#me and my mom are gonna try drinking it for lunch. will give our reviews

[lestbian]

my brother bought a new mini fridge so i bought his old one for fifty dollars. not a bad deal at all right but he’s cleaning out the old one and graciously gives me a bunch of limited edition mountain dews and i THOUGHT this was a kind gesture but they EXPIRED TWO YEARS AGO.

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Mist | Choi San | Chapter 5

Pairing: Choi San x OC (Seohyun)

Genre: supernatural (ghost), romance, high school

Trigger Warnings: paranormal, death mentions, violence

Words: 8.7k

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except my original character and the story. I do not own any gifs or pictures used.

Full story on Wattpad (don’t spoil here if you read there too)

chapter directory

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Seohyun woke up to her phone buzzing. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, checking who was calling. It was San. She declined the call to read the several text messages he had sent. It was something about how they were all going out for lunch and she was joining (funny how they'd stop asking now, just said it) and that she was... to go on a date with him later.

She texted back a simple OK and checked the time. It was already almost afternoon- she had slept in. After showering, she was brushing her teeth when she paused.

It was gonna be her first date with San.

"Ayyy~" she waved at her reflection, resuming. She wasn't one to make a big deal out of stuff, but she had to admit it was... a little bit exciting. And she couldn't say the same about San. He seemed like the type to take these things serious, like first dates. So she decided that she did not want to disappoint him and would put in a little bit effort.

Seohyun checked her wardrobe. She didn't have much 'cute' stuff. Her first priority was always comfort when she picked her clothes. And they were usually monochrome or dark colours. She didn't like wearing bright stuff. Her only mildly cute outfit was the green dress she'd worn the last time with Jiwoo.

She moved on way too early, Seohyun thought. There was no one to help her dress up now. Her mom...

Seohyun realized there was something. Her mother had given her some sort of a top for her birthday last year. She had buried it in the back of her closet because she had deemed it too 'fashionable' for her. Seohyun threw her clothes out to find it. Indeed, it was still there.

It was a purple blouse with lace around the neck and tiny pearls. She shrugged. She'd pair it with pants and ankle boots.

After dressing up and tying her hair in half a ponytail, she stood in front of the mirror. She looked presentable, if one ignored her still-puffy-from-sleeping face. She sighed and put on the only lip gloss she had. That could do. She smiled at her reflection once before grabbing her phone and leaving the house.

They were meeting at a new café that Yunho and Yeosang had been wanting to try on forever. Yeosang had assured them it had good reviews for their desserts too. They were all already there by the time Seohyun reached. She had spent a good minute admiring the exterior of the café while the boys laughed at her unaware self, watching her through the window.

Mingi waved at her once she was inside and they made space for her. After exchanging greetings, they decided they would order food first. They decided on ordering two of everything and sharing, and once they gave the order, they all looked at Seohyun.

"You look... like you actually made effort today," Hongjoong commented.

"What do you mean?" Seohyun asked, forgetting for a second.

"Hey, don't say that, or she'll never dress up again," San pouted, and Seohyun realized, looking down at her dress.

"Is it too much?" she asked, "I've actually, honestly, never made effort. So I need honest reviews."

"It's not too much, it's perfect," Seonghwa assured, "In fact, you could have done more, but since this is you, it's perfect."

"That sounds.... like a compliment and insult at the same time, thank you Seonghwa."

They laughed and Yeosang said, "Hongjoong's the fashionista. You should only ask him."

"Yes, yes, Seonghwa's right. You look good!"

"That's the only top I had," Seohyun sighed, looking at San who was staring at her with an adorable expression on his face. "The rest of my wardrobe, you've seen."

"I guess we're going shopping then after this. I hope you have the card on you that you liked to flex about so much," Hongjoong smirked.

"I do-"

"But we're going on our first date today-"

"WHAT?!"

Seohyun face-palmed. San had done it.

San looked at Seohyun for help and she sighed. "Well, no need to over-react, Wooyoung. As you all know, San and I are... sort of, uh... dating?"

Yunho snickered first before everyone started laughing at how awkward Seohyun suddenly got, and it was her turn to look at San for help. It wasn't everyday she lost her demeanor. Falling in love did make one a different person, she realized.

"Yeah, so you're sort of dating?" Jongho wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yes, Jongho, we're DATING." Seohyun said, "And San was planning to take me on our first date after this."

"You haven't been on your first date yet?" Wooyoung asked, "But it's been days now that you've been together! Sannie, you disappoint me!"

Before San could choke Wooyoung, Seohyun interrupted, "It was me. I was busy dealing with ghosts. It turns out Jiwoo had actually been a saint. Did anyone of you know that she used to do half my jobs?"

Everyone fell silent as they listened, "She was never 'bored' of coming to school with me. She just had so much time to kill that she'd help ghosts instead of me. I kind of miss her more now."

"That's sweet," Mingi said, "She really was a great friend."

"I know right! Anyways, this is the reason we haven't had our first date yet."

Other than San, the boys shared looks, and Seohyun saw with dread the devilish smirks appear on their faces as they announced: "Too bad! We're crashing your first date!"

San groaned and dramatically fell back in his chair while Seohyun gaped at them. "I-I'm speechless for once." Laughter filled the room as she said, "If that's what friends are for, I think I'm gonna change my mind..."

Before anyone could protest, food came and they started discussing Hongjoong's love for fashion and the various items he had reformed. Hongjoong assured her if she had a clothing item or something she would like to reform, he was the man.

"I do have this denim jacket that I'm too attached to," Seohyun thought about it, "Can you write something cool on the back of it?"

"Yes, just give me the jacket whenever you can. It'll take no more than two days, unless we have exams."

Seohyun looked at Seonghwa for confirmation and he nodded. "He also makes custom bracelets for us."

"Nice," Seohyun said, "I'd like some too," she wiggled her brows at Hongjoong, who laughed and nodded.

"So what were you gonna do on your first date?" Wooyoung and Jongho leaned in and asked Seohyun.

"San was the one in charge, ask him," she said.

"I was thinking we'd just walk aimlessly around the city..."

They both tsk-ed at San, muttering something about how he was an 'amateur' and would probably bore me to death.

"Hey, that's a nice idea actually. I don't mind."

"You're just saying that to be nice," Jongho said and Seohyun folded her arms.

"I don't say things to be nice, Choi Jongho."

Everyone hooted at that, having heard her, and Seohyun stared at her drink intensely, contemplating if she should 'accidentally' spill it on everyone.

"But she's right, actually," Yeosang said, "She doesn't say things to be nice. If she didn't like that idea, I'm sure she would have said to San with a hidden insult in between. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Thank you, Yeosang," Seohyun said, "I love you."

Yeosang saluted and San pouted, "Hey! You haven't even said that to me yet!"

Everyone was silent for a good minute before they burst out laughing, including Seohyun. San's pout went bigger and Seohyun poked him.

"Ayyy. I say that everyday, just not in words."

"OHHHH!" Everyone hooted and San actually smiled, trying to hide a blush but failing.

"How do you say it then?" Mingi asked, wiggling his brows, and Yunho made kissing sounds in the air, earning a smack from Wooyoung who was right beside him.

"Next time I encounter a dangerous ghost, I'm actually gonna befriend them," Seohyun said, smashing her now empty glass on the table as she glared at them, "I have a few ideas of how to make you all suffer."

Yunho snickered and Mingi immediately bowed, muttering praises about how Seohyun was the most kind girl he'd ever met. It was Seohyun's turn to smirk.

After they were done eating, everyone got up and they decided to go to the mall. It seemed like Hongjoong was bent on getting her good dresses, and he whispered to her that she should wear them on her dates, which actually made Seohyun flush for a good second.

"Hi," San said, holding her hand in his. He was walking with her now, both at the end while the others were ahead.

"Hey," Seohyun smiled, squeezing his hand subconsciously as she continued walking forward.

"Did you know purple is my favourite colour? I love this on you," San said, and Seohyun smiled.

"I did not. You'll have to thank my mom for this," Seohyun said, "She got me this for my birthday last year,"

"Oh, when's your birthday?"

"21st December."

"Right. So we have about two months. Is there something you want?"

"I wish my mom would be home actually," Seohyun said, "The last birthday I had with her was my 14th. I actually had fun then. Mom's friends had come, there's one that I'm close with. We had a banger then."

"That sounds fun," San smiled.

"It was," Seohyun smiled wistfully, "Now she's always busy during that time. So she just sends me a gift and a cake. And I spend my birthday alone."

San felt quite sad to hear that. "You won't be alone this year, I promise."

Seohyun looked at him. He had said that with such clarity that she believed him.

"I have a feeling that won't be the case," she suddenly said, and San almost stopped.

"What do you mean?"

"It's my gut. It's always right. I suppose it comes with the ghost thing. I just suddenly felt that wasn't going to be the case when you said that."

San put his arm around her, "You probably felt that because you've spent most of your birthdays alone. But now you have us, and there's always a chance your mom could come too. I can assure you, you won't be alone this year."

"Maybe," Seohyun let herself hope, pushing the feeling of dread back.

They reached the mall and Seohyun watched as Hongjoong and Wooyoung took the lead, discussing what would go well with her hair and skin colour, stuff that Seohyun didn't quite understand. She was too busy rejecting the ones Yunho, Mingi and Jongho were picking for her, making sure they got bright yellows and neon shades just to annoy her. They were having quite a laugh.

Seonghwa, Yeosang and San had disappeared to another shop it seemed. Wooyoung threw a top at her, ordering her to hold on herself so they could check.

"This has too many beads," Seohyun muttered.

"There are literally only 6 beads on it, stop being a child," Wooyoung said, snatching the top back from her and she pouted as they put it in the cart.

Hongjoong held another top, checking its size.

"Isn't that too short?" Seohyun asked.

"It's a crop top, Seohyun, of course it is short."

"That's basically the size of a bra! How am I supposed to wear it?!"

Hongjoong and Wooyoung tsk-ed at her. "It's not, it comes to your waist. Wear it with high waisted pants and a jacket if you can," Hongjoong threw it in the cart.

Seohyun threw her hands in the air as she looked back, the trio laughing at her misery. They were clearly enjoying. A thought struck Seohyun. She went to the three of them and asked if she should buy something for San.

"I guess he could use a new jacket," Yunho looked at Jongho and he nodded, "He's been using the same two jackets since forever."

"Help me pick," she said and dragged them to the men's section, and they picked a black denim jacket, putting it with her clothes so San wouldn't be suspicious.

After about 15 minutes, they were all done, and San, Yeosang and Seonghwa joined them as well.

"Where were you all?" Seohyun eyes them suspiciously.

"Just looking around," Seonghwa nodded, and San scratched his neck.

After they all got ice cream as refreshment, they decided to part ways, and Seohyun thanked Hongjoong and Wooyoung sincerely, saying she'd use them well.

"I'll get you both something too. Tell me what you want."

"You don't have to, just wear them, that'd be a gift," Wooyoung laughed.

"No, I can't! You guys put so much effort. I'll get you both something, just you wait," Seohyun promised.

San and her decided to walk back home, carrying the shopping bags with them.

"This is not how I had imagined our first date would go," San admitted.

"I had fun still," Seohyun smiled, "And anyway, the day is not over yet."

"It is! It's 7pm already!"

"Well, what do you say I take you on an adventure after we drop these at home?" Seohyun wiggled her eyebrows, saying, "Unless you have to go home."

"Well, no one's home today so..." San smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Alright, I'll follow you."

Seohyun smiled, skipping as she walked, making San laugh out loud.

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San and Seohyun reached home, dumping the several shopping bags in the living room. They decided to eat dinner and rest a bit, and Seohyun said she'd take him somewhere, but it had to be a surprise.

After they got fresh, they had ramyeon and Seohyun fished out a jacket from her wardrobe. It was gonna be chilly. She went to the living room, searching for San's jacket and went to San.

"Try this on," she said, and San got up from the sofa, trying the black jacket on. "Where we're going, it's gonna be a bit chilly."

"Wow, it fits perfectly," Seohyun stood back to check. "It's a gift."

"Really?" San looked down at the jacket. "Did you get this today?" Seohyun nodded. San smiled, thanking her with a hug.

They locked the house, grabbing only a bag with water bottle and chocolates. They took a taxi, a 30 minute drive to a hill. Seohyun told San she knew a shortcut to get to the top, and indeed, after a short hike, they reached the top.

"The view is amazing," San said, admiring how the full moon lit the night sky, the stars in the sky bright too. The city lights down seemed like stars too.

"A few months ago, a ghost teleported me here. He had died of an accident somewhere around here, and wanted help finding his sister, who had passed away with him. Jiwoo was with me, thankfully. It took us the whole day but we found her."

"Wow, I'm glad Jiwoo was with you," San said, and they both sat on the grass, facing the moon. "Imagine if you were alone and had to go back."

"Oh, I'm not sure if they even moved on. They said they wanted to spend some time together before they moved on, since they weren't sure what life ahead had for them. They might still be enjoying the ghost life."

"Really? Isn't that... dangerous?"

"They did promise. I said I'd come back after a year, and if they hadn't moved on by then, I'd personally exorcise them."

San laughed. "That's kind of you."

Seohyun winked at him. San was looking at the stars, and she took that time to admire his side-profile. He really was a work of art.

"Byeol," San said.

"What?"

"I'm naming our cat Byeol. Now that's an acceptable name, isn't it?"

Seohyun stared at him. "I mean, I was okay with Shiber too..."

"HEY!" San tackled her, tickling her everywhere and Seohyun laughed loudly, "Do you know how much time I spent thinking of a name for the cat!"

"Stop!" Seohyun laughed, and San stopped tickling to hear her out. "I love it. Byeol. Shiber. Whatever you wanna call her."

San shook his head at her. Seohyun realized he was still on top of her. San was staring at her, rather intensely.

San touched her hair. It was a habit of his now, playing with her hair. The grey in her hair was shining thanks to the moonlight. Her eyes shone just as brightly. Her mouth was slightly parted, and San ran his thumb across her lips.

"You're beautiful," he finally said.

Seohyun wanted to tell him that she was not, but she was too flustered to say anything. His broad shoulders blocked the moonlight, making his figure shine instead. He leaned in and kissed her softly, taking his dear time, making sure every peck was slow and good.

Seohyun's internal state was a mess at this time; her heart was beating too loudly, her stomach rolling too furiously, and her mind- oh it was an absolute mess. So she just let him kiss her senseless, her hands going through his hair and back to cup his face as they kissed.

San drew apart and Seohyun held onto his neck, making them sit, and San joined her forehead with his as they caught their breath. He rested her hands on her waist, and Seohyun gulped as she took his hands and put them on her waist under her shirt this time.

San inhaled sharply at the touch, looking at her for confirmation. He was always so patient with her, which she loved about him. Seohyun cupped his face and kissed him, more forcefully now. San followed along, his hands staying at her waist only, his thumb caressing her skin there. She kissed his neck, earning a satisfying moan from him.

"You're being naughty today," San whispered.

"You're being too good today," Seohyun retorted.

"Don't challenge me, Lee Seohyun," San warned, grinning.

"What you're gonna do, Choi San?"

San shook his head once, taking his hands away from her. Seohyun was going to protest but he took off his jacket and kissed Seohyun so hard that she found herself curving back and back until she was lying on the grass. He kissed her face, her neck, her collarbone, one hand on her waist, one roaming around, and Seohyun was a mess.

"What do you say? Do you regret this now?" San asked, smirking.

"Can't say I regret it," Seohyun answered, out of breath.

San laughed, kissing her one last time before lying down with her, holding her close.

Seohyun smiled. "This reminds me of the time when we first kissed," she said, "You were so sleepy."

"I was wide awake internally," San said, making her laugh a little. Seohyun traced his face with her fingers.

"I love you, San."

San's eyes went a little wide in surprise. Seohyun continued, "I know I haven't said it before. I don't know what I waited for. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," San brought her closer as if hugging her, "You didn't have to. I see it everyday."

Seohyun smiled, "Still. I have to say it out loud. I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. If I knew love would make me feel pain like this, this weird satisfying sort of pain in the heart, this ache, I would've run away. But I still love you."

"I feel the same," San said, sighing, "I feel scared for you, I'm afraid that you'll get hurt. You do such a dangerous job. I hope I could have been more help. I love you so much that I wish I'd have to do all this instead of you."

"You don't have to," Seohyun said, "This is enough. You, like this, is more than enough."

San couldn't help it; he kissed her again, and it felt like he could cry.

After a few moments, they finally got up. San wore his jacket, and said, "Oh, I almost forgot."

He took out a box from his pocket and handed it to Seohyun. Seohyun opened it to see a locket with a silver star, a single diamante shining in the middle of it.

"It's beautiful," Seohyun smiled, "Is that what you shopped for today?"

"Yep. Come here," San took the necklace from her and helped her wear it.

"Thank you. I'm never gonna take it off," Seohyun said and San laughed.

"Are you saying I should never take this jacket off too?"

"Well," Seohyun shrugged, "If you can manage."

They were laughing when Seohyun's smile suddenly fell from her face.

"There's someone behind me San," she whispered, not taking her eyes off him. "Don't look."

San almost looked away on impulse but Seohyun took his hand, grabbing his attention. "I said don't look. Smile like you were before, quick. Laugh."

San laughed awkwardly, making sure he was smiling. "Look from the corner of your eyes, can you see something?"

San did, and whispered, "I think I see something moving to your left, but it's a bit far I think."

"It's not good," Seohyun whispered, and San understood. "We're gonna have to make a run for it. On the count of three?"

San nodded, squeezing her hand.

"One. Two. Three."

San took her hand and made a dash, realizing that they couldn't go to the trail they'd come for since it was in the opposite direction. Seohyun took the lead, dragging San with her, trying to remember the other way. She looked back once and saw a sickly old woman almost caught up now. A little scream left her and they both ran, Seohyun stopping to grab a rock and aim at the woman. It narrowly missed her but distracted her long enough that they gained speed.

"Where's the other trail?" San shouted and Seohyun went through path after path, not bothering to reply. They were probably lost now.

Seohyun was about to give up and face the woman when a pair of hands grabbed her and she felt herself teleporting a few feet away from where they were, gaining more distance. She heard San gasp and looked to make sure he was okay, but hands grabbed her and she was running again.

"You!" Seohyun exclaimed. The boy and the girl- the brother and sister that had died here. She could not believe it.

"There's a cave here, we're teleporting again, grab on tight!"

Seohyun squeezed San's hand and shut her eyes. One moment she was running and the other she had jumped through time and space and was in the said cave.

"You call this a cave?" Seohyun asked. The boy ignored her, peeking out of the 'cave' as he covered the entrance with more tree branches.

San still held her hand, out of breath, taking out the bottles from Seohyun's bag and handing one to her while he drank some too.

"She lost us," The boy looked back and smiled proudly, high fiving his sister.

The boy must have been 16- he was a tall, lean kid. His short hair were spiky and his eyes were the same as his sister's- who must have been a year older. She looked at Seohyun and said, "Didn't expect to meet you like this, Seohyun."

Seohyun wiped her mouth. "Hi, Gayoung." She looked at the boy then, "Thanks, Youngjae."

"We owed you one," he said, motioning them to sit and take a breather. "We've been living here, so we kind of knew about the woman. She's an old soul, that one. I don't think you can do anything about her, best if you avoid her."

"Well, she should avoid me! Next time I'm gonna kill her-"

"I see you haven't changed," Gayoung grinned. "Who's that with you? And why is he not freaking out?"

"He's my boyfriend," Seohyun said, and Gayoung and Youngjae ooh-ed. "He knows. There was some accident, so he can see ghosts now too. Can't touch them."

"Interesting," Youngjae scanned San. "I didn't know we could teleport others too."

"Only because I was holding him. I guess because it was the two of you, it didn't require me to properly hold him. Remember Jiwoo? She tried it once. Took me to the ghost realm accidentally, with him!"

"With him!" Gayoung gasped, "Is that why he can...?"

"Yes!" Seohyun answered, "I almost died making that trip."

San elbowed Seohyun. "You call that dying?"

"Shut up. So you live here still?"

"Yes, we'll actually move on before the year completes," Youngjae said, "We're just waiting for our parent's wedding anniversary. We used to celebrate it, so we just wanna see them happy before we move on."

"Ah, that's good."

"Where's Jiwoo anyway?" Gayoung asked.

"She moved on," Seohyun sighed.

"So she finally remembered? Good for her!" Youngjae said and they nodded.

After catching up a few minutes, they decided it was safe to go back. Seohyun thanked them earnestly, saying she owed them one more now because this was too big a favour. They just dismissed it, telling her to stay safe. They guided them to another shortcut and soon the two of them were on the way home.

They stopped by at Seohyun's first, and San went inside with her for a moment, hugging her, telling her she was so brave for keeping her calm in that situation, telling her he was proud. With a kiss to her forehead, he left for home.

Seohyun washed up and fell on her bed, beyond exhausted. She recalled the day in her mind; it was a day well spent, if you ignored the last part. She smiled as she played the moments in her head; San was such a sweetheart today. She was playing with her necklace as she fell asleep.

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The few days that followed their rather adventurous first date were as normal as they could get, keeping in mind the fact that it was Seohyun's life in question. She had a tremendous amount of school work to catch up to, and several ghosts to help move on.

Having friends actually helped, Seohyun realized one day as she was doing her homework. She was an average student; she'd do great if she tried, and if she didn't... well. So they'd help her with the subjects they were good at, they'd be her personal motivators, and she'd try to return the favours as well as she could.

She'd been thinking about how she could return the long due favour to Hongjoong and Wooyoung. They'd help her update her wardrobe, and the feedbacks she'd gotten were amazing. She supposed San was a softie and would compliment her even if she was in her worst hoodie, but when critics like Yeosang complimented her, she'd feel glad. She didn't really care about how she looked, but it felt good to dress up once in a while. Special occasions only.

Seohyun sighed as she shut her notebook close and got up, stretching. She found herself going to the music room. There were no drums anymore to relieve her of her stress, but she supposed she could do with something else. The violin reminded her of San as she picked it up, and she kind of missed him, so she put that down. She went to the piano, and inhaled. She'd be playing it for the first time now, after Joon Hyuk.

She tested the keys; it sounded out of tune. But she let her fingers naturally roll over them, found herself playing a familiar tune, the one Joon Hyuk had taught her. She smiled as she played. It had truly been a while.

After she was done, she nodded as she figured out what she'd get Hongjoong and Wooyoung. Something they really needed.

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"You're the best!" Wooyoung tackled Seohyun in a tight hug, making Seohyun yell as she tried to push him away.

"How did you come up with this idea?" Hongjoong asked as he admired the speakers in front of him.

"I noticed you could use speakers here without disturbing anyone. And with how loud you all are, you definitely needed it."

Seonghwa connected the speakers to his phone, blasting full volume as he checked them, his mouth turning into an O as he nodded in admiration. "They must have cost you quite a bit?"

"Oh, it's okay. Let's forget about that part," Seohyun waved him off, and Yunho ruffled her hair.

Mingi passed her a juice box and she sipped on it, checking the time. "I have to go now. Mom's coming home tonight."

"Do you want me to walk you home?" San asked.

"Oh, don't bother, enjoy these speakers," Seohyun said, giving him a fist bump as she left. She hummed along as she walked, but she had only taken one turn when she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

Another ghost? She had just dealt with one right after school, before joining the boys in the warehouse.

Something flashed right behind her and she whipped to her left, stumbling. She checked left and right but it seemed the ghost had disappeared. But something about its rotting scent was familiar-

Seohyun's breath left her as she was pushed, and she turned just in time so she'd hit the wall with the side of her body instead of face first. She winced in pain, pushing the hair out of her eyes. There was no one there.

But she didn't have to check who it was. The scent had been enough for her.

Seohyun contemplated running home or back to the warehouse. Ghosts couldn't enter property without the owner or mediator's permission, and since the warehouse was the closest, she decided she'd make a run for it.

She smelt it as she run, dodging one attack but getting scratched on the back near her shoulder with something sharp- she assumed it was nails. Seohyun ran faster; glad for all the running she'd done as a kid, wishing a good soul would appear and help her. But it was only her- a useless mediator with the power to only see and touch the ghosts, against a vengeful spirit.

Seohyun turned and she was in front of the warehouse. She could hear the music blast and she ran even faster if she could, until she came within what she assumed was the boundary of the property. She turned and indeed, she saw the woman, this time in the clear of the day. She wasn't sure if she could even call it a woman at this point; it was a tangle of overgrown hair, pale skin and dark eyes with purple lips. And long, long nails.

Seohyun shook her head as it disappeared and she stood in the middle of the road, contemplating once again if she should go home and risk encountering them again, or going to the warehouse, and encountering THEM.

She threw her hands in the air in frustration and went inside the warehouse.

"Oh, she's back-" Jongho paused mid-sentence as he saw the disheveled figure of Seohyun, with a bruise on her cheekbone.

Seohyun walked to them, looking at San whose eyes were wide. "It's her," she said, "the one from that hill."

San came to her, inspecting her face; the bruise was light, thankfully. "Are you hurt somewhere else?"

"On my back, I think," Seohyun turned her neck to see and indeed, her shirt was torn where those nails had scratched her. San took her to the sofa and Seonghwa brought a first aid kit, Seohyun eyeing it warily. "I should ask why you have a first aid kit."

"For a day like this, I suppose," Hongjoong said, handing her a glass of water. Seohyun looked at him once as she drank.

"How did she find you?" San asked, taking her hand and caressing it.

"It took her a while to find me, it's been more than two weeks."

"What happened?" Hongjoong asked and Seohyun explained, everyone sitting around her to hear her story.

"Why do ghosts start to look like that?" Yeosang asked.

"I don't exactly know, but time does that to them, I think."

"Don't they look scary?" Wooyoung asked.

"They look scary, but I think the fact that they were human once makes it less scarier to me?" Seohyun shrugged. She grabbed the ointment, applying it to the wound on her face. Then she looked at Seonghwa. "Is the wound on my back bad?"

Seonghwa peeked at what he could see from the torn part of her shirt, there were long cuts. "I think you should get them treated."

"Can you do something about it right now? I'll get them treated later," Seohyun said, biting her lip. Seonghwa nodded. He inspected her state, then said in a low voice, "You'll have to take off your shirt."

Seohyun groaned. At times like this, she really did miss Jiwoo.

"Or we can cut your shirt, since it's already torn," Seonghwa suggested, looking at her with a sad look in his eyes.

"I'll take it off," Seohyun said, "Let's not be awkward about this, okay? Which one of you is the best at first aid?"

"Seonghwa definitely," Mingi said.

"Should I do it?" San asked.

"You're the worst at it," Wooyoung muttered, making Seohyun scoff.

"It's just when it's someone I'm close to! I can't bear it!"

The two of them started to argue, and Seohyun decided to stop them. "I'd like you all to disappear to a corner while Seonghwa does his job. Give me some privacy. And San, you can stay if you want to."

The rest of the boys rushed away, and Seohyun bit her lip. "Not how you thought you'd see me without a shirt for the first time, eh San?"

Seonghwa went into a fit of coughs while San gaped at her statement, finally giving in after a few seconds and laughing, shaking his head. "You really pick the worst time for jokes."

"Alright, here goes," Seohyun turned her back to them and took off her shirt, San helping her hold her hair. She was left in a black bra. She wasn't flustered; not when the exposed wound left her skin stinging, and she sucked in her breath.

San helped her sit on the floor and she brought her arms to her chest, her hair covering the rest of her as Seonghwa carefully applied ointment on the three parallel scratches that ran from her shoulder all the way to the the middle of her back.

"She got you bad, Seohyun," San said worriedly, "what if she comes here?"

"She can't," Seohyun answered, "Can't enter property without owner or my permission."

"That's useful," Seonghwa muttered.

"That's actually handy, Seonghwa," Seohyun had noticed the sarcasm in his voice; she supposed he was angry at the whole situation. "I'm glad I was near when it happened." She rested her head on her knees, San watching Seonghwa apply bandages now, so careful with it. He was definitely being extra careful.

San went to get an extra shirt they had around for Seohyun, and Seonghwa finished up. Seohyun peeked at the bandages, impressed.

"Thanks, Seonghwa."

"Don't mention it," Seonghwa put the stuff back in the kit, "I wish you'd be more careful in the future."

"I can't help it, Seonghwa, believe me, I'm the most careful now," Seohyun said and Seonghwa locked his eyes with her.

"I just don't want to see you hurt, Seohyun-ah. It pains me."

"I know," Seohyun sighed, "I understand."

Seonghwa hesitated then patted her head. "I'm sure you did well back then," he smiled warmly.

"Finally. Thanks again," Seohyun laughed, and San was back. Seohyun took the shirt from him and wore it, standing up. "I'll take a taxi now."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" San asked.

"Oh no, it's okay now. She can't follow me in a taxi."

"Okay, at least let me walk you out."

Seohyun said thanks and bye to them all, and they told her to be careful. San and her walked out of the warehouse, and San grabbed her hand, bringing her in for a hug. Seohyun hugged him back, her arms on his back, smiling.

"Were you scared back then?" San asked.

"A little," Seohyun admitted, "Just glad I was near."

San broke the hug, putting her hair behind her ears, touching her cheek below the bruise. "Does it hurt?"

"This? Nope. The one in the back, yes, a little."

"Do get proper treatment," San said, looking at her worriedly.

"I will," Seohyun laughed, "Don't worry too much?"

"How can I not?" San shook his head, leaning forward to kiss her. "Your taxi's here."

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

Seohyun reached home, cleaning the mess around the house, until she heard the sound of the door opening. Her mother was home.

Seohyun said hello and smiled at her. She looked nothing like her mom; she was tall, had pointy features and narrow eyes, and she looked sharp and intelligent. Her dark hair reached her shoulders. She put her handbag on the table and came to gave her a hug.

"How have you been?"

"Just the usual," Seohyun said, "What about you?"

"Ugh, I've been so busy," she said, collapsing on the sofa. "What do we have for dinner?"

"I'll set the table," Seohyun said. She had prepared her favourite dishes with the help of their previous housemaid, who she was still on good terms with. The old woman would drop by every once in a while, and she'd exchange her kimchi and some traditional dishes for Seohyun's pastas and desserts that she loved.

The mother and daughter caught up on studies and work as they ate. She told Seohyun she would have a busy time in the following month, but she'd try to come for her birthday, or else it was gonna be Christmas.

"How's the ghost business?" Her mother asked, drinking water.

"Was going well, until today I encountered an evil one," Seohyun said, "You'd have to help me with a wound I got on my back."

Her mother stared at her. "Are you alright?"

"Oh I am," Seohyun nodded, "I'll deal with her, I was just caught off-guard. She got me for a second."

"I hope you do," her mother said, "Tell me if you need help."

Seohyun smirked at her, "Wrong thing to say."

Her mother laughed, "Yeah, you probably know way more people than I do. Come on, let me have a look."

Seohyun showed her, and her mother winced. She helped change her bandages and gave her a doctor's information so she could visit and get treated, make up a story about how it was a stray dog or something. Seohyun thanked her, and after chatting a while, she left her to sleep.

"When will you return to work?" Seohyun asked.

"Tomorrow evening. I'll see you off for school in the morning. We'll see each other next month then."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight," Seohyun said, coming to her room and lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She wished she had stayed longer. But it was okay.

This was enough.

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

A week had passed without further incidents. Seohyun was careful; she'd take taxi if she could, or she'd keep the sibling duo with her. She called them in, saying she'd owe them one if they could teleport her when needed. So the duo happily stick with her, saying they were bored of living in the hills and would like to visit a school too.

The boys had become friendly with the duo; they'd either communicate through San (who had given up now; he was quite tired of being their voice) or through the old-fashioned way: notebooks. They'd pretend to be studying in class when in fact they'd be having a conversation with the ghosts.

"I have a question," Yeosang said to Seohyun in the middle of class. Seohyun, who had been staring at Mingi and Gayoung conversing, looked at Yeosang.

"How would you get rid of old ghosts like the one you encountered?"

"Good question," Seohyun said, "There are a few options. I could try to talk sense into them. If that doesn't work, I get help from the good ghosts and threaten them. Like, every ghost had some sort of faith, right? Usually works if you use their god against them."

"But what if they have no faith anymore?"

"Goodnight, then, I guess," Seohyun said and Yeosang gasped. "You take help from actual exorcists then too. I once did. Got quite rough, but it works."

"Sounds dangerous," he muttered.

"Kind of," Seohyun agreed.

Seohyun was walking home after school with her new ghost friends when she sensed something amiss. "Just when I thought it was over."

Gayoung and Youngjae covered her back and front defensively. The woman appeared out of nowhere, stopping when she saw the ghosts.

"Well, well," she said, and Seohyun winced. Her voice sounded creepy. "What do we have here?"

"What do you want?" Seohyun asked.

"Death of you," the woman laughed, "Don't try to talk me out of it. You can't."

"What good is that gonna do to you?" Seohyun asked, genuinely curious.

The woman laughed again, this time sarcastically. "Don't tell me you didn't know? When a mediator dies, there is a short time period during which there is no other mediator in the world. That's when ghosts can do whatever they want; trespass, interact with humans, and much more."

"How is that true? I mean, if it were really true, more people would be trying to kill me, won't they?"

"Oh dear," the woman smiled this time, all knowingly, which sent chills throughout her body, "That's why it's a secret, isn't it?"

Gayoung and Youngjae shared looks. If it was true, they could interact with their parents, which was all they wanted. But they wouldn't harm Seohyun for that. Not after all she had done for them.

"I'll be back, girl," the woman's voice was sure, "When you least expect it. And I'll make sure I hear you screaming before you die."

The three of them watched as she gave her a long final look before she disappeared. They were quite for a few seconds and Seohyun caught her breath. "Don't tell me you both want to kill me now too."

"Oh, we wouldn't," Gayoung said, "We really wouldn't."

"You sound very assuring, noona," Youngjae said sarcastically, earning a tsk as he looked at Seohyun. "Let's get you home. We'll look for someone else who can get rid of that old bitch."

Seohyun nodded and they walked home, the duo arguing while Seohyun just walked blankly. She couldn't get the look the ghost had given out of her head. She sounded so sure. As if she had something already planned for her.

Seohyun sat in front of the TV for hours, her mind blank. All she could think was how her gut had felt when she'd said that. As if that was something that was bound to happen. Was she really gonna die?

Seohyun had never been too afraid of dying; not like an average person. For her, it was a life full of danger. She had welcomed and played with aspect of death. But her life had changed drastically over the past months. She had found people to live for. And that meant she was more scared this time.

Her phone buzzed and she read the text. It was from San asking if she wanted him to come over. Seohyun bit her lips in thought. Then she texted 'come over with chocolate ice cream please'.

And San did so. They sat on the sofa, watching TV and eating ice cream as they talked about this and that. Seohyun somehow found it very easy to talk to him, and so did San. He told her all about how he used to live in the countryside when he was little (hence the slight accent), he had mostly grown up with his grandparents because his parents were busy people.

"Don't you miss your parents when they're away?" Seohyun asked. Her ice cream was finished.

"I do, of course. Don't you?"

"I miss my mom sometimes," Seohyun admitted. "She's not as bad as you all think."

San gave her a pointed look and she threw a pillow at him, which he caught. "Come on, you have to admit. She talks to me. She let's me do normal stuff. She doesn't think I'm crazy. And she remembers my birthday every year. That's more than I can ask for."

"Don't you wish she did more?"

"I used to, but then I just accepted it. It's just the way it is."

San looked at her and spread his arms for her. She just threw another pillow at him, rolling her eyes. "I'm serious."

"Okay, okay. What about the ghost?"

"Well," Seohyun sighed and told him what had happened. San listened intently.

"Is there something we can do about it?" he asked.

"I'll go to that exorcist I know, but San," Seohyun turned to face him, "Something's different this time. I can't shake the feeling that something bad is gonna happen."

"It's probably just you overthinking?"

"No, it's different this time," Seohyun sounded sure, and San was actually surprised, "Something is gonna happen and it's gonna be bad. God, I want to cry."

San watched as she put her head in her hands, sighing. She heard San scoot over and she scooted away. "If you hug me now, I'm afraid I'll really cry."

"It's okay to cry, Seohyun, come here," San grabbed her arm and brought her in for a hug, and Seohyun let herself cry. It had been so long since she'd last cry.

"I'm sorry," Seohyun said, sniffing, "I miss Jiwoo a lot, if she was here, she would have handled this so well. I can't help but feel scared for you."

"Do you think something's gonna happen to me?" San asked as he patted her head.

"No. I don't know. I don't know and it's making me so frustrated," Seohyun said and cried harder. San only patted her back, muttering comforting words.

Seohyun drew back and wiped her face. "Sorry for crying on you."

"Anytime," San laughed. "I can understand that you're scared Seohyun, tell me what I can do for you."

"Just- stay with me. That's enough."

San nodded, taking her hand. "Do you want me to play something for you?"

Seohyun raised her brow, "Can you?"

"I can play the piano a little bit, unless you want me to play the violin and scare the dead away."

Seohyun laughed, "Let's go."

They went to the room, and San showed her what he'd learnt from Hongjoong of the piano. Seohyun appreciated the gesture, and on his insistence, she played the violin for him again, and he watched her adoringly.

When she was done, she put the violin down. "I came here a few days ago. I wanted to play the violin but I couldn't because it reminded me of you and I missed you. I played today. It seems like now I only play for you."

Seohyun was packing the violin when San hugged her from the back, his arms around her waist as he rocked them back and forth. Seohyun smiled. He was such a romantic.

"I like that," he whispered in her ear, making her laugh because it tickled. He nibbled on her ear, making her laugh.

"It's like the music room does something to you, San, you become such a romantic."

"I can assure you I'm the same anywhere else too," he said, still hugging her.

Seohyun looked at the clock. It was already 10 pm and they had no school tomorrow. She broke the hug and looked at him, his hands on her waist now.

"I know it's too much to ask, San, and I need you to give an honest answer, okay? I won't mind. But, can you... stay here tonight?" Seohyun almost whispered, tears welling up in her eyes again. "I'm just- I can't be alone tonight. I feel it. Something's gonna happen."

San touched her face, nodding. "Of course. If you want me to. I'll leave early in the morning."

Seohyun sighed in relief, a tear escaping her eye, "Thank you, San. Thank you."

San wiped the tear from her face. He felt scared about how she was feeling too. It was so unusual. Seohyun was always so strong, and she felt so... human. He couldn't leave her like this. He bent down and kissed her lips slowly, her arms going around his neck and her hands in his hair, clearly glad for the distraction.

She broke apart and took his hand, taking him to her bedroom, only the dim lamp on. She pushed him on the bed, surprising him, as she shut the door and kicked off her shoes, climbing on the bed and sitting on his lap. His arms were holding him from lying down and Seohyun went to cup his face and kiss him, so deeply as if she was saying her thanks through this. San's stomach turned, his heart beating wildly and he took the chance, taking one arm to grab her, but fell flat on the bed.

Seohyun was now on top of him. She stared at him for the longest time, and it made San feel so many different things. He saw the necklace he had given her dangling off her neck, and his hand went to touch it as a smile made its way on his face.

Seohyun smiled too then gave him soft pecks on his lips, both of them smiling through it. She was taking her sweet time and San had enough. He flipped her down, now on top of her, making her gasp in surprise as he smirked. But his smirked wiped off as she leaned forward and took his shirt off, running her hands through his toned body.

"Damn, San, I didn't know you worked out," Seohyun smirked.

San only smiled as he kissed her, loving the feeling of her hands all over him. His hands went to her waist and she broke apart for a second, motioning him to unbutton her shirt. San looked at her to make sure it was okay and she nodded, rolling her eyes but smiling.

"Is your wound okay now?" San asked as he unbuttoned her shirt.

"Probably left a scar," Seohyun muttered and he made her sit so he could check.

She was right. 3 parallel scratches had left their scar. It would take time to fade. "You reminded me of that ghost again, San. Distract me."

San kissed her bare shoulder, making her gasp, and kissed and nibbled on her neck, playing with her necklace. Seohyun moaned and felt San smile. She slapped his shoulder, making him laugh. "You asked for it," he said.

"I'm gonna make you moan so loud, Choi San-"

"Sshh," he said, kissing her passionately. Seohyun took that chance to bite on his lower lip while her hands gripped his waist now, and that earned her a moan. It was her turn to smile. San kissed her some more, before lying down with her, pulling the covers over them.

"It's late," he said, bringing her closer, "Sleep now."

"I don't wanna..." Seohyun said, putting her arm around him and kissed his neck, earning a sigh.

"I'm not gonna be able to stop if you keep doing that," San sighed. Seohyun melted at his words.

"Glad to know that," she whispered, but just hugged him, kissing his shoulder innocently now.

"I love you, San. You know that, right?"

"I know," he whispered back.

"I should tell you that everyday. Hell, I should have told you that everyday. I'm sorry."

"Seohyun," San made her face him, "You don't have to. I know that. You don't even have to say it out loud."

"Still," Seohyun said, "I should have told you that everyday."

San stared at her. He kissed her forehead and hugged her. "I love you too. And you know that right? I say it everyday, goofily, jokingly, or sometimes serious. But you still know it, even when I say it as a joke. That's because you know, just like I do."

Seohyun nodded. She buried her face in his chest, going under the covers, his arms securely around him.

"Goodnight, love." San whispered.

prev - next

[kitkatwinchester]

So...considering we’re on the home stretch of the greatest show of all time--a show that has been a huge part of my life for the last eight years--I figured now was probably a good time to start doing reactions and reviews. I’ve seen a lot of Tumblrs do this, and I want to join in on that.

So basically, I’m gonna start by just doing a bullet point list of reactions as I go. Fair warning, I get very excited and very into this show, so the list’ll probably be pretty long. But hopefully you enjoy it! And, even if you don’t, this gives me something to look back on years down the line. XD

Also, my mom is watching it with me, so I might include some of her reactions/our discussion in my list too!

And, because I can, at the end of all of it, I’ll give a much more concise review/reaction based on how I feel after the whole episode’s over. Because why not. XD

Enjoy my watching! XD <3

Oh we’re starting!

...did I miss the “then” title card?

Oh wait there it is.

Dude we’re going FAR back on this “then”. I wonder what that means?

My poor baby crying again. :(

DEAN’S APRON OH MY GOD I’M DEAD! XD XD <3 <3

“It was. In the 50s.” Point taken.

My poor baby. :( :( :( :(

Oh so killing Amara is officially a plan? Okay then.

“I’ve killed Hitler.” I can’t believe he’s still talking about that! XD

Actually I can believe he’s still talking about it, I take that back.

DEAN WITH THE MARIO BROTHERS OMG!!

Okay, I know this episode has something to do with them celebrating holidays because of a fairy or nymph or something like that, and this is already feeling like a light-hearted, fun, domestic Winchesters episode. I hope it stays that way. <3

Have you tried turning it back off and turning it on again? Hit reset.

HE READ MY MIND!

MEAT MAN!! XD XD

Ummm...okay then.

Also SCOOBY-DOO UNDIES!!! DEAN YOU DORK!! XD XD <3

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Jack is my favorite and Dean is my second-favorite.

“Language!” “That’s it I’m getting my gun.” XD XD

I can already tell that so many of my reactions are probably just gonna be me quoting and then laughing. XD

They don’t seem very concerned? Shouldn’t random people not be able to get in?

This lady is such a mom omg.

Mrs. Butters? XD

Wood nymph. Got it.

“Shouldn’t you be in the woods somewhere? Nymphing?” XD XD (P.S. That was my mom’s favorite line in this episode. XD)

You what now?

Necessities of life?

Hmmm….I like her, but she weirds me out. Something is off.

Dean’s “oof that’s awkward” face. XD

“2020.” Hearing that year said out loud just feels...oof. Just oof.

Poor nymph…

Wait, haven’t we seen those symbols before? Maybe I’m making that up.

HA! “It’s kind of been one apocalypse after the other.” He’s not kidding.

OOOOH!! HERE COME THE HOLIDAYS!!!

WAIT WHAT IS THAT TELESCOPE THING?

WAIT WAIT WAIT WHAT??!! A MONSTER radar??!! Dude WHAT?! Man, they’ve needed something like that for YEARS!

Wait wait wait...relatively nearby….it’s not gonna ping because of Jack is it?? SHE’S NOT GONNA HURT JACK IS SHE??!!

Oh okay nevermind. Just a vamp nest.

Say what now?

We can...that just...umm...okay then??

“Heck...heck yeah.” XD XD XD

Yeah I’m with Sam on this one. She seems innocent, but, like…

Dean does have a point though.

But also things like this never last. It’s too good to be true.

MY BABY!!!

“She’s probably harmless, but just in case, watch yourself”?? Dean that was a terrible way to do that but okay.

Snickerdoodles. XD

My poor baby looks so lost. :(

I mean...Dean makes a good point there. But also the son of Satan is adorable and she’s suspicious. But anyways.

“Ignoring your trauma doesn’t make you healthy.” SOMEONE FINALLY SAID IT OMG!!! XD XD XD <3 <3 <3 <3

...Jack is hiding something? IS JACK HIDING SOMETHING?!

...do we know what Jack is hiding??

The only thing I can think of is that he knows about Cas’s deal with the empty, but he had a soul when that happened, and it wasn’t really eating at him then. Is it eating at him more now for some reason??

IS JACK HIDING SOMETHING??!!

Jesus christ this is gonna bother me…

Okay but when has that ever actually worked, Dean?

Awww….

I’m guessing they didn’t tell her he’s a nephilim? If they don’t really trust her--which they don’t--they shouldn’t. Is there a chance she knows already? I feel like she wouldn’t be acting like that if she did.

Vamps watching a movie with vamps. Classy. XD

...ew…

At least they’re drinking from bags instead of from humans I guess?

Nice slicing at the same time, boys.

Huh. Well. That was easy. Too easy?

CHRISTMAS! XD <3

THE TRAIN OMG!! XD XD <3 <3

Their faces. XD

HER DANCE!

Okay she’s kind of adorable not gonna lie.

“We are so keeping her.” XD XD

DEAN’S LITTLE EXCITED HANDS ON THE RAILING OMG I’M DEAD!! XD XD <3 <3 <3

If I can’t get adorable Jack right now, I’m okay with adorable Dean. XD <3 <3

Sam is still suspicious, but Dean is totally into it.

“Enjoy the world you’re fighting for.” That was really quick and so subtle, but d*mn that’s a good line.

MY BABY!!!!

HIIIII JACK!!! I MIIIIISSSSSED YOOOOOUUU!!! <3 <3 <3

Uh-oh. I don’t like the way she said “what are you”. DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH MY BABY!!!

“He’s a millennial.” XD XD

DEAN IN THAT NIGHTGOWN OMG!!! I know it was in the promo photos, but seeing it in the context of the episode is even funnier. XD

Sam’s gagging at his bro’s “down there” bits lol.

Oof. She is VERY absentminded by Jack and whatever he is. No likey.

...hmm. I still don’t trust her with Jack.

“Poppycock”???

HA!! “I’m worried about your cholesterol.”

And Sam and Jack’s little smiles at that omg. <3 <3 <3

“We got one!” IS THAT A HILLYWOOD PARODY REFERENCE/GHOSTBUSTER REFERENCE??!! Because IT FEELS LIKE ONE!!!

The way they’re running to their rooms to get ready omg.

And that cut to them being dressed and going.

LUNCHES!! XD

Their faces! XD

The cinematography in this episode is AWESOME. Go Serge Ladouceur (and yes, I looked that name up. XD)

No crusts. Blessed knives. “I just waxed it.” She IS a mom!

Wait no. Take Jack with you. I don’t trust her with him.

“What shall we do with you.” LEAVE HIM ALONE IS WHAT!

Oh. They’re doing dishes.

WAIT DON’T TELL HER THAT JACK!

...I don’t like the way she’s talking to him.

Oof. Mary. *gags*

Jack you’re adorable and I love you but please stop being so gullible and stop sharing so much personal information.

WAIT NO! I know you feel guilty, but DON’T TELL HER YOU KILLED HER!

...dangat.

...oh. That was actually super sweet, and honestly the EXACT thing Jack needed to hear. ...maybe she’s not so bad?

...wait what? She just...pulls those out of thin air?

Ha! Another hunt

THEIR FACES WITH THE LUNCHES! ESPECIALLY DEAN’S!! XD

Aww! Thanksgiving! <3

Where is Cas during all this? Talking to his angel friends I guess?

That finger gun at Sam omg.

It’s so EASY for them wow.

Halloween! Fitting given our current season.

Their little smiles awww!!

THE BEERS TOGETHER HOLY FRICK!!! IT’S JUST LIKE WHAT TEAM FREE WILL 2.0 DID WHEN JACK CAME BACK! AND what the boys and Mary and John did in Lebanon! NEVER GETS OLD!! I LOVE THIS FAMILY!! <3 <3

...I still don’t necessarily trust Mrs. Butters. BUT I LOVE SAM AND DEAN AND JACK!

Those faces for the lunches just get better and better.

GRENADE LAUNCHER!!

MJOLNIR OMG NO WAY!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE HE STILL HAS IT!!! THIS EPISODE HAS SO MANY EASTER EGGS OMG!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Also that is an AWESOME shot.

BIRTHDAY!! Awww… <3 <3

OOF. Poor Dean. XD

Jack’s laugh and then immediately being like “oop” and bringing his head down but still chuckling when Dean glares at him I CAN’T. XD XD

I LOVE THIS FAMILY!! <3 <3 <3

AWW!! She made extra for him!

Okay, I like her. But I’m still cautious.

Oh. THERE it is.

What’s she doing??

Jack’s got you lady.

My mom is wondering why she has to walk away to make another smoothie when before she was just producing them. I’m wondering if maybe she has to near the ingredients to whip it into a smoothie magically, but that seems weird...continuity error?

Get her, Jack. My smart boi. <3 <3

My Mom: “You better hurry it up there, Jack.”

Oh it’s evil Men of Letters dude. NOW I get why we went that far back.

Oh! AND the Thule. NOW I get why Dean mentioned killing Hitler again. Wow. Nice connections on this episode all around. Go writers.

...she did what now?

WTF??!!

HOLY FRICK!!!

HOLY S*** HOLY S*** HOLY S***!!!

Do NOT ask about tea or cookies after you just pulled sh** like that.

On a more positive note, the way Jack just said “son of a bitch” out of nowhere like that is so adorable because he, like, NEVER swears, but also that’s Dean’s saying and it just proves that he’s taking after his dads and just already growing up and AHHHH I LOVE HIM!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

Also Jack please go tell your dads what you found.

Okay so during the commercial break, my mom and I looked up wood nymphs and had this big discussion and here’s kind of what we came up with:

So we were trying to figure out if wood nymphs are supposedly evil, and we didn’t find much, but they do have super strength (which explains her ability to rip off that dude’s head…), and the ability to control wood and nature, which might explain why she can pull smoothies out of thin air.

So then we saw on the SPN Wiki page for this episode that part of the description mentions that the wood nymph would do anything for her family, and that makes me wonder if she has, like, ulterior motives to protect her wood nymph family? But also, she said the Men of Letters were her family, so that translates to Sam and Dean now, right? So theoretically, she wouldn’t hurt them, she’d be trying to protect them. Which means they should be fine, because she only hurts threats. But then my mom pointed out that maybe she considers Jack a threat and that’s a really good point, so now I’m worried all over again. She’s still acting weird with him, and even though I did like that little advice she gave about second chances, maybe it’s all an act? My mom thinks she, like, poisoned his sandwich or something with anti-nephilim juice in order to try to hurt him, but that was before she knew he was a nephilim, right? I don’t know. I think my mom makes a really good point. I hope my baby winds up being okay. :(

Okay. Back to the episode now. 

Ahhhhhhhh noooooo. Where are the boys when we need them?

Wait, DATE?? EILEEN??!!

No. He isn’t. Go away.

Sam look at yoooooooouuuu. <3

But also please take a moment to notice how uncomfortable your son is and ask him what’s wrong please and thank you. (And yes, I will keep saying son thank you very much.)

Ha! She wants him to get a haircut just like Dean does. The joke’s about Sam’s (and, by extension, Jared’s) hair will never not be funny.

Ha! “Language.”

YES!! EILEEN!!!

YES SAM!! GO GET YOUR GIRL!!

DEAN! XD

Okay the Sam and Eileen thing is adorable, and Sam and Dean’s banter is hilarious, but guys...look at your son please and thank you. :(

I’m so torn between wanting Sam to just be happy and enjoy himself and wanting him to help Jack ahhhhhh.

Sam can go on his date. I’m sure Dean can handle it.

Roses! Nice touch.

Ha! Dean with the supportive big bro action.

Such. A. Mom.

“Boys.”

Wait nooooooo.

Okay but Alex’s acting right there...tip top. So subtle. Jack is trying so hard to be sneaky and warn Dean about what he saw, and the way Alex is conveying pure panic but also showing how sneaky he’s being is AWESOME.

Also that little “sh*t” or “da**it” or whatever it was that he mouthed? Somehow so cute and makes me so worried at the same time.

“The Dean Cave”?? XD XD

Dean I am BEGGING YOU, please take a cursory glance at your son.

...da**it...

The subtitles say “suspenseful music plays” XD XD

Wait Jack noooo. Don’t go after her alone! Chase Dean instead!!

NOOO!! NOT IN THERE!!!

She’s totally gonna trap him in there.

...what?

She’s being so condescending shut the fudge up.

What? No.

Does he still not have a soul? Is that what he’s hiding? That wouldn’t make sense.

Oh wait. I get it now.

HE IS NOT!!! SHUT THE FUDGE UP LADY!!

LADY STOOOOOP! HE DOESN’T NEED YOUR SH**!! HE ALREADY FEELS GUILTY WOULD YOU QUIT IT??!! :’( :’( :’( :’(

HEY! NOT COOL!

I HOPE SOMEONE RIPS YOUR HEAD OFF B***H!!

They’re not. They know he won’t now.

SHUT UP LADY!!

HEY!!! STOP IT!!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!

TAKE HER DOWN JACK!!!

He IS family!

...ummm...what??

GOD DA**IT!!

...my mom literally just said “told you so” about the poisoning. ...which also explains why she walked away to make another smoothie, because she WANTED him to find the video, says my mom. And yes, my mom was right, AND I HATE IT!! SCREW YOU LADY!! LEAVE MY BABY ALONE!!

It IS safe you B**CH!!

HE’S NOT A MONSTER!!! :’( :’( :’(

DA**IT!! DEAN PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!

Ha! He’s so excited about the sandwich and it’s adorable.

But also save your son!!

...wait what?

She’s...she’s really just gonna out herself like that?

Ha! YES!

Aww...Dean’s so disappointed. :(

BUT! He’s sticking up for his son! Because even if he’s mad at him for everything that happened to Mary (but also get over it, because she sucked anyways, Dean XD), of course he’ll still protect him.

Ha! The way he just takes it away…

Aww...poor baby. :(

He’s so disappointed. He deserves better. I feel bad for him. :(

HE IS NOT! SHUSH!

Aww...looking at the sandwich, but making the right call.

AWW! He’s trying. Best of both worlds.

Take the deal, lady.

DA**IT!!!

SERIOUSLY?!

SERIOUSLY???!!!

Screw you, lady.

HEY! NOT FAIR!

He is NOTHING like his father, thank you very much!

Well...now what??

Oh thank god, Sam’s home. He’s smart. He’ll find a way to get them out.

Her calling him Samuel is both hilarious and annoying, somehow. I think it’s only annoying now because I hate her with what she just did to my boys. XD

OOOOF.

She gonna out herself again?

Sam’s face when she said that about good news and bad news. XD

I suppose the benefit of having a bad guy who thinks they’re doing the right thing is that she’s not trying to hide it. So hopefully, if she outs herself again, Sam can deal with it a little better than Dean did, knowing Dean was not very successful lol. Dean let his love of her food get in the way. XD

She DID out herself!

Ha! “You were always the smart one.”

YES! Good job, Sam. Starting off strong. <3

YES! GOOD JOB SAM!! Nice manipulation.

Ha!

Can’t believe she’s asking about the date.

Actually yes I can. XD

Wait, why don’t WE get to hear about the date? I WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE DATE DA**IT!

Well, DUH, Sam, you think they don’t know that?

Dean OMG!! XD XD

SUPPORTIVE BIG BRO!! XD XD

In Dean’s defense, he knew she’d wait for Sam, so...it’s not like they were REALLY in danger.

Do NOT try shooting her. Are you kidding me right now?

...really Sam? REALLY?! You’re going to try to SHOOT her?? You’ve seen what she can do, and you’re going to try to SHOOT her? She got the jump on JACK. POWERED UP Jack. Really? Call me crazy, but I feel like that’s not gonna work.

Yes. Yes he is. ...so much for Sam being the smart one.

I want to be mad at them for getting distracted by the holidays, but also I can’t exactly blame them given their childhoods, so…

Ha! The way they both react to the Boxing Day breakfast. Such brothers. XD

There ya go. Good plan. MUCH better than shooting her. Thank you boys.

WAIT WAIT WAIT!! Is this where we’re gonna get the “you sure this is gonna work” “let’s say yes” scene from the promo?? I THINK IT IS!! (Okay, so I MAY have watched that particular five second scene a million and one times because it had my boys in it, but I love them okay?? Sue me.)

Hey. Chill, Dean. Don’t yell at him.

Aww baby. :( :( :(

He doesn’t think you’re a monster. He’s just upset. :( 

...uh oh. This convo is gonna be bad, isn’t it? :( :(

:’( :’( :’( :’( :’(

WAIT! “For a while” YES! THAT’S A GOOD THING!!

Oh wait. “Still am a little bit.”

“Evil Mary Poppins” XD XD

AWWW!! SEE JACK?! He DOES love you!! <3 <3 <3 <3

OKAY NEVER MIND THAT CONVO WAS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD!!! I need to break that down for a second.

That convo was short and subtle and to the point, but it says SO much about Dean and Jack’s relationship.

First of all, the fact that Dean decided to be honest with Jack instead of continuing to pretend everything’s fine shows how much he really does care about Jack and how much he still trusts him and loves him. He doesn’t open up often, and I’m glad he finally did.

Second of all, he may have been blunt, but there was so much affection hidden in the way he addressed all of that. I mean, he tells Jack that he used to be really mad, and he still kind of is, but then he reminds him that just because they’re in a rough patch right now doesn’t mean he wants to lose him. Yes, Jack made a mistake, and yeah, Dean’s finding it hard to get over it, but Jack’s family through and through, and that means that, no matter what, Dean’s going to look out for him. It’s the same way he treats Cas and, more notably, the same way he treats Sam. He’s giving Jack the family treatment. And THAT is a BEAUTIFUL thing.

All of that said, between all of the OG Team Free Will, Dean’s relationship with Jack will always be my favorite (probably mostly because they’re my two favorite characters, but also because they’re amazing together), so this convo makes me so freaking happy. <3 <3 <3 <3

Sam you are being not very sneaky. 

SERIOUSLY SAM??!!

I take that back. Sam is not being smart about this. *eye roll*

UGGGGHHHHH.

WHERE IS CAS WHEN YOU NEED HIM?!

Actually quick side note, one that I’m adding now that I’ve finished the episode: not having Cas around TOTALLY makes sense. Explanation included in the review.

“Because you are my favorite.” XD XD XD 

She shouldn’t still be making me laugh, but dangat she’s too funny. XD

Wait noooo. No torture allowed.

I KNEW IT!! I TOLD YOU!! I CALLED IT!! SCENE FROM THE PROMO!! XD XD <3 <3 <3

I LOVE DEAN AND JACK SO MUCH!! <3 <3 <3

Ha! Fixing his hands.

YIKES!

...but did the cuffs break at least?

HA! She actually converted him to not swear.

I love how Dean makes a point of swearing extra loud after he realizes what he did. I love him. XD XD <3

Oh frick, that didn’t break the cuffs? Are you kidding me? Stupid powerful magic…

OOH! Dean’s got an idea!

THOSE LITTLE SMILES I LOVE THEM!! <3 <3 <3 <3

OH SHUT UP LADY! Are you still talking??

...okay so...trauma.

Please listen to Sam.

YES HE IS SHUSH!

Just because he has blood on his hands doesn’t mean he’s not a kid. Just saying.

Okay so I kind of feel bad for her knowing what she’s been through, but also that does not excuse her behavior. However, I will take back what I said about someone ripping her head off. I suppose that isn’t really necessary.

That said, someone please do something. :( :(

WOULD YOU QUIT IT WITH THE FINGERNAILS SUPERNATURAL??!! I STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN OVER IT FROM THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE IN SEASON 3!!!

My mom and I are both turning away owwwwwww.

STOOOOOOOOOOP!!!

Jesus Christ lady!!

“Pain is just weakness leaving the body.” Dean what?! XD XD

HEY! Smart! Way to go you two!! <3 <3

And still helping his son up YES! <3 <3 <3

Okay that could not have been a more in character moment between Dean and Jack right there. Between the “not so bad” and the helping him up and the helping him walk down the hall and Jack just following him along and I just...I LOVE THEM OKAY!! <3 <3 <3

AHHH!! SHE TOOK OFF SO MANY FINGERNAILS JESUS!!

SHUT UP LADY!!

YES!

...Dean honey that was the reset button…

There’s no way that did the job. Too easy.

Problem not solved!! Problem DEFINITELY not solved!!

Creepy green eyes!!

Oh she looks maaaaad. That’s not good.

HEY!!! What happened to not hurting family??!!

LEAVE THEM ALONE!!

Which family??!! Cause YOU’RE the one destroying them!

No he won’t.

“You hurt him, you hurt us.” GREAT line!! YES SAM!! <3 <3 <3

Oooh!! He’s getting to her!! <3 <3

Oop. There’s our backstory. Mr. Cuthbert wouldn’t let her go back. Not that I’m surprised, given what he did to Dean all those years ago.

Yes. Yes he did.

YAY! Dean jumping in to save his son. <3

NICE! Good call, Dean! <3

THAT FACE!! Jack’s face!! <3 <3

YES!!!! YES!!! GOOD JOB BOYS!! <3 <3 <3

Awww….poor Mrs. Butters…

Okay now I feel really bad for her. And a little guilty that I called her a b***h. I’m still kind of mad at her, but...her motives make sense.

Hey yay! She healed him!

Wow, this nymph is POWERFUL. Now that she’s nice again, can we, like, actually keep her? Cause that’d be an awesome ally to have.

Aww...Jack being the one to voice their forgiveness. So pure, especially since she was after him all that time. <3

Awww….Dean wants her to stay. He’s so upset. XD

But he also gets it. :) <3

OMG!! That shot with all three of them looking at her and those sweet little smiles they give her as she’s talking about home. There was just so much...genuineness in that! I loved it! <3 <3

Jack being the voice again. <3

Okay, she looks hecka cute in that outfit.

Oof. That makes sense lol. It would be way too easy if it didn’t revert back.

...inter what now?

Oh shoot...that just proves Chuck destroyed all the worlds...lovely….

Awww!! <3 <3

Ha! Her little words of wisdom to them! To reiterate: SUCH. A. MOM. XD XD <3 <3

Sam and Dean’s smirks at each other when she tells them to do the same things they’ve been telling each other to do for years--eat your vegetables and cut your hair. XD

Awww….that little extra nose crinkle and smile at Jack when she tells him to save the world. <3

I also just realized that this breaks my theory that anyone who meets Jack instantly falls in love with him because of how adorable he is. Though, I guess she’s a little different given that extra little motivation to protect her family in the only way she knows how. Plus, trauma.

Oof. Bye bye extra magic.

Aww...this convo between Jack and Sam. <3 <3

Aww Jack… :( :(

You weren’t stupid, baby. You all fell for it. :(

Aww….he’s looking for faith from Sam.

And Sam just gave it to him. <3

I know the line seems desperate, and in a way, it is, but the way that Sam gave him a little smile shows that it’s more than that. They are desperate, and Jack is their only hope, but also, Sam knows Jack can handle it, because he does have faith in him. It’s a short convo, but it says so much.

That tin has a birthday cake for Jack, made by Dean. Calling it right now.

“He loves that apron.” XD <3 <3

I KNEW IT AND I LOVE IT OMG!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

THAT’S SO ADORABLE!!! And that is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT Dean’s way of telling Jack that he still loves him, and that he forgives him. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

THEIR LITTLE SMILES!! <3 <3 <3

I’M SCREAMING!!! ALL OF THEIR SMILES AT EACH OTHER I FREAKING LOVE THIS FAMILY!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I SERIOUSLY LOST ALL FUNCTIONALITY JUST NOW TO THE POINT WHERE I’M ADDING THIS COMMENT LATER BECAUSE AHHHH!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

AWESOME ending shot. It’s a great way to end a much more light-hearted episode while also setting us up perfectly for knowing that things are about to get heavy and serious. I bet whatever Jack wished for, it has something to do with taking on God.

Okay, so...those reactions were a lot longer than I was anticipating, and I want to apologize, but also, I did warn you. XD That said, review time!

I loved this episode! It was absolutely hilarious, but also sweet and touching. It mixed some crazy and fun moments with some of the most subtly emotional ones, both negative and positive. I absolutely loved all the Easter Eggs, and I loved watching the boys have a chance to celebrate holidays in a way that they never have before, especially with Jack. The facial expressions in this episode killed me. Between all of the little smiles and dorky excitement, I was laughing and smiling right along with the characters. Some stand-out moments/things for me: 

That convo between Dean and Jack. I already broke it down above, but seriously, I love how they did that. As a huge fan of Dean and Jack and their relationship, the way that those two interacted this episode was beautiful and really sets up the fact that they’re going to need to lean on each other for support as a whole family in the coming fight, and I loved that. <3 

Sam going on a date with Eileen! <3 Initially, I had a theory that Sam and Eileen would end up together at the end of all of this, but when she left a few episodes ago, I threw that idea out the window and it made me sad. So the fact that they went on a date and got to see each other again--even if we didn’t get to see it--makes me so happy and brings back my hope that they’ll end up being together. <3 That said, I am 100% going to write a fanfiction of that date, since Supernatural chose to keep it from us. XD

The acting really stood out to me in this one. Maybe it’s just because it’s been so long since I’ve seen them doing something new, but I honestly feel like J2 and Alex nailed it even more than usual. I mean, their facial expressions were seriously so amazing in this episode. Between the really dorky moments and the subtle emotional moments, I felt like their faces were always saying so much and I loved it. <3

One thing I want to address is the lack of Cas. I know a lot of people were upset that he wasn’t in it, especially since the boys were celebrating so many holidays with Jack, and while I agree that it would’ve been beautiful to have him there, it makes perfect sense that he wasn’t there based on the trajectory of the episode and everything that happened. For starters, if Cas had been there, the wood nymph business would’ve been solved INSTANTLY. Cas is always extra suspicious of people, so if she didn’t trust him because he was an angel, the odds of her getting the jump on him would’ve been slim. And yes, she did poison Jack with the smoothies, but, as this episode continued to point out, Jack is still a kid, so he’s still much more naive and gullible. Plus, he’s upset and guilty and confused and just generally vulnerable now that his soul is back, so it was easy for him to trust and be manipulated. But if Mrs. Butters had tried to do the same thing to Cas, (and I’m picturing that one scene with the milkshake in Peace of Mind here) there’s no way he would’ve fallen for it. More importantly, with how worried he is about Jack, he would’ve been really vigilant about the way she was talking to him and everything, and he probably would’ve caught the poisoning long before it could really hurt him. And you can argue that Sam and Dean probably should’ve picked up on it, which is true, however, even they admit that they get distracted in the fun of it all. While it would’ve been great to see Cas in on the festivities, he wouldn’t have been quite as distracted by it as the boys were, and with his vigilance, there’s no way any of them would ever have gotten hurt. He’d be watching Mrs. Butters like a hawk, and the second she did something suspicious, she’d be gone. That said, I can understand if people want to say that’s dumb, because if they didn’t want Cas to defeat the villain so easily, they shouldn’t have had a villain that could be so easily defeated by Cas, and I’m sure some people feel like that’s a stupid excuse. To which I also offer this. After seeing those convos between Dean and Jack and Sam and Jack, and knowing that the episode ends with the three of them celebrating Jack’s birthday, Cas’s absence makes even more sense: this episode wasn’t about him. I love Cas, but it didn’t need him. See, Cas already has an undying love for Jack. While Cas definitely saw Mary as family, he never had the same emotional connection to her that Sam and Dean did--for obvious reasons. But he definitely had--and still has--a very strong emotional connection to Jack. He’s always been the most involved in being Jack’s father--again, for obvious reasons. But even after the Mary incident, it was Cas who went to find him, who tried to help him, and who wanted to protect him. Cas always loved him and always trusted him, and he always will. But Sam and Dean lost a lot of trust for Jack after what happened to Mary...and this episode fixed that. Because Cas wasn’t around, it gave Jack a chance to prove himself to Sam and Dean again. Sam had already pretty much forgiven him, but Dean was definitely on the fence. He even says it. But the fact that Dean had that conversation with him and said everything he did proves that Dean still loves him, and it gave Jack the reassurance he needed that, while Dean is still mad, he doesn’t hate him, and he doesn’t think he’s a monster. And while Sam and Jack were on pretty good terms, Jack was still worried that Sam couldn’t trust him--that Sam didn’t have faith in him anymore. But when Sam tells him that he knows he can defeat God, Jack gets confirmation that Sam does still have faith in him. And after all of that, after celebrating all of those holidays together, and having both of those conversations, to then end that with Sam and Dean celebrating Jack’s birthday? That’s what this episode was about. Sure, it was a silly monster of the week episode. Sure, we got some adorable and hilarious moments. And sure, we got to see them celebrate things that they never got to celebrate in a real way before. But underlying all of that, we got to see Jack become part of Sam and Dean’s family again. We got to see them bond. And knowing that this is right before they all prepare to take on God--Jack needed that. The boys needed that. They needed to all trust each other again. And the fact that they celebrated his birthday at the end proves that they do. They’re a family again. They have each other’s backs. They trust each other. And they love each other. And as much as I love Cas, and as much as I would’ve loved to have seen him be a part of their holidays, he didn’t need to be. But those three did. And that’s why Cas wasn’t in the episode. So, frankly, full points to the writers for making that happen. While they gave us a fun episode, and they may have left out a fan favorite character, it created an underlying theme that’s really going to matter as we get into the big stuff of Season 15. And that’s awesome.

All in all, I thought this was a great episode, and I’m so glad that this is how we get to jump back into the season. Not only was this episode hilarious and fun, but it was also a great set-up for the coming battle and for all the hard and serious things that are bound to come in the next several episodes.

Rumor has it that this was the last “silly” episode of the show, and while that’s a sad thought to think about, it totally makes sense with what they did with the episode, and frankly, I think it’s a beautiful silly one to have ended on and a great way to lead into everything that’s coming next.

My Rating: 10/10

[the-starsabove-you]

The Spotlight

Chapter 29 - Family Ties  A/N: Sorry for the long update! I have a special announcement soon! Hope I can share it in the following week. But reviews are welcomed! And thank you again for reading 

Michelle let out a deep breath as the plane touched down in Winnipeg. Michelle took a different plane than Mat and the Team. She just needed time to process that she was coming home to Winnipeg for the first time since her career took off. In all honesty, she wasn’t expecting to come back home unless it was for a funeral or a wedding. She wasn’t ready for her family to meet Mat, but she had to be. She made her way to the entrance and she saw her family there. Her mother was waving and her father was standing there and her brother Ty was running to her. Her mother was beautiful, light brown hair and green eyes with a soft smile. She worked as a detective since Michelle and Ty were so small. The job took a toll, her mother often missing a lot of important things in her children’s lives, but her children knew it was because their mother was out there solving crimes and saving lives. Her father had the same dark brown hair as Michelle. Instead of Michelle’s warm blue eyes, her father’s were cold. Some would compare Michelle and her father with looks but Michelle would brush it off, claiming she looked more like her mother. Her father was a lawyer. He was more home with his children, had his own office in the house and would work there while his children would be doing something else. It was basically Michelle and Ty’s childhood, sometimes their father would bring them to his office in a huge building near their house. Michelle’s father was cold, he had high expectations for his children, he wanted his family to be the perfect family with the white fence and everything. Although he was the one mostly present in the children’s lives, they inherited their kind hearts and empathy from their mother. It broke her father’s heart, along with him having bitter feelings towards her when she decided to leave Winnipeg and start a life that was the opposite of what he wanted. Ty, whose real name was Tyson, was graduating high school and going to college. Due to their mother being absent and their father working at home, it was Michelle who raised and looked out for Ty. She loved her brother and wanted to protect him from any bad thing in life. Ty was being forced to go to Law school by their father, Ty didn’t want to go to law school. He always dreamed about being a writer, writing stories and being a journalist. He wanted to make a difference with his writing, not do Law.. Ty ran and nearly crushed his sister as he brought her into a tight hug. Michelle laughed when her little brother picked her up and swung her around “Ty! You’re gonna drop me!” She said and Ty smiled and put her down “I haven’t seen my sister in forever! You can’t blame a little brother for missing his big sister” He said and Michelle grabbed his hand “I know.. I’m sorry, has everything been okay?” She whispered and Ty knew what she meant and he nodded “All is calm within the house.. But I know it will change with our father” Ty muttered and Michelle sighed. Michelle’s father, Thomas went towards his daughter and stopped in front of her. He nodded “Michelle, it’s been a while” He muttered. Michelle never expected hugs from her father, it was always rare to get a hug from him. Michelle nodded “Dad, it’s nice to see you” She said, she knew that her leaving to start a new life was still a sore topic for him, she rather not bring up his career in front of him. Michelle’s mother, Mary, went towards her daughter and brought her into a tight hug “Oh Sweetie, I’ve missed you” She whispered softly and Michelle kissed her mother’s cheek “I’ve missed you too mom, how’s work been?” “It’s been good, you know.. Your mom always brings the bad guys into jail and face justice” Mary smiled softly and Michelle grinned “That’s my mom! Kicking ass and taking names” She said. Thomas looked around, “Your suitcases come out yet?” He asked and Michelle shook her head “Mat took mine with him in the team plane since he’s getting to the hotel first” She said and Thomas nodded “Ok.” He muttered, Ty looking at his sister “You’re hungry?” “Nah, I would love to see what changed in the neighborhood, how’s Mrs Jones doing?” She asked and her father narrowed his eyes “Your mother made lunch at home and you’re not hungry?” He said dryly and Michelle was about to say something until her mother spoke “It’s fine Tom, I didn’t tell her I was cooking.” She said and her father glared at his wife and nodded “Well, let’s go look around.” He muttered and jammed his hands into his pocket and walked towards the car. Michelle and Ty were walking behind their parents and Michelle nudged her brother gently with her arm “You got into NYU?” She whispered and Ty nodded “I did, but also got accepted into Harvard. You can guess what dad wanted me to attend” Ty said and Michelle narrowed her eyes “Ty, you’re like the smartest kid I’ve known.. You’re smarter than me. I dropped out of college to become a model. Whatever makes you happy, you should do it” She said softly and Ty smiled but their father ruined the moment “Well Ty is attending Harvard. So drop the NYU act. You’re right about something, he’s smarter than you. If you didn’t drop out of college, you would have been closer to being a doctor now. But hey, we can’t have everything in life” Thomas muttered the last part and Michelle remained quiet, she was getting more annoyed by the second. But she knew that it was only going to get worse when Mat meets her family. 

The family got into the car and Mary looked back at her children as she was sitting at the passengers’ seat “Wanna stop by the house and get anything?” She asked and Michelle shook her head “It’s okay.. I’m fine, I have everything right now. I’ve been cleaning out things too since Emily stays at my house a lot” She said lying about the fact that it was Mat staying with her, she didn’t want her father to flip. Ty however, knew about her sister’s love life as he paid attention to his sister on social media. Michelle had told him about Mat living in her apartment and vice versa. Ty was really the only family member that she trusted to tell

“Wanna stop by the old park that your father took you guys when you were children?” She asked and Michelle smiled softly “I would love to” Thomas drove the family to the park, Michelle and Ty got out of the car. Michelle looked back and saw her parents were having an intense talk in the car before her father looked frustrated before getting out the car with his mother. Michelle and Ty walked ahead as they walked along the path. They were both nudging each other before Ty smiled “How are you and your boyfriend doing?” Ty asked and Michelle grinned “We’re doing great! We’re going house hunting soon, He wants to move to Long Island but I wanna find a house in Upstate New York. So that’s what we’re bickering about right now” She chuckled and Ty nodded “It’s reasonable for Long Island because of the arena being in Long Island and then you got the Brooklyn one too. Why do you wanna live Upstate?” “I love the nature scenery.. Plus I feel like it’s the most unexpected place.. Paps wouldn’t really know right away” She muttered and she sighed “But I know he would be happier if we moved to Long Island.. So” She chuckled and Ty grinned “Make sure to invite me to the housewarming party” “What are you two talking about?” Their mother called and Ty looked back “I’m just telling Mich my failed relationship..” He said and Mary shook her head “That girl was a fool for giving you up” Thomas called “You heard Alice got married right? The girl that grew up with you.. Expecting a kid” “Dorian is also engaged too, He sent an invite for the wedding too” Mary said and Thomas nodded “James is moving to Europe too with his girlfriend and their newborn son” Michelle in a way felt her heart sink at the feeling that people her age were already getting married and some having kids. Michelle knew that marriage and kids were off the tables right now, they were both too young and both were starting their careers. The family made their way to the Bell MTS Place. Mat managed to get seats near her family for Michelle. Michelle felt sick thinking about when her family finally met Mat. She hoped that her family approved of Mat, even if her father didn’t approve.. It meant the world if her brother and mother liked him. Michelle sat next to her brother and she was watching fans, both Islanders and Jets fans were walking around and interacting. Michelle was trying to keep a low profile with an Islanders sweater and one of Mat’s hats over her head. “This is so exciting!” Mary said as she was eating a hotdog. Her father grunted as he was drinking water. Ty was looking at the ice “This is so cool! You gotta tell me what’s happening in this game. I have no idea about hockey” “This was me when I first went to one of Mat’s game, I was lost too but it’s easy to catch up on” She said and Ty nodded. Soon the buzzer was heard around the arena and players from both teams were coming out. Michelle’s heart raced when she saw Mat coming out and he was skating alongside Tito. The Islanders were warming up and Matt Martin looked over at her and grinned, waving at her. Anders Lee shot her a wink while Josh Bailey grinned at her

Mat soon spotted Michelle and waved her over and she got up and went towards the glass and Mat with his stick tossed a puck over and he pointed at Michelle’s brother. Michelle smiled softly and mouthed a ‘Thank you’ before he winked at her and skated away. Michelle returned to her seat and handed the puck to Ty who was smiling “This is amazing!” He cheered. Michelle looked over and saw Mat was looking at her with a smile but he looked over at Michelle’s father who looked very unimpressed and Mat’s smile fell and he sighed before skating off Thomas huffed and shook his head “I hate show-offs” He grumbled and Mary nudged him and gave him a look before he sighed and went back to texting on his phone. Michelle bit back a response and went back to focusing on Mat. The game had started and it was a rough one, The Jets were leading and Mat and the boys did try to bounce back but it wasn’t enough as Jets took the game with a 5-4 lead. Ty was watching carefully, asking his sister questions and shouting when one of the Jets did something that would be a penalty. Michelle looked at her brother in amusement as she was also getting nervous, she didn’t want Mat to be in a foul mood if the Islanders lost because her family and him were going to have dinner after the game before Michelle leaves for New York in the morning and Mat goes to Toronto. Michelle let out a deep breath when she saw the final score was 6-4 and the Islanders skated back to the locker room. She took out her phone to text Mat that she would be waiting in the parking lot. Michelle’s mother got up and she smiled and looked at her daughter “I thought the game was fun, it kept me on my feet for sure” She said and Ty nodded “I thought it was cool! I need to go to an Islanders game more” Thomas just shrugged and he looked over at his family “Let’s go to the parking lot, Michelle I’m assuming you’re riding with your boyfriend?” He asked and she nodded and he narrowed his eyes “He better not be in a mood just because he lost” He mumbled before walking and Michelle narrowed her eyes “Mat can control his emotions, unlike other people” She mumbled the last part and Ty went to his sister “Mich..” Their father ignored her and everyone went to the parking lot. Thomas was leaning on his car while Mary was speaking to her kids about one of her latest cases and at the corner of her eye, Michelle spotted Mat coming towards him with his game-day suit. She broke out into a jog and ran towards him and he opened his arms and she crushed him into a hug “Hey…” He whispered and she looked up at him “You’re doing okay?” She asked and he nodded “Just a rough loss but I’ll get over it.. Excited I can eat finally” He said softly and she grinned and kissed him on the cheek before grabbing his hand and they stopped in front of her family “Mom, Dad, Ty.. This is Mat, my boyfriend” She said with a smile. Ty went over to Mat and they shook hands. Mary coming towards him and bringing him into a hug “I”ve heard so much about you, it’s nice to finally meet you” “I’ve heard a lot of you too.. Always love with Mich tells me about your stories in the field” Mat said warmly and Mary smiled at that. Thomas watched Mat carefully before making his way to Mat and stuck out his hand and Mat took it, but Thomas squeezed his hand as he shook it “Nice to meet you” Michelle watched as Mat wasn’t very impressed with her father trying to be tough as Mat watched with intense eyes and she sighed quietly. This was going to be a long night.

[ick25]

Rockman.EXE Episode 41 Review.

The cutest and funniest episode of Rockman.EXE I’ve seen so far!

“Good” is a relative term.

We open the episode with some shots of Densan city under a thunder storm. A lightning bolt hits a building causing a black out, and for some reason the lightning bolt also appears in the cyber world shocking a strange glass case with what looks like a cat inside. The cat escapes and somehow appears as a giant in the real world, covering the whole city with it’s shadow.

After the title card, we see a dog happily munching on a bone when something strange walks by causing it to drop the bone in shock.

The strange creature stops in front of Netto’s house where we see our blue bandana boy enjoying some curry his useless mom brought him along with some tea while Midorikawa talks in the news about the weird cat shadow seen last night.

Netto finishes his meal, but notices that the tea is missing.

What is wrong with this woman? In what universe is that normal?! (oh, right, anime, and maybe Charlie Brown)

Netto is understandibly confused about seeing Rush in the real world, he even touches him to see if he is a hologram.

He is not. I doubt Rush has hair, so I guess his head must feel pretty smooth.

Right after this, Netto receives a phone call from Meiru-chan telling him that she can’t find Rush. Netto tells her that Rush is drinking tea at his house, they are both confused about this so they think their Navis might know what is going on. 

Netto runs to his room to talk to Rockman, but...

I got to be honest, the first time I saw this I was actually expecting to see Rockman on Netto’s bed or something, but that already happened in the manga, and it was freaking hilarious! XD

                                                                                            <----------------------------

Also, Netto’s mom was called out for being so calm in weird situations.

                                                                                                            <---------------

Anyway, instead, Netto and Meiru get this.

So cute! :3

Both Rock and Roll have become cat navis. Their confused netops ask them why they look like that, but nya-ther of them know the cause.

According to Japan, cats say “Nya” instead of “Meow”. The more you know.

Inmediately after, Netto receives calls from Dekao, Yaito and Tohru at the same time, their Navis have also been turned into cats.

Iceman is playing with Gutsman tail during this scene. X3

Not only our heroes, but according to Midorikawa, the whole net has been affected, Navis and viruses everywhere have turn into cats for some unknowen reason.

LOL, Higure’s face.

Like we need a reminder that CGI is inmune to these kinds of things. But if that’s the case, then how come she was under the control of a virus in episode 27?

Netto and friends are wondering whats going on, luckily for them, Netto’s dad appears out of nowhere to give them the answer.

“Where the hell have you been?!”

“Doing computer stuff in the Bahamas, nothing out of the ordinary”

Seriously, nobody asks about the tan! O-O

Netto’s new tanned dad tells them that the cause of everything is a new computer virus that escaped a research lab last night. The virus is called the “Neko Virus”, which means “Cat virus”, and it has the ability to transform Navis and other viruses into cats.

Netto asks about Rush appearing in the real world as well, but amazingly enough, his dad has no clue and doesn’t think it’s related to the Neko virus. After taking another look at his adorable new cat navi, Netto asks if there is a way to change them back.

At least somebody finds her useful.

We cut to the Net Agents ready to jump into action.

But somehow they didn’t realize that their Navis were also affected by the Neko virus. The worst part is that Sharkman is still a fish.

Not the kind of catfish you’d expect to see in the internet-nya? :3

After a pointless scene of Netto’s useless mom serving them lunch, and Rush trying to seem charming, we see the Navis thinking in the cyberworld until something suddenly happens to Iceman.

Yuichiro tells them that if they don’t get a vaccine soon, the Navis will permanently become cats and that the speed of the transformation depends on the size of the Navi. The vaccine might not be ready on time, so their only hope is to find and capture the Neko Virus. 

In the next scene we see the five Navis walking around an empty Internet City trying to find the virus.

That’s a brilliant plan, Rockman. Also, wasn’t Iceman’s body transformed in the last scene? And where is his tail? Just how consistent is the animation for this episode?

They even look for the Neko virus at a ball shop, yes, a “Ball” shop, just so we can get this scene where one of the balls fall out forcing the Navis, except for Iceman, to fight their feline instincs of playing with it.

I’m all for the Rockman butt shots, but do we have to see Gutsman’s butt too? And there is a coloring mistake in the fourth panel which answers my question of the animation quality for this episode.

The Navis keep searching knowing that they can now relate to the Neko virus, they deduced that the virus is taking a nap, since cats love to take naps, and the best place for that is the park.

They arrive at Internet city’s park where they find the Neko virus sleeping and they try to ambush it, but the virus wakes up and scratches Gutsman out of its way.

Gutsman gets angry and tries to attack the Neko virus, but ends up getting his claws stuck.

Now, lets forget for a moment that Battle chips are not allowed in Internet City and just enjoy this next scene.

Rockman gives chase to the Neko virus, Netto sends him a Mini Bomb, but since the bomb is round you can guess where this is going.

“Iceman got to play with a ball, it was my turn!”

Netto then sends a Sword, but for some reason it won’t appear, so Rockman tries to attack the Neko virus with his claws, but he misses and gets scratched instead.

Neko virus uses fury swipes, its a critical hit.

The Neko virus dissapears after this, and a huge tremor happens in the real world where Netto and the others discover that the virus has materialized in Akihara.

CATZILLA!!!

After commercials, Netto and the others are out on the street trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

There are two things wrong with this. One, Netto already checked earlier that Rush isn’t a hologram, and two, if Rush isn’t affected by the Neko virus because he is a dog, then why are other animal type viruses and Navis affected by it? Sounds like the Neko virus is racist against dogs.

As they keep staring at Nekozilla, Tohru discovers that Iceman has fully become a cat.

At least Icecat hasn’t lost his freezing powers- nya :3

Netto fears that Rockman will have the same fate and runs to capture the Neko virus by himself.

Sea lion? I wouldn’t be mad, I would be confused.

The Neko virus gives chase to Netto.

At least one of his parents worries about him.

Netto lures the Neko virus into a street between two large buildings and this happens.

.....

The giant Neko virus struggling causes debris to fall on Netto, but Rush saves him in the last second. But before a second block of concrete from the building falls on them, Yuichiro figured out why the Neko virus grew so big and creates a lightning bolt with his computer to hit Rush. For real.

“By the power of science! I summon a thunder storm!”

This is where the episode passes from cute and funny to ridiculous. 

Acording to Yuhichiro the lightning bolt at the begining of the episode was what caused the Neko Virus to become a giant in the real world. Now, with his super scientific power and a really awesome computer, he creates a lightning bolt to make Rush become a giant as well, saving Netto from the falling debris.

Rush becomes a giant and fights the Neko virus, but I’m not gonna waste time taking sceen shots because the “battle” was also a waste of time, it’s like watching Snoopy trying to be epic and failing.

Anyway, the Neko virus starts beating the crap out of Rush until he summons a hole underneath it.

Long live the king-nya :3

The hole sends the Neko virus back to cyberworld where Rockman and the others can finally catch him.

Unfortunately they’ve gone too deep into the transformation to remember what they were suppoused to do.

After Gutsman and Glyde’s bodies change, which disproves what Dr. Hikari said about the transformation depending on the size of the Navi, the Neko virus starts to walk away. 

Netto checks his chips to see what he can do to prevent the Neko virus from escaping again and has an idea.

Netto uses the Ratton virus chip to make Rockman and the others happily chase it around. Also note that Gutsman and Glyde’s bodies aren’t different, once again the art department got lazy.

The Ratton virus dissapears near the Neko virus and Netto fools the Navis into attacking it.

Looks like Rockman snaps out of it, because inmediately after, Netto activates the Elec Brother Style and we get this Nya style change sequence. :3

Why can’t they put this amount of effort in the other scenes? I guess that’s too much to ask because the Neko virus tries to get away from the normal looking Rockman, but Elec Brother Rockman stops it by using one of Roll-nya’s candy hearts.

Rockman uses his electrical attack and defeats the Neko virus, and gets the cat girl. Nya! :3

Thats a nice detail how the electric attack looks like a cat.

And the episode ends with Rockman narrating everything that happend afterwards.

Tell me about it, Rock.

What do I think?

This was a fun episode to watch, and even if you want to pretend that this isn’t canon, it is because Rush can now travel between the cyberworld and the real world as he pleases, giving me another reason to hate this character.

As you may already know from my review of episode 24, I talked about why I dislike Rush. At first he is just a pet for Roll that appeared once in a while to help the Navis with something by using his holes, in this episode the writers decided to give him a “personality”, but all they did was make him a japanese Snoopy, and giving him the ability to travel between worlds was pushing it too far. Many fans, including myself, would love to see Rockman and Netto in the same space together, because we know that since Netto is a human and Rockman is a computer program that can only exist in the cyberworld it isn’t possible, so having seen an opportunity for this to happen and giving it to a minor character feels like the anime was trolling us. >:C

Japan seems to have a thing for cat like characters or just cat girls in their animes, so there was bound to be an episode featuring that in any way that they could posibly think of.

In case you were wondering, no, there was no scene showing Blues as a cat, even though there is no way Enzan could prevent that from happening, he is just too cool to appear in a funny episode.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 3X10 - The New Neverland

Ooh! A new episode of Once Upon a Time! I can’t wait to see what Emma, Regina, Snow, and their other com-PAN-ions are up to today!

...You laughed. You can admit it.

...Review’s under the cut. You know what to do!

Press Release

The residents of Storybrooke are overjoyed upon the return of Henry and our heroes from Neverland. But unbeknownst to them, a plan is secretly being put into place by a well-hidden Pan that will shake up the very lives of the townspeople. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was, Snow White and Prince Charming’s honeymoon turns out to be anything but romantic when they go in search of a mythical being that could stop Regina cold in her tracks.

Main Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness

Past

Okay, so to start off, this flashback is admittedly a little pointless. Other than the theme of moments -- something so loose, it could’ve just been discussed in the present and the episode would’ve been fine as just a present events compilation -- there’s nothing that this story does to enhance the main one.

That having been said, I think it’s great! While something meatier could’ve gone here, I can’t honestly object that much when a story is just good. And the conflict between Snow and David is really solid. It’s one of those times where it doesn’t feel fully weighted in one direction. Like, we’re supposed to be on David’s side by the end of it, but Snow’s POV is completely understandable, especially after everything she’s been through (Not to mention, her confidence boost from “Lost Girl”). I like the idea of Snow being so caught up in he worries over Regina that she almost destroys her chance at happiness.

THAT having been said, I found the scene where Snow and Charming discuss turning Regina to stone to be so annoying. Charming references the flashback in “The Cricket Game,” a flashback that I LOATHE because of how much of a waste of time it is and how much of an idiot it makes Snow. And it gets worse. David says that they shouldn’t turn Regina to stone because Snow stayed her execution during that flashback when the resolution of that flashback was that Snow regretted that decision. Like, without this scene, the flashback would’ve not only been completely serviceable, but actually better for its absence!

Present

The opening of the present is just so amazingly shot. There’s this unequivocally happy tone from our mains and side characters that’s so satisfying, that for a moment, even knowing what was going on with Henry, I actually got swept up in it. It’s purely fantastic framing because you know this is exactly what they were going for.

And it kind of carries through throughout the rest of the episode. It feels like an epilogue at times, discussing resolution-y subjects like who (if anyone) will Emma end up with, establishing more of a co-parent-y relationship between Emma and Regina, curing David of his ails, having Rumple consider his future, and allowing for the minor characters to achieve their happy endings. Honestly, only when we cut to Henry do we get remember that the story is continuing, and I like it. It’s a subtle build of tension and will show just how much Pan’s curse will fuck everyone over in the next episode.

I also really liked the Emma and Regina conflict in this episode. It feels like the natural continuation of everything they’ve had to work through over the past two and a half seasons and was smartly placed just after the baby Henry flashbacks.

All Encompassing

This whole episode is the most lowkey David centric ever. Like, he’s in a supporting role, but it’s like the main supporting role. He gives out advice, he interacts with so many characters, and it’s just great! David’s character never needed to be a major major character and I feel like this episode captured the best of him.

“Moments” is the key theme of the episode. It’s interesting that the idea of moments plays more of a part in the flashback to our next episode, but I do like how the concept is introduced and implemented here. While the concept didn’t warrant an entire flashback, the idea of life having good and bad moments that just need to be felt and enjoyed when they can was a good basis for a Snow and Charming story with a good follow-through in the present with Emma. There’s a good contrast between those who can celebrate moments and someone who might not have that luxuary.

Insights - Stream of Consciousness

-The town celebration is really a thing of beauty (And kind of tragedy given that Henry’s not Henry...those Grumpy and Granny hugs are either sad as hell for that reason or funny as fuck because Pan is hugging all of these strangers and is probably realizing that his life just became a fantastical episode of Full House).

-You can tell how Jared loved every fucking second of being Pan! XD The dude lives for evil Henry!

-”That’s the last time I don’t listen to you.” ...When you can see the future, there’s irony fucking EVERYWHERE!

-You know, I just realized that Neal and Belle never had a proper introduction. For one thing, why is Belle not saying “Oh my fuck! You’re alive!” (That’s totally how she’d say it too XD ). For another, I’d have loved to see a proper introduction between the two of them. I need more Neal :( .

-Also would’ve liked the moment where Rumple ditches the cane to get a bit more umph to it. Like, that cane has been as much a part of him as the red cap is to Mario and it’s such a symbol of his cowardice that it would’ve been better to see it go.

-*Looks at a dude in a red beanie* The fuck you do to Smee, you little bitch?

-Okay, that Darling hug was fucking beautiful!

-Also, Snow giving Regina that level of cred was just beautiful! I found it to be a really good follow up to both what she saw in “Save Henry” and Regina’s harsh, but effective actions in “Nasty Habits.”

-Thoughts on how the reception went after Regina invaded the wedding? I’d like to think Snow and Charming played it cool and confident for the guests, but, like we’re seeing, were reeling on the inside.

-”Steal her magic.” Well, in one realm, you actually DO that! The results were...mixed, to say the least. BUT we got Alice, the best person ever out of the deal so it was ultimately worth it.

-So I have to wonder: If Regina hadn’t made these threats, would Snow have still wanted to go to the Summer Palace? Like, it seems to connect really well to her parents, so i could totally see Snow doing that.

-Damn. Grumpy is just the ultimate support. He’s on better terms with Charming, but is still 1000% loyal to Snow.

-Plenty of cell space?! Storybrooke needs an equivalent to juvie! Like, Felix is a villain for sure, but he’s a kid! Jail -- which in Storybrooke is basically full-on solitary confinement -- seems a little excessive.

-”As long as I’m alive, that boy will never see the light of day.” ...Yeah. About that…

-”Her name is Tinker Bell.” I actually fucking clapped. Yes, Queen! Slay and filet that shady shimmering shithead for what she did to Tink!

-”You don’t believe in yourself anymore.” FUCK YOU, BLUE. Look, I’ve said in past reviews that Blue’s not as much shady as she is the world’s strictest and assholey beauraucrat, but being that kind of person WILL merit a level of scorn. Look at that almost half smile on her face. Keegan plays that well. “How can I believe in you if you can’t even do that?” FUCK YOU!

-”I need a drink.” You and me both! Shame I can’t get a drink at 8am!

-I love that emphasis David puts on the word “threat” in the woods. He’s nagging it up!

-You know, Pan kind of got the ball rolling on Emma and Regina’s active non-animosity filled co-parenting.Give the dude a little credit.

-How is Pan so unimpressed by Henry’s room? Like, that’s a nice room! With all sorts of tech and comics and stuff! Be a little more impressed, you little shit!

-”I’ll protect you. No matter what.” And the award for the most adorable non-Regal Believer Regal Believer moment goes to… *cries*

-Prince Charming, everyone, number one causes of deforestation in the Enchanted Forest. XD

-”Are you sure you want to condemn Regina to a fate like that?” Dude, she killed Snow’s dad (Who to be fair, was pretty much shit, but you guys didn’t know it at the time), indirectly killed your mom, tried to kill you, poisoned Snow, AND ruined your wedding! I love Regina and I’m so happy she got redeemed, but at the time of this episode, being turned to stone was rather warranted.

-”Killing her wasn’t the answer.” And then she decided at the end of that episode that it was!

-”Last time, she threatened us.” No she didn’t. She regretted not causing MORE death!

-SHEEP BROS!

-Snow, David. Did you really schedule your lunch to coincide with Emma and Neal’s date? That was...bad planning. Like, you don’t even do that with Killian!

-”Does he eat with his mouth open?” Either Charming has misophonia or that was a Kristoph reference!

-Killian...I’m honestly not sure what to make with that Tink scene. On one hand, I see it as Killian trying in vain to get over Emma, but being unable to, showing that he really does love her. BUT it also comes off as a “you still have a ways to go” moment because Killian’s flirting can be a little...really off putting. I don’t know exactly what to make of that because the framing is a little wonky there.

-”Perhaps.” That having been said, the misunderstanding at Granny’s with Emma, Tink, and Killian had me laughing out loud. That one’s better at insinuating “you fucking dork.”

-YES, SHADOW! GIVE THAT BLUE BITCH A SCARE! KILLING HER MIGHT BE A TOUCH EXCESSIVE, BUT IT’S STILL PRETTY FUN TO WATCH!

-Also, this park is just beautiful. I really wish we spent more time in later seasons at these parks. Like, they’re such pretty places to have scenes instead of the pretty generic looking woods that we got in the later seasons.

-Evil Jared Gilmore cracks me the fuck up!

-Not gonna lie, a dungeon crawl like this would make for the best honeymoon ever!

-”Promise you won’t touch anything?” “Promise.” LIAR!

-”Rumple.” I love how Belle just nagged him. It’s a very Belle-like way of encouraging him to do good without making a whole speech of things.

-Okay, so even the “Entering Storybrooke” sign makes me whimper like a little bitch, too!

-Ooh! I love that Golden Swan moment! Rumple and Emma’s dynamic isn’t shown a lot, but when it is, it’s really something special. While not enough to earn it the “Favorite Dynamic” of the episode, it is incredibly cool to see Emma and Rumple come to that moment of begrudging respect and trust at the town line.

-Holy crap! The rest of the cast pulled off “Penry’s” escape from Pandora’s Box so well. Everyone immediately grows tense and grabs their loved ones. They’re actually scared shitless, a testament to how terrifying pan is.

-Damn, in hindsight, this is dark as hell. Emma has a gun to Henry’s head, and even though he’s in another body, this is a kid!

-Awww! I love Henry hugging Snow and David! We don’t always get a ton of moments of them together, so this was really special!

-I actually needed a solid minute to recover from the way that “Han” just smoothly magicked Regina. Like, that was so freakin’ fluid! “I know. That’s why this was so easy.” Pan, you bastard!

-These hugs with Henry in Pan’s body crack me up for some reason.

-I’m not sure if Storybrooke being the New Neverland is an upgrade or a downgrade. On one hand, you get all of the modern tech and indoor plumbing. On the other hand, no pixie dust and the suburbs are boring.

Arcs - How Are These Storylines Progressing?

The Mission to Save Henry - I love how in so many ways, this feels like an epilogue and then is like FUCK NO. So much comes together and it feels like everything’s winding down, but the action continues in such a fun whirlwind of a way! This whole arc has been a roller coaster and a fun one at that!

Rumple’s Redemption - “On the house.” How much you want to bet Rumple was DYING inside as he said that? “I’m sure if I ever needed a favor, you’d be more than receptive.” Rumple, my boy. You’ve come quite far, but you still have so far to go! But seriously, you do see more of how Rumple’s come into his own redemption. First, his focus is squarely on making Belle happy. Second, he does actually show that he has trust in Emma by allowing her to see what’s up with Pan.

Regina’s Redemption - We get two really great steps in showing how far Regina’s come. First, she stands up for Tinkerbell against Blue. While Regina’s had no problem standing up to Blue in the past, it’s always been for her own sake. This time, she’s standing up for Tink’s sake! The second instance is her grief that Pan fooled her. I say this because it’s so clear how at this point, she genuinely wants Henry to be with her because it’s his choice and how saddened she was by the fact that when her dream came true, it was only a lie. I love Regal Believer and seeing how much Regina’s broken that chain of abuse is something so special.

Favorite Dynamic

Emma and David. There were a lot of great dynamics on display in this episode, but I love how we got our first real David and Emma moment. Daddy Charming is one of the lesser explicitly shown dynamics on the show, but interactions like these show just how powerful it is. There’s an adorably bit of father/daughter banter between them when talking about their love life, David gives Emma solid honest-to-goodness advice that actually does come back later on in the episode, and he’s so comforting. He knows Emma’s dealt with so much and he just wants her to be happy. The scene they share provides a nice calm before the storm and shows that while Emma and David didn’t have that friendship that Emma and Snow had, they do have that strong bond.

Writer

This is Andrew Chambliss’ first solo episode! And honestly, not a bad job! Andrew did a great job balancing screen time between the eight mains and roughly eight minor characters in half an episode’s worth of time, and that’s honestly impressive! The stories themselves are relatively simpler, with the present storyline using resolution as a cleverly deceptive way of making it seem more sprawling than it is.

Rating

10/10. This is an honestly great episode. While not perfect, it provides for a lot of nice moments between characters, an underlying tenseness that is well delivered on when it’s ready for shit to get real, and a more unified Storybrooke.

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Ariel/Eric - These two are so fucking lovey dovey and their reunion is just the cutest sweetest thing ever!

Rumbelle - Like, from the second -- the SECOND -- these two see each other when Rumple gets off the ship, that’s all the other sees. They’re laser-glued to the other. And the hug is just so perf! Also, THE UP PARALLELS STARTED HERE WITH THE FUCKING TIE! I KNOW IT’S NOT THE SAME KIND OF TIE, BUT FUCK! THAT’S AMAZING! XD Also also, the scene at the shop as a whole is just so romantic. There’s a beautiful theme to it and Robert Fucking Carlyle owns my soul. Every line is just so pretty, and I say that both as a testament to the writing and Robert himself. And Emiliee is no slouch either! She’s so in love and there’s an utter sincerity to it.

Captain Swan - Killian’s decision to back off was just the sweetest. It genuinely shows how he cares for Henry and Emma and doesn’t want to pressure either of them. It doesn’t mean he won’t pursue her if she goes after him, but he wants to let the chips fall, even if they aren’t in his favor. That’s just...honestly, I love it. Killian, your looks aren’t the only devilishly handsome part of you. <3 Also, I like how Emma remarks that Killian is still an option. When David’s trying to convince her to go out with Neal, she points out that he’s trying to keep her away from Killian.

Swan Fire - Snow is just the biggest Swan Fire shipper and it’s pretty cute! Also, Neal’s way of asking Emma out was equally adorable! It takes a degree of pressure off of her and is asked in such a cute way! It’s got a nice youthfulness to it! Also, let’s talk about how sad Neal is when it looks like Emma won’t show. Also also, Emma later implies that her date with Neal would be “enjoying herself.”

Snowing - David loves the fuck out of Snow and that makes me feel all of the things! He wants to enjoy his marriage to her and wants her to be able to relax and enjoy it with him! BUT he also knows her so freakin’ well. He KNOWS when she sneaks off and is just there waiting for her (In one of the show’s most underrated funny moments). And he’s totally willing to give up his honeymoon to follow her into danger! Prince Charming, everyone! And to some extent, Snow KNEW he was gonna do that because she brought the sword. Also, the couple banter in this episode is just so en pointe! I especially love David’s speech to Snow about how he knew what he was getting into when they fell in love. And the kisses and inevitable sex at the end is just the best! And in the present, that BIG DAMN KISS once he’s cured! It’s so beautiful!

-----

Thank you all for reading and to the fab folks at @watchingfairytales!

Next time, we’re coming home! <3

Season 3 Total (96/220)

Writer’s Scores: Adam and Eddy (19/60) Kalinda Vazquez (17/40) Andrew Chambliss (27/50) Jane Espenson (10/30) David Goodman (20/40) Robert Hull (20/40) Christine Boylan (20/20)* Daniel Thomsen (20/30)

* Indicates that their work for the season is complete

Operation Rewatch Archives

[josai]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to @its-love-u-asshole! I’m your Secret Santa for the @haikyuuwriters Secret Santa Exchange. I hope you like what I wrote for you - I loved all of your prompts, but ‘study date’ just popped out to me!

“Hajime,” Tooru says, “I just can’t do this anymore. I feel like my head is gonna explode if I try and shove any more of this into it.” He slides off his glasses to set them down on a free space on the table and drops his head down onto the history textbook they’re trying to work through, letting out a big sigh.

He really hates Japanese history.

But he hates even more that with finals right around the corner and all of their classes getting more intense and giving ridiculous amounts of homework, he barely has any time to see Hajime.

A study date seemed like the only way they’d actually get to spend some time together longer than the fifteen minutes they put away their books and phones for lunch time, and the half an hour they usually talk on the phone before bed.

The only problem with that plan is that now they have to study.

Tooru groans as he lifts his head up off the book, looking across the table at Hajime who is smiling at him.

“I’m glad my pain amuses you,” Tooru teases. He makes a pout, which earns him a nudge under the table with Hajime’s foot. Maybe he’s trying some tough love, but it’s far too soft to be anything but tender.

“You’re doing great,” Hajime says with that soft smile of his. Damn it. No, Tooru’s not blushing. “We got through almost all of the exam review for Japanese history. How about we switch to something else?”

Tooru makes a face.

“Okay,” Hajime laughs, “we can also move to the couch, if you want? Everyone else is upstairs asleep.”

Now that sounds a lot more appealing.

Tooru smiles and nods, pushing back his chair so that he can stand up. His legs feel a little wobbly and weak from too many hours sitting at this damn table.

“Stretch first,” Tooru insists. Hajime must be just as stiff as he grumbles while stretching out his back, stretching his arms high into the air. Tooru finishes first, after stretching out his calves, and walks over to Hajime so that he can poke his side when his sweater (the sweater Tooru got him as a gift, by the way, which was not just a gift for Hajime) rides up just enough to expose a bit of skin. “I’ll make something to drink. You want some tea or hot chocolate?”

Hajime laughs when Tooru tickles him, quickly batting away his hand and pulling back down his sweater. “Tea. You have milk?”

“Sure do,” Tooru says and nods. He heads into the kitchen to rummage around in the fridge until he finds the carton. “You want it heated up?”

“I can do it,” Hajime says, but Tooru shakes his head and pushes him out of the kitchen.

“I got it. You pick what we’re doing next! Grab whatever books we’ll need, okay?” Tooru suggests, turning back to the stove to put on the kettle. He listens to Hajime unzipping his backpack and pouring through his books while he picks out tea for them to drink-

Earl gray. Perfect. Hajime’s favourite.

It’s just the two of them awake - Tooru’s older brother went to bed hours ago, and with his parents out of town and unable to send them to bed, they’ve stayed up later than usual to study.

What time is it anyway? Tooru squints at the clock, since his glasses are still back on the table-

12:16. Yikes.

Well, at least they don’t have school tomorrow morning, as it’s their last weekend before their exams.

“How about some French?” Hajime suggests from the living room.

Tooru sighs. His French is… not great. “Okay,” he calls back nervously. He knows that he needs to practice it, but he’s a bit afraid it’ll all be for nothing.

“The exam is just oral, so we can just practice what we learned in class,” Hajime says. “Wanna try talking to each other in French?”

“Go easy on me, okay?” Tooru says, peeking out from the kitchen nervously. Hajime laughs, nodding.

“Oui,” Hajime answers, and Tooru knows that one. Yes. Okay. An easy start.

“D’accord,” Tooru says, remembering that there’s more than one way to say okay and hoping he’s picked the right one.

“Comment ça vas?” Hajime asks. He really is starting out easily - Tooru remembers their teacher asking them every day in class how they were doing.

“Bien,” Tooru answers. Surprisingly he is doing well. He’s not as tired as he’d expected to feel after spending a solid five hours studying, and the thought of having a warm cup of tea and cuddling up to Hajime is very energizing. “Ça vas?” he asks, repeating the question back to Hajime.

“Oui,” he answers and laughs. Conversation comes surprisingly easily here - they flow through a few of the practice phrases their teacher had given them to study for their oral exam. Tooru finds some fruit in the fridge and busies himself cutting it up for a bit of a study snack. He’s glad he remembered to pick up some peaches on his way home from school. They’re laughing and joking around, when Hajime’s voice calls from the other room.

“Tooru, je t’aime.” Hajime says.

Tooru pauses as he drops the peaches on a plate. “Hajime!” He cries, “that wasn’t on our exam review! What does that mean? I don’t remember-”

The kettle starts to whistle and interrupts his train of thought completely. He curses under his breath in surprise, plucking it up and moving it off the hot element so that it quiets down.

“Sorry,” Tooru calls, back in Japanese, “quick break while I finish this up?”

“N-no problem,” is Hajime’s hasty reply, followed by a “do you need help?”

“No,” Tooru responds. He pours the hot water into the teapot which he’s already prepared with some tea bags. While that steeps, Tooru pours some milk into his frother and turns it on, the quiet familiar hum filling his otherwise quiet kitchen. Hajime’s gone quiet in the living room, so Tooru figures he’s probably bored waiting for him and has moved on to scrolling through Twitter on his phone. So he finishes up quietly, pours two cups of tea and splits the milk evenly between the two.

Tooru returns to the living room with the two mugs, balancing them on a tray alongside the plate of cut-up fruit. Hajime looks up when he enters with a smile, putting his phone away.

“Peaches?” Hajime grins when Tooru puts down the tray. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” Tooru grins proudly, sitting down on the couch next to Hajime. He hands Hajime one of the mugs, taking one up for himself. “I figured we needed a bit of study fuel.”

Hajime nods in agreement, picking up a few pieces and popping them in his mouth. “Definitely.” He makes a very contented noise as he tastes it - Hajime loves peaches, but with his mom’s allergy, it’s not something they ever have at home.

Tooru takes a nice sip of his tea and leans back against the back of the couch to get comfy. “Want me to do some reading now?” He asks, “I can read some passages from that book we read to see what we remember.”

Hajime nods. He wastes no time in cuddling up to Tooru’s side, resting back against him and letting Tooru’s arm fall across his shoulders. “Parfait,” he answers, sipping on his tea.

It really is perfect, Tooru feels, as he squeezes Hajime in a hug. He shifts a little until he’s comfortable, and pulls out his book after taking a nice sip of tea.

“Okay, let’s see…” Tooru hums as he picks out one of the pages highlighted by their teacher and begins to read.

Hajime finishes his tea, and leaves the mug on the table. Tooru reads two pages, and then three - the peaches all but disappear, and Hajime pulls a throw across their bodies.

Tooru’s French definitely isn’t the most fluid or proper thing in the world, but he powers through. Hajime only has to correct him a couple of times, too, and soon enough Tooru makes his way through their most important chapter, pausing at the end.

“Okay, where do you think we should go next?” He asks, running his fingers through Hajime’s hair.

Hajime doesn't answer.

“Hajime?” Tooru whispers, brushing the side of Hajime’s face with his thumb. “Babe?”

Still no answer. Tooru shifts the slightest bit and moves just enough to see Hajime’s face-

And he’s asleep.

His hair is a bit mussed from how he’s leaned up against Tooru, but he looks so calm and relaxed in a special, vulnerable way. He’s cuddled up under the blankets, and the rise and fall of his chest is so steady and gentle. When Tooru shifts, he snuggles in closer, burying his face against Tooru’s chest.

Tooru should wake him up.

They’ve got a few more chapters to get through before they’re done, and they should really finish it tonight instead of letting it wait until tomorrow, but-

He looks so... cute.

Relaxed.

...Soft.

Hajime doesn’t relax like this nearly enough, and Tooru can’t bring himself to wake him up.

Instead, he pulls the blanket a little bit further over the both of them and snuggles in. He’s about to pick up his book and do a bit more reading before he falls asleep before he remembers what happened earlier.

“What was that thing Hajime said to me?” Tooru mumbles, thinking out loud. He still doesn’t know what Hajime had said, and if Hajime knows it there’s a chance it could be on the exam-

Je t’aime?

Was that it?

Tooru wiggles his phone from his pocket, pulling up the internet so that he can translate the word. He isn’t quite sure how it’s spelled, but does his best to sound it out and type it into Google translate. He knows Je, which means I, but that other word-

His browser refreshes and Tooru’s heart stops.

Oh my god.

A blush sweeps across his face and he reflexively covers his mouth with a hand as he reads the translation.

I love you.

He looks over at Hajime, who is sleeping soundly against him.

Hajime loves him.

He can’t hold back the smile that blooms across his face, lighting him up and filling his body with an indescribable warmth.

He drops his book on the floor, leaving it forgotten, and snuggles up to Hajime’s side.

His whisper is low and quiet, but filled with all the love in his heart, “I love you too.”

[skars-bill-gard]

Do You Right

A/N: So this chapter was necessary because I need to introduce your best friend and her significant other (Y/B/F/S/O) The song in this chapter is Get Away - Kehlani ft. G-Eazy. Tweaked the lyrics a little to match it better. Anyways, I hope you like it.

Warnings: Languages, alcohol, weed, marijuana paraphernalia, bad writing, errors of any kind

Word Count: 2034

Chapter Two: Get Away

That night had been a lot of fun. Talking with both Alex and Bill had been amazing, they were great and made you feel like you weren’t an outsider and that you did belong there. You couldn’t wait to see them again. The album party had been success so your agent tells you. You’ve been happy with every decision that has been made so far but to be honest you feel like  you have no idea what you’re doing. You were just reviewing decisions before you go with them. Your agent and producers are great people but that doesn’t change that not everything is sunshine and butterflies; Bill and Alex understand that. Most people don’t know that and mistake your feels as being ungrateful. Your phone quickly broke you from your thoughts, notifying you that you had a text.

‘Hey, are you gonna be able to kick it today?’ (Y/B/F/N) asked.

‘Are you in LA?’ You responded.

‘Yeah, I just touched down. I miss my best friend and I know you just had a promo party I thought you might miss someone you know.’ She texted back.

‘Okay cool, is (Y/B/F/S/O/N) with you? You both can stay and the airbnb that I’m staying at.’ You offered.

‘Yeah he is and thank you we appreciate it. What’s the address?’ She asked.

You texted her the address and she let you know that she would be there within 30 minutes. That gave you enough time to straighten out the living room and kitchen. You put on some shorts and a t-shirt instead of the booty shorts and sports bra you wore to bed. Once you were ready you heard your phone chime, your friend letting you know she was here.

“Hey!” You exclaimed while opening the door and letting them in.

“Hey, where can we set out shit?” (Y/B/F/N) asked.

“Second door on the left.” You responded while both her and her fiancee went towards the room.

The house you were staying in had bluetooth speakers also over the house, it was pretty much a smart house and you were able to put music on and dictate which room it played in. Currently, you had it playing in the living room where one of the home studios was set up. You grabbed your laptop and began pulling up music from the upcoming album.

“Dude, I haven’t heard any of your album yet and that kinda makes me feel like a bad friend.” She said while her fiancee agreed.

“Don’t feel bad. Only my agents, producers and the people on the actual album have heard them.” You explained.

“But why? I thought you’d want everyone to hear it as soon as possible?” She inquired.

“I do but I don't. This is really personal like this album literally has a few songs about my bipolar disorder and my ex. I’m scared of what people are gonna think and I’m also thinking is the image I really want.” You explained.

“Well let me hear something and I’ll give you my honest opinion.” (Y/B/F/N) stated.

“Okay but the producers said it’s gonna be a banger. G and Halsey said the same thing.” You said.

“Fuck the producers, they’re interested in money. We’re interested in if this is who you are.” (Y/B/F/S/O/N) said.

You were looking through the audio files to find out what you wanted to play for them. While looking through it, you tried to think of which one would best showcase your thoughts on your semi-recent break up. You decided on Get Away. You double clicked the audio file and allowed it to play through the living room speakers.

‘Maybe the fact I got a flight at six, adds to the mystique of what might exist

lurked your Instagram tryna like your pics, I know your girlfriend, she probably might get pissed. It's one o'clock, I've drunk all of this so that's probably why I'm all acting brash.

Maybe some different time our paths will cross and then we'll drink some wine

and we'll fuck and we'll kick it, smoke weed for a minute. You'll end up a verse when I think of a line or when I need a muse on a record just like this one and then when he hears it, he's so amused. He think it's her but it's just fun. I mean really now, it ain't just one

I mean really now, when I jot this it's just a stream of my conscious when I touch on these topics. I’ve got him thinking 'bout when she's topless while we were out on vacations in the tropics that was before we broke apart just like chopsticks. Now I know our past it ain't spotless, nah but we got this. Guys slip away and then find their way inside flows

Guess I could've took that chance I suppose but that's life and the way that shit goes, he knows.

I know we fell out of touch and this probably won't amount to much but if we're trying to get back to where it got away I'mma stay, not about to rush. all the fights and the bouts and such. Your best friend hate it but he doubts a bunch

You make the call, I know I've been gone for long but rainfall after droughts are lush

Shoulda-wouldas always crossed my mind; months passed guess we lost the time like a misplaced watch to be straight up like I sip straight scotch, know I crossed the line

but what if it seems that the dreams we both chase conflict with each other's then there won't be no space to make a home now when you know there's no place. I guess there'll always be a part I won't face, real life and that's why I left with no trace, knew I couldn't answer the "please don't go" face. Know your lifestyle's a slow pace, I like that but right now I feel like my life's a boat race. Yeah it's sad but we're worlds apart but life is short.

Maybe I was made the villain but I'mma save this villain for a song that I might record.’ Your voice blasted through the speakers.

“I like it but it is very telling and personal.” (Y/B/F/N) said.

“Yeah I know it is that’s why I’m not sure if I made the right decision putting this on the album.” You stated your feelings aloud.

“I agree with Brooke it is personal but at the same time you didn’t say a name and no one knows who he is and it makes you seem more human.” (Y/B/F/S/O/N) said agreeing with his fiancee.

“I appreciate your feedback but I still have doubts about it.” You said.

“But dude like I think that’s normal because this is a huge thing for you like you're making a fucking album. You’ve got pressure on you from yourself, your agent, your producers and everyone else. Also, you feel like everything is riding on this.” (Y/B/F/N) said trying to ease your worrying.

“ I do feel that way because I wanna be able to buy my mom, my grandfather, my aunt and uncle and my cousins houses. I wanna make sure my mom doesn’t ever have to work again. I want financial stability. I need to put this pressure on me because I know what I’m capable of and if I push myself hard enough I can get there.” You said.

“I get what you're saying but you’re gonna burn yourself out by worrying yourself too much.” (Y/B/F/S/O/N) stated while (Y/B/F/N) packed a bowl.

“I guess that’s true.” I agreed waiting for (Y/B/F/N) to pass the bong to you.

“Do you care if I invite some friends over? Well, only 2 people.” You asked.

“It’s your place dude.” (Y/B/F/N) managed to say in between coughs.

‘Hey get your ass over here. We’re baking.’ You texted to both Alex and Bill.

‘Whose we?’ Bill texted back almost instantly.

‘Well my best friend and her fiance and if Alex responds him too.’ You texted back.

“Dude, you good?” (Y/B/F/S/O/N) asked after your coughing fit.

“I’m great. I’m about to get fucking lit.” You said still coughing a little as your phone chimed.

‘Send me the address’ Both Alex and Bill texted.

“Whose coming over anyway?” (Y/B/F/N) asked before hitting the bong again.

“Bill and Alex.” You said as though it was nothing.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT!! Do you mean two of the Skarsgards?” She shouted.

“Yes, Bill and Alexander Skarsgard. Now please don’t shout I’m right next to you and please don’t fangirl too hard.” You said giving her a look for yelling practically in your ear.

“Okay I won’t but this is so cool. My best friend knows famous people.” She explained herself.

“Well, babe, she’s famous now.” (Y/B/F/S/O/N) chimed in.

“Well I know that but to me she’s my best friend I don’t see her as someone famous because to me she’s my best friend.” She stated.

“Dude, thank you. With me rising to stardom, I was told I need some people who see me as (Y/N) and not (Y/S/N)”

You ended up smoking and shooting the breeze for about 15 minutes before you heard the doorbell ring. You knew who it was but you thought it was weird they rang the bell instead of texting you so you looked through the peephole to make sure it was them before letting them in.

“Smells like weed in here.” Alex said as he walked in with Bill trailing behind.

“Well yeah I mean I did tell you we were baking.” You responded while chuckling.

“So what’re we doing. What's on the agenda?” Bill asked before being handed the bong.

“I’m not really sure. I was thinking maybe we could all go to lunch and then just kickback and watch movies here or something.” You responded.

“That seems like a pretty tame afternoon.” Alex stated.

“Well that’s the plan so yeah.” You responded not really sure what else to say.

“So that sounds good and we should do that but maybe later we could have a little party.” Alex in a quizzical tone.

“How big of a party?” You questioned, wary.

“Just you, your friends, like 3 of my friends and 3 of Bills so 11 people max.” He answered with puppy dog eyes.

“Okay but you’re buying the alcohol and the weed. There’s a dispensary like 10 minutes from here.” You responded causing him to smile and nod.

“So what’re we gonna watch?” Bill asked changing the subject.

“We could watch IT.” (Y/B/F/N) threw out before laughing causing everyone else to laugh.

“I’ve seen it, I think I’m good.” Bill responded while still laughing.

“Ooh, have you seen Rocky Horror Picture Show?” You suggested.

“I have not.” Bill said.

“Well today’s your lucky day, we’re watching that.” You said grabbing the movie.

The rest of the movie was mostly spent with laughs and side chatter. The whole time you noticed Bill glancing at you and you had no idea why. You wanted to ask him but you didn’t want to make yourself seem like an idiot if you was wrong and he wasn’t looking at you. My best friend seemed to notice it too before pulling you into the kitchen while the guys got lost in their conversation.

“Dude, he wants you.” She said quietly

“No, he doesn’t. I barely know him and he’s like I don’t know outta my league.” You responded.

“He is not out of your league,” She said while smacking your arm. “Just because you two barely know each other doesn’t mean he can’t find you attractive. I say go for it and get laid because you could really use it.”

“Listen, I barely have any friend out here. His brother is my friend and I want Bill to be my friend and I’m not about to fuck this up by trying to fuck him.” You responded.

“Well then maybe you could become his friend and then move on to his friend with benefits.” She countered.

“You’re relentless. I’ll be his friend and if something happens then it does but I’m not going to try to convince him to be anything more.” You explained.

[cosmosogler]

hi guys. today eve woke me up when she came in my room and licked my hand.

i thought something was off but i didn’t worry about it right away. i asked eve if she wanted to go outside. she led me downstairs and then i remembered that she only has three legs and has never even tried to make it up the stairs since her surgery. then i realized she wasn’t wearing her cone. i found it unbuttoned on the floor in dad’s room. not sure how she managed to unbutton it and get it off without thumbs. sometimes the things eve is able to do don’t make sense.

i popped her cone back on and went back to bed for another 30 minutes. felt nice. my body wasn’t sore and angry and i didn’t feel as confusingly terrible. at least, like, i felt terrible, but i knew the reasons? so i guess i feel better than yesterday. i took a pretty nice shower for a while. last one i’ll be taking here for a while.

i got eve to try the stairs again but she’ll only do it if i take off her cone while she climbs. i think she’s afraid of catching on a step and losing her balance since the cone is kind of wide. she wandered around my room in circles since i had too many boxes on the floor. so i packed for a while, until gramma picked me up for lunch. 

she ran straight into the curb when she tried to park which made me feel a little better about lightly tapping the curb sometimes when parking unfamiliar cars. she asked me to drive home. we didn’t have any problems. she gave me my birthday card and told me if i ever need anything to call her and let her know. judging from the meaningful look i’m guessing she means emotional support. 

she did ask how dad and i were doing almost first thing. i told her we ain’t talkin. on the way home i told her about how my sister and her friend were doing. i wonder if gramma caught on that i feel very similar about my sister’s situation to how i feel about mine.

when i got home i took a break. i played with wiley and eve i think? and packed on and off. eve came back up to my room and took a nap next to my desk. and i watched some pokemon battles from the worldwide championships, and i watched some adventure time reviews. and then i got in that kind of mood so i watched a couple episodes of adventure time on top of that. then i loaded up some music to download, and then the power went out.

then the power stayed out. so i got a flashlight and dug around in the bathroom for the spare soap and mouthwash and stuff so i could finish packing. i got everything wrapped and put away, including some video games, and i have an entire box to spare. i haven’t even put anything in my backpack yet. feels good. i sent some snap chats to josie and she sent me a picture of the stray dog she found the other day. she’s calling him “heck”. i thought of hekapoo from star vs tfoe. 

i’m not gonna judge. i want a dog named snoop dogg.

i might name my cat snoop dogg.

... i might name the cat snoop dogg.

we’ll see if she is receptive to a name change.

then the power came back on so i put every episode of the adventure zone on my ipod. it only took about 10% of its total memory. i’m so proud of my ipod.

i made sure everything was good to go there. then i took eve out to the mailbox to get the mail. eve discovered our neighbors arriving at home after some kind of show (judging from their attire and the way the father hugged the daughter when she got out of the car) and did not want to continue being on the sidewalk so i had to take her home. i took wiley to get the mail again instead. i screwed around on the computer for a while, looking at youtube and some other music options i saved to look at again later. 

then i made tempeh tacos for dinner! it turned out REALLY WELL ACTUALLY. i will have to make it again. i stole mom’s seasoning. she said she only gets it special order and she’d get more when she returned home after our fun road trip.

i wish i kept more careful notes of the amount of time i cooked the tempeh and everything but really i was just doing what felt right and looked right as it happened. not sure where i picked up this instinct for cooking- i didn’t practice THAT much over the last few months. and never tempeh. probably beginner’s luck.

my room feels really empty. eve always figures out when i’m going to move out. she sees my suitcase and gets really grouchy and unresponsive until i leave. i wonder what she thinks of all the boxes. i cleared out the floor space in my room and put towels all over my bed so if she wants to sleep in here she can comfortably do that tonight. i’ll try to coax her over. my room is warmer than mom and dad’s anyway.

at 11 i got restless so i went downstairs and played with wiley. my brother came down and we played monkey in the middle for a while. i don’t want the dog to get discouraged so i let him catch the toy every now and then and we switch to tug-of-war. 

tomorrow i have a few small errands to run. i need to deposit gramma’s birthday money. i need to take my extra meds to the police station so mom doesn’t get any ideas. and i need to pick up my last round of refills from the pharmacy. probably around an hour’s worth of driving just because the police station is like 20 minutes away.

other than that i really just gotta pack my chargers and toothbrush and stuff. 

i feel sick. might be anxiety. might be hormones. might be because i was drinking tons of chocolate milk and i am a little lactose intolerant. so much chocolate milk. 

thinking about what mom said. well, thinking about what dad said too, but that was like a month ago and i’m focused on what mom said. i shouldn’t be doing ANYTHING BUT STUDYING for the next five years. grad school is SO BUSY. NO MORE POKEMON!!!!!!

but like... of course i’m not going to stop playing pokemon. it’s my hobby. i just need to make some lifestyle changes to make sure it stays a hobby. and i feel really trapped when i’m stuck in a room with no options for how i want to spend my time. so of course i’m going to take books.

i dunno. i want to make some changes. i want to give myself options even if i don’t take them. it helps me feel a little less suffocated. and i’m hoping with some changes in, like, time management and thought processes and stuff i might be able to start reading again or something. i dunno. i brought along video games but almost all of them are the kind where you can play for 20 minutes, finish a level, and then save and come back again later. or multiplayer, which i will probably just be playing on weekends with friends or whatever when we have scheduled time set aside anyway. 

that is my hope. i need someone to be confident in my choices. in my desire to change and my strategies for making that happen. i’m not going to get that confidence from mother. but it still drains me.

anyway i’m leaving tomorrow. probably around 5 or 5:30. i’m hoping if i start making dinner around 4:45 i will be able to eat something substantial before we leave. maybe i’ll try to write an entry on my phone if mom wants to pull an all-nighter for some ungodly reason. probably not though. if i’m not gonna write i’ll make an attempt to at least check in. i don’t think i remember my tumblr password any more though, ha ha. i don’t use it on any devices except my laptop.

ok, i am stalling now. i’m gonna try to sleep.

[elle-stevens]

The Break Up Blog - Day Thirty One

Urgh, I am still so tired today. 

Luckily, I got my lazy ass out of bed at 06:15 and started getting ready for the day. Eating only one Weetabix for breakfast was a mistake though because I was starving again close to 10:00, but I forged on with the day. 

it was a long and tiring day at work because my written assessments were due today. Naturally, all my students took that to mean ‘take your own sweet time doing a simple writing activity that I basically did for you from scratch without really knowing what you’re actually doing even after I’ve told you a million times how to do it’.  

I think this may be the definition of what an ESL teacher is. 

Still, it wasn’t a horrible day, not at all. I was in good spirits throughout; I even went off-campus with C, AS and PE to get lunch and my favourite passion fruit drink from Ydiendien. Most of my students are done with their assessments, but whoever’s not finished yet will just have to do it on Monday. So if any of my students want to complain about my other classes getting some free time on Monday, they can suck it up because they should’ve done their work quicker. And then they could enjoy some free time after a big test too. It pays to do your work expediently instead of wasting your time being a smartass. 

I don’t have the energy to care anymore about how I’m actually teaching. I just want to get my students through their four assessments for the rest of the semester and a few other mandatory school events like the Speech Contest. And then hopefully, my jaded ass will be done with this mundane crap before I’m hopefully moving onto bigger and better things. It’s a shame; I actually get along with more than 96% of my colleagues and my students and on paper, the school I work at is really great. They just have a super shitty management style and their ESL curriculum is not only outdated, but irrational and counter-productive. There’s no point staying at a job if you’re not growing, both professionally and personally. 

I managed to leave work on time and spent an hour at home vegging on the couch and texting D back and forth. There’s some noisy construction going on in her building and it got her pretty worked up. I just hope she ended up having a better evening after getting a massage earlier to help her cool off. I’ll never understand how Chinese people can build more apartments on top of existing apartments without there being some kind of damage to a building’s structural integrity. As the saying goes: ‘TIC: This is China’. 

Because of that, I spaced out on my timing with making bruschetta before heading over to C’s for Game Night with PE, his wife G, CI and AM. I ended up baking two sets of bruschetta: one with tomatoes and one without, which got me a bit flustered. C’s allergic to tomato too as well as mushrooms, so I had to change my bruschetta recipe ever so slightly and separate the meats and vegetables while preparing the toppings. I kinda thought that it wouldn’t be right to make C sick or kill her because of a bad allergic reaction when she kindly offered to host ‘Game Night’ at her place. 

After lots of dawdling, I made it over to C’s at 18:30. CI, PE and G were already there playing a round of ‘Karma’ while C and AS had gone out to buy more snacks. AM had forgotten about ‘Game Night’ initially, but left the gym to come join us in the end.

It was a really fun night! Everyone liked the bruschetta and the Korean-styled fried chicken that C ordered. I drank some of the cocktails I brought over along with PE’s whiskey and Sprite and AM’s fruit cocktails that she mixed up in a blender, but I didn’t even get tipsy, let alone drunk. It was nice distracting myself and letting go of my worries without using alcohol as an excuse. We played Cards Against Humanity, which was fucking hilarious and just wrong on all levels. Then we used our phones to play some interactive games on PE’s PS4, which was loads of fun too. 

CI was the first to leave because he was pretty tired and then AM left an hour after him. I felt a bit worried about CI’s departure since he initially wanted to leave for the evening when C told us some shocking news related to work. She was told today that my school wouldn’t be renewing her contract next year. And all because she’s been at the school too long (4 years so far) and the new vice-principal thinks it’s better for our school to have a higher turn-over for foreign students. But the school is so ‘sad’ about it and hope that C won’t take it personally and that they’re willing to give her a glowing letter of recommendation.

Honestly, all of the reasoning behind this sounds like total crap. Our new vice-principal just started working at school literally last week and he suddenly has a lot to say about turnover in foreign staff members? 

Nuh, I’m flagging the play and calling bullshit. 

I think that C has inadvertently pissed off a lot of people at our school just by being a better teacher with more innovative teaching methods and who actually cares about the students. And now these people are finally getting what they wanted all-along: the chance to get rid of C under a legitimate and pretentious guise. I feel really sad and angry about the entire affair, mainly because I wanted C to be able to leave on her own terms and reject the school instead of the other way around. They’ve treated her so badly; it would’ve been nice to see everyone’s smug faces shatter when she told them to shove their contract up their asses. 

Still, I know that C will bounce right back from all of this. She’s a trooper and I know she won’t let shitty people get her down for too long. I admire her a lot for it. I honestly don’t care if my school wants to renew my contract or doesn’t at this point. As far as I’m concerned, they can kiss my big, brown ass. They’ll get the picture soon enough when they actually start reading the online reviews from previous staff members about how crap their system really is. But by then, it’ll be too late. C will have moved onto bigger and better things by then, so more power to her. 

It kinda feels like everything is falling apart this year: my parents separated and my dad’s living indefinitely in his own apartment away from my mom; X and I broke up when I thought we’d be each other’s forevers. And now, this business with C not having her contract renewed and her possibly leaving China next year. I think the latter move is what’s best for her, since she’s been in China for 4 years already and her health’s deteriorating. She’ll have better access to healthcare back in the States and she’ll also have better business contacts too. But still, a lot seems to have changed for the worst this year and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. 

Still, I’m not too depressed about things. I just keep showing up and punching my proverbial time card. I can’t afford to curl up into the foetal position in my bedroom and say, ‘Oh well, I gave it a shot. But the Universe and all its fucked up ways wins this round.’ 

Tomorrow’s another day and it usually shines brighter than yesterday ever could. C’s going to take AS around the city tomorrow and help her do some grocery shopping for her new apartment and they invited me along. It’s good that we’ll do it in the morning so I can rest in the afternoon and hopefully exercise in the evening. 

We got a nice bonus at work for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), so it’s nice to have a little extra cash this month. I’m gonna use the bulk of my bonus on rent for this month so I only have to withdraw a little rent money next month when it’s due. God works in mysterious ways and he saved me from being flat broke. August was rough on my soul and it took a lot to keep me afloat. But I got through it somehow and I’m grateful that He was there to catch me whenever I fell. 

I’m really lucky. 

It’s not easy walking around every day with a broken heart, wondering if you’ll ever get fixed or just stay a broken toy for a long time to come. That’s probably why I’m giving into shameless perving on anything in human form these days. Because perving is silly and harmless. It gives me a weird feeling of confidence unlike when real feelings are involved. Because when something is real, it means something. And when it means something, you let your guard down and put your trust in another person. And that person has the power to fuck you over for a long time till you’re not sure you’ll have the heart or the courage to love another person again after them. 

That’s what X did to me and I’m in no hurry to give my heart away so soon again. I want to keep my heart to myself for a little while longer until I wake up one day and magically realise that I no longer care about X in any sense. 

Now, it’s already the next day and it’s actually the thirty-second day since I told X to ‘hit the bricks’. As good as it is to get out, meet people and stay busy, I hope I can slow down soon though. I need to start getting proper rest so I can function properly.

I don’t want to think or stress too much about anything that happens from here on out. I just want to live in the moment and try to be happy in which way it comes to me.  

[visitspain-biz]

Where to eat in Madrid

Want to know what to eat in Madrid and where? Follow me! The first stop of our Madrid food tour was El Riojano - a bakery founded more than 100 years ago, as certified by this gold plaque. And our first meal of the day? Soletillas served with creamy hot chocolate. It was delicious and it was also the perfect substitute for churros, which so many people know and love already. Our second stop was El Mercado de San Miguel, one of Madrid's oldest and most beautiful markets. Top tip - visit early in the morning to beat the crowds. There was so much food on display and our second meal of the day was, wait for it... We're gonna have this - vermouth. You see, it's not white anymore. They add caramel and sugar, so it's brown and sweet. These the olives that people who hate olives might like. Not going to promise but my mom has a biological hatred of olives. She tried these and was like "meh". That was a miracle! So, first three... What does Charlie think? - Who's Charlie? Oh, Charlie! Charlie the hungry panther agrees! He approves it, nice. And as if the vermouth wasn't enough, our second step was all about wine. Not that I minded! Now I will let our guide Luke tell you more about Spanish wine. Oh so here in this bar you order by the region. And there's about sixty nine like I said and so I'm doing my damn best to try them all. I've only go about five left on mainland Spain that I haven't tried. I have a problem! And to compliment the wine we tried some bull tail regalito - phyllo pastry filled with juicy meat and served with a sauce similar to gravy. What does Charlie think? Feeling pretty full already and a little buzzed thanks to all the drinks we walked toward La Bola. This is the place to try cocido madrileño - a hearty chickpea stew with lots of vegetables and meat. La Bola has been serving this Madrid classic since 1870 and the restaurant still uses the original recipe as well as oak charcoal and clay pots. La Bola has seen its fair share of celebs. There's a whole wall of fame inside but even better is the soup itself. Really salty! - But delicious? - Delicious, but really salty. Yup, Spanish food is often salty but rarely spicy. Why? Luke has a theory. I don't know exactly why, but my theory is like when they were importing from South America I have this image of some guy checking stuff off. Like "What's this?" "Potato, sir." "Good." "What's that?" "Tomato." "Oh, that's very nice." At some point... "What's this?" "They call it a chilli pepper, Sir." And he's like: "No, veto!" Our next stop was a traditional despensa - a place for people to buy a quick home-cooked lunch. First we tried the meatballs. Mine fell off the stick. Super crumbly! But what about the empanadas filled with egg and tuna? I'm not sure I'd use the word good. I'm sure you've never tried anything like this before. - That is a review. - This is the first one where I'm like.. hmm.. Don't worry - the next stop was much better. We got to try three different kinds of Spanish ham. Jamon serrano and two premium types of jamon iberico. Turns out there's a lot of science behind Spanish ham. - You can't just be some butcher with a knife. You're a ham slicer, which is something you have to train for for three years. The next dish wasn't quite as complicated - just fried calamari on white bread with a squeeze of lemon. This is Madrid's favourite snack. Epic fail, I saw that I saw that. This is much nicer than the one we had yesterday. Yeah, fresher? - The calamari is much nicer. - Nom, looks good. Ok, I'm gonna press stop now. And finally our last stop. But what are turrones? You wouldn't translate paella - it is paella. You wouldn't translate chorizo - it is chorizo. Turron is turron. There's different types. The one thing they have in common? They're all pretty damn tasty. Final thoughts - this was honestly the coolest thing I did in Madrid. The ultimate Spanish food tour cost 85 euros, so it's not the cheapest but it was worth every penny. So that was the Madrid Food Tour with Devour Spain. If you enjoyed this video please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel and until next time adios!

https://youtu.be/ccn-a2ftX-k

[opepin]

august: week three

14: omg, summer is almost over. omg, when did summer even start? having a job just messes that up for you. lol, i’ll probably realize it’s fall when fall is almost over... anyway, it was a struggle getting up but i did and i did some hip hop cardio. then i showered and ate breakfast. my stomach hasn’t felt too good since a couple days ago and it caught up to me. i felt really full after eating my regular english muffin so i just took my time to get to work. also, there was a moderate delay on the red line so i took the train to work with kevin. i dropped off my nikes at the postal office -- i’m super excited to get a refund back (but a bit sad to let go of my nike roshe cherry blossom editions, cry) so i can get workout shoes (shoes that i will try not to wear outside).

i wore my winnie the pooh vans for the first time in forever and they were killing my feet. i tried putting my insoles in there but it made my foot hit the top of the shoe and made my toes feel extremely uncomfortable. also, my socks would show. when i finally fixed my shoes (i have decided to not hide my laces for any sneaker anymore because i rather have my shoe fit than look pretty but kill my feet), my heels were scraped raw. well, that’s a lesson learned. lol. i did some work while watching the latest episode of ‘love connection’ and found out that none of my team members were coming in today LOL. oh well. i walked over to the taco party food truck for lunch and met up with kevin and his team. i actually ended up getting gogi on the block because it’s gogi on the block and it’s delicious. the worker there asked me if i was korean lulz. i still got it ;P i let kevin have a bite of my bowl and then peaced out and ate the rest of my lunch in the office.

i did template work and then stopped by the devs’ office to give haowei his nordic treats. :P haowei told me about his trip to taiwan and china and then i gave him a bit of a tour of where our current offices are in wework. then i went back, packed up, and rushed over to the train station where kevin was waiting for me. we took the train back and then he got on a call and i continued working. we worked some more and then i made some rice and put the chicken thighs in the oven before i did my back workout. i started doing ballet back workouts (so barre) and they burn so much! then i showered while kevin cooked the veggies. we ate dinner while watching another episode of agents of shield. i think i’m hooked! haha. then kevin went to clean up and game while i hopped into bed and continued reading some of the journey mapping book dave gave me. then i decided to watch some more agents of shield (kevin already watched season 1). i watched one episode and then went back to reading. i brushed my teeth and then read another chapter before going to sleep at like 11:30 pm, lol. i feel like an old lady.

15: my body keeps wanting me to wake up at 6:30 am for some reason... but if i wake up, i won’t have enough sleep?! wut. i managed to do a hiit workout in the morning, showered, ate the last scallion roll bun T_T and then sent kevin off to work lol. i did some logistical stuff in the morning and booked my christmas flight to chicago. then i did some template work and talked to phil for a bit. i scheduled a good amount of calls for tomorrow and thursday so i’ll be busier then. it was a pretty chill day with a lot of calls. i stayed on stand up for a design call (i guess) and then also found out that our lays chips order is out of stock on amazon and it got me real heated D:< kevin is gonna handle the rest though. i also found a great deal for iceland this upcoming fall/winter! we’re gonna book our flight this week so i’m excited! the rest of the day, i worked while watching agents of shield, lol. what a day...

things got a bit crazy when jeanne messaged me and asked me to go out for dinner because she was here for work?! she didn’t get out until 6:30 pm so it was doable. i talked on the phone with my mom for a bit and then did a 30 minute weighted butt workout. then i showered and cut up everything and prepped everything for claypot chicken. kevin got back from climbing and then he showered while i put everything in the rice cooker to cook. then i washed dishes and changed and headed out. we’d be late for dinner and i was super ksjfdnskjfn about it. kevin and i rode in different train carts so i could cool down and so he wouldn’t just go back home and not come. x( we apologized to each other and then met up with jeanne and had a late dinner. lol we were ordering with our stomaches but food is good. we ate at scholars bar and lounge near jeanne’s hotel. we got drinks, ate, and caught up! it was fun talking to jeanne in person again :) we walked her back to her hotel and then we took the train back home. i ended up falling asleep on the sofa for an hour or so and then got up and brushed and went back to sleep. i think i ko’d before 12 am on the couch. lol, i can’t hang anymore.

16: i worked from home again today and it was another pretty chill day until afternoon. x_x; i watched more episodes while working and then got on stand up and led a call with a client that went ... ok. it wasn’t my best call but, it’s done and i am leading another session with them again on tuesday... i’m hoping to get them to understand the learning curve and what not. then kevin came back home early and we did some apartment things and he gamed while i watched more agents of shield lol. i had to put salonpas all over my neck and shoulders because they were super stiff when i woke up. i’m an old lady. lol. then i went to do my oblique workout, showered, and then kevin and i ate leftovers for dinner while watching more agents of shield. i continued this into the night lol. i got to the plot twist episode and i still can’t believe it. x__x; then i got ready for bed and ko’d before 12 am. it was a really chill at home day. 

17: it felt weird waking up at 7 am... hmm. i was extremely tired so i decided to take it easy today. i did a low-impact workout and then showered and ate breakfast before catching the train. i felt really bloated today too D: i decided to test how long it would take for me to walk to the starbucks across the bridge because i really wanted to re-try the pineapple black tea infusion drink. i ordered it on my app and forgot to put “no ice” x( and then when i got off the train, i walked over there. it took longer than i expected and i got to the office right as dave did as well. it took me 30 minutes in total to get it and walk to the office. so i’m just gonna wait for the closer starbucks to finish renovating and go there. also, the tea infusion (aka the pina colada) tastes just as watered down as the one i had at the airport. i’m gonna stick to my pink drink. dave went over new features with me as well as talking about journey atlases and such. it helped me get more direction in what i was supposed to be doing.

just as i started to get into it, i check the ups tracking number for the nikes i am trying to return for a refund and they haven’t been scanned in yet. so i look up information online and find out that there are mixed reviews about usps handing things off to ups... some say they do it and some say they return it to the address. the thing is, the return address on the box is kevin’s old address in chicago because i ordered my nike roshes there. T__T omggg. so i walk over to the post office where i dropped them off and i ask one of the guys working there and he just tells me that it’s not there anymore and that i should call ups and see if they picked it up and forgot to update it or that it’s been shipped back to the return address. so i walk back to the office and call ups and the very nice lady told me that i should wait at least a week and see if it shows up at the return address and/or ups. if not, i should call them again and then place a lost package claim. i contacted mike about it and unfortunately, his lease is up tomorrow. my luck is the worst T___T i plan to call park evanston (i ordered it with kevin’s name and old address) in a week if nothing turns up.. sigh...

i was too frazzled to work and dave could clearly see that. i told him what happened and he informed me of a mailing loophole :O it’s so sneaky! but he told me that it was cool and i let him know that i was going to kevin’s fitbit outdoor bbq thing after all-hands. he was chill with it. then we got on all-hands and it was my first time presenting to everyone in the company x__x; so my morning had me frazzled and then i was supposed to present in the last 5 minutes of the all-hands meeting so that got me stressed af. i blew through my presentation in 2 minutes when i was supposed to take 5 L O L. i needed to breathe when presenting and/or slow down. everyone said i did a good job though. actually, after we signed off, john, steve, and cole ran into our office to congratulate me on my first time presenting something on all-hands LOL. they scared the crap out of me but i felt so loved! awww it was the best!

oh, before all-hands, i stopped by haowei’s office to get some of those taiwanese and chinese treats he got. he had this mochi jelly candy, peanut brittle, garlic pea-based chips, and seaweed / seafood cracker. i loved the mochi jelly and the chips were bomb af. thanks so much for bringing those. i really needed them because i was going without food until 1 pm after all-hands. so the guys left and then i headed out. i got off jfk/umass and waited for kevin’s slow af train. then we didn’t know what direction to go to and which location the bbq was at so we just called a lyft. we planned to get there at 1:30 pm and we got there a bit past 2:15 pm LOL. the lyft driver went around to pick us up and he also picked up other people. there was also a ton of construction in the area we were going to... i was on stand up during this ride and during a bit of the bbq... i left stand up because it went on for too long and i wanted to eat without wearing my gigantic af headset. the bbq was cold by the time we ate and it was unfulfilling... so we just ate and called another lyft and left. we said hi to matt though LOL.

we took the train home and then i felt lazy but also that i needed to get work done. we bought our tickets to iceland for the beginning of february and then kevin called norwegian to check on our flight delay compensation. i charged my fitbit and then started to work on the journey atlas. i kept running back and forth from productivity at first but then i got into my groove and completed it! kevin went off to game after doing his errands. oh, i signed up for robinhood and my free stock was fcking groupon. -__-” it’s only worth $3 and it’s declining. i hate groupon. lol. i managed to do a dance cardio workout while kevin cooked. i was feeling pretty moody~ then i showered and watch agents of shield while kevin finished up cooking. we watched more agents of shield while eating. we ate later than usual so i got prepared for bed after that. kevin went to shower and i ko’d in the bed before 12 am.

18: it was so gloomy outside ): i did a hiit workout for 20 minutes and then finished off my morning workout with cardio hip hop. then i showered and ate breakfast. kevin was fast asleep when i left for work. dave was in the office when i got there and we got to talk about the eclipse and some work related stuff. i spent the day preparing for my journey map creation walkthrough with one of our clients. i ran into all the roadblocks... it’s gonna be real hard and i need to mock it up. i walked over to faneuil hall and checked to see if uniqlo still had those chiffon skirts. they didn’t but i’m not sad about it :P i waited for kevin inside koy -- we made a lunch reservation for dine out boston there. kevin looked like he just rolled out of bed when i saw him. he slept at 4 am apparently x__x; we shared shrimp tempura and the tofu pillows for appetizers and i got bibimbap and he got jajangmyun -- both were delicious. i don’t like jajangmyun though LOL. we had the best dessert: coconut ice cream with a creme brulee’d banana <3333

as we walked back to work, i could tell kevin was sleepy and tired. haha. well, he was sleepy in the restaurant as well. we split at a bridge and i got back to the office and went back to work. oh! i got an email from nike in the morning telling me that they got the shoes and have refunded me. I AM SO HAPPY LOL. phewwww. but why didn’t they update the tracking number info?!?!?!?!?!? ugh, whatever. ahha. now i can buy my new shoes for working out ;D anyway, after figuring out my training situation with the help of dave and matthew, i left the office at around 4:05 pm with matthew. matthew let me know that he is going to leave t7 :( i’m pretty sad about it...but he says it happens. i wish him the best and i am thankful that i got to work with him :) we split at south station because i was going to pick up kevin from work. kevin met me a block away from his office and then we walked back to south station together :3 when we got back, i had the munchies so we both ate our leftovers from koy and watched agents of shield. then we took a break before going to roche to get fruit. kevin sometimes makes me feel dumb when he asks certain questions that he has already vetted out the answers for. so when i tell him what i think, he’ll be like ‘that’s not possible’ and then proceed to tell me i’m wrong in a bit of a condescending way when i thought he was just having fun thinking about it. so that’s what happened and i felt shitty for the rest of the day and we didn’t talk for the rest of the night because he didn’t 100% understand my reasoning for feeling this way and i was too tired to say ‘it’s pms’ because it really was and i was being too sensitive.

well, we got back and then i went straight into a butt workout with free weights and it KILLED ME LOL. i didn’t know that it would make me sweat so much. it was a great workout. before i showered, i got a call from michelle asking for shopping help LOL. we talked for a bit and then tried getting jeanne to skype with us but she got back too late and i was already half asleep in bed because i am a granny. after the call, i showered and then packed all my stuff into my thredup clean out bag. i want to try this out and see what happens. :P then i watched some videos and stuff before going to sleep feeling slightly less shitty but still a little. overall, i felt fine but i just didn’t want to talk to kevin because i was feeling tired and drained from these hormonal changes. we cuddled at night and i told him in the morning it was pms and he totally understood. LOL.

19: i didn’t feel good today -- very tired and sore. i started my trade-in for my macbook in the morning and then did some errands and watched some videos here and there until kevin finished eating and played a few games so we could go to the mall and go suit shopping. we stopped by nordstrom first and kevin tried on a suit and a tux. then we went to express to try on some suit jackets and then we stopped by auntie anne’s to get an original pretzel to split ;) and finally, we stopped at milton’s. oh, we stopped by francesca’s and i did some shopping but ended up not getting anything -- i didn’t spend too long in there according to kevin. :P kevin tried on a dress shirt and then they recommended him to get one made from an algorithm, which was pretty cool. he got to pick out the material, collar type, and what kind of cuffs he wanted. kevin’s shirt fit him perfectly so we ordered one for him and will pick it up in a week. we stopped by a tailor that is located downstairs and she said she could hem and taper his current pants.

so we drove back and i ate some lunch and then kevin got his dress shoes and pants and we drove back to drop them off. the alterations was only $30 -- cheap in comparison to buying another pair of dress pants. then we went to the target connected to the mall and got new brush heads for our electric toothbrushes. oh, we also got kung fu tea from the new stall in the mall. we got this pina colada slush with orange(?!) tapioca and it was delicious. we were pooped from shopping for that long so we chilled for the rest of the day. while kevin cooked general tso’s chicken for dinner, i did a 40 minute workout and then showered and watched some agents of shield. the chicken wouldn’t crisp up :( and the flavor is still a bit off but it was delicious~ after showering, i decided to do laundry. i washed the sheets already and then i washed our clothes. i stayed up watching agents of shield while my hair was drying and then folding clothes. the rest of the night, i spent looking for my damn missing sock T____T idk where it is. i hope it’s not clogging up the air pump in my top loader. we’ll find out next week, lol. i was obsessed with finding it and i didn’t want to make the bed without kevin’s help so i stayed up until like 2 am or something and instantly ko’d on the bed after brushing my teeth.

20: i got out of bed at around 10 am and then went straight to cleaning the kitchen and bathroom after brushing my teeth. midway through cleaning, i ate breakfast and then went to clean the tub. at around 12 or 12:30 pm, kevin finally woke up LOL. he was totally ko’d on the bed every time i walked into the bedroom. i let him be because i was in cleaning mode. i finished cleaning the tub and then did a 30 minute workout while kevin ate. i quickly showered and then called the folks over at codzilla to see if there were any open spots for today. we signed up for a 6 pm slot and then meal planned and went grocery shopping. we picked up 3 live summer maine lobsters and then came back and cooked them. i wanted to kill them humanely but i don’t think i would have had the arm strength to properly do it and kevin just wanted to boil them... so i helped kevin clip off the rubber bands (there was one lobster that clung on to the rubber band for like a minute because it didn’t want to die T__T).

i also made mango dofu dessert (mango agar jelly) for dessert. we cleaned everything up and then took the train into the city to get on codzilla! we stopped by the only chase atm and starbucks. we got a pink drink because kevin was thirsty. we made it just in time to pick up our tickets and get on the boat. we got okay seats because we got there too late :( lol the beginning of the ride was nice; we went at a fast speed and got wind blown into our hair and everything. the captain did some tilts and stuff but nothing that got us wet. the second go around though, LOLOLOL he would go super fast and then stop and a ton of water would just hit everyone in the face. as the ride went on, his tilts got steeper and we got wet from the sides as well. the best part was going back and he went SUPER fast to the point where our gums were like flapping around and stuff ahhaha. we got SUPER SUPER wet then. i couldn’t stop laughing but the water was so damn salty haha. we went back to the dock at a fast speed but only to dry us off. we were pretty much completely dried when we got back. it was super fun! i feel like we kinda got trolled in the beginning where nothing was happening, but it was totally worth it.

we took the train home and then kevin cooked the lobster in lemon herb butter and i helped make garlic bread. i took a shower because my skin was super dried out and salty. my hair looked real good though lolol. then we ate while watching agents of shield, kevin cleaned up, and i forced myself to do my ab workout LOL. kevin went on a run shortly after. then i actually showered and washed my hair and everything and chilled on the bed until like 1 am... then i got ready for bed and went to sleep. i need to readjust my sleeping schedule a bit hahaha. it was a fun packed day (: