taking a risk that you’ve never taken before.

“I’d like to think so.” His naturally arched eyebrows arose in an elated surprise at the response he’d been given and he leaned his upper frame over the counter in a draw to be closer to me.

“So, say it.”

“You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

Our smirks were in unison as he leaned his torso over the island top in anticipation for me to do the same. He’d finally obliged me and stop recording, but not before getting my response about him being the best ever. Our lips softly met, sealing the deal we’d made in order for me to get what I wanted but most of all, because I’d given him what he wanted twice over. I nearly became unbalanced at the sudden rush of shudders fluttering through my frame in a raging response to him. To kiss him is to be inebriated in a manner that no man-made drug is capable of achieving. It’s a trip that I can’t get enough of and want to be stoned by endlessly.

“Now if Larenz Tate comes and tries to scoop me up, I might have to say things differently.” And with that he sucked his teeth.

“Man, forget you and your shrimpy ass breath.”

“As if your breath doesn’t smell the same way.”

“Come on and finish eating that. We’re going out.”

“In the daylight?” As my backside met the seat once again, both of his adorably almond shaped eyes lowered in confusion at the question. We’ve never gone anywhere in the daylight. Actually, we’ve never been anywhere together in the first place. It’s not realistic. Our nighttime meet ups at either his place or my place already come with risks that neither one of us are ready to explain if we’re caught beyond the few people on his end who do know that we spend time together. It’s not even a we factor; it’s all me. The consequences would be beyond anything he or I could explain.

“You trust me, right?”

“I do trust you.”

“Then you trust that I’ll protect you and that I do have your best interests in my mind and heart. So yeah, we’re going out in the daylight. I got us.”

“O, what are we doing?” It’s a question filled with so many wonders about who we are for one another and where we’re going with all of this. I’m not even ready to comprehend what we’ve done by adding titles into this mix.

“It won’t always be this way baby. Finish up. I’m going to get our jackets and your bag from upstairs.”

When I was left alone, I had one last bite of the sandwich and discarded the rest. If I eat another bite, the top button on my jeans will eventually pop off due to the pressure of my outlandishly full belly. I’m not eating another bite today. Nothing. If do have anything, it’ll be a salad for dinner. Maybe some fruit too, or yogurt. I don’t know. It’ll be something healthy. I’m not about to allow him to walk around flourishing with his washboard abs while I can barely contain a lower belly pudge. I’ve already slacked off with my gym attendance, so I at least need to be disciplined about what I’m putting in my mouth.

“This bag?” The black Alexander Wang bag he held up is one I’ve had for a while and it’s the one I take with me whenever I’m traveling everywhere. It has this versatility to be able to serve as a bag that I can randomly throw everything into and carry with me wherever, but it’s stylish enough to throw on for a nice afternoon outing with friends…or rather my man, this particular time.

“Yes, that one.” Although it’s in the lower seventies and certainly a comfortable enough temperature for me to be able to be outdoors with just this long-sleeved Thrasher shirt, he insisted on me wearing my leather jacket because the temperature’s going to drop at some point this evening. Even if it does, it’ll never feel like the freezing temperatures we deal with up North.

“Where are we going anyway?”

“The French Quarter.”

“Are we seeing someone there?” He’s spoken about more than enough people that he’s either related to or good friends with for there to be a reunion of more than fifty people back at the house if he made a couple of phone calls. Like most people do when they return home, I’m sure he’s going to want to make his rounds to show some love to those that he knows. If not everyone, then his parents and siblings. Maybe they’ll be at the game tonight.

“You’ll see. I think you’re going to like this.”

He offered nothing else as we slid into the backseat of the awaiting vehicle.

Our arrival into the crown jewel of New Orleans didn’t go without the driver taking the scenic route and allowing me to marvel at the sights of the historic neighborhood. There’s something so chic about the vintage and antique restaurants and stores being perfectly blended in with the modernized boutiques. Everything about it is like a timeless portrait that you cannot stop analyzing.

The vibe is so unique and rich with culture. It’s almost unbelievable that people are actually from here. Just from looking around, it feels like a place that you’re only supposed to travel to and unreservedly experience so that you’ll have marvelous stories to go back home and tell your folks. It’s fitting for the handsomeness alongside me to be from here. Its vibrancy is everything that he is.

“What is this place?”

“Preservation Hall. We’re actually about three blocks away from the Mississippi River.” On the outside, the building blends in to the point of nearly being unremarkable. If I were randomly walking along the streets alone, I surely would have bypassed it without a thought or concern.

“Wow. This place is super old-fashioned.” Its interior is tatty and weathered but in a manner that makes it look like something out of a timepiece style of film. I’d say maybe as far back as the late 1700s or maybe the early eighteen. The portraits of musicians donning the walls and the instruments resting alongside the chairs on the opposite of the room is a dead giveaway of this being somewhere performances are put on.

“This place is legendary. It used to be a private residence in 1750 and then it turned into a tavern, an inn, a photography studio, and I think an art gallery as well. The doors were closed for a while after that and they reopened it in 1961 to serve as a sanctuary to preserve New Orleans jazz because the popularity of it pretty much died out when modernized jazz and rock and roll took over. So, this place is a safe haven where musicians and people gather to celebrate and remember the old New Orleans.”

I find it interesting that there’s no bar. I like the idea of people being completely sober while getting lost into the beauty of the music or maybe they all pile in after having gotten drunk elsewhere and spend their time cutting up on the tattered floors. There are only cushions on the floor and benches for people to sit on. I don’t even think there’s a bathroom. This little hole in a wall sanctuary is the embodiment of an intimate setting.

“What time do the doors open? What time does people usually come?”

“No one’s coming. I told you I got us.” He withdrew my jacket from my shoulders as older men began to trickle out of a backroom and make their way to their desire positions before us. “I told you I wanted you to experience the goodness of my home.”

“Odell, thanks for dropping by and bringing your little lady with you.”

“Aye, you know it ain’t nothing Charlie. Thanks for having us.”

“You know I’m Saints pride till the end, but I still root for you because you’re home grown pride. Get back strong, son.” He nodded in respect to the elderly man and saluted him for the post injury encouragement.

“Appreciate it. I’m working on it, sir.”

“Little lady, he told us to give you the soul of the city and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. You just sit back and enjoy. It’d be even nicer if you danced too.”

“I’m excited.” And I am.

The perks of my career have allowed to me walk along backstage areas to take in the intimate moments of some of the world’s most famous musicians and I’ve either stood in their designated V.I.P areas or in the sound booths to take in small or grand scale productions. I’ve witnessed some come ups too. I was in attendance at Drake’s first performance at New York’s famous S.O.B.s as he was buzzing on the heels of his So Far Gone mixtape.

I was there seven years ago to hear J. Cole perform cuts off of The Warm Up for his first ever performance. Friday Night Lights released November of the same year. I’ve seen Hov more times than I can count. The Watch the Throne Tour is still one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Rihanna. Beyoncé. Celine Dion. Mary J. Blige. Outkast. There are too many to name. Last year, I saw and rocked out to the Bad Boy Reunion Tour twice and yet absolutely none of the performances I’ve seen over the years were quite like this.

The raw authenticity of the music filling the space felt like the jazz radiated right out of the depths of their bones as they played it with grit and pride. What started out as the shimmying of my shoulders and my hand slapping into my thigh, turned into me standing up on my heel clad feet and freely dancing around the room with my arms loosely swinging in the air to the medley of the trumpet while my hips grooved with the bass drum. My lover left the current dance crazes outside and instead opted to take ahold of my hips to be just as uninhibited as I felt, as he twirled me around and laughed at the dizziness, we danced ourselves into.

If the hall had been filled with patrons, it wouldn’t have mattered. I could only bask in him and the captivating aura radiating from his striking frame. My own roared in a yearning for him to do things to my body that no other man has ever done before. My inner thighs tingled in a call for his fingers to graze them. My seeping center throbbed in a plea to be filled with the company of him. The electrifying turned sensual jazz told the narrative of my body and I can only hope he’ll analyze and immerse himself inside of my story soon enough.

“After that, you gotta eat some crawfish.”

“If you feed me one more time….” We worked up enough of a sweat to need the air conditioning turned on the coolest setting in the SUV. Though I danced off the breakfast and early lunch we had, I don’t need anything else right now.

“You’re definitely eating some tomorrow. You’re not getting out of that.”

“Those things are ugly.”

“So are shrimp and fish, but you eat it.”

“No, crawfish are uglier.”

“Uglier than shrimp with the heads on them? You lying your ass off. Now those shits are ugly. We’re going to have a boil right outside by the pool tomorrow. It’s already in the works. You gon’ love it, watch.” I readjusted the Off-White cap I randomly picked up from the numerous accessories he had laying on the dresser and rolled my eyes.

“I’ll try one.”

“And then you’ll try another and another and next thing you know, you’ll be sitting right beside me going in. I’m not even worried about it.” And he isn’t. He’s been assured in me loving the renowned NOLA boil since he first spoke about it a while back.

“Is this Newman?”

“Yeah, baby.” I don’t know if it’s just me, but his accent seemed to instantly thicken as soon as we’ve stepped off of the plane and it’s been an oxymoron of pleasuring torture ever since. “Baby” seems to be sticking as my pet name, but it’s the manner in which he says it that melts every part of me.

Once the vehicle came to a halt, we were out within minutes and making our way to the football field that birthed what would be the beginning of his legendary football legacy in Louisiana. In the research I did on him prior to the rant, I learned of just how well he had done for himself here. He was a three-year starter and was awarded the titles of All-District, All-Metro, and All-State twice. In 2010, he was named District Offensive MVP, AA State Offensive MVP, and was both the offensive and team MVP for the Newman football team. He also played in the All-American Bowl in January of the following year at the invitation of the United States Army. His college recruitment had been over a two-year campaign and he had full ride scholarship offers from twenty different colleges. Miami and LSU were his top choices and we’re all well aware of the home pride choice that he made when it was all said and done.

“The alma mater of both you and Eli.”

“Yeah, his brothers too. They all wore the number eighteen. Cooper’s kids are students here now.”

As his eyes panned around the field, I observed him quietly reliving the nostalgia of his time here. The entire coaching staff has raved about him every chance they’ve been given to do so. It’s always a comical time whenever the Giants play the Saints because as much as people want the Saints to take the victory, they’re just as excited and looking forward to seeing him get out there and put on one hell of a performance.

“Nelson Stewart said that you were the most hardworking and explosive player that he’s ever coached. He called you the popular guy because people loved t0 be around you and also said that your energy rubbed off on your teammates.”

“Coach Stewart is one of my favorite people in general. He’s always been a stand-up guy and still looks out for me till this day. He’s sometimes a voice a reason for me whenever I’ve had an off game or a poor judgement call in sideline behavior.”

“It’s one thing that he said that was interesting to me and now that I’ve gotten to know you, I understand it so much more and know it to be true. He said that you don’t like the spotlight.” He doesn’t. All he has is a passion for winning. He’s not the guy that feels like the game winning play needs to run through him. He’s not watching the stats and obsessed with making sure his outshines anyone else in the league.

He’s not the guy who arrogantly talks down on teammates and opponents during press conferences or post-game interviews. He’d rather just win with his team while being allowed to be himself in the midst of it. It’s easier said than done, though. None of that stops him from being viewed as the most polarizing player in the NFL.

“I don’t. I just want to win. That’s why I play. I play for the love of it and to win championships. The additional accolades are cool, but I’m not really chasing any of that. I don’t need a bunch of ESPYs or MVP awards. If they think I deserve them then that’s fine, but I’m focused on nothing more than earning those Vince Lombardi trophies.”

“Can I ask you something? I don’t want you to think I’m turning on my journalist cap or anything like that, though.” He lightly snickered and used his large palm to grip my thigh in encouragement to proceed. As we sat in the bleachers, a custodian walked along the field tending to the grass. His age was a clear sign that he didn’t care too much about who either of us are or what we’re doing here.

“You can ask me anything.”

“Is that something you miss about your days here? The lack of a spotlight?”

“For sure. When you’re entering the draft, there this surreal excitement about the possibility to go pro. You don’t think about or care about everything that it entails before you get there. The goal is just to get there. Now that I’m there, I know now more than ever how much of a business it is. Sometimes it feels like it’s more about the business side of things than the sport itself. That can be frustrating. Then there’s the media and you know that I don’t have the best relationship with that side, no matter how much I try to keep my composure when I’m asked antagonizing questions or having the past thrown in my face even if the moment doesn’t call for it. It’s why I view you and a few others as a breath of fresh air. You don’t do that.”

“Journalism and the media itself have shifted due to the internet. Clickbait now holds a major importance in the way that the information gets out there. I hate it, believe me. Going viral is a thing now. The internet rehashes shit, daily. Social media journalism is the worst of the worst because nine times out of ten, it’s bullshit and it circulates faster than the truth does. I just try to put myself into the shoes of others and I know that I wouldn’t want to be misunderstood or deliberately have my genuine emotions ignored all for the sake of entertaining others. Regardless of the perks and millions that comes with being a professional athlete; you all are human beings. I think a lot of people look at the luxuries of your lives and have this unfair viewpoint that you don’t deserved to be humanized.”

“I think so too. It’s super crazy to hear people say things like I’m entitled or how they have the right to rip me to shreds because they’re season ticket holders or some shit. I don’t want to sound ungrateful because I’m not. My family is well taken care of because of the fans. I get to utilize what I was born to do because of them. I have to give them some credit for you coming into my life as well. So, I’m grateful, thankful, humbled. All of that. I just want to feel a bit more carefree again.”

“I get it. That’s fair and deserved.”

“You always get it. That’s why everyone in the sports world loves you. They gon’ have to fall back though.” His facial expression is what sparked my laughter. It was quite playful but his tone was not. Though it flatters me that I’m beloved amongst those that I report on day after day, I don’t take anything beyond professional talk seriously. The flirting doesn’t mean much of anything to me because men will be men. Luckily, nothing has been said or done that falls along the lines of sexual harassment. God willing, it’ll remain that way.

“Let me ask you this though. Did you start running through girls here or at LSU?” It was his turn to laugh and he did so with the typical male reaction when they’re getting ready to lie or downplay their behavior; with widen eyes and his head jerked back.

“Running through girls? I never ran through girls.”

“My mental lie detector test is going nuts right now.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I really didn’t run through girls like you think I did.”

“Pretty boy athlete? Yeah fucking right.”

“Pretty boy? Oh, so you think I’m cute?” The silly little smirk on his gorgeous face prompted me to roll my eyes.

“Don’t switch the subject.”

“I really wasn’t bad as you think I was. I had fun but it wasn’t that much fun. I didn’t want too much of that distracting me from my long-term goals.”

“Oh, so you waited until you were in the NFL to do it?”

“What? No.” Why do people laugh when they lie? At this point, I can’t even refrain some laughing.

“Yeah, okay. I will say, you do stay pretty lowkey with your shit. You’re not as caught out there like a lot of the other ones.”

“I’m not that bad. I promise I’m not. I guess I can see why it would seem like I am, but I wouldn’t really say that I’ve been out here tossing myself around heavily. I haven’t committed myself to anyone in quite some time though, so that’s left the window open for flings and some meaningless sex from time to time, but there is no crazy number for me to tell or brag about.”

“What if I want to know the number?”

“I’d tell you. You want to know?” Yet again, his hand squeezed my thigh and he followed with a caress to soothe what didn’t cause me any discomfort in the first place.

“No.” His past is his past. What is knowing that number supposed to do for me at this point? What is it supposed to mean?

“It’s been a minute for me in that particular area, though. I’m talking about maybe since late spring.” Late spring? Okay, I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear that.  

“It’s been a minute for me too.”

“How long of a minute if you don’t mind me asking?” And this is where the embarrassment comes in. I usually do my best to avoid admitting this because it turns an unnecessarily amount of attention on me and then comes the snide and sometimes condescending pity that I don’t need.

“It’s been four years since I’ve been with a man in any type of way; romantically and sexually.” Silence took over. When his eyes washed over me, there was no pity within them but rather an innocent curiosity. He wasn’t sure if he should proceed or not.

“Did he hurt you badly?”

“I don’t really look at it as hurt. I didn’t love him enough for that. I wanted to though and I tried to. More than anything, he tried to break me down from the inside out and there were parts of me that fed into it. Then there was the resistant side of me that fought back and it turned the time that I was with him into pure exhaustion mentally and even physically. He was draining.” If anything, I’ve gotten spoiled with how normal things have been within my home. I regretted when I allowed him to move in with me just two days later and that feeling never left. My posh little apartment turned into my personal hell. I dreaded being and sleeping there.

“When did you decide to leave?”

“All of our fights were verbal, but they were vicious. I knew at some point they were going to become physical and that I needed to get out there. He never really had a possessive and obsessive state of mind for the most part. We broke up to make up plenty of times. There just came a point when I was like fuck this, I’m over this shit and I’m never looking back. I know this is going to sound so doormat like, but I hoped that he was cheating on me. I had my suspicions that he was anyway but I never really went seeking. I wanted him to have fallen for someone else, so he wouldn’t give a shit about me telling him it’s over and putting his ass out of my apartment. He didn’t leave without a fight but he left. There were those few calls for forgiveness but he eventually stopped.” And I changed the locks, so that he couldn’t pop up on me since I never asked for my keys back.

“How did you two meet?”

“Through Celeste. I needed a new physical trainer and she raved about him. She had been working out at the gym he owns for quite some time and she swore up and down he was the perfect guy for me. To appease her, I didn’t resist her matchmaking bullshit.” And I should have because every guy she tries to send my way usually has something about him that doesn’t mesh well with my personality. Her desperation to be able to take the credit for having found my life partner is so damn maddening.

“So, did you make the choice not to date or no one caught your interest?”

“A bit of both. Initially, I need a break from it. After that break, it was a whatever type of thing. As you said, no one drew my interest. So, it just became me and Bob.”

“Who is Bob?” His frown of confusion caused me to raw in laughter. “You don’t have any pets.”

I do have pets. Eris and Mowgli are my babies. He just doesn’t know it yet.

“Bob is in my nightstand draw. It’s all black and has five different vibrating settings on it.”

That’s something that I only share when I’ve had a few drinks in me and my initiate life is in the middle of the floor for discussion. I don’t know where I found the comfort to blurt that out to him so comfortably but now that I have, not only is it hilarious but it’s nice to know how comfortable I’ve become with him. In the midst of what we’re building together despite any hesitance I’ve had, he’s genuinely my homie just as much.

“That’s interesting.” His eyes were still widened and his mouth was still slightly agape at the revelation. I know married women who still partake in self pleasure, so he’s not even about to burst my bubble over me making sure I’m handling the urges I do have.

“Uhm.” With another squeeze of my thigh, he normalized his face and stood to his feet. As his hand met the back of his neck, our eyes met and we instantly laughed at the flustered facial expression he wore. I didn’t intend to evoke that out of him, but it’s hilarious to see it.

“We have to get back to change for the game.”

“Change? What’s wrong with what I have on?”

“You’re not decked out in LSU colors, that’s what’s wrong.”

“Oh gosh. I am an NYU Violet. No Tigers gear for me.”

“An NYU what? NYU isn’t known for shit other than academics.”

“Excuse me? I’ll have you know that our fencing team is division one and has won thirty national championships.”

That may have been the funniest statement I’ve ever said to him. He laughed the entire walk back to the car and just about halfway back to the house. He even took it upon himself to make matters worse by Googling my alma mater’s sports history and rubbing in my face just how terrible all but the men’s cross country and women’s golf team is. Both our women’s and men’s fencing teams haven’t won titles since the seventies. What was I thinking bringing that up?

Because his laughter is so loveable, I even embarrassingly mentioned how I once considered joining the fencing team even though I didn’t have a lick of experience. That revelation was what brought the tears to his eyes. I’m pretty damn athletic. Well, I used to be. I would have picked up the basics quite easily. Mastered it? Now, I don’t know about that.

There was no way I’d be able to be along the sidelines with him nor would I be able to discreetly sit among the thousands of spectators celebrating their state team, so he set it up for me to enjoy the game in a Tiger Den Suite. I mentally prepared myself to be alone in here, but that wasn’t the case when I stepped inside. Instead, I was left to enjoy the company of mother and his three siblings.

The same Air Force 1 collaboration he gifted to the entire team, were donning all of our feet and his as well; well one of them. In the pictures that we took before he left out to go and stir up the crowd with his presence, we looked like a corny high school couple who deliberately matched our attire so that people would know we were together. While the photos will be nothing we can ever share, they’ll serve as nice keepsakes to be able to look back on at some point down the line.

In being here with his family, it’s a small reminder of the things that I’ve missed from my own. The manner in which Heather supports her children’s every endeavor is commendable. He no longer plays for this team and yet she’s still here dressed in their colors with his name running across the top of her back in pride for the legacy her oldest child left out there on the team’s home field. I’m willing to bet no matter what profession he chose for his life; she’d be just as prideful about it.

I’m not sure what my mother wants from me. I can’t even begin to pinpoint what I can do to make her proud and I’ve grown tired of trying to figure out what it could be beyond allowing her to control my decisions. She’s expressed that I should already know that she’s proud and if she weren’t, I’d surely hear it about it. I’d like her actions to match that. Whether she’s interested in what I like or not, it’s about the sacrifice for the sake of showing your children that they’re supported. If I’m blessed with kids, I intend to do that to the fullest extent.

“You and my brother are cute.”

“Huh?” I nearly choked on the half and half iced tea and lemonade I’ve been drinking. My eyes shifted over in Jasmyne’s direction. Though Sonny isn’t biologically her brother, it doesn’t stop her from treating him as if he is. He’s been on her lap the entire time we’ve been here.

“You two are cute.”

“Are we?” I asked such a dumbass question because I truly don’t know what to say. Do I confirm it? Do I deny him and downplay it all? How can I?

“Yeah. I can’t believe you like him. You’re so cool and my brother is not. Mom and I still don’t know how he pulled it off.” Our giggles were low and yet infectious. Her words were spoken like a true younger sibling. Both she and Kordell have no issue with teasing him and purposefully ganging up on him together. At some point, they’re going to teach Sonny, who views O as the best thing since sliced bread, to do the same thing.

“You two are hilarious.”

“If only I can tell my friends that he’s taken. I’d love to see the disappointment on their faces but most of all, it’ll make them stop talking about him. It’s so annoying.”

“Jazzy, you can’t…”

“I know, I know.” She cut me off. “I wouldn’t do that. He already spoke to me about it. Even if I could, I wouldn’t. I don’t tell his business.” And here he and I are, putting people into positions to keep the secrecy of our connection secure. They’ll have to watch what they do and say in front of others for the sake of protecting something that they’re not technically apart of. It’s not fair when you really take a step back and think about it.

“He spoke to you?”

“Yeah, to all of us. He just said that you guys want to be private.” He made it sound so simple.

“But you know that you can reach out to me at any time for anything, right?”

“I can?” In an instant, her eyes lit up.

“Of course. Call or text me whenever.”

“Will do.”

Though I wasn’t alongside him, I could see and even feel the joy radiating from Beckham’s body as he engaged the crowd from the sidelines of the field. He hails Death Valley as the greatest place he’s ever played the game of football in and it shows tonight. Even with the medical boot on his foot, he’s been in and out of the crowd, dancing along to the sound of the band and taking selfies in different sections filled with students. He’d even gotten the band to perform a song and chant that’s been banned from all collegiate sporting events as his mother explained it. I’m sure whatever disciplinary actions or fine that are to follow due to his request will be properly paid for. It’s the least he can do. 

“So, what did you think?”

The city became ours. Inside of a blacked-out BMW with a playlist filled with songs R&B songs that were birthed in the nineties, we cruised the streets of the now simmered down city after a victorious win in Tiger Stadium.

“I see what you mean when you mention the energy being unmatched. There’s something different about it. I’m not sure what it is, but I get it.”

“I feel like the energy in Death Valley still surpasses any Saints game at the Superdome.”

“You’re biased.”

“So, what.”

“I’m not knocking it country boy. You can be biased.”

“Country boy? Oh, you got jokes Brooklyn girl? Or should I call you B? Son?”

“I love your accent though, it’s super cute.” He sucked his teeth at my teasing.

“You sounding super tough like Remy Ma is cute too.”

“First of all, Remy’s from Castle Hill. That’s in the Bronx. I’m from Brooklyn. Get that shit right, don’t be disrespectful.”

“See? Aggressive.”

“Shut up!” We both were amused. I don’t know why people think New Yorkers sound aggressive. It’s not even that. We don’t have time for the bullshit and our tones will let you know. That’s all.

“What’s this, your get laid playlist?” Ginuwine’s “Stingy” had been playing for a little under a minute and I’ve been fighting all of my urges to sing along to it. If I were in my car, I would have been having my own karaoke session going on.

“Nah. I usually have on trap music to get me amped up before the games but after them, I’ll throw on things that are more mellow. So, this is my chilling out playlist. Why? You don’t like it?”

“I love it.”

As soon as he brought the car to a full stop at a red light, he removed his seatbelt and leaned over to intertwine our lips. His addicting taste ignited the rage of fluttering that awakens within my core any time a part of him touches me. The grip his hand held on my inner thigh only further pre-worsened whatever salacious dream that I am sure to have when I close my eyes tonight or rather, this morning.

“Don’t start nothing you can’t finish.” My warning sounded foolish. If anything, I should be telling myself that.

“I’ll make you throw that Bob shit out. Try me.” His minty breath slithered up my nose as his lips wrapped around my bottom one. The seat of my panties dampened in an instant.

Shit.

[migleefulmoments]

Abby is the 1 who needs a reading comprehension lesson. An anonymous person said 'You're a narrow-minded fool if you actually put any stock in whether or not a married man is wearing his ring.' Abby's reply was 'Never once did I or anyone I know say that a married person has to wear a ring.' Am I crazy or is that totally 2 different things? Sometimes Abby is so blind it makes me crazy. Also, if u could do a follow up to her blatherings re her post it would be great. I'm just gobsmacked over it.

I see you wrote another post clarifying it was Cassie who made the comments you quoted but the entire coven’s comments after Cassie just get more ridiculous- “fact” after “fact” of lies and nonsense comparisons.  It’s batty that they believe any of the lies- but they believe them all! 

Anonymous asked: My grandpa doesn't wear his wedding ring because he used to work as an AC/heating repair man (he even taught college courses on fixing heaters at one point) and then was just not in the habit when he retired. That doesn't make his and grandma's marriage less valid. Rings are a symbolic thing that most cultures don't even do. You're a narrow-minded fool if you actually put any stock in whether or not a married man is wearing his ring.

cassie1022 answered: Oh yay, fun. (Cassie -always so charming)  My dear Nonnie, once again, reading comprehension eludes someone that believes in the Miarren myth. Never once did I or anyone I know say that a married person has to wear a ring (and yet Abby pops in below to claim the same but then argue that it IS the ring coming and going that looks suspicious. Let’s pretend that cc rings were real- he didn’t wear them every day regardless of what Abby claims.). Some people don’t wear them because they work with their hands, like your grandpa, and some just don’t feel comfortable wearing them. Let’s be real though. D has never shown an aversion to wearing rings. He’s worn them quite often, even while playing a show (yes, but he also took them off.  It’s his prerogative.  Until he says he’s getting divorced, it’s none of our business). There was a time when the only time he DIDN’T have a ring on was while he was in character (so what? He has had his wedding ring on most times we’ve seen him. You are counting individual photos as entire days and that isn’t accurate)

That being said, let’s examine. When was the last time you think D fixed a car, operated heavy machinery, or, like your grandpa, fixed an AC unit or heater?  (You have no idea what he does in his spare time.  This is a gross comment-some people do things with their hands -build things- because they enjoy it)  (Maybe if he could do that, people wouldn’t be making their own sweat gravy when they go to TSG.)(So now we start with the lies and mischaracterizations. FUN. There are two comments from TSG claiming A/C was broken. Since likely Mia doesn’t own the building, she has no control over the A/C being broken). 

As I’ve already said, rings aren’t for everyone, but I’ve also pointed out that D has been an avid ring wearer most of his life, and there is more than enough photographic evidence to support this. Also, most couples that exchange rings don’t usually stop wearing them in the first year of marriage.(And he hasn’t stopped wearing his now has he?) That’s when it’s usually a point of pride and you want the world to know you are someone’s spouse. (Does Darren seem like the kind of person who is worried about “the world knowing he’s someone’s spouse��? He’s pretty open about his relationship and taking his ring off for an hour or two isn’t indicative of anything).

You know what DOES make a marriage less valid? No legitimate officiant.(LIE)  There are only a handful of states where you can officiate your own marriage, and guess what? Louisiana isn’t one of them.(He didn’t, Joe did)  You need an ordained minister and in addition to that, the minister must register in the parish where the marriage is taking place.

So, if this makes me a “narrow-minded fool,” so be it. I’ve been called worse. (It definitely does).  

ajw720 I needed to laugh this morning, thank you nonnie.(I would imagine you need to laugh a hell of a lot more than you do Abby)  You people really don’t get it (Oh lord).  Also, it isn’t JUST the ring (which is very suspicious especially as he deliberately takes it off at random times, there one minute gone the next) (Here abby argues it isn’t the ring.... except it is the ring) , it is as @cassie1022 pointed out, no officiant (LIE) , weird wedding algorithm (the fact that Abby truly believes there was a guest algorithm says everything there is to say about Abby’s judgment and the cc nonsense)  is FAMILY HONEYMOON (a joke)  constant babysitters (LIE) d’s complete lack of enthusiasm (he practically said he was bored and realized at the last moment that that was bad) (Desperate Abby, you're so desperate) , talked about pooping exes as opposed to how life changed with his bride (and you don’t get that this is was keep from speaking about his personal life? How long have you been a fan? Joking about something to distract from having to answer something private is spot-on Darren), speaks more passionately about his jacket then his wedding (we done got hitched) (This means nothing Abby...NOTHING. He wrote a boring post about his jacket and you’ve been losing your shit over it ever since. IT meant nothing...it was a coat he wore to an event. You only like it because he was boring and serious. It was the farthest thing from Darren I’ve ever read.), announced the engagement using a reference to the wrong freaking franchise (I can’t...this is one of your dumbest arguments out of a lot of arguments. It was a JOKE Abby, a joke.  He used the franchise that made the joke funny. Darren doesnt’ own a franchise)   , FIVE FUCKING encagement rings (LIE), the last of which is an advertisement that she is paid to wear and they haven’t even tried to hide this fact (LIE), utter lack of chemistry (again desperate Abby) , the weirdness with his non-relationship but clear friendship of sorts with his ex co-star (It’s not “weirdness” it’s a nonrelationship-you said it yourself). , the way she is promoted that is beyond excessive for someone who isn’t famous (This entire rant is unhinged. Nobody is promoting her, he’s living his life with her.  Like we expect he would with his wife. There is nothing untoward with their behavior together.  The fact that you have to label it “promotion” says that it worries you a lot). the fact that the sold their entire wedding to about 100 sponsors )(LIE) (I am sure there are more than we even realize), the clear references to fandom at the sham mockery (OMG Abby, give it up. Nobody cares about you), and that this allegedly private couple also released 85% of their wedding for public consumption (They released 27 photos. That is HARDLY 85% of their wedding. You saw a lot of the same photos posted by their friends and it upset you but they didn’t release 85% of their wedding. It was a 4-day event and the wedding events started at around 3 pm and lasted until after midnight -27 is not 85% of 10-ish hours of celebration).  

If it was ONLY that he randomly took his ring off depending on how the wind is blowing, fine, that is evidence alone of nothing.  All of these things, and hundred and hundreds of other facts (which are ALL LIES). (inconsistent timelines (Darren doesn’t owe you a “consistent timeline” that’s asinine)   they don’t know where they met each other RC handshakes (You know that isn’t a handshake- they were photographed together right before the “handshake’ you won’t let go of and he’s heard introducing her as his girlfriend ), D running from her every moment he can, etc, etc)(Whatever you tell yourself to sleep at night), are clear evidence it is fake that is beyond a reasonable doubt (Bwahahahahaha you are conning yourself Abby) .  Him kissing her in her bar is his job.  I suggest nonnie you pay attention to the details (Which ones- your lies or the real details?) And please pay attention to the captain, he hasn’t even been subtle lately, he has been fairly blatant (Le sigh, he isn’t the captain.  He’s a dude who loves his boyfriend Will and writes children’s books that are not cc Bibles) .

Happy Thanksgiving Nonnie!  I hope you can tear yourself away from reading blogs you disagree with long enough to enjoy your friends and family! Cheers!

notes-from-nowhere What love are you talking about, anon? M doesn’t love D and she makes this clear every chance she get (LIE- there is nothing that suggests MIa isn’t in love with Darren). Do I have to remind you how she denied to D’s mom one red carpet to celebrate her son? (LIE Abby fabricated)  Or to D’s dad to be honored for his military past?(another LIE Abby fabricated)  But why listing all of her actions when you know very well this is only the surface.

Btw, I still have to know a singer/actor lost a finger because of a wedding band. Anon, try again, this attempt failed. (SMH)

leka-1998 You know what I like about this instance in particular? Apart from the fact that the ring isn’t off the whole time, he’s still wearing the other one here.

After 284719 years, she should also know what the language D’s mom speaks is called. Seems she doesn’t care enough. (Another LIE that Abby fabricated) 

Also, former platonic roomie says hello. (LIE) 

ajw720

They still can’t explain away B/enny, the man D just praised for his new album yet D hasn’t even mentioned his brother’s (I can’t explain it but it has nothing to do with Darren and Mia.  You’re the one making it a problem) .  The man that mocked fandom on his IG by referring to M/oulin R/ouge when posting about the fraud in NOLA (Nobody-especially Ben Hudson- gives a shit about fandom Abby. You’re a nobody)  The man who seemingly officiated the wedding (Again a LIE)  And the one who appears to have a dog (yes he does, he lives with his girlfriend, Joanna, and their two dogs) . Hey remember just a few weeks ago when PBB dropped her teeth in the dog’s bowl? Funny as we know she and D don’t have a dog (Nope, they clearly don’t- stop trying so hard).…

[amehanaaa]

How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days

Another round of Nalu! We love that. 

I hope everyone has been having a good week so far! Although the summer has been slow, I’ve been trying to make the most out of it. 

Thank you everyone who has been reading so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter! (Also can be read here.)

Chapter 4 – Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 Words: 3790 Summary: Lucy and Natsu are determined to take the necessary steps to fulfill their lifetime dreams. Little do they know, they have both given themselves 10 days to achieve it. 

                                                  ——————–

Arriving at the fire station, Lucy can physically feel relief scatter across her body as Natsu waves at her on the front lawn. After tipping the driver, she nearly runs to him.

“Hey,” they both say while giving each other a hug.

As they hug, Lucy scans their surroundings behind him. From what she can tell, Natsu is the only one outside. So far, so good.

“What are you looking for?” he asks, catching her gaze while they pull away.

“Nothing!” she exclaims, a little too quickly. She tries to calm her voice down. “I was just looking at the station. And now, I’m looking at you.”

She sends him a sweet smile to distract him. However, she also has to distract herself, so she doesn’t pay too much attention to how his shirt suggestively clings onto his torso. Although the plain shirt clearly has stains on it, there’s something about it that gives him an extra layer of attractiveness.

“Your hair looks pretty in the sun,” he says as he reaches over and twirls a lock in his fingers.

“Thanks,” she responds. She instinctively leans closer to his touch, but after remembering why she came, she stops herself from leaning too close.

“What have you done today?” she asks.

Natsu pulls away, beckoning her to follow him up the driveway. “Not much. I swept the front porch, but that’s all the action I had. I mentioned this to you before, but there’s not a lot for me to do here in central Magnolia.”

“What’s stopping you from going somewhere with more activity?” She remarks, reminding him of the question he asked her when they first met.

He pauses for a second too long. “I just have some plans before I start looking, that’s all. Anyway, want to meet my colleagues?”

Lucy slightly gasps, nodding eagerly. “I want to meet them!”

Natsu chuckles as he leads her into the station. “Hey, guys! I have someone I want you to meet!”

Lucy watches with amusement as men randomly appear in different areas throughout the station. Some appear from the back, others through various doors, and one even rolls out from under the firetruck. Suddenly, she’s surrounded by a handful of firefighters.

“Guys, this is Lucy,” Natsu introduces her. “She has a thing for people with stories.”

Lucy gapes at him. “Hey, that’s not—”

“Oh, I have a good story,” one of the men begin to say. “Natsu’s first time on the truck, he experienced motion—”

“Not stories about me,” Natsu hastily interrupts him. “I mean, stories about yourself. Childhood or coming of age stories. Those are the kind she likes.”

Lucy feels like she has been exposed like an open book. Although none of these men doesn’t seem to look at her strangely, she feels self-conscious. She has the urge to excuse herself, but someone steps up and speaks.

“I got plenty,” he says. “We can sit down and talk for a bit.”

Lucy glances at Natsu as though for approval. When she finds him nodding, she can’t hold back her smile while she follows the man to one of the outdoor tables.

“You’re not allowed to tell her any stories about me, Laxus!” Natsu shouts from behind them.

Although she has never been this close to such a built man, Lucy doesn’t allow for any awkward space between them. Once they sit, she instantly goes into reporter mode.

“What is your biggest motivation for being a firefighter?” she asks.

Laxus cracks his knuckles beneath the table. “My dad was a firefighter, so I basically grew up here. This station used to be my second home. But it was actually my grandpa who raised me when I wasn’t at the station. My dad wasn’t interested into the whole child-raising thing.”

Lucy hums and nods occasionally, making sure that he knows she’s listening to his every word.

“Gramps taught me a lot growing up, but I threw it all in the trash when I was old enough to make my own decisions. Greed is an addiction once you’re convinced that the world revolves around you. I learned the hard way that it doesn’t.

“Since it was in my blood to become a firefighter, I stayed loyal to the station. As I continued to be greedy, I planned to become the chief and lay off anyone who didn’t fit the criteria I created. I thought that as firefighters, we needed to be the strongest men who could take down anything.

“I was this close to being promoted.” Laxus raises his hand, leaving a pinch of air in between his index finger and thumb. “But something happened with Gramps that I never saw coming. He opened up a school. I knew that man loved people, but I never knew he had a soft spot for kids.”

Laxus appears to be reminiscing as he speaks. Lucy can’t help but be mesmerized, but she also has too many questions that can’t go unanswered.

“Is your grandpa Makarov?”

“Yeah. Did Natsu take you to Fairy Tail?”

Lucy nods. “Why did Fairy Tail change your heart?”

“It made me see people for how much they’re worth,” Laxus admits. “I used to see my colleagues as objects that were weakening the station. My perspective completely changed after finding out Gramps’ vision for Fairy Tail.”

“You saw his vision for that side of Magnolia to be redeemed,” Lucy says.

“Gramps’ vision also gave me hope for my redemption,” Laxus responds. “I realized that there was no way this station could stand without some people to stay here and maintain it. Fairy Tail changed me altogether, which is hard for me to say aloud.

“After that, my biggest motivation for being a firefighter was for the inactive members to know that they’re valuable. Even if it’s just sweeping the porch, they’re still needed here. Someone has to make sure everything is under control while we’re gone.”

Lucy glances behind Laxus’s shoulder to watch Natsu juggling three oranges. “How valuable do you think Natsu is?”

“Natsu is another reason why my eyes opened, too,” he mentions. “He said not to tell stories about him, so I won’t. But I think he’s more valuable than the chief wants to recognize. More valuable than sweeping, at least.

“The chief is pretty stubborn, so it won’t matter what I say. I have hope that Natsu will get to a place where he’s the firefighter he wants to be, though.”

Laxus’s voice is steady, causing an unexpected flare of hope to light up in Lucy’s chest. Weirdly enough, Laxus’s words are enough for her to believe that everything will be okay with Natsu. He will get to live his dream job—someday.

“Thank you for sharing me your story,” Lucy tells him, knowing that her words aren’t enough to express her gratitude.

“Take care of Natsu.” Laxus stands up from the table. “He seems to care a whole lot about you.”

Lucy tries to receive the advice as much as she can before it starts to hurt her chest. Once Laxus is inside the station, Natsu approaches her.

“How was it?” he asks while sitting across from her.

“Really good,” she replies. Her lips have permanently formed into a smile. “His story is really special.”

“You think all stories are special,” he remarks. “Hey, why does it look like you’re more into him than me?”

Lucy lets out a laugh, which causes Natsu to frown. She leans over and places an assuring hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I only have eyes for you.”

“You better,” he mutters. “Anyway, are you ready for dinner tonight? I already have the menu.”

“I can’t wait.” She rises from her spot, brushing the dirt off her pants. “I’m going to run some errands before I come. I’ll see you at your place.”

“Alright,” Natsu says as he reaches for her hand to pull her in. He’s about to go in for a kiss, but Lucy moves her cheek just at the right time.

“See you.” She sends him a sly smile.

Feeling Natsu’s eyes focused on her back as she walks away, Lucy waits until she’s in the taxi to let out a sigh of relief. The more time that passes, the more she is convinced that his friend isn’t going to ruin the experiment anytime soon.

With that mindset, Lucy can focus on her plans. As she swings by her apartment, her biggest concern is how troublesome she will be tonight.

                                                  ——————–

Natsu happily hums to himself later that night as he observes his apartment. The veggies are washed, the glazed ham has been in the oven for an hour, the dessert is in the fridge, candles are lit, music is playing—who wouldn’t fall in love with him after all this effort?

He doesn’t hold back his proud smile as Lucy takes in the view once she arrives.

“Natsu, you shouldn’t have done all this!” she gasps. “You even set the table.”

“I’ve been setting up since I left the station,” he reveals, not bothering to attempt being humble. “I even woke up early to prep everything. I made my famous recipe; it’s the most beautiful creation you’ll ever see.”

He brings Lucy to the table, offering her to take a seat.

“I can’t wait to eat it!” she claps her hands excitedly. She watches him go to the kitchen and open the oven. He returns with a ham on a large plate.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Natsu says, hypnotized by his own food. After setting the ham on the table, he delicately slices her a piece. “Let me know how good it is.”

Lucy begins to bite her lip, exchanging a few glances from him to the plate. She makes it obvious that she is hesitating. To make the moment last longer, she takes a long gulp of her water. After setting the cup back down, she slowly opens her mouth.

“Oh, Natsu… I forgot to tell you. I decided I’m not going to eat meat anymore.”

Natsu freezes in his spot. “When did you decide that?”

“I started yesterday,” she replies.

“You can’t just restart tomorrow?” he asks, almost desperately.

“Absolutely not!” Lucy proclaims in disbelief. “It’ll throw off my whole digestion track.”

Natsu has to use every muscle in his body not to sigh in frustration. Instead, he tries to nod in understanding. “Alright. I don’t think the vegetables will fill us up, so it’d be better to go somewhere else then.”

“Let’s go!” Lucy cheers, pushing herself up from the table. “I know the perfect place!”

Natsu thought he would have enough time to at least take a bite of the ham, but he doesn’t get the chance due to Lucy taking him by the hand and out of his place.

Just a short walk from his apartment complex, they enter an Italian restaurant with the words vegetarian only printed on the front door. Never in a million years did Natsu think he would be eating at a place like this.

“I’ve heard good reviews about this place,” Lucy says after they order.

“I’ve never been to a vegetarian place before,” Natsu responds, trying to hide the bias in his voice. “Can it really be that good?”

“You’d be surprised at how great vegetarian plates are,” she points out.

He hums while taking a sip of his water. “So, what made you decide to go vegetarian?”

“I watched a documentary,” she answers, visibly shuddering. “Do you know how awful the meat industry is?”

“I don’t want to know.” He shakes his head. “How long do you plan to be vegetarian?”

“I’m also doing it for health reasons,” she adds. “My dad used to deal with some health issues. Do you know if your parents had any health issues?”

“No idea,” Natsu shrugs half-heartedly. “They didn’t tell me anything about it if they did.”

Lucy notices how vague his tone sounds, but before she gets the chance to press further, their food arrives.

Natsu thought ordering pasta was a safe option, but even the noodles look healthy and unfulfilling. He looks over to see a pile of spinach on Lucy’s plate. Neither of these plates look satisfying.

Taking his first bite of the pasta, he views Lucy pick at her food. They connect gazes as she glances up from her plate.

“Do you think I’m fat?” she asks bluntly.

Natsu frowns at her sudden shift in tone. “What are you—”

“You’re looking at me like I’m fat,” she interrupts him. Her voice raises with each word. “I actually love eating spinach!”

Natsu can’t stop himself from gaping. He scans the area to see if anyone is staring at them.

“I’m not looking at you that way,” he insists with a low voice. “You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, Lucy.”

She stops picking at her food, a smile appearing on her lips. “Really? Even if I was twenty pounds heavier?”

“Even if you were thirty pounds heavier,” he confirms with a nod.

“Okay, I’ll remember that in the future,” she replies. With that, she takes a bite of her spinach.

The tension between them feels to be sizzling out by each minute, but Natsu decides to escape it altogether by making sure there is always food in his mouth. He is positive their dinner night couldn’t get any worse.

What makes it slightly better is the surprise dessert that the waiters gift them with at the end of their meal. Natsu is sure they must have noticed the tension at their table.

“Ice cream is the best,” Lucy sighs out happily, flipping the spoon upside down in her mouth.

“I could eat it every day,” he replies.

Allowing Lucy to take the final spoonfuls, Natsu is grateful when they leave the restaurant without another round of her outbursts.

“I’m sorry I ruined dinner for us tonight,” Lucy says while they step on the sidewalk.

They pause to stand at a corner and lean against the wall. Since it’s dark, they can only see what the hovering streetlights provide them. One light is above them, causing their skin to appear a tinted yellow.

“You can make it up for me next time,” Natsu assures.

Not giving her any time to react, he leans into her lips. He rests one arm to the left of Lucy to trap her in. Natsu can feel pent up frustration inside of him as she returns the kiss. He drags his lips across her cheek and gently pecks down to her neck.

“Ah,” Lucy nearly yelps. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

Natsu mumbles against her skin. “You feel great.”

Lucy doesn’t have a problem with entertaining him for a while, but she decides to fight against it—she knows this will frustrate him further.

Since she is backed against a wall, she has no choice but to escape his kisses by swiftly squatting down and stepping away. Natsu looks at her dumbfounded, but she makes up for it by giving him a chaste kiss.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She sends him a hopeful smile.

She turns around in search for a taxi. Only have taken three steps away from him, she stops when he speaks behind her.

“How do you always make me feel like that?” Natsu asks.

She looks at him over her shoulder. “Like what?”

“You always smile after we kiss,” he points out. “It gives me this warm feeling in my chest.”

A giggle leaves Lucy’s lips. She brings her hand up in the air and begins to wave. “That sounds like a you problem!”

Not bothering to look at his facial expression in response, she gets into the nearest taxi. As she rides away, she finally feels something new inside her chest.

After ending every night with Natsu, she similarly has a type of warmth in her chest like he described. It’s a familiar feeling as though they’re actually in a relationship. Although she doesn’t receive it when they kiss, she definitely feels it after they’ve said goodbye each night.

But after tonight, there’s an unfamiliar heaviness. She wonders if these are the side effects to being the person she never wanted to become. She knows that the way she treated Natsu tonight was someone’s worst nightmare.

She recognizes that this heaviness settling in her chest represents that their relationship isn’t going in the right direction—which is exactly what needs to happen after the ten days.

Perhaps everything is going according to plan, after all. That is, if Natsu’s friend doesn’t come and wreck their relationship before then.

Meanwhile, Natsu returns to his apartment and finishes the entire ham by himself.

[catflowerqueen]

Musings on the Torterra Guild

I always like to believe that the things you do on the last days of the old year/first day of the new year sets the tone for how the rest of the year will go. Hopefully that holds true for me, and the next year will allow me to have a good balance of work and fun—along with time to write.

 On that note… for today’s edition of “Ramblings and thoughts that consume me and make me want to write them even though I already have many other WIPs and actual Real Life things I should be working on instead,” have some thoughts about the Torterra Guild that has been mentioned/alluded to in some of my other works.

 And I’m probably also going to spend a little time working on some of those other WIPs (though probably not Déjà vu today—at least not right away), so maybe expect some first chapters for some of my other “What if…” series ideas soon. No promises, though.

 Happy New Year!

     The Torterra Guild is structured a lot differently than the Wigglytuff Guild is, and they start training young. The thing about their training, however, is that they divide the sorts of things they teach based on age and experience. It’s run a lot more like a boarding school type deal, compared to the Wigglytuff Guild. Whereas you get more one-on-one type instruction/training on the job immediately in the Wigglytuff Guild (emulating the type of “instruction” that Wigglytuff got from Armaldo), the Torterra Guild actually has multiple different classes/courses that one takes, each with its own teachers. Think of it as a little bit like the school in Serene Village from Super, if a bit more broad and intensive (because, really, that school definitely seemed more focused on “how to explore without dying” than what one would expect from a school, especially because the pokemon world does seem to have a sort of society, what with the shopkeepers, policemen, post office, bureaucracies, and I’m pretty sure that Super had its own cinema equivalent). Their end goal is also to produce explorers who thrive when it comes to long-term exploration, rather than the short-term ones that the guild focuses on, since most of those can be completed within a day (Again, this hearkens back to Wigglytuff’s days with Armaldo—since obviously Armaldo would need to make sure Wigglytuff/Igglybuff made it home every evening so his parents wouldn’t come looking for him, thus blowing his cover). Obviously the Wigglytuff Guild does dabble a bit in the long-term stuff, given that they regularly go on expeditions, but they’re much more focused on smaller explorations—or gaining the strength needed to essentially plow through all their enemies and explore in an almost speed-running fashion as compared to what everyone else is doing.

      As such, a lot of the early years at the Torterra Guild are focused on teaching things like life skills—sewing, medicine, tool-making, foraging, etc.—as well as book-learning, so that they can learn things like navigation and map-reading, ciphers, history… things that would make it a bit easier for them to make connections and uncover hidden secrets. This is why Paula knows how to read footprint runes—not only did she often ask to see what Ricky was up to and the sorts of assignments he had whenever he would come home for a visit (which was actually semi-regularly, since the Torterra Guild isn’t quite as strict on that as it is more long-term) but he isn’t the most organized and would sometimes accidentally send his assignments home instead of the letters he meant to send. Also, Paula always knew she wanted to be an explorer, and wanted to get a sort of head start when it came to learning how since she assumed that it’s the sort of thing every explorer had to know, since her early exposure only came from the things Ricky was learning. Also the fact that the Torterra Guild was pretty nearby, and maintained a wide network of explorers due to how large it was and how many apprentices it had—and the close ties all the graduates kept with each other since it had been such a large part of their lives for so long—so most of the explorers passing through the nearest town were graduates of the guild. They actually have courses focused on building webs of influences/alliances/information as well, since being away from civilization for so long would necessitate maintaining friendships and ties with allies so that you could be assured of the ability to find help even when in some obscure places—whether because those friends would be willing to team up together for a time as they explore, or simply because more friends means more chances to just randomly run into someone you know as you explore farther afield. Also, if you actually teach people how to make friends and interact with others, then it means people will know how to keep doing that even when they’re on their own. This is part of why Ricky’s flirting skills have gotten markedly better over the years, even though he wasn’t learning specifically how to flirt. The Wigglytuff Guild, on the other hand, might encourage people to be friendly to anyone they come across (“Smiles go for miles,” after all), but they don’t specifically teach their recruits how to interact with others or make friends/allies, nor do they have any networks set in place. Sure, they get a lot of strangers and teams coming to the guild—sometimes including famous ones like Team Charm, Dusknoir, and Ricky himself—but many of those groups only come because the guild itself is famous, or because they know somewhere there personally. In other words, they want to use the guild’s name or meet/find one specific person rather than trying to foster any real ties with the people training there, even though that does, of course, happen. It’s just that it’s a happy coincidence/consequence rather than the initial intent.

       Regarding “serious” training that involves going on actual explorations… that wouldn’t happen in the Torterra Guild until around age 16 or 17—so roughly the age Paula is around the beginning of Déjà vu. Even then, one would need to pass a lot of examinations and supervised practice runs first. This is why Paula’s parents had no problem letting her go off to become an explorer at such a young age. They’d already gone through it with Ricky—he’s between 8-10 years older than Paula is, and they actually made him wait a little bit to join, so he got a later start than many of the other Torterra recruits, since they weren’t sure about the whole thing yet. But once he’d joined and they started learning what it was like from his letters, they deemed it actually pretty safe, and that their initial fears were an overreaction. Since they’d also lived by the Torterra Guild for most of their lives, they—just like Paula—assumed that it was pretty standard for the way all guilds were run. As such, even though it was a bit far away, Paula’s parents were ultimately okay with her going to the Wigglytuff Guild because they assumed she’d still be stuck learning at a desk for a few years (and they/Ricky’s team may have given her an escort to the town itself and then left her to make her own way to the actual guild, rather than let her travel so far on her own before she’d received any actual training). This, by the way, is why Paula was so surprised and upset by how mundane the Drenched Bluff assignment was. In her experience, when a guild sent you out on a mission without oversight from an older guild member/one of the teachers or staff, it was for some sort of serious exploration—more like the Waterfall Cave assignment—and it was because they deemed them fully prepared to explore on their own. Having those small jobs—with no oversight even in the choosing outside of those first few days—be their own teaching assignments just wasn’t something Paula was used to. Neither was the fact that they would actually see any money from these assignments—all payment rendered from services at the Torterra Guild was handled by actual accountants and bankers. The students never saw any of it themselves, though portions of the earnings were set aside in order to pay for their tuition and most of their supplies. After graduation, there would either be a yearly fee they would pay for maintaining their permits/badges/whatever, or there would be letters to the alumni requesting donations—much like colleges here on Earth. But they would have to deduct that themselves from their entire earnings over a longer period, unlike how the Wigglytuff Guild takes its cuts per job. Part of this is because the Torterra Guild doesn’t have a job board posted up for any explorer to take a look at, unlike the Wigglytuff Guild does. Since the Torterra Guild directs all its apprentices during training, much of the income afterwards comes any treasures found on explorations which were planned of the graduates’ own volition based their research, or from jobs which are exclusively available for the purview of Torterra Guild graduates or which they just happen to come across on their own—and unless they go to someplace like the Wigglytuff Guild or other Federation approved locations, these requests might not be properly vetted—leading to instances like I’ve already talked about with Armaldo. Of course, part of the training in the Torterra Guild focuses on how to actually vet those requests and make sure they’re legitimate.

      But not everyone knows about the inner workings of the Torterra Guild. It might be one of the big names as far as guilds go, but to those not in the know, the expectations and experiences of the recruits are rather secretive, and the way they work can be rather confusing and misleading to the rest of the world. In comparison to the Wigglytuff Guild, the Torterra Guild is a bit more selective about who they let join in the first place, since they dedicate a lot of time and energy to the preparation. There are actually two different tracks when it comes to the guild. One is the actual explorers track, and one is just basically a school—because those life lessons are useful for everyone, not just explorers. So it is possible to join just for the life lessons, with no expectations of becoming an explorer. A lot of people do that—Paula and Ricky’s parents included, most likely. It’s just that some of the lessons are explorer-track exclusive, and you can only get into those if you do really well on the more public portions—which are more like a day school. So when Ricky was just starting out, he would get to go home every day/every weekend/every two weeks (depending on exactly how far away the clearing that the Sparks family calls home is from the guild). The classes are also a bit less intensive. But once it was determined that he had the skills and ability to become an actual explorer, he was offered an exam to take in order to join the explorer track. If Paula had joined the Torterra Guild, she likely would have been allowed to join the explorer track immediately—or at least much sooner, and they would have kept a closer eye on her progress than they did with Ricky’s initially—due to her connection to Ricky and the fact that he was a proven explorer. Since she was his sister, it meant she would also probably excel at it, right? Or she would at least have had a bit more heads up and preparation due to the fact that he maintained close contact with his family through letters even though he wasn’t allowed to visit home as often. Heck, they probably just sent the written portions of their exams straight to her house once they heard that she was interested in becoming an explorer. But the very fact that a lot of this attention was given to her solely because of Ricky is what made her wary of joining—as she mused in my recent online snippet.

      This two-track system is why people get confused about exactly how the Torterra Guild is run, since, because of the distinction between those guild members who learning to be explorers and those who are simply taking some of the lessons on life skills—they don’t necessarily realize that all of it is run under the same heading, and that everyone taking classes there, regardless of what track they’re on, is still technically a member of the guild. The fact that the Torterra guild has multiple buildings, each headed by a member of the Torterra family (although not all family members are necessarily actually torterra), also doesn’t help much unless you are already in the know, since everyone, regardless of the track, has to spend time taking life skills classes, often as a mixed group with the other track, and those classes typically take place in one building whereas he more “serious,” exploration based classes exclusive to the explorer track take place in another one. This means the difference between being a graduate of the life skills portion and the explorers portion is typically as minor as saying one was an apprentice versus just being a graduate—since only the graduates of the explorers portion get to use the term “apprentice” rather than merely saying “member” or “student,” kind of like how anyone who has earned a PhD can use the term “doctor,” even not all of those doctors graduated from a medical field. Unfortunately, since this is so outside the norm of the way the rest of the guilds in the world operate, it means that a lot of people only see that secondary building for the explorer-exclusive classes as being the “real” guild, and, thus, assume that only the classes undertaken there comprise the “real” training that the guild offers, even though that is very far from the case.

      With the exception of Wigglytuff (whose experience as an apprentice was way, way outside the norm for multiple reasons—although there probably are many cases in which an explorer will take on a solo apprentice , or sets of them, rather than maintaining an entire guild’s worth the way Wigglytuff ended up doing), most of the pokémon in and around the Treasure Town area are more used to a guild which runs the way Wigglytuff’s does—an apprenticeship which can span multiple years, yes, but one without a lot of book-learning, and with more hands-on experience that results in a bit more of an eclectic skillset that varies from graduate to graduate. Most of the “life skills” that one learns as part of the Torterra Guild are expected to have been learned before joining, or it’s at least expected that the apprentices will have the responsibility to ask someone at the guild for help honing a specific set (for example, Chimecho actually has a good relationship with Chatot and Wigglytuff that is closer than a lot of the other apprentices because even though she did come in with a lot of skills—like cooking and sewing—she also specifically asked Chatot to help her learn more about nursing. Something that Sunflora also eventually decides is a good skill to have, mostly because of the things she and Chimecho talk about as roommates, which is why she started to learn as well and is thus the one to be administering medical attention during chapter two of Missing Scenes, even as she comments that she isn’t nearly as skilled as Chatot is). As such, prospective apprentices are generally expected to be in their late teens before joining (Diglett may have been a bit of an exception, depending on how long he and his dad have been part of the guild, but the fact that he came with his father changes the rules a little bit, as it means he had more direct supervision from an actual parent who was and is still actively involved in raising him… even if his obsession with the ocean means that Diglett has lately been the more responsible of the pair). So even though apprentices of both guilds only really start doing serious explorations in their late teens, because Wigglytuff’s Guild doesn’t have the same mandatory “life skills” training period that the Torterra Guild does, this is why everyone assumed that Laura and Paula were simply on the younger side of that spectrum—maybe 15 or so (in other words, Paula’s age at the time of The World’s Treasure)—upon joining and are so surprised by the revelation that, no, Paula was only a teenager through a technicality (since she hung around for quite a while before actually joining the guild, even though she left home when she was about twelve) and Laura was literally a child—eleven years old exactly at the time of joining. But despite that, the two still managed to graduate in a little over a year.

      Paula didn’t really think it was all that strange at the time since her exposure to the Torterra Guild meant that she still equated the idea of guilds with schools, and assumed that if an authority figure such as Chatot was sending her out to explore in the way that he did, and as early as he did (from her perspective, at least), then it meant that he thought she was more than qualified to go out like that—she may have thought it was a little odd that she didn’t at least get a quiz about her abilities first (because how else would he have known that? Could he tell just by looking at her?), but she would have chalked it up to differences in guild management. She may have also assumed, looking back on it, that the Drenched Bluff assignment was the placement exam. Since she and Laura completed it so easily, it just meant that they were automatically fast-tracked to the upper levels of classes/learning—if they had failed, then they would have been placed on the slower route. And in a way… she wasn’t exactly wrong? After all, given Bidoof’s special episode we know that he was put on a lot of milder assignments and didn’t really get to go out to dungeons yet—and even when he did, they sent him out with Sunflora so that she could act as his guide and teacher.

      …Come to think of it, that entire special episode may have been why Chatot immediately started their training by giving them an actual assignment off the job boards. His experience with how antsy Bidoof got—to the point where he would actually go out and do something as reckless as he did in his special episode—may have made Chatot think that he was being too cautious and overprotective, and that he should give these newcomers a shot at something more serious first. As Wigglytuff said after the Perfect Apple incident (but before he realized it meant he wouldn’t have any Perfect Apples to eat for a while), everyone fails sometimes; and like he told Bidoof in the aforementioned episode, failing and learning from it is how one becomes stronger. So if Team Rainbow had failed that first assignment, it would have been no big deal; someone else would have completed it later to help Spoink, and the girls would have learned that they weren’t quite ready to go on assignments like that, and would have (hopefully) been more willing and patient than Bidoof was when it came to actually learning and training, especially if Chatot modified his approach a bit. It’s just that… they didn’t fail. And they kept succeeding until the whole Perfect Apple incident—and even then, that was because of outside interference rather than necessarily being a reflection of their own skills. And even if it had been because of their lack of skills, the fact that Wigglytuff let them go on the expedition anyways, and that they did so well there, just meant that they were fast learners and improved quickly. Which… they are, its just that people expected that most of their skill came from age and practice rather than because they were, essentially, prodigies who had been thrown into the deep end. So in that case, it’s rather lucky that Paula was so interested in preparing ahead while she was little, and that she did spend a lot of time in Ricky’s shadow (as much as she dislikes the idea), and that Laura’s crazy life meant that she retained the knowledge of a lot of important skills, even if she can’t consciously remember learning them. It meant that even though they didn’t acquire all the skills they would have at the Torterra Guild, that they at least knew enough that they could get by as being only a little under average for the typical expectations of newcomers to the Wigglytuff Guild, and also that they were more willing to be more proactive in asking for help learning new skills—yes, even Laura for how quiet she was about it. Though in her case it may have been more that people watched her trying to emulate them and then took pity on her more disastrous attempts and decided to offer help… or she reminded them of siblings or people they knew growing up so they just naturally inserted themselves into her life out of habit. Or they didn’t manage to catch her watching them, but she still managed to learn from observation anyways. After all, it’s amazing how many people don’t think to look up, even if they can feel eyes watching them from somewhere…

      All this to say that if anyone had actually bothered to ask her or Laura their ages once they joined the Wigglytuff Guild, their approach to their training would have been a lot different. They may or may not have even let them join at all—on the one hand, their methods are geared towards older pokemon, but on the other hand refusing entry would still mean Paula would have to traverse the long distance to make it back home on her own (which, yeah, she obviously made it to town just fine the first time and has been successfully living on her own ever since, but no one is going to be happy at the thought of a child being in those conditions despite her apparent successes so far—and even if she did have an escort, unless she manages to clear up the misconceptions that everyone has about the Torterra Guild, then they are going to assume that whatever guardians she had were extremely neglectful when they allowed their twelve-year-old to wander off and try to join a guild) and Laura literally has nowhere else to go at the moment—and she probably wouldn’t have even known her age, and may not have even had a guess or bothered to devote any introspection to that specific matter, rather than her identity as a whole. Her upbringing was strange in general, and her concept of what childhood consisted of would have been extremely skewed, for a multitude of reasons. As I’ve said before—if in Déjà vu Jirachi had de-aged her to the child version of her current incarnation, things would have been a lot darker from the onset and more upfront about how terrible her childhood was, rather than the vague implications that something wasn’t quite right that the childhood of her first incarnation is going to exude by the end of the story. They probably would have assumed she was around the same age as Paula, though. Or even if they did think she was older—because, again, her upbringing make her act older than she actually is, even subconsciously, simply because she hasn’t had any real experience with what childhood typically entails—the fact that she’s an amnesiac who doesn’t necessarily understand her needs as a treecko would definitely have given them pause and led them to seek out some professional help, rather than the vague attempts that Wigglytuff tried/is currently trying to give her in-game—because he definitely realized that she needed help, but he didn’t quite realize how dire the situation actually was because she’s so competent/used to acting older than she actually is, and that means no one quite realizes that a lot of her talent came from a combination of being a legitimate prodigy in certain areas, the fact that the Dimensional Scream ability gives her insight into things that she otherwise shouldn’t be aware of (which she then shares with Paula, obviously), and the fact that a lot of her skills were hammered into her as a child for some very unfortunate reasons. So even if they didn’t let the two of them join right away—though they would probably tell Paula that she could come back and try again in a few years—they would still feel obligated Laura as their ward/tried to find someone who could take care of her for a while like they did with Walrein and Manaphy (which would probably mean that they ended up sending her to Sunflora’s aunt/found a sceptile or other Grass-type who could literally teach her how to be a treecko if she ended up divulging her former species). And depending how that particular conversation with Paula went as far as why her guardians allowed her to try and join a guild at age twelve, they may feel obligated to make Paula their ward as well.

      (Incidentally, despite his own rocky upbringing, Grovyle also thought she was older than she actually is, and only part of that is due to the fact that he had no prior experience with humans, so couldn’t really gauge her age well. He knew that she was younger than him, but didn’t realize by quite how much until literally a few moments before Celebi sent them into the past that first time.)

      But if they did allow the two to join anyways (or if they made them their wards with the assumption that they would join for real when they were older), depending on exactly how the Wigglytuff Guild would have modified their approach to teaching the two of them, they may have actually thrived very well. After all, Paula went in expecting that she would spend a long period of time on book-learning and chores—it was only when she learned that she would be thrown out into the field immediately that she got upset at how “boring” her first assignment was. And the fact that she actually studied footprint runes—among other things—of her own volition bodes well for how she would have fared under such a modified schedule. She enjoys all aspects of exploring, after all, the learning and preparation as much as the actual activity. Learning is its own sort of exploration, in a way, as trying to figure out how things work and how to decipher things is its own sort of mystery, and gaining new knowledge and skills is its own reward. This approach to training also would have been much the same sort of thing that Laura would have expected as a typical member of Relatia’s people (And especially as a typical nascent Rainbow Child, though she wouldn’t have been aware of that aspect at the time), since their lifestyle is obviously more centered around life in a society rather than life as an explorer—although depending on what type of job they do, they may end up in more dangerous situations where knowing things like foraging would be extremely important and helpful—so much of their training involves things like learning languages and their culture’s history, as well as some specific education on religious ceremonies and the like. Again, she has no prior conceptions of what she’s supposed to be doing because of her amnesia—and her subconscious would be telling her that this is the sort of life that she is supposed to be having when time and space are working as they should, her guardians aren’t horrible people, and she hasn’t been kidnapped by a legendary pokémon. She would only really get an inkling that something is wrong when the effects of Temporal Tower’s breakdown started becoming more apparent, and even then she wouldn’t necessarily know what she is supposed to be doing—only that there is something wrong that she should maybe be doing something about. Of course, by that point the outside forces of Dusknoir and Grovyle’s shenanigans would have forced her into some sort of action, if only because of the disruption it would cause to guild life. As well as the fact that she would specifically be targeted once either of the two of them finally clued in to who she was.

      Anyways, the point of all that is that Team Rainbow probably wouldn’t have gotten as desperate as Bidoof got in his special episode because they either had no prior conceptions of what guild life is supposed to be, or because the modified approach is more in line with what they would have expected anyways and they wouldn’t have found it strange or been more wistful than envious when everyone around them was getting to do the cool exploration jobs while they were stuck back at the guild learning how to cook or repair ropes or whatever. And neither of them even thought to wonder or comment on the guild life that they got in canon, because the reality either exceeded their expectations and they didn��t think to mention what their initial expectations had been for them to have been exceeded so thoroughly, or because, again, they had no expectations going in.

      These sorts of issues may or may not prompt some people to try and make communication and transparency among the various guilds more of a priority, or to at least invest in some better informational pamphlets for their own guilds, in order to prevent such miscommunications again. It may also lead some people to wonder if these sorts of miscommunications are why so many guilds have high drop-out rates, especially from pokémon who travelled from farther away in order to join. It will definitely prompt Chatot to start asking about ages of prospective recruits, however, or at the very least to seriously consider the possibility of an entrance exam, because even though things worked out fine this time, there were definitely some exceptional circumstances leading to those successes—and even then, there were multiple times where things could have ended very, very badly for either of these kids. Not to mention all the unnecessary stress the two still endure from time to time.

      Incidentally, Jirachi doesn’t really understand things like relative ages, bureaucracy, or what, exactly, goes on in a guild—otherwise he may have tried to send that dream about the Wigglytuff Guild backlit by stars to a different, older, explorer-hopeful. Then again, even he doesn’t necessarily have full control over his powers and the way they work at all times, especially for more complicated wishes, or those outside his area of expertise (think of the way in the Jirachi movie that he granted the wish about snacks—pulling them from a snack cart rather than creating them from nothing, likely because of a combination of it being less costly in terms of energy as well as not knowing anything about the human economy/money). And also, there was so much going on at the time and so many different factors/forces involved that it’s hard to know exactly how much influence he had anyways. The dream was definitely because of him—but who’s to say he was actually the one to decide who to grant it to?

[draco-draco-draco-draco]

The Chosen One’s Little Sister Part 1

Character is an OC reader

Author: Jess

Word Count: 1415

16. I am 16 years old and victim to an upcoming war. Despite being a year younger than him, I’m in the same year at Hogwarts as my brother, Harry Potter. For some reason, Professor Dumbledore decided it would be safer for us to be together instead of Harry leaving me with the Dursley’s when he turned 11. We’re actually quite different, me and him. He has two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, and the three of them are in Gryffindor. I, however, have three best friends, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. The only bad thing about our friendship is that they’re in slytherin and I’m in gryffindor, but I am definitely treated like a slytherin; if anyone hurts or disrespects me, they’ll face the wrath of both houses- simply the perks of being friends with the most intimidating slytherins and being the sister of the boy who lived. 

Currently, I only have two best friends as Draco is my best-friend-turned-boyfriend. We did everything together, even though last year everything changed. Despite his attempt at distancing himself from me, I made sure that he was never alone. I knew all along what was sitting on the inside of his left arm, but I didn’t care;he didn’t want it-that’s not who he is. Being from a pure-blooded, wealthy family can have its perks, but in times like these, it can be lethal. I know for a fact that Mr and Mrs Malfoy forced him into it. I also know that they didn’t want him to be a death eater though, he simply had to be one in order for the three of them to survive. No one dares disobey the Dark Lord. 

Now though, I’m at the Burrow with my brother, Hermione and the Weasleys and we’re all preparing for Bill Weasleys wedding that’s taking place this afternoon. There was a lot of worry about too many invitations drawing attention to the event, and with Harry being there, that could be dangerous. You see, he’s famous-the chosen one-  and wanted by Lord Voldemort (which means that he has a massive target on his back). I’m not. I know what he has to do though and that he’ll be leaving soon to destroy the monster that is Lord Voldemort with Hermione and Ron. I’ll probably be going to Hogwarts this year even with all of the dangers that comes with it, but I’ve got no where else to go, and hundreds of students will still go, and I want to be there to help everyone cope with the rapid change to the wizarding world. At least I’ll see Pansy and Blaise. 

“Oh, Remus, there you are! Come in, come in!” The voice of Mrs Weasley reached my ears and upon hearing the name ‘Remus’ my face lit up. I dropped the string of fairy lights that I was holding and rushed over to the door. 

“Uncle Rem!” I greeted, hugging him and he immediately wrapped his arms around me in response. Remus is my Godfather, but I always call him ‘Uncle Rem/Remus/Moony’ because ‘Godfather Rem/Remus/Moony’ doesn’t quite have a ring to it. 

“Are you sure you want to go to Hogwarts this year?” He asked me after a moments conversation and I nodded because yes, I wanted to. I knew it wasn’t the safest place to be, but I just felt that I had to be there. Remus looked concerned but didn’t press me on the subject any further. 

“Come on! Back to decorating the tent for the wedding!” Mrs Weasley called to me and uncle Remus, so we went back outside and set the tables. 

A patronus sent by Kingsley Shacklebolt sent the wedding guests into total panic-death eaters were coming. People were disapparating left right and centre, but some stayed to help fight them. Suddenly, about 15 death eaters appeared, duelling and injuring many people. I searched the crowd of people for Harry to make sure he was gone, but I saw him trying to reach Hermione and Ron, obstructed by a death eater next to him that was aiming for him and- 

“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!” I yelled, causing said death eater to freeze and topple over. Harry turned and smiled in thanks and apparated away with his friends. A scream to my right drew me back into the fight and I duelled two death eaters side-by-side with Ginny. 

“Is everyone okay?” Charlie Weasley called out to everyone after all of the death eaters had either apparated or been stunned. 

“Physically-yes. Mentally-no.” I replied, causing a few people to chuckle. It was only Remus, me and the Weasleys(minus Ron) left. “So, what do we do with these?” I asked, poking a nearby death eater that was stunned on the floor with my foot. 

It took a while for someone to reply until someone said “should we floo them to the ministry?” No one had any better ideas so we were soon shoving them into the fire place one by one and chucking floo powder on them while clearly stating ‘the ministry of magic’. 

“Ugh, I need a drink” I said when they had gone.

“Courtney, you’re only sixte-“ Remus began but started laughing when he saw me return to the living room with a glass of blackcurrent juice. 

“Yeah, no alcohol for you Courtney, you’re still a little baby,” Fred said, walking over to me and messing up my long black hair, causing me to roll my eyes. 

“I’m not a baby” I argued. 

“Sure you’re not, little one.” George said, walking to the kitchen to get a large bottle of firewhiskey for everyone else.

“Stay safe,” Mrs Weasley whispered to me as she hugged me. It was finally the 1st of September, meaning it was time to leave for Hogwarts. Ginny wasn’t coming just yet-she was coming on the Hogwarts Express when the Christmas holidays ended. 

Remus was next to say goodbye and he hugged me, kissing the top of my head at the same time. “Love you.” He whispered, causing me to smile and say it back. 

“Give ‘em hell for us!” Fred exclaimed, waving as I stepped onto the train. I laughed and waved as I saw Mrs Weasley swat at his arm with her gloves and George gave me the ‘thumbs up’.

I was sitting in a compartment with Pansy and Blaise when the train randomly stopped. “Is it just me that’s seriously getting third year vibes?” I asked and the surrounding students smirked at my comment but were too scared to laugh too much. From both sides of the train, death eaters entered and scouted the train, looking for someone. As they came over to near where I was sitting, I stood up and laughed humourlessly. “Please don’t tell me you’re looking for Harry Potter,” I said, and when they didn’t reply I continued “good Godric you are! You seriously think he’d be going to Hogwarts this year? Honestly Pans,” I turned to Pansy, “if these are the people attempting to take over the wizarding world, I pray for our future education system.” I saw a fist coming towards my nose and instinctively ducked, causing the death eater to miss me. 

“If you continue with that behaviour, I’m afraid you won’t live long enough to see that future education system, love.” He growled at me. 

“Why? Don’t tell me you think Potter will win this war, honey, because that’s not a good attitude to have considering you’re a death eater.” I said with venom, turning my body to look at him full on and crossing my arms.

He was about to reply but another death eater shouted “he’s not here, let’s go!”, and they all disappeared out of all of the exits, including large windows that were opened wide enough.

I sat down and everyone looked at me with a mixture of admiration and confusion on their face. “You, my friend, have a death wish!” Pansy said, giggling slightly, but it was obvious that it was out of fear. I shrugged and smirked, taking a sip of my butter beer and looked out the window at the trail of black smoke that the intruders left behind. 

After a moments silence Pansy burst out laughing saying “bloody hell, I can’t believe you called him ‘honey’!” Everybody looked at each other and joined in with the laughter too. It wasn’t long until that particular encounter was forgotten- or more likely ignored- and people were chatting to each other again.

[gifsbysimplysonia]

Tell me about something crazy that happened to you

If you don’t want to read THE LONGEST TEXT ENTRY OF YOUR LIFE, do NOT click on the cut! 

THE RAVE - MILWAUKEE - BAMBOOZLE 2010 - JUNE 11, 2010

Mmkay, so the day after my birthday, I headed up to The Rave Milwaukee to see Good Charlotte at the Bamboozle Roadshow Festival, and it was my first time seeing them since October 2006, when I’d last seen them also at the Rave in Milwaukee :P 

Not even 3 minutes after arriving, I randomly ran into Tezzie my Fangirl Soulmate (one of the first friends I made on Livejournal back in the 00s; she was visiting all the way from Sweden and was a member a group of the most dedicated fans I had ever witnessed). I was trying to call the # she had given me and was leaving a voicemail as I began walking around the building, along the MASSIVE line that was already formed, full of TEENS and PRE-TEENS. And as I walked and talked…suddenly before me appeared a tiny ginger pixie :) We hugged, we smiled, and that was that. The very dedicated group was in attendance (though I believe there were more members): Krisse (Tezzie’s wifey), Tez, Ashley, Isabel & Jasmine. Tez was with her friend Ashley and they were going to Ashley’s car for something. I went with them and they were filling me in on everything. They and their friends had gotten to the venue at SEVEN IN THE MORNING and had been there the whole time (I think it was after noon by the time I arrived)!!! They were nice enough to let me in line with them.

When we first got in, we all rushed to the GC merch table. They were running this promotion where if you are 1 of the first 6 to go to the table and say “I wanna rep GC!” you get to go to the meet n greet. Being that Milwaukee was Krisse & Tezzie’s first show of the tour, they were going to try for it as the other girls had already got to go to a meet ‘n greet at a previous show. And wouldn’t ya know, they got THE LAST 2 PASSES??? How’s that for luck? The merch dude told me I could try going with them and telling them it was my bday because he’d seen them “let people in,” so why not give it a try? I thanked him for the tip and decided that’s what I’d do.

Meet n greet time rolled around at about 3 and I was SO READY to have to lay down this big sob story and BEG for them to let me into the meet ‘n greet. But when it came time, the lady from the Buzznet table told the lady in charge of the meet ‘n greet that it was my bday and I wanted to know if I could come in, and the lady just shrugged and said, “Sure, why not?” LMAO! As usual, I stressed for hours FOR NOTHING!We went up about 7 flights of stairs, no sh*t, to get to the very top of the venue. And once there, we waited a while for the band to show up. I took some video of Tez & Krisse, wanting to document their nervousness. They were very cute. Tez hadn’t seen the band in 2 years; 2 years and 2 months. Krisse hadn’t seen them in a year and 11 months. They were both SO NERVOUS. The guys finally showed up, late, but it was all of them. Being used to a7x and only getting 3 of 5 members of the band, I was really surprised! But there all 5 of them were :) The big bald security guy wanted it to be very organized so he immediately lined us all up and told us to have cameras ready, 1 thing to sign, and began pushing people through right away.Somehow, I ended up in line first, meaning before K & T. The lady who let me in took my camera from me and then I was going up to the guys, my ticket in hand for them to sign!

I was determined to be well mannered so I made sure to introduce myself to each member & shake everyone’s hand. First up was Paul. He told me I had a lovely name *blush* God bless him, he’s super cute. I was going to ask for a hug because “Paul hugs” are supposedly the best ever BUT the dude was MAD sweaty O_o I had no idea from what, so I didn’t ask. Deano was next and he gave a nice firm shake. I told the two of them it was my birthday and they replied with huge smiles and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” like it was the best news ever. Totally adorable. Then Deano told me I’d like the new song they are playing and asked me if I’d heard it yet. I told him no and he told me it was called “Like It’s Her Birthday” so I should like it :) Then … there was Joel. Sigh. So funny to think JUST a few years before, I was totally gaga for the dude. I shook his hand, he stood there and for a second? I couldn’t figure out what he was staring at cuz it wasn’t my face, but I realized he was checking out my Vengeance University switchblade pendant :P Benji was next to him. I THINK I shook his hand and intro'ed myself but I’m NOT sure. What I remember about being in front of the Twins was explaining that I hadn’t seen them in 4 years so I was SUPER excited about seeing them live again, to which Benji replies, “I hope we’re not a let down.” O_o As I learned later that day, this kid is a total “Sour Patch Kid.” LOLI said, “Why would you say that?” He just kinda shrugged. So I told him, “You guys never let me down.” Joel liked that because he nodded and went, “Yeaaaaaah,” then held his right fist up for me to pound, so I did :P Then I quickly introduced myself to Billy and shook his hand. He said his name to me, as if I wouldn’t know it, bless him. And then I was being prompted to pose for my photo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LATER THAT EVENING~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the show, behind the venue at the back door, we ended up all standing there with Benji, and he was just talking for QUITE a while. That’s never happened to me before. The longest convo I’ve had with someone famous lasted about … 3 minutes? And all I did was argue with the poor guy. But the girls talked to him for longer than that. They continued to talk to Benji, and understand Ashley, Jasmine & Isa had already been to a BUNCH of Bamboozle shows and they plus Tez & Krisse (and more friends they were meeting up w/at different shows) were going to quite a few more! They became known as “Team Good Charlotte,” that’s how used to seeing them people on Bamboozle got! Anyways, they began talking about how excited they were for CARDIOLOGY to hit in September and Benji was talking about how excited he was for us to HEAR the new album.And I wish I could tell you HOW the transition happened, but I honestly don’t know. All I know is one minute they were all talking about the album … and the next, Benji was talking about letting us hear some. I remember saying something like, “You can go on the bus and crack open a window while you play it,” before SCOLDING HIM about saying that’s what he’d do last time I saw them with regards to “The River” but then NEVER DOING IT :P He said he was sorry.But instead of going THAT route, Benji had a talk with this guy whose name is Danny (I think). The girls told me that he kept up GoodCharlotte.com and ran the GC Twitter account; he was also at the meet n greet taking video and photos. Anyways, he showed up and he and Benji talked, and next thing we knew?

WE WERE INVITED ONTO THE BUS TO HEAR A TRACK OFF OF THE UPCOMING GOOD CHARLOTTE ALBUM!

I know. I wouldn’t believe me if I were you either, but it’s absolutely what happened. Benji & Danny made it clear NO cell phones or cameras could go with us, though, so we all crossed the street so the girls could put their stuff away. I was waiting for my ride so I couldn’t put anything away so I just put mine in my bag. We went back across the street but instead of going onto GC’s bus, we were let onto “Danny’s bus.” He actually said “I’m such a diva, I get my own bus.” And as the last on board, even AFTER Danny, I got to close the bus door behind us and IT WAS HEAVY. I had given my bag to him and he had just placed it on the front passenger seat which I sat down on because I didn’t want to have to squeeze my fat a$$ past him AND past Benji & the girls who were all already seated on two couches and the “aisle” was so small, I didn’t wanna do it. But Danny looked at me and said, “You can come in. Come on, you can sit there,” and he pointed at a bench next to one of the couches, so I said, “Oh thanks” and proceeded to squeeze my fat a$$ past everyone, probably murdering everyone’s feet as I did.Anyways, I sat down in a solo seat. Across from me on the couch were Krisse, Tezzie & Benji. Next to me on a couch were Isa, Ashley, and Jasmine. Danny was standing in the driver area with a camera pointed at us THE ENTIRE TIME so we knew that it was all on video! He asked Benji what he was doing and Benji told the camera that he was letting us hear some tracks off of the new album.Benji played us the “intro,” cause GC always has an intro on their albums and then he played us the first track which I believe is called “Let the Music Play.” As a joke, I took a box of Kleenex that was on the window behind me and let the girls all take one because they SWORE they were going to cry. But y'know what? They actually did, bless them. At one point, Tezzie buried her head in Krisse’s chest as Krisse hugged her very tightly and I realized just how sacred this moment & experience was for those girls. And honestly? I felt so out of place. I felt like I was intruding, y'know? I just happened to be with the right people at the right time and get to tag-a-long for this episode and I am TRULY GRATEFUL for it.I bowed my head to listen to the song, and as I listened to the lyrics, tears rose in my eyes. Because once again, as SO OFTEN IS THE CASE with Good Charlotte lyrics, they hit me in my heart. In June of 2010, I’d gone through a LOT of crap in my personal life, and I just have felt so inferior and so bad about myself. Well, this song that Benji was playing us? It was talking about those feelings, letting me know AGAIN that I wasn’t alone in how I felt (which is what Good Charlotte’s music has ALWAYS done for me and it continues to do to this day):

“When the world tries to beat you down, let the music play.”

And THAT lyric just … hit home for me. So I got teary eyed, but the tears never fell for me. When the song was over, though, I had one of those moments where I actually was so overwhelmed with emotion, I HAD to say what was in my heart, which only ever happened with Eddy Guerrero.“Can I tell you something?” I asked Benji as he started scrolling for another song to play us, or maybe to shut off his iPod.“What?” he asked without looking at me.“I call Good Charlotte my 'gateway band’ because you guys led me to so much, musically. But it ALWAYS comes back to you because, lyrically, no other band GETS ME like you guys do, and that song right there? Just reminded me of that.”“Amen,” Ashley said, and I laughed to myself. I don’t remember if Benji had a reaction or not because I realized that Danny still had his camera pointed at us and I wondered about what I’d just said and if it’d end up anywhere.Benji then played us some of the track that GC is playing at the Bamboozle shows called “Like It’s Her Birthday.” The girls ALL ALREADY KNEW ALL THE LYRICS and were singing along :) I had just heard the song for the first time a couple hours before so I just sat there, bobbing my head like a jacka$$.

But someone knocked on the bus door & Benji and Danny had to get going so we didn’t get through that whole track. As we all got up to disembark, I imagine everyone was as overwhelmed and feeling surreal as I was. We got outside and thanked Benji SO VERY MUCH for allowing us to be a part of that. Outside there were a couple of girls leaning against a tree, very obviously wanting to go up to Benji but for some reason, not doing so? And they were giving us the Evil Eye BIG TIME! Funny thing is, I recognized them from A7X shows.Danny took testimonials from the girls on his camera about what we all just heard. And he told us that he would upload the video THAT NIGHT if that was ok. None of us argued. I don’t think he ever did upload anything, BUT, to all of our surprise, the quickest clip ever of us on the bus that night ended up in a Good Charlotte music video for Counting the Days:

I am FOREVER GRATEFUL to have PROOF that this totally insane thing happened to me. And it only happened cuz I was hanging out with the right people, but they were nice enough to let me 6th wheel it with them and it was one of the best birthdays/memories and craziest experiences of my life. 

Sometimes I think I live a really small life but then I remember stuff like this and I’m like, “How many people can say that they got to chat with a member of their favorite band, were invited onto a bus to preview brand new music NO OTHER FANS had heard at the moment, AND ended up in one of the band’s music videos??” 

I mean, maybe that’s a really big pool and I don’t know it, but I’m just grateful I can be included in it. And in addition to getting to attend a meet n greet I was NOT scheduled to go to and meet the band I refer to as “my heart band,” this day FOR SURE was one of the craziest of my life :)