#mean of me to make the opening joke in a response to holly but its too funny to pass up | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sugar-petals · 3 years ago

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can you give us more thoughts about domestic yoongles? the taemin's one (wich I love) just made me miss the cat boy so much ;o;

i have a phd in househusband yoongi so let me fire out some ideas for ya.

myg at home headcanon

🐱 word count. 1.9k | fluff, slice of life, slight nsfw mentions, x reader, bullet points

The doorbell sound is a recording of Yoongi imitating a doorbell. He’s such a meme. Ceci n'est pas une pipe.

Seemingly, he teaches himself a new recipe every week. To perfection. Yoongi is very particular about sticking to the recipe and wielding his kitchen tools in the right way. He collects knives, olive oil, and still hates cutting onions.

He separates sleep time, work time, and couple time as the holy trinity. For each, he switches his mood.

Blushes easily no matter for how long you’ve been together.

Establishes his own radio show where he DJs at one point.

Yoongi keeps an extreme track on the garbage schedule. He knows exactly what is due when. Separating the trash is a must. That includes sorting out fake friends trying to get between your relationship. Your social circle as a couple is extremely deliberate.

Yoongi deems himself a terrible host for guests. Unless Hoseok is there to drag him out, it's true he rather stays in the kitchen or at the barbecue preparing the menu courses rather than making small talk. He leaves the hospitality bits to you, however you want to go about it.

What he lacks in conversing with guests, he makes up in bed, God is absolutely fair.

He sings and hums pretty often and has his own vernacular of extraterrestrial uwu noises. It's an alphabet that you have to yet decipher but it's incredibly cute.

Self-made paintings everywhere around his house.

Yoongi hasn't gone clubbing since grammar school. The most he does is going to a restaurant at lunch with very close friends. And always in a work context. His private life is so secluded from everything else and paparazzi just don't spot him anywhere, Dispatch thinks he must live abroad.

Very well, he does consider his big ole house a separate country. It's a living organism with a studio, gym, trophy room, small-size basketball court, and vastly equipped kitchen. A home theater as well, he likes American movies (like Inception) and Korean action genres, and you can stream whatever you fancy in there whenever you like.

Yes, he has underwear with cute little bears on.

There's even a little pond in the backyard. Yoongi, Pisces he is, likes fishes after all. Sometimes he sits at the edge of the 'Little Ole Min Lake (LOML)' and stares into the water for literal hours with his chin parked on his palm.

His fridge is so high-tech and futuristic, even Yoongi is rendered clueless by its AI sometimes. The washing machine, too.

Yoongi watches RuPaul’s drag race. What did you expect? He finds it so humorous.

Owns lord knows how many comic collections.

Favorite holiday destination: New York.

Christmas is basically 50% you unveiling new music equipment to him in the garage and Yoongi almost fainting at the sexiness of it. The other 50% is spent holding hands and orgasm after orgasm until the new year since you loose track of time.

Goes on long rants why he’d marry you again every weekend.

Making you presents is his specialty. Always accompanied with a hand-written note. He writes a lot of things by hand for you in general. Texting, basically never. Always on paper.

No sex without a blanket and socks on. Yoongi gets cold very very easily and just doesn’t like showing skin. You buy him a heated blanket for his birthday, he even uses it in his studio chair.

Chronically addicted to making out.

Matching black outfits and glasses.

Laughs at even your worst jokes or phrases you didn’t expect you even uttered.

Yoongi owns the phoniest, most secretive-looking black car ever and nobody knows about it. Even he forgets he owns it, in fact he genuinely acts like it just doesn’t exist. Hilarious. And that guy has a level 1 Korean driver's license. Which allows him to drive trailers and busses and fucking trucks, and construction machines, let that sink in.

It's really a genius curse. Yoongi being put to the test will always deliver but he won't choose to execute his full skillset if he doesn't have to. Well, pragmatic. He's not as phony as he thinks he is, which is even more hilarious.

He uses that behemoth of a car so scarcely because he'd rather have things delivered to his doorstep and he's stingy with gas. Also, he doesn't like traffic and driving because of the traumatic shoulder accident and his tendency to space out. Translation: You drive that thing... that monster... it really is an impressive, fast, and scary machine.

If someone devious ever even remotely manages to invade his privacy and get past the doubly-installed security system, he has enough money to deal with it no matter what.

If it concerns your privacy, he's a red belt. And owns Jin's number if a taekwondo master is required. Jimin's if it needs someone with kendo skills.

If Yoongi needs someone to go on a complete rampage, Jungkook lives just down the block. He can sprint to Yoongi's bunker I mean mansion within 45 seconds. 30 if it's very urgent. 20 if the reward is an instant ramen splurge with Yoongi's black card.

He has a sexy, glamorous sword collection hanging on the living room wall anyways, so. Who the hell is dumb enough to mess with him and his expensive lawyer in the first place.

But just in case, who knows... Yoongi settles matters shruggingly, anonymously, and with cash and he's too exhausted for violence, but don't underestimate his deter-min-ation and network for emergencies. Also, he is Agust D after all.

He will bonk a naughty burglar or kidnapper across the head with a wooden cooking spoon or take him down by throwing a basketball if the situation requires it. Damn, his reflexes are so fast, a feral cat in motion. So, lean back and sip on your drink of choice. Things are cared for.

If Yoongi is the one being kidnapped or a highly skilled stalker invades the property at night when he's fast asleep (nothing can wake this man during certain hours, strong REM right here): Don't forget that honeyboy is a Dodgers fan. There are signed baseball bats everywhere in this damn house.

In that sense, your parents visiting you here for the first time thought you were an undercover thug couple. Not to worry mom and dad, you both just like sports very much okay.

Yoongi walks around in all black clothes and the rooms are all seemingly dark. Even if you live together, you don't know his skin care routine. It's clear to you he's some sort of vampire.

Since Yoongi always forgets to remove his makeup, you made it a habit to wipe it down when he's about to pass out. He won't lie, he enjoys that kind of affection.

Holly is your resident child. You're essentially a family.

He insists to tackle this by himself, Yoongi sees his therapist monthly. Not shifting responsibility is something he's stubborn about and he pours his emotions into writing. You will do conversation about deeper stuff, but he says it's mostly up to him and his own mind. He dislikes burdening you or opening up too much and it's something to respect rather than force him about. If he wants to share a thought, he will. It doesn’t mean he can’t trust you or sucks at communicating (we know that he’s direct). Yoongi simply can’t put that much pain in such few words nor should you alleviate it for him.

Calls from the manager faze Yoongi as much as Jimin is bothered by gravity. If he’s busy kissing your body slow mo, who the hell dares to disturb his worship.

This man had so many let-downs and interpersonal catastrophes in his life, he's super discerning with people. Because he rolls that way, during their first meeting Yoongi uses his psychology certificate on your friends. You see him squint at them, he listens very closely. After they pass the vibe check aka meow radar, he befriends them, too.

Yoongi doodles Grammy trophies everywhere to manifest them.

Yoongi shaves his legs.

All the sex toys he’s ever bought are black. Gotta vibe in style.

He spends ridiculous amounts of time in the studio but he's yours for the remainder of the night, breakfast, and he makes a lavish lunch and dinner.

Um, consider his head parked between your legs. The Hongkong line was not a joke.

Doesn’t mind you squishing his cheeks whenever and for how long you like.

Every other weekend he gets flowers, vouchers, and gifts — not because of fans, they don’t know where his house is, but because he donates so much.

Namjoon often drops by and cleanses the area with his crystals.

Yoongi is a photography major so you can ask him to take professional, ceiling-high black and white shots of you.

Feeding each other food lovingly. Man, this guy got lips.

He set up a library just for you, in the exact historical aesthetic you like the most. Send him the link to any book you want, it's basically in the online shopping cart already. As I said, he wants to make you presents like every week.

Sometimes he sits on the other end studying English videos and vocab while you read. And yes, he's already 95% fluent but pretends being merely intermediate. He knows technical terms even native speakers have never heard of.

He collects pajamas and earrings.

Swears on the phone.

Namjoon being the horniest member is a cover-up story. Yoongi masturbates almost unreasonable amounts of times, by himself and in your arms when going to bed. Not gonna lie, it’s a sight to see his hands at work. He’s almost equally obsessed with fingering you once you ask him.

Yoongi was the one asking you to move in and almost had a nervous meltdown before meeting up with you to tell you just that.

He’s the little spoon and of course a sleeping burrito to hold tight.

Finds you equally attractive in any state or styling. Yoongi practices what he preaches, he always reacts the same and says the same.

Jams out to outrageous beats Namjoon sends him by dancing in the studio. You walk in on him every time. Was embarrassed at first, now you dance along.

Has bought you a life-sized Yoongi pillow and customized you a giant Shooky to hug when he’s not at home over night.

Owned a wine cellar until he quit drinking. Turned it into a piano room instead.

Only you know Yoongi has a serpent and dagger tattoo.

Scrubs the bathroom religiously.

The house smells like restaurant food and his extravagant perfumes half of the time.

Sometimes he has to remind himself he’s married to you and not his coffee machine. He shall be forgiven. You can’t complain that he doesn’t love you enough, nor is he ever not adorable when drinking his latte.

Never wears short sleeves. It can be scorching and he’ll wear a jacket.

Tell him and the cap stays on during sex.

He grows his hair out and puts it in a low bun. The bangs remain.

Yoongi has installed the most fire-proof building in the entire city it seems. That he wanted to be a firefighter when he was young definitely shows. Figures the house has to be protected from heat: His blasting studio music and Yoongi himself are just way too sizzling.

Still melts into a puddle when you kiss his nose.

Couple sunrise watching.

#yoongi #yoongi hc #yoongi x reader #bts #bts x reader #bts hc #yoongi scenario

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taetaespeaches · 4 years ago

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“You really want to name her Widowmaker?”

jungkook x reader (oc) genre: fluff word count: 2.4K

a/n: So you know that dog that reader/Holly has in a few fics? Well, this is where she gets it. That’s the whole plot, just Holly getting a dog and Jungkook coming with to meet it for the first time. They’re cute, there’s a dog involved, really what else could we ask for? Thanks for reading lovelies, I hope you all enjoy! :))

With your legs stretched out in front of you and your feet propped up on the coffee table, your fingers ran through Jungkook’s long dark strands. The man was dozing in and out of sleep as he rested his head on your lap, his face slightly hidden amongst your baggy t-shirt. Looking down at his side profile, you appreciated the slope of his charming nose and the way his lips puffed slightly, his face relaxed as he slept, his eyes fluttering lightly. Nuzzling his face further against your abdomen, you smiled down at him, stroking his hair gently.

Scrolling through your Instagram feed, you sighed, becoming increasingly bored of your phone but not wanting to disturb the man’s slumber. However, when a picture of an adorable dog appeared on your phone screen, you couldn’t help the gasp that left your lips, Jungkook stirring against your thighs as he groaned lightly.

The dog was still a puppy; a golden retriever mixed with some other breeds that resulted in the cutest little being you’d ever seen, rivaling the man currently in your lap. The dog, a female, was a stray and came in dirty, underweight, and scared. The post said they estimated her to be about three months old and she was currently unnamed.

Without thinking too much about it, you quickly messaged the shelter and asked if you could come see the dog that very day. Their response was equally as speedy, telling you that you could come by in about an hour to meet the dog and see if it would be a good fit. There would of course be paperwork and background checks, to which you agreed to easily. You wanted that dog.

Taking a screenshot of the photo, you held back a squeal of excitement as you stared down at Jungkook. “Baby,” you whispered, tapping his shoulder gently. “Jeongguk,” you whisper-shouted at him. “Dammit, this is important.”

The man let out a quiet grunt but didn’t budge, making you groan loudly. “Kookie,” you called out to him. Tapping his nose repeatedly, he turned his face inward toward your legs in annoyance. “Jungkook, I need you to wake up,” you whined, shaking his frame. “I need to go get my puppy,” you added, the man still resisting your efforts. “Jungkook, please,” you pouted at his tired body.

Reaching for the bottom of his shirt, you slid your hand underneath the clothing and up his side, snaking it around his front where your fingers found his nipple. Smirking to yourself, you squeezed the nub, the man instantly shoving your hand away as his eyes opened, annoyance etched in his features. “Fuck, baby,” he complained exaggeratedly, shooting you an irritated look, his eyebrows pulled together.

Laughing at him, you cocked your head to the side, admiring the way your boyfriend’s lips slowly spread into a small smile as he sighed. “What do you want?” He asked you as you bit your lip in excitement.

“You don’t have plans today, right?” You asked him, the man’s tired eyes glaring at you.

“Besides napping?” He joked, you poking his cheek as he giggled lightly. “No, I don’t have plans today.”

“Cool, you know how that animal rescue place? The one by that restaurant we order takeout from all the time?” Staring up at you with his doe eyes, he nodded slowly. “Well, I want this dog and they said I could come meet her in an hour and I want you to come with me,” you grinned at him.

As he let out a single breathy laugh in response, Jungkook gawked at you in surprise. “Wait, what?” He asked, suddenly realizing what you just said. “You’re getting a dog?”

“I hope so,” you told him, pulling up the screenshot of the dog to show him. “Isn’t she precious?” You held the phone in front of his face, Jungkook blinking quickly as his soft eyes adjusted to the lighting and proximity of your phone.

“She’s adorable,” he agreed with a soft smile. “You really want to take on a dog though?” He looked overtop the phone to meet your gaze. “For sure?”

Nodding at him enthusiastically, he let out the lightest of chuckles. “I’ve wanted one for so long and I don’t know. She’s a stray,” you frowned. “She deserves to know love.”

“Baby,” he smiled softly, wrapping his hand over your wrist and pulling your phone closer to him once more, his eyes scanning the photo. “I’ll go with you.”

Squealing in excitement, you leaned down and smushed your lips to his cheek before he turned to catch your mouth with his, kissing you softly. “You’re the best,” you mumbled against his lips, Jungkook slowly shaking his head.

“No, you,” he responded, his hand coming to hold the side of your face as he deepened the kiss, you smiling into the meeting.

Pulling up just down the street from the animal rescue, Jungkook put the car in park as you placed your hand on his shoulder. “Oh my god,” you yelled, your boyfriend giggling as he looked at you adoringly.

“Are you ready to meet your new best friend?” He asked, you cocking your head at him.

“Don’t you mean our new best friend?” You corrected, Jungkook turning his head toward his shoulder, placing a kiss to your hand.

“That is what I meant,” he agreed with a stunning grin. Staring into each other’s eyes, your smiles both grew wider and wider as his eyes sparkled beautifully. “Ok, I’m really fucking excited,” he admitted adorably, you bouncing in your seat instantly.

“I know you are, stop acting stoic,” you complained, your boyfriend rolling his eyes.

“I would not call how I’m acting stoic,” he corrected.

“You doing anything but giggling like a giddy school boy is stoic, Jeongguk,” you pointed out teasingly, Jungkook shaking his head at you with a fond grin. Leaning forward, you rested your forehead against his. “What if she doesn’t like me?” You asked, Jungkook’s hands finding the sides of your face as he sighed.

“Is that a real question?” He asked, shifting his head slightly so he could look into your eyes. “Like really?” Shrugging at him, he smiled sweetly. “Holly,” he chuckled. “She’s going to adore you, you’re the sweetest person ever,” he assured you, you groaning at the compliment. “You are,” he insisted.

“Fine,” you relented, Jungkook shaking his head before pushing his lips to yours gently.

Both of you stepping out of the car, you started toward the animal rescue as Jungkook watched you skip down the sidewalk giddily. “Holly, will you slow down for a second?” He complained, jogging after you with a giggle. Spinning around to look at him, you held your hand out toward him.

“Come on, Jeon, hurry up,” you teased with a grin, the man scoffing as he reached you, placing his hand in yours.

“Are you excited or something?” He asked jokingly as he allowed you to drag him to the door of the shelter.

“Well aren’t you?” You countered, the man nodding enthusiastically.

“Of course I am,” he assured. “This place is the best,” he nodded to the restaurant with a massive bratty grin as he joked about getting food.

Groaning at him, you shook your head as you dragged him inside the shelter. “Focus, you brat,” you teased, the man beaming at you as you made your way to the woman at the front desk.

As you told the woman who you were, Jungkook felt something rub up against his shins, looking down to see a black cat running its body against his pants. When he kneeled down to pet the cat’s head, you couldn’t help but set your fond gaze on him, admiring the way he grinned at the cat. The man had a massive soft spot for all things fuzzy and cuddly, and you already couldn’t wait to see him interact with the dog you were minutes away from meeting.

“Ok, we’re all set, I’ll go get her,” the lady told you, you smiling and thanking her. “She’s a little shy so she may take a moment to warm up to you,” the woman added, looking down at Jungkook who was still tending to the cat’s need for headbutts and scratches.

“We’re patient,” you grinned down at him. “We’ll just see how it goes.” Nodding as she walked away, you turned your full attention to Jungkook and the cat. “I’m nervous,” you admitted when Jungkook looked into your eyes.

Smiling at you, he shook his head gently. “She’s gonna love you,” he assured you.

“This cutie sure loves you,” you nodded to the cat with a giggle, just as the cat got bored of the man and walked to the opposite side of the room. “Never mind,” you teased as Jungkook chuckled, standing up straight so he was shoulder to shoulder with you. “Ah, I’m so excited,” you bounced in place, Jungkook watching you fondly.

“You’re cute when you’re excited,” he complimented, causing you to scrunch your nose in response as you turned toward him.

“Stop that cute shit, I’m already feeling soft,” you complained playfully, Jungkook bringing his hand to the back of your head as he pulled you a little closer so he could softly press his lips to your forehead.

“I think I hear them coming,” he whispered against your skin, you gasping in response.

As you stood up straight and alert, your boyfriend leaned toward you, placing a sweet kiss to your shoulder. As he positioned his hand on the bottom of your back, the door opened and the little dog from the photo came trotting into the room, inquisitively but apprehensively. She looked at you and Jungkook tentatively, and you slowly lowered into a crouching position as you held your hand out gently to her.

“Hi little one,” you cooed, tears already filling your orbs. As the dog nervously but curiously made its way toward you, Jungkook watched you intently, his eyes sparkling in adoration with how you instantly fell in love with the animal.

Pouting as the dog got closer, she stuck her nose out to your hand causing you to coo softly. Shortly after sniffing you, the pup wiggled slightly in subdued excitement and you slowly stroked under her chin, the dog stepping closer in response to your touch.

Within a few seconds, you were sitting cross-legged on the floor and the dog was crawling into your lap as if she belonged there. “Oh, I love you,” you told the dog, Jungkook smiling at the emotions written on your face. Looking up to him, your tearful gaze met his endeared one. “I love her,” you pouted as a tear slid down your cheek.

“Oh, baby,” he smiled widely at you as he crouched down next to you, his eyes shining with utter fondness for you. When his gaze traveled to the dog in your lap, he reached out slowly to pet her. The dog sniffed his hand and then without hesitation dropped her chin into his palm, resting on you both contently.

“Oh goodness, I’ve never seen her warm up to anyone this quickly,” the woman who worked at the shelter told you, both you and Jungkook looking to her and then back to the dog with wide love-struck grins. “Should I get the paperwork started?” She asked.

As you looked to Jungkook, he simply nodded at the woman. “Definitely,” he told her. Slowly turning his head to you, his gaze met yours and you giggled at him. “Why does this already feel like our family?” He asked you with a laugh of his own as you dropped your head to his shoulder, both of you turning your attention back to the dog.

Sighing contentedly, you stroked the dog’s neck. “What are we gonna name her?” You asked, Jungkook humming in thought.

“Widowmaker,” he said, the smile on his face obvious in the tone of his voice.

“Oh my god,” you giggled as the dog suddenly stood and leaped toward Jungkook. “Aww,” you cooed as Jungkook scooped the dog up, your new little baby sticking her nose to his jaw before licking him.

“See, she loves the name,” he teased, you rolling your eyes fondly.

“You really want to name her Widowmaker?” You questioned, Jungkook shrugging. “When did you come up with that name? In the car?” You asked.

Fighting back a smile but failing, he scratched the dog’s head gently. “Maybe I did,” he beamed. “It’s a good name!”

“I don’t know if they’ll let us leave here with her if we put down Widowmaker on her adoption papers,” you giggled, Jungkook looking at you with wide eyes.

“It’s a good name,” he said quietly, you watching him with an endeared smile.

“Hey, what if we named her Amélie?” You suggested, your eyes big with excitement.

“Amélie?” He asked in confusion.

“Yeah, like Widowmaker’s real name. Before she was Widowmaker,” you clarified as Jungkook’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh,” he realized, dragging the word out. “That’s right,” he smiled, you giggling at his reaction. “I actually love that,” he pouted, pushing his nose to the side of the dog’s head as she craned her neck, stretching out to reach you. Bringing your face close to her, allowing her to lick your nose as you giggled, Jungkook repeated the name once more.

“Amélie,” you beamed. “I love it too.”

When the woman brought out some documents for you to sign, you gave Amélie a quick kiss to the top of her head before standing. Leaning down to Jungkook, you left a kiss to his forehead as well, lingering for a moment. “I love you,” you whispered to him, the man lifting his gaze from the dog to you, watching you with his bambi eyes.

And as you worked on the adoption forms, Jungkook sat with the dog in his arms, having a moment with her that was much too adorable for you to not shoot a photo from across the room. If only you knew what he was saying to the dog as he tucked her in against his chest.

Jungkook looked away from you to the dog, butterflies fluttering throughout his frame as he thought of you in tears as you held your new puppy. “You’re so lucky,” Jungkook whispered to the dog, “you have the best mom in the world.”

With that, he looked back to you, your eyes meeting from across the room, you both staring at each other with more love than either of you had ever felt before. “I’m so lucky,” he whispered.

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howtosingit · 4 years ago

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Fic: Ice in My Veins, Fire in My Heart

An unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime ice storm in Austin leads to a chaotic day for Carlos and the 126.

Written for @911giftexchange | For @charlie-bradburyss

6K | Also on AO3

A/N: Happy Holidays, Holly! I hope this fulfills all of your “tarlos + fire fam/found family + hurt/comfort (emphasis on the hurt)” wishes. May the New Year bring you all the love and light that you deserve!

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

The thing is, no one’s really expecting Austin to be pummeled by a once-in-a-lifetime freak ice storm.

Though rare, it’s not unheard of for the Texas panhandle to get hit by the southern tip of major storm systems that move across the Midwest, but Austin is typically too far south to really experience that kind of intense winter weather. Sometimes, they’ll have icy nights that lead to dangerous morning commutes, but that’s mostly because the majority of Austinites aren’t experienced with driving on ice-covered roads. There’s always a surplus of vehicular accidents to respond to on those mornings.

But, this is way more than that.

When TK first looks out the kitchen window, he has to do a double-take to confirm what he’s seeing, his coffee burning the back of his throat as he swallows quickly in shock. Every single inch of the world outside is covered in a shimmering layer of ice - every tree branch and leaf, every fence post and door handle; individual blades of grass find themselves trapped inside a shell of frozen water, and the back patio has turned into a miniature ice skating rink, complete with furniture coated in long, thin icicles.

He takes a moment to admire the ethereal beauty of a rare, wintery Austin, how the early morning sunlight dances across the rooftops of the neighboring houses. Then, realizing what all this ice is going to mean for the rest of his day, he glances down at his watch, cursing when he realizes what time it is.

“Babe!” he calls, grabbing two thermoses from the cupboard. He transfers his coffee into one, then fills the other. “Move faster, we’ve gotta get to work!” He quickly preps Carlos’s coffee the way he knows he likes it, then grabs a few protein bars for each of them to eat on the way to work. “Babe!” he calls again when he doesn’t hear anything from the bedroom.

“What the hell are you yelling for, TK? We still have an hour before our shifts,” Carlos gripes as he comes around the corner, uniform already on and shoes in hand. He gives TK a look of mild annoyance, his signature sass on display, and TK honestly adores him even if he is being obtuse at the moment.

Instead of answering, TK just points out the window, watching as Carlos takes in the icy spectacle, his eyes widening as his jaw drops. “Wow,” his husband breathes out, clearly in awe. Then, having the same realization that TK did, he glances down at his own watch. “Oh, fuck.”

“Yeah, I thought you might say that,” TK laughs, moving towards the hall closet to grab their coats. He reaches towards the back, finding the ice scraper that Carlos kind of made fun of him for buying a few years ago.

“You made me coffee?” Carlos asks when he reappears, holding his green thermos.

“Of course I did.”

“Have I mentioned that I really love you?” his husband questions, pulling on his coat.

“If this is your way of apologizing for getting sassy with me, I’m going to need you to work a little harder, babe,” TK jokes, sliding up next to him and raising his chin. Carlos rolls his eyes, a smile pulling at his lips as he ducks down to press their mouths together in a gentle kiss.

“How about I give you a ride to work?” Carlos suggests, still close enough that his lips drag against TK’s as he speaks.

“That’s a very sweet offer,” TK says, staring into his husband’s twinkling brown eyes, “but you were going to do that anyway.” Carlos’s police cruiser drives better on ice, so he always drives TK to work if there are hazardous conditions. “Try again.”

“How about,” Carlos starts, his voice going deeper as he trails his lips along TK’s jaw and up to his ear, “I drive you to work now, and then when we get home later, I run you a bath to help warm you up?”

TK hums, his heart rate picking up. “Make it a bath for two, and I’ll consider all of your indiscretions forgiven.”

Carlos huffs out a laugh, moving to press another kiss to his lips. “You are quite the negotiator,” he says, stepping away and grabbing two protein bars off the counter. “I accept your terms.”

The drive to work takes twice as long as usual, Carlos driving as carefully as possible through Austin towards the fire station. The roads seem somewhat deserted, and TK wonders if most people got stuck in their driveways before they could get far enough to cause mayhem in the streets. For the most part, the ice seems to be sticking around longer than it usually does. Carlos pulls to a stop outside Ladder 126.

“See you later?” TK asks, leaning over the console to give him another kiss.

“Probably sooner than that, I’d guess,” Carlos says, knocking their foreheads together gently, the way he always does when they’re saying goodbye at the start of a workday. TK smiles, reaching for the door and climbing out onto the slick pavement. “Be careful out there.”

“You too, officer,” TK responds, giving him a wink before closing the door. He turns, heading into the station to being what will no doubt be a non-stop day.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

Carlos is right.

Almost immediately after his husband texts him that he made it safely to the police station, they’re called out to an accident on Lakewood Drive. When they arrive, TK spots Carlos in the distance, directing cars to use an alternate route.

A large semi-truck takes up the middle of the bridge, the trailer sitting nearly perpendicular to the tractor section. It still seems to be standing upright, so TK doesn’t immediately understand what accident they’re responding to.

“Officer,” his dad calls when Carlos spots them and starts moving their way, careful on the patches of ice that still remain on the bridge. “What’ve we got here?”

“Semi swerved a bit on the ice into the lane of oncoming traffic. Passenger car coming from the north then swerved to avoid it, completely lost control on the ice, and hit the guardrail on the passenger side,” Carlos reports, pointing in the direction of a mangled section of the barrier. “Car flipped and slid down the embankment.”

“How many passengers?” his dad clarifies, and TK can tell the way he tenses, his brain already working on a plan of action.

“Just the driver, an adult woman,” Carlos answers, his breath visible in the cold morning air. “My partner made it down to her and she’s responsive, but definitely stuck.”

“Okay,” Owen says, turning to face his team, jaw tight. “Jaws of life, everyone down. Medical will be here in a minute, let’s try to have her out for them.”

There’s a near-collective nod from all of them, but before they can move, they hear a crash in the distance. Turning, TK watches as the line of traffic becomes a danger zone of its own when an approaching car is unable to stop before it runs into the car ahead of it. Like, dominoes, the line begins to splay, cars trying to move to avoid being hit.

“Damn,” his dad sighs, shaking his head. ��Change of plan. Ryder, Strickland, Strand-Reyes, you’re down with the jaws of life. Marwani and Chavez, let’s see if we can keep things from getting worse up here.”

TK follows Judd and Paul to the truck, grabbing everything that they might need. As they head towards the damaged guardrail, he passes close to Carlos, nudging him in the side.

“Have I ever told you how much I love to watch you work?” he says, giving his husband a wink as he moves past him. Carlos follows after him, laughing softly.

“TK, for God’s sake, will you stop flirting with your husband for one day,” Judd cries, and TK looks over to find him smiling at him, his eyes dancing with mirth.

“Now, come on, Judd,” Paul adds, his tone teasing. “They’re just being newlyweds.”

“Newlyweds?” Judd scoffs, rolling his eyes. “They’ve been married for two years!”

“Oh, wait, you’re right,” Paul says exaggeratedly, like he’s just remembered. He turns back to TK and Carlos, now walking side-by-side, his face morphing into a look of disgust. “Stop being so in-love, it’s getting weird now.”

TK huffs out a fake laugh, his breath swirling through the air as he sticks his tongue out at his friends. They reach the top of the embankment, looking down at the wreckage. The car still seems to be pretty intact, so TK is hoping this won’t be too bad. He feels a solid hand on his back, turning to find Carlos looking at him, his face serious.

“Don’t do anything reckless down there, or I will arrest you,” he jokes, beginning to walk away.

“On what grounds?” TK gasps, his jaw dropping.

Carlos pauses, his eyebrows furrowing as he thinks about it. “Trying to give me a heart attack before I’m 35,” he finally decides, shooting TK a wink before leaving them to go help with the traffic pile-up.

It’s slow-going, but TK, Paul, and Judd finally make it down the hill to the overturned car. Paul moves over to the window, speaking to the woman, while TK and Judd set down their bags. From what he can see, it looks like it’ll be a pretty straightforward removal.

They’re just prying the door open when his dad radios that medical has arrived. TK moves back to one of his bags over by the bridge, looking for more gauze to press to their patient’s shallow head wound, when there’s a loud crack to the right. He looks over, watching as a somewhat large icicle drops from the bridge and shatters onto the frozen creek below. Looking up, he watches another icicle detach itself and rapidly fall to the ground.

“Shit,” he says, jerking to the side to avoid another one. He feels his feet slide out from under him, unable to gain traction on the ice, and before he knows it, he’s falling flat on his back, his head slamming hard against the solid ground beneath him.

His vision swims, pain coursing through him. His stomach turns, and he feels like he’s going to be sick. He closes his eyes, trying to breath. He thinks he hears a voice in the distance, maybe Paul or Judd calling to him, but he can’t make it out. There’s another loud crack from above, and he opens his eyes just in time to watch a rather large icicle grow larger as it flies towards him.

Pain bursts from his abdomen as he lets out a gasp, his vision swimming once more as his body tries to handle all of the trauma it’s currently experiencing. He clenches his jaw tightly, refusing to let out a yell. He can handle this, he’s done pain before. Between a gunshot and falling through the floor of a house and then falling off the roof of a house just last year, he can handle this. It’s no big deal, so he’s not going to make it one.

He lifts his head, blinking to clear his vision. There are voices around him, fuzzy shapes moving in his peripherals, coming closer. He ignores them, instead looking down towards his stomach. The sight causes him to gasp again, the pain coming back full force now that he has eyes on the source.

There’s an icicle buried inside of his abdomen.

From what he can see, it looks to be as round as his fist and about two feet long, the top of it gleaming threateningly in the sunlight, almost as if it’s proud of itself for the damage it’s just done.

“Fuck,” TK moans, lowering his head as Paul and Judd finally reach his side. He still can’t hear what they’re saying, so he just looks up at the clear blue sky instead. A thought pops into his head, almost making him laugh.

Carlos is totally going to kill him for this.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

Sometimes, Carlos really hates living in Texas.

Well, that’s an oversimplification. It’s more that he hates the kind of stereotypical attitude that many straight men from Texas possess. The kind of “I’m built Texas tough” mentality that leads to reckless, dangerous, and truly annoying behavior. The kind of attitude that causes a fully-grown man responsible for a six-car pile-up to scream in his father-in-law’s face about how stupid and moronic everyone else is, including the firefighters currently fixing the mess he’s made, forcing Carlos to handcuff him and stick him in the back of his cruiser just so that they can all get a moment of peace.

“Did you see the size of that vein in his neck?” Mateo asks as they move from car to car, making sure that everyone’s okay. “I thought he was going to collapse or something, his face was so red.”

“TK’s gonna be so upset that he missed you wrestling him to the ground,” Marjan pipes in from his other side, elbowing him in the ribs. Carlos just rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

“You know that’s not a turn-on for him, right?”

Marjan scoffs. “Sure, okay, I definitely believe that.”

Captain Strand approaches the three of them, effectively ending the conversation. “No one’s injured in those three cars, so I told them all to sit tight until the tow truck gets here. We may be able to help them once we’ve got the driver down there stabilized.” They all nod in agreement. “Marjan, Mateo, why don’t you keep making the rounds, keep people from trying to get out of their cars. We don’t need any unexpected accidents or falls.” The two firefighters accept their orders, moving away. “You’ve got someone directing traffic further down the road?” Owen asks Carlos.

“Yeah, at Lakewood and Carpenter,” Carlos says, pointing in that direction. “We shouldn’t have any traffic through here from now on.”

Before Owen can respond, they hear a sound from the bridge. They both turn to see the ambulance arrive and begin to walk towards it, eager to fill Michelle and her team in on what’s happening. At his side, Owen radios to his team that medical has arrived and will be down soon.

They’ve just made it onto the bridge, Michelle already making her way towards them, when they hear a shout from down below. They both freeze, trying to listen, but then can’t make out the words. Then, Owen’s radio crackles to life, Judd’s voice coming through, his words rushed.

“We need medical down here ASAP, I’ve got a firefighter down.”

Carlos feels the blood rush from his face, his heart slamming into his ribcage. He shares a look with his father-in-law, and it’s clear that they both know who Judd’s talking about.

“Talk to me, Judd. What’s going on?” Owen says, already heading to the edge of the bridge, Carlos following right behind him.

He stops short when his eyes land on the scene below. He doesn’t even need Judd's report to confirm what he’s seeing. At the bottom of the embankment, almost under the bridge itself, he sees TK laying on the ground, unmoving, a giant shard of ice sticking out of his midsection.

He doesn’t even think before he takes off down the slope, moving as quickly as he can without falling.

“TK!” he shouts, not even sure if the other man can hear him. He finally gets to the bottom, rushing over to his side. “TK!”

Paul moves aside, allowing him to kneel down by his head. He takes his face gently in his hands, watching as TK’s eyes blink dazily, his pupils unfocused and his mouth slack.

“Nobody jostle him,” Michelle yells, and Carlos looks up to find her and her team closing in. “We don’t want that thing to shift an inch. Paul, hold it steady for me if you can.”

Carlos stares down at the two-foot icicle currently buried in his husband’s gut. Every time TK breathes, it pulses, almost threatening to fall over. Paul reaches out and wraps his hands around the top, keeping it vertical.

“What happened?” Michelle asks, kneeling on TK’s other side as she assesses the situation.

“He slipped on the ice and fell, then the icicle came down on him before he could move out of the way,” Judd explains.

“He might have a concussion from the fall,” Michelle mutters, moving to shine a light in TK’s drooping eyes. “Seems likely. Rosewater, take over for Paul, Gillian, see if you can stabilize our patient in the car over there. Carlos,” she says, and his eyes snap up to look at her. “I need you to talk to him okay, try to keep him awake and responding. He could go into shock at any minute, and that’s not going to help us.”

He nods, ducking down to press his face closer to the one that he gets to wake up to every day. “Hey, baby,” he says softly, stroking TK’s forehead. “Hey, it’s me. Can you open your eyes for me? Just open your eyes for a minute, okay?”

TK moans, his eyes blinking rapidly a few times before he opens them enough for Carlos to see those green irises that he loves so much. “Carlos?” he mumbles.

“Yeah, hey, it’s me, I’m right here,” Carlos says, his voice a little unsteady as he tries to stay calm. “How are you feeling?”

“Cold,” TK mutters, his breath creating wisps of steam in the air above him.

“Any pain?” Carlos asks, his eyes shifting down to glare at the icicle for a moment.

“My head hurts,” TK admits, letting out a small gasp.

“Anywhere else?”

TK shakes his head, his eyes darting everywhere.

“That’s probably the adrenaline,” Michelle interjects. She stands up, surveying the bridge above them. “I’m worried his body heat’s going to start melting that icicle faster than we want it to. We’ve gotta get him up there.”

“I don’t think we can get him up the slope without jostling him too much, there’s too much ice,” Tim says.

Michelle turns to Owen, her face grave. “Get the ladder ready, Captain, we’re gonna have to lift him.”

With only a quick, wide-eyed glance down at his son, Owen shoots back up the hill, Judd following him. Off to the side, Carlos sees that Paul and Nancy have managed to remove the driver from the vehicle.

“Carlos?” TK says, and he quickly looks back down at his husband, running his thumbs along his cheek.

“Yeah, Ty, I’m right here,” Carlos assures him, his bottom lip wavering.

“I’m a little scared,” TK admits, his eyes glassy as he stares up at him. “It looks pretty bad, doesn’t it?”

“You’re gonna be okay, cariño,” he says, his voice hard and clear.

“You look scared,” TK tells him, raising a hand to touch Carlos’s mouth.

“I’m not scared, I promise,” Carlos lies, leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead. “I’m never scared when I’m with you.”

TK doesn’t respond. He just stares up at Carlos, eyes still unfocused, a wide smile taking over his face.

Minutes later, the team loads TK up on a stretcher with no major problems, and for one shining moment, Carlos thinks everything’s going to be fine.

He climbs up the embankment as fast as he can to meet him at the top, Michelle at his side. She’s telling him that she’s called for another medical team to come for the driver, who thankfully doesn’t appear to be in critical condition, when they hear a shout from Tim.

“Damn it,” Michelle says, running towards where TK’s stretcher is now laying on the pavement. Carlos follows, his heart back in his throat, and the sight that greets them nearly causes him to collapse.

“Tim, apply as much pressure as you can,” Michelle says, throwing her hands on TK’s abdomen, blood rushing from where the icicle has shifted. “We have to get him in the van, we’ll have a better chance of stabilizing him there.”

Carlos watches as TK’s head lists to the side, his eyes dropping closed.

“He’s crashing, let’s move people!” Michelle shouts.

There’s a mad rush all around him, but Carlos barely comprehends it. All he can do is stare at his husband, his unmoving body, the blood draining from his face while simultaneously gushing from the wound in his stomach.

He doesn’t feel the way his knees hit the pavement, or Marjan’s arms around him. He doesn’t feel the tears falling on his cheeks, or the way he starts to shake. He doesn’t even feel the cold, unfamiliar Austin air.

As TK is pulled away from him, he doesn’t feel anything at all.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

TK wakes up in the hospital.

At this point, it all feels very familiar. Every hospital room seems to smell the same, sterile and uninviting. The sheets are scratchy, which coordinates nicely with the scratchy hospital gown they have him wearing. He can hear the gentle beeping from the monitor next to him, and feel the pinch of an IV in his left arm.

TK opens his eyes slowly, staring up at the ceiling as he assesses his current state. The lights are low, but it still takes him a minute to adjust, his head faintly throbbing. He recalls how much his head hurt on the scene, how his vision went blurry, and assumes he got a concussion from his fall.

He shifts slightly, gasping as the movement pulls at his midsection and an intense pain radiates throughout his entire body. The sound causes a weight against his right arm to shift, and he looks down, his eyes immediately softening at the sight before him.

Carlos is seated next to the bed, his body bent so that he can rest his head against TK’s arm, which he’s also gripping with one of his hands. His other hand is awkwardly linked with TK’s own, their fingers threaded tightly together. Carlos’s face is turned towards him, his eyes closed as he rests. TK notices how puffy his eyes are, and how his skin is more pale than usual. His heart sinks in his chest, an intense guilt masking his own pain as he stares down at the man he loves more than anything.

Before he can even think about how much pain it might cause, he lifts his left arm across his body to run his fingers through Carlos’s dark brown curls. It’s his favorite thing to do on the rare occasions where he’s the first one to wake up in the morning, and he knows his husband absolutely loves it. Sure enough, Carlos lets out a soft moan, unconsciously tilting his head towards TK’s fingers.

He can tell the minute that Carlos realizes what’s happening by the way his whole body tenses. His eyes fly open, his brown eyes wide as he sits up straight. His gaze finds TK, drinking him in, and TK can’t do anything but smile back at him, squeezing their hands together.

“Ty,” Carlos breathes, his eyes filling with tears.

“Hey, baby,” TK says, pulling gently on Carlos’s hand until he gets the hint.

His husband stands, shifting closer to the head of the bed, before bending down to press a soft kiss to his waiting lips. Carlos tries to make the kiss quick, but TK reaches up to grip the back of his neck, keeping him close.

“How long has it been?” TK asks when they separate, rubbing their noses together. At this point, it’s their traditional question when one of them is in the hospital.

“They rushed you to surgery when you first got here, which took about four hours,” Carlos explains, his voice shaking as he runs his fingers soothingly through TK’s hair. “You’ve been sleeping for about five.”

“So, still the same day?” TK confirms. It’s an odd question, but after going through one multi-day coma in his life, he’s hoping to never have to do another. Besides, he knows Carlos wouldn’t handle it well.

“Still the same day,” his husband confirms, the first sign of a smile pulling at his lips.

“That’s good.”

“Very good,” Carlos agrees, leaning in to kiss him. This one feels a little more heated than the last one. “You know how I get when I don’t get to kiss you goodnight.”

“You become the equivalent of a child who’s told he can’t have ice cream right before bed,” TK supplies, enjoying the shocked look that appears on Carlos’s face. “Or so I’m told.”

“Told?” Carlos cries. “Who told you that? Give me the traitors’ names, Tyler!”

“Just for that, I’m not going to,” he laughs, gasping for air when the movement sends a flare of pain through him.

“Are you okay?” Carlos asks, worry written clearly on his face. He reaches out, his hands fluttering around him but too afraid to touch.

“Yeah, I just,” TK grits out, holding his side. “Fuck, that does not feel good.”

It takes a few minutes of deep breathing for him to finally settle back down, reaching for Carlos’s hand when he’s sure that his grip won’t break his fingers. Carlos gingerly takes a seat next to him on the bed, running his free hand through his hair to soothe him.

TK’s just about to ask exactly what the damage is when there’s a knock on the door. They both turn to find his dad poking his head through, an apologetic smile on his face.

“Hey boys, sorry to interrupt,” he says, glancing behind him at something they can’t see. “There’s just some people here who wanted to say a quick hello.”

TK rolls his eyes, sharing a smile with Carlos. This happens every time someone from the firehouse ends up in the hospital - though to be fair, it’s usually him.

“You know you can always let them in, Dad,” he says, his fondness clear in his tone. Carlos just scoots a little closer, pressing one last kiss to his lips.

“I love you,” he mutters, his eyes shining.

“I love you, too,” TK whispers back as the door is thrown wide open and the equivalent of a clown car files into his room.

Judd and Grace lead the way, followed by Paul, Marjan, and Mateo, then Michelle, Tim, and Nancy. His dad, the last one, closes the door behind him. Strictly speaking, this is way too many visitors to have in a single room at a time, but there are nurses at every hospital who are willing to bend the rules a bit for familiar first responders, as long as they’re discreet about it.

TK looks around at them all - Grace, with her hand on Carlos’s shoulder, and Michelle at the foot of his bed, her eyes glinting with happiness; his dad standing next to her; Mateo, Marjan, and Paul all standing to his left, Paul reaching out to punch him lightly on the shoulder, a bright smile on his face.

They’re his family, all of them. And they all saved his life today.

“I, um,” he starts, his voice thick with emotion as he looks around at them all. He feels Carlos’s hand slide up his arm, his thumb gently caressing his bicep in support. He turns to look at him, noticing how Carlos still has his back to most of the room as he faces him on the bed. They share a look, just between the two of them, and Carlos nods, a tear falling down his cheek as he squeezes TK’s arm.

“I, um, I wanted to thank you all,” TK says, looking around the room again, his eyes hovering over every face that makes him feel safe and loved and whole, “for saving me today. I - we - will never be able to tell you how much it means to know that we have all of you by our side, looking out for us.”

He feels a tear fall onto his cheek, but before he can reach up to brush it away, Michelle shifts from the end of his bed, coming around the side to stand next to him. She reaches out for him and Carlos, drying his face and gripping his husband’s arm tightly.

“Don’t be silly. You boys are our family,” Michelle says, “so we’re always going to be here for you. No matter what. It’s as simple as that.”

“She’s right,” Judd pipes in, his arm around Grace. “Though, full disclosure, we are gifting you a bulk-size roll of bubble wrap this Christmas.”

“Hey now, c’mon Judd,” Paul says, his hands buried in his pockets. “You weren’t supposed to tell him.”

“Ignore Judd, y’all,” Grace adds, rolling her eyes as she pats her husband’s chest. “He doesn’t do Christmas shopping, and I have much better taste, trust me on that.”

TK huffs out a laugh, wincing at the way it pulls at his injury. No one else catches it, too busy laughing at Grace’s comment and Judd’s offended expression. He glances over at Carlos, seeing a tightness behind his eyes, and knows that his pain didn’t go completely unnoticed. TK reaches over, squeezing his thigh where it’s pressed against his own. Carlos gives him a small smile, grabbing his hand to press a kiss to his fingertips.

The tightness in his eyes doesn’t go anywhere, though, and TK’s heart caves.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

The team stays until visiting hours are over, laughing and joking as they fill TK and Carlos in about the rest of the work day. It seems that much of the ice started to melt by the middle of the afternoon, making the end of the day much easier than the beginning. Finally, a nurse comes in, shocked to find so many people in one room, and tells them that visiting hours are over. One-by-one, they come over to hug TK and Carlos, Grace even pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads.

When only Carlos and his dad remain, the nurse checks his vitals, telling him that everything appears to be normal. Carlos stands by his side, hand on his shoulder, as TK honestly answers her questions about his pain levels. She helps him to adjust his position on the bed, showing Carlos how to help him so he’ll feel the least amount of pain. His husband listens closely, his face set and serious.

She leaves, and Carlos excuses himself to the bathroom, leaving him alone with his dad.

“How’re you feeling, kid?” his dad asks, sitting next to him.

“A little tender,” he admits, running his hand lightly over the thick bandage on his stomach. They’re quiet for a moment, TK biting his bottom lip. “It was pretty bad, wasn’t it?” he finally asks.

His dad looks at him, his eyes softening, before reaching out and taking his hand. “You crashed right before they got you in the ambulance. The icicle hit a pretty major blood vessel near your liver, and you lost a lot of blood when it shifted unexpectedly.”

TK is quiet, thoughts rolling through his mind. “He saw, didn’t he?” he confirms, his voice barely more than a hushed whisper.

“Yeah,” his dad admits, his tone heavy. “He wasn’t in a good place when you left, so his partner drove him here and Michelle stayed with him until I could come.” TK nods, his eyes filling with tears. “He’s gonna be okay, though, TK. You both are.”

His dad stands again, looking around the room. “I’m going to head home,” he says, reaching out to run his fingers through TK’s hair. “I know you’re in good hands for the night. I’ll come back first thing in the morning, okay?”

“Yeah,” TK says. Then, he gets an idea. “Can you help me shift a little?”

His dad smiles knowingly before reaching out again to help move him to the left side of the bed, TK breathing deeply through the pain.

Carlos finally comes out of the bathroom and his dad gives them both a hug, TK watching as he whispers something in his husband’s ear before pressing a kiss to his temple. Then, with a final wave, they’re alone again.

“Hey,” TK says, breaking the silence.

“Hey,” Carlos parrots back, his voice thin and uneven.

“Come here,” TK says, patting the now open space beside him. Carlos moves across the room, glancing down at the spot doubtfully.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Ty,” he says, his eyes full of so much pain.

“Well, I don’t want to go another minute without you laying by my side, so get your ass up here.” The hard tone of his voice leaves no room for questions, so his husband sighs, sliding next to him as gently as possible.

They lay there for a moment, just breathing together. Then, like a dam breaking, Carlos turns onto his side, placing an arm over his chest as he tucks his face into TK’s neck. In no time at all, TK feels tears soaking the collar of his gown, and his own tears finally fall at the evidence of Carlos’s silent pain.

“I’m so sorry for scaring you today, baby,” he sobs, bringing his hand up to press against the dark curls near his cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

Carlos doesn’t respond except to shake his head, his sobs continuing. TK holds him through it, his heart shattering into a million pieces in his chest. Throughout the past four year, Carlos has had a few nightmares of TK bleeding out in front of him - caused by him getting shot before they even started dating - so he knows that today had to be especially brutal for his husband.

“I know it was an accident, and that you’re going to be okay now,” Carlos finally mumbles into his neck, “but I was so fucking scared that I had lost you there for a minute. I’ve never seen Michelle so intense before, and I really thought this was it.”

“I know, baby, I know,” TK says, trailing his fingers along the back of Carlos’s neck. He digs his nails in just a bit, knowing that the feeling will help ground Carlos. Sure enough, his husband shivers against him, letting out a shaky breath. “You didn’t lose me, though. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise?” Carlos asks weakly.

“Babe, look at me,” TK says, pulling his head back to look down at him. Carlos’s eyes are red-rimmed, his face puffy from crying so much today. He looks so small, so cut open and raw, that TK wishes he could take all of his pain away. “I promise that I am going to do everything in my power to come home to you in one piece at the end of every day, okay?”

Carlos nods, his eyes falling closed. TK stares at his long, gorgeous eyelashes now soaked with tears. Leaning forward, he presses a kiss to each eyelid, feeling the way that Carlos relaxes further into his side.

“I’m sorry that our bath plans got ruined for this evening,” he says after a few minutes, recalling their conversation from this morning.

“That’s okay,” Carlos says, his fingers lightly tracing TK’s collarbone through his hospital gown. “Once I get you home, I’m probably never going to let you leave again, so there will be plenty of time for baths.”

TK laughs, ignoring the pain when Carlos joins him. “I like the sound of that,” he admits.

Their gazes lock for a moment before Carlos presses up until their lips meet, the kiss igniting a fire inside of him from head to toe. It doesn’t matter how many times he gets to kiss Carlos, TK thinks that each one feels new and different and life-affirming, his body and soul practically singing at the chance to connect with his husband in a way that no one else can. That no one else ever will.

It’s something that he knows he’ll never get tired of for as long as he lives.

Which will be a very, very long time.

He’s sure of it.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

#911giftexchange #tarlos #tarlos fic #911 lone star #tk strand #carlos reyes #I wrote a thing #charlie-bradburyss

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andrewmoocow · 4 years ago

Text

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 7: Rejuvenated (originally published January 18, 2021)

Author's Note: And so, we reach the penultimate chapter of Part 1! It was once stated that an episode featuring Rhodonite was in the works for Steven Universe Future where we would explore how her components met along with the debut of Morganite, but that was unfortunately scrapped because there was enough content to turn it into a whole two-parter, along with not heavily featuring Steven enough and not being relevant to Future's plot. Well, I'm gonna try and prove the Crewniverse wrong by condensing what they planned to a manageable level, and you will have to bear witness to it!

Synopsis: Peridot builds a device that tells how many times a Gem has been rejuvenated, and it reveals some shocking secrets about Rhodonite.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Matthew Moy as Lars

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Estelle as Garnet

Charlyne Yi as Morganite's Ruby

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pink Pearl/Volleyball, Morganite's Pearl

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Olivia Olson as Citrine

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

And featuring Hayley Kyoko as Morganite

"Now then, you two, keep yourselves steady, in both body and mind." Garnet instructed Rhodonite and Padparadscha Sapphire in the ways of yoga atop the central tower of Little Homeworld. "It is of utmost importance to keep those instructions in mind in life."

"Okay, keep myself steady. Keep myself steady." Rhodonite nervously repeated her fellow fusion's instructions to herself. Unfortunately for her, she could barely keep the pose she assumed up. "Whoa! I can't do this!"

"You can Rhodonite, just relax your thoughts." Garnet continued teaching.

"Ooh, Garnet is going to give some excellent advice that could change our lives!" Padparadscha Sapphire exclaimed happily.

"Precisely." Garnet remarked to the defective Sapphire. "My teachings could help you in the long run."

"ATTENTION STUDENTS OF LITTLE HOMESCHOOL!" Peridot's nasally voice cried out, causing the two Off-Colors to lose balance and fall to the floor. "I'VE COME TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!"

"Even after two years of coming here, Peridot's voice still gets on my nerves a bit." Rhodonite muttered as she got up from her fall. "But don't tell her I said that!"

"And now Peridot is calling everyone because she has something amazing to tell us." Padparadscha stated. "What fun!"

"I'll take you guys down." Garnet declared before she grabbed the two Gems by the hand and raced to the edge of the roof.

"You know, we could just take the-" Rhodonite began nervously before the three Gems jumped off the tower. "STAAAAAAAAIRS!"

Garnet landed safely, yet dramatically, on the ground below, where many Gems gathered around Peridot as she began to demonstrate what she wanted to show them all.

"I would like to present a project that I've been working on ever since last year's Spinel incident." Peridot announced as a rod-like device emerged from her gem. "This is a Rejuve-Meter." She stated. "See what I did there? Anyways, this little gizmo works a bit like carbon daters here on Earth, and can help with examining how many times a Gem has been rejuvenated! Would anyone like to be a test subject?"

"Ooh, me! Me!" Teal Zircon exclaimed while raising her hand.

"I applaud your eagerness TZ." Peridot thanked the Zircon before scanning her with the Rejuve-Meter. The screen rotated through many possible numbers before it settled on 2. "Says here you've only been rejuvenated twice. What could possibly cause either incident?"

"It was a few honest mistakes, I swear it!" Teal Zircon revealed. "Cross my gem and hope to be shattered, the memories I make are all that mattered!"

"Okay then. Anyone else?" Peridot began looking around the huddled Gems before she spotted Volleyball among them. "You there, come on down!"

"Oh, me?" Pink Diamond's former Pearl gasped as she stepped forward.

"Yes, you." Peridot grinned before scanning Volleyball with the Rejuve-Meter. Compared to TZ, Volleyball caused the device only to say 1. "Only one time?"

"My Diamond was playing with a Rejuvenator and got me reset by accident." Volleyball confessed. This seemingly offhand comment caused Rhodonite to freeze up at the mere mention of rejuvenation, like she was flashing back to a similar incident.

"Interesting, interesting." Peridot muttered as she continued scanning each of the Gems around her.

"Hey, Garnet, what's going on?" Steven asked, weaving through the crowd to greet Garnet. "And how did teaching Rhodonite and Paddy go?"

"It went well, until Peridot caused them to lose balance because she wanted to show off this new device she built in response to Spinel." Garnet explained. "She says it can help her scan Gems for how many times they've been rejuvenated."

"Uh, yeah!" Rhodonite laughed nervously. "W-what she said."

"Is something the matter Rhodonite?" Steven asked the Off-Color fusion. "You're looking real tense. Should I get Lars?"

"I feel like the idea of rejuvenation is making her skittish." Padparadscha pondered. "But, what do I know?"

"I feel like you might need some help." Steven encouraged Rhodonite as Peridot made her way to the two.

"Okay, according to the Rejuve-Meter, all the Gems present have been rejuvenated up to three times each. Nothing too severe." Peridot said. "Now, let's see how many times you were rejuvenated."

"No, I don't think that's really necessary!" Rhodonite yelped, but her urges proved fruitless as the Rejuve-Meter did its job, but the results it got were quite shocking.

"And your components have been rejuvenated….." Peridot paused for effect as she examined the meter and got quite a surprise. "My stars, SEVENTEEN TIMES?! HOW, AND WHY?!"

"I-I-I!" Rhodonite stuttered, when Fluorite and the conjoined Rutile twins came up to her.

"Is anything the matter?" the grandmotherly six-Gem fusion asked with concern in her slow tone.

"My sincerest apologies Fluorite." Peridot apologized to Fluorite. "It's just that I made this little device that allows me to discover how many times a Gem has been rejuvenated, and I think I may have accidentally made Rhodonite here uneasy about it since she may have been rejuvenated in the past."

"Oh, it's alright Peridot." Rhodonite said as she patted the little green Gem on her triangular hair with one of her small arms. "We know you didn't mean any harm."

"Besides, Rhodonite joined us because she was looked down upon for being a fusion between two different Gems." The left Rutile stated. "Especially her original owner."

"Which means she may have something to do with this." The right Rutile added.

"Yeah, it was a Morganite, right?" Steven asked, causing Rhodonite to nod meekly. "Well, looks like we're headed to Homeworld then!"

"Rhodonite has a problem, so we must return to Homeworld to solve it!" Padparadscha declared.

"I can't help it if I make a scene, stepping out of my hot pink limousine." Lars quietly sang to himself as he swept up the floor of his space-themed bakery. "I'm turning heads and I'm stopping traffic. When I pose, they scream, and when I joke, they laugh." His cleaning would have to wait when he heard the door open. "Ah, welcome to Spacetries. How can I help, Steven?"

"Hey Lars, long time no see." Steven greeted the pink teen as he entered the bakery with Rhodonite in tow. "We need to talk about Rhodonite. Peridot was showing off this little gizmo she built that made her super uncomfortable, and we think it may have something to do with when she was created on Homeworld."

"We believe it may have been caused by the Morganite who originally owned the Ruby and Pearl she's made of." Fluorite added. "Do you think she could still be around?"

"How should I know?" Lars asked while putting away the broom and taking off his apron. "Most of the time I spent on Homeworld was being forced into a trial, dying, and then trying to escape after I came back to life."

"Well, I think we might need a lift there." Rhodonite declared. "You wanna help?"

"Could take a little bit to get there, but anything for you guys." Lars accepted happily. "Blue Lace, watch the shop while I'm gone!"

Blue Lace Agate gave Lars a thumbs-up as he left the shop to see the other Off-Colors outside.

"Can't we just take the Warp Pad?" Lars asked while the group walked away from the bakery.

"The nova thrusters are as good as new, right?" Steven responded with a question of his own.

Within a few hours, the Off-Colors had finally reached the Gem Homeworld. Since it had been so long since they had escaped their formerly oppressive home planet, Homeworld has changed dramatically in the passing years. There was lots more color, plant life was abundant, and Gems were milling about to do whatever they please without fear of persecution from the dismantled caste system.

"Okay, Morganite should be around here somewhere." Lars stated as they disembarked from the Sun Incinerator. "Any idea where?"

"Why don't we ask around?" Steven suggested.

"Last I remember, Morganite lives in this big palace that looks like one of those pagodas on Earth." Rhodonite explained. "Though since I've refused to go back there until now, I've pretty much pushed the location out of my memories."

"Why don't we try asking around?" the left Rutile suggested. "Maybe try that Citrine over there?"

The Rutiles pointed to a large, muscular yellow Gem with her gem on her stomach, a distinctive mullet-like hairstyle, a stern expression on her face, and an unsettling eye twitch that she showed as the Gems walked over to her.

"Can I help you?" the Citrine asked with a glare.

"We don't want any harm." Steven told her. "We're just on the lookout for a Gem named Morganite. Seen her anywhere?"

"Oh, you're looking for Morganite?" Citrine said as her expression softened into something more genial. "Yeah, she lives in the big pink skyscraper, can't miss it." She thumbed over to a tall building not too far away that was colored in varying shades of pink and had a predominantly Oriental appearance. "Here, I'll take you there."

"Isn't it wonderful?!" Padparadscha cried while Citrine signaled for a carrier to bring them to Morganite's palace. "The most wonderful Citrine will give us a lift to Morganite!"

"One of those Off-Color Gems, I see." Citrine commented as the carrier arrived. "Okay everyone, all aboard."

"So tell me, what's Morganite like?" Steven asked Citrine. "Is she as okay with Era 3 as everyone else? Because I've met a few Gems who aren't too happy with it."

"She doesn't really care." Citrine answered. "Just as long as she continues her design work. Back in the day, she was highly acclaimed in our society for her visionary designs, especially her work on the Diamonds' palanquins."

"Sounds like she'd fit right in at Little Homeschool's art classes." Fluorite remarked.

"Yeah, but she also had strong views against cross-Gem fusions when we served her." Rhodonite stated. "It's why we fled and eventually met the other Off-Colors."

"How much longer till we reach her?" Lars asked Citrine.

"Not too long now." Citrine replied as Morganite's building began getting closer. "Okay, we're here." She announced, stopping the transporter.

Steven, Lars, Citrine, and the Off-Colors now stood before the pink pagoda-like building, staring in awe of its beautiful architecture. But within the gorgeous structure lay some dark secrets of the past that Rhodonite was ready to contend with.

"You ready?" Lars asked Rhodonite, who tightly held his hand in exchange.

"I'm scared." Rhodonite muttered.

"Don't worry. We're all here for you." Steven alleviated the fusion's fears by holding onto her hand.

"Rhodonite seems afraid, but she knows we'll all be by her side." Padparadscha declared calmly.

"Us Off-Colors gotta stick together." The Rutiles said in unison.

"We're your family." Fluorite said.

"Okay, enough heartfelt found family moments." Citrine chuckled at the heartwarming scene before her as she knocked on the door, causing a holographic projection of a small, pink Gem soon appeared from the top of the doorframe. "Hello?"

"State your name and your business." The hologram demanded.

"I'm Steven Universe." Steven said to the hologram. "I'm here because we've got some old subordinates of Morganite here with us."

"Excellent." The hologram said, and the doors soon opened. "Please enter single file, and do not make a mess of things."

With that, the group got in line, Rhodonite in front with Steven behind her, and strolled into Morganite's tower.

Upon taking the elevator that took them to the tower's top floor, before Steven, Lars, and the Off-Colors was a small, pink Gem with pale skin dressed in a kimono and her dark pink hair in low pigtails. She was kneeling to the ground in deep meditation, and had a certain Gem device hanging over her head as a decoration.

The very sight of this Gem turned Rhodonite's paranoia into a very uncharacteristic rage, and she marched straight up to the little Gem before angrily picking her up. "You! I knew you'd still be here, now fess up!"

The Gem slowly opened her eyes and gasped in fright at the angry fusion violently interrogating her. "Oh no, someone help!" she cried. "Wait, I remember you!"

"So you do remember me, huh?!" Rhodonite snarled while Steven and Lars tried to keep her calm. "Why don't you tell me why I was rejuvenated SEVENTEEN TIMES before I toss you over the edge?!" she threatened, turning her head to face a door leading to one of the balconies of the top floor.

"Rhodonite, please!" Steven exclaimed.

"I get that she traumatized you, but you would never try to hurt anyone!" Lars said.

"Please, remember Garnet's instructions!" Fluorite cried.

Rhodonite froze in place and dropped her former superior from her grasp, and then she began to remember what Garnet taught her. "Relax my thoughts, relax my thoughts." She whispered to herself, easing her tense form. "My apologies, I just lost a little control there."

"A little would be selling yourself short." Rhodonite's would've-been victim snarked. "Especially after all the times I had to break you up."

"So, you must be Morganite." Steven remarked.

"Suppose you heard of me." Morganite stated. "My work is highly acclaimed throughout nine star systems. Now tell me, what brings you all to my tower, outside of nearly trying to kill me?"

"We need to talk." Steven said, moving out of the way to introduce the Off-Colors. "These are some of my friends, a group of Gems persecuted by the old ways of Homeworld because they didn't fit in with their fascist standards, including Rhodonite here. We came because we know you had rejuvenated the Ruby and Pearl that are her components seventeen times, and want answers as to why."

"You want to know why?" Morganite asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I'd like to understand." Rhodonite answered.

"If you say so." Morganite responded. "Please, do sit down, all of you. Have I got a story for you?"

As the group all sat down on their knees, Morganite began her story. "Now, our little tale begins thousands of years ago, back in Era 1, a short while after Pink Diamond came along."

Thousands of years in the past, Morganite was quite possibly the most celebrated designer to have ever graced Gemkind for having helped build most of Homeworld's architecture. One of her most notable actions was being the leader in building each of the Diamonds' palanquins, and her methods were seen as extraordinary.

"Exemplary work Morganite." Yellow Diamond complimented the design of her palanquin, built to be just as massive as she was. "Very nice patterns, and the shade of yellow is very fitting too."

"I especially admire the drapes you put on mine." Blue Diamond admired her palanquin.

"It was my pleasure, my Diamonds." Morganite thanked with a courteous bow. "I don't ask for anything in return; your applause is all that matters."

"Oh, you are so modest." Blue giggled. "But don't you ever get a little lonely doing so much for our kind?"

"No, I feel perfectly happy by myself." Morganite answered.

"Not even any subordinates to bounce ideas off of?" Yellow continued. "Because I can assure you, I've already got some for you for the occasion."

With a snap of the Diamond's fingers, Yellow's brought forth a pair of inactive gemstones and set them on the ground. The Pearl rose up first, projecting a holographic clamshell around itself.

"Please identify yourself." The shell ordered robotically.

"Morganite." Morganite complied.

"Greetings, Morganite." The shell greeted. "Please state your preferred customization options."

"Nothing too fancy, but nothing too modest either." Morganite continued.

"Settings selected. Please stand by." The holographic shell opened and the Pearl began glowing, eventually forming into a full Gem. The Pearl looked very standard, but had straight pink hair in a bob, her gemstone resting on her chest, a leotard with a transparent shawl around her neck and pink flats.

Next came the Ruby, who also looked like how Gems of her type should be, with her gem on her stomach and a Pink Diamond insignia on her top.

"You must be our new owner, correct?" Morganite's new Pearl asked.

"Yes, yes I am." Morganite answered politely. "You were awarded to me for my work on Yellow and Blue Diamond's palanquins, and I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Yes, Morganite." The Ruby and Pearl said in unison. What Morganite missed was her new Ruby turning her head a bit to gaze at Pearl, and it was love at first sight.

Over the next couple hundred years, Morganite's Pearl and Ruby served diligently and quietly, never once saying anything negative about their boss or her celebrity status. At least, not in public. In private, the two kept talking for hours about how self-absorbed she was, allowing their working relationship to blossom into romance.

"Oh, the nerve of her taking all the glory from all those hardworking Bismuths!" Morganite's Pearl laughed. "They may hold a higher rank than us Pearls, but I really feel sorry for them."

"And I heard from some Lapis Lazulis that ol' Morgy didn't appreciate the sloppy work they did on Hiei 16." The Ruby responded. "Chances are she's bound to tell Blue on them."

"And what of Pink Diamond?" the designer's Pearl continued. "Sometimes I wonder if she was just a Quartz plucked from a Kindergarten and ordered to look like a Diamond, because she rarely acts like the others at all. Her Pearl says she throws quite the destructive tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants."

"Oh, wow! What a baby!" the Ruby laughed loudly.

"Can I just say, I really love the way you laugh?" Morganite's Pearl said. "It's so loud, yet so endearing at the same time."

"I-I find you endearing too." The Ruby blushed. "No, wait, I don't think that's the word I'm looking for! I meant to say-"

"Cute, graceful, smart, caring, loyal?" the Pearl began flirting. "Because all but one of those fit you as well."

"Oh my, really?" the Ruby responded as she blushed even harder. "I don't anyone has ever called me anything that wasn't stupid or expendable, but you're the first."

"Thank you." The Pearl said, now beginning to blush herself. "Would you like a kiss?"

"W-w-w-w-wait, really?!" her new Ruby lover stuttered. "I don't think I've been given a kiss either?"

"Well, let's give it a try." The Pearl remarked, picking her beloved Ruby up by the waist and bringing them face to face before giving her a sweet kiss on the lips. When the Ruby returned the kiss in kind, their gems began to shimmer.

"Oh, girls! I want your two cents on my latest project." Morganite called for the pair as she walked in on their embrace. "What in the?!"

What Morganite saw was not her Ruby and Pearl, but rather a strange new lifeform with both of their gemstones on her front and bearing some parts of their respective physical forms.

"What happened?" Rhodonite muttered. "Did we just fuse?"

"Yes, you just did!" Morganite barked, catching Rhodonite by surprise. "You knew the laws you two; only two Gems of the same type are allowed to fuse! Did you not hear the cautionary tales of those six Gems that just up and vanished when they first discovered fusion?"

"I sincerely apologize, Morganite, but we really do love each other!" Rhodonite cried as she begged on her knees. "If you would just let us explain!"

"Explain nothing." Morganite coldly declared before pulling a Rejuvenator from her gem on her chest and using it to cut Rhodonite in two, causing her components to poof. "And that will be all."

Morganite believed that would be the end of it, the end of her subordinates' relationship. But she thought wrong.

When her Ruby and Pearl were regenerated, they at first acted like they first met Morganite all over again. And just like that first time, they once again fell in love.

Despite Morganite's attempts to suppress her subordinates' relationship, word got out of the two's love, and many Gems began to question the designer's high status and demanded something to be done about it.

The more times her Pearl and Ruby began fusing, the more Morganite used her Rejuvenator to reset them, and the more she began fearing for all the fame she accumulated being dropped faster than an unwanted colony. Eventually, after approximately seventeen resets, Morganite came to a decision.

"Are you sure we should still be doing this?" the Pearl asked her smaller lover one day. "You know our Morganite will be very unhappy."

"Well, I for one am sick of all this!" the Ruby exclaimed hotly. "Sick of being persecuted for our love, sick of fusions between different Gem types being so frowned upon, sick of this society we live in!"

"Oh, poor baby." The Pearl consoled the Ruby. "We're stronger than that, I just know it."

"Oh, girls, please come here." Morganite called for the pair. With nervous looks to one another, the couple walked over to their displeased master. "I have some splendid news for you."

"What is it?" Morganite's Pearl asked meekly.

"You no longer have to worry about being caught, because you're getting replaced!" Morganite answered cheerfully, presenting a new Pearl and Ruby that will soon take the old pair's places.

"Well, funny you should mention that." The Ruby stated, bravely stepping forward. "We're through with this! You don't understand the love Pearl and I share, just because you're so self-absorbed and dedicated to Homeworld's ways!"

"Oh, so good you're such a team player." Morganite sarcastically remarked before clapping her hands to summon a pair of Shattering Robonoids. "Because as they say, there's no trash in a team."

As the Robonoids prepared to detain Morganite's former Pearl and Ruby, the two made a break for it. They bolted out the top floor of Morganite's tower, jumping off the balcony and beginning to fall all the way down to Homeworld's lower levels.

"After them!" Morganite commanded the Robonoids, and they zoomed out the building after the fleeing Gems.

As Ruby and Pearl continued falling at high speeds, the Shattering Robonoids flew down in hot pursuit and tried to scan their gems for destruction.

"Oh no, we're gonna get shattered!" the Ruby began panicking. "This is all my fault, if I hadn't talked back to Morganite, then we wouldn't either be shattered by the Robonoids or by falling to our deaths! I'm so-"

"It's okay." The Pearl said softly, cupping her favorite soldier's cheek. "I'm here for you, you're here for me."

"Yeah." The Ruby began to relax. "We're here for each other."

The two began to kiss once again, fusing into Rhodonite once more as they crashed behind a statue on Homeworld's decaying surface. The Robonoids continued scanning for the pair, but the machines found nothing due to the structure keeping them protected.

As the Robonoids flew back up to report to Morganite, Rhodonite peeked from behind the statue in relief. "I'm here."

"Hello?" a deep, slow-moving voice called from a cave. "Is anyone there?"

"Who said that?!" Rhodonite began panicking. "Come out wherever you are!"

"You were cast out too, yes?" the voice continued. "Come on in, you'll be safer here."

"I-if you say so." Rhodonite muttered. "Where are you?"

"Just follow my voice." The voice answered. "You can find me in this cave. Just look for the rock."

Rhodonite did as this mystery person said and found a rather conspicuous rock within a cave, moving it aside to discover a secret passage. When she entered the path and went through the dark tunnel, at the end was a massive Kindergarten that might've gone unused for ages.

"Welcome, dearie." The voice said as its owner appeared from behind Rhodonite. Turning around, Rhodonite discovered a massive six-Gem fusion with a gentle smile on her face. "So, were you persecuted for your love too?"

"Wait, you're the six Gems!" Rhodonite exclaimed, thinking back to the tales of old.

"I see my reputation is still going strong." The larger fusion proclaimed. "I am Fluorite. And you are?"

Rhodonite glanced down at the gems on her torso, and then back at Fluorite, before she finally answered. "I'm Rhodonite."

"So that's what happened." Steven realized as Morganite concluded her tale before he turned to Rhodonite. "What do you think?"

"Relax my thoughts, relax my thoughts." Rhodonite whispered to herself as she sat cross-legged next to Steven and as she opened her eyes, she un-fused into Morganite's former Ruby and Pearl for the first time in centuries.

"Normally, this is the part where we'd yell at you for never atoning for ditching us." The Ruby stated. "And we'll still never forgive you for that."

"But that's in the past. We're different Gems than we were thousands of years ago." The Pearl replied. "Here in the future, we have a new life now. Together."

"I understand now." Morganite said solemnly. "If that is your decision, then so be it. Now good day."

"Thank you for having us." Lars thanked Morganite. "Now come on, gang, let's head home."

"One second." The Ruby and Pearl said in unison before they kissed yet again, fusing back into a more stable Rhodonite with shorter pant legs, a scarf replacing her shawl, and her hair now in two tones.

"Okay, now we can go." Rhodonite smiled.

"Everyone, wait!" Padparadscha exclaimed. "After a moment of clarity, Rhodonite will change her look! Isn't that exciting!?"

"You crack me up, little buddy." Lars chuckled as Steven, and the Off-Colors left the building.

After Morganite finished waving them off, she checked around to see if anyone was still watching. Rising from where Rhodonite sat her down, Morganite turned to the Rejuvenator hanging over her head and pressed on a hidden keypad on the wall that led the way to a Warp Pad.

"My clarity has got to hear about this." Morganite said to herself as she took the Warp Pad to parts unknown.

Revanche 666 was a planet drained of all life and resources by the Gems' colonizing, and all that was left was a world with a suspicious resemblance to a human skull.

Morganite disembarked from the Warp Pad and walked towards a black-colored building resembling a Communication Hub. Standing guard was a pair of Citrines, much like the one who had brought Steven to her, but they were less friendly.

"HALT!" the Citrines yelled as they blocked the way.

"It's alright you dolts; it's me." Morganite grumbled at the guards' ignorance.

"Oh, terribly sorry Morganite!" the Citrines declared, moving to allow Morganite to enter the building. "The master is expecting you!"

Morganite strolled down a long white hallway, lined with multiple guards. There were Pearls that had grey skin, black & white uniforms and their hair swept to one side of their heads, white Topazes, including one that was giving a cheery wave only to stop with a sinister glare from the pink Gem, Jaspers, Amethysts, Rubies and many more.

"Oh Morganite, fancy seeing you here." Holly Blue Agate said, as she appeared to start walking alongside her fellow ex-aristocrat. "How have things been going on your end?"

"That boy just paid a visit, and he brought some Off-Colors with." Morganite answered. "One of them was a fusion of my ex-servants, and even tried to toss me over the edge!"

"Really, an Off-Color attempting murder?" Holly Blue smirked. "Well, it's good you're still keeping up appearances like I am, no matter how complicated it may be. Hopefully the master's endgame will allow me to get some peace and quiet!"

"In due time, Holly." Morganite chuckled. "In due time."

The two Gems stopped walking in front of a pair of white doors that automatically opened for them. And at the end of the room before them was a Gem in a revolving chair examining all possible data she could find of the Crystal Gems on a series of holograms.

"We have arrived your clarity." Holly Blue announced while she and Morganite kneeled before the Gem. "Morganite would like to speak with you."

"Yes, Steven Universe has come to visit me earlier." Morganite added. "Which reminds me, is it time to proceed with Phase 1?"

The Gem stopped typing on her database and slowly turned to her subordinates, before slowly getting up from her chair.

And now we have another Gem to add to this mystery foe's alliance! And we'll finally get to see who she is next time on the final chapter of Part 1. But in the meantime, I have an announcement to make. Once I'm done with that chapter, I'm going to take a bit of a hiatus to focus on other stories and my schoolwork, but not too long like my fellow Steven Universe fans have joked about. I hope you understand, and see you next time.

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven quartz universe #lars barriga #rhodonite #padparadscha sapphire #fluorite #rutile twins #morganite

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finnyboywolfhard · 5 years ago

Text

Song That The Morning Brings (Prologue)

Steve Harrington x Henderson! Reader Series

Summary: Y/N Henderson is new to Hawkins and what better to have than someone willing to show you around. She befriends someone who eventually becomes her best friend, but the ties begin to break as they face some changes.

a/n; hellooo! this is going to be a S1-S3 slowburn fic. I’m going to try to update regularly but I can’t promise anything. Let me know if you want to be taglisted or anything :) enjoy!

warnings: cursing, angst, slight mention of abuse, alcohol

word count: 2.1k

The Hendersons arrived in Hawkins only a few days before the beginning of the school year. Luckily for Dustin, he had only just finished 4th grade, his friends were mere technicalities in the move. However for Y/N, that meant that she had to leave her friends right at the start of high school. She couldn’t necessarily be mad at her mom for leaving her dad finally, Dusty was still a little too young to understand the severity of some of what happened between their parents. Their dad didn’t ever get physical with their mom, but the damage done to her mentally was enough for anyone to break. So, Claudia helped her kids pack their things while their father was away and move the distance to Hawkins.

“Hey mom, I’m gonna walk around the town a little bit just to try to get acquainted. I’ll be back.”

“Okay honey, please be careful. “ Claudia kissed her daughter on the cheek and let her wander off.

It was still warm out, which was nice but what was even nicer was the cool breeze blowing in her direction. She walked down past Lincoln Park and found herself wandering into a clearly richer neighborhood.

The girl was scared from her thoughts as she bumped into a boy who had been running in her direction attempting to catch a ball.

“Ah shit! I’m so sorry.” He said.

“It’s alright; I was kinda in my own little world anyway.” She said with a smile, slightly taken aback by how attractive he was. Maybe she could get used to being in Hawkins.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but do I know you?” He asked her.

“Steve! Dude! Come on!” A boy yelled from far away.

“No you don’t, I just moved here. My name is Y/N” She reached her hand out for him to shake it, “It’s nice to meet you Steve, but I think you should probably get back.”

“Y/N, you don’t have to but tomorrow I can give you a proper tour of Hawkins if you meet me here tomorrow morning at like 10 AM.”

“Steve that would be lovely.” She waved goodbye to him and began walking back to her house.

When she got home, she ran to tell her mom about what had happened, before her mom sat her down for a serious conversation.

“Y/N, I know this was hard for you, and I’m so sorry that you had to move away from your friends.”

“Mom, it’s okay. I’ll make it out okay. I just know it. And I know Dusty will be just fine too. You don’t have to worry about us.”

“I know, I just know I can’t be the male influence in your guys’ life, and that worries me.”

“Mom, you’re the best influence we have, okay? I’m gonna head to bed and I think you should too. I love you mom.”

“I love you too my dearest. Trees, Leaves and Needles.”

Y/N went to bed that night with her mind going ninety miles an hour. She couldn’t stop thinking about Steve and whether he was playing some grand practical joke or if he was being super genuine. She thought about what her mom said about a male influence, because in all reality she never had one nor needed one, but Dustin would. Neither Claudia nor Y/N could be that for him.

When she rose the next morning, she was eager to get ready and head over to Steve’s. She didn’t even say goodbye to her mom and brother. The walk was super pleasant and she got there quicker than expected.

“Y/N! Hey! I’m so glad you actually came!” The tour was the official start of their friendship.

After that day the two were inseparable. For all of freshman and sophomore year, the two were never seen without the other. On the last day of Sophomore year, Y/N had just gotten back to the school to clear her locker out for the summer.

“Hey Stevie!” Y/N hugged Steve from the back, hands flying around his waist.

“Hey Y/N/N, where have you been all day?”

“I told you! Today was when I went into meet Chief Hopper about being a work study for him over the next few years.”

“Oh yeah, and you’re positive it’s not because of your dumb school girl crush on him?” She slapped his arm for that response, having been embarrassed of the fact that she opened up to him about that in the past.

“I am 100% positive about that. I am also 100% over that. Anyway, I’m primarily gonna be working with Flo, and if I’m not with her, I’m gonna be filing shit away for them. So, how was the final day in Hawkins High for the year without me?”

“I got invited to a party!”

“Wait, really? By who?”

“Tommy H! He said it’s gonna be super laidback and fun, and I was thinking that you could come with me….” He was nudging her in the side, her blatant disgust by the idea stayed on her face like cement. “Come Y/N, just one party that’s it, that’s all I’m asking.”

“I’ll think about it, when is it?”

“Tonight.” He muttered under his breath, knowing she was gonna freak.

“Tonight?! Steve! I told you that I have stay with my mom and brother tonight because we’ve hung out every other night this week.”

“I know, but I was hoping that maybe your mom would be chill if you just stayed home tomorrow instead.”

“Steve, we have plans to hang out tomorrow already. Remember?” He shakes his head a little. “We are gonna go see Trading Places and then dinner.”

“Y/N, please. I really want to go to this party but I don’t want to go alone.” The girls heart broke a little at the sight of him so let down. But she had made a promise to her mom, and seeing her mom like that would be so much worse.

“I’m sorry Stevie. I made a promise. I’ll drive home if you want? I don’t have to pick up Dustin for another hour.” The boy agreed to her driving him home.

Later on in the night, she had just sat down in the living room to watch Raiders of The Lost Ark with Dusty for probably the sixth time in the past few months when her phone started ringing off the hook. She rushed over to pick it up.

“Hello?”

“Y/N! Oh thank you for ans-s-swering. I n-need you to come-“ A burp interrupted the sentence deliriously coming from the other end of the phone. “To come get me. I’m a little drunk.”

“Steve, where are you?”

“Tommy’s house. He lives on Holly Avenue.” This sentence a little more clear, but definitely still slurred.

“I’ll be there in like 5.”

She hung up the phone and walked over to Dustin, letting him know that she would be back soon and that he could keep watching the movie without her. She walked to her car, already feeling the anger she was gonna feel when she got there. As she started her drive over, she played her favorite Grateful Dead album, Wake of The Flood. They always helped her stay calm when she was gonna burst. When she pulled up, she could already hear the loud, overbearing music and could already see the stumbling teenagers rejoicing in the end of their school year. She parked her car, and decided to dive head first into the sea of her peers in search of the dumbass boy she had befriended last year. The floor was sticky beyond belief, and the smell of the air was a mixture of disgusting and putrid. Her blood was already beginning to boil, but reached its point when she heard, “Harrington, your girl is here to pick you up.” The girl whipped her head around and saw a pack of boys standing around Steve cracking up, all of them visibly less gone than he was. She hurried her pace to go over to the group, she grabbed his wrist with a firm grasp and an authoritative “Let’s go”. Steve followed close behind her, stumbling ever so slightly, slowly becoming closer and closer to her, almost as if she was a stable surface to push his body weight onto.

“Y/N. Y/N. Y/N. Y/N, you’re going too fast. “ The girl slowed her pace a little bit.

“Y/N, are you mad at me? I don’t want you to be mad at me. I was just trying to have a little fun for once.” It felt like a dagger going through her heart, ‘for once’. That one hurt her.

“Y/N, please talk to me.” They had just reached the passenger side of the door, and she was buckling him in, just as Chief Hopper arrived to break it up.

“Steve, stay here.” She had rushed over to Hopper when he was getting out of his car.

“Hey Hop. I’ll file this tomorrow morning; this is Tommy Hagan’s house just so you know.”

“Believe me, I know. This isn’t my first time coming here. Why are you here?”

“I had to pick up an idiot friend. I’ll let you go do your thing, just thought I should inform you just in case.”

“Thanks Y/N, see ya.”

She prepared herself for what was coming once she got in the car. Her heart was beating out of control. However, she was pleased when he was quiet while she was buckling herself in, but once she started her car the chattering was back.

“Y/N/N, why are you mad at me?” His voice was super sad, but she was also really upset.

“I’m mad because I didn’t really want you or me coming to this party tonight, but you came and I had to come to get you because you can’t handle your alcohol. Also, you said have fun for once. I thought we had fun when we hang out but whatever.” At this point, she was on her way to his house.

“Y/N, I’m Sorry. I promise.”

“Yeah, whatever its fine.” The car then fell silent, until he realized she was taking him to his house.

“You can’t take me to my house.”

“What? Why?”

“My dad will kill me if he finds out I have been drinking.” She could tell he was starting to sober up, even just a little bit.

“Okay, well I can’t take you to my house with me, so how about we drive around until you think you can see your dad?” The boy nodded his head. Just as he did that, her favorite song from the album came on. She started humming along until the chorus hit, where she started full on singing.

“Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world,” he began staring at her as she sang along, “This is my favorite lyric Stevie, ready… Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings, Isn’t that beautiful?”

“Yeah, it really is.” Love starting filling his eyes, but she never saw it. They drove for a while longer, until he felt comfortable enough to go home. She looked at the clock, and saw her curfew was about to expire in about 20 minutes. This dwindled down to ten by the time she got to Steve’s. She put the car in park, got out and walked him up to his room, knowing the layout of the house as well as she’d known her own. She got him up to his room and ready for bed, before walking over to the door to leave, knowing she’d be the one to have to talk to Mr. Harrington. Steve stopped her as she was leaving by saying,

“I really am sorry Y/N. I promise you that this will never happen again.”

Except that promise was repeatedly broken. The amount of times that she had to leave her house to rescue a drunken Steve Harrington, or as people would say “King Steve”, from a disgusting party became too much for her. The last time he called her, was the last time that they had ever talked after nearly 2 years of nonstop friendship.

Junior year came at her like a flash, and here she was three months in, finding herself lost without Steve by her side. But deep down in her heart, she knew that this ‘King Steve’ character was just a façade that he needed to deal with, and that her best friend would be himself again eventually. That didn’t make her feel any better about the whole situation regardless.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things x y/n

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themousefromfantasyland · 4 years ago

Text

The Yule Man (1/7)

As told by ME

This was meant to be a short story, but it became too big, so I separated it in seven parts. I want to turn my blog in a space where I can share my writting every once and a while.

This is the first time I post one of my stories on a public space. This is the first time anyone besides my sister will be able to read, so I'm pretty exciting and anxious. I want honest criticism. I hope you all enjoy it.

"It's he who brings the Yule ice and snow to Arnsberg." The little girl said.

Everything seemed somehow brighter and warmer on that peaceful afternoon.

The lines of holly hanged above the walls and windows gave an otherworld feel to the street. The jingle of the bells of the market down the avenue helped to remind how happiness sounded like. Silver bells adorned the rooftops. The traditional statues of silver stood on the churches’ terrains.

They promised that the Silver God would once again bless his holy season. The store windows promised an affable and cozy night. That was not what that beggar boy received.

The confectionery attendant shoved him away with all scorn and disdain possible in a man. Why did he should show him kindness? The boy couldn't pay, and he was so filthy dressed he would drive customers away. And as he said beneath his breath while coming back to the store:

"Magic only brings trouble."

Mia Hayek and her baby sister were stepping in their carriage when they saw the scene. The poor young man looked at the sweets in the windows of the confectionery with so much craving. He looked as if he hadn't eaten anything in a long time.

She took out her long wide hat and her cotton scarf and asked her sister if she knew that boy. The little girl, with all sincerity that a child is capable off, responded.

He had a slender and thin body, but the enormous, hooded fur coat worn swallowed it completely. He carried a huge bag of shabby cloth against his back. The fur hood and the cloth around his lower face made it hard to give him an age. Mia was sure he couldn't be older than twenty.

Everyone in Arnsberg knew the boy. Always seen wandering without destination in the Solstice Eve carrying that stained bag. He arrives in town no sooner than the first snow. He stays for the twelve days of the Yule Festival, then he disappears. And no one can find him before the next one.

Mia saw him in the last year. He lived near the park in front of the bakery. The baker shoved him away as if he was a stray dog. He has not changed a thing from then.

"He never changes." Sophia mindlessly added. "Even mother remembers him from her time. He never changes."

Mia stared at the boy. Ragged and disheveled. Time had devoured those clothes, tattered and grimy as they looked.

"Is he magical?" Mia asked.

"Yeah!" Her little sister nodded. "But he can only bring the snow, he can't control it. He's harmless."

"Stay here!" She told her.

Mia stepped out of the carriage and walked in the direction of the boy as fast as her boots allowed. Noticing being followed, he turned. She stopped in the spot.

The hood obscured his face. He maintained his back bended, and he avoided looking into her eyes. By the way he stayed quiet, she knew he was nervous. People dressed like her usually didn't had nice things to say to people dressed like him.

"You're beautiful!" He whispered to himself, hoping only he listened.

She smiled back.

"Thank you!"

She heard and he could only blush in response.

"Sorry, but I always see you around here during this time." She began saying while messing with her curly hair. "The town can get pretty cold. Do you have where to pass the night."

The boy chuckled, and she could see a vague spark in his eyes.

"The cold never bothered me anyway, madam."

"What do you carry with you?" She came forward and touched his long bag. It felt so freezing that she immediately withdrew as by sheer impulse.

He lowered the cloth that covered his face and looked up to her, allowing Mia to take a deep look.

"I... I should already release this thing, but... I got distracted. I wanted to find something to eat first, so..." He sounded so nervous, trying so hard to justify himself, as if fearing punishment.

His face was pale and soft, still with signs of boyhood. His eyes were big and innocent, in bright green. His beard was as red as a fox, and it was shaggy and full of pieces of ice.

"...and now I don't know where to release this stuff."

"Do you have where to spend the holidays?" She interrupted him.

"No." He answered embarrassed.

The question really pierced through him. She saw how it affected him in the wrong way. A second question slipped through her mouth before she could have time to re-evaluate it.

"Do you found somewhere to eat?"

He didn't respond.

She drew his hands, letting his bag land on the ground. It surprised her how soft and warm they were.

"Stay the Yule with us."

Mia could just have brought him food and then forget anything about him in the next day. Any normal person would do that. Maybe she felt a genuine urge to help him. Maybe her pity for him spoke louder. Perhaps she found him too adorable to let go. Whatever the real reason may be, something drew her to him.

"My father is wealthy, but generous. I'm sure he'll allowed it."

He smiled to her by a second, as if he loved the idea, but then he frowned, as if he remembered something.

"I'm sorry. You have been very kind, but I can't."

"Please!" She insisted, her voice cracking a little. "You can't spend the Yule in the streets and in the cold."

""I already used to it."

He forced a sly grin, as if trying to tranquilize her. He continued. "I'm sure you mean well, but it's better that I stay here."

"Our mansion is always open to those who need it, and you'll be well treated there."

"A mansion?" He frowned.

"My father is Mr. Hayek. My name is Mia Angela Hayek. Ravi de vous rencontrer." She greeted him with the dress.

"Never heard of him." He joked.

"Please, stay with us. We...

"Is it comfy..."

"What?" She asked surprised.

He spoke in a tone that made her think of a timid small boy.

"Your mansion. Is it comfy and cozy? That's how I always picture these places to be." He didn't want her to see he smiled.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Does it have a fireplace?"

"Yes. You can drink hot cocoa by it and eat some gingerbread cookies if you want."

"I never eat a gingerbread cookie."

"You can eat all sweets you wish. The kitchen has smelled wonderful since morning. My father is giving a big ball tonight. It will be so full of cakes and sweets. It will make even the most illustrious confectioneries envious."

Mia saw how much the idea pleased him, how much it tempted him to say yes. Yet, something held him back.

Against his better judgment, he said:

"Okay."

The air grew colder on that moment. The winter breeze brought chills down her spine. Whatever it was, the boy felt it too.

"But just for one night." He soon added.

"What's your name?"

"I don't have one." He said while pulling back his bag.

She tilted her head.

"How come you have no name?"

"Never needed one."

James Hayek had all the reasons to be jolly during the holidays. This son of immigrants became the most important merchant in all the North Kingdom. The Hayeks were the wealthiest mixed family in Arnsberg. This filled him with pride, but also a deep sentiment of duty. As a child of Arnsberg by heart he felt as his duty to retribute all his good luck back to the community.

The Hayek Mansion was a charming building located near the road down to Arnsberg, far close to the forest. Mr. Hayek certified himself that its doors would be forever open to the town that welcomed him.

It was the Solstice Eve. Tomorrow the Yule Festival would begin, twelve days of tradition and merriment. A gigantic fir-tree of nine meters was brought to the mansion's courtyard. The servants of the Hayek family surrounded its needles with all sorts of ornaments. They garnished the Yule Tree with silver, gold, and all kinds of jewelry. On its top, the Solstice Sun ornament promised to shine brighter than the real one. Not even Queen Ava's tree in the Royal Palace was as beautiful as the one who stood now in the Hayek Mansion.

Dozens of statues of goats surrounded the tree, all carefully made of pure straw. A somewhat forgotten tradition that Mr. Hayek couldn't let go in any capacity.

Two full tables had been already set. Roast turkeys and ducks, steamed hams and caramelized cods covered the first table.

The second table looked like a small child's fever dream. Colorful palaces of gelatin and chocolate sprinkled with sugar. Snowy towns and castles of gingerbread covered with white marzipan. Fountains and rivers flowing with chocolate. Towers of cakes and pies. Mountain chains of pudding with nuts and chestnuts boulders. It had enough to maddening the youth.

When Mia and Sophia arrived at the Hayek residence, the Yule Log had been already tossed into the fire. Both her and her sister helped the fur-cladded boy stepped out of the carriage. No sooner they crossed the golden gates, the servants already whispered between themselves. They couldn't help but gaze at the peculiar young man with awe and curiosity.

As soon as the girls walked upon the carpet in the living room, their parents rushed to speak to them. When Mr. Hayek first heard the news, he had to come to see it by himself.

"You brought the Yule Man?" He gave a strong laughter that came straight from the bottom of his belly.

The boy didn't know how to react, so he stepped behind the sisters and gave him an awkward smile.

Mr. Hayek was a cheerful and youthful old man. Mrs. Hayek could be the proudest woman the world has ever seen. She fitted the role of the women who dressed to show the world her social status. Her blue eyes had troubles showing affection. Her corn-like hair was stylized in the same way as the fashion magazines. Meticulously armed.

She approached Mia to talk in particular.

"You should be getting dressed." She spoke with veiled bitterness.

Mia tried her best to argue back.

"Sorry mother, I was doing shopping when..."

Her mother definitely didn't want to know. She twisted her eyebrows and said:

"Why are you so irresponsible. I'm tired of sorries. And what are you wearing for the gods' sake" She started yelling.

Mia swallowed her mother's sermons with her best poker face. Since she was a child, she knew how harsh Mrs. Hayek's criticism could be. Nothing different from the woman that searched for defects in everything.

"You know how this night is important. It's your first ball. My daughter shouldn't look like a hag." She took a pause to breath. "Go get dressed!"

Sophia came forward.

"Can the Yule Man spend the Yule with us?" She asked with manipulative eyes.

"You can't bring him here." She whispered while offering a false smile to greet the newcomer boy.

Fritz and Thomas, Sophia's elder brothers, looked at him with intense curiosity.

"Magic always leads to trouble." She put.

"Mother, he needs us." Mia shot back. "Besides not aging, there's not that much he can do. He is harmless."

"Mia, can you stop arguing..." Her mother tried to shut her down as she always did.

Mia had other plans.

"Father..." She turned to Mr. Hayek. "This is the true Yule Man. You can show him to the town's children tonight.

"I like children." His tiny voiced ricocheted off the living room walls. They turned to face him.

"They are nice to me." He said in a small tone behind them.

They almost had forgot he was still there.

"My dear, I don't know..." Mr. Hayek gazed at his unhappy wife.

"Remember when you were young and poor, and they chased you off that department store." She pointed to the boy. “They shoved him out of the confectionery as if he were nothing. He doesn't have where to spend the Yule days. He never had."

Mr. Hayek grew quiet. Not everyone had been nice to him. The way he looked had closed a lot of doors before. He promised to never take part in any judgment by appearances.

"You win." He winked at her. "Okay. Welcome to our Yule party Mr. Yule Man.

The boy looked at Mrs. Hayek. He saw her eyes steaming.

The guest started appearing around the evening. The parties in the Hayek Mansion always yielded weeks of conversation and gossip. They were more accessible than official public events. Open to everyone who wanted to participate. Thanks to that Mr. Hayek received the charming nickname of the "Father of the Poor." from his enemies. He liked it.

In her bedchamber, Mia wore a ballgown that had the color of the winter night sky. A low busted and short sleeved gown that drew attention to her silhouette. It was richly embroidered with snowflake patterns that surrounded her skirt. A delicate bow tied her curly brown hair back, drawing attention to her delicate face. Her strong red lipstick contrasted quite well with her light-brown skin tone.

When she went down the staircase. She gasped at how beautiful her house looked. Decks of holly, ivy and winter roses scattered everywhere. When the Yule Man saw her, he gasped at how beautiful she looked. He raced to her, still with his bag.

"Why are you still wearing this thing?" She pressed her lips together. She sounded just as her mother.

"Sorry If I was too rude. Do you like it?"

"No. No. I don't like this thing at all." He chuckled while eating a huge piece of marzipan with his free hand.

"So, why do you wear it?"

"As if I had a choice." He smirked.

He had finished his attack on the table of sweets. His mouth still was stained with sugar and chocolate. She noticed he had pockets in his suit, because they were full of gingerbread cookies and pieces of cake. The corners of her mouth lifted a smile as soon as she realized it.

When they arrived at the courtyard, the guests already crowded the place. The music had begun. The youthful couples already waltzed together amid the chatter of their families. That scene never failed to fill Mia's eyes, and now she could be officially a part of it. Her first ball as a woman.

She saw her mother approaching.

"What are you wearing." She yelled in her lowest tone.

Mia stood in her defensive position.

"Mother, you promised I could pick my own dress."

Mrs. Hayek exhaled.

"Yeah, I did. You look beautiful."

Mia smiled in relief.

"You too mother."

"You look perfect, and it's Yule, but don't exaggerate on the food." She laughed. "You know how the woman in our family have problems with weight."

Mia forced a yellow smile as a good daughter. As soon as her mother departed, the boy tried to cheer her.

"That was close. You survived the attack of the amazing shrew. Good job."

Mia laughed out loud. He felt proud with himself.

The children on the place couldn't stop looking at him with amazement. She turned to him.

"You don't really have a name?"

His smile disappeared.

"No."

He tried to physically walk out of that social interaction. She followed him.

"Do you at least have parents or relatives?"

He spent a couple seconds thinking.

"I don't know. I believe that I don't."

"Where you go when you aren't in Arnsberg? Do you visit other cities?"

"I prefer not to think about that." He said as politely as he could.

"Can I ask about the bag?" She joked.

He handled the bag over to the other hand.

"Nope!"

He really didn't like the direction of that conversation.

"Can I least ask you about the beard? Do you like it?"

He stopped. He looked at her.

"Not even a little." He laughed. "It's shaggy, it scratches, and it annoys me so much."

"Why you don't shave it?"

"As if I had a choice."

That was getting on her nerves.

"Why wouldn't you have a choice?"

He looked deep into her eyes.

"Because only real people have a choice."

On that same moment, a man wearing a red fur cloak and carrying a sack full of toys and stepped out of the servant’s door. The children gasped and cheered his presence and rushed in his direction. The adults were left amazed. Santa Claus had arrived. By his side, a very tall man came closer, wearing a wooden goat mask and wearing a very thick coat. On his hand he carried birch branches. The children surrounded them in seconds. The Goat-masked man asked in his spookiest voice if they had been nice or naughty that year. Santa had already start delivering the presents to all the children.

Mia nudged him.

"It's my father. He lives by the Yule Festival." She boasted. "He loves to dress like Santa. He's the only black St. Nick in the town."

"I find funny how you always seem to agree that he's an old fat man in red."

He left her confused.

"Excuse me."

"St. Nicholas is way younger than that. And he drinks." He chuckled. "A lot."

She tilted her head and frowned.

"How can you tell? No one can see him."

He stayed quiet.

"Do you know the real Santa?"

He broke the silence.

"He's a good man. He's nice to me. The Yule Goat is bad. He's very bad. He beats children."

He nodded to the goat masked man. Mia saw that it unsettled him a bit.

"Calm down. It's just Edgar, our butler. He likes to scare kids, so every year he dresses like the Yule Goat."

All the kids after receiving their presents ran to his side. Mr. Hayek as the jolly saint came closer to Mia at said in direction of the young man:

"This man..." He certified himself to be heard by everyone. "...is the Yule Man. Today he will show us the magic of the Yuletide season."

The crowd turned and stared at him in intensity. The typical hypocrisy of mortals: They fear magic but can't lose a chance to see it close. The boy himself stayed quiet as a mouse in his spot.

Mia asked in his ear:

"Crowds make you nervous"

"Yep" He almost couldn't be heard.

"I realized."

He walked to the center of the courtyard without saying no more words. Near the fir-tree he tossed his bag on the ground. Mia attended all that closely.

He pulled the knot that tighten the bag closed and opened it. A single snowflake came out first. It flew like a white butterfly in the direction of the wind. Calm, gentle, beautiful. It shimmered like nothing else. Some of the children ran after it and tried to catch. A second came out, and third, and a fourth. The snowflakes then burst out of the bag, billions of them. Small bright crystals that looked more like pixie dust.

He opened his arms and allowed the endless wave of light blast off and fill the skies. The crowd clapped and cheered in a mad frenzy. Mr. Hayek couldn't believe his eyes.

Mia stood there, speechless. The sight took all her ability to think properly.

The Yule Man closed his eyes. He shook both hands together as quick as he could. The bright outburst ceased. The bag dissolved in icicles. As if the world's largest swarm, they dashed up, up into the sky, while the snow started to fall.

He turned back to them.

"And this...This is how the Yule snow comes to Arnsberg."

The crowd clapped in pure ecstasy. He exhaled relieved.

The kids chased him. The adults had troubles understanding what happened. Mia stayed quiet in her thoughts processing everything.

The north wind blew over them all. The boy felt the message sent to him down to his bones. A dark figure appeared in the corner. He knew there were consequences to be dealt with.

Mia searched for him when he appeared and shook her hand.

"I'm grateful for everything..." He started. "... but St. Nicholas saw me. I already violated too many rules."

And he ran away.

"What!"

She stayed behind, left speechless again.

Mia marched to her parents close to the mansion's entrance.

"Father, what did you said to him?"

She took Mr. Hayek by surprise.

"Nothing, I..."

Sophia stopped playing with the other girls and their new toys and walked to them.

"It was not him. It was the real Santa.

"Hey!" His heart broke. He said visibly offended. "How long do you know I am not..."

Mia interrupted him.

"Sophia, why are you talking about?"

"St. Nicholas came here to talk to him."

"How I didn't see him?"

She responded with such innocence that terrified Mia.

"He's invisible to you."

Mia rushed back inside and searched for him everywhere. She found him when he was getting nearer the front gate.

"Why did you leave?" She approached him behind pulled him by the arm. You said you would spend the night here."

"I can't. I simply can't. St. Nicholas talked to me...

"Santa? Santa threatened you?"

"No. St. Nicholas is nice to me." He argued. "Only a few like him are. The North Wind brought him here. He told him how I was breaking the rules. Different from him, I can be seen by mortals. He thinks it's not wise for me to get too close to them, to you."

He paused as soon as he realized how that sentence could be interpreted.

"To you guys, the mortals, your family." The awkwardness possessed his body.

Her forehead furrowed while pressing her lips together.

"What are the rules?"

He scratched his head and lowered it down.

"I arrive to Arnsberg by the first light of the Solstice Eve. I must leave before the first light after the Yule days are over."

Her expression lightened.

"So, you can spend the festival with us."

"Do you even listen to me?" He cried out loud.

She placed her hands over his shoulder.

"Listen, you will not violate any rules. As long as you left..." She gesticulated for him to continue it.

"Before the first light after the Yule days are over." He added.

"I know you liked here. So, what do you say.”?

"Mia, I can't."

She raised her voice.

"So, they want you to spend the holidays in the street?"

"I don't have a choice." His jaw clenched and he shut his eyes.

She drew him closer.

"Yeah, you do."

That simple phrase teared down his walls. He no longer felt the ground under his feet. His eyes teared up.

"Do you really believe that." He said in a cry voice.

She struggled to look him in the eyes now.

"I do." She smiled to him.

He closed his eyes.

"Okay, I will spend the Yule Festival with you."

He heard the wind blowing outside. A very bad omen indeed. For some Mia sensed butterflies on her stomach. She felt a sweet taste in her mouth. Something sweet and warm inside her chest.

"Okay, I will ask Edgar to lead you to the Guest room."

He shook his head.

"It isn't necessary. I hate giving people trouble. I can sleep anywhere."

She raised her eyebrows.

"But you need a name. Can I call you Christopher? I always found a beautiful name."

"Yeah, you can." His eyes twinkled while the corners of his mouth quickly turned up.

She stepped closer.

"Happy Yuletide, Chris!"

#christmas #holiday season #yuletide #my writting #writters on tumblr #my story #winter solstice #The Yule Man

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emperorforanhour · 4 years ago

Text

Meta-Interview 3: Amazing. Never-Before-Seen.

Sophia sits back in the INTERVIEWER seat, still looking very out of place. On the other side, Wayneppoid is far more relaxed in his posture. A sun conure perches on top of his head, a few strands of hair captured in its beak. He seems unbothered by this. Sophia’s gaze drifts to the bird for a moment, before returning to the camera.

Sophia: “Jazz is biting your hair, I believe-”

She is cut off by the bird, Jazz, squawking, which makes her jump back. Wayne reaches up and pets Jazz with one finger.

Wayne: “Jazz! No sexism.”

The bird squawks again, a little quieter, and hops onto Wayne’s shoulder, before crawling into his shirt. Wayne looks down, baby-talking to his bird.

Wayne: “You gonna let us do the interview, buddy?”

Jazz peeps, muffled by the fabric, and Wayne looks back to Sophia.

Wayne: “Alright, should be good now.”

Sophia: “Was there even a point to starting the recording on a timer if we’re going to be interrupted anyway?”

Wayne: “They got Jazz cam, it’s fine.”

Sophia: “Right, I suppose so.”

Sophia reaches for her clipboard again, flipping the pages back to the first.

Sophia: “I didn’t ask Sonic to introduce himself in his interview, but that was primarily because, well, as you’re aware, the audience is probably already well aware of who he is. Not that I mean any offense, but I don’t think you are quite as ubiquitous as him.”

Wayne: “None taken, it’s fucking Sonic. Wayneradiotv may be kinda popular but we aren’t doing Iron Man numbers.”

Sophia: “So… Who are you, then?”

Wayne clears his throat, and his voice shifts, sounding similar but… synthesized, rather than natural.

Wayne: “Have you heard of Hatsune Miku?”

Sophia: “I’m… not very familiar.”

Wayne: “It’s a reference, Sophia.”

Sophia: “Ah, my apologies.”

Wayne: “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, Miku’s a bunch of voice samples, and people use those to make songs without having to sing it themselves. So, I’m like that. But free!”

He coughs again, and his voice returns to normal.

Sophia: “But, that’s not all, yes?”

Wayne: “Well, yeah. I’m like, if Miku was the voice of a Twitch dude.”

Sophia: “Wayneradiotv?”

Wayne: “Yup. If any of you guys have seen the Half Life VR Funny, or that “THERE IS NO FRIDGE” bit? That’s him. He’s got a whole group of friends he streams with, as well, and they all do cool shit on the regular too. I’m basically him but digital, and also Miku.”

Sophia glances down at her clipboard, and looks back up, eyebrow raised.

Sophia: “I suppose you aren’t digital now, are you?”

Wayne: “Guess not. What am I now, a robot or something?” Sophia: “I don’t think it ought to matter too much. Though, isn’t Jazz the physical Wayne’s bird?”

Wayne: “Yeah. I guess he’s a clone? He hates women as much as the original, though.”

He reaches into his shirt to pet Jazz as he speaks. The bird chirps in response.

Sophia: “Right. So, I presume your, or rather his, experience with streaming is what you believe would make you a good interviewer?”

Wayne: “Yeah. I mean, Char’s a dick and Random…”

Sophia: “Is Random, yes.”

Wayne: “And like, no offense to Scratch, he’s a cool dude, but I dunno if he’d be able to handle being the face of something like this.”

Sophia: “Scratch is a DJ, he would be used to crowds.”

Wayne: “Yeah, but there’s a lot less talking going on there. And, uh, I don’t see him around the others much. Does he talk to the contestants?”

Sophia frowns, her gaze flicking to the camera.

Sophia: “I don’t think discussing a friend’s personal business is really fitting behaviour f-for an interviewer.”

Wayne: “Shit, sorry. I’m just kinda worried about him-”

Sophia: “W-We can talk about that afterward.”

Wayne: “Right. Okay. Anyway. Yeah, I mean I’m not actually Wayne or anything like that, but I’m basically him in personality and stuff, so I can… talk good. Some of the actual contestants are, uh, weird dudes, you don’t really want the interviewer to also be out of their goddamn mind, y’know?”

Sophia: “That’s true. I’m familiar with the concept of the ‘straight man’. Judging by your base’s most popular work, I’d say you’d fit that role well.”

Wayne: “Y’know people bitch about Gordon cuz they DON’T get what a straight man is?”

Sophia: “And yet I’m sure they’d complain twice as hard if it was just utter chaos.”

Wayne: “Yeah, exactly!”

Sophia nods, her gaze returning to her papers. Jazz wriggles in Wayne’s shirt in response to him getting louder.

Sophia: “Besides in terms of their potential as interviewers, what do you think of the other bonuses?... Hm. Obviously, besides anything unsuitable for broadcast, as well.”

Wayne: “You make it sound like I’m gonna start talking shit.”

Sophia: “S-Sorry, that’s… you know what I mean, though.”

Wayne: “I guess? Scratch is a cool dude, he’s recommended some absolute bangers. Wish I could get ‘em over to the real Wayne so he could add them to the stream playlist. Shame about his game.”

Sophia doesn’t respond. After a moment, she shakes her head as if remembering something and raises her eyebrow.

Sophia: “Hm?”

Wayne: “Yeah, you’re being weird about it again. I’ll move on, I guess. Sonic… I mean, he’s Sonic the fucking Hedgehog. We both know Miku, so we actually had shit to talk about when we met up for the first time. It’s still surreal to be friends with him, though. I should ask him when they’re bringing Monkey Ball back.”

Sophia: “Char?”

Wayne: “I dunno much about Gundam. That ‘I’ll kill you’ scene from Gundam Wing’s funny, but I don’t know what, like, a Zeon is. And the dude’s just an asshole so I doooooon’t really wanna ask him about it.

Long Furby’s kinda scary to look at, but she’s alright. She kinda reminds me of Holly, I think they’d get along. They’ve got the same powerful chaotic energy.

Random’s… I mean, it sure says shit. It’s a big question mark, what else am I gonna say about it?”

Wayne shrugs.

Wayne: “I’m pretty sure it started playing an ad for, like, gamer drugs at me once? The fuck’s up with that?”

Sophia: “It did?” Wayne: “It’s never done that to you?” Sophia: “Honestly, I had assumed it just pulled from the same pool of sounds no matter who was around. If it’s at all aware of who it’s ‘talking’ to...”

Wayne: “That’d mean it’s fucking ALIVE!”

Sophia: “Let’s hope not, then. Because if it is, then that makes its behaviour infinitely more irritating.

A-Anyway, do you have any thoughts on the contestants? It sounds like you’ve gotten to know some of them already.”

Wayne grins.

Wayne: “So, obviously went to go talk to the Spies first. The comic dudes liked Jazz, but the Spy didn’t really want to talk to me at first. But, I mean, I’m sort of a Valve rep, so eventually we wound up getting along. Won’t tell me when Half Life 3’s coming out, though.

That arcade cabinet fucking haaaaates me. I’ve told him I’m not even the actual streamer here, but he tells me I’m still made on a computer and that’s even worse. Says VR’s stealing his gimmick, says I’m promoting the things that killed his medium, says I should stop playing Neil’s music on stream… Dude, Wayne just plays it when someone donates for it. Also, isn’t he literally a Neil song?”

Sophia: “It’s complicated, I believe.”

Wayne: “I guess it has to fucking be.

Uhhh, don’t know Dorime too much, except one time everyone else in the cafeteria started making fun of us for being the only straight people.”

Sophia: “Wha-I’m sorry that happened, I should’ve interv-”

Wayne: “Nah, it’s fine. It was all jokes, aside from Cabinet Man I think. Pix had to punch him in the screen to get him to fuck off.

Oh, speaking of Pix, her and Bit are cool. When their game comes out, I’ll… do something to get Wayne to stream it. Not really sure what, but I’ll figure it out. Wish Jazz didn’t hate women so much, cuz they’ve both asked to pet him so much, and I don’t want them to get bitten.

Baba is a good boy. Another creature here I WISH I could show to Holly, oh my God. He’s softer than I was expecting. Like a pillow.”

Wayne is tearing up just thinking about Baba.

Sophia: “Baba is one of the nicest creatures I’ve ever encountered, to tell you the truth.”

Wayne: “Yeah, same.

Pony is… I mean. It’s a horse, right? Terrifying.” Sophia: “Terrifying?” Wayne: “Yeah! Horses are fucking scary, dude. And this guy’s all glitchy and stuff as well, so it’s even worse.”

Sophia: “I… see. Now, I think we should start wrapping this interview up, so, do you have any final statements to make to the audience?”

Wayne thinks for a moment, and opens his mouth to speak, but Jazz interrupts, peeping up a storm. The bird flies out of his shirt, landing on his head, and then takes off again. Both Wayne and Sophia shout in surprise, as Jazz turns and heads right for the tripod.

Wayne: “Jazz, no!-”

The bird knocks the camera from it’s stand, and the feed cuts out.

#sophia demiourgos #interview #lore post #emperor for an hour #wayneppoid

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beautifulterriblequeen · 5 years ago

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First Yule

For Ruthari Week 2020

AU: Prince Runaan Headcanon

Pairings: Runaan x Ethari

Rating: Gen

Archive warnings: None

Prompt #7: Jewelry/Formal wear

“His Royal Highness Runaan of the Moonshadow Elves, and escort.” The seneschal’s voice rang out across the circle of raised marble that served as the entry hall into the massive feasting room. Ethari’s fingers tightened on Runaan’s as his princely boyfriend held them in a formal pose. Runaan paused for a bare moment at the top of the blue-carpeted stairs, letting them both be seen by any guests below who wished to look up. Ethari felt the tug in Runaan’s fingers and smoothly mimicked him, hoping he hadn’t looked too obvious in trying to head on down the stairs first.

The room below them was vast. Ethari thought he’d seen big rooms before, back in the village, but he had not. Not like this. Even the largest understump in the Silvergrove couldn’t compare to this sprawling hall.

Six long arc-shaped tables criss-crossed each other to form a snowflake-esque eating area in the very center of the hall. Serpentine crystals glowing in blue and green hung from the great lacy dome of the ceiling, interspersed with flickers of white and blue as birds and moths flitted through them, occasionally landing on soft vines that grew down from the outside roof above. The air rippled with laughter and murmurs of conversation and carried the bright twinkle of falling water on opposite ends of the great chamber. It was also pungent with aromas Ethari had never smelled before—things salty, fishy, spicy, and sweet, so unlike the traditional dishes of the Silvergrove.

The other guests swirled around the tables in an uncoordinated ring of small dances that was nonetheless beautiful for its unwieldy grace. The dances didn’t appear too complex. Ever since Runaan invited him back to the palace for Yule, Ethari had been worried that he’d appear far too backwoods to make a good match for Runaan. Especially in front of his large and powerful extended family.

“Shall we?” Runaan’s murmur pulled him out of his gaping.

Ethari shut his mouth with a quiet snap. “Sorry.”

Runaan squeezed his fingers, and they descended the carpeted steps to the main floor in perfect sync with each other.

The air cooled as they descended, and Ethari suppressed a shiver. How he could be cold while wearing so many layers baffled him. Runaan had helped him dress in formal attire worthy of being seen at an official holiday celebration at the palace, so Ethari felt confident that he fit in. Runaan had laced up his dark purple corset vest a bit loosely, “for dancing,” he said. Then had come a light, one-sleeved robe of lavender silk, with a single swooping crystal loop that rested against the silk as it strained across Ethari’s sturdy deltoid.

“I feel too… muscular in this. What if I break the crystal cord?” Ethari had murmured worriedly as he tested his range of motion.

Runaan’s response had been to smooth his fingers down Ethari’s arm, pressing it to his side again, and to reassure him that he couldn’t break the crystals. All while wearing a faint blush.

Lastly had come an asymmetrical mantle in deep navy velvet that clipped to Ethari’s corset vest on one shoulder, and then again on the opposite hip, through a high slit in the sleeveless robe’s side. Runaan settled a wide silver cuff etched with moon phases around Ethari’s bare bicep and linked it to a matching one around his wrist using a flutter of lavender silk. Then he’d smilingly tucked a gleaming moonstone belt through Ethari’s layers and buckled it in front for him before kissing his lips softly. “You’re perfect.”

Ethari adored the way Runaan looked at him in that moment, but his fluttery tummy wasn’t only from Runaan’s soft attention. He might look the part of a prince’s companion, but he had yet to open his mouth or attempt any palace rituals or traditions. Runaan had said he’d be right by his side the whole time, and Ethari was desperately clinging to the hope that he wouldn’t get called away.

Runaan smiled and tilted his horns toward him as they reached the end of the long staircase. “I know it’s out of your control, but I’m finding myself deeply appreciative of the fact that you’re exactly my height.”

“Y-you are?” Ethari looked over in surprise.

“My perfect match.” Runaan adjusted his hand and clasped Ethari’s less formally, as they always did while strolling around the Silvergrove together.

Ethari let out a big sigh and squeezed his hand hard. “Don’t let me out of your sight, my prince,” he said, only half joking. “I’d hate to start a war on accident if you abandon me for the drinks table for too long.”

Runaan chuckled and pulled him close, until they stood face to face, still holding hands. “You’re worth starting a war for, my light. But don’t worry. I won’t leave your side.” And there at the base of the steps, in full sight of everyone, Runaan took Ethari’s face in his strong fingers and kissed him. Far more than just a peck on the lips, Runaan’s kiss was warm and deep, and it made Ethari’s toes tingle.

“Hey, come up for air already,” someone said teasingly.

Ethari twitched in surprise, and Runaan let the kiss go, but he kept a hand on Ethari’s shoulder as he looked aside with a serious expression. “Riati. The Moon hasn’t claimed your soul yet, I see.”

“We both know you’re the one who’s gonna die first, Runaan,” the shorter, slender elf said, his tone cool and sharp. One of his dark horns were adorned with three rings, and he wore the same corset, robe, and mantle that Ethari had, but in light blue with teal accents. The markings across his cheeks were swirls, which Ethari appreciated, each split down the middle as marked members of the High Grove and their families.

Ethari tensed at the newcomer’s stance, but Runaan squeezed his shoulder warmly. Then Runaan and Riati grinned and threw their arms around each other, hugging tightly and chuckling. Ethari grinned and relaxed. This must be one of Runaan’s many cousins.

“Ethari, never play shadowknuckles with this elf,” Runaan said, as he held Riati in a loose neck hold. “He cheats.”

Riati pretended to be highly offended and elbowed Runaan lightly in the gut, causing the assassin to step back sharply with an oof. “A misunderstanding of the rules, I assure you,” Riati said primly, though the grin that flickered around his lips was not one that held interest in rules. “And this must be your new love, Runaan? He’s very handsome.”

Ethari blushed and only barely caught himself before he ran a nervous hand through his somewhat smoothed locks.

Runaan tucked his hands behind his back in a formal pose. “Ethari, may I present Prince Riati of the Moonshadow Elves, my mother’s sister’s son, and guardian of the Wilding.”

“The Wilding?” Ethari repeated.

“All that falls outside Cousin Athara’s Balance belongs to the Wilding,” Riatia intoned, before smirking and chuckling. “My mother serves on the High Grove in the Second Ring. We’re more metaphorical than the fuddy-duddies like Runaan here, who have actual jobs.” He swatted Runaan on the arm, making his crystal swoop jingle.

“Ah,” Ethari said faintly, as he entirely failed to keep up with all of Riati’s jargon. His eyes flicked to Runaan for a quick prompt.

But Riati saw and slipped in between the other two elves, taking Ethari by the hand and pulling him close for the first few steps of the Holly Rondel. “Oh,” he murmured in Ethari’s ear, “Runaan hasn’t bored you to death with all the inner workings of the High Grove? Well, not to worry, I’ll be happ—”

Runaan reached right between the elves and freed Ethari bodily from Riati’s grasp, spinning through and pulling Ethari into the next few steps of the dance. Ethari’s lavender armscarf fluttered wildly as Runaan spun him, and Runaan’s own turquoise armscarf caught the breeze and billowed brightly. Then he paused with Ethari on the far side from Riati and turned back to his shorter cousin. “You know what happens to those who wander outside the cycle too long, Riati. They get acquainted with me,” he said lightly. “Professionally.”

Riati was far from cowed, though. He crossed his arms and pouted prettily. “I’ll claim the rest of that dance later, then. Ethari, it was a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to the High Grove, and to Moonhollow.”

“Th-Thank you,” Ethari stammered, still trying to pick up on Riati’s mercurial moods.

Runaan swept his mantle in front of him with a quick, stiff bow and a mocking tip of his horns. “I’ll see you at the table, Riati.”

“I’ll look for you, then.” Riati’s even teeth bared in a pretty smile that seemed ever so slightly threatening.

But Runaan was pulling Ethari away toward the open floor near one of the two waterfalls that fell in through the flattened dome overhead.

“Did I do something wrong?” Ethari murmured. He kept a tight grip on Runaan’s hand.

“Not at all, my light,” Runaan reassured him. “Riati is, in a word, chaos. When princes of the forest are elflings, we’re all tested to see what our inclinations are, and the strongest in each category is raised to fulfill one of the sacred duties of the Moonshadow elves, with an eye to take over from one of the High Grove someday. Usually our own parents, but sometimes it changes. Riati tested highest for Wilding.”

“What does that really mean, though?”

“It means he’s a terrible Moonshadow. But sometimes, we need terrible Moonshadows to think outside the rules.”

Ethari blinked in surprise.

“Pray take your places for the Mistletoe Circle,” the seneschal boomed.

The elves all separated and began to line up in circles of six, all the way around the vast room. Even those seated and chatting rose and swanned out to join in the dancing circles.

Ethari followed Runaan to a circle near the waterfall and stood palm to palm with him, next to two other pairs of dancers, waiting for the music to begin. Uncertain and nervous, he pressed his hand against Runaan’s and felt his palm begin to sweat. Past Runaan’s shoulder, the waterfall’s dark cascade caught his eye.

“It’s… black,” he blurted.

“The shadowfall, yes.” The music swelled from all corners of the room, and Runaan took the lead.

Ethari followed him, recognizing elements from Silvergrove dances and eagerly twirling through them with his beloved. Runaan’s mood lifted fully as Ethari threw himself into dancing with him, letting his mantle swing wide and flutter close around his legs as he spun and stepped. He let his fingers trail up Runaan’s bare arm, across his silver cuffs, across his shoulders, and down his silken sleeve, and Runaan claimed his hand and spun him through the next steps. Halfway through the dance, Ethari actually got Runaan to laugh for a moment. The way the other two dancers stared, that seemed to be a rare thing—or at least it had been when Runaan still lived at the palace. Ethari tucked his smile deep down in his heart.

The dance ended, and Runaan let Ethari spin him around an extra couple of times as the last notes died away. Runaan’s cheeks were pink with exertion, and his smile was easy and warm, and Ethari wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss him again.

“It’s not called the Mistletoe Circle for nothing, Ethari,” Runaan murmured. He captured Ethari’s hands and dropped a soft kiss on each.

“Oh, I… I don’t know this part—”

“Yes, you do.” Runaan leaned in and kissed him, smelling of silk and spice, tasting of berries and honey. His fingers interlaced with Ethari’s, and he stood right against Ethari, so close that Ethari could feel his chest heaving for breath after the dance.

Ethari really couldn’t help the little whine that slipped over his tongue. He leaned his forehead against Runaan’s and panted quietly.

Runaan curled his fingers through Ethari’s. “Come on. This party’s just getting started. And I want to share every bit of it with you.”

Ethari’s grin was as wide as the forest. “Then lead on, my prince.”

#runaan #ethari #ruthari week 2020 #ruthari fanfic #runaari fanfic #tdp fanfic #runaan x ethari #runaari #ruthari #formal wear #moonshadow dancing #prince runaan #i know it's just the start #might write more i like this story

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lemonwaterwithice · 5 years ago

Photo

saffire’s lagoon, known affectionately and almost exclusively by locals in the area as saffy’s, is a beach-themed dive bar a few miles from ucf’s campus. opened in 2010 by a ucf grad who never quite got over his senior spring break trip to cancun, it’s known for its cheap drinks and lax security, making it a favorite among college kids and young adults. saffy’s features over ten bars inside and outside, a shot wheel, and a large man-made “beach” - an outdoor area covered in sand with a few “lagoons” throughout, where you’ll find mermaids pouring shots thursday through saturday. no one would ever describe saffy’s as quiet or clean and the service most nights is questionable at best, but it’s developed an almost cult-like following in the years it’s been open. people love saffy’s for what it is - a place to see classmates (or old classmates), drink $2 beer, and make questionable decisions without judgment.

hm? is this based on my two favorite bars bc i don’t know if i’ll get to go this summer? mayhaps!! but in any case, i’m looking for a group of co-dependent co-workers who contribute to the charm and the chaos that is saffy’s.

JACK / owner (first last, 32+, played by name) — founded saffire’s lagoon sometime after his college graduation in 2010 - whether it was a quarter-life crisis or a lifelong dream, the story changes depending on who asks. big time peter pan complex, could stand to do some growing up, just might for LAURA if she would ever give him the time of day. may or may not be the reason that the whole “never trust a man whose name starts with j” trend started going around, but he takes excellent care of the people he employs. despite his carefree attitude, saffy’s is his baby, he put blood, sweat, and tears into making it what it is, and he continues to work hard to ensure it’s success.

LAURA / front bar (first last, 30+, reserved for del) — has been working at saffy’s for as long as it’s been open and is almost as integral to its success as JACK is. the two of them are as close as one would expect after working together for ten years, although LAURA refuses to acknowledge that time they slept together after the infamous Holiday Party of 2015. she’s got the patience of a saint, usually the one left to train the new employees and ultimately decide who makes it working here or not. a tough love kinda gal, but always willing to lend a helping hand for the greater good. good at her job, dammit, just don’t try to pry into her personal life.

CALEB / beach bar (first last, 25+, played by name) — CALEB is LAURA’S younger brother (or cousin or bff, utp!!), something the rest of the staff figured out quick because his behavior would never have flown otherwise. like, LAURA once caught him and��RILEY doing coke in the bathroom during one of their breaks but let it go. also sometimes drinks on the job when he feels like it. lazy, but well-meaning, no one can find it in their heart to stay mad at CALEB for too long, even when they have to pick up his slack. prefers to spend his shifts flirting with JACK, too preoccupied looking around to see where he’s at on any given night to notice that ANGEL has been trying to get his attention.

ANGEL / beach bar (first last, 22+, reserved for jenn) — despite being hired around the same time as RILEY, MARA, OLIVER, and KYLE, no one knows much of anything about angel. but it’s not for lack of trying. it’s gotten to the point where the co-workers make up stories about her background and place bets on who can get closest to the truth, if ANGEL is willing to confirm anything in the first place. it’s not that she don’t want to share anything about herself, she’s just quiet, and it’s become kind of fun being the mysterious one in the bar. unbeknownst to the rest of the group, and without even realizing it himself, CALEB knows ANGEL better than anyone else.

RILEY / shot wheel + mermaid (riley emerson, 22, sydney sweeney, played by alex) — applied to work at saffy’s because her boyfriend at the time, KYLE, got an interview. they broke up (for the first time) shortly after, but she decided not to quit bc she really liked the attention of bartending. they’ve been off and on for the majority of their time at saffy’s, though in the last year or so, they broke up for good. RILEY is easygoing and friendly, usually the one found playing therapist to drunk girls at her bar. sometimes acts without thinking which has gotten her into more than a few sticky situations. trying to be more responsible now that she’s a college grad, which finds her turning down all of OLIVER’S advances.

MARA / beach bar + mermaid (holly mack, 24, kristine froseth, played by maddie) — MARA’S got a rep for being kinda mean to customers, but she’s so pretty that no one has ever complained. lives with the RILEY, but whether they hate or love each other just depends on the day. they had a 3-way with KYLE after the aforementioned Holiday Party of 2015, which continues to be the butt of many jokes among the staff. went on a date with KYLE shortly after that, but felt guilty bc of his relationship with RILEY so she made him swear to keep it a secret and she keeps him at an arm’s length to this day.

OLIVER / bouncer (first last, 22+, reserved for bribri) — something of a celebrity in the bar - there was once an entire instagram account dedicated to “saffy’s hot bouncer”. the attention mostly goes over his head, but JACK is happy to have him outside the front door most nights to bring business in. OLIVER’S a good guy, level-headed and patient enough to break up fights and turn away drunk people without anything ever escalating. he’s had a crush on RILEY since they all started working together four years ago, but kept his distance out of respect for KYLE. now that they’ve finally broken up, the two of them have been getting a lot closer, but he can’t tell how she actually feels about it.

KYLE / shot wheel (first last, 22+ reserved for derek) —KYLE is the resident himbo. pretty harmless because he’s so dumb, although like RILEY, he trends towards impulsiveness more often than not. KYLE’S the one behind some of the more chaotic practices and themes at saffy’s (i.e.: hawaiian shirt night). only got put at the shot wheel because they needed someone tall enough and strong enough to be able to spin it. he’s been trying to get moved to the beach bar so that he can spend more time with MARA because he knows that he can charm her if he can just get the chance.

ok so! this is just a list of co-workers that riley is closest with, but i am completely open to other staff members as well! they can be intermingled with the core group i have listed if you have ideas, or they can just be begrudging witnesses as they try to go about their job. i’m also open to other positions besides bartenders/bouncers, like bar backs and cooks, or the more administrative side of things, like marketing managers or operations. just let me know if you’re looking for a job for your character and what you have in mind, i’d be more than happy to squeeze as many people in as possible! reply here or add me on discord (alex???#0019) and i’d be happy to chat. thx for reading :)

first last, ##, owner, played by name

riley emerson, 22, bartender, played by alex

holly mack, 24, bartender, played by maddie

first last, ##, bouncer, played by name

first last, ##, bar back, played by name

+ etc.

#ntmyrp #pleathe

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 5 years ago

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Episode 129: Stuck Together

“I’m afraid right now.”

And here, after almost a hundred and thirty episodes of waiting, do we finally see that Lars can make a change.

The Good Lars was a great start, with Lars opening up enough to suggest that he might take a risk and let the Cool Kids know something real about himself. But he never makes it to the party, and as we learn here, it wasn’t because he was abducted. I Am My Mom proves that those events didn’t transform Lars, as when the going gets tough his instinct is self-preservation over all else. But these two incidents in quick succession, combined with his capture and uncertain future, yank him kicking and screaming into the realm of sincerity.

But not at first. After Aquamarine starts the episode off with Steven, reminding us of the recent plot and her all-around awfulness, Lars is discovered just in time to prove that he’s frustrating as well. It’s a different shade, as Aquamarine is a bully at every opportunity while Lars lashes out as a reaction to feeling pathetic, but he has the chance to be an ally when Steven needs one the most, and it’s lousy that he chooses spite.

Don’t get me wrong, Aquamarine is worse for sure: there’s no reason to further ensnare her captives now that they’re on the ship, and the process is uncomfortable for the humans and Topaz, but she orders it anyway. She goes back on her word by refusing to return Lars, which is predictable given they’re already in space, but still displays her lack of honor. She’s not even good at telling jokes, unhelpfully explaining that her fake tear is her gem. And while Lars evolves over the course of the episode, the idea that she would do likewise is silly enough to fuel the episode’s best sight gag.

Still, I’ll give her this: considering how she revels in lording over Topaz, and considering Topaz not only disobeys her but attacks her, Aquamarine has a single quiet moment of empathy when she chooses to let bygones be bygones. It’s the lowest of bars, as she only does so after breaking Topaz’s will and on the condition that Topaz follow her commands, and saying that “we’ll never speak of this again” shows that she wants this toxic status quo to remain forever, but this is a character who takes glee in cruelty, so it’s fascinating that she doesn’t leap at the chance to punish Topaz further. It’s the tiniest speck of affection you could hope for, and it doesn’t come close to “redeeming” Aquamarine, but it’s there, showing that even this little monster has an ounce of depth.

While Lars might have similar jerk vibes, railing against Steven and refusing to even try and break free, it’s just his starting point. Stuck Together crystallizes the loop that has defined Lars up to this point: he’s mean, then he gets some sympathy, then he seems ready to change, then he’s mean again. But there’s a big difference this time, and it’s not just the setting: after putting up with it for the entire series, Steven is done with Lars’s nonsense.

When Lars blames Steven for the alien invasion, Steven doesn’t even apologize, instead saying that of course he’s the reason aliens invaded, but he did everything he could to help and Lars should’ve escaped better. This is huge, as it not only breaks with Steven’s usual patience for Lars’s behavior, but comes at a time when Steven is feeling so low that we might expect more than ever for him to wallow in his failure. We then get into miscommunication: first Steven calls Lars worthless, meaning well but feeding into Lars’s insecurities, then Steven does a shoddy job of explaining a shoddy plan (how the heck was Lars supposed to lasso anything on the other side of the room?). This is not his best self, but if he was thinking things through he probably wouldn’t be on a ship hurtling towards the Diamonds in the first place.

Between the stress of recent events and his frustration with Lars, Steven snaps in a way that’s reminiscent of, well, Lars: short-tempered and impulsive and frazzled and loud. Lars admits at last that he’s always been driven by fear, and that Steven’s enduring faith in him only makes the problem worse. In the same way Lars thinks baking is lame because he likes doing it and he’s lame, he takes it as a given that he’s a wuss, so hearing anyone say otherwise is annoying rather than encouraging. But by explaining it aloud, the flip of personalities begins to form: now Lars is pepping up an ornery Steven, and Steven completes the puzzle by admitting his own fear.

It’s not as simple as Lars becoming Steven and Steven becoming Lars, but both take major cues from the other. And when Lars goes further in his tentative enthusiasm, Steven cuts him off by revealing a brilliant new wrinkle in their relationship: because he’s an optimistic kid with parent figures who have always sugarcoated the bitterness of life, he appreciates the one person who's willing to talk about how much things can suck. And in this new era of his life, where it’s become clear that the sugarcoating extends past white lies and into major secret territory, it’s more important than ever to have a friend who tells it like it is. There’s been an underlying notion in their entire relationship that Steven wants to help Lars out, but it’s so much more meaningful to hear that Steven hangs out with Lars because Lars is a crank.

This doesn’t mean Lars was perfect the way he was, or else his arc wouldn’t involve him changing. But there’s a huge difference between changing because it’s what makes other people comfortable and changing because it’s good for your soul, and this would be a very different story if Lars only grew to make Steven’s life better. Instead, it takes Steven showing Lars the value of his flaws for Lars to see enough value in himself to want to improve.

We wait just long enough on Topaz for her voice to matter most, threading the needle between emotional beat and punchline. Martha Higareda sells her change of heart in no time, showing the first instance of a same-Gem fusion having the deep relationship we’ve seen from cross-Gem fusions like Garnet; perhaps our ornery rubies are closer than we think when they form Big Ole Ruby, but we haven’t seen any evidence of it.

In lesser hands it might be hackneyed for the stoic character to reveal a soft heart, because the gentle giant is a bog-standard “don’t judge a book by its cover” trope. But this is our fifth episode in a row featuring Topaz as a wordless brute, first as a silhouette and then contrasted with a talkative brat of a partner. Are You My Dad in takes her into monster movie territory, complete with bloodcurdling music and tree-clearing stomps when she reveals her body full of writhing captives, and squeezing Jamie’s head in I Am My Mom is the most visceral threat we’ve seen a human face on the show. This isn’t just some big galoot opening up, it’s a Terminator showing she was a real girl all along.

A big reason why this works is that we don’t go full cloying, instead tempering the reveal with humor that’s both inherent (we don’t expect Topaz to get this emotional) and specific (using Steven’s pants to wipe the tears away). Instead of swinging for a Big Moment that exposes Topaz’s turmoil in a dramatic fashion, the mood is quiet and sweet. Topaz isn’t just a softy, she’s sort of a dork, and that extra bit of characterization for someone we’ll never see again in the original series is what makes Steven Universe so great. Effort always matters!

After seeing Steven help not one but two people begin to change, we see that he’s still stuck in his own rut of martyrdom: he plans to send Lars back alone and continue along his sacrificial path. Perhaps there’s a level of rationality to this, as if they both escaped then the ship would turn right back around to Earth. But Steven isn’t operating on rational thought, and he hasn’t been since his friends were first endangered: going to the Diamonds as Rose Quartz might secure his friends’ safety, but at the cost of near-certain death, so from a pure odds perspective it’d be better to go to the Zoo incognito where known allies like the Zoomans and Famethyst could help out. But he’s acting out of a misguided sense of duty, so he doesn’t express any tactical purpose for sending Lars away, instead repeating the idea that he must pay for Rose’s actions.

The perfect response to the downside of Steven’s selflessness is Lars presenting the upside of his selfishness. It might not be brave to run away, and Lars might only be on the ship in the first place because he ran away, but he’s right: if Steven doesn’t want to be punished for his mother’s mistakes, he shouldn’t have to be. It might be the easy way out, but we just saw Steven praise Lars’s ability to cut through the BS and find the truth, and here we see a prime example. And for just a second, Steven thinks about it.

But then Aquamarine barges in, because Steven isn’t allowed to learn his lesson quite yet. In the same way corruption is the Diamonds’ greatest sin, attacking many of their own troops to spite their foes, this is perhaps Aquamarine at her worst: it’s one thing to bully your enemies, but cruelty to a partner is a step beyond. Contrast has defined Topaz and Aquamarine from the moment we saw their shadows, and this is the final stage. We already knew one was big and the other was small, one was quiet and the other was chatty, but both acted as a single front with different but united antagonism. Now one is an ally and the other is an opponent, one is cute and the other is vicious, and while Topaz might have the upper hand in a physical fight and the heart to do the right thing, Aquamarine only needs her words and her ruthlessness to win the day.

This is the last we’ll see of Topaz and Aquamarine until the time jump, and it’s surprisingly brutal. We got a test-run of this story with Holly Blue Agate, another cerulean tyrant dominating a larger, friendlier force (this time in terms of size as well as numbers), and it ended with our new friends overcoming their oppressor. Not this time. Aquamarine emerges victorious, while Topaz splits up and slumps away in defeat, and that’s it until Steven Universe Future gives the latter a happy ending at Little Homeschool and the former a new role as Team Rocket villain.

Topaz getting her brief burst of joy snatched away sets the mood for our Homeworld adventure. We’ve long known that the Crystal Gems are a stubborn group of rocks, but at least they have the freedom to change if they wish. Homeworld Gem stubbornness is reinforced by a society that persecutes anyone that doesn’t fall in line, from the outcast Off Colors to the Diamonds themselves.

But the mood of this arc is also set by Lars, because like the ending of Stuck Together, this is a story about Lars being taken away from Steven. But it’s also a story where Steven helps Lars change, and with change comes a glimmer of hope.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

A great showcase for Steven and Lars, and a great coda for Aquamarine and Topaz. There’s not quite enough going on for it to make my favorites list, but it’s up there.

Top Twenty-Five

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

Last One Out of Beach City

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Mindful Education

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Earthlings

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Bismuth

Steven’s Dream

When It Rains

The Good Lars

Catch and Release

Chille Tid

I Am My Mom

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Beta

Back to the Moon

Kindergarten Kid

Buddy’s Book

Gem Harvest

Three Gems and a Baby

That Will Be All

The New Crystal Gems

Storm in the Room

Room for Ruby

Lion 4: Alternate Ending

Doug Out

Are You My Dad?

Stuck Together

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Bubbled

Adventures in Light Distortion

Gem Heist

The Zoo

Rocknaldo

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

Know Your Fusion

Future Boy Zoltron

Tiger Philanthropist

No Thanks!

6. Horror Club 5. Fusion Cuisine 4. House Guest 3. Onion Gang 2. Sadie’s Song 1. Island Adventure

(No promo art for this one, so I went with Jastea’s gorgeous take on Topaz.)

#stuck together #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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michelles-garden-of-evil · 4 years ago

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Episode 30 Review: The Executive Meddling Begins?

{ YouTube: 1 | 2 }

{ Full Synopses/Recaps: Debby Graham | Bryan Gruszka }

{ Screencaps }

Welcome to my Garden of Evil, where today we end one era of the history of Strange Paradise and begin a new one: the period of the “Lost Episode” summaries, when the soap opera’s producers forced headwriter Ian Martin to rewrite much of his original story, discarding many subplots and planned plot twists and negating the original episode synopses that had already been sent to newspapers throughout North America. The known published synopses for this episode are as follows:

"Vangie, the voodoo priestess, uses her conjurer's powers to weaken the evil spell which possesses Jean Paul and to plant the suggestion that she come to his private island."[1]

"A secret potion draws Jean Paul to a voodoo priestess."[2]

According to Curt Ladnier’s blog, this is the first episode known to have been altered after the synopses were sent out, but, before starting this review, I had my doubts. Certainly, comparison between the summaries and the aired episodes show clear evidence of script changes by Episode 32, but there was enough ambiguity in certain events in this episode for me to question if this one was even rewritten in the first place. So, without further ado, let’s run a fine-toothed comb through the aired version of Episode 30 and see if we can find conclusive evidence of rewriting.

The episode begins with Holly being pushed down the staircase in the Great Hall. She screams loudly and Jean Paul and Reverend Matt Dawson come rushing to her aid. While they help her over to the couch, she turns to Matt and accuses him of deliberately pushing her. Jean Paul (who is wearing an unusual but fetching ensemble with a dark blazer and off-white pants) is also suspicious of him, because, according to him, the Reverend was there when she got pushed. Handsome devil Jacques, of course, comments:

An indication that Jacques did it, or just commenting on the situation?

For some reason, Jean Paul doesn’t blame Jacques this time, but instead Matt, who was there (as was Jacques, most likely) and who has the possible motive of revenge for rejecting his romantic advances (not applicable, but Jacques does have the motive of liking murder). Here is the conversation between them and my commentary:

Matt: "Mr. Desmond, I resent your insinuation. Why should I want to harm Holly?" Jean Paul: "Or kill her?" Matt: "You can't be serious." Holly: "Whoever pushed me was." Matt: "But I followed you down here to help you, not to hurt you." Jean Paul: "Or to have her." [Is he implying that he thinks Matt wants to take advantage of her?] Matt: "Are you serious?" Jean Paul: "Your adoration is about as obvious as her pretty face." [And your pretty...everything.]

Matt: *getting pissed at Jean Paul* "I have had about all the insinuations I can take! All right, I do care about her--deeply."

Matt: *to Holly* "Now, can't you believe that I'm the last one who would want to harm you?" Holly: "You're the first, because I don't care for you!"

Jean Paul tells Reverend Stalker to leave Holly alone "or you'll have me to answer to," so the disgruntled padre flounces. But on his way out, he has some accusations of his own:

ROFL at Matt’s delivery of this line.

Matt reveals that he still hasn’t grasped the concept of the detained guest.

So now you believe in demons? What made you change your mind?

The dialogue in this episode so far is heavy with exposition as usual, but it feels different this time. Usually, the exposition takes the form of one character telling another directly about the events and revelations from past episodes, but this time it's structured differently, as a two-way expository dialogue rather than a speech with questions and reactions from the listener. It still doesn't feel entirely natural--it still has the feel of exposition dialogue--but it's a different format.

I should also note that, according to Bryan Gruszka of StrangeParadise.net, the script reveals that neither Matt nor Jacques pushed her. The attacker’s name is a spoiler in spite of the fact that Martin never got to reveal that they were responsible, so I shall link to the Week 6 trivia page here for anyone who is interested.

Jean Paul has a possession headache, but no funny headache faces this time.

Jacques leaves the portrait (which decided to disappear this episode) and mocks Matt for believing in him--which, I should note, is a change from last episode, where the Reverend firmly denied believing in devils and called them superstition. He calls Matt's belief in him "a sad testimony to the belief in which he was schooled"--again, even though Matt actually didn't believe in devils until apparently the beginning of this episode. Already this is a break in continuity, which does not necessarily indicate someone tampering with the established canon, but is suggestive of it nonetheless. Of course, that’s assuming that it isn’t just an error, which it might be. (Remember that Martin can’t decide whether or not Raxl knows Jean Paul is possessed!)

What's with this lighting effect? Did the director decide that Jacques looked too sexy under normal lighting, so they decided to use underlighting to make him look scarier and less hot? Because the effect is not scary. It makes him look like a Muppet, and Muppets are not scary.

Jacques is getting better at impersonating Jean Paul, as evidenced by this deeply ironic part where he comforts Holly. “Have no fear, cherie,” he says, “I will protect you.”

Meanwhile in the Not-So-Hidden Temple, Vangie gives Raxl a bottle of some potion to slip Jean Paul, which she tells her "is not to kill, but to prevent more killing. It is a Conjure brew to free his mind to make it more responsive to mine." This must be what the Lost Episode summaries are referring to! She doesn’t outright state in this scene that she wants Jean Paul to bring her to Maljardin by boat, but she says that’s what she wants in the episode before this one, so anyone who has seen Episode 29 would already know that.

An interesting detail not mentioned on the trivia page: before parting, Vangie asks Raxl, daughter of the Priestess of the Serpent, to pray to her mother.

Vangie teleports/floats back to the main island, which frightens Quito until Raxl assures him that “the Conjure Woman has found her way home.” They leave the temple and begin traveling down the long tunnel back to the crypt. Unbeknownst to them, Reverend Dawson is there, searching the crypt wall for the Not-So-Hidden Door:

Come on, Matt! It’s not at all hard to find!

He finds it and pushes on the door just as Quito starts pulling it open. When Quito grabs him, both of their expressions are priceless:

I can’t decide whose expression is funnier.

“I was not trespassing in your sacred temple, Raxl!” he cries, then insists that he was only down there “to find a means of saving your master.”

“You knew of the temple because I showed you, a man of your-”

“I have not betrayed its sanctity,” he interrupts, even though he was clearly trying to find it so he could search it for the poison. The implication is that, if he visited without Raxl and Quito’s permission, he would betray the temple’s sanctity. He tells her about the missing cyanide, she tells him about the missing conjure doll and silver pin, and then she assures him that neither Jean Paul nor Jacques could have hidden either in the temple because neither know about it.

Up in the Great Hall, THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES is relaxing pompously when Raxl and Quito enter. He orders Quito to prepare to sail to the main island, which leads Raxl to declare, perhaps over-confidently, “The Conjure Woman got to him even without [the potion]!” This negates the second summary which explicitly indicates the potion as the means of “draw[ing] Jean Paul to [Vangie],” but not the first. Also, what makes Raxl think that this is evidence of Vangie’s influence over him? Apparently Jacques choosing to go to the island out of his own free will isn’t a possibility.

Matt asks if he can return to the main island, but Jacques refuses, declaring that “today is a rather special trip for a lady and myself,” referring to his deliciously evil girlfriend Elizabeth Marshall. The Reverend responds by asking if he trusts her not to reveal the secret of Erica’s death, which Jacques uses as yet another opportunity to make Jean Paul look like a murderer by saying, “There is no one dead here--that I don’t pronounce!” And then he threatens him again:

Someone’s on Jacques’ list of people to kill!

We next see Jacques strutting into the French Leave Café wearing a pair of huge round sunglasses over his eyes. Ironically, the demon who is normally so fond of black clothing has changed into Jean Paul’s off-white suit jacket, although he retains the same red shirt and red-and-black striped tie. I’m thinking that Jacques picked out both outfits and changed before heading out because he just felt like playing dress-up that day. Typical 17th-century fop, just with more modern clothes.

Jacques’ new outfit.

Gold-digger Elizabeth clinging to Jacques as though she’s worried that Vangie will try stealing him from her. Makes me wonder what her 17th-century counterpart’s relationship was to Vangie.

What, no joke about how you “still can’t stand the heat?” I’m shocked!

Even on a date in a public place, he tries to make Jean Paul appear interested in committing murder. He asks Elizabeth how much her daughter’s inheritance is, in case she dies, and then gleefully reminds her of her accident earlier that day!

Back on Maljardin, Quito returns from the main island by himself. While Holly is sipping some of Raxl’s tea (in the literal sense only, unfortunately), he walks up to her holding a shiny stone and offers it to her. She takes it only reluctantly, which reminds me of another Lost Episode summary, this one for Episode 33:

Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer (October 24, 1969).

Quito doesn’t show any signs in this episode of being undead, but he does give Holly a sparkling stone, with little reaction from her. Later in this episode (not in the aired version of Episode 33), Holly gives the stone back to Quito despite his insistence that she keep it, which brings him to tears when he is alone with Raxl towards the end. These events suggest a rewrite more strongly than the original summaries at the top of this page do, because the newspaper summary for Episode 33 clearly indicates that these events were originally slated to happen three episodes later, but moved to this one during rewrites.

What about Quito? It certainly appears that Holly’s won Quito’s heart.

Meanwhile at the French Leave Café, Vangie approaches Jacques and Elizabeth and insists on reading their fortunes, although Elizabeth does not want to hear it. She lays the “King of Scepters” (or, rather, the King of Swords--see the screencap at the beginning of this entry) on their table and Jacques freaks out, enough apparently to de-possess Jean Paul:

Hooray! A headache face!

So did Vangie’s Tarot card make Jacques de-possess him? Or was it something else?

At the end of the episode, Jean Paul invites Vangie to Maljardin himself out of a desire to contact Erica. Much like Jacques’ decision to visit the main island earlier this episode, it comes across as something Jean Paul would decide to do of his own accord, without magical influences. Therefore, I think that we can say that Ian Martin’s original idea for Vangie to use her powers to convince him to take her to the island was indeed scrapped--and that was probably a good thing, because this feels more natural.

The episode ends ominously, with Jean Paul willingly putting everyone’s life on the line to contact Erica’s spirit. Not so different from Jacques wanting to kill everyone.

In conclusion, Episode 30 shows distinct signs of having been rewritten since the release of the Lost Episode summaries. Not only did Vangie’s means of allegedly convincing Jacques to visit the main island and Jean Paul’s motivation for bringing Vangie to Maljardin change, but events originally planned for Episode 33 were moved to this one. There are other minor details that, too, suggest a rewrite: the different mode of exposition and Jacques’ lack of devil/Hell jokes where Martin would have likely inserted them just a week ago. The episode feels different from the earlier Week 6 episodes, but not enough to suggest a new writer.

Coming up next: The last Bad Subtitle Special until the end of Week 8, followed by a review of Episode 31. A mysterious force is tampering with the cryonics capsule, while Alison uncovers even more clues to the mysteries surrounding Erica.

{ <- Previous: Episode 29 || Next: Episode 31 -> }

Notes

[1] Fitchburg Sentinel, October 24, 1969.

[2] San Mateo Times, October 17, 1969.

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teampandawang · 5 years ago

Text

Teach Me How To Love | Part I

By: Mow

Genre: Fluff // Angst // Smut(?

Pairing: Suga X Reader (with surprises along the way)

Description: Is when your comfort zone is in its closest state that you will see the brightest sunlight on the outside.

A/N: Soooooooooooo, this has begun. 🥳 I'm happy to be posting this, it’s been a long time since the idea came to my head and I hope you get to enjoy it. Also, If there’s any disclaimer along the way like smut or something I’ll warn you, so don’t worry.

“That’s all for today.” Said the voice of your professor. The echo of his words set you free for the weekend. Finally, with the last goodbye you gave him, you were able to rest.

“Thank God.” You said right after, in a whisper for just you and your friend to hear.

“Never thought you would say that.” She joked.

“I get tired too, you know?” You joked back. The weight of the courses disappearing from your shoulders.

“It always looks like you don't.”

Everyone was used to believe your life was studying, nothing else. You were the president of the investigation department, so you actually had a lot of work to do. Usually, you had to run after class to some meeting with the rest of the group, and after that, you needed to get back home soon to finish any class paper or to practice a project presentation. It wasn't easy to balance your academic life with your personal life, but it was something you thought necessary to not lose your mind. So despite all the college activity, you also had really good times with your friends, but until today, they still felt amazed by the other side of you.

“Do you want to go shopping with me tomorrow?” You asked your friend as you grabbed your backpack from the floor.

“Actually I was going to invite you to a party. It's been a while since we went to one.” Jessica answered you. Starting to walk beside you, out of the auditorium.

“Well, we can go shopping and then to the party. How does that sound?” You proposed. You really needed new clothes, even more, if you were going out to a college party.

“Uh, I love it.” She said excited making a small jump.

“And whose party is this?” You asked.

“Jimin's,” She said through an awkward grin, waiting for your reaction.

“You have to be kidding me. Are we really going to that fraternity?” You asked irritated, remembering how that ended the last time your friend's group went.

The thing was that they weren't all bad guys. You actually had worked a lot with Namjoon in a couple of investigation projects, and Hoseok and you shared plenty of classes. But the rest of the guys were not the kind of people you would like to be involved with.

“C'mon! I have to go, Jin is going to be there.” Jessica had a big, HUGE, crush on Jin, so it didn't matter whose and what event was it, if he was there, then she needed to be there too. But that didn't mean they were close, not even friends. The moment Jin stands in front of her, she gets extremely nervous and runs away. This had happened more times than you wanted to admit.

“We'll go if you promise me to finally talk properly to him.” You played, not wanting to keep the game of following Jin with her any longer.

“I… fine, yes. I promise.” She said biting her lips.

“Then this is gonna be really fun, isn't it?” You let out on a small laugh to tease her.

“Please support me!” Jessica yelled to you, making your laughter grow.

“I will, seriously.” You managed to say, catching your breath again.

You were sure she was going to need your help, but seeing her all red and struggling to keep the conversation with him alive was always funny. You kept teasing her as both of you walked to the building's exit, stopping immediately at the sight of a crowd blocking the way. The students were standing in a circle, probably seeing some argument, according to the screams.

“What’s happening?” Jessica asked you softly.

“I don't know. Wait here, I'll see.”

The curiosity dragged you inside. You searched for someone you knew to ask what was happening but there was no one, so you made your way between the mass of people, all of them yelling. Some screams in approvement and the others against. But against what? You pushed gently a few more bodies out of your way, with lots of excuses, until you reached the center of the crowd, your gaze catching a pretty discouraging image.

Standing in the middle was Jimin with his fist closed on the shirt of another student you didn't recognize. He wasn't saying anything to him, but the look in his eyes expressed clearly his aggressive intentions. You managed to see his other hand moved directly to the poor guy's face, but when you were about to scream, someone grabbed Jimin’s hand and took him away. It was a guy known as Suga, one more of the group you were talking about earlier, but surprisingly, and despite his fame, he wasn't directly an aggressive guy as you could see.

“The show is over, go away!” Shouted Namjoon, which apparently came with Suga to stop their problematic little friend.

You took a few steps away to find Jessica between the people left. You were concerned and shocked, not believing yet what you just saw. You weren't a person of fights, not even small conflicts, so this was the first time you actually saw a fist raised to hit somebody else. Is this how it was going to be tomorrow? You hoped not.

“Y/N!” She yelled and your eyes found her. “What was that?” She asked you as soon as you reached her side again, the worried tone clear in her voice.

“Well, that was our precious little host, being the asshole he is.” You answered her bitterly, taking the image away.

“I won't try to deny it, but you know not all of them are like that.” You knew she was trying to stop you from backing off. Which in fact was what you were about to do. “And is not like you have to talk to him, maybe you won't even see him the whole night.”

“Maybe, but is not just him. I have to avoid 3 of them in order to have peace.” You rolled your eyes, thinking of a plan to keep yourself away from them. But despite that, and the bad mood you were getting right in that moment, you didn't want to let her down on this one, you had already done that a lot of times before. “But relax, I'm still going. You need help with Jin.” You finally agreed, hoping to not regret it later.

“Yay! Thank you, Y/N.” She said jumping and smiling widely. At least she was happy, and that made your heart warmed.

She was like your sister, little sister may I add, not actually by age but with the way she acted sometimes, it felt like that. But you didn't mind. Both of you had plenty of good times together, and you were happy with her in your life.

After chatting with her at the entrance for a couple of minutes, you went home.

You unlocked the front door with a smile on your face, the familiar scent from your apartment greeting you as soon as the door shot open. It was always comforting to be home after a long day, and the peace of living by yourself was, without a doubt, the best thing you had found in your life. Everything there went at your pace, everything looked the way you liked it, everything was according to your taste, and that was simply beautiful to you.

“Here you are.” You said between giggles at the sight of your cat walking straight to you from the bedroom. Holly always greeted you when you arrived, sometimes it was just asking for food, but the feeling of her waiting for you was still quite nice.

You filled Holly’s plate in the kitchen before going to your bedroom. The sight of your comfortable bed suddenly making you feel how tired you actually were, your eyes felt heavy and they kept refusing to stay open even from where you were standing, so you changed your clothes in a hurry and laid down, the soft sheets making your body relax in an instance as the heavy thoughts of your responsibilities fade away.

You woke up a few hours later, totally lost in reality. Your hand traveled the surface of your bed searching for your phone between the covers, as you asked yourself what hour was. When you felt it, your fingers curled surrounding it, holding it above your face and unlocking it right in front of your still sleepy eyes, burning them. You groaned softly in annoyance and closed them for a second to adjust to the new amount of light.

The screen said it was almost 9 pm, and your stomach agreed with the feeling of emptiness inside of it, so while you collected energy to stand up and go make something to eat, you scrolled down your social media, waiting to feel fully awake. Not too long on it, you found a post that caught your attention, it was from Hoseok.

“These guys, seriously…” You sighed to yourself.

It wasn't a doubt that the party was going to be wild, because not once one of that fraternity’s parties had ended up without a sex scene, without a fight, without a scandal. Those guys didn't really care if someone got hurt or if something dangerous happened, they had just one thing in mind, have fun, which can be translated into sex, lots of alcohol, and who knows what more. But you were determined to go and have a good time as well, a quite different kind of fun, but fun after all. Also, you really wanted to help Jessica. You knew Jin wasn't a bad guy. Actually, at that very moment, you stopped yourself to think if they were as bad as you thought. The incident with that guy Suga caught your attention. You had always heard that he was pretty violent, so why did he stopped his friend? That wasn't something you would expect from him. Maybe, just maybe, you were underestimating them… you'll see tomorrow night.

You closed the app and locked your phone again, leaving the thoughts for later in order to stand on your feet and make your way to the kitchen. The cold floor under your bare feet took the necessity of jumping into the bed back again, but the hunger was stronger.

Finally, you made something easy and fast out of laziness and then headed back to your bedroom with the hot plate in your hands. You turned on the T.V. and put Netflix while you ate. The movie played on the screen until you fell asleep again, with the plate at one side.

"What do you think about this one?" You asked your friend. You've been in the same store for what seemed like forever, and because Jessica needed you to make a decision over a top, you were just starting to try on the things you picked. But the thing was that the moment she got what she wanted, she lost herself taking pictures to upload them probably on every social media. "Jessica!"

"I'm sorry!" She said lifting her head from her phone, after checking the last picture she took. "Wow, Y/N, you look so sexy! That dress is going to catch a lot of attention." She almost yelled through a wide smile.

"Is it too much? Should I try another one?" You asked seeing the dress in the mirror, not feeling sure if it was right for the occasion. ‘Is it too short? Or too elegant?’ You kept asking yourself.

"Don't you dare, you look amazing and it's perfect for tonight. We're taking this one." She said more excited than you while taking a picture of you with her phone. She was always your best supporter in this kind of situations, you trusted her.

You rolled your eyes at the sound of the camera but found her enthusiasm funny, and the dress was beautiful, it was very sexy too, but with a jacket it would look more casual. So you ended up convincing yourself that it was a great decision and finally bought it.

After you got all the things you needed to, you drove home, leaving Jessica at her place in the way, agreeing on meeting her later.

The sky had already turned dark with the stars shining brightly up there hand in hand with the beautiful lights of the city. The wind was cold and without struggle managed to enter through the window, catching your still bared arms, sending shivers all over your body, but before putting on your jacket you sprayed the last drops of perfume on your neck, that being the only thing left to be ready. After the fabric covered your shoulders, you took one last glance in the mirror.

The view sent you a strong feeling of confidence and your eyes sparkled at the sight. You looked amazing. The dress, without a doubt, fit you perfectly. Not always you felt like this before going out, but tonight you were damn sure you looked great, and the feeling of that was wonderful.

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robinallender · 5 years ago

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Albums of 2019/the decade

(‘Martin Brennan’ appearing on This Time with Alan Partridge, my favourite TV programme of 2019.)

It’s impossible to make an album of the year list because I haven’t listened to every album that was released this year. And to make an album of the decade list…? Well, that’s even impossibler.

I suppose I could try to do what James Acaster did in his book Perfect Sound Whatever, but instead of listening to every album from 2016 I could attempt to listen to every album from the entire decade. A Sisyphean task – and by the time I’d listened to all of those albums, it would probably be around 2030. And by that point, providing the world is still functioning by then, I’d have another decade of albums to catch up on. I could draw a comparison to Tristram Shandy here but I won’t.

(Plume is my favourite novel of the year.)

(‘DNA.’ is the most thrilling three minutes of music this decade.)

The excellent thing about Acaster’s book is that it glories in the fact that beneath all the hype and buzz of big releases, and away from algorithmic playlists and ubiquitous albums of the year, there is a universe of incredibly diverse and exciting music being made all the time. Acaster rightly celebrates bandcamp, which has become something like the anti-Spotify over the last ten years. Thanks to bandcamp, it feels like there has never been a better time to listen to experimental music. Obscurity no longer exists – there is no longer any music which is difficult to hear.

I’ve become enamoured with Jim O’Rourke’s Steamroom page, where he regularly releases albums of ambient/noise music. if you’re expecting the Bacharach-esque chamber-pop of his Drag City albums then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. There’s a fantastic interview with him here where he describes his creative process (I’m a particular fan of Number 44).

It feels like the prevalence and dominance of the internet has brought with it a certain kind of musical freedom. There’s a kind of the-music-industry-has-collapsed-so-does-anything-really-matter-anymore attitude which I love! Dean Blunt’s Black Metal (2014) feels like an album that couldn’t have been made at any other time. An ‘anything goes’ album of hip-hop/indie/experimental/weirdness that breaks so many production rules (samples of badly compressed MP3s, levels clipping all over the place) but sounds all the better for it.

Of course the problem with everything being available at the click of a button is that you get overwhelmed with choice. I think this decade I got something like cultural fatigue. I'm pretty sure Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington’s endlessly meta online show On Cinema should be my favourite thing ever, but I can’t be bothered to watch all one hundred hours of it. And you can’t dip into it because the joke is that it only really works if you watch all one hundred hours of it. Being told to stick with things because they’ll get better in the fifth series…? Can I not just watch Masterchef and have a lie down?

(I played the Olympia in Paris with Yann Tiersen in 2014!)

The other problem with making ‘best of’ lists is: do you choose albums because you love them or because of their cultural importance? Clearly the best album of the decade culturally was Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly – an actual soundtrack to a civil rights movement, an album of astonishing power and viscerality. It’s a dense, difficult album full of brilliant songs. But you’re not always going to be in the mood to listen to it. You’re not always going to be in the mood to be challenged, or to be saddened that an album like that needed to be made!

Or should your album of the decade be the album you listened to the most? This would probably make sense since Spotify has taken over our listening habits and now insists on sending us our most played songs of the year, a cruel reflection of our exposed ids (for a Velvet Underground fan, I really listen to a lot of Bastille). Well, if we went by what Spotify suggested, one of the most successful artists of the decade would be ‘ambient rain noise’.

I believe that the truth is between. Some albums on my list I have listened to almost constantly, others I have only listened to once or twice, but they blew my head clean off when I did (Yeezus for example).

(My most played album of the decade was Benoît Pioulard’s Stanza I-III, released in three parts throughout 2015-6, probably because I listen to it most evenings to help me fall asleep. Beautiful melodic ambient drones, drenched in reverb and tape hiss. Er… just a bit!)

(I got to the finals of So You Think You’re Funny in 2017!)

While putting together this list, I thought I’d go back to the albums of the 00s list I wrote in 2009. Deerhoof aside, I kind of got snow blindness from reading it! Significantly, I didn’t even notice at the time that my list was made up almost entirely of white artists. Well, I do listen to a lot of morose indie, a genre not famed for its diversity. But this decade I feel that I have expanded my listening habits, and this should be reflected in my list. I hope it doesn’t look like when Rolling Stone do their best albums of all time and put What’s Going On in the top ten as a kind of afterthought (not even Marvin Gaye’s best album).

Who gives a hoot what I think, this is just a blogpost, it’s not like I’m writing for a major newspaper (although I do need a job if anyone’s reading this), but I think that, even on this platform, this is a really important albeit difficult thing to consider. If this decade is to be remembered for anything it’s that we all have a responsibility to promote diversity in our every action; the 2010s were a decade when the personal became political. It was the decade when it became prudent and necessary to notice things like the fact that I posted a list of my favourite albums and they were all made by white artists, even if it’s on a blogpost that no one reads.

It’s not just racist language and behaviour that must be challenged, we must also challenge the social subliminality and structuralism of racism. So yes, a best of the decade list with only white artists, that is part of the problem! Yes, maybe those were my favourite albums of the 00s, but to use a term that has become increasingly prominent this decade, we need to think of the optics.

Aren’t you overthinking this? Tying yourself in knots to sound woke? Well, voice in my head, you sound like a bit of a twat, as does anyone who uses the word ‘woke’ pejoratively.

Can’t you just list your favourite albums? Yes. But my point is: no conversation about culture takes place in a vacuum. Take Mark Kozelek, who topped my list last decade. Would I feel comfortable having him in my list this decade because of his appalling treatment of the excellent journalist Laura Snapes? Not that this would be an issue this decade because of the startling decline in Kozelek’s music. Who could have predicted that Kozelek would go from singing about love and grief with such incredible poignancy to mumble-rapping about buying furniture? (I have written at length about Mark Kozelek before.)

Anyway, I think the terrible state of the world has really affected my listening habits. Basically, life is horrible so I got into ambient music. Turning off the news and drifting off into a hypnogogic daze. What a luxury!

(From the opening sequence of Midsommar, my favourite film of the year. The murals were created by conceptual designer Ragnar Persson and art director Nille Svensson.)

This is the decade when I no longer collected music – as I switched from downloading from iTunes and buying CDs to streaming it felt like I went from active to passive. It was a decade where music became part of the background – Spotify playlists were engineered to be as bland and un-skippable as possible. So it’s been refreshing to see artists challenge this monotony: Michael Kiwanuka’s dense, conceptual KIWANUKA from this year, and Beyonce’s thrilling video albums.

(Do you ever listen to something like Otis Redding singing ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ and almost find it hard to believe that that really happened? That it was ever possible for someone so talented and charismatic to ever walk the earth? I got a similar feeling when I watched Homecoming. How lucky we are to have an artist like Beyoncé!)

(I played Green Man Festival in 2012 with Yann and, because Van Morrison wanted to go on first so he could get away early in his helicopter, we played after him on the main stage. So I can sort of say that Van Morrison supported me.)

(How dreadful to lose Mark Hollis and Scott Walker – and Neil Innes – this year. Whenever I have ten minutes to spare, if I’m waiting for a bus or something, I like to listen to ‘After the Flood’. Ten minutes of transcendence!)

(My favourite tweet of the decade.)

(A personal highlight of the decade for me was filling in at a gig at the 9.30 Club in Washington DC by playing ‘Lady in Red’ when Yann broke a violin string.)

Some specific musical highlights of the decade:

‘Sscending’, an extremely blissed out track by Acronym w/Korridor.

How good was ‘Video Games’? I mean really.

The production on this Nicki Minaj song is utterly fantastic.

I love the lyrically virtuosic Villagers song ‘Earthly Pleasure’.

‘Work’.

Anyway, I’m going to end this by quoting from one of my favourite songs of the decade, and like some dreadful character from a 00s pre-mumblecore indie romcom, it’s by The Shins.

Love’s such a delicate thing that we do With nothing to prove Which I never knew

Albums of 2019

Orange – Caroline Shaw/Attacca Quartet The Sacrificial Code – Kali Malone Xièxie – Celer Homecoming: The Live Album – Beyoncé Occam Ocean II – Éliane Radigue Requiem for Recycled Earth – James Ferraro Nonlin – Steve Hauschildt Tracing Back the Radiance – Jefre Cantu-Ledesma Cuz I Love You – Lizzo Chastity Belt – Chastity Belt House of Sugar – Alex G (Sandy) Tip of the Sphere – Cass McCombs Designer – Aldous Harding Psychodrama – Dave Titanic Rising – Weyes Blood Compliments Please – Self Esteem KIWANUKA – Michael Kiwanuka When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish Nothing Great About Britain – slowthai New Miami Sound EP – Twain MAGDELENE – FKA twigs Normal Fucking Rockwell! – Lana Del Rey STONECHILD – Jesca Hoop This Is How You Smile – Helado Negro I Was Real – 75 Dollar Bill PROTO – Holly Herndon uknowhatimsayin¿ – Danny Brown Fear Inoculum – Tool The Reeling – Brìghde Chaimbeul U.F.O.F. – Big Thief

(U.F.O.F. is my album of the year. It sounds like alchemy, music where trauma has been channelled into something beautiful.)

(I supported John Robins at the Apollo in October this year. Cool!)

Albums of the decade (which I might keep amending Life of Pablo style)

Sleep Like It’s Winter, Steamroom 44 & Simple Songs – Jim O’Rourke Love is the Plan, the Plan is Death – James Blackshaw Magma – Gojira (superb metal album) The Dream My Bones Dream – Eiko Ishibashi The Suburbs – Arcade Fire EARS – Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Spark of Life – Marcin Wasilewski Trio & Joakim Milder Toumani & Sidiki – Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté (please listen to ‘Lampedusa’) Closing – Victoria Hume (got me through a very difficult time) For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) – Huerco S. The Uncle Sold – Ed Dowie Witness – Katy Perry (really underrated!) Blonde – Frank Ocean Smoke Ring For My Halo – Kurt Vile Transparent Water – Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita The Curious Hand – Seamus Fogarty Reflection – Brian Eno Looping State of Mind – The Field Tomorrow’s Harvest – Boards of Canada Be the Cowboy – Mitski Volumes 1-4 – Kosmische Läufer Stateless – Dirty Beaches Bridge Music – Eerie Gaits Veteran – JPEGMAFIA V2.0 – GoGo Penguin Lemonade – Beyoncé Oh Holy Molar – Felix Get Your Hopes Down – Landslide Purist (I played on this album but I don’t care, it’s really good!) Beach Music – Alex G (Sandy) Phantom Brickworks – Bibio Chaleaur Humaine – Christine and the Queens Only Myocardial Infarction Can Break Your Heart – Matt Elliott Dust Lane – Yann Tiersen Black Metal – Dean Blunt The Harrow & The Harvest – Gillian Welch Yeezus – Kanye West Ruins – Grouper Kill All Children – Prison UK (sad music from the future) Age Of – Oneohtrix Point Never (more sad music from the future) Nothing Important – Richard Dawson Hidden & Field of Reeds – These New Puritans To Pimp a Butterfly & DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar Devil is Fine – Zeal & Ardor Divers – Joanna Newsom Stanza I-III & Hymnal – Benoît Pioulard alterum – Julie Fowlis Unfold – The Necks DAYTONA – Pusha T Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves Olivia Chaney EP – Olivia Chaney Wit’s End, Big Wheel and Others & Mangy Love – Cass McCombs

(My favourite album of the decade is, unsurprisingly if you know me, Wit’s End by Cass McCombs, released in 2011. A perfect album of eight perfect songs. I still listen to it at least once a week and I don’t think it will ever lose its magic.)

#albums of the year 2019 #albums of the decade

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khirsahle · 6 years ago

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Stocking half-full...

I struggled with the Wintersend cheer this year, guys. I hope you enjoy the bit I managed to cobble together.

YOU’RE A MEAN ONE, CARVER HAWKE

“Let me get this straight,” Anders said slowly, desperately hoping that this would all turn into some strange Fade nightmare by the end of his sentence. “You want me to seduce your little brother.”

It was ridiculous. It was impossible. It was— It was— It was—

Just—

Gragh.

Hawke wrinkled her nose, wrapping her hands around a steaming cup of mulled wine. The Hanged Man was festooned with dubious winter spirits, firelight playing gold across her scarred face. “Well, you don’t have to put it like that,” she said.

He jolted to his feet, rickety old chair clattering against stone. None of the other (incredibly sauced) patrons paid him any mind. “You put it like that!” he protested, a touch louder than he’d meant. “That is literally what you just said to me.”

Hawke squinted up at him. “Mmm, I dunno,” she said. “Doesn’t sound much like me.”

He was going to kill this woman. He was going to erupt into blue fire and eat her face clean off. “You literally just sat down and said to me: Anders, we need you to snog some spirit into my tit of a brother. Those were your words, Hawke.” Her deeply, deeply disturbing words, and, shit, now he had snogging Carver’s tits on the brain.

(And Maker, but that sourpuss had a magnificent chest on him. And shoulders. And arse and thighs and calves and, yes, fine, just about everything. Except mouth. He had an infuriating mouth, but there were things Anders could do to counteract that and stop stop stop.)

He fisted his hands in his messy blond hair.

Hawke leaned back as if supremely disinterested in Anders’ most recent decent into madness, glancing toward Varric; he shrugged. “Blondie’s got a point,” he said. “Those were your words, Hawke.”

“Huh. Maybe,” she said with a half-shrug, dismissing it all out of hand. “But there’s a world of difference between snog and seduce. More naked arsecheeks in the latter, for instance, and I think we can all agree that what we don’t need this Wintersend is Carver’s literal winter’s end.”

Varric gave a startled huff of laughter, encouraging her, as always. Anders simply dropped his head into his hands. When had this become his life? Somewhere around the Deep Roads, maybe: Marian Hawke had wrapped herself like a choking vine about him and now he couldn’t seem to escape. Or maybe it was the first Wintersend they’d spent together—one much like this, gathered cozily around a fire, drinking spiced wine and pulling each others’ (extremely platonic) pigtails as they watched the fire licking up toward a blackened chimney.

It was beautiful, in a way: this sense of family. This feeling of belonging, no matter how madcap the crew. Isabela would come rolling in later with sprigs of mistletoe perched atop a hat she’d stolen from some poor sod; Merrill’d giggle and try to borrow a spring or two for her staff; Aveline’d manage to be polite when Hawke gave out her truly Maker-awful gifts; and Fenris…

Anders kicked his chair back upright and slumped into it, trying not to scowl. If there was another member of their little tribe who was more of a Grinch than Carver, it’d be Fenris, no question. Better not think of that now.

“Okay,” he said, interrupting Hawke and Varric’s easy banter about bare arsecheeks and frostbitten bits, “let’s start from the beginning. Why do you want me to seduce—er, snog—your brother?”

Hawke’s blue eyes gleamed as she immediately turned back to him, resting her elbows on the old scarred table. She leaned forward, chin perched on her hands, watching him. “Well,” she said, “Carver hates Wintersend.”

“…all right?” Anders said slowly. That had always been obvious enough, from the very first time Carver had stalked through the room all those years ago, angrily shaking tinsel from his hair and snarling, I bloody hate bloody Wintersend!

Not a subtle man, Carver Hawke.

“Mmm,” she hummed, eyes fixed on him with unnerving focus. “But he didn’t always hate it. In fact, he used to be obnoxiously invested: going out to chop down a tree with Father, haggling like a proper fishwife for feastings with Mother, festooning the whole place in twigs and holly with Bethy. He’d even sometimes make little branch antlers for Trouble, though if you tell him I told you that, it’ll be your head.” She smiled, wide and crooked and just bloodthirsty enough that he figured she meant it. “I have a lot of fond memories of epic snowball fights and bruised merry-making.”

“…bruised?” he asked, curious—and charmed—despite himself. Hawke didn’t talk about her past much. Neither did Carver. It was too painful, she’d drunkenly admitted to him once, head lolling against his shoulder and voice suspiciously wobbly. Like an armored fist encircling her heart, constantly squeezing. And, Maker, he could only imagine how much worse it was for Carver: younger than Hawke, less experienced, losing his twin, fuck.

Hawke’s smile widened into a wicked grin. “We were never particularly gentle in those snowball fights,” she said, “and even though it was the merriest time of his year, Carver always had a lot of aggression to work out.”

Anders snorted. “Right,” he said, snagging his mug and taking a sip. “Good thing Kirkwall’s never going to get much in the way of snow.”

“I have to drink to that,” Varric said, tipping his drink toward Anders.

Hawke waved that off. “If I could figure out a way to make it snow for the little bastard, I would,” she said. “If I could make Wintersend cheerful for him at all, I would. He’s had… We’ve all had… Just. A real fucking year, you know?”

Anders felt something suspiciously like a fist squeezing his own heart, even as Varric dropped a hand to Hawke’s thigh, rubbing gently where they both figured Anders wouldn’t see. He gave them the comfort of feigning ignorance, looking away to catch Norrah’s eye and lifting his mug to signal for a refill. There was no telling how long Hawke and Varric were going to insist on pretending there was no Hawke-and-Varric, but, well, might as well play along.

“So somewhere in that brain of yours,” Anders said, still keeping his gaze fixed on the bar, “you decided that instead of decking the halls this year, Carver needed someone to—”

“Snog his face off,” Hawke finished, sounding far more like her usual self. “Except not just anyone, of course. Only you.”

That was startling enough to have Anders turning back to face the two, brows shot up. “What do you mean by that?” he demanded. Bad enough that his head was full of its own winter flurry of frankly obscene images: grabbing Carver by the collar, pushing him back, following him down…rough stone against the palms he slapped against either side of those broad shoulders…constant bitching muffled by his mouth, his tongue, and heat heat heat exploding everywhere in a wave as Carver shoved back against him, just as bloody hungry for this most unlikely of—ahem—coming-together.

He blamed Isabella for putting the thought in his head in the first place. He blamed Hawke herself for egging him on.

Hawke, who was watching him with bright, canny eyes. “Carver’s got a bit of a crush,” she said, then waved off his sputtered protests. “Oh, don’t worry: he’s prone to crushes, and he never does anything about them. Besides, him and you? Probably wouldn’t last an hour past the initial tangle, but it would get him something new to focus on instead of, well. Everything else.” She gestured about the festively lit bar as if that held some kind of answer. Maybe it did. Maybe it echoed in all of their faces, Kirkwall leaving its mark.

“I don’t know, Hawke,” Anders began slowly. This sounded like a terrible idea in the making.

“You don’t have to worry about making him happy forever,” Hawke pressed, leaning against her folded arms and watching him with a focus that had his stomach swooping in response. “You don’t even have to snog the little bastard if you don’t want to. But Anders, please—I don’t know how to make him happy anymore. I don’t know if I even can.” There was so much raw emotion so suddenly visible on her face that Anders could feel it pushing back against him—gravity in the tight line of her body, the unhappy crook of her mouth. “I’m afraid for him,” Hawke said, all jokes stripped aside for one naked moment. “I’m afraid I’m going to lose him, too.”

Maker.

The roaring fire and the drinking songs and the festive lights strung up around the dingey old bar all felt miles away now. It was just the three of them caught in this bell jar of a moment. Somewhere in the distance, the door banged open and Isabella called out a cheerful greeting, but Anders only had eyes for Hawke.

“You really think I could do anything?” he asked, hesitating on acceptance. “Hawke, I mean…look at me. I’m hardly… I’m not exactly… I’m no longer…”

I’m not longer…what? Happy? Whole? Worthy? All true.

The last good memory he had of Wintersend—before Kirkwall—was at the Circle. And even that left the taste of ashes in his mouth.

Hawke sighed and slumped back, even as Isabella swung in to join them at the table, mistletoe thread through her dark hair, body twisted around as she called for an ale. “If not you,” Hawke said, that ghost of fear in her eyes, “then Andraste take me, I don’t know who else. Well. Anyway.” And then she forced a smile—forced good cheer—and when she turned to greet Isabella, the usual Hawke was there again, shining bright and sarcastic as ever.

But Anders had seen through that. Had seen the fragility edging her constant bravado.

And now…now he couldn’t unsee it. Now he couldn’t help but think Carver, like an echo inside his own head as he glanced back toward the door and wondered what the young Ferelden refugee who’d lost father, mother, twin sister, home…everything…was doing this suddenly bittersweet Wintersend Eve.

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etherealrj · 7 years ago

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same game - reddie

pairing : reddie

words : 2K

warnings : none

MASTERLIST

request here

five times richie flirted with eddie and the one time he didn't

A/N I've never written one of these before so I hope its okay anon! it's four am rn but i was so determined to finish this but then tumblr wiped it and i almost cried. i wasn't gonna post it now but my last request did super well so i'll treat ya'll.

i legit googled how to flirt with someone bc i have never. So I legit googled how did people flirt in the 90's and then this happened :') I'm so sorry in advance, I got so carried away with this my god. Imagine if Pennywise never happened and Ben, Bev and Mike were losers from the beginning.

Eddie had always known Richie to a big flirt. He was his best friend so it was granted that Richie was to flirt with Eddie, so Eddie just put up with it. It started at the young of ten when the boys were sat side by side in their respected seats. That’s why in the middle of English class when Richie leant over to doodle a love heart on the corner of Eddie’s book with their initials ‘RT + EK = Forever,’ written within, he thought nothing of it. Everywhere you went throughout the school, Richie would have marked his territory by writing some obscure devotion of love for Eddie. Whether it was their initials in a heart, ‘Richie ♡ ‘s Eddie’ or Eddie Tozier, there were signs written everywhere. From classrooms, to bathroom stalls, to random wooden chairs that lingered around the school’s perimeter. Eddie knew Richie had a book covered in variations of their names etched upon every single piece of paper, he also knew the Richie’s parents weren’t too fond about it. But Eddie never understood why.

They were at the school disco, at the age of twelve, all the losers rocked up in hopes of having a nice time. In other words, they were forced by their parents. But Mike did end up tagging along so they were all happy about that. It wasn’t any surprise that the seven misfits sat in the back of the gym, all sitting around a circular table in their own conversations completely oblivious to the rest of their peers. Eddie sat with Richie to his right, Stan to his left. He was in a deep conversation about the new Captain America comic book when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced at Richie’s out stretched hand to see a small red bottle of Panda Pop sitting in his palm. Richie had a wide grin permanently stuck to his face. Eddie glanced at the drink before looking back up to Richie. He looked around the circular table at the lack of drinks in any of the other loser’s hands. “Richie.” Eddie said, gazing locking with the taller boys. “You forgot about everyone else!” He exclaimed. “This is just like you.” Eddie shook his head, standing and brushing shoulders with Richie as he headed in the direction of the rectangular table filled with beverages. All the other losers glanced up at Richie, with amusement behind their eyes. Richie sent them a glare and fell back into his chair.

III

When the boys reached the age of fourteen, Richie’s charade continued and Eddie saw no end to the plague of Richie Tozier. After a long, exhausted filled day of school Eddie just wanted to leave the prison that they were supposed to call a haven. Ducking around the back of the school to meet the loser at the bike racks, hopefully avoiding Henry Bowers and his goonies at the same time. Heavy footsteps echoed his ears and a slow cringe made its way onto Eddie’s face. He froze in his place, bracing himself for the first round of physical abuse he was about to endure. But nothing ever came.

“Hey Ed’s!” Eddie felt an arm wrap around his shoulder, which caused the poor boy to let out a sigh, his body coming down from the fright. He really wasn’t in the mood to get beat up right now.

“Don’t call me that.” Eddie mumbled under his breath and began walking again. Richie hummed in response, tightening his grip around Eddie’s neck.

“Do you have a band-aid- “

“You know I do Richie why.” Eddie’s patience was running low with the boy. There was only so long you could handle being around Richie ‘trashmouth’ Tozier.

“Because I just scraped my knee falling for you. “Eddie rolled his eyes before shrugging off Richie’s arm and began to walk away from the boy in a huff.

“Eddie my boy, don’t be like that!” Richie said in one of his completely ridiculous accents that Eddie could only describe as the, ‘shitty British John Cleese.’ Richie jogged lightly to catch up with the shorter boy. “You know I love you! Almost as much as your fat Mom!”

At the age of fifteen was when Richie had really began listening to music. His home life was rough, that Eddie knew and the only way Richie seemed to deal with it was listening to his music. Eddie never seemed to see the appeal. That’s way when Richie Tozier snuck into his bedroom window at two am with a mixtape, Richie’s chicken scratch hand writing over the top, reading the words ‘Eddie Spaghetti’ a messy love heart was added after his name and a doodle of roses sat beside it. Eddie didn’t know what to think.

Richie hadn’t even stayed long enough to make sure Eddie would listen to it, but he did and Richie knew he would. Eddie opened the plastic container, a folded piece of film fell out from on top of the cassette tape and landed within his lap. Picking the white film up he unfolded the picture and was greeted with his own laughing face starring back at him. He was sat on top of Richie’s shoulders, the photo he remembers being taken only a week earlier after school.

He remembers the day clearly, he had fought Richie and told him to leave him alone because there was no way in hell, he was willingly getting on top of the 5”7 boys shoulders without a fight. But there he sat, legs hanging over Richie’s shoulders Richie’s hands holding tightly on Eddie’s own. As both boys smiled happily, hand in hand.

Eddie admired the wide smile on Richie’s face, the pure joy that seemed to radiate from the photo brought a small smile to his own. Brushing his finger lightly over Richie’s face, just appreciating the loud boy. With a sigh, Eddie flipped over the film to read the small words written on the back, “love is like syphilis, it makes you crazy, eventually leading to death.” [X] Eddie rolls his eyes at Richie poor attempt of humour but he was humoured at the very least.

Leaning over to the stereo on his shelf, he turned the volume to the minimum as to not wake his mother, the first song started to play. The tune of the song made his eyes roll before the words even started to play. He laid back onto his bed, arm behind his head, the words filled his ears, a small smile on his face.

“Oh, I can't fight this feeling any longer,

And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow

What started out this friendship has grown stronger

I only wish I had the strength to let it show,” [X]

A year later the losers were standing at the counter of the Aladdin. Richie’s arm in its forever permanent spot around Eddie’s back. The smaller boy subconsciously leant into his side. Eddie wonder if Richie ever regrets how much he flirts with the younger boy, Eddie thought he surely would be stopping any girls from getting to Richie. But Richie didn’t seem to care. “Hey Babe?” Richie questioned.

Eddie hummed in response, too use to the pet names that Richie’s given him over the years for it to matter. Richie had grown a whole lot in a year, he had to be nearing 6” foot by now. Eddie was not at all jealous over the fact he was still barely reaching 5”5, still the shortest of all the Loser’s, Bev included. Eddie felt Richie shift behind him, head resting on top of his own, arms around Eddie’s waist. “Did you want any popcorn?” Richie could be extremely clinging when he wasn’t in your face obnoxiously joking about sleeping with his mom. Richie didn’t seem like he was in the happiest moods today, all the Loser’s would agree, so Eddie went with the flow and gave him the attention he thought the older boy needed.

“Don’t worry about it Rich, I’ll pay for the popcorn. You got us the tickets.” Eddie said with a light tap of his hands-on Richie’s own.

“It was my idea to come see the movie Ed’s, I’ll get the popcorn. “ Richie said, stepping away from the teenage boy. Eddie turned around to catch him before he left.

“Hey Richie?” Eddie questioned. Richie turned with hum in response. “Why do you never buy any of the others popcorn?” Richie eyes lifted slightly in surprise, a small smile playing on his face, he flicked his tongue out to swipe itself across his bottom lip. He stared over to where the rest of the loser’s stood, laughing loudly at something Stan had said. Richie’s face deadpanned.

“I’m trying to impress your Mom, Ed’s. “

+ I

All the Loser’s sat around a circle, it was March the seventh which means it was Richie’s seventeenth birthday. Buddy Holly [X] was playing lowly in the background. And Eddie was feeling nervous. The past few days Richie had seemed to distance himself from the boy and Eddie had wondered if it was something he did. Neither Bill or Bev had any idea on the matter which Eddie feel even worse about the situation. Eddie bit his lip as he passed the bottle half filled with amber coloured liquid around the circle. Richie seemed perfectly happy but Eddie felt out of place. Without the touches or the kind words or jokes about his Mom. Richie wasn’t Richie.

Moments later, the bottle was done and the group had dissipated. Eddie grabbed Richie’s hand and pulled him away from the main floor. “Ed’s?” Richie questioned. “Is everything okay?”

Richie eye’s squinted to look into Eddie’s own. “I-Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Richie turned his head to the side seemingly confused. Eddie opened his mouth before closing it. “I-Yo-We-Bu-,” Eddie stared at Richie in exasperation.

“Damn Bill, calm down a bit would ya?.” Eddie stare turned quickly into a disappointed glare. Richie held his hands up in defence.

Eddie crossed his arms over his chest, looking up at the taller boy through his dark brown curls. Eddie let out a huff, “Why don’t you treat me like you use to.” Eddie looked at the ground, suddenly more interested in his stark white converse than the conversation.

Richie cracked smile. “Finally.” He muttered. “I was waiting to see how long it would take for you to miss me.”

Eddie tilted his head in utter disbelief as he watched Richie face etched with a cheeky smile. Eddie shook his head and in one quick moment his small moisturized hands were upon Richie’s cheeks, he stood on his tippy toes and placed his soft pink lips against Richie’s chapped ones with an impatient desire. Eddie felt Richie gasped in surprise as he lips moved against Richie’s own. Eddie was yet to pull away when he felt Richie began applying the same amount of force or maybe even more back. Eddie noted that Richie tasted like tobacco and cheap whiskey, but the boy couldn’t get enough. Richie’s hands trailed down to Eddie’s hips, gripping the edge of the small boys lightly coloured shirt.

As he pulled away, the feeling of Richie’s lips lingered against his own, Eddie brought a hand to his lips touching them with his fingertips as a smile spread across his face. He rested back on the balls of his feet before looking up to meet Richie’s gaze.

Richie’s mouth laid ajar, eyes widen in feign surprise. “Was that you trying to flirt with me Eddie Kaspbrak?”

A/N this did not turn out what I was hoping but eh, still cute ish

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