#me and the like 3 other jordan enthusiasts here get it okay

[hollow-l1es]

jordan nation how we feeling…

[littlerose13writes]

this scene is happening today in my scorbus timeline☺️☺️

“Hey, Scorpius.” A voice spoke as Scorpius stepped out of the carriage and he realised it was Thea Jordan approaching him, a wide smile on her face. “How great that we’re both prefects!”

They hadn’t, as Scorpius could recall, ever even spoken before now but Thea’s words implied they had known each other years. “Yes, it is quite great.”

“Where are you sitting? Shall I come and find you to do patrols together?”

“Er, yes, good idea. I’m sitting down here, with Albus.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of where he knew Albus was sitting waiting for him.

“Albus Potter, you two are joined at the hip aren’t you?” she observed, but there was no hint of mocking in her voice. “Show me so I know where to find you.”

She followed him enthusiastically and Scorpius worried how Albus would react when he returned with Thea Jordan in tow. She didn’t seem to notice and chatted away to him about her summer as if they were close friends.

The compartment door was a little stiff when he tried to slide it open, but Albus didn’t look up at the noise. He was staring out of the window, and Scorpius noticed he was wearing his earphones and listening to something on his magical music box.

Music to Albus was what reading was to Scorpius. He rarely did anything in silence, often softly playing music in the dorm or, like he was now, tuning out the rest of the world with it playing directly into his head.

As he got the door open and entered, Albus did look up and pulled the earphones out. They hovered in mid air, chattering madly, then snapped themselves to the side of his music box so he wouldn’t lose them. He smiled at Scorpius but the smile faltered when he spotted Thea.

“Hi, Al, good summer?” she asked kindly from the doorway.

“Er, yeah it was alright thanks. Yours?”

Scorpius was impressed Albus had asked Thea back about her summer. He could come across incredibly surly when he was unsure about somebody. Still, never cold and unfriendly.

“Wonderful thankyou! Well, I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other this year. See you later, Scorpius!” She slid the door closed neatly and skipped off.

“Did Thea Jordan just talk to us?” Albus stared at the spot she’d been stood in. “And did she just call me Al?”

“Turns out she’s the other Slytherin prefect,” Scorpius explained, sitting opposite Albus. “And I call you Al all the time!”

“But… but she’s Thea Jordan,” he spluttered, hands gesticulating wildly. When Albus really wanted to get a point across, he tended to talk with his hands quite emphatically and Scorpius found it incredibly endearing.

“And you’re Albus Potter and I’m Scorpius Malfoy. Glad we have everyone’s names clear.”

“You know what I mean.” Al’s hands dropped back to his sides. “We’re nobodies to her. What did she mean, I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other this year?”

“I suppose she meant because her and I are both prefects. And we aren’t nobodies!” Scorpius said, offended. Albus gave him a look. “Okay, maybe we are a bit. But not anymore! This is our year remember?”

“How could you let me forget?” Albus leant back, going to replace one of his earphones.

- Sweeter Than Fiction, chapter 3

[babycracker]

3 tiiiny mini fics (around 600 words each) ig that no one asked for but i wrote and decided to post anyway. hoping i got my timing right and these actually get posted on what will still be v-day for the majority.

--

Jordam “It was not necessary for you to gift me anything,” Adam insists, staring down at the small box that Jordan’s holding out to him.

“If I thought it was necessary I wouldn’t have done it,” she tells him, rolling her eyes at his hesitancy to take the gift before grabbing his hand. She turns it so that his palm is facing up and places the box on his hand, then wraps his fingers around it for him before letting go. “Look how easy it is to accept something you’re not expecting.”

He sighs heavily at her mockery, still eyeing the parcel suspiciously. As though no one’s ever given him a gift before. She supposed that maybe no one has, the more she thinks about it. At least not for a very, very long time.

“What is it?” he asks slowly, and she returns his sigh and folds her arms across her chest.

“What would’ve been the point of me putting it in a box if I was just going to tell you what it is?”

“I do not pretend to understand the Valentine's day traditions anymore,” he answers bluntly, and she wonders not for the first time why she even bothered. She knows that he would’ve been perfectly happy to let this day pass as any other, but this is something she’d been wanting to give him for quite a while now, but every time she’s tried he’s found a way to refuse it and claim that it’s unnecessary. If it’s a gift, he can’t give it back or refuse it.

“Just open the bloody thing, Adam.”

He frowns at her but caves in, delicately untying the ribbon with more care than she’d expected and cracking the box open to peer inside. “What is this?”

She grins at him as he pulls the key out of the box and looks at her curiously. “It’s a key, genius.”

“That much is clear. A key to what?”

“My heart,” she can barely keep from laughing even as she says it. He just frowns at her, clearly not amused by her teasing. “It’s a key to my apartment, you idiot.”

“I have already told you-” he begins sternly, but she holds a hand up to cut him off.

“I have a card to get into your place, I want you to have a key to get into mine.”

“You were given a card because this is your home just as much as it is mine.”

“And I want my home to be yours just as much as mine,” she argues, but he holds the key out to her.

She rolls her eyes again and takes it from him, but then steps up close and wraps her arms around his waist before sliding the key into his back pocket.

“Hasn’t anyone taught you that it’s rude to return a gift?” she scolds him quietly, smirking up at him when his expression softens and he seems to be giving in.

“Very well,” he answers after a moment, seeming at a loss for words and perhaps a little overwhelmed by the amount of trust in him that her gift hints at.

“Besides, what if something happens one day and you need to get in? I don’t want you breaking my bloody door,” she adds, trying to lighten up what has somehow become a very intense atmosphere over what she thought wasn’t quite this big of a deal.

He chuckles - one of her favourite sounds - and surprises her by winding his arms around her in return and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

--

Faya Felix is far too excited. At least that’s what Mason keeps telling him. But really, Felix feels that he’s exactly the right level of excited and no amount of ridicule will convince him otherwise. After all, this is his first Valentine's day. Well, not his first obviously. But his first one that he gets to spend with someone that he’s actually in love with. Maybe… maybe he’s not excited enough, even. Maybe he should be dressed a little nicer, maybe he should have planned something a little fancier, maybe he hasn’t gone all out after all, there’s always room for improvement, maybe there’s still time to-

“Breathe,” Nate speaks calmly from beside him, and Felix frowns up at him.

“Why?”

Nate sighs, endlessly patient usually but even he is starting to tire of it, eager now for Maya to show up so that Felix can stop stressing and just get his big night under way. “You know what I mean. Relax.”

“I’m relaxed,” Felix ignores the disbelieving quirk of an eyebrow that Nate gives him, his gaze darting around the room before shifting back to the door of Maya’s apartment.

What if she hates it? What if she’s mad that he let himself into her home? But then she gave him a key, right? So that has to mean that she’s okay with him being here without her, right? But what if she’s mad that Nate’s with him? No, that’s silly, she loves Nate. What if she just doesn’t like what he’s done in here? Oh God, he doesn’t even know what colours she hates. What if she hates pink? What if she hates red? No, pink is her favourite colour. But red? What if she hates it?

He eyes the red streamers twisted and twirled around the pink ones that he’s hung around her apartment. Too much work to take them down now with the way they’re all wrapped together. He’d never finish it in time before she-

His chaotic thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a key in the door, and Nate gives him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “She’ll love it.”

“We’re about to find out,” he answers with uncertainty just as Maya steps through the door and looks around the room in shock.

Oh God, she hates it. She hates it so much. So much that she’s… laughing? Wait, what?

“What have you done?” she asks, still chuckling as she walks over to him and wraps her arms around his waist. He returns the hug automatically, though he’s not sure what to make of her reaction. The way Nate gives him a thumbs up and a wide grin as he quietly makes his way out of the room offers a little comfort, though.

“Um, well. I’ve never spent Valentine's day with someone that I love, so I wanted to make sure the first one was special,” he explains, hoping that his reasoning makes as much sense out loud to her as it does to him in his head.

She lets go and steps back so that she can look up at him and he’s relieved to see that she’s smiling. He awkwardly gestures around the enthusiastically decorated room. “So what do you think?”

“It’s perfect!” she answers, the brightness of her smile and the excitement of her answer matching the bright, colourful way he’d decorated her living room. “I agree, this year should be extra special.”

“Oh, good,” Felix breathes out a sigh of relief.

“But you know,” Maya adds wrapping him up in a hug again and resting her cheek against his shoulder, “I really wouldn’t care where we were or what we did as long as we were together.”

And just like that all of his anxiety about whether or not he’s doing Valentine’s day right is gone, because he realises that he feels just the same way.

--

Manner Dear God, why is he here? It’s bloody Sunday, it’s her bloody day off, and she’d assumed that it was his day off as well. So why in the name of fuck is Tanner at the warehouse, going out of his way to ruin her weekend? Morgan had assumed that he’d have more important things to do. Like go and pick up some desperate man or woman from a bar somewhere and shag their brains out. Because isn’t that what guys like him do with their free time when they’re single?

But no. Here he is. Standing in the doorway now, leaning against the frame and grinning at her as though it’s supposed to mean something.

“You got anywhere to be right now?” he asks before she can tell him to go away, and she raises an eyebrow at him before giving a slight shake of her head. “Come with me.”

She stares at the hand he’s holding out to her, then shifts her gaze up to meet his and her face twists into a glare. “No.”

“You know you want to.”

“I really don’t.”

“I’ll make it worth your while.”

Oh, fuck him. Fuck that sexy smirk and that sexy tone of voice that he only seems to use on her, it gets her every time. She huffs, hoping that she still looks as unimpressed as she did when he’d first shown up, and gets to her feet, ignoring his hand.

“Where are we going?” she asks despite herself.

“Out.”

“Out where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

He grins over at her, “I thought as much.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do with your time than annoy me?” she voices her thoughts, trying not to let the way he looks back over at her and lets his eyes crawl slowly over her body before he answers get to her. Trying, and failing.

“Something better than you? Unlikely.”

“What makes you think I’m gonna let you do me?”

“A hunch,” he grins again before they both fall quiet, Morgan growing more and more curious the further into the woods behind the warehouse he leads her.

Finally he stops and turns to face her, and she just looks back at him with a frown of confusion on her face. There’s… nothing here. Absolutely nothing, and they’re so deep into the woods that she can barely even hear the birds chirping anymore.

“Hear that?” he asks after a moment, and she listens carefully for a moment for what he’s talking about but comes up with nothing.

“No?”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t get it,” she really doesn’t get it. What the hell is he doing?

“I know the noise gets to be too much for you sometimes. So if you ever just need some silence for a while…” he trails off and spreads his arms, looking around the tiny clearing that he’s led her too.

She could hug him. Literally hug him. But she’s not going to.

“You dragged me all the way out here to show me where I can find some silence?” she says instead, and a small smile crosses his face as he nods. He’s not buying her hardass act for even a second. He turns and starts to head back in the direction they’d come in, apparently not expecting her to join him.

“Thanks,” she mutters before he can get too far away, and he turns to face her, walking backwards for a moment with the same tiny but satisfied smile on his face.

“Happy Valentine’s, sunshine,” is the only answer he gives before turning back around and leaving her to her peace and quiet.

She hadn’t even remembered that today was the fourteenth.

--

tags (please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed): @admdmrtn @masonsfangs @oxjenayxo @mmerengue @agentsunshine @bravomckenzie @freckles-spangledvampire @mistyeyedbi @kelseaaa @detectivewiseman @adamdumorpain @agentnolastname @utterlyinevitable @masonscig

[sleepymarmot]

I think Martin’s stance in the argument in MAG 194 was consistent with the opinions he’d voiced before. 

Long post with a lot of quotes under the cut.

Martin’s Mindset

1) Killing avatars is good even if they seem nice (the line Martin draws is at killing a child):

172: [Jon: I don’t think he’s evil.] Oh, yeah, sure; he’s probably a really kind, benevolent ruler of a hellish fear prison.

173: Wh, What about the Avatar? I know you said it didn’t change anything, th-the domain would still exist, but at this point I don’t care, alright? Anyone who’s chosen to spend their apocalypse tormenting children – God, you need to end them. Now.

174: Why not [kill Simon]? Because he was nice to you? Because he was charming, because he was fun? 

174: You’re removing evil from the world.

2) Making new avatars is not good:

184: [Jordan: What is this?] [Thin-lipped] Yeah, I’m curious about that myself.

184: [Jordan: Why?] Good question. Jon? Care to enlighten us?

184: [Jon: Didn’t want to just watch you suffer.] It’s what you’ve been doing for everyone else. It’s what you’re expecting him to do.

3) Being at peace with one’s existence as an avatar is bad:

185: Would he enjoy it? (...) Leave him.

186: But I can’t keep existing like this at their expense. It’s not… it’s not right. Whatever happens with Elias, W-with the rest of the world… I can’t live on the misery of others.

186: I get it, okay? I can’t decide what happens to them. But… I just might be able to decide what happens to me. And… And if it comes down to it…I’ll get John to destroy me like the others.

4) Being the one to decide who benefits and who suffers is a terrible responsibility:

185: [Jon: I’m sorry I put you in that position.] No, you were right to. That’s… that’s a lot of power to have to deal with. Lot of responsibility.

“And what? Replace them with new avatars from the people who don’t want to?”

Martin was very enthusiastic about killing avatars, yes. But the reverse? Not really. Both times the idea of turning the Watched into Watchers came up, it was Jon’s initiative. 184 is self-evident, but even in 185, where Martin is the one to make the decision, it’s Jon who asks him:

Inspector: You’ve got to help me! Jon: Martin? What do you think? Martin: What? Jon: I decided about Jordan. This place is from your past.

“I saw the kick you got out of making them scream for once”

I think this part of the argument caught many of us off guard. We all remember how much Martin pushed Jon towards killing avatars despite Jon’s discomfort, ethical dubiousness and practical pointlessness of that endeavour. But Martin isn’t simply projecting his own feelings onto Jon -- he did enjoy that too, this did not come out of nowhere this week:

166:

Helen: Oh, hello! In a better mood, are we? Feeling more secure now you’ve learned how to kill? Jon: Something like that.

Martin: I don’t see why you were being so coy about it – Jon: Because I’m ashamed, Martin. Martin: Ashamed?! Jon: Yes! Ashamed of the fact that I just – destroyed the world and have been rewarded for it, the fact that – I can walk safe through all this horror I’ve created like a… fucking tourist, destroying whoever I please. The fact that I… enjoyed it, and… the fact that there are so many others that I want to revenge myself on!

169:

Martin: John, is there another way? Jon: I mean – sort of? Maybe? Martin: That turn. You – You took a hard turn after the roots back there; I knew that was a thing! Why are we here? Jon: It’s just – when you said – Martin: Jon, why have you taken us here? Jon: Jude Perry. This is where Jude Perry rules. Martin: That’s the one who burned your hand, isn’t it? Jon: Yes.

Jon: I want revenge on Jude Perry. I want to… smite her. Make her feel what – What all her victims felt.  

Jon: I’m here for you, Jude. To end you. Jude: (...) You’re bluffing. Jon: You know I’m not. You’re already afraid. Jude: Oh, I see. I get it. You finally get a sniff of power, and the first thing you do is try to settle some old scores. Play the big man; get off on good old-fashioned petty revenge. Jon: I’d have thought that was a mindset you would appreciate. Now, feel it. All the terror and pain you’ve inflicted. Jude: Oh, piss off –  Look, look. Wait. Right? I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have burned your hand. Jon: No. You shouldn’t have.

171:

Martin: Why didn’t we go after the landlord guy? In the tenement. (...) Jon: It didn’t seem worth it. I didn’t – hate him like I hated her. He never hurt me.

174:

Jon: I just – This whole… avenging angel thing, I, I’m not – It doesn’t feel right. Martin: It seemed to feel right when we were avenging all the wrongs done against you. Jon: I know. I, I, I know, alright? But well – That’s kind of the problem; I, I have all this – power, and, and I want to use it to try to help, but I – I don’t know – I mean, I do. I-I’ve done so much damage, and – and anything that might help to balance that is – But killing other Avatars is, is not – I, I don’t think it makes anything better. I think it just makes me worse.

“You weren’t meant to enjoy [Kill Bill] this much!”

Initially, Martin enthusiastically suggested killing avatars because he thought it would improve the world:

166: 

Martin: Th, This isn’t like it was before! We’re not talking about innocent bystanders in cafes here, Jon; these things are – th-they’re just evil, plain and simple, and right now they’re torturing and tormenting everyone! If you want to stop them and have the power to, then – then, then yeah, let’s do it, let’s go full Kill Bill!

169:

Martin: It’s not just your revenge though, is it? Destroying her… it would help all those people in there, wouldn’t it? Jon: Maybe? It’s… Like I said, I can’t see the future. It wouldn’t free them, if that’s what you’re asking. ‘Free’ doesn’t really exist in this place.

Jon: She’s gone. Martin: The fires are still here. Doesn’t look like much has changed. Jon: No. I suppose not. Martin: Let’s just get out of here.

171:

Martin: Why didn’t we go after the landlord guy? In the tenement. Jon: Arthur Nolan? Martin: Yeah. He’s still there, right? Jon: After Jude, th,the fires – I,I didn’t want to put you through anymore. Martin: Don’t do that. Jon: What? Martin: Don’t use me as an excuse. Jon: I-I’m not. I just – It didn’t seem worth it. I didn’t – hate him like I hated her. He never hurt me. Martin: But all the people inside. Jon: Killing Nolan wouldn’t have made it stop. It would just leave it – unsupervised. Martin: John – we are doing good, right? Making things better? Jon: I don’t know if that was ever an option.

173:

Martin: We’ve got to help them. Jon: How? Martin: I – I don’t know! I’m not the one who’s supposed to know everything, alright? There has to be something we can do!

Martin: Wh, What about the Avatar? I know you said it didn’t change anything, th-the domain would still exist, but at this point I don’t care, alright? Anyone who’s chosen to spend their apocalypse tormenting children – God, you need to end them. Now.

Jon: You see? Martin: See what, John; what am I supposed to see? That you don’t want to kill a – thirteen year old kid? Big revelation. Jon: I don’t know what you want me to do. Martin: I want you to use your power. I want you to help them; I want you to make things better! Jon: There is no better anymore. Martin: You keep – saying that, and I hate it! Jon: I keep saying it because it keeps being true; you know that! Martin: What I know, is that leaving children here is – (struggles for words) i-it’s inexcusable; it’s monstrous! Jon: Martin. Tell me what you want me to do, and I will do it!

Martin: Let’s get out of here. Jon: If you’re sure. Martin: The sooner we get back to the Archives, the sooner we can put a stop to this. All of this. They just – They’ll just need to hang on a little longer.

174:

Martin: You’re removing evil from the world. Jon: I, I’m not though, am I? The tenement fire is still burning. The mortal garden is growing wild. The carousel –

Hypocrisy?

As we see in the quotes above, both Jon and Martin were swept up by the feeling of newfound power and the idea of revenge. For Jon, pessimistic about the state of the world and personally hurt by some of the avatars they encountered on the road, it was mostly about personal vengeance. Martin, on the other hand, doesn’t have such a painful history with the avatars whose domains they pass, and the lack of Beholding-sourced knowledge and despair allows him to hold onto a false hope, making this an ideologically driven crusade.

With this in mind, let’s go back to 194:

Martin: I know what it’s like to be powerless. A-And I know you do too. And I also know what it’s like when you get a taste of– wh-when you’re finally able to– 

Jon: What happened to “Kill Bill”? Martin: You weren’t meant to enjoy it this much!

These lines sound a lot like regret. Maybe I’m overestimating Martin’s level of self-awareness here, but it seems he has realized they both got drunk on power, and he pushed Jon in a direction he shouldn’t have. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment he puts all blame on Jon instead of taking responsibility for his own actions. Let’s hope that he apologizes later!

To be entirely clear, I think that the way Martin consistently treats Jon like a gun instead of a person in this subplot is in itself a problem. When Jon is ashamed of enjoying vengeance too much, Martin doesn’t like it; when he lets himself enjoy it, Martin disapproves too as we now know. Let’s look at three crucial points in the storyline side by side:

166:

Martin: Sure. Okay, that’s – I mean, that’s really not that complicated, John; I don’t see why you were being so coy about it – Jon: Because I’m ashamed, Martin. Martin: Ashamed?! Jon: Yes! Ashamed of the fact that I just – destroyed the world and have been rewarded for it, the fact that – I can walk safe through all this horror I’ve created like a… fucking tourist, destroying whoever I please. The fact that I… enjoyed it, and… the fact that there are so many others that I want to revenge myself on! Martin: …No; No, I actually think you’re good on that front. Jon: What? Martin: Yeah, I, I, I think we should go for it, get our murder on! Jon: Sorry, what? Helen: Yes, Martin! Martin: Th, This isn’t like it was before! We’re not talking about innocent bystanders in cafes here, Jon; these things are – th-they’re just evil, plain and simple, and right now they’re torturing and tormenting everyone! If you want to stop them and have the power to, then – then, then yeah, let’s do it, let’s go full Kill Bill!

174 (I left in some of the unofficial transcript’s stage directions to keep the picture clear):

Martin:That’s enough. John? Jon: Uh… yes? Martin: Do it. Simon: Uhh… Do what? Martin: Kill him. Jon: Uh – Simon: Hang on. Can he do that? Martin: (forceful) He can, and he’s going to! Simon: Oh! Right! Seems a bit rude, to be honest. Jon: Oh, oh… okay, um. Martin: Jon? Jon: J-Just give me a moment! I, uh, I – Simon: I-In fact, yes! You know what? I’ll, I’ll probably just be going, then – I, I – I’d prefer to keep existing, if it’s all the same to you, uhm – Martin: J-Jon! Jon: I – Simon: (fast) Been lovely chatting to you! Good to see you guys. Feel free to pop by again when you’re feeling less, um, murdery. Martin: (yelling) Jon! Simon: Byeee! Martin: You let him go. Jon: (weary) Yeah. Martin: Why? Jon: Because, uh… uh – Martin: (cutting him off) Why did you let him go, John?

194: 

Martin: I know what it’s like to be powerless. A-And I know you do too. And I also know what it’s like when you get a taste of– wh-when you’re finally able to– Jon: That’s not what this is! Martin: I’ve been out there with you. I saw the kick you got out of making them scream for once. Jon: What happened to “Kill Bill”? Martin: You weren’t meant to enjoy it this much!

Looks like Martin assumed Jon’s desire for vengeance to be righteous anger. And didn’t like the realization that Jon’s murderous urges -- or his own, in Oliver and Simon’s cases -- are something darker, more personal and irrational.

Conclusion

When Martin had pressured Jon to act, it was done out of hope and idealism (misguided or not, we’ll see). He didn’t simply want Jon to do something -- he wanted him to make the world better. Call it naive, wilfully blind, unfair to Jon -- I’ve had my own share of frustration with Martin this season -- but he has had a very specific and consistent agenda. Sometimes both Jon and Martin are motivated by a personal grudge -- Jon against Not!Them and Jude and Jared, Martin against Oliver and Simon -- but overall, Martin thinks that this quest removes evil from the world.

What Jon proposes in 194 goes against all of Martin’s beliefs and wishes:

The total amount of evil is not reduced

New avatars are created

Jon appoints himself the one and only ultimate judge

By giving in to the Eye:

Jon lets it have what it had wanted all along, lets it win

Jon abandons morality for power

Jon abandons humanity and Martin for the inhuman evil happiness he can’t help but crave

Accepting this is at least as bad as doing nothing at all -- and perhaps even worse.

So I don’t think Martin’s being particularly irrational during the argument. Some of the things he says may be unfair, harsh, even cruel. You can say it was hypocritical of him to accuse Jon of enjoying the killing spree too much, since he was the one who proposed it and kept pushing Jon towards it with great enthusiasm. His “I forbid it” may be naive and childishly petulant, and this mindset might lead him to making bad choices in the future. But I don’t think he was projecting his own feelings onto Jon, or pulling arguments out of nowhere.

[rescuestudies]

types of people: my fire station

hey! it seems that you guys love the types of people memes I make so here’s another one! (I LOVE MY STATION SO MUCH...these are jokes!)

Captain: screams into the void, “beds made by 10″, “god dammit Jordan!”, edgy but actually a softie, so much salt, EMS without the cert, the color red, “yeet!”, soft spot for T, training is his jam, perfect balance of fun and stern, lowkey stressed out, hates writing reports, will be your biggest fan, “there was fucking Kerosene dude!”, managing is his happy place despite how not fun it is, probably has a planner somewhere 

Lt. : chill dad, awful dad jokes followed by dorky laughter, Steelers fan til death, gives T a hard time, soft spot for Jordan, kitchen cleaning master, only person who likes pumping water, did i mention he’s a dad, loves sharing his knowledge of the fire service, gives gentle reminders to be kind to yourself, will support you til the end, mini golf legend, if puppies were people he’d be a golden retriever, devoted to his family and wife, will preach to you about how life takes time 

Junior Mint: loves cats to a fault, will send you memes to make you feel better, plays too many PC games, gentle roasts to make the mood lighter, always down for some training, knows so much to be so young, a bright future ahead of him, taking things a day at a time, wings it 90% of the time and still does great, loves milk more than anything, epic bruh moment, picks on T for fun, just trying to make his life a good one 

Richy Rich: will kill you if you call him that, emo but in an adult way, gaming but make it indie, gives great advice followed by eh advice, the most neutral human being ever, so smart but such a smartass, takes training very seriously (but in a fun way), tries not to lose his patience with people but eventually cracks, the confidant friend everyone goes to but doesn’t listen to him when he needs it, the color blue, late nights and early mornings, south park memes, has no issue fact-checking a bitch 

Caleb: star wars enthusiast, giggly smiles, taking things a day at a time, genuinely wants you to win, appreciates the little things more than most of us, dad jokes all the time, accepts his flaws and tries to fix them, motivational quotes, take on me by a-ha probably loops in his head all day, wants the simple life, would make a great dad and also public health educator, genuinely loves helping others, makes it really hard to be mad at him

Jordan: gives corgi vibes lowkey, “it’s okay, i’ll teach you”, loves sharing his knowledge, not afraid to make mistakes, warm smiles, the type of person you simply can’t hate, always upbeat, probably has cake by the ocean playing on repeat in his head, loves the kids, passionate about fire but taking his time to get where he needs to be, will be the sober friend at a party, will never make you feel unloved or alone, “what’s up goofy”

T: angry but means well, loves the fire service but refuses to settle, just wnats to help people even before she helps herself, loves devious cats and silly dogs, lowkey afraid of commitment, definitely uses angst as a defense mechanism, will talk your head off about candles or healthcare inequalities, afraid of being wrong sometimes, that friend that will put you first, screams into the void, “Did my back hurt your knife?”, has no idea how to teach things without getting frustrated, that annoys her bc she really wants to train others, would die for her captain, hates people that underestimate women, a walking talking ass whoopin, “fuck you, i’ll do it myself” 

NASA: the smartest in the group probably, also a himbo somehow, anxious around women, *country boyyyy I love youuuuu*, dad glasses paired with dad jokes, probably the best cook on the crew aside from Lt., fills awkward silence with awkward laughter, can’t handle his wine, “what’s that supposed to mean?”, dying inside, lots of witty remarks, scribbled math equations on napkins, avoiding social situations to recharge battery, open ears and a silent mouth, keeps all your deepest secrets but still judges you lowkey, would die for anyone on his crew no matter how annoying they are, honestly a wholesome guy

YeeYee: loves ducks, probably cottagecore but add some camo, sends T some tiktoks, loves his girlfriend more than he loves life itself, hates school but went anyway, amazing teacher and sharer of information, big ole truck, unhinged chaos at any given moment, loves to play around with EMS supplies, “love me some McConaughey”, 3 black coffees followed by a scream into the hallway, “fuck my quiz!”, random road rage videos, on a chill scale, he’s the most chill, gets more unhinged when country music plays, “look at all those chickens” 

i love my crew so much man! i hope yall enjoy!

[virgyvandijk]

19

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Virgil knows the day is coming, so he's not surprised.

Things have been weird for months, but they've been even weirder since that night at Jordan's house. He's still training with the group, but he's making sure he can stay away from Virgil. They've not spoken a word since Jordan accused him of plotting to break up his marriage.

(Which, although it's not too far from the mark, he definitely didn't. He's thought about it, of course, but when it came down to it, he learnt a lot about what kind of guy he is).

People have noticed, because of course they have. Jurgen has promised not to get involved and said he isn't taking sides, and James is looking at Virgil a little strangely, which might also be because he thinks Virgil isn't pulling his weight in training, so. Adam has straight up told him to fuck off three times this week though, so he definitely knows.

Virgil is starting to feel like he's not all that well liked around here. The only person that's willingly staying close to him is Joe, which is nice of him. He's probably only doing it because he feels bad, but Virgil isn't going to complain. He needs a friend right now.

Joe's been biting his tongue for days when he finally asks.

"So what's going on with you and Hendo then?" He asks, trying to sound disinterested (and failing). Before Virgil can deny anything, he adds: "Don’t pretend you don't know what I'm on about. It's written all over your guilty little face, Virg. Something is going on and I want to know what, because Hendo is never like this with anyone."

He thinks about lying. Making something up - <em>he just doesn't like me, that's all. Sometimes people don't get on</em> - but one look at Joe's face and he sighs dropping his head.

"Jordan and I are soulmates," he says quietly, following the shouted instructions to stretch out.

"Isn't he married?" Joe asks, stretching down to touch his toes. He's still looking at Virgil, although he doesn't seem to be judging him (which is what Virgil was expecting). He seems completely, entirely neutral, which can only be a good thing.

"Yeah. His wife's soulmate died when she was a teenager and he just - gave up on me, apparently," Virgil says. He shrugs, trying to pretend that he doesn't care, but there's a crack deep in his chest and getting wider and wider every day. He doesn't know how he's going to survive this. "He's got kids. A mortgage. A whole life, without me. I can't step in and ruin that."

"But things were okay, weren't they?" Joe asks, frown etched into his face. "I assume him training at home was because of that, but then you were okay. For ages, you were fine. We thought it had all blown over."

"His wife invited me round for dinner a couple of weeks ago," Virgil says. He's trying to swallow back the lump in his throat but it's almost overwhelming by now, so he looks away. His gaze lands on Jordan, and he looks back at Joe so quick he feels like he's got whiplash. "She knew. I think she could just tell, you know? Because I didn't say anything, but then she confronted him about it and he kicked off, assumed I'd done it on purpose."

"Did you?" Joe says. It's a valid question, but.

"No," Virgil whispers. "I'd never do that. His family is beautiful. Bec is amazing and his girls are gorgeous and they're all so perfect together. There's no room for me in his life and that's okay. I mean - it's not, not right now. But in time it will be okay. I'll be okay. I haven't got any other option."

Joe doesn't say anything. If he notices when Virgil reaches up to wipe his eyes, he doesn't say anything.

"Okay," he says carefully. "Just know that you can talk to me about it whenever you want, yeah? I'm always here for you."

That might be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to him.

.

He doesn’t bring it up again until a while later. They're in Rome, on the back of an incredible win, but all Virgil can think about is the fact that Jordan is in the room next to him. It's like Joe could tell, because he burst in not long after they got back and made himself comfortable on the big plush chair in the corner, chatting about everything and nothing and not expecting a reply.

It's nice. Inane. 

But Virgil's mind never stays occupied for too long.

"Joey," Virgil says, although it's slightly hesitant. He knows that Joe said he could talk about it and he hasn't got anyone else, but still. He doesn't know if it's a good idea. "Can I… just talk about Jordan for a bit?" 

Joe shuts up immediately.

"Of course you can!" He says, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. He realises though, and grimaces, holding out a placating hand to Virgil. "I knew you'd struggle being in the room next to him. What's on your mind?" 

"Um," Virgil says dumbly. He doesn't quite know how to explain it, so he closes his eyes and swallows, difficult through his dry throat, and tries again. "I keep having dreams. But they're not… dreams. Not imaginary stuff. It's memories, things that happened in my last life. The one I shared with Jordan. I just… miss him. So much. And the dreams don't help."

"What was it like?" Joe enquires politely. He's resting his cheek on his hand but he seems gently interested. "Your last life."

"Good. We were happy - eventually. We made that happiness for ourselves, though," Virgil says, nodding slightly. He loves thinking about the good times they shared. It's the only thing that gets him through, sometimes. "We met in the trenches of World War Two. He was fighting because he had to, and I signed up to the allied forces because there were no jobs going and my mum was poor."

"Me and Tam have never been like that," Joe says. He's got that familiar thousand yard stare that everyone gets when they think about their past lives. "We've been royalty, members of a tribe, peasants - but we've always been together. Found each other. I can't remember a time when I was without her."

"Lucky for some," Virgil says, smiling sadly.

"Shit - I didn't mean-" Joe says, but Virgil cuts him off.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Virgil says dismissively. He's got bigger things to worry about than Joe putting his foot in it. "Can think of better times and places to love another man, to be honest. The forties wasn't all it cracked up to be."

"How did you manage?" Joe asks, voice small. "Especially in an environment like the army."

“We didn’t – act on it, not until after we both left,” Virgil says, tipping his head back against the wall. He can hear Jordan’s TV on in the next room, and he closes his eyes to try and picture the scene properly. “As soon as I walked onto the base and saw him, in the bunk next to mine, I knew. I knew as soon as I saw him that he was my soulmate. I felt like I’d come home.

"We were just best friends. People didn’t suspect anything back then, as long as we didn’t get too close. But I told him I loved him every day, and he said it back. As soon as the war was over and we were discharged, we started planning our life together. Found a little cottage in the middle of nowhere and moved in. We were miles away from the nearest village.” 

"That sounds like a nice life," Joe says, smiling slightly.

"It was," Virgil confirms. "We used to work on the farms around the cottage. They gave us free food in the summer so we could save up for the winter months when there wasn't much to do, and I used to go to the village market on a Saturday morning. We had all the time in the world, just for us. Nobody bothered us, and if they knew we were together - the farmers or the stall holders - they never said anything. They left us alone, which was just the way we liked it."

"Didn't people treat it differently?" Joe asks, frowning. He seems deeply enthralled with the story Virgil is telling him. "Like, you're soulmates. You can't help that you've fallen for another man. It's fate."

"People will always be homophobic, Joey," Virgil says quietly. The prospect makes his heart hurt. "Fate doesn't mean a damn thing to bigots."

"I'm so sorry," Joe whispers, and lapses into silence. It's comfortable, not awkward, but also sad. Full of what ifs. Virgil hangs his head.

"I wish I never remembered," he says fiercely. He's not sure if he means it or not.

"Virg --" Joe says, sounding completely bewildered and a little bit out of his depth. His eyes are wide and he looks like he doesn't know how to handle this.

"I mean it," Virgil says. He's still unsure, though. "Every day it gets worse and worse. I had to watch him die, Joe. I held him and he died in my arms and he begged me to find him and I never gave up, not once. But he did. He gave up and now I'm the one who has to suffer. I wish I'd never remembered. I wish I wasn't in love with somebody so cruel."

There's nothing else he can add to that.

send me a prompt

[screamingatanemptyroom]

Baby’s First Revenge Part Seven (Final)

Here it is, the last part to the Baby’s First Revenge story! I hope you guys enjoy it! 

links to Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 can be found here. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be here for you.” Charlotte grabbed Brandon’s hand in her own, smiling gently

“AND CUT! That’s a wrap!” Stepping closer, the director’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “That was fantastic, guys! Great job!”

Everyone in the cast and crew broke out in cheers, hugging and high-fiving each other as it spread that they had successfully filmed the last scene.

Charlotte and Brandon sighed with relief, their hands letting go as they grinned.

“Not too bad, Edith.” The boy chuckled. “Given a few more years of experience, you might even be as good of an actor as me one day.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Be still my beating heart.” Standing up, she started to walk away, looking for her parents.

“Hey, wait!” Brandon reached out, his hand hesitating and hanging in the air as if he had wanted to grab her arm to stop her, but changed his mind. Despite the pause, she heard him and stopped, staring at him with a curious expression.

“What is it?”

“It’s just… “ He swallowed uncomfortably, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “You really nailed this… I mean… It’s not even like you are Edith. It’s more like… Edith is like you.” He shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense. I mean, the character in the book was great, but you seem to make her a person, a real person with hopes and dreams. Until it seems like she’s more based off of you then you off of her.”

Charlotte smiled. “Maybe she is based off of me.”

“Funny. The book would have just been published around the time you were born.”

“You never know.”

“I guess, I just wish…” Brandon frowned, growing more uncomfortable. Looking frustrated at his pauses, Charlotte let out a long sigh.

“No offense, but get to the point.”

“Sorry. This is just going sound really stupid.” His face turned slightly red as he spoke. “I just wish that I could have done the same, and made the character Jordan real. I wish we could have been friends in real life like that, growing up together, looking out for each other, protecting each other.”

The smile slipped from Charlotte’s face, leaving a blank expression. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not.” A slightly distressed expression took the place of his previous embarrassed one. “I promised not to lie to you anymore, remember?”

“You want truth?” Charlotte’s voice was cold, almost unrecognizable. “Let me tell you the truth.”

Her hand reached out and grabbed the boy’s collar, pulling him closer.

“This story was based on true people. A little boy and girl. Growing up together, protecting each other. The ideal friendship you’re imagining.” She was whispering now, her eyes shining with a pain she couldn’t hide. “But that was a lie. She was the only one getting hurt to protect him, the only one who was trusting, helping, all while expecting nothing in return. The boy just took everything, giving nothing. And do you want to know what happened when he had taken all he could, and she was no longer useful?”

“… What?” Brandon’s voice cracked on the word. He didn’t want to know. Didn’t want to hear the rest of the story that was making tears form in his friend’s eyes. But he knew she needed to say it.

“He killed her.” A single tear tracked down her cheek, but she ignored it, never looking away from the boy’s frightened gaze. “He murdered her, and watched her die, a smile on his face.”

Charlotte released her grip on Brandon’s shirt, and stepped back.

“How do you know… ?” He trailed off, unsure of how to ask the question, afraid of the answer.

Charlotte walked off without a word.

 “Great job, Sweetie!” Charlotte’s parents met up with her outside her dressing room. Her father swept her up into a big hug, a large smile on his face. “We’re so proud of you!”

“Thanks!” Charlotte hugged them both, enjoying the feeling of being with family. The conversation with Brandon just then had brought up the feelings of despair and regret from her previous life, and time with her parents was just what she needed to move past that.

“The director told us about the party to celebrate finishing filming tonight.” Her mom chimed in. “Do you want to go?”

Charlotte frowned. “That’s not something you typically invite kids to though, right?”

“Well, he said you would be more interested in the early half of the party, where there will be good food and a chance for everyone to tell you how wonderful you did. We can leave before your bedtime.”

Charlotte thought it over. “I guess that would be fine, as long as I don’t miss out on too much sleep.” She shrugged. “I need plenty of sleep if I’m going to grow up healthy.”

“…” Her parents passed a look between them and shook their heads.

“Remind me who the adult in this relationship is?”

Charlotte ignored her mother’s muttering, and looked up at her father, confused. “Wait, why are you off work today?”

Her parents had taken turns taking off of work to drive her to the studio, and today should have been her mother’s day.

“Well…” Her father looked slightly embarrassed. “I may have taken on a special… project at work.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “A project?”

“Tell her.” Her mother sighed.

“It’s not a big deal, just was sitting around with my coworkers, and happened to tell them about the terrible things the internet people had said about you…” He shrugged. “They were horrified, of course, and so we came up with a group project.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Your father and his coworkers have turned into a rabid dedicated PR team on the internet, promoting your movie and going after anyone spreading rumors about you. It’s basically a fan club.” Rolling her eyes, her mother continued. “Imagine my shock when I stopped by his workplace only to see a group of middle-aged men and women waving banners with your name on them, hunched over computer screens, celebrating catching Internet trolls.”

“…”

“Don’t worry sweetie.” Her father tapped a silver pin on his chest with a proud expression. “I’m the club president.”

“That… was not what I was worried about.”

“It’s okay.” Her mother whispered in Charlotte’s ear. “He’s just all fired up after those reporters cornered you in your dressing room the other day. He and his friends at work should calm down shortly.”

“What if…”

“Otherwise I’ll take care of it.” Her tone was final.

“Dad…” She smiled, looking up at the worried parent hovering over her. “You’re an idiot.”

“…”

“I love you!” She threw herself in his arms, hugging him tightly.

“I love you too.” He hugged her back. 

For the second time that day Charlotte cried.

This time… they were tears of relief. 

This life, this new life. It isn’t wasted. I have a family.

 The party was in full swing by the time Charlotte and her family arrived.

“And here’s our star!” Mark Tuttle grinned and pointed at their entrance, leading everyone in a round of applause. Charlotte smiled at the director, waving her hand slightly until the attention turned away from her. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she was about to move towards the table with the drinks and appetizers on it, when she was stopped by Lacy.

“Charlotte!” The young woman shook her hand enthusiastically. “I was looking for you!”

Shaking her head slightly, Charlotte chuckled, taking her hand back. “Well you found me.”

“I wanted to talk to you! I’m the casting director for a new project, one that requires some talented child actors.”

Charlotte stepped back, shocked. “I’m not…”

“It’s obviously a very different project than ‘Searching for Silence.’ Less action and drama more of a fantasy adventure. But given your talents I know you could bring the film to a whole new level.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding something.” Charlotte held up her hand. “I was good in this movie because I fit the role well. That doesn’t make me a professional actress.”

“Really?” Lacy’s grin widened. “A five year old…”

“Five and three quarters.”

“…Almost six year old who can portray complicated emotions at the drop of a hat, including hatred, guilt, anger and grief?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re a freaking goldmine to any director.”

“I…”

“Just think about it.” Lacy patted her back. “Plus, you’d get to work with your friend.”

“Friend?”

“Brandon is being considered for one of the main roles as well! Wouldn’t that be great?!”

Charlottes gaze drifted over to the corner of the room, where Brandon was standing next to Peter, talking. Neither of them had a pleasant expression.

“Yeah…” her voice trailed off as a new unease took root in her chest. “Great.”

Brandon hadn’t planned on confronting Peter at this party.

He had just been standing nearby, pouring himself a cup of punch, when he heard the author complaining loudly.

“I know I wrote it, but I wish I had given the story a different ending.”

He gulped down the drink in his hand, slamming the cup on a nearby table with a frustrated expression. “What a stupid scene. Jordan and Edith getting along and having a happy ending!”

Brandon thought about the words Charlotte had said earlier, the pain in her eyes as she talked about how the boy Jordan had been based off of had murdered his friend. A sense of disgust took over him and he stepped closer before he had realized it.

“And how would you end it instead?” He interrupted, his sarcastic tone at odds with his innocent face. “Have Jordan betray the one person who has sacrificed everything to protect him? Now that’s a stupid ending!”

Peter’s face turned pale. “No one would want to live in the shadow of a girl like that forever. Perfect at everything she does. Mature, even as a child.” He snorted. “Anyone would snap eventually.”

Brandon thought about Charlotte. She was smart, talented, and much more mature than she should be for her age. He had always been used to being the center of attention, but whenever she was around, she outshined him. Should he resent her? Be jealous? 

But then Brandon laughed. “No one is perfect, even if they seem like it. 

And she wasn’t. 

She was awkward at making friends, trying to talk about the weather and political climate with other five year olds. She tried to solve every problem by threatening it, and if that didn’t work by beating it up. She always jumped ahead without thought, without fear, never even considering the possibility of failure.

She wasn’t perfect.

“So, doesn’t change the fact that Jordan would be better off without Edith.” Peter argued back, a strange light in his eyes.

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Of course, who would want a dedicated friend who cares for you and supports you in everything you do?”

“Supports you in living in her shadow!”

“WHO CARES?!” Brandon threw up his hands. “Even if you’re in her shadow, at least you’re by her side! And if she’s stronger, smarter and faster… well I’ll just find the things that I can do, and help her the best I can. Because that’s what friends do!! They don’t worry about who’s better! They become better together!”

Peter’s expression grew cold. “You’re just a child.”

“And you’re an idiot.”

Brandon stomped away, not paying any attention to the threatening glare at his back.

“Here.” Brandon put a cup of punch on the table before Charlotte, who had been resting on the couch, lost in her thoughts. Her eyes flickered quickly towards him and then towards the drink on the table.

“What’s that?”

“It’s punch.”

“Why did you put it there?”

“So you can drink it?” Brandon shook his head. “And they told me you were smart.”

“Umm… thanks.” She reached out to grab the glass. “What were you talking to the author about?”

“Just stupid stuff.” He smiled. “Don’t worry about it.”

Charlotte stiffened, a memory from her previous life overwhelming her.

“Why are you grinning so much?” Charlotte asked, sitting down with a tired expression.

“Just stupid stuff.” Peter kept smiling, setting a coffee cup in front of her. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Ugh. Thanks.” She took a sip of the coffee, making a face. “This tastes terrible! What did you do, make it with your feet?”

Peter scowled. “Sorry I’m not a world class barista.”

“I forgive you.” She chuckled, taking another sip with a wince. “If I wasn’t so tired and needed the caffeine…”

“You should get some rest. You’ve been working too hard.” The right words were coming out of Peter’s mouth, but something seemed… off. 

Charlotte shook herself slightly, trying to focus on his question. “I can’t go to sleep yet. I need to check and see if there’s been a response from the publishers.” She grinned. “This book I wrote is pretty great, I think someone will buy it.”

“…” Peter stared at her silently. A headache started pounding at her temples. She took another drink of coffee, setting it down half-finished to rub her temples.

“What did you do today?”

He showed her a letter in his hand. Her head hurt worse, she had to struggle to read it.

It was a publishing offer.

Charlotte would have jumped up and cheered, thrilled to see a reward for all the late nights, all the hard work she had done. She would have given Peter a hug, thanking him for the terrible coffee again and the surprise of revealing the letter.

She would have…

There was just one problem.

The name on the letter was not hers.

Peter McAllen.

“You… you stole my book?” It was hard to talk, her lips were slightly numb.

Peter looked defensive.

“It wasn’t my fault!”

And so started the last argument she would ever have with him. The one that ended with her dying on the floor, while he looked on with a satisfied expression.

CRASH! The glass slipped through her fingers, splintering into multiple pieces as it hit the floor. Punch spilled out over her shoes, staining them red… 

“Charlotte, are you okay?”

She looked over at the boy who reminded her of Peter, her face curled in a snarl. “Leave me alone!” 

He stepped back, startled. He looked genuinely worried. Charlotte’s heart softened, and she was about to reach out and apologize, when her eyes caught on the broken glass at her feet.

Had she really been about to take a drink from a glass he had handed her? Was being poisoned once by someone she trusted not enough for her? Had she learned nothing?

Charlotte pushed past him, ignoring his hurt expression as she quickly found her parents. 

“Take me home.”

Without asking questions they bundled her up and took her out. As she was being whisked away, she saw Brandon’s face.

Pain. 

Confusion.

Fear.

Charlotte turned away, ignoring him, and let her father carry her out of the party.

Later that night, Charlotte sat on her bed, staring down at her hands. She felt slightly guilty at how she had left Brandon without a word, but it was hard to ignore the memories he sometimes invoked.

He’s not Peter. She told herself quietly, rocking in place. We’re friends.

Yes, but you thought Peter was your friend too, didn’t you, and look how that turned out. A awful voice in the back of her mind whispered back. Charlotte had no answer, and sat there silently, confused.

Tap, tap. A sound of something hitting her window.

Charlotte looked outside. There was a note taped to the window sill. Picking it up with trembling hands, she read the scrawl across the page, an all too familiar handwriting.

“I’ve taken your little friend. If you don’t want him to die then meet me at the secret base. Come alone.”

“Shit.” Charlotte whispered, the paper crumpling in her hand. “He knows.”

She always thought Peter might recognize her one day. They had grown up together, knew everything about each other. So many little signs, clues, only the fact that it seemed so impossible seemed to argue against him realizing the truth.

But he knew. 

Otherwise why else would he tell her to meet him at the “secret base”? It was their secret growing up, an abandoned shed in the middle of nowhere, where they used to hide during the worst times growing up.

Straightening out the paper, she read it again, her eyes staying on the words “little friend.” Her stomach sank even further.

“Brandon.” She was surprised at the pain in her voice. Charlotte looked around her room with a defeated expression. All over the walls were pictures. Pictures of her smiling with her parents. Playing, laughing… living a new life.

She could lose everything. All the wonderful things she had gained by being reborn. Her childhood, her family, her home.

But she couldn’t let him die.

Silently she opened her window further, crawling out and running into the night. She didn’t hesitate, she knew this location better even then this house she was currently growing up in. 

“Okay Peter.” She smiled , a humorless expression. “I’m coming home.”

“Charlotte.” His voice was the first thing she heard as she entered the shack.

“Peter.” She responded in kind, forcing herself not to react to the terrible seen in front of her. In the five years since she last saw this place, it hadn’t changed much. The sagging couching, the chipped tables. The barely functioning generator powering a small tv and a coffee maker. It looked exactly the same it had the day she died, in the very spot she was standing now.

Charlotte shivered, both from the cold draft and from fear. 

Peter stood in the back, his eyes fanatical, staring at her with a triumphant expression. He held a terrified Brandon in front of him, who was too scared too move. He also held a gun to the young boy’s head.

“Let him go.” She spoke calmly, not wanting to startle him. “You want me, not him.” 

“CHARLOTTE NO!” Brandon screamed out. “JUST RUN! I’LL BE OKAY!”

Peter started laughing, a disturbing sound that echoed through the cabin. Shaking his head slightly, he sighed, gesturing with the gun as he spoke.

“How cute. He’s actually trying to protect you. You of all people!” Peter snorted. “You and I both know you never needed anyone’s protection.”

“Let him go.”

“No.” He smiled. “He’s my insurance that you won’t do something stupid.”

“Seriously?” Charlotte spread her hands, sweating nervously as the gun swayed back and forth, keeping an aim on Brandon. “I’m five years old, how much damage could I do?”

His eyes narrowed. “Nice try. I might even believe you if you hadn’t shown off your skills with the stunt men. Besides, even if I hadn’t seen that… I know you’re perfectly capable of taking down me and anyone unlucky enough to go against you. I used to make money on you taking down guys twice your size in fights, remember?” 

“Charlotte, what’s going on?” Brandon’s eyes darted between the two of them. “What’s he talking about?”

“Yes, Charlotte, why don’t you tell your little friend that despite his desperate attempts to be honest with you, you’ve been lying to him all along.”

“Peter…” Charlotte’s voice held a warning tone, but he ignored her, continue to talk.

“That you’re not the little five year old Charlotte that he thinks you are.” He laughed.  “I can’t believe that you would actually play the part of the character based on yourself. ”

She watched carefully as he ranted, hoping for an opening.

“You’re the street trash Charlotte. The fighter Charlotte. The criminal Charlotte.”

“The Charlotte you murdered.” She whispered. “The Charlotte you poisoned when she trusted you.”

“MY CHARLOTTE!” His enraged scream filled the small cabin. “You deserved it! I did what I had to do!” 

“Wait!” Brandon’s eyes widened. “That story you told me today, the one about the boy who betrayed and murdered the girl… YOU’RE that girl?! That means that he…” He trailed off, looking up at the man holding a gun to his head. “He betrayed you after you had spent your life helping him out, protecting him?”

“Showing off! Making me feel worthless!” Peter snapped back, but Brandon wasn’t listening.

“Oh no…” He turned pale. “The drink today, did you think… Plus, when we first met, you called me Peter.” He shook his head, his eyes sad. “Do I remind you of him?!”

“At first.” Charlotte admitted quietly. “Not anymore.”

“That’s a relief, I just...”

“SHUT UP!” Looking obviously frustrated at being ignored, Peter dug his gun into the boy’s head. “We’re getting off topic!”

“Hey! You’re ruining this important bonding moment in our friendship!” Brandon argued.

“I am holding the gun!”

“Still!”

“What do you want, Peter?” Charlotte interrupted. “I’m assuming you didn’t call me out in the middle of the night to tell Brandon that I reincarnated.”

“You are a perverse existence. A curse on my life.” Peter hissed, putting more pressure on the weapon in his hand. “I took care of you! You were supposed to stay dead! But you’re here, taking over my project from MY book!”

“That you stole.”

“And making me look like an idiot again!” He sighed. “I won’t do it. You have to be gotten rid of.”

Charlotte smiled at him. “Good. Let go of the kid and let’s try to kill each other.”

“I’m not that stupid. There’s your answer.” He looked down at the table in between them, and Charlotte’s breath left in a rush as she saw what he was looking at:

A coffee cup.

“No.” Her voice was filled with pain. “Not again.”

“Again.” He grinned. “We’re going to repeat the past, but this time, you’re going to stay dead.”

“Wait! What?!!” Brandon looked down at the cup, panicked. “Is that poison?! You can’t do that! Run away!”

“Oh, you little fool.” Peter tightened his grip on the boy. “I know her better than anyone else alive. She’s nearly unbeatable, but she had two weaknesses: First she was too trusting.” He shrugged. “My betrayal took care of that, but she still has the second weakness: She needs to save everyone.”

“…” Charlotte stared silently at her former friend. 

“She has only known you for a short while, and she already can’t stand to let you get hurt. Not if she can save you.”

“NO!” Brandon started to scream, but Peter’s hand clamped down over his mouth.

“Now here’s the deal, Charlotte: You drink the poison, and I let the kid go. You don’t drink?” He tapped the gun against Brandon’s head. “Your friend dies.”

“You’ll never get away with that.” Her voice was flat, expressionless, her eyes never leaving the cup on the table. 

“Probably. But he will still be dead, and you will never be able to live with yourself. Almost worth not killing you.” 

“How do I know you’ll let him go?”

“You don’t.” His tone was cold. “But you absolutely know that if you don’t, he’ll die. It’s your only chance to save his life.”

“…” Charlotte reached out slowly, holding the cup between her hands. It was slightly warm, the weight unfamiliar to her. She hadn’t held a coffee cup since she had been reborn. Her head started to hurt, a phantom of a memory from a different life.

“Drink it.” Peter ordered, his eyes almost glowing in the dim light in the cabin. Brandon’s eyes were as wide as they could go, he desperately was trying to shake his head from side to side. Clearly he was trying to tell her to run, to save herself.

Charlotte smiled. She had definitely made a better friend in this life than her last. She looked down at the coffee, the bitter scent reminding her of her death, the anger, the frustration, the loneliness.

 I don’t want to die.

She had a home in this life. Parents who loved her. A friend who would sacrifice himself to save her. She wasn’t the same Charlotte who died helpless on this floor, betrayed and alone.

She was more.

“OUCH!” Peter’s hand flew up, blood splashing through the air. Brandon had bit the hand covering his mouth, his teeth tearing through skin. Peter recovered quickly, regaining his composure and grabbing Brandon again to aim the gun at his head. His lapse had only lasted the briefest moment.

But it was enough.

CRASH! 

The cup went flying through the air, striking Peter on the forehead as it left Charlotte’s hand at full speed. She lept forward, jumping on the table in front of him and kicking him in the chest, knocking him backwards. He tried to sit up again, but she had already grabbed the coffee mug, slamming it down on his throat. He choked falling back, his hands clutching his neck as he struggled to breathe. Charlotte knelt on his chest, her face grim, and reared backwards, her small fist clenched around the ceramic.

BAM

She broke his nose.

“That’s for kidnapping my friend.”

BAM

A tooth was knocked loose, flying through the air and rolling under a nearby chair.

“That’s for trying to poison me.”

BAM!

“And THAT’s for stealing my book and killing me in my last life.”

He was unconscious.

Charlotte found a rope in a chest nearby, and tied him up. She then began searching his pockets.

“What are you doing?”

She held up his cell phone. “Bingo.”  She dialed a number.

“Hello? Me and my friend were kidnapped.” Her voice on the phone was a frantic sob, but her face stayed calm. “We knocked him out, but I don’t know how much longer we’ll stay safe! Please send help!”

She paused, listening. 

“Yes, we know him, he’s working on the movie we’re in. His name is Peter McAllen.” She winked at Brandon. “He said I reminded him of a girl he knew growing up, and that he had stolen his book from her and poisoned her. He said because my name was Charlotte too that I was her reborn to curse him and wanted to kill me and my friend. Please send help! The address is…” She rattled off the address and then hung up, ignoring any attempts to keep her on the line.

Brandon shook his head. “You’re getting pretty good at this ‘acting’ thing.”

“Can you keep my secret?” She ignored his comment, asking the question anxiously instead.

Brandon smiled, grabbing her pinky finger with his own.

“What are friends for?”

They sat together on the front step outside, watching the stars and waiting patiently for the police to arrive. Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“You know, I’m glad I got this second chance.” She stared up at the stars, slightly blurred through a vale of tears. “I thought I had a family in my first life… but I had nothing. This time, I have parents, friends… and that’s everything I could have ever wanted.”

“Plus you got revenge on the guy who killed you!” Brandon pushed the angry, gagged Peter who laid helpless on the ground in front of them with his foot. The man glared in return, but was ignored by the two children. “And you’re only five. What are you going to do now?”

Charlotte shrugged. “I don’t know… I hadn’t planned that far ahead.” She looked over. “Tell me about this new project you’re going to be acting in.”

“Did Lacy talk to you?!” Brandon looked excited, “You should try out for the part! Then we can keep working together and hanging out…” He trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

“I’d like that.” She smiled. “Acting was kind of fun.”

They both stayed silent after that, listening to the sounds of sirens in the distance. Charlotte let out a slow, sigh of relief.

She was alive.

And this time, she would live a life filled with friends and family.

This time, she would be happy.

[kaciidubs]

Remember (Winn Schott x Reader) Chapter 4

Finally, after posting the teaser a whole ass month ago, here’s chapter four of Remember! Also, I don’t know if I mentioned this in the earlier chapters, this entire series was actually inspired by Jeremy Jordan singing It’s All Coming Back to Me Now which can be found here. The next few chapters will embody that song more often but for this chapter you’ll have to listen to this. (I love Game Grumps and Ninja Sex Party so when this came out I just HAD to) You’ll know when it comes in, trust me :) 

Also, sorry in advance, this chapter I filled in a bunch of things because I didn’t feel like littering around a whole bunch of filler parentheses because I feel like it ruins the flow of things. Anyways enough of that, lets get to the chapter.

Chapter Title: Food Truck Palooza 

Summary: Food, Fun, and Music, who couldn’t have a good time with these things? It gave Winn a chance to relax, as much as he could, and take (Y/n) out for the afternoon.

| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Masterlist |

The idea of going to a food truck was a great idea when Winn first came up with it, but once the car doors shut and the ignition started it seemed like the stupidest thing he could have ever come up with. They were shrouded in instant silence, aside from an advertisement playing over the radio station. He felt his heart beating within his chest as he tried to come up with something clever and witty to say but the only thing he could think of was the beautiful woman sitting patiently in the passenger’s seat. 

“So… What type of food trucks so they have around here?” Her sweet voice brought him out of his thoughts and gave him something new to focus on. “Uh,” he cleared his throat, feeling it grow dry by the second, “T-There’s a little lot area where they usually have three trucks there, they switch out every few days so it’s really a surprise.” Y/n nodded slowly in agreement, giving a small smile in thought as Winn started to pull away from the DEO.

There was something familiar about the smell of Winn’s car, something that pulled at her heart and made it ache as she continued to breathe it in.

The car ride continued on in a slightly awkward silence, soft music playing from the radio as Winn drove; humming softly to the song that was on. “How long have you been working for the uh…” Y/n started, instantly forgetting the name of the facility she was at for however long.

“The DEO? Oh, for a while now actually. I used to work at CatCo as the IT guy, but I decided it was better for me to work at the DEO with Kara, Alex, and J’onn.” “Kara, Alex, and J’onn?” Y/n was turned slightly towards Winn as he talked, determined to find out more about the man who would be hosting her around. “Oh, right, uh… They’re my friends who work there too. I’m sure you met Alex, you know, the lady with the short hair? Asked you a bunch of questions when you woke up?”

Winn snuck a look at her face out of the corner of his eye in time to catch the determined and focused look that took over her features. He felt his heart melt as a smile grew on his lips, one that he didn’t want to hide or leave.

“Oh yeah! Okay so that’s Alex, got it. What about, um, Kara and J’onn?”

“Well Kara wanted to see you but the doctors came in again to check up on you so I’m sure she’ll try again sometime. J’onn, he’s actually the founder and director of the whole place so he didn’t have enough time to make it to see you once you woke up.” Y/n nodded slowly, processing the information given to her before looking out of the passenger window. “Oh! The food truck square!” Winn laughed and nodded, turning into the lot where other people had parked their cars to enjoy the trucks in all their glory.

“Welcome, Y/n, to the lot of food trucks.” Winn announced happily, watching as she gazed happily at the numerous food choices before her. There had to be about seven different trucks; tacos, soul food, burgers, foreign food, even a cupcake truck was there! “Winn… This is like a dream… A big, beautiful, food dream!” She giggled happily before turning towards the man in the drivers’ seat, catching his gaze in her own.

Her heart leapt as her eyes met his, his beautifully forest green eyes seeming to draw her in like a fish on a line, and she was not fighting it. Before another second could pass Winn looked away, a pink blush dusting his face as he cleared his throat, “W-Well what are we waiting for? It’s not gonna last for long!” Not wanting to ask anything about the moment or, rather, not wanting to ruin it Y/n nodded, getting out of the car only to be engrossed into the music and people chatting happily as they ate.

Winn stayed for a moment inside of the car, sighing as he shook his head. He couldn’t do this, it felt like every time he would look at her things would go back to being how they were; she would be there and she would smile and everything just seemed right. Her eyes would have that little twinkle in them that made Winn believe she was pure magic, that made his heart swell and think that if he were to die right then and there he’d be completely fine with that.

“Winn! Come on the cupcake line is getting long and I don’t want to miss it!”

He looked up, watching as her figure bounced on her heels and pointed at the truck where, indeed, the line was getting considerably long. 

She was there, he knew some part of her was there and where there was one there had to be the other. If he had to wait three weeks, three months, three years, he would do it. It would be worth it. All for her.

Finally getting out of the car, Winn chuckled as Y/n ran over to tug on his hand, “Gosh you’re so slow, and I mean that in the nicest way possible, but there’s food, Winn! You’ve gotta be more enthusiastic!” This only made Winn laugh harder as he held his hands up in submission, “Okay, okay! How about you tell me what you want and I’ll get it, my treat.”

Y/n looked at him with a shocked expression, immediately shaking her head, “No, I couldn’t do that to you! I can pay for my food, really it’s fine!”

“Y/n, it’s okay! I’ll pay for your food, it can be a ‘Get Well Soon’ gift!” Winn smiled, knowing there wasn’t any way in hell she’d back down without a fair fight.

“Winn, come on, you don’t have to!”

“No, but I want to!”

“Okay, okay, how about this,” She placed her finger square on his chest, looking him in the eye with a face that could melt hearts, Winn’s to be exact, “I’ll pay for the cupcakes, you can pay for the food. That way it can be at least somewhat fair.” Winn smiled and nodded, unable to say no to her final offer of payment. 

“Alright, you have a deal.”

After discussing what food to get and what type of cupcakes to get, and how many, they situated themselves at a picnic table not too far from the small stage where the music played. 

“Winn, did you know they have like 180 different combinations for cupcakes?! I want that cupcake truck at my birthdays, wedding, and funeral.” Y/n laughed happily as she held the container of twelve cupcakes close to her heart, careful to keep the frosting perfect on each one.

Winn tried to contain his laughter, biting his lips as some chuckles slipped through, “Oh my god, you got twelve?! What on earth compelled you to get so many?”

“…They had vanilla with brown sugar frosting… Something inside of me screamed to get them!” Her statement only caused Winn to laugh harder, tears pricking the edges of his eyes as he struggled to catch his breath. Y/n slowly started laughing too as she carefully placed the box on the table. “Hey, you should be happy I didn’t get the eighteen-count box, then we really would have a problem; be happy its six and six!”

After a few moments their laughter died down, Winn pushing a takeout box to her side of the table, “Here’s your food by the way, three soft shrimp tacos with a side of french fries, which are very crispy might I add.” Y/n gasped and shot Winn a false hurt look, “You ate some of my fries?! This is war, Winn!” 

“Only two! Besides, I’m not that cruel, I put some of my fries in there to make up for it.” He shot her a grin that made butterflies erupt within her stomach, fueling the growing blush on her cheeks. “Okay, you’ve evaded war this time.”

The rest of the afternoon flew by, filled with corny jokes, bubbling laughter, and some fry tossing; which was cleaned up afterwards. Both two cupcakes in the hole, they started to get ready to leave; noticing how some of the food trucks were making their final calls for orders.

“Winn, this was amazing, thank you for-” Y/n stopped talking as soon as the sound of drums and maracas reached her ears, “Oh my god, they aren’t.” Winn paused while gathering the napkins into his empty box, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow.

I hear the drums echoing tonight, but she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation

She’s coming in twelve-thirty flight, the moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me toward salvation

The lyrics made Winn’s heart ache. 

This was one of their songs they belted out around the apartment, making up silly choreography and completely ignoring whatever they were originally supposed to be doing; which was usually cleaning. 

Maybe this was going to help her remember?

Her chocolate brown eyes met his, a light seeming to shine behind them while her face exuded happiness.

Maybe, just maybe, this would be the key into unlocking her memories.

“I used to sing this all the time with my mom! It’s the best song to get lost in when you don’t want to do anything.”

Winn could have sworn that if the music wasn’t so loud he could hear the sound of his heart shattering and his hopes being drop-kicked across the country. 

He smiled, deciding to hide the hurt that pumped its way into his veins. She remembered the song but there was something else that told him she could remember it in the scenario that involved him, she just didn’t know it yet. “I love this song, I sing it while I’m cleaning my apartment.”

She couldn’t sense the sadness behind the words as her smile grew, “Then you can sing it with me! Come on!” Before Winn could object she began singing, halting him and any word that was going to come out of his mouth.

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you~

There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do!

Upon her physical cues to get him to sing Winn chimed in,

I’d bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had~

He chuckled lightly as she bobbed and rocked to the song, getting lost in the next few lyrics. Watching as she continued to sing, he finished cleaning off the table and threw the boxes into a nearby trash. 

No one said this would be easy, he knew this would be harder than almost anything, no, everything he’s gone though, but he wasn’t going to give up. He wasn’t going to stop until she got herself back. 

He looked over to her and watched as she was now dancing with some little kids in front of her, egging them on with their sporadic movements. A smile found it’s way on his lips when she turned to look at him, laughing happily as she gestured towards the children in front of her.

Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you.

[askauradonprep]

Descendants Book Read Along - Isle of the Lost. Chapter 5

- The Sea between the Isle and Auradon is called the Sea of Serenity. Of course it is. Auradon is just the place that would have corny names like that.

- Apparently Mulan and Shang live near Aladdin and Jasmine. Disney earth is just throwing geography to the wind, clearly.

- Aurora and Philip call their castle Honeymoon Cottage, that is SO CUTE. Also it has 40 bedrooms because of course it does. They live near Charming Castle where Cinderella and Charming live. Nice. 

- Rapunzel and Eugene are in the south, near the coast where Ariel and Eric live. Ariel and Eric’s kingdom is called Seaside. I am LOVING this. SO MUCH AURADON WORLD BUILDING, BE STILL MY HEART.

- They’re still calling Adam King Beast. You never live it down, I guess. Also, their library has every book that’s ever been written. Of course it does. I am so so so jealous of Belle. GIVE ME THAT LIBRARY.

- Apparently when it comes to Auradon, Adam is ‘strong and fair’. Must be nice to be Auradonian. Not that I’m bitter. Oh, wait, YES I AM. #FreetheVKs

- But yes, Beast is the high king. He’s united all the crowns under one (his own) but the others still style themselves kings and queens, so he’s definitely the high king (though really, in a case like this, he OUGHT to style himself Emperor).

- Belle and Adam are still cute <3 She calms him down and pacifies things when he gets too angry. ...So where was she when he created the Isle? And again, WHAT made them decide it was necessary. Even in Descendants, Adam doesn’t strike me as someone who would go after dead adversaries just for grins. So, again - why the Isle? Forget D3, I want a prequel!

- Ben is Christian (or at least, had a christening as a baby - apparently a fairy less one because he didn’t need gifts - he was handsome like dad, smart like mom, and apparently already a good hearted boy with a winning spirit). Yeah, sounds like Ben. Also - Ben was Captain of the tourney team. 

- Okay, apparently magic isn't actually banned. Beast and Belle encouraged hard work and scholarship over relying on magic, and because he’s the high king and the most powerful man in the country, nobody chose to argue with him. Everybody’s just kinda followed that example. So no, nobody’s going to arrest Jordan or Mal or Jane for using magic occasionally. It’s not illegal. Social mores have just moved on, I guess. Magic still has its uses, but it seems to be a ‘last resort’ thing (unless you’re like Jordan). I say it’s a good idea to mostly retire magic too but not for the nonsense reason of ‘hard work trumps all’. That’s just silly. Taking the hard way to do things just because its harder isn’t inherently more ethical. If nobody gets hurt, there’s nothing wrong with using more convenient means. The reason limiting magic would be smart is because its easily abused against mortals who have no feasible way to fight back. But whatever - Auradon culture is what it is.

- “If everyone wasn’t happy ALL the time (its not as if this were HEAVEN - get a grip, people) - Okay, I laughed out loud at that part. As well the fact there’s never more than a five minute wait at the DFMV (Department of Formerly Magical Vehicles). 

- Sidekicks United are disgruntled. Interesting. Wonder what’s up with them? Probably some day to day thing, since I’m sure we’d get more info if this were important. I wonder if Sidekicks United is like a union?

- Adam started training Ben to be king months in advance, including asking him to do things like lead Council meetings. THANK YOU. This is something I wondered about. 

- The traditional age of ascension in Auradon is 16. I have no idea why they KEEP this tradition, since it’s no longer the age of high school graduation in Auradon.

- Beast and Belle are ready to retire, go on long cruises, get early-bird dinners, play golf (Beast) and bingo (Belle), get around to the long list of bedside reading threatening to topple Mrs. Potts when she takes their breakfast tray every morning (every book ever and breakfast in bed? So so so jealous, Belle). Geez, the book makes it sound like they’re 60 something instead of 40 something.

- Ben dreamed about walking on the Isle. I like how he says ‘the horror’ not about the Isle denizens eating rotten fruit, but because they drink their coffee black (’no cream, no sugar, no coffee cake to dip in it’ are his words). Ben, honey, PRIORITIES. I’d be more concerned about the curdled milk that can go into it! Or the potentially polluted water used to make it! Ben, come on. He falls in a ditch and Mal helps him out, but she disappears before he can catch her name. How mysterious~ Ben is an obliviously privileged little bird, isn’t he?

- The Sidekicks want more compensation for the work they do keeping Auradon running. That, plus their tendency to ‘steal the spotlight’ has me calling it - Sidekicks United is TOTALLY a union. Ben thinks they have a point, as does Beast. Beast also makes a good point about how, while its important everyone have a voice, its also important not to get drowned in all the different voices when making a decision. Beast seems a little less enthusiastic to the union than Ben is, but he also doesn’t seem outright against their complaint (although the timing of his ‘don’t get drowned in voices’ comment has me making squinty suspicious eyes at him). He also gives his advice forcefully (not necessarily rudely, but forcefully).

- Belle makes Ben more comfortable. She also says Mrs. Potts will punish Adam for raising his voice if he breaks the china. She won’t let him have warm milk or warm baths again. :P I love Mrs. Potts.

- Adam still has Beast strength and paw like hands.

- Ben is closer to his mom because he’s shy and quiet and Belle is understanding and gentle. They also like to read rather than do state building.

- Ben is very sensitive to injustice and is upset by people believing they have cause for complaint (injustice wise) in his kingdom and especially in his castle staff (many of whom sign the union petition, like Cogsworth and Lumiere) 

- Also, their garden grows peas. If I’m gonna gross you out harping on the Isle’s food, I may as well let you read about Auradon’s delicious food. 

- Adam assures Ben that Cogsworth and Lumiere likely aren’t truly unhappy with their bosses personally, as they’ll sign pretty much anything. He doesn’t talk about the complaints in general but seems more dismiss than Ben is. Without knowing their normal compensation and benefits and things like that, it’s hard to say, but I believe he’s likely wrong. Adam has a history of being more blind to injustice than Ben. If Ben believes the complaints are founded, and Adam hasn’t even read the report (he hasn’t) then I’m more inclined to believe Ben is right and Adam is wrong.

- That said, there are a few clear not serious (or hopefully not serious) petitions here - like one to declare every day a holiday. Lumiere and Cogsworth will sign pretty much anything to get back to work and Chip likes to make a little mischief.

- Adam actually gives a little more decent advice - listen to your people but assert your right to make the final decision. Use a gentle heart and a firm hand. Basically - be compassionate and listen, but be decisive and firm in your decisions. Not a bad piece of advice for a ruler, considering its not a democracy. Shame he couldn’t be bothered to use that philosophy for the ISLE, eh Adam?!?

- Adam still growls and whacks him on the back, which is strong enough to nearly send Ben flying. The book notes that Adam is fine to joke about himself but does not like when others make jokes about him.

- Belle tells Ben that even if Adam clearly wants him to be like his dad, they both believe he’ll be great on his own. That’s why they want him to lead the council and learn to rule. Ben doesn’t believe Adam wants him to be himself, but another “King Beast”, but Belle is reassuring. Ben swears to himself to make his father proud.

[littlerose13writes]

Sweeter Than Fiction Chapter 3: Double Jointed

Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter have decided fifth year is going to be their year; the year everything works out for them, and if that means Scorpius keeping his huge crush on his best friend a secret, then that’s just what he’s going to have to do.

It’s just a crush. He can get over it well before fifth year is over, can’t he?

Chapter 3/27

Updates every Monday and Friday

Read on AO3 or FF

Scorpius nervously edged his way up the train, feeling guilty for leaving Albus on his own in the compartment and hoping this wouldn’t take the whole journey. He located the prefects’ carriage and nervously slid the door back, noting that he was one of the first to arrive.

“Hello Scorpius.” The Head Girl, Hufflepuff Juliette Summers, greeted him kindly. James Potter was sat beside her, his own Head Boy badge gleaming brightly.

“Sup, Scorp.” He said this accompanied with an odd sort of clicking point in Scorpius’ direction. Juliette rolled her eyes at the action and moved to greet some of the other prefects.

“Hello, James,” Scorpius replied a bit awkwardly.

“First day as a Slytherin prefect,” James said, patting the space beside him. Scorpius hesitantly sat down and nodded uncertainly. “No surprises it wasn’t Al, hey?” He nudged Scorpius’ side.

“I was surprised! Al’s brilliant!” Scorpius replied before he could stop himself. Malfoy the Platonic, remember? “Brilliant at Potions. He’s the best in our class.”

“‘Tis true, my baby brother does possess some skill with a cauldron,” James said, and Scorpius reminded himself James was joking, and that was just how he was with Albus.

“He’s a brilliant Keeper too, you know? We practised together at the beginning of the summer.”

“Did you? So did we.” James appraised him for a second and Scorpius felt like they were in strange competition over who knew Albus the best. “I think his growth spurt helped. Do you play?”

“Me? Oh, no, I prefer to just fly by myself,” Scorpius replied honestly.

By this time, the carriage had filled up with more prefects and Juliette had gotten to her feet as the noise level dropped to near silence. Scorpius spotted that Rose had indeed been made a prefect for Gryffindor. He smiled at her nervously but she wasn’t looking his way.

“Hi everyone. In case you didn’t know, I’m Juliette and this is-”

“Romeo!” James interrupted dramatically then grinned at Juliette’s annoyed expression. “Sorry Ju, I’ll let you know when that isn’t funny to me anymore. I’m James.” He gave an awkward sort of wave at all of the watching prefects.

“This is sort of a formality, so you can all meet each other, we’ll have our first proper meeting next week. Until then, your duties for today are to patrol the corridors regularly and report anything to myself or James. After the feast, fifth years, you need to show the new first years of your house to the dormitories. Sixth years, just be around to help if needed. Does everyone know each other?”

She made them take part in an awkward circle of the carriage where each person had to introduce themselves and say a ‘fun fact’. Scorpius felt himself start to worry about what his fun fact could be. The carriage was quite full and seemed airless and he felt his heart beat a little faster.

Please. Not here. Not now.

“Hi again, I’m James Potter and I’m a seventh year.” James’ voice broke through Scorpius’ feelings of overwhelm as he placed a hand kindly on Scorpius’ shoulder. “And, if he doesn’t mind, I’m going to share my fun fact with Scorpius here. Our fun fact is that we’re both double jointed.” He held out his wand hand and slipped his thumb over the back of his hand, just like Scorpius could do.

Scorpius stared at him in confusion for a second  before he realised it was his turn. “Yep, I can do that too.” He uncertainly demonstrated. “Er, I’m a fifth year and my name’s Scorpius Malfoy.” He waited for a flinch when he said his surname but none came, instead the person next to him spoke.

“You okay mate? You looked like you were going to faint just then,” James hissed into his ear and it was such an Albus thing to say that he almost felt like his best friend was sat beside him. He turned to see James’ concerned face and nodded reassuringly.

“How did you know that about me?” he hissed under his breath as a blonde, Hufflepuff sixth year introduced herself as Freya Everfall.

“Al told me of course, he talks about you all the time.” James shrugged as if this was the most obvious thing in the world, then turned back to hear the rest of what the Hufflepuff prefect had to say (apparently, she had eight brothers and sisters but she was the oldest).

Al talks about you all the time. Malfoy the Platonic reminded Scorpius that this meant nothing like what he was hoping it meant; Albus was his best friend. His own father would probably comment that Scorpius mentioned his best friend at home a lot, of course he would. Most experiences he’d had involved Albus in some way or another. It was the same thing, wasn’t it?

The circle continued until it reached Scorpius’ female counterpart for the year. It wasn’t, thankfully, one of the girls who’d called Albus ‘cold and unfriendly’ but who it was didn’t immediately calm Scorpius’ nerves.

“I’m Thea Jordan, I’m a fifth year, and I once played a Quidditch match with a broken arm and scored fifteen goals.” She beamed around the room and James looked impressed.

Thea Jordan was very popular, very pretty, very clever, very good at Quidditch and very unlikely to even know Scorpius’ name. She had sleek, black hair and dark skin with an attractive smattering of freckles which reminded Scorpius of Albus in the summer. Thea Jordan had never been one of the Slytherins who had picked on Scorpius or Albus, probably because they hadn’t even made it onto her radar of importance.

But now Scorpius would be working with her all year. The thought made him feel apprehensive.

Rose had started speaking and Scorpius watched her with interest. She had been civil towards him since he catastrophically decided to ask her out last year, given her disinterest for most of the time he’d known her, and her rejection of his request for a date last year. She was a very important part of Scorpius’ plan to make sure it really was their year. Because, if he had a crush on Rose, there was no way he could have feelings for his best friend, was there?

When she’d finished speaking, she looked back at Juliette who told them they were free to leave and not to forget about patrolling the corridors.

“Hey, Scorpius.” A voice spoke as Scorpius stepped out of the carriage and he realised it was Thea Jordan approaching him, a wide smile on her face. “How great that we’re both prefects!”

They hadn’t, as Scorpius could recall, ever even spoken before now but Thea’s words implied they had known each other years. “Yes, it is quite great.”

“Where are you sitting? Shall I come and find you to do patrols together?”

“Er, yes, good idea. I’m sitting down here, with Albus.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of where he knew Albus was sitting waiting for him.

“Albus Potter, you two are joined at the hip aren’t you?” she observed, but there was no hint of mocking in her voice. “Show me so I know where to find you.”

She followed him enthusiastically and Scorpius worried how Albus would react when he returned with Thea Jordan in tow. She didn’t seem to notice and chatted away to him about her summer as if they were close friends.

The compartment door was a little stiff when he tried to slide it open, but Albus didn’t look up at the noise. He was staring out of the window, and Scorpius noticed he was wearing his earphones and listening to something on his magical music box.

Music to Albus was what reading was to Scorpius. He rarely did anything in silence, often softly playing music in the dorm or, like he was now, tuning out the rest of the world with it playing directly into his head.

As he got the door open and entered, Albus did look up and pulled the earphones out. They hovered in mid air, chattering madly, then snapped themselves to the side of his music box so he wouldn’t lose them. He smiled at Scorpius but the smile faltered when he spotted Thea.

“Hi, Al, good summer?” she asked kindly from the doorway.

“Er, yeah it was alright thanks. Yours?”

Scorpius was impressed Albus had asked Thea back about her summer. He could come across incredibly surly when he was unsure about somebody. Still, never cold and unfriendly.

“Wonderful thankyou! Well, I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other this year. See you later, Scorpius!” She slid the door closed neatly and skipped off.

“Did Thea Jordan just talk to us?” Albus stared at the spot she’d been stood in. “And did she just call me Al?”

“Turns out she’s the other Slytherin prefect,” Scorpius explained, sitting opposite Albus. “And I call you Al all the time!”

“But… but she’s Thea Jordan,” he spluttered, hands gesticulating wildly. When Albus really wanted to get a point across, he tended to talk with his hands quite emphatically and Scorpius found it incredibly endearing.

“And you’re Albus Potter and I’m Scorpius Malfoy. Glad we have everyone’s names clear.”

“You know what I mean.” Al’s hands dropped back to his sides. “We’re nobodies to her. What did she mean, I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other this year?”

“I suppose she meant because her and I are both prefects. And we aren’t nobodies!” Scorpius said, offended. Albus gave him a look. “Okay, maybe we are a bit. But not anymore! This is our year remember?”

“How could you let me forget?” Albus leant back, going to replace one of his earphones.

“Albus,” Scorpius said quickly but quietly, before Albus turned his music back on. His best friend looked up at the change in Scorpius’ tone. “I had a bit of a moment, in there with the prefects.”

Albus froze and immediately removed the earphone. (It squeaked in offence) “Did somebody say something? Who was it? Because I swear Scorpius, if it was Polly Chapman I’ll-” Albus was sat bolt upright in his seat, his fists clenched, looking murderous.

“No! No Albus, I didn’t mean that. Everybody was fine, nice in fact! Pleasant! Polly Chapman wasn’t there anyway.” Scorpius spoke very quickly.

“Oh.” Albus slumped back in his seat, looking embarrassed.

“I thought I was going to have another panic attack. There were a lot of people in a small space and it got to me. But it wasn’t like the other times, I wasn’t thinking about what happened.” Scorpius would have felt silly admitting this to anybody else but Albus.

“Oh Scor. Are you alright?” Albus placed his comforting hand on Scorpius’ shoulder and sent an electric shock through his body.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. It didn’t get too bad. It sort of stopped before it came to a head, I managed to stay put. Your brother actually helped out a lot, he sounds a lot like you sometimes you know.”

“James? My brother James?” Albus removed his hand and scratched the side of his head.

“No Albus, your brother Florean Fortescue the Second who was also at the meeting.”

Albus gave him a withering look, Scorpius’ sarcasm communicating that he didn’t need to worry about his best friend anymore. Even so, he offered the other earphone to Scorpius, who put it in immediately, and Albus tapped the music box with his wand until the song playing changed to one he knew Scorpius liked. Scorpius smiled as he realised it was the song Albus had been singing in the shower when he didn’t think anyone could hear him. Albus grinned at him, silently saying he remembered too.

They stayed like that for an hour or so, listening to Al’s music box and sharing sweets (brought from home; they didn’t buy from the trolley anymore). The peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by the compartment door sliding open and Lily Potter inviting herself in with a glowing smile in Scorpius’ direction and an annoyed look for Albus.

“Al, have you got my earphones?” she asked accusingly, eyeing the one sat in Albus’ ear. He pulled it out in irritation and glared at his little sister.

“No, Lily. These are mine, why would I take yours when I have a perfectly good working pair of my own?” he asked her. The earphone he’d taken out perched on his shoulder protectively, as if proving to Lily that it didn’t belong to her.

“I can’t find mine anywhere and James doesn’t have them!” She came into the compartment while she spoke and threw herself down beside her brother with a dramatic sigh. Her movement allowed Scorpius and Albus to see she wasn’t alone and a friend was waiting in the doorway: a small, blonde girl who looked unsure whether she should join Lily inside the compartment or not.

“Are you completely sure James doesn’t have yours? You know he’s always losing his.” Albus was speaking in a reasonable enough tone but it was quite clear he didn’t much want to entertain his sister for much longer.

“He said he didn’t. Can you summon them to check for me?” She clambered up onto her knees eagerly, giving Al an innocent look. Albus shook his head.

“Scorpius, can you?” She jumped down from the seat and stood over Scorpius, fiddling with the ends of her red hair. “Poppy and I want to listen to something and there are other people in our compartment.” The girl in the doorway (presumably Poppy) nodded fervently and blushed when Scorpius looked at her.

Scorpius debated her question. He liked Lily and she was Al’s sister and he very much liked that she had asked him to help her. But this was offset by his desire to follow the rules and also a slight worry at how James Potter might react if he did have Lily’s earphones and it was Scorpius who outed him. For as friendly and welcoming as James had been that summer and just now in the prefect carriage, he was still a bit intimidating to Scorpius.

“No magic on the train, Lily, sorry.” He smiled at Lily and her friend and Lily’s eyes flashed over his prefect badge. “Even though I’m a prefect.”

She had opened her mouth to argue but closed it quickly when he said that. She exchanged a forlorn look with Poppy who looked equally disappointed. Albus looked uncomfortable for a second and then he tapped his music box again with his wand. For a moment, Scorpius thought he was going to shove his earphones back in and unkindly tell his sister to go away and stop bothering them and he was almost ready to apologise on Al’s behalf. But instead, he picked up his own earphone and held his hand out for Scorpius to place its pair in Albus’ palm. They quivered beside each other and turned away from Albus as if annoyed with him.

“Here, Lils, take mine for the rest of the journey. There’s nobody else in here, we can play it out loud I suppose.” He handed her the earphones and she jumped up and threw her arms around him in an overjoyed hug. He looked a bit short of breath when she finally withdrew.

“Thanks, Al!” She rushed out excitedly, pulling her friend with her.

“That was kind of you,” Scorpius told him when they’d gone. “You’re a good brother.”

A small smile played at Al’s lips but Scorpius saw him stare out of the window, grinning away to himself.

Scorpius would never tire of the way Albus reacted when he paid him a compliment. It took him a long time to realise that there was always a way he could say the things he was thinking out loud without making it immediately obvious to everyone in the room that he had a huge crush on Albus. He just had to be careful how he worded them, but he had watched the interactions of other boys in their year and emulated the way friends complimented each other.

“That save you made at the end there, you’re bloody brilliant!”

“No offence, mate, but your hair looked better before.”

“Thanks, you’re a really good listener.”

“It’s always good to have Lily owe you a favour,” Al shrugged, playing down his kindness. “Her and Poppy Longbottom can be a right pain when they’re together.”

“Longbottom? As in-?”

“Professor Longbottom’s daughter, yes. Didn’t you know Neville had a daughter?”

Scorpius racked his brains for any memory of this fact and shook his head.

“Note the day down, history books: the first of September, 2021. The day Albus Potter knew something Scorpius Malfoy didn’t.” He chuckled at his own joke and sat back comfortably on the train seat.

The compartment door slid open once more and Scorpius looked up, thinking it might be Lily again. But it was Thea Jordan, who had changed into her Slytherin robes and attached her shiny prefect badge to the front of her sweatshirt. Like Lily, she confidently strolled into the compartment but chose to sit beside Scorpius instead of Albus.

“We don’t need to patrol,” she said brightly as she sat down. “Juliette’s just told me. The sixth years have it covered.”

“Oh! Okay, that saves us a job then I suppose?” Scorpius wasn’t sure how should react. Was he allowed to be pleased he didn’t have to do any prefect duties just yet and could instead stay here in the compartment with Albus?

“I suppose? I wanted to do it though.” She sounded annoyed and sighed wistfully out of the window for a second. “Never mind. We’ve got two years to do this job.”

Scorpius nodded and Albus looked a bit perplexed at the situation.

“Two years prefect, then I want to be Head Girl. And Quidditch captain of course. I’ll have more of a chance of being signed by the Harpies that way.” Scorpius’ eyes widened slightly at the confident tone in which she was sharing her life plans with them. If he’d had ambitions that big, he would have kept them firmly to himself in fear of them never coming true and making him look like a fool.

“You want to be a Harpy?” Albus asked, sounding mildly interested as well as slightly taken aback like Scorpius was.

“It’s my dearest ambition,” Thea said, clasping her hands over her heart and closing her eyes contentedly. “See?” She held her arm out, pulling her sleeve back to reveal a small bracelet with the Holyhead Harpies logo on a bead, as if that proved her point.

“My mum was a Harpy,” Albus said, bemused.

“I know!” Thea shook her sleeve back into place and moved to sit beside Albus instead. “Ginny Potter, the only Chaser to reach triple figures in the preliminaries two years in a row.” She was gripping onto Albus’ forearms to reiterate her point. Scorpius watched her curiously, wondering if it was too late for him to establish himself as such a tactile person so he too could grab onto Albus whenever he had something to say.

Albus subtly removed his arms from her grip with an uncomfortable smile but she didn’t seem embarrassed or put off.

“I bet you’ve been to loads of high-profile games! I used to go with Dad, when he still commentated, but we don’t get to as much these days.” She chatted away, making sure to angle her body so Scorpius wasn’t cut off from the conversation, not that he had much to contribute; Dad hadn’t wanted to take Scorpius to any Quidditch recently.

“I’ve played in high-profile games,” Albus started and Thea looked impressed but confused. “Before anyone even knew I existed.” He grinned and she laughed easily.

“Do you know, Al, I almost forgot she was your mum too, and not just James’.” Scorpius thought this was quite an outrageous thing to say to somebody she didn’t know that well and he felt as affronted as Albus looked at her comment. “No offence, just because you make me think of Potions. You’re brilliant at those aren’t you? Everyone knows that, just like everyone knows James is brilliant at Quidditch.”

Scorpius could practically see Albus’ thoughts running through his head. Does everyone know I’m brilliant at Potions?

“Al is brilliant at Quidditch too!” Scorpius exclaimed before he could stop himself. Albus gave him a hard stare.

“Are you? I’ve never seen you play before!” Thea looked interested in this information. “What position do you play? I’m a Chaser.”

“Keeper. But Scorpius is talking rubbish! I’m not brilliant, just average. Very, very average.” He had gone a bit pink and gave Scorpius a murderous look as if daring him to say more.

“Well you’re going to try out, aren’t you? We need a Keeper this year now Ryan’s graduated!” She looked excited at the prospect.

Albus looked like he could have happily jumped off the train again rather than answer her question. “I don’t know,” he mumbled.

“If you ever want to practise together, I normally try and run drills before breakfast. You’re always welcome to join me before tryouts!” She smiled kindly and looked at Scorpius. “You could come too if you wanted, Scorpius. Or Scorp. Can I call you Scorp?”

“Er, if you like.” He faltered beneath her eager grin.

“Great! Well, I’ll let you know if Juliette changes her mind about patrols. But I’ll probably just see you at the feast! Sit with me, Scorp, we have to show the first years to the common room.” She got up and shook her robes into place before sliding the compartment door open. “Bye boys!”

There was a moment of silence before Albus burst out laughing. Scorpius gave him a look.

“What’s that look for, Scorp?” He cracked up again at the nickname.

“She’s a bit full-on isn’t she? I never noticed before.” Scorpius nervously watched Al laugh, hoping he wasn’t still upset that Scorpius had told Thea about his Quidditch skills.

“You’d think we would have noticed that.” Albus gestured to where Thea had been.

“Maybe she’s making an extra effort because she feels bad about ignoring us for the last four years.” Scorpius tried to explain away Thea’s craziness.

“It’s been ages since I met a fangirl of my mum like that.” He got up from his seat and skipped over to Scorpius, a manic expression on his face as he sat down beside him. “Ginny Potter, the only mum ever to burn my birthday cake two years in a row.” He grabbed onto Scorpius’ arms the way Thea had done to him, a mischievous glint in his eye as he continued his uncanny impression of the prefect. “Scorp, I hope they let me become Head Girl two years early. What do you think, Scorp? Scorpy? My new best friend, Scorp?”

He was playing about, carrying on with the joke, but Scorpius realised he actually hadn’t reacted and instead had got a bit lost for a second in Al’s green eyes, bright with his withheld laughter. He felt so incredibly in awe of his best friend in that moment, seeing him happy and enjoying himself, bantering like he’d done with his siblings all summer. The real Albus.

“Scorpy was how I used to refer to myself until I was about seven.” Scorpius rolled his eyes and Albus relaxed, the manic expression leaving his face. He hadn’t let go of Scorpius’ forearms though and he started to become very aware of the contact between the two of them and the way they were almost staring into one another’s eyes. He’d had dreams that started something like this. “Be nice, Al.”

“I am being nice,” he complained, still holding onto Scorpius, who was starting to feel a bit hot under the collar.

“I mean it, Al. She’s the first person who’s been friendly to us like that. We could be friends with her.”

Albus let go of Scorpius’ arms and let them fall to his sides. “We don’t need any other friends, we have each other.” His expression and tone of voice reminded Scorpius of a grumpy toddler who didn’t want to share their favourite toy. He caught himself and smiled brightly at Scorpius. “Shall I put the music back on?”

“Only if you’re going to sing for me again,” Scorpius dared tease him, knowing it would cheer him up and it worked instantly. Albus grinned wickedly.

“Nope, that’s only for the shower.”

Scorpius felt himself blush and he hurriedly muttered about changing into robes and started reaching up into his bag for his uniform, looking in the opposite direction of his best friend, thinking of anything but Albus in the shower.

It was pretty difficult, this whole ‘secretly in love with best friend’ thing; Malfoy the Platonic would need to work overtime for the rest of the train ride.

read from the beginning

<<< read chapter 2

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chapter index

[trueraretalent]

A WALT QUESTIONAIRE

1. Describe the character’s height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?

“I’m skinny or lean or whatever and I think I’m about 5′9? I don’t know.”

shut up alex, you’re 5′8 and you know it.

2. How old is he?

“Nineteen.”

3. Describe his posture. Does he/she carry himself well or does he/she slouch?

“It could probably be better, but I don't slouch too much. Depends on my mood really.”

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?

“Obviously I’m nowhere near as fit as Jordan, but - and this is hard to believe, I know - I’m actually a fairly decent runner and did track for a few years. Take after my mum in that aspect, I guess.”

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?

“There’s…there’s more than one way to move? Fluid, I don’t fucking know.”

he moves with ease and usually looks comfortable or casual or whatever. idk. 

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?

“Why don’t you tell me? Attraction is more of a perception thing based on personal preference so… but I’m not looking at myself and nitpicking, anyway, I know I’m pretty ace.”

was that a fucking pun you little shit.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?

“I’m pale. I’m a white-ass white boy and I’ve got a bunch of tiny freckles all over the place because I’m incapable of tanning.”

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.

“My hair is about as straight as I am, and if you’re a sucker for brown hair with shaved sides, boy do I have news for you.”

he doesn’t do much to style it or anything. usually just rolls out of bed and brushes with his fingers. (x)(x)

9. What color are his/her eyes?

“Fuck if I know.”

they’re brown alex. they’re brown.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?

“Dimples deeper than the Pacific ocean.”

11. What are his/her chief tension centers?

“…Shoulders, I guess.”

his first instinct was to say farrah. tf alex.

12. What is the character’s wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he/she have six of the same suit?

“I don’t even know. I’ve got ripped jeans and a whole range of graphic tees and also some random big name shit. My fashion policy is basically just if it looks cool, I wear it. Pretty casual, ridiculously varied. I don’t really have a colour scheme at all, but hey! If I can throw together a half decent outfit then who cares?”

wardrobe tag: (x)

13. Do his/her clothes fit well? Does he/she seem comfortable in them?

“That’s basically my only criteria, so yeah. That, and if the clothes match whatever the hell my acethetic is.”

that's pun number two, people.

14. Does he/she dress the same on the job as he/she does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?

“If I had a job, I’m sure I’d make myself look professional as fuck.”

i doubt that.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?

“Boxers.”

Speech

1. What does this character’s voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?

“…Am I meant to know this? Middle-range, I guess. A teacher once described my voice as ‘warm’ which was weird but might answer the question?”

imma be honest with you fam, half the time i imagine him with a british accent like his fc, one daniel howell. idk?? dan howell without the accent?? idk???? pretty even and clear, no cracking when he speaks. idk.

2. How does he/she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he/she talk easily, or does he/she hesitate?

“Okay - well - right. I just interrupted myself several times so sorry about that but let me give you the run down. I speak pretty easily, but speed varies depending on who I’m talking to or how I’m feeling and all that shit. The more nervous or worried I am, the more I ramble and I speed up a bit, but when I’m angry I’ve got a very even and calm tone somehow and when I’m talking to someone new I try and avoid talking quickly.”

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?

“Not really.”

when he rambles he does a lot more ‘you know’ and ‘i mean’ without noticing.

4. What language/s does he/she speak, and with how much fluency?

“English. And I know some French from school but that’s about it.”

5. Does he/she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?

“Uhh, no. Breaking out in French at random times would be super fucking weird, considering I know roughly five words.”

…yeah…who would…do that…

i apologise for my son penelope

6. Is he/she a good impromptu speaker, or does he/she have to think about his words?

“I’m a very good impromptu speaker. That’s basically the only speaking I do.”

literally the only time he stops and fully thinks his words through is when he’s full on angry. like legitimately furious. so, not talking to any one in particular here nope not at all i’m sure this will never be relevant at all ever haha, if alex is taking his sweet sweet time to answer, you know you’ve fucked up big time.

7. Is he/she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?

“A mix of both, I think. It depends on the subject, but talking is one of my strong suits so it’s not like I can’t convey an opinion.”

he’s probably more eloquent when he’s angry. also sarcastic. it's wild, he really gets his anger from vidia.

Mental and Emotional

1. How intelligent is this character? Is he/she book-smart or street-smart?

“Well, I’m not stupid. I ace most tests. My problem is more just figuring out where to ‘apply myself’. I know a lot about things I actually like and certain social issues like the feminist movement and sexuality stuff. And the only reason I passed maths as a sophomore was because I managed to get the teacher to like me after he’d decided that he hated the class with a passion. He wasn’t even subtle about that, actually. He literally announced it in our second week of classes. Yeah, he didn't fuck around. We had that in common. Anyway, befriending people is the closest I’ve got to street smarts.”

alex’s pun count so far: 4, i think.

2. Does he/she think on his feet, or does he/she need time to deliberate?

“I think a lot more on my feet than I probably should.”

3. Describe the character’s thought process. Is he/she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?

“I’d say more idealistic. I’m an optimist. Apparently those are in short supply nowadays so I’m basically a unicorn. But yeah, probably more intuitive than logical, I’m led by my emotions rather than my head.”

for anyone curious, his mbti is enfp. take that as you will.

4. What kind of education has the character had?

“Imagine a series of private schools full of a mix of the kids of both shockingly successful strippers and the classic pretentious rich assholes. It was a weird juxtaposition. But I’ve gone through all the regular tiers to university.”

5. What are his/her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he/she interested in learning more about?

“Social issues, probably. I was pretty good at drama. Also I did violin for like 3 years. I still suck but at least I can be rhythmic about it. I don't know what I want to know more about, just a whole bunch of things in general. Biology has always been interesting.”

it hasn't really, he’s just taking any opportunity for a pun.

6. Is he/she an introvert or an extrovert?

“Take a wild guess.”

extrovert, in case it wasn’t clear.

7. Describe the character’s temperament. Is he/she even-tempered or does he/she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?

“I’m pretty even-tempered and cheerful. I’ve got energy but I wouldn’t say I’m driven. My focus can be pretty sporadic sometimes.”

8. How does he/she respond to new people or situations? Is he/she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?

“New people are great. Love ‘em. I’m pretty comfortable with most people, really.”

9. Is he/she more likely to act, or to react?

”Umm… react…?”

10. Which is his/her default: fight or flight?

“I see your fight and flight and raise you; freeze.”

probably fight tbh.

11. Describe the character’s sense of humor. Does he/she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?

“Most humour, really. I can get bi with jokes, but I really ace sexuality puns - and you know that thing that happens where you create some ridiculously elaborate scenario and get really into? Yeah, I love doing that. I also have a compulsive need to make sarcastic comments. I think it’s a genetic thing.”

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he/she deal with them?

“Nope.”

13. What moments in this character’s life have defined him/her as a person?

“Being born was pretty significant. Meeting Jordan, definitely. Learning to embrace my sexuality. I don’t know, a bunch of little things. A bunch of people. Fucking Tyler, unfortunately.” 

fucking tyler page - this boy’s first serious relationship. listen up fam: it was a mess and fucked him up a little for a while there and basically made him doubt himself and his identity. it was toxic af because i have a compulsive need to give my characters unnecessary angst.

14. What does he/she fear?

“Spiders can fuck right off. And I’ve probably got a crippling fear of rejection or not being good enough, like any true teenager or young adult.”

for an optimist you sound pretty cynical there buddy. 

but for real that not being good enough thing.

15. What are his/her hopes or aspirations?

“Good question. I’ll get back to you when I know.”

he has no idea wtf he wants to do with his life he’s gonna be a social worker i guess i just want him to squirm for a bit but probably just having everyone he cares about happy?? what a dork.

16. What is something he/she doesn’t want anyone to find out about him/her?

“Well, it’s not that I don’t want people to know, but half the time I forgot to tell people I’m ace. Not that it’s something you have to tell people at all, but I at this point I have no idea who I’ve told and who I’ve just thought to myself - ‘oh, I should probably let them know at some point’. Other than that, Tyler. It’s just not fun to talk about.” 

fucking tyler. basically the whole deal with tyler he likes to keep under wraps and if he does tell someone who doesn’t know he’s definitely never going to mention that the breaking point of the relationship was tyler hitting him.

but yeah, that asexual thing. pull yourself together alex seriously.

Relationships

1. Describe this character’s relationship with his/her parents.

“Mum’s great. We’re close, and we’ve got each other’s back. Usually that just means her intimidating teachers, or us making comments to each other under our breath at events we have to go to or me pretending to be sick to get her out of meetings, but it’s fun. She’s pretty casual, really. Her coworkers probably think I have cancer or something, which is also fun. Wait - they might actually. Oh man, this explains why they were so weird and excessively understanding when they found out that we were fostering kids. They totally thought it was so Mum could find a replacement kid in case I died. Oh man, this explains so much. That’s why they looked so concerned when we adopted Jordan - they totally thought I was going to die. I need to text Mum and see if she can confirm it. Ooh, we could fake my death - actually a coma would be better, that way we can still mess with them and no one will have a heart attack when they see me.”

they have fun.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?

“Jordan. I love her, she’s amazing. We’re definitely close, and it took a while to get to that point. She was the angriest 12 year old I’d ever met and I swear, I swear, it took months before I even saw her smile. That was such an achievement for me. We’ve got a pretty normal sibling relationship - we tease each other, we take care of each other, she threatens to punch people in the face, it’s a riot. I’d be glad to be replaced by her if I died of cancer.”

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he/she is close? Are there ones he/she can’t stand?

“We don’t see them that much, but I have grandparents. Grandma’s got a whole bunch of interesting stories about interesting people and jesus fucking christ, was their marriage nonexistent. I don’t know about Grandpa. I think he might actually be dead. Mum doesn’t really like either very much regardless.”

you think he’s dead?? alex wtf????

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he/she considers part of his family? What are his/her relationships with them?

“Well, mum’s friends are all practically my aunts and I grew up with their kids, so there’s that. Birdie in particular. She’s basically my little sister and she’s the literal embodiment of sunshine, I swear. I take care of her and Farrah whenever I can, even if the latter makes it difficult sometimes. And all the kids that have stayed with us - except for one or two that were legitimately assholes - are just automatically part of the family.”

don’t mind me just making assumptions about the pixie hollow fam.

5. Who is/was the character’s best friend? How did they meet?

“Jordan, probably.”

6. Does he/she have other close friends?

“Birdie, Farrah, Kennedy, the Belle’s - hey, if I say Scarlett, how annoyed do you think Noah would get? Because Scarlett Blake is fucking adorable and I’d be honoured to consider her a close friend.”

more assumptions don’t mind me.

also why do you need to mess with noah come on now alex.

7. Does he/she make friends easily, or does he/she have trouble getting along with people?

“I’m decent at making new friends, probably because I’m pretty friendly and trustworthy. I make a point of not fucking with people.”

you can't see but he's doing finger guns bc he's a dork.

8. Which does he/she consider more important: family or friends?

“Family, if I have to choose.”

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he/she been married more than once?

“Single, I’m all bi myself. And yes, at nineteen I have been definitely been married not once but twice.”

10. Is he/she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?

“Oh no, you totally got me!”

alex please.

11. Who was his/her first crush? Who is his/her latest?

“Some girl called Alesha when I was five. I’m not sure where she is now but I remember that she always had freakishly intricate braids. Lately? I don’t know if you’d call it a ‘crush’, it’s more of an, I don’t know, mutual attraction?”

lol whatever you say alex. you're looking very casual there with your fond smile and lack of eye contact.

12. What does he/she look for in a romantic partner?

“Okay, first off - nice hair. Not saying it’s necessary but, you know, always a bonus. Secondly - can survive without sex. Don't think that one needs much explaining. And, I don’t know, just being comfortable with them. Being able to feel like there isn’t any pressure and like I can talk and they won't get annoyed and like they actually really care. Someone I can have stupid inside jokes with and just have fun with. Someone that makes me happy and that I can make happy.”

alex that's sweet and all but what is your deal with the hair like seriously.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he/she relate to them? If no, does he/she want any?

“Shockingly, I am not a father. But, one day, I want kids. Maybe not any time soon, but yeah, I definitely see it in the future for me.”

if you don't want kids you do not have a chance with alex in the long term.

14. Does he/she have any rivals or enemies?

“Not that I know of. If I do I don't give a fuck. Literally.”

15. What is the character’s sexual orientation? Where does he/she fall on the Kinsey scale?

“I guess you could say I’m pretty ace.”

also biromantic without any real preference.

16. How does he/she feel about sex? How important is it to him/her?

he literally just snorted. he's literally trying not to laugh.

“Okay, seriously, though, what’s the big deal with sticking parts of yourself inside another person? Who looked at the process of making babies and went ah, yes, this will be a big deal for society, the act of sex. And that’s not even mentioning the concept of virginity which was fucking made up to make people feel bad about not having banged someone yet. Oh, and don’t even get me started with the double standards for girls, I mean -”

and that’s enough social justice ranting, thank you alex.

17. What are his/her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?

“Actually - you know what? I’d probably - reluctantly, mind you - sleep with someone if they went all out. Neither of us would enjoy it, but if someone, like, took me to a super expensive restaurant and hired out a theme park and did that sky writing thing and did the whole rose petals leading to the bedroom and some scented candles - actually, that’s a fire hazard, I don’t need the candles - but if someone went all out, you kind of have to give it a go, you know? Good thing the people I’m attracted to aren’t billionaire hopeless romantics, because it would be pretty uncomfortable for everyone involved. But if you want weird bedroom habits, I’ve been told I talk in my sleep.”

okay thanks for that, nice to know you’re taking this seriously alex. for those wanting some semblance of a proper answer (admittedly to a slightly different question), alex is definitely a kiss-me-hard-and-push-me-up-against-a-wall (or other flat surface) kind of guy. likes biting, cool with hickeys, not that into tongue. go wild kids, this is literally the only character that i can give an answer for this question.

Beliefs

1. Do you know your character’s astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he/she fit type?

“Birthday’s June 10th, which makes me a Gemini. It fits well enough - good communicators, witty, indecisive, energetic. It works.”

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his/her life?

“Yeah, the bible has had a great impact on my life.”

no, they aren't very important to him. 

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?

“Doesn't everyone? It's just the normal stuff to be honest; don't be an asshole for no reason, let people do whatever the fuck they want as long as they aren't hurting anyone, don't treat people like objects. That one really annoys the hell out of me.”

4. How does he/she regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he/she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?

“All for it unless they're disrespecting someone’s existence, then they can fuck off. And people who like pineapple on pizza, what is wrong with you?”

5. What prejudices does he/she hold? Are they irrational or does he/she have a good reason for them?

“You know, there's probably some that society has planted in my subconscious but I try to avoid being consciously prejudiced. Unless you're into that pineapple on pizza bullshit.”

Daily Life

1. What is the character’s financial situation? Is he/she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?

“We're fairly wealthy. Yay for us, I guess.”

2. What is his/her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him/her?

“I don't know, I don't think it's changed much. Pretty upper class.”

3. Where does he/she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his/her home his/her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he/she share it with others?

“Condo in Vegas. Sounds exciting, right? It's not bad, everything is open 24 hours and always a ton of tourists so that's good for people watching. The condo’s kind of big, especially for three people, but pretty comfortable. We all get our own rooms - even if Jordan barges into mine whenever she wants. Also the wifi is really good, which is the most important thing.”

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he/she spend his/her money on?

“Food. Clothes, I guess. Going out to the movies or exploring the city. There's this place down the road that does the best bubble tea, and it's right next to this phenomenal Chinese restaurant so I always end up spending money whenever I go down that street.”

5. What does he/she do for a living? Is he/she good at it? Does he/she enjoy it, or would he/she rather be doing something else?

“Don't have a job, so...”

6. What are his/her interests or hobbies? How does he/she spend his/her free time?

“Hanging out with friends, reading up on something so I don't have to do homework, I’ll go to a party or a club or something if it sounds like it’ll be fun, stuff like that.”

7. What are his/her eating habits? Does he/she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?

“I don't skip meals, or try not to. Mum’s cooking is pretty hit and miss so we eat at restaurants and get take out a bit more than we probably should, especially if no one can be bothered cooking. I don't drink that much - thank Jordan for that, she actively despises the stuff. Not that she doesn't have good reason to, though.”

Associations

Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his/her favorite:

1. Color? 


like summer day sky blue. also yellow, tbh.

2. Smell? 


chocolate cake.

3. Time of day? 


late morning.

4. Season? 


spring.

5. Book?

think john green.


6. Music? 


think fun., walk the moon, paramore.

7. Place? 


sitting around a bonfire, talking and laughing with people.

8. Substance? 


does sarcasm count?

9. Plant? 


sunflower.

10. Animal?

probably like a dog or something. which is ironic bc he’s a cat person.

[celerylapel]

Community Appreciation Week 2017

Day 2:  Gen Fic

“Cheese curds”

The Greendale Seven have lunch

Special recognition goes to @westcoastvoodoo for winning the Guess the Speaker game.  :)

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Troy plopped down and slid a tray toward Abed.  “I got you the fried cheese curds.”

  Shirley cooed, “Since when do we have those in the cafeteria?”

  Troy shrugged.  “I dunno.  They must be out of chicken fingers. But I bet they’re good.  ”

  Abed nodded as he carefully picked up a fried ball of breaded something and held it between his thumb and index finger. 

  Troy watched as Abed raised it to the light and studied it for some moments.  He couldn’t stop his nervous grin, hoping his best friend would enjoy it.  He wanted Abed to be happy today. 

  After what seemed like an eternity, Abed made a pronouncement.

  “I think it’s a curd.”

  “Yes!”  Troy pumped a fist in the air.

  “Gross.”

  He turned and glared at Britta who was doing some scowling of her own as she watched Abed pop the object in his mouth.

  Abed slowly began to chew.

  “I can’t believe you’d eat a byproduct from a lactating animal.  And then fry it in god knows what kind of lard.”

  Troy kicked Britta under the table.

  Jeff slid into a seat on her other side and nonchalantly removed his sunglasses.  “Who’s lactating?”

  “Pig.”

  “Oh, do pigs do that?”

  Britta eyed Jeff’s ever-so-carefully partially unbuttoned designer blue shirt.  “Who are you trying to impress today?”

  He shrugged as he turned toward Shirley.  “So Shirley, let’s talk about your kids.”

  Shirley’s face lit up.

  “Oh, thank you for asking, Jef-frey!  Why Jordan’s started tuba lessons and Elijah is well, you know, being Elijah, but he’s still my sweet angel, and little Ben took his first swimming lesson.” 

  She grabbed her comically large purse from her side and thumped it on the table.  Troy and Britta exchanged horrified glances as she proceeded to reach inside and produce a small photo album.  Jeff merely smiled politely and leaned over. 

  “I can’t wait to see their darling little faces.”

  Britta smacked Jeff on the shoulder.

  “Ow!”

  “You’re an ass.”

  Shirley arched a brow.  “Excuse me?”

  Britta gestured over the table, bumping Troy’s soda, which he was just able to grab before it came tumbling over.

  “He doesn’t want to see pictures of your kids!  Jeff hates it when you talk about your kids!”

  “Now, Bri-ta that’s not true.  Why, he just asked to see them.”

  Jeff smiled smugly.  “That’s right, Britta.  I’m very interested in Shirley’s kids.” Turning back to Shirley, he said, “Please start with the pictures of little Ben.  I haven’t seen him in ages.  I bet he’s getting so big.”

  Shirley beamed as she began to flip through the album.

  Jeff leaned over and grinned, catching Britta’s flabbergasted expression out of the corner of his eye.

  At that moment, Pierce and Annie approached the table, both holding their trays. 

“Pierce, do you like my shirt?”  Jeff looked up with a smirk.

  Appearing slightly flustered, Pierce cleared his throat and replied, “It’s very nice.  Not as nice as mine, of course. Mine is what the cool kids are calling vintage.”

  Britta watched in complete bafflement as Jeff kept a straight face and merely nodded. 

  “And it’s a great shirt.  But you know, if you ever want to do a clothes swap, say borrow this shirt or something, anything, we could arrange it.  It might fun.”

  Pierce’s chest visibly swelled. 

  He scoffed, “Well, that sounds great.  Sure.  E-fax me your email.” He sat down next to Abed.

  “Definitely.”  Jeff shot Pierce finger guns.

  Annie’s eyes grew wide with what Britta could only assume was some awful worshipful gaze coupled with convert-Jeff-to-a-good-person lust. 

  “Awww!”

  Jeff smiled at her and remarked, “And Annie.  That cardigan is looking smashing on you today.  What is that color, teal?”

  Blushing furiously, Annie sat down next to Shirley.  She leaned forward with a manic intensity in her eyes.  “It is.  Do you think it suits me?”

  “Definitely.   And the little roses on your shirt really make that color pop.”

  “Oh, you!”  She swatted his arm.

  Britta began gagging.

  Jeff turned to her. “I’m sorry, Britta, but are you choking?  I know the Heimlich maneuver.”

  “I’ll say.”  Annie looked down as Shirley muttered an “um hmmm.”

  Britta lifted her nose up in indignation.  “You, sir, are a jackass.  I don’t know what you’re up to being nice to everyone, but I’ll find out.  And once I do, you are done.”

  Jeff waived a hand toward her and leaned over to regard Troy, who had been watching everything while munching on his cheeseburger.

  “Troy, I am so sorry I didn’t greet you when I sat down.  But Britta distracted me.”

  “Hey, Jeff.”

  “You and me.  Three o’clock by the football field.”

  “Yeah!”  Troy smiled broadly.

  Pierce chuckled.  “They’re going to play with their balls.”

  Jeff’s head whipped over to Pierce.  Casting a surreptitious look at Britta, he cleared his throat and smiled tightly.  “Yes, Troy and I are going to play with our balls.  You are welcome to join us.”

  Annie squeaked and Shirley shook her head while mumbling, “Dear Lord.”

  Pierce slapped his hands down on the table.  “Yes!”

  Britta jabbed a finger in Jeff’s chest.  “Stop this!”

  “Stop what?  I’m merely enjoying lunch with my friends.  Right guys?”

  Everyone else enthusiastically murmured their agreement, which set Britta over the edge. 

  “That’s it!  I’m leaving!”  She stood and grabbed her tray.

  “Britta, please stay.  That’s a great vest you’re wearing.  It sets off the plaid.”

  Narrowing her eyes at him, she opened her mouth as if to speak but then stopped and abruptly turned away.

  Jeff exclaimed, “Oh come on, Britta!”

  They all watched as she marched off toward the exit door.

  Turning back to the group, Jeff gave his most charming smile.

  “I’m sure she’ll be back.  In the meantime, we can have a relaxing lunch.  Shirley, let’s take a look at those photos.”

  “Oh, this is nice!”

  x

x

x

  Jeff sat with Abed on the library steps.  It was after nine and the evening classes had ended fifteen minutes prior, leaving the campus deserted.

  Not that Abed and Jeff attended night school.  Jeff had spent the afternoon playing football with Troy and Pierce while Abed had watched from the bleachers. Afterward they had all gone out for milkshakes.  Jeff came back to campus later on to meet Abed after receiving his text.

  Cocking his head, Abed said, “This was a fun day.”

  Jeff shrugged.

  Abed nodded.  “Everyone reacted just the way I predicted they would, which was extremely gratifying to me.  And, if I admit, a little unsettling.  I’d hate to think we’d gotten to the point in our show where we were stale.”

  Jeff let out a long sigh as he leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the stars.

  “We’re not stale.  You just know us really well.”

  Abed reflected on this silently for a few moments.

  “I wanted to do a body swap episode.  You and someone nice, like Annie, would have been hilarious.  I think the audience would have enjoyed it, especially if you throw in the potential zaniness of a gender-swap.  But then I reconsidered, feeling it was cliché.”

  Jeff bit his lip and refrained from commenting.

  Abed continued, “So I figured you acting out of character would provide a similar opportunity, and one the audience could view as ironically in character for you, being a jerk to Britta or potentially taking an ill-conceived bet of some sort.”

  “But I didn’t do it to upset Britta and I didn’t make a bet.”

  “No. You did it for me.  That was unexpected.”

  Jeff frowned and turned to face Abed, noting that despite the blankness in Abed’s expression, his eyes were welling with tears.  Although he was unprepared with how to comfort him, he had a hunch if he just sat here with him a little longer, he’d be okay.

  “Of course.  It was fun.  Thanks for asking me to do it.”

  “You’re welcome.  You’re a pretty good actor, Jeff.”

  “Yeah, well…”

  “But maybe it wasn’t all acting.  You like us.  Sure, you don’t enjoy looking at pictures of Shirley’s kids, but you know it makes her happy.  You know Annie takes great pride in her Annie uniform and you yourself have an interest in fashion.  You like it when Troy looks up to you and you two originally bonded on the football field.”

  Jeff let out a low whistle.  “Jesus, Abed, maybe you’re right.”

  “Pierce, alas, you say you hate him but perhaps you do want to connect with him in some way, to get in touch with the previous generation, to find the father figure you never had…”

  --“Ooookay, and now you’re wrong.”

  “Am I, Jeff?”

  “Yes.  But the rest of it was pretty astute.  You’re a good study of character.”

  “I am.  Plus I didn’t provide the complete script, only a vague outline of what you were supposed to do. You filled in the gaps and improvised.”

  “It was no big deal.”

  Abed hesitated for a moment, once again tilting his head.

  “And you did something really nice for me.  And you did it because Troy told you my mom came to visit and that after she left I was sad.”

  Jeff shook his head. “How did you…?”

  “I know things, Jeff.  Plus I listen at doors.  Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Some awkward silence followed.

  Finally, Jeff broke it.  “Hey, how were those cheese curds you were eating at lunch?  I’m not touching them, of course.”  He waived his hand over his torso to highlight his physique. 

  The corners of Abed’s mouth lifted slightly.  “They weren’t curds.”

  “They weren’t?  But you said…”

  --“No, Troy said they were.  But I didn’t want to disappoint him.”

  “Didn’t he eat some of them, too?”

  “Yes.”

  Jeff squinted but decided to let it go.  He really didn’t want to know.

  They sat together for a little while, Abed softly humming a light jazz tune and Jeff contemplating what else he was supposed to do.  True, Abed seemed in relatively better spirits, but it was always a bit difficult to tell.  He knew what it was like to have a parent who didn’t want you. 

  He knew Abed must feel terrible.

  “Wanna go to a movie?  My treat.”

  “Cool.  Cool-Cool-Cool.”

[whatdimissmotherfuckers]

Hugs or Kisses?

This is a personalized fic for @fanfrickinhamiltasticimagines and it’s not proofread.

Pairing: Jordan Fisher x Sophie (Jorphie) Word count: 1534 (This used to be short) Summary: Girl, you know me. I can’t do summaries Warnings: Non. I think. Not even swearing? Oh maybe swearing. And an almost death. Jk lolol Note: Yo. This took me way too long, mon fraise. I know, 1000 followers was a bit ago, but i’m holding my promises okay? Also, you’ll get a sequel to your birthday or something :3  anyways, have fun. Also everybody is ooc here. even you, Sophie. I’m a terrible writer. End my suffering. Javier just came back from his short shopping trip, his left arm occupied with holding a plastic bag filled with ice cream. Hastily, he took his shoes off, throwing them into the corner of the corridor, and made his way towards his living room. A broad grin on his lips,  he was just about to open the door, telling Sophie and Jordan what great purchase he had made, as he suddenly heard a groan coming from the closed room.

He hesitated, his fingers lingering on the door handle, and listened closely.

“Just take it off”, Jordan's voice  demanded, and Javier felt the embarrassment rising in him.

What the hell were the two doing in his apartment?

Finally, he ripped the door open, and  was greeted with a surprising sight-

What happened before:

The heat was unbearable. You felt hot,  sticky, and  sweaty as you lifted your hair up with your hand to give your neck a little bit of cooling.

“God, Javier… It’s so fucking hot, can you please hurry the fuck up?”, you pleaded, slightly annoyed at the broken air conditioning.

“Yeah it’s hot, because I'm in the room”, your dialogue partner explained, fiddling with the device, which earned nothing more than a roll of your eyes.

“I would actually laugh if it wasn’t so hot:, Jordan stated, who was sitting next to you on the couch, and you shot a inconspicuous glance at him. God damn, it was unfair how he still looked so good, even when he was just a sweaty mess like you were- Maybe that was his secret.

“Okay, It’s official. The ac is dead”,  Javier finally said and a loud sigh escaped from his lips. You groaned,  and Jordan patted your arm halfheartedly.

“Let's see. I could get us some ice cream,  what do you two think?”, the Puerto Rican added, leaning against the doorframe he was standing up.

Without even hesitating, Jordan grew excited, nodding enthusiastically.

“Oh god,  that’d be great. What do you think,  Sophie?”

You giggled slightly.

“Who am I to turn down free food? As long as you're  gonna get me my favourite flavour”, you demanded,  grinning, while Javier look at you quite confused,his eyebrows raised. “Er… continue? I don't  know your preferences for ice cream”, he explained, tilting his head slightly to the side. That's  right. Reading minds wasn't a thing yet, Sophie.

“Wait, let me guess!”,Jordan requested suddenly,  and  you felt,  how the couch was moving beneath you, as he sat up.

“Is it chocolate?”, he asked, looking at you full of expectation, which you couldn't  see, because you had closed your eyes.

“Yep.”

“Classic”, Javier commented on your answer and you simply shrugged.

“The same for me, please”,  Jordan said, while Javier had already disappeared behind a door to put on his shoes.

“I'll be back in just a second”, he hollered,  when you heard the familiar jingle of keys. “Take care of Johan, alright? I don't  want him to make a mess out of my apartment or anything”, he added before the door slammed shut. Silence.

Johan was Javier's tomcat, and a very furry, fluffy one to that. Secretly, you were wondering, how he could stay alive during this type of weather. For yourself, it was already almost impossible and you weren't wearing more than just a plain blue shirt and and some shorts. You preferred any kind of frosty, rainy day a lot over another day in this boiling heat. Even though the beginning of this summer had been pretty mild, to spent a july day in Javier's apartment, which was located on the sixth floor, without any air-conditioning, was way too much for your poor little body. (💙)

“So it's just you and me”, Jordan mentioned seemingly casually after a while  and you nodded weakly.

“Yup. Just. You and me. And johan.  Have I mentioned that I feel just like a marshmallow? I'm white and sticky”, you explained,  not able to give a better metaphor for you current condition. Unlovingly,  you dropped one of your hands  onto your stomach, to fan yourself with the help of your shirt.

“And you're just as sweet too”, Jordan added after that, and you felt the blood pumping into your head. “Shu-shut up,liar”, you stuttered with red cheeks, slightly frustrated  by the fact that it was so easy to fluster you.

You heard Jordan laugh. “I'm just saying the truth, marshmallow”, he explained, and you secretly wished,  he would mean it this way.

You only have known him for a couple months personally now, but his charming way and sincere smile had already found their way into your heart.

You  turn your head to look at him.

“I would give you a hug now, but regarding my condition right now, I would say that's  not the best idea”, you say  and he agreed.

“Yeah, same. I prefer kisses instead.”

A bit confused, you turned your head,  but before you could open you mouth to reply, he had already laid his lips on yours. The kiss was short, but sweet enough to make a complete mess out of you.

“Oh God”, you whispered, and your whole face was tinted red.

“I'm sorry,  but you're  really cute”, Jordan apologized immediately and you shook your head.

“N-no, I don't  mind.”

The conversation that continued on was  pretty pleasing, but sometimes interrupted by your complaints.

“It’s so hot”,  you muttered for the fifth time within ten minutes, and you felt a soft push from Jordan beneath you.

“Stop  complaining, i can’t perform miracles either. We’re both pretty….uncool.”

A groan was the only thing you could add to that, even though, you must admit, you were smiling.

“Now wipe that smile of your face Sophie, because that was a really miserable joke of mine”, Jordan demanded, suddenly he had come a lot closer than you thought he had.

You decided to lean against his shoulder, and noticed, that he actually had a pleasant temperature.

“Woah, you're not as hot as I thought you were”, you noticed with satisfaction, and didn't realize, what you had implied with your statement, until Jordan protested a few seconds later.

“What did you say?”

“No pun intended. It took you long enough though”, you remarked grinning,while Jordan only shook his head.

“meow.”

A third person joined the conversation, to be more precise, it was Javier's cat Johan.  The white furball first jumped onto Jordan thighs, before deciding that he liked you a lot more and walked over to you to claim your body as his seat. Instantly, you felt the added heat on your lap and gave a distressed noise.

“Oh god. Please. Please end me”,  you murmured theatrically and Jordan began to chuckle.

“Oh please, you drama queen”, he laughed, stroking lightly  over johans fur.

“After all, it's  so cute and...furry...and..warm…” He hastily  took his hand back.

“Yeah Yeah, I see. Very cute, so you shouldn't have a problem with taking him.”, you said sarcastically.  Even though you didn’t have any problems with cats, the last thing you wanted was a ball of warm fur on your lap. You didn't  want to scare away Johan either, since he was known to be very moody and you didn’t want to end up with scratches  all over your body. So you watched helplessly, how a lovingly warm heater took over legs. The only thing that comforted you was Jordan's hand, which was loosely holding yours. In contrast to your hand, which felt a bit sweaty, his was comfortably dry and a bit rough.

“Help me… Death wants  to take me and he's coming for me in the form of Javier's cat!”, you sighed over dramatically,  and Jordan’s answer to that was a grin, before you felt his lips on your cheek. You felt like melting away,  and for a short moment, the baking heat was forgotten.

Until Johan stretched out  and you were reminded of the fluffy blanket on your legs.

“God, I'm dying… Jordan help me!”,you pleaded,  exaggerating a lot, as Jordan brushed one of your short strands of brown hair out of your face.

“Just take it off.”

In this moment the door swung open and Javier was standing in the doorway, his face distorted to an unbelieving facial expression.

“ Are you two fucking while my cat is watching?”, he asked  with a raised eyebrow, but amusement sparkled in his eyes.

“No!?”, you shouted,  the embarrassment is written all over your face.

“I'm way too exhausted to even stand up, much less do.. other things!”, you continued to defend yourself, as Jordan chuckled beneath you.

“Did you bring ice cream? Oh, and you might want to put it- the cat, what's it's name? -from Sophie’s lap as well or else we will have to bury her very soon”, he added, grinning,  and earned a laugh from Javier,  who had already disappeared into the kitchen  and shortly after that came back with bowls of ice cream. “Alright, let the fun begin! What do you wanna watch?”, he hollered, gentle pushing Johan off of your lap. Beaming at him, you knew that this definitely was one of the best summer days you ever had.

[caplofan]

15 Things You Can Sell To Make Money In 2020

What if I told you that there’s a legitimate way in which you can turn $0 into $1,000.

No scams or tricks. With a few hours of work, nearly everyone can scrunch together a quick $1,000.

Sell some stuff.

Think about it. We ALL have stuff lying around in our houses that we don’t use. What if you sell it online?

You can even get free stuff (like TVs and utensils) on Craigslist in its “free section” and sell that online. If you have some money, you can even go to garage sales, purchase stuff cheaply and sell it at a higher price online. People who have a garage sale are looking to clear out space in their house, making garage sales a GREAT place to get stuff at a low price.

A few months back, I was tired of some fitness equipment laying around my apartment. I never used it, going to the gym was a better fit for me. I got on Craigslist, listed a few items, and had $800  in my pocket within days.

First, you can make a quick buck by going through the stuff around your house.

Second, you start a decent side hustle by going through garage sales for items like action figures, sports cards, toys, clothes, sneakers, and old electronic items to flip them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

I don’t personally “flip” stuff myself but I know a lot of people that do. If you love finding a good deal and haggling over items, you’ll love doing this. And you can make decent money doing it.

But here’s a word of caution: This is NOT a “Get Rich Quick” scheme. I’m also not going to sugarcoat it by saying it’s easy. But using the arbitrage of the Internet and flipping stuff is also not as hard as it seems. With the right intent and a solid plan, you are bound to succeed.

To find out what kind of stuff is trending, I like to look at eBay and search for “sold out” or “completed” bids. Doing this not only tells me what kind of items have a lot of buyers but also the prices at which they are sold.

Another option is to check big categories on Craiglist daily. If you notice that some items get taken down quickly, you know it’s a popular item.

Keeping that in mind, here are the things you can sell to make money online.

1. TV and Movie Memorabilia

People have memories and emotions attached to their favorite characters, TV shows, and movies. So try get your hands on any memorable items like first edition CDs and cool merchandise like T-Shirts and movie posters. You can list them online and make a big profit.

Here’s an example of a “39 Steps” Lobby Card selling for over $500 on eBay:

Thousands of listings like the one in the picture above prove that people are willing to pay an insane amount of money to possess their favorite pop culture items. It’s okay if your item doesn’t get sold for hundreds of dollars. Small profits add up over time.

2. Sports Cards

Just like TV shows and movies, people are incredibly passionate about their favorite athletes. That’s where sports cards come in.

Here’s what I recommend while flipping sports cards. Identify the players that are going to be huge in the next 5-10 years and buy their cards. Even if they indeed play well, the value of your cards will rise exponentially.

For example, I started looking at Panini Prizm Giannis’s rookie card when it was around $300. Check out its price now.

The card’s price has gone up so much that eBay has tagged it as a “Great Investment”.

3. Clothes

All of us have old clothes that are in good condition, but for some reason, we haven’t worn them for years. You can also buy clothes cheaply at a thrift store and then flip them online. At times, you will find clothes that still have their original tags. That will further drive up their price when you flip them. I have also noticed that sports jerseys and concert T-Shirts always get sold for higher prices than regular clothes.

If you have high-end clothes, sell them on The RealReal to get a good deal.

4. Sneakers

The sneaker-flipping market is HUGE. Many large brands like Nike and Adidas often release limited edition sneakers. When their stock runs out, people start flipping them online. As the demand is mammoth, their prices go up.

Here’s an example of one of Nike’s most sought-after sneakers that are called the Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White. When they were released in 2018, they cost only $190. Once its stock ran out, its resale price started shooting up. Today, one pair costs more than $4,400. Plenty of sneaker-flippers bought large quantities of it when it was released. Less than two years later, they are selling it at a profit of more than 2200%.

5. Yard Equipment

Yard equipment may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about flipping. But you can purchase used yard equipment and tools at a very low price. By repairing them and making them more presentable, you will be able to sell it at a good profit.

6. Furniture

You will find great deals on old furniture at garage sales and on Facebook Marketplace. At times, you can even get some furniture for free when people want to get rid of something in a hurry.

Old furniture made from good quality solid wood can be sold at a higher price as it can last for years. That’s why I love flipping furniture as you make a good profit even after repairing and polishing it.

Craigslist is a great place to flip furniture.

7. Video Games and Consoles

Video games are not just for kids. They even remind adults of their childhood. People and gaming enthusiasts are ready to pay big dollars to get them because of an emotional attachment.

From my experience, garage sales are the best places to buy vintage video games. With a little luck, you could find an original Nintendo in its box. You can flip them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

8. Bicycles and Strollers

We require bicycles and strollers during a specific time in our lives. When their use is done, they mostly rust in some corner of the house unless we sell them. Most people don’t know their real value. So, you can get them cheaply at garage sales and flip them for a profit online.

9. Toys and Action Figures

Like movies and sports, people love toys as they have an emotional connection with them. That’s why they are a great item to flip. Just like with sneakers, the price of a toy or action figure increases when their production is discontinued. Bidding battles can get intense on eBay. For example, the price of this unopened 1983 Star Wars figure is more than $800.

I’m sure you will find a box of your old toys somewhere in your house. You can also find lots of toys at a garage sale. I have come across action figures costing less than $5 at garage sales. Even if you sell it for $10, you will be making a profit.

10. Collectibles

Collectibles of all kinds like rare coins, currency, wine, and model cars/airplanes, among other things, are immensely valuable. You may have them at home, or you could get them at garage sales to flip them online.

11. Old or Vintage Electronics

Almost all of us have old electronics like cameras, mobiles, TV sets, and iPods lying around the house. You will be surprised to know that people are willing to pay a LOT of money for them.

It’s okay even if you don’t have high-value electronics. You can sell something much smaller. Its value is $0 when it’s lying unused in your house. If you list it online, you will definitely make some money from it.

You can also buy vintage electronics like Walkmans, VCRs and cassette players at garage sales and then flip them online for a higher price. Apart from Amazon and eBay, you can also sell vintage electronics on Etsy.

12. Cuff links

I love selling cuff links because they are cheap to buy. You can get dozens of them at garage sales for a few dollars. As long as they are not too damaged, you will almost always be able to sell them at a profit.

13. Books and Box Sets

Like sports fans, readers absolutely LOVE owning different editions of their favorite books. From my experience, first editions and entire series box sets/collections draw a lot of attention.

You can also sell the old books you no longer need on Amazon.

14. Gift Cards

At some point, we have all got gift cards that we don’t want or will not use. Luckily, you can sell most gift cards, and convert the plastic money into real cash. I recommend using Card Cash and Clip Kard to sell gift cards.

15. Fitness Equipment

That treadmill or weight set in the corner that’s collecting dust? It sells like hotcakes on Craigslist. I love re-selling fitness equipment.

As long as you buy quality equipment to begin with, there’s always a market looking for it. Brand new stuff gets pretty expensive. By offering a 20% discount off the MSRP, you’ll sell the equipment instantly.

Since most fitness equipment is built to last, it’s almost always in a good enough condition to re-sell.

Original Source: iwillteachyoutoberich.com

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The post 15 Things You Can Sell To Make Money In 2020 appeared first on Cash Advance Payday Loans Online | Instant Payday Loans Online 2020.

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[samuelfields]

15 Things You Can Sell To Make Money

What if I told you that there’s a legitimate way in which you can turn $0 into $1,000.

No scams or tricks. With a few hours of work, nearly everyone can scrunch together a quick $1,000.

Sell some stuff.

Think about it. We ALL have stuff lying around in our houses that we don’t use. What if you sell it online?

You can even get free stuff (like TVs and utensils) on Craigslist in its “free section” and sell that online. If you have some money, you can even go to garage sales, purchase stuff cheaply and sell it at a higher price online. People who have a garage sale are looking to clear out space in their house, making garage sales a GREAT place to get stuff at a low price.

A few months back, I was tired of some fitness equipment laying around my apartment. I never used it, going to the gym was a better fit for me. I got on Craigslist, listed a few items, and had $800  in my pocket within days.

First, you can make a quick buck by going through the stuff around your house.

Second, you start a decent side hustle by going through garage sales for items like action figures, sports cards, toys, clothes, sneakers, and old electronic items to flip them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

I don’t personally “flip” stuff myself but I know a lot of people that do. If you love finding a good deal and haggling over items, you’ll love doing this. And you can make decent money doing it.

But here’s a word of caution: This is NOT a “Get Rich Quick” scheme. I’m also not going to sugarcoat it by saying it’s easy. But using the arbitrage of the Internet and flipping stuff is also not as hard as it seems. With the right intent and a solid plan, you are bound to succeed.

To find out what kind of stuff is trending, I like to look at eBay and search for “sold out” or “completed” bids. Doing this not only tells me what kind of items have a lot of buyers but also the prices at which they are sold.

Another option is to check big categories on Craiglist daily. If you notice that some items get taken down quickly, you know it’s a popular item.

Keeping that in mind, here are the things you can sell to make money online.

1. TV and Movie Memorabilia

People have memories and emotions attached to their favorite characters, TV shows, and movies. So try get your hands on any memorable items like first edition CDs and cool merchandise like T-Shirts and movie posters. You can list them online and make a big profit.

Here’s an example of a “39 Steps” Lobby Card selling for over $500 on eBay:

Thousands of listings like the one in the picture above prove that people are willing to pay an insane amount of money to possess their favorite pop culture items. It’s okay if your item doesn’t get sold for hundreds of dollars. Small profits add up over time.

2. Sports Cards

Just like TV shows and movies, people are incredibly passionate about their favorite athletes. That’s where sports cards come in.

Here’s what I recommend while flipping sports cards. Identify the players that are going to be huge in the next 5-10 years and buy their cards. Even if they indeed play well, the value of your cards will rise exponentially.

For example, I started looking at Panini Prizm Giannis’s rookie card when it was around $300. Check out its price now.

The card’s price has gone up so much that eBay has tagged it as a “Great Investment”.

3. Clothes

All of us have old clothes that are in good condition, but for some reason, we haven’t worn them for years. You can also buy clothes cheaply at a thrift store and then flip them online. At times, you will find clothes that still have their original tags. That will further drive up their price when you flip them. I have also noticed that sports jerseys and concert T-Shirts always get sold for higher prices than regular clothes.

If you have high-end clothes, sell them on The RealReal to get a good deal.

4. Sneakers

The sneaker-flipping market is HUGE. Many large brands like Nike and Adidas often release limited edition sneakers. When their stock runs out, people start flipping them online. As the demand is mammoth, their prices go up.

Here’s an example of one of Nike’s most sought-after sneakers that are called the Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White. When they were released in 2018, they cost only $190. Once its stock ran out, its resale price started shooting up. Today, one pair costs more than $4,400. Plenty of sneaker-flippers bought large quantities of it when it was released. Less than two years later, they are selling it at a profit of more than 2200%.

5. Yard Equipment

Yard equipment may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about flipping. But you can purchase used yard equipment and tools at a very low price. By repairing them and making them more presentable, you will be able to sell it at a good profit.

6. Furniture

You will find great deals on old furniture at garage sales and on Facebook Marketplace. At times, you can even get some furniture for free when people want to get rid of something in a hurry.

Old furniture made from good quality solid wood can be sold at a higher price as it can last for years. That’s why I love flipping furniture as you make a good profit even after repairing and polishing it.

Craigslist is a great place to flip furniture.

7. Video Games and Consoles

Video games are not just for kids. They even remind adults of their childhood. People and gaming enthusiasts are ready to pay big dollars to get them because of an emotional attachment.

From my experience, garage sales are the best places to buy vintage video games. With a little luck, you could find an original Nintendo in its box. You can flip them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

8. Bicycles and Strollers

We require bicycles and strollers during a specific time in our lives. When their use is done, they mostly rust in some corner of the house unless we sell them. Most people don’t know their real value. So, you can get them cheaply at garage sales and flip them for a profit online.

9. Toys and Action Figures

Like movies and sports, people love toys as they have an emotional connection with them. That’s why they are a great item to flip. Just like with sneakers, the price of a toy or action figure increases when their production is discontinued. Bidding battles can get intense on eBay. For example, the price of this unopened 1983 Star Wars figure is more than $800.

I’m sure you will find a box of your old toys somewhere in your house. You can also find lots of toys at a garage sale. I have come across action figures costing less than $5 at garage sales. Even if you sell it for $10, you will be making a profit.

10. Collectibles

Collectibles of all kinds like rare coins, currency, wine, and model cars/airplanes, among other things, are immensely valuable. You may have them at home, or you could get them at garage sales to flip them online.

11. Old or Vintage Electronics

Almost all of us have old electronics like cameras, mobiles, TV sets, and iPods lying around the house. You will be surprised to know that people are willing to pay a LOT of money for them.

It’s okay even if you don’t have high-value electronics. You can sell something much smaller. Its value is $0 when it’s lying unused in your house. If you list it online, you will definitely make some money from it.

You can also buy vintage electronics like Walkmans, VCRs and cassette players at garage sales and then flip them online for a higher price. Apart from Amazon and eBay, you can also sell vintage electronics on Etsy.

12. Cuff links

I love selling cuff links because they are cheap to buy. You can get dozens of them at garage sales for a few dollars. As long as they are not too damaged, you will almost always be able to sell them at a profit.

13. Books and Box Sets

Like sports fans, readers absolutely LOVE owning different editions of their favorite books. From my experience, first editions and entire series box sets/collections draw a lot of attention.

You can also sell the old books you no longer need on Amazon.

14. Gift Cards

At some point, we have all got gift cards that we don’t want or will not use. Luckily, you can sell most gift cards, and convert the plastic money into real cash. I recommend using Card Cash and Clip Kard to sell gift cards.

15. Fitness Equipment

That treadmill or weight set in the corner that’s collecting dust? It sells like hotcakes on Craigslist. I love re-selling fitness equipment.

As long as you buy quality equipment to begin with, there’s always a market looking for it. Brand new stuff gets pretty expensive. By offering a 20% discount off the MSRP, you’ll sell the equipment instantly.

Since most fitness equipment is built to last, it’s almost always in a good enough condition to re-sell.

  15 Things You Can Sell To Make Money is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/things-to-sell-to-make-money/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[kennethherrerablog]

15 Things You Can Sell To Make Money

What if I told you that there’s a legitimate way in which you can turn $0 into $1,000.

No scams or tricks. With a few hours of work, nearly everyone can scrunch together a quick $1,000.

Sell some stuff.

Think about it. We ALL have stuff lying around in our houses that we don’t use. What if you sell it online?

You can even get free stuff (like TVs and utensils) on Craigslist in its “free section” and sell that online. If you have some money, you can even go to garage sales, purchase stuff cheaply and sell it at a higher price online. People who have a garage sale are looking to clear out space in their house, making garage sales a GREAT place to get stuff at a low price.

A few months back, I was tired of some fitness equipment laying around my apartment. I never used it, going to the gym was a better fit for me. I got on Craigslist, listed a few items, and had $800  in my pocket within days.

First, you can make a quick buck by going through the stuff around your house.

Second, you start a decent side hustle by going through garage sales for items like action figures, sports cards, toys, clothes, sneakers, and old electronic items to flip them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

I don’t personally “flip” stuff myself but I know a lot of people that do. If you love finding a good deal and haggling over items, you’ll love doing this. And you can make decent money doing it.

But here’s a word of caution: This is NOT a “Get Rich Quick” scheme. I’m also not going to sugarcoat it by saying it’s easy. But using the arbitrage of the Internet and flipping stuff is also not as hard as it seems. With the right intent and a solid plan, you are bound to succeed.

To find out what kind of stuff is trending, I like to look at eBay and search for “sold out” or “completed” bids. Doing this not only tells me what kind of items have a lot of buyers but also the prices at which they are sold.

Another option is to check big categories on Craiglist daily. If you notice that some items get taken down quickly, you know it’s a popular item.

Keeping that in mind, here are the things you can sell to make money online.

1. TV and Movie Memorabilia

People have memories and emotions attached to their favorite characters, TV shows, and movies. So try get your hands on any memorable items like first edition CDs and cool merchandise like T-Shirts and movie posters. You can list them online and make a big profit.

Here’s an example of a “39 Steps” Lobby Card selling for over $500 on eBay:

Thousands of listings like the one in the picture above prove that people are willing to pay an insane amount of money to possess their favorite pop culture items. It’s okay if your item doesn’t get sold for hundreds of dollars. Small profits add up over time.

2. Sports Cards

Just like TV shows and movies, people are incredibly passionate about their favorite athletes. That’s where sports cards come in.

Here’s what I recommend while flipping sports cards. Identify the players that are going to be huge in the next 5-10 years and buy their cards. Even if they indeed play well, the value of your cards will rise exponentially.

For example, I started looking at Panini Prizm Giannis’s rookie card when it was around $300. Check out its price now.

The card’s price has gone up so much that eBay has tagged it as a “Great Investment”.

3. Clothes

All of us have old clothes that are in good condition, but for some reason, we haven’t worn them for years. You can also buy clothes cheaply at a thrift store and then flip them online. At times, you will find clothes that still have their original tags. That will further drive up their price when you flip them. I have also noticed that sports jerseys and concert T-Shirts always get sold for higher prices than regular clothes.

If you have high-end clothes, sell them on The RealReal to get a good deal.

4. Sneakers

The sneaker-flipping market is HUGE. Many large brands like Nike and Adidas often release limited edition sneakers. When their stock runs out, people start flipping them online. As the demand is mammoth, their prices go up.

Here’s an example of one of Nike’s most sought-after sneakers that are called the Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White. When they were released in 2018, they cost only $190. Once its stock ran out, its resale price started shooting up. Today, one pair costs more than $4,400. Plenty of sneaker-flippers bought large quantities of it when it was released. Less than two years later, they are selling it at a profit of more than 2200%.

5. Yard Equipment

Yard equipment may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about flipping. But you can purchase used yard equipment and tools at a very low price. By repairing them and making them more presentable, you will be able to sell it at a good profit.

6. Furniture

You will find great deals on old furniture at garage sales and on Facebook Marketplace. At times, you can even get some furniture for free when people want to get rid of something in a hurry.

Old furniture made from good quality solid wood can be sold at a higher price as it can last for years. That’s why I love flipping furniture as you make a good profit even after repairing and polishing it.

Craigslist is a great place to flip furniture.

7. Video Games and Consoles

Video games are not just for kids. They even remind adults of their childhood. People and gaming enthusiasts are ready to pay big dollars to get them because of an emotional attachment.

From my experience, garage sales are the best places to buy vintage video games. With a little luck, you could find an original Nintendo in its box. You can flip them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

8. Bicycles and Strollers

We require bicycles and strollers during a specific time in our lives. When their use is done, they mostly rust in some corner of the house unless we sell them. Most people don’t know their real value. So, you can get them cheaply at garage sales and flip them for a profit online.

9. Toys and Action Figures

Like movies and sports, people love toys as they have an emotional connection with them. That’s why they are a great item to flip. Just like with sneakers, the price of a toy or action figure increases when their production is discontinued. Bidding battles can get intense on eBay. For example, the price of this unopened 1983 Star Wars figure is more than $800.

I’m sure you will find a box of your old toys somewhere in your house. You can also find lots of toys at a garage sale. I have come across action figures costing less than $5 at garage sales. Even if you sell it for $10, you will be making a profit.

10. Collectibles

Collectibles of all kinds like rare coins, currency, wine, and model cars/airplanes, among other things, are immensely valuable. You may have them at home, or you could get them at garage sales to flip them online.

11. Old or Vintage Electronics

Almost all of us have old electronics like cameras, mobiles, TV sets, and iPods lying around the house. You will be surprised to know that people are willing to pay a LOT of money for them.

It’s okay even if you don’t have high-value electronics. You can sell something much smaller. Its value is $0 when it’s lying unused in your house. If you list it online, you will definitely make some money from it.

You can also buy vintage electronics like Walkmans, VCRs and cassette players at garage sales and then flip them online for a higher price. Apart from Amazon and eBay, you can also sell vintage electronics on Etsy.

12. Cuff links

I love selling cuff links because they are cheap to buy. You can get dozens of them at garage sales for a few dollars. As long as they are not too damaged, you will almost always be able to sell them at a profit.

13. Books and Box Sets

Like sports fans, readers absolutely LOVE owning different editions of their favorite books. From my experience, first editions and entire series box sets/collections draw a lot of attention.

You can also sell the old books you no longer need on Amazon.

14. Gift Cards

At some point, we have all got gift cards that we don’t want or will not use. Luckily, you can sell most gift cards, and convert the plastic money into real cash. I recommend using Card Cash and Clip Kard to sell gift cards.

15. Fitness Equipment

That treadmill or weight set in the corner that’s collecting dust? It sells like hotcakes on Craigslist. I love re-selling fitness equipment.

As long as you buy quality equipment to begin with, there’s always a market looking for it. Brand new stuff gets pretty expensive. By offering a 20% discount off the MSRP, you’ll sell the equipment instantly.

Since most fitness equipment is built to last, it’s almost always in a good enough condition to re-sell.

  15 Things You Can Sell To Make Money is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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