#no i did not forget to post officer am i free to go now

[androgynouspenguinexpert]

in honour of vega's factory reset

[landograndprix]

woman ✾ l.n - vii

❧ you love max, you really do but your little brother has been getting more on your nerves each day as he tries to set you up with one of his friends.

❧ love, hate and jealousy.

❧ and then I said, let's make Charles the villain 🥰 this is a psa for the people who wanted to be on my taglist but never got tagged, i didn't forget or ignore you, I simply am unable to tag you and therefore removed you from the list feel free to ask me again so I can take a look at it. Taglist is open Love ya ❤️

❧ prev part – next part

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀

y/nverstappen

liked by landonorris, irisxo and 98,563 others

y/nverstappen right mate, what's all this then? 🇬🇧

view all 678 comments

norrizz babe, do you love a London boy?

bott_ass asking questions we know the answer to already 😔

norrizz yeah but I need her to confirm it before I go mental about them 😔

landoscar it's okay girl, tag your man

y/nverstappenfan looks like you're having fun!

lnlando 🤮

norry4 my guy lando is getting fed

hamilt44n he's getting that wife treatment without her being his wife 😂

norry4 good dick will do that to a woman

hamilt44n true true, we know man's is packing so lucky girl she is 😏

sharl16 wonder who she's with..

daiseeeey go hang out with people you own age lmfao what

lewlew did you go to highgate, met all of his best mates?

carlandooo they probably enjoyed nights in Brixton and shoreditch in the afternoon :)

y/nverstappen babe, don't threaten me with a good time

lewlew Y/n a certified swiftie?!

julieeeexo what is happening in these comments?! 😂

landoooo4 leave lando alone pls.

irisxo get your ass back home, I need my private chef back.

missusnorris I'll give you all my savings if you leave lando alone

landonorris it's mint in here

y/nverstappen innit?

grussell this feels a lot like mocking the brittish 😂

charles_16 I mean she's dating one, she's got the right to do so 👀

➽────────────────────────❥

➽────────────────────────❥

y/nverstappen posted on their story

➽────────────────────────❥

➽────────────────────────❥

➽────────────────────────❥

y/nverstappen

liked by maxverstappen1, riabish and 142,564 others

y/nverstappen zandvoort prep 🍊

view all 678 comments

lanlan mclaren orange 🥰

notnorriss girl or orange because she's Dutch, max is Dutch, it's the Dutch gp? 💀

norrizz lando being in Amsterdam and posting about stroopwafels on his story, y/n living in Amsterdam and posting a picture of stroopwafels??

redbullracing zamdvoort ready! 🍊

norry4 loving your vibes lately! 😍

hannahh was lovely meeting you guys last night!

landosainzz where did you meet her?? I was out in Amsterdam too

hannahh they had dinner in the restaurant I work at

landosainzz was lando there too? 👀

hannahh yep and a lot of others as well

landosainzz girl spill the tea!!

hannahh no lmao why would I, leave them alone 💀

landonorris my favorite stroopwafel 🍪

y/nverstappen that's a chocolate chip cookie

landonorris they don't have a stroopwafel emoji you muppet

missusnorrizz 🤮

chilisainz missusnorrizz stfu they're cute

➽────────────────────────❥

➽────────────────────────❥

➽────────────────────────❥

y/nverstappen

liked by oscarpiastri, logansargeant and 115,547 others

y/nverstappen tough day at the office.

view all 783 comments

bott_ass you did not! 😭

hamilt44n y/n, bullying these men is so mean...do it again 😏

oscarpiastri thanks for the reminder, I really needed it

y/nverstappen I know, I'll send it again next week!

oscarpiastri ah, I will be looking forwards to it!

charloss im glad y/n adopted the rookies this year 😭

maxmaxmax THE CHRISTIAN ONE 💀

norry4 babes we know these men are alright, how are you doing?!

sainzcahlos zandvoort, you we're a curse, I'll see you next year!! 😭

norriizlan lando made it to the instagram posts..

norrizz so did Charles, Logan, Oscar and Daniel..what's your point?

maxemillian girl are you still alive? I figured your dad would've killed you by now with the staggers he's been sending your way all day long..

➽────────────────────────❥

➽────────────────────────❥

Woman taglist @hockeyboysarehot @starwarssavy23 @be-your-coffee-pot @thecubanator2 @ironmaiden1313 @hanniesdawn @leclercdream @alexandralibbre @elliegrey2803 @watersquirtpewpewboomm @whoreks @cha-hot @sunny44 @roseseraj @goldenharrysworld @18754389 @graciewrote

Everything taglist; @thomaslefteyebrow @hopefulinlove @smoothopz @honethatty12 @cixrosie @parkersmjs @ireadthensuetheauthors @celestialams @be-your-coffee-pot @heli991113 @kodzuvk @reality-is-a-con @80sloverry @bibissparkles @myescapefromthislife @lanando4 @elliegrey2803 @ravisinghs-wife @harrysdimple05 @minkyungseokie @pretty-little-bunny382728

Lando taglist: @simp-for-fictional-people @landossainz @christianpulisic10 @bored-brunette2

[gingersnapwolves]

so I had some thoughts on the burnout post but didn't want to hijack it so this is just my own rambling attempt to process the feelings I've been struggling with for two days which obviously not everyone wants to read, thus my putting a read more

I've been crying off and on for the past couple days which is really no surprise, and I've been trying to avoid political news and political posts. In fact, after this I plan to hide the political tags for a while, heavily curate my Reddit experience, and then do I don't even know what with all my new free time

because I don't talk about it a lot here, this is my fandom space, my casual space, and I'll sometimes post about personal stuff but almost never politics, but I am actually very political. 'member of multiple political mailing lists, have marched in many protests, write postcards to swing state voters' political. and I want to talk a little about why this defeat feels different. because this crushed me in a way that 2016 did not.

the thing is. over the past few days I've seen a lot of people talking about how if you didn't realize Trump was going to win, you live in a bubble. and I think to a certain extent that's true. we all have our little echo chambers. but for me, at least, and a lot of the people I know, it wasn't just that. it was this core certainty that Trump would not win, could not win, because surely our country wasn't like that. surely our fellow Americans were not like that. it wasn't about competency or about policy. it was about basic human decency. and that's what I feel like we lost. not an election. but any remaining belief we had that people are basically good.

because it seems they're not. at least not around here. the cold hard fact at the end of the day is that the majority of our country looked at a senile, racist, fascist criminal grifter [eta: how could I forget rapist in that description?] and either actively wanted him to hold the highest office in the land, or just didn't care whether or not he did. they know exactly what he's going to do, and they're fine with it. and that hurts so much that it is nearly unbearable.

how do you move on from that? how do you cope with the fact that there's something so deeply rotten at the core of your fellow man? how do you deal with that? how do you fight back?

I am full of so much grief that I literally don't know where to put it.

so I don't want to fight anymore. I'm tired. I'm nauseated. I'm angry. But most of all, I'm sad. I can't do it right now. and I think that's probably okay. I think in six weeks or six months I'll feel differently. but right now I just can't do it. and I think the most important thing really can be to take a step back and focus on something else. because I know these feelings are not productive. I know that there are still good people out there and there are still things worth fighting for. but right now, all I feel is this aching chasm where my faith in humanity used to be.

so I'm unplugging - not from fandom or tumblr, but from politics and news - for at least a little while. sometimes that's the most important thing to do if you want to still be able to get out of bed in the morning.

[hackitt1828]

Hello everyone!

I am finally can present to you my work of Formula 1 Season 2024 Calendar.

I drew twelve portraits of racers and did a silly design just to be sure that I will not forget while whirling in my weird adult life when and where will be the next GP. My hyperfixation on cars going round for two hours is not that useless after all, lol.

You can download it for free > here <

It's black'n'white so you can print with any office printer.

All dates are in local time, so please check the difference between it and your timezone!

All drivers, except two of my favourites, was chosen randomly. Sorry if yours is not here.

Also, if you'll find mistakes, please, write me. I had a rough day at my job so it's was easy for tired me to accidentally do some while translating.

Aaand, if you would like to support me, just in case, here's link to my boosty-blog. Right now it's kinda empty and all in russian, but I will start to translate all my posts here in english too if theres gonna be enough people who will be interested in backstage of my art.

I hope you'll like it as much, as I do, hehe. Have a good day!

[tinandabin]

Sagau but the reader is the ACTUAL creator part 3

Part 2 part 4

ngl, I was kind of scared to post this cause there were so many people to tag 😭😭

____

It's been what? 2 days? A week? Or perhaps a month without seeing you. The Vision Hunt Decree got stricter, they now used more violent methods to seize the vision under Ei's command. Ei hasn't left Plane Of Euthymia ever since she last heard your voice, all she does is meditate and drown herself in her sorrow.

Morax isolated himself, busying himself in the Wangshen Funeral Parlour, it is rare to see him even talk about Osmanthus wine now. He's trying his best to not think of you, but his mind just can't help but wander to your lovely face.

All Barbatos does is spend his time away at the tavern, drinking away till he no longer can. Drinking as much as he can so he can forget about his miserable life without you.

Oh, how long till they get to see you? Are you really doing all this for a mere mortal? Are they of such value to you? Would you place a mortal above them, your devoted acolytes? This is too cruel for their poor souls, they rather would die a hundred times, no, a thousand times than spend another second without seeing you. They can't live like this. They need you.

_____

"Um-uh, Your Grace, I was wondering if we could go to..Liyue? I would like to sight-see, if that is okay with you," The girl, whose name you found out is Revelyn, asked.

You found out that Revelyn doesn't really have any family, if she did then you would have returned her there. However, she grew up in an orphanage and then was left to fend for herself when she was old enough. You had even initiated the idea of her returning to the mortal realm, but she says she is too scared, for everyone probably hates her, I mean, they took their Divine Creator's attention away from them.

"Hesitate not dear, Seraphina will escort you," You replied, reading some documents and quickly filling out some slots.

Revelyn's body tensed up as she responded swiftly, "I was wondering whether you could come with me!" She ended with a loud huff, both of you surprised at her outburst.

"Oh, I do apologise; however I do not seem to have any free time today," You glanced at your clock and started to skim over the documents again.

"..I see, that's fine. We can go another day," Revelyn slowly got up and took her leave from your office.

Just as you were about to get up, you saw a letter settled neatly upon your desk. Opening it, you read it.

“Hello, Your Divinity, how are you? It has been quite a long time since I last saw you. You make me worried sick, I will not lie.

As for why I am contacting you, ever since you declared the punishment of the archons, Ei hasn't come out of Plane Of Euthymia and it looks like she is slipping into insanity.

As her familiar, it is my duty to make sure she is in her best state, no? I was perhaps hoping for you to end her punishment and we could also have some tea together.

Your Dearest,

Yae Miko ♡. ”

You settled the letter on a stack of books and smiled to yourself, noticing Yae Miko's little attempt to spend time with you. Oh well, you might as well amuse yourself.

That reminds you, didn't Revelyn want to go to Liyue? Let's hope she is fine heading to Inazuma. Inazuma sure is a beautiful place on its own, dangerous nonetheless.

Perhaps you have been too cruel on your acolytes? Ah, let's hope they learnt their lesson.

____

taglist: @shizunxie @dearloonies @iruiji @yani-dere @kiraisastay @fauxizs @salvationprodigy @thetruepair @lunalily19

do y'all like revelyn? I feel like making her the enemy somewhat. the archons vs revelyn who will win.

Masterlist

[genshinluvr]

Yanqing's Babysitting Service

Pairings: Various Honkai Star Rail Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: Your traveling companions have matters to deal with at the Xianzhou Luofu. General Jing Yuan assigns Yanqing, his retainer, to be your babysitter for the day! You and Yanqing were supposed to search for puzzles to complete on the Xianzhou Luofu while the others are occupied, but instead, you two go to Boulder Town.

Note: This is a mini-fic that I have written during my finals week! Finals are done, and I am free from schoolwork! I have a couple of people on AO3 wanting smut for the HSR fanfic, but I'm not sure when I'm going to be making it. I do have smut in mind, but I'm not sure when I'll make it. Even if I do make it, I'm not sure who's going to be the first one to start it off 🤔 I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: Reader gets knocked out cold close toward the end of the fic.

Word Count: 4.5k

Part 2 of Yanqing's Babysitting Service is [HERE]. (Can be read as a standalone fic)

You’re at the Xianzhou Luofu with your traveling companions— March, Caelus, Dan Heng, Mr. Yang, Gepard, and Sampo. Jing Yuan has invited you all to the Xianzhou Luofu because there’s an emergency, and he needs some assistance. The grand doors of the Seat of Divine Foresight open, and you all step into the massive office. Despite this not being the first time you’ve been in the General’s office, you can’t help but be in awe. 

As you all walk farther into the office of the General of the Xianzhou Luofu, you see Jing Yuan playing chess with a young blond male. Jing Yuan and the blond boy looks up from the chessboard. Jing Yuan smiles widely, gets up from his seat, and strides toward your group.

“Welcome! I’m glad that you all have arrived to the Xianzhou Luofu safely! How were your travels?” asks Jing Yuan, stopping before your group.

Mr. Yang gives Jing Yuan a small smile. “General Jing Yuan, it’s good to see you again. The journey to the Xianzhou Luofu was smooth, but there were some minor obstacles,” replies Mr. Yang, adjusting his glasses. 

March props her hands on her hips. “So, General! What is it that you need us to do?” March asks, gazing at Jing Yuan curiously.

Jing Yuan’s eyes land on you, and his eyes widen slightly, his mouth agape. You blink at the man as he approaches you before turning to the others. You can’t help but have an inkling feeling that Jing Yuan didn’t expect you to be accompanying the group. 

Dan Heng raises his eyebrows at the general. “Is there a problem, General Jing Yuan?” Dan Heng asks.

Jing Yuan doesn’t respond to Dan Heng’s question. Instead, he turns back to you and places both of his hands on your shoulders. Jing Yuan opens his mouth but then shuts it, unsure of what to say. Jing Yuan looks around, searching for something or someone. 

Caelus whispers to Sampo, “Why is General Jing Yuan acting like that? Usually, he gets excited when he sees [Y/N]. But now he looks shocked and conflicted.”

Sampo shrugs his shoulders. “He did mention that there’s been an issue with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, right? If so, maybe that’s what he’s worried about,” Sampo mutters to Caelus, not taking his eyes off the white-haired General. 

Gepard takes a step closer to the two whispering men. Gepard notices the way General Jing Yuan looks at you. He looks surprised, yes, but he also looks worried. Earlier this morning, the General sent a message to the Astral Express, asking for their assistance in dealing with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Internal Alchemist and Shape Shifter. The numbers have been increasing, and it was a little bit overwhelming. 

While Jing Yuan is a very skilled fighter and can take down an army of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, he has other priorities to deal with on the Xianzhou Luofu, and having some assistance isn’t a crime. It seems like the General forgot about your presence on the Trailblazing team. You don’t blame Jing Yuan for forgetting about your placement with your traveling companions. They do the fighting, and you do the sitting on the sidelines because you don’t wield any weapons, you don’t have a combat type, nor do you have a path like them.

Gepard turns to the two men. “I think I know the issue,” Gepard states, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh? What could the issue be, Captain of the Silvermane Guards?” asks Luocha as he and Blade walk up to the three whispering men.

Caelus, Gepard, and Sampo stare at the two men, not saying anything. The corner of Blade’s lips curves up when the three men glare at him. Blade chuckles and shakes his head, looking over where you and Jing Yuan are standing. 

Blade looks over at the three men, tilting his head to the side. “So, Landau, what do you think the issue is? You implied that you know the issue,” says Blade, crossing his arms over his chest.

The tension between the men was interrupted by Jing Yuan calling over the small blond male, who remains seated in front of the chessboard. The blond male looks at the General and gets up from his spot before jogging toward you and Jing Yuan. Jing Yuan smiles at the blond male and pats his shoulders.

“Yanqing, meet [Y/N]! [Y/N], meet Yanqing, my retainer,” Jing Yuan introduces you to the young blond boy.

Yanqing’s eyes light up, and he grins from ear to ear. “Oh! So you’re [Y/N]! General Jing Yuan has talked about you nonstop! It’s great to finally meet the, and I quote from General Jing Yuan, lovely and breathtaking [Y/N],” says Yanqing. 

Jing Yuan looks at Yanqing with wide eyes, his pale cheeks turning almost as dark as his pants. Well, not that dark, but the blush on Jing Yuan’s cheek is noticeable. You feel heat rush to your cheeks after Yanqing’s cheeky comment and look at the General shyly. The man smiles at you shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

March snickers behind her hands. “It looks like General Jing Yuan gushes about [Y/N] to his retainer! How cute!” March giggles.

When you and March make eye contact from across the room, March gives you a teasing smile and wiggles her eyebrows at you suggestively. You glare at March and look away, your face feeling really hot under March’s teasing gaze and the other men’s intense stares from behind Jing Yuan and Yanqing’s backs. 

Ignoring the looks people were giving you, you look at Yanqing and smile at the young boy. “It’s nice to meet you too, Yanqing! I’ve heard great things about you,” you say.

Yanqing blushes and smiles at you shyly, clasping his hands behind his back before turning to look at the white-haired general. Jing Yuan stares at Yanqing, then at you as realization starts to set in. Clearing his throat, the tall general points at Yanqing, then at you.

“Yanqing, for today, I am appointing you to watch over [Y/N] as I, Luocha, Blade, and [Y/N]’s traveling companions deal with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus situation,” says Jing Yuan.

The young boy looks at Jing Yuan with confusion and then at you, not saying a word. You blink at Jing Yuan and point at Jing Yuan’s blond retainer. Was Jing Yuan appointing Yanqing to be your babysitter for the day while he, Blade, Luocha, your Belobog and Trailblazing companions are dealing with something dangerous?

March presses her lips into a thin line. “You know, [Y/N] can just return to the Astral Express! I don’t think [Y/N] would be a good sparring partner for someone as skilled and talented as Yanqing. No offense, [Y/N],” March gives you a polite smile.

Yanqing hums and taps his finger on his bicep, looking between you and Jing Yuan. Yanqing wasn’t sure why Jing Yuan appointed him to watch over you while they were away. He has things to do, and as the prodigy, he doesn’t have time to babysit someone Jing Yuan fawns over when they’re not around. 

Before Yanqing could protest, you said, “Jing Yuan, you don’t need to assign a babysitter for me. I can handle myself, and while I’m not from your universe, I can find something to keep myself occupied while you’re all out handling things.” 

Blade huffs with amusement, raising an eyebrow at you. “And how will you do that, little starlight? Do you plan on hanging out in the General’s office while we’re all gone?” Blade asks, raising his eyebrows at you.

You hum, tapping your foot on the ground. You can do that, but you don’t think the people that work for Jing Yuan would appreciate an outsider being in the General’s office. Especially when the office might contain top-secret information. Looking at the large seat in Jing Yuan’s office, you can make that into a bed and nap. While you’re at it, maybe Nanook wouldn’t mind keeping you company until someone wakes you up from your slumber!

Mr. Yang frowns at the expression on your face, nudging Caelus. “You recalled the Hexanexus puzzles you told me about recently?” Mr. Yang asks.

The silver-haired man blinks at Mr. Yang before pulling his phone out, nodding in response. Your phone chimes, and you pull your phone out from your pocket to see that Caelus forwarded a message from the Hex Club regarding the puzzle he solved not long ago. While Caelus replied to the message sent by the club, he didn’t respond to their previous message. 

You raise your eyebrow, looking at Caelus and Mr. Yang. “You two want me to solve the Hexanexus puzzles to keep me occupied?” You ask, tucking your phone back into your pocket.

Caelus shrugs his shoulders, putting his phone away. “If you want to! We’re not going to force you to do something you don’t want to do. We think solving puzzles would be fun compared to doing nothing while Yanqing watches over you,” Caelus replies. 

You don’t mind solving the Hexanexus puzzles around the Xianzhou Luofu! The issue is, well, the puzzles are all over the Xianzhou Luofu, meaning you’ll be all over the place searching for and completing the puzzles. You can run into any monsters at any moment. 

Maybe that’s where Yanqing comes in, but him fighting the monsters alone while you’re cowering in the corner doesn’t seem fair for the blond boy. Yes, he’s skilled and a prodigy, but it’s not fair for him to fight the battles alone. Oh, and how are you going to find these puzzles? You know there are other puzzles besides the Hexanexus puzzles around the Xianzhou Luofu. Like the navigation compass puzzle! You’ve seen them around the Xianzhou Luofu and have always been curious if you can solve them in person compared to doing it on your computer screen.

You shrug your shoulders. “I don’t mind solving puzzles while you’re all away. But what do I do with the prize that’s given to me after I solve them?” You ask.

“We’ll figure that out later. For now, let’s part ways. Once we’re done dealing with the issues around the Xianzhou Luofu, one of us will text you to inform you about it,” says Dan Heng.

You nod and follow Yanqing when he gestures for you to follow him. Before you can exit Jing Yuan’s office, Mr. Yang grabs hold of your biceps. You stop in your tracks and turn to look at the older man quizzically. Mr. Yang sighs and gives you a small smile, placing his hand on your shoulders.

“Be safe, alright? If anything happens, please let us know immediately,” says Mr. Yang, staring into your eyes.

You feel your face turn hot the longer Mr. Yang stares into your eyes. You smile at Mr. Yang and nod, placing your hand over his and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. It’s nice to know that they care about you and your safety. You’ve been in their universe for a short time, and for them to think about you makes you feel warm and fuzzy. 

“I promise I’ll let you all know if anything bad happens. I hope nothing bad happens, but I have Yanqing with me the entire time! He’ll be the one to protect me if none of you are able to make it in time,” you reply, turning to look at the blond boy.

Yanqing nods. Yanqing suddenly looks serious, as if it’s his job to watch over you— as if he’s assigned to be your bodyguard. Well, it’s sort of his temporary job to be your babysitter while the others are out somewhere on the Xianzhou Luofu. Mr. Yang sighs and lets go of your shoulders, giving you one last smile before you bid the others goodbye while walking out of Jing Yuan’s office. 

March exhales loudly, shaking her head. “Just when I thought it was bad enough for an Aeon to be in love with [Y/N], it gets worst! Eight more people developing a crush on my best friend? Oh, I need to tell Himeko about this! This is juicy!” March says, pulling her phone out.

“March, we don’t have time for gossip! You can do that later!” Sampo says cooly, flicking his bangs away from his face.

March grumbles and puts her phone away before walking over to where Jing Yuan stands. Jing Yuan starts going over the plan, instructing what each person is going to do when they arrive at their destination. Meanwhile, you’re at Cloudford with Yanqing, searching for the Hexanexus puzzle to solve.

Yanqing is alert and is making sure you two don’t run into any potential dangers. So far, things are going smoothly, and you two haven’t run into any dangers yet! While it’s fun to explore around the Xianzhou Luofu, it’s not fun searching for the puzzle when it’s not marked anywhere on the map for you. 

“How does Caelus even find the Hexanexus puzzles? Is it marked on the map for him, or what?” You grumble, pulling your phone out.

Yanqing shrugs his shoulders, peeking at your phone. “Maybe he finished all of the Hexanexus puzzles and didn’t recall completing them all?” Yanqing replies in a questioning tone. 

You sigh in defeat before putting your phone away. “Maybe. Then what do we do now? I can’t return to the Seat of Divine Foresight since it’s probably locked. I don’t think Jing Yuan would appreciate me being in there.”

You and Yanqing stand there in silence. You don’t know how to initiate a conversation with Yanqing. All you know is that he’s Jing Yuan’s retainer and currently your babysitter. Of course, he’ll be watching over you until Jing Yuan, Luocha, Blade, and your Belobog and Astral Express traveling companions are done with the things they’re dealing with at the moment.

Are you allowed to leave the Xianzhou Luofu? Jing Yuan didn’t say anything about you not being allowed to leave the Xianzhou Luofu, did he? I mean, maybe he did, and that went flying over your head. 

There aren’t any puzzles for you to solve on the Xianzhou Luofu. Even if there were, you don’t think you would want to go scavenger hunting for those puzzles. That being said, you want to visit the Boulder Town Super League. If you can’t watch your friends fight the Mara-Struck, then you might as well watch some people duke it out. The only problem was how you were going to get to Boulder Town and if Yanqing was willing to go with you since he was watching over you.

You turn to look at the young blond boy. “Hey, Yanqing. What do you think about fight clubs?” You ask, tilting your head to the side while giving Yanqing an innocent smile.

Yanqing looks at you curiously, tapping his index finger on his chin. “A fight club? I’ve never heard of it! Care to tell me what it’s about?” Yanqing asks.

You smile at Yanqing and begin walking toward where the Astral Express is located. Surely the others wouldn’t mind you and Yanqing going to Boulder Town until they’re done with their business, right? Besides, it’s not like you and Yanqing are going to be participating in anything while at the Boulder Town Super League! At least, that’s what you’re hoping. You know Yanqing is skilled in combat, but you don’t think that Jing Yuan would appreciate his retainer fighting robots in Boulder Town on Jarilo-VI.

And that is how you and Yanqing end up in Boulder Town, watching people fight robots to the side while eating snacks. You weren’t sure if Yanqing had anything to eat prior to being assigned as your babysitter for the day, so you think it’d be best to get some snacks for Yanqing to eat before returning to the Xianzhou Luofu.

Yanqing stares at the redhead entering the ring, squinting his eyes. “Do you think someone like him can handle fighting robots?” Yanqing asks, nudging you.

You take a bite from your snack and look at the person Yanqing is pointing at. You hum, tilting your head to the side, shrugging your shoulders. The redhead is shirtless, and he has a prosthetic arm. His hair is pulled back into a half-ponytail. You don’t know who this man is, but you’re looking forward to watching him duel robots and migrants. 

You shrug in response. “I don’t know! He looks pretty capable of taking down a couple of robots. Why? Do you doubt his skills, Mister Prodigy?” You tease, nudging Yanqing back.

Yanqing narrows his eyes and turns to look at you, wiping the corner of his lips. “Let’s make a bet! If you win, I owe you information about the things General Jing Yuan, that foreign trader, and the Stellaron Hunter says about you when you’re not around!” Yanqing says, holding his hand out for you to shake.

Oh? Now that has piqued your interest. What could those three talk about? You purse your lips, tempted to shake Yanqing’s hands to make a bet with the young lieutenant of the Xianzhou Luofu. Before you bring your hand up to shake the blond’s hands, you look at Yanqing suspiciously.

“And what if you win?” You ask, squinting your eyes with your hand hovering in front of his.

Yanqing hums and tilts his head to the side. “If I win, you tell me who you like out of the ones from the group,” says Yanqing, smiling at you innocently.

Now it’s your turn to tilt your head to the side as you blink at Yanqing. What does he mean by that exactly? You like everyone in the group! Granted, some of them are intimidating (Blade), but you do like everyone in the group. Unless he was implying about who you have a crush on. If that’s the case, you weren’t sure if you have romantic feelings for any of the men. 

You shrug your shoulders. Oh well, what can go wrong? “Uh, sure. It’s a deal,” you reply, grabbing Yanqing’s hand and shaking them.

You and Yanqing turn to the ring, watching the redhead prepare his match with the automaton grizzly. It towers over the redhead, ready to charge forward. The redhead summons his weapon, grinning from ear to ear as he prepares to make the first move. The automaton grizzly summons two automaton spiders, both on the verge of exploding.

You scoot back, tugging on Yanqing’s sleeves. “Let’s back up just in case,” you murmur.

Yanqing looks at you with confusion before mimicking you. The battle begins, and everything is going really well for the redhead! He managed to defeat both the automaton spiders, causing them to explode beside the automaton grizzly. The fight was coming to an end when all of a sudden, the automaton grizzly stomped on the ground, causing the redhead to lose balance, sending his prosthetic arm to come off and flying in your direction. Needless to say, you have a slow reaction time because your world suddenly goes back when the metal prosthetic arm smacks your face.

When you open your eyes, you’re in the void with Nanook towering over you. Instead of Nanook covering the sun and sky, your head is lying on Nanook’s lap. Nanook sighs in relief when your eyes flutter open. You look around, confused about how you ended up in the abyss with Nanook.

You sit up, only for Nanook to push you back to lie down. You didn’t protest or fight against it. You rest your head on Nanook’s lap, gazing up at the Aeon with bleary eyes. Nanook gives you a small smile and combs his fingers through your hair.

“What happened?” You mutter.

Nanook sigh. “You got hit in the face, and it knocked you out. Now here you are, with me. Safe in my arms where no one and nothing can harm a single hair on your head,” Nanook replies, smiling at you.

You reach for Nanook’s hands, lacing your fingers together. Nanook lets out a shaky sigh, bringing your laced hands up to his lips, and presses a gentle kiss on your knuckles. So that’s what happened. You were knocked out unconscious. 

You weren’t sure how long you’ll remain unconscious, but you like being in the void with Nanook. It’s nice and quiet here— away from the dangers lurking in every corner. You have Nanook with you, and Nanook can protect you from harm. 

“How much longer do I have to wait to see you in person, Nanook?” You whisper, shutting your eyes.

Nanook hums, combing his fingers through your hair. “Sooner than you think, little one. I won’t keep you waiting any longer, I promise,” Nanook whispers, pressing another kiss on your forehead.

Before you can ask any more questions, the void around you slowly becomes dark. Nanook sighs in defeat, kissing your knuckles one last time. You involuntarily jerk when you feel someone tap your cheek while saying your name repeatedly. You groan, attempting to swat the hand away from your face. Your face hurts, but more importantly, your forehead hurts a lot. It feels like someone chucked a metal bat in your face. Oh, wait, that kind of happened, aside from the metal bat part. 

“Hey, hey, hey! It’s okay! Take it easy now,” says an unfamiliar voice.

You crack your eyes open. Your vision is blurry, and there are multiple people peering down at you, watching you regain your consciousness. You blink rapidly, rubbing your eyes with the heel of your hand. You have no idea how long you’ve been knocked out, but that was probably the best yet worst nap you have ever gotten.

The redhead with the metal prosthetic arm sighs in relief, smiling at you. “I’m so glad you’re okay! I didn’t mean to knock you out with my arm. To be honest, I didn’t expect my prosthetic to fly off and hit you in the face,” says the redhead. 

“Just be glad it didn’t give [Y/N] a concussion, Luka,” a gentle voice interjects.

You look up to see Natasha walk up to where you’re lying. She smiles at you and stands at the edge of the bed. Now that you’re awake, you realize you’re at the infirmary in Boulder Town. Yanqing is sitting beside you, pressing an ice pack on your forehead. Yanqing looks like he saw a ghost— the poor boy is pale and has tears pooling in his eyes. You’re tempted to ask Yanqing what is wrong, but before you can ask Yanqing, Yanqing looks away while still pressing the ice pack against your forehead. 

Natasha does a quick check-up on you while Yanqing and the redhead remain by your side. For your headache, Natasha prescribes you pain medication to take. She instructs you to take it every eight hours, but only if you’re having a headache. Natasha dismisses you, Yanqing, and the redhead.

The three of you step out of the infirmary, not saying a word. Yanqing sticks to your side, Yanqing’s arm looping around yours as he helps you down the stairs. You sit on the last step of the stairs, holding the ice pack on the bruise and a forming bump on your forehead. You turn to look at Yanqing.

“Did he win?” You ask.

Yanqing looks at you incredulously, his mouth agape. “You were knocked out cold by his flying prosthetic arm, and you’re wondering if he won the fight?!” Yanqing screeches.

The redhead chuckles, sitting beside you. “The fight stopped after my arm hit you in the face. I didn’t win or lose, but I was winning,” replies the redhead. “I’m Luka, by the way.”

You tried to smile at Luka, only for it to be a grimace. “Nice to meet you, Luka! I’m [Y/N], and the blond boy beside me is Yanqing! He’s my babysitter,” you reply.

Luka looks at you and Yanqing curiously but doesn’t question it. Your meeting with Luka was brief since your phone was blowing up with text messages and phone calls from your Astral Express and Belobog traveling companions. Blade, Luocha, and Jing Yuan even sent you a series of text messages and phone calls, asking where you and Yanqing have disappeared off to.

Before you and Yanqing could return to the Xianzhou Luofu, you and Luka traded phone numbers. Luka said he was going to find a way to make it up to you when you two cross paths later. Yanqing wasn’t fond of Luka, and you weren’t sure if it was because of Luka’s prosthetic arm flying off and knocking you out or if it was because of something else.

Either way, when you and Yanqing returned to the Xianzhou Luofu, the others were waiting for your and Yanqing’s return. Everyone’s eyes automatically lock on you when you step into the Seat of Divine Foresight. Yanqing didn’t get in trouble, thankfully. However, you did get an earful from the others for wandering off and dragging Yanqing with you. 

“I guess that’s the end of Yanqing’s babysitting service,” you grumble, letting Luocha replace the now-melted ice pack with a new one. “Now I’ll never know what Jing Yuan, Blade, and Luocha said about me,” you lament.

Loucha pauses and looks at you with a blank stare. “Pardon me?” Luocha asks, raising his eyebrows at you.

You blink at the long, blond-haired man. “I don’t know what I’m saying. Ignore that. I did get hit in the face with a metal arm not long ago,” you grumble.

Luocha shrugs before continuing where he had left off while the others go through your phone. You took many pictures while you were with Yanqing, and the men (and March) were glad that you had a great time! That is until your phone chimes and a notification pops up on your screen.

“One attachment from Luka?” Gepard mutters, raising an eyebrow.

March props her hands on her hips. “Who is this Luka person?” March asks.

Dan Heng hums. “One way to find out…” Dan Heng trails off.

Gepard clicks on the notification, sending them to a text messaging app. The attachment shows up, and it was a shirtless, mirror picture of the redhead you met at Boulder Town. Sampo’s eyes widen, his eyes zooming in on the text below.

“I hope this makes up for what happened today. I hope I can make it up to you in person x”

Oh, you have some explaining to do.

Mr. Yang slowly turns to where you’re sitting, crossing his arms over his chest while looking like a stern father, ready to scold his child. “[Y/N]. Care to explain this?” Mr. Yang asks, holding up your phone to your face.

Your eyes widen, and you look away, rubbing the back of your neck. “I don’t think you should be interrogating someone that got smacked in the face with a metal arm right now. I’ll explain everything later,” you reply. “And I’m going to smack Luka for sending a shirtless mirror selfie out of nowhere.”

While there’s nothing romantic going on between you and each of the men, they can’t help but feel something form in the pit of their gut. Yeah, Yanqing’s babysitting service is definitely not going to happen again. At least, not without the other person keeping an eye on you and Yanqing.

Note: It's about to be 6 AM, and I have not slept at all. Once I post this fic on AO3, I am going straight to sleep. It's a good thing it's summer for me now because my sleep schedule is officially fucked. My first mini-fic for HSR omg :o anyway, I am going to start working on a taglist form for my HSR series, and hopefully, I can start tagging people in posts soon. To my new and/or returning readers, please keep in mind that I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Read more of my works on my Masterlist | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories on there too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^

[agentjazzy]

The Evil Dead Dashboard Simulator

🧍‍♂️ groovyhousewares Follow

YES I got my girlfriend a pretty pretty necklace from a gumball machine and when she sees it she's going to give me so so many kisses :)

(411 Notes)

🐟 fishwantmemenwanttokillme Follow

man, fuck tourists, I was heading to my spot when a car came up and honked at us, all friendly like, so me and buddy waved bc there wasn't anyone else there, but then they YELLED at us???? we were just walking?? wtf did we even DO

#i hope the bridge collapses i hope they all DIE #vent

(4,079 Notes)

🎲 kingofstupidbitches Follow

unethical life pro tip: if you overhear your professor talking about their family cabin that they have, and they have open office hours posted, it's your RIGHT to go check that shit out

they're not gonna be there!! they have papers to grade and other shit to deal with!!! free cabin!!!

🌋 thehillsalsohaveanniceass 📛 Follow

op what are you going to do when you roll up and they're just sitting there

🎲 kingofstupidbitches Follow

lmao his ass is NOT going to be in that cabin 😂 he just got back from a vacation with his family or something (dipshit couldn't wait until break) he's supposed to be at his office and he does NOT have the vacation days to be leaving so soon

(151 Notes)

🌹 pressedflowerpetals Follow

fml my older brother asked if I wanted to tag along on a trip to a cabin and I said sure bc it beats staying at home w/ dad

BUT IT'S A COUPLE TRIP

HE'S BRINGING HIS COWORKER/GIRLFRIEND THAT HE DOESN'T SHUT UP ABOUT, HIS FRIEND IS BRINGING HIS GIRLFRIEND, WHYYYY DID THEY INVITE ME

#if i knew i would've said no 😭 #he didn't even invite his Actual best friend #which SUCKS bc then we could've fooled around when no one was paying attention #huh who said that 😳 #cheryl posting

(4 Notes)

📜 anthroapologist 🦀 Follow

haters will hear you scurrying underneath the bowels of your home and freak out like HELLO where else am I supposed to scurry????

(1,288 Notes)

🔮 shessellingseashells Follow

you ever feel like people Immediately forget your name upon meeting you :(

#i might be too high but i don't think any of these people know my full name #i mean I'm Definitely high #and tried moonshine for the first time #but like. really feeling like an outsider rn

(0 Notes)

🎲 kingofstupidbitches Follow

it's so hard being the only chad amongst nerds, like, I GET IT, you're too much of a pussy to investigate the creepy fucking cellar, the LEAST you can do is let me listen to the tapes I found down there, they're cool as fuck

🎲 kingofstupidbitches Follow

okay and now they're all yelling at me bc a stupid tree broke a window right when the tape got good 😑

🎲 kingofstupidbitches Follow

fuck it, here's a recording of the tape, I hope none of you guys are cowards like all my friends apparently are, have fun bc I can't

(206,089 Notes)

💀 theevilacrosstheland Follow

when someone plays your song you can feel that shit in your SOUL catch me coming towards you at 15mph awoken from my eternal slumber if I hear that first note fr

(6,282 Notes)

🔍 peachycraftsection Follow

my boyfriend spent $14 in quarters attempting to get a magnifying glass necklace from one of those gumball machine toy capsules at work bc he knows I LOVE mysteries and detective stories and I need to [redacted] him in the [redacted] right NOW 💖💖💖

(432 Notes)

🌹 pressedflowerpetals Follow

everyone's making out rn which is REAL inconvenient bc there is Absolutely Something Outside

🌹 pressedflowerpetals Follow

should I check it out

🌹 pressedflowerpetals Follow

there's no one online to tell me no so.....

📝 charcoalfingertips Follow

op you haven't posted in an hour are you okay???

🌹 pressedflowerpetals Follow

I'm Irrevocably Changed Now 👍

(104 Notes)

🌹 deadite420 Follow

I'm just a silly goofy guy if I happened to have killed and maimed and bite and stab that's just who I am and how I show love ^_^

(5,724 Notes)

🔮 deadite68 Follow

coyotes are SO right, if youre trapped somewhere or someone grabs ya, just bite your limb off, no hesitation, show superiority, it's not like THEY'RE gonna do it

(2,051 Notes)

🧍‍♂️ groovyhousewares Follow

whhy is there so muchh blood everywhere........

#help #i accidentally kept my mouthh open and blood got in it :((((( #my head hurts sso bad bookcases kept falling on me

(5 Notes)

🔩 deadite883 Follow

heehee i love crawling through pipes and electrical outlets

(207 Notes)

🎶 8tracksarebetterthancassettes Follow

I logged onto Tumblr and wtf why am I following so many people with deadite in their username? is it a reference? did I miss a meme? are we mishapocolypse-ing again?

🌿 dirtissoyummy Follow

I think it might be a virus transmitted by bots but idk I'm too scared to interact

🤡 thespareshemp Follow

okay I investigated to see if it was a bot swarm or people having fun SO

for the first cluster of blogs, all their IPs are logging from the same location, which usually means a lazy bot swarm BUT I went through all their archives and most of them, before changing urls, interacted with one another naturally and stuff, @-ing one another and junk, and they seem to know each other irl

so it's just friends having fun!! and then people joining in on the fun!! feel free to reblog without fear!

#they're all still posting original content so that's kinda a giveaway #even though it's all 'deadite'fied and all #i wonder if theyre doing an arg thing

(1,004 Notes)

🔍 deadite81 Follow

when men are SOAKED with blood 👌😍🥰😘💖🥰🥰💖😍👌😘😘😘💖💖😍

(20,983 Notes)

🤡 deadite6091 Follow

JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOHN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US

🛏 honkshoomimi Follow

🤡 deadite6091 Follow

You Will Be Dead By Dawn

(5,732 Notes)

🐟 fishwantmemenwanttokillme Follow

man, fuck tourists, I was heading to my spot when a car came up and honked at us, all friendly like, so me and buddy waved bc there wasn't anyone else there, but then they YELLED at us???? we were just walking?? wtf did we even DO

🥐 evilpillsburydoughboy Follow

hey you live near the state line right? can you check the news real quick

🐟 fishwantmemenwanttokillme Follow

uhhhhhhhhh

🐟 fishwantmemenwanttokillme Follow

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE BRIDGE IS GONE

🐟 fishwantmemenwanttokillme Follow

fml if any of you need me i'm going to lay down in the cold and let the forest take me

(4,079 Notes)

🛏 deadite7390 Follow

if you were to break me down to my pure essence you would be left with pure, unfiltered evil

also grits

mmmmmm grits

(2,561 Notes)

🎥 deadite3023 Follow

falling down the stairs is the most efficient way to go down them :)

(941 Notes)

🎲 deadite69 Follow

y'all ever open the window and AUGH OUGH UGH UGH UGH AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA THE AGONIES and then you adjust to the sunlight and you're fine

(8,091 Notes)

🧍‍♂️ groovyhousewares Follow

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEONE HELP ME

(3 Notes)

[beneathsakurashade]

why did my favorite game turn into a dating sim? twst x gen reader (crack fic) CH 1: Bro got half a braincell

Intro CH:2 CH: 3

You were bored, like really bored.     So now you were sitting on the mattress that you called a bed while reading fanfics that hadn’t been touched by their authors after almost five years.  Scrolling absentmindedly through A03 you stumbled upon a new fic that somehow escaped your search.  It was titled 𝕋𝕨𝕤𝕥: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕚𝕞, in that font, just published mere minutes ago.  “Well, there’s nothing else that I want to read” you shrug and tap to open your newest discovery.  You’re greeted by a page that is blank, completely barren of words, “Is my wifi bad?” You mutter and reload the page. The page remains blank, “Wait no summary? No chapter title? Nothing?” You stare confused at your screen Did someone forget to write anything and just press post? you think attempting to exit out of the fic.  You feel nothing but a sudden fear as you shut your eyes and feel a rush of cold air and cobblestone as you hit the ground.  "Ow...the hell?" you cry and step up "Ah, good you're here!"

     An unfamiliar voice calls out and you hear someone walking over to you.  You look up to face a man wearing a bird-like mask and dressed in rich attire.  “And you are?” You ask unamused.  “I am Dire Crowley, headmage of Night Raven College!” He smiles “All I heard was that I’m a stranger and I brought you here” you retort.  “That is correct! I brought you here from your world for a once in a lifetime opportunity!” Not convinced you continue “If that once in a lifetime opportunity doesn’t include free food and housing I don’t want it-” Crowley interrupts your comment “Trust me, your food and housing will be completely covered! For I am so gracious! Now follow me, for I shall tell you why I brought you here on the way to my office”.  I don’t suppose that I have much of a choice… you think to yourself “Alright bird man, let’s get going”.  You follow this Dire Crowley through what appears to be a school, there’s people your age walking around in uniforms of various colors.  Some are holding textbooks, some are discussing yesterday’s homework and some are using their movement time to nap on the benches. 

You both arrive at his office and he opens the door, you sit yourself down at the chair in front of his desk.  “Now explain why I’m here” You start and watch as he summons papers into his hand and places them on his desk.  “You are to be part of a special program here at Night Raven College, a program which includes teaching our students about the married life.  If they so desire to partake in it later in life” Crowley explains.  You nod and pause “Wait…so what does teaching your students about being married have to do with me?” inwardly you think Okay...this is definitely not the NRC I'm used to, there's no such thing as a marriage program.  He explains further “Well you see, I have contacted your siblings, and they say that this experiment would do good for you! So this is a win win situation for us yes?” nodding slowly you pause and mutter "Wait...why does this feel familiar?"  Stiffening you realize that you were summoned into the world of Twisted Wonderland, right in the middle of Night Raven College, a school full of cute guys...and a deadbeat principal...

    You gaze at the first page in the small stack that you were given, at the top there’s a section for your basic info.  Filling the first page out you flip over to the back, there are a few more basic questions, like what’s your best subject, your hobbies, and your likes and dislikes.  After filling out the first page you turn to the second, which has information about a young man named Riddle Rosehearts, there’s no photo set for either of you.  You knew a lot about Riddle, Twisted Wonderland was your current hyperfixation, so you knew damn well about everything for every character, you could probably be like Azul and blackmail everyone at school with the dirt you had on them.  Still, it was strange having their info presented to you on a sheet of paper, you usually used the wiki to get your info, wait...what if you get your own twst wiki page?  What if someone is studying your page like you studied your favorite boys'?  Shuddering at the thought you look through the what was written on the pages, Age 20...wait wasn't he seventeen in the original game? Is this an au or something? Birthday is August 24th, homeland is Queendom of Roses, man I wish my homeland was called that tbh... Best subject is practical magic…whatever that is.  He’s in the Equestrian club, righttt, I forgot that NRC is a rich kid school, ain't no way my school has the budget for horses.  Ughhh my sister was a horse girl, I do not wanna handle more seasons of Heartland.  Hobby is hedgehog tending? That sounds awfully cute, bro better share them hedgehog tending responsibilities.  Pet peeve is rulebreaking? I mean it depends I guess, like some rules are dumb, and some aren’t so… Favorite food is strawberry tarts, sounds yummy, least fave food is junk food, oop bro is gonna hate my fave foods.  Talent is being fast at solving crossword puzzles? Mine is probably being fast at Fruit Ninja-. 

Crowley snaps and breaks you out of your thoughts, “So what do you think of your first partner Mx. L/N?” you try to keep as calm as possible (as one can when they get the news that they're going to be marrying a character from their favorite game) and cough.  "He seems interesting, so when do I get to meet him?”     “Quite soon Mx. L/N, after school today you both will meet.  Then tomorrow you will both attend classes together, and share a dorm room”.  “You want me to share a room with a stranger?” “Fear not Mx. L/N, there will be separate beds, and our students are very respectful.  If anything arises please report to Mr. Crewel, he will deal with such things swiftly”.  "Sure whatever you say..." you mutter and ask what happens now, trying to meet Riddle as soon as possible.  You walk alongside Crowley as he leads you to an empty classroom with a single student inside.  Sitting down at a desk with his head buried deep within a book, the only thing that you can see is two strands of strawberry red hair.  Sits the familiar sight of a particular rule obsessed student.  “Uh, Riddle, right?” You peep up and he looks up at you “Oh hello, you must be the student that the Headmage told me about” you nod in response.  “Yea I am, so uh…what do we do now?” You look behind you and notice that Crowley is gone, “Did he just leave? Bruh, guys always do this…” you remark sighing.  "Shall we introduce each other properly?" Riddle suggests and you shrug.  He stands up from his seat "My name is Riddle Rosehearts, Housewarden of Heartslabyul, it is an honor to meet you.  I do hope that our partnership shall be enjoyable".  You smile "I'm Y/N L/N, uhhh, an average college student.  It's nice to meet you".  

A/N: guys this is a cringey I know lol, this is basically for me to practice my writing. also fun fact the chapter titles r from wattpad comments. ok I'll go now bye :>

[philialoving]

❝𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞❞ 𝐟𝐭. 𝐜𝐞𝐨!𝐠𝐨𝐣𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

a/n: aodjj i was so hesitant about posting this istg

gojo’s steps are heard throughout the hallways of your company. he has only one goal in mind and it’s to get to you, his work-partner whom he is very in love with.

he finally stumbles on your secretary and eagerly asks her, “hey, where’s y/n?”

the secretary knowingly smiles, “in her office, sir; however, I would like to tell you that she has been in there for quite some time today.”

it wasn’t the first time he has visited you and every single time he had a different excuse. either “I wanted to discuss future plans!” or “I had some free time!”

gojo hums, nodding to her before walk to your office and knocking on your door, “y/n! your favorite ceo is here!”

he waits a moment before opening the door, “sweets, you there?”

then he halts in his steps.

you’re sleeping, deeply sleeping; you usually wake up from your naps whenever you hear the door open—you call it instinct but he calls it paranoia so you hit him.

he takes light steps towards you until he is right beside you. your hair is covering your face and his hand naturally tucks it behind your ear.

you look beautiful, he thinks.

“y/n,” he whispers and you stir lightly, making him chuckle.

he poked your cheek once: no reaction. twice: no reaction. thrice: he gets his finger bit.

“ow! is this what I get for trying to wake up as gently as I could?!”

you get up, grumbling, “no one wakes someone like that, mr. gojo.”

“hey now, don’t degrade me to mr. gojo once again,” he pouts and you simply roll your eyes.

“why are you here anyway?”

“I got worried about you and! I wanted to see you.”

you quirk an eyebrow, “playing with my feelings is getting you no where,” you look up, “what deal or idea did you want to discuss?”

you await a response but gojo is unmoving.

he looks down at you with a gaze as serious as the ones you see in your meeting room, “you think I am playing with you?”

you quirk an eyebrow, “are you not?”

a frown settles on his lips, “I mean, I don’t think a man playing with you would be so crazy for your attention, no?”

you stand up, “in this line of work, I can’t risk it; you know that,” you walk towards your book shelves, “I am responsible for so many things and I can’t have a romantic relationship make me forget that.”

“y/n, how long have we known each other?”

his eyes follow you and it makes you a little nervous so you fidget lightly with your fingers as you respond, “since we were kids.”

“I have loved you before any of us got rich or became ceos; how did you not notice?”

you turn your back to him, and he approaches, steps a bit cautious, “y/n, I love you—“

“don’t say that!” you snap.

his eyes widen, but he is silent as you look at him, “how am I supposed to believe you? and even if I did, what will happen then?”

“I will do my best to make you the happiest person ever,” he says, determination, unwavering.

“but, satoru…”

“give me a chance, just one,” he takes your hands into his own, “if I fail you then…you can do anything you want.”

“like?”

he shrugs, and for some reason, he can’t keep eye contact anymore, “maybe punch me or whatever.”

“can’t I do that now?” you say, a smile threatening to creep up.

he looks at you, narrowing his eyes, “you must think you’re so funny.”

you nod, proudly and satoru is just exasperated at this point. he nudges your shoulder, “so you going to give me a chance or will you be the one playing with my feelings?”

“fine, I guess,” you chuckle, and he has never beamed nor shone so brightly this quick.

he tackles you in a hug, “I won’t disappoint you, sweets!”

[dnickels]

RE: 5x05. I have no idea how much I'm supposed to read into this, but that has never stopped me before:

It's VE Day. Havers is back in England. The post office, telephone system, communication infrastructure etc all still work. So where is Cap's sense of urgency coming from? He knows the full name and regiment of a serving officer, a letter will get where it needs to go, they're very good about that over there. Yes, Cap's been waiting, but its been six years, he can wait a little longer-- hang out in the bushes until he sees Haver's car drive away and bang on the window, if he insists on being an insane person (<3). Figure out where he's billeted. Japan hasn't surrendered yet, so I suppose there's a chance Havers could get shipped to Burma or something and potentially die there, but he's not going to go straight from the cocktail reception to the troop ship, especially if everyone there is about to get "Hitler defeated"-levels of drunk. ("They're all red tabs, surely decency and decorum--" they are going to roll those old soaks out of there in wheelbarrows)

The urgency isn't because Havers might die. I think Cap knew his time was short.

He's a middle aged man in tolerably good shape, all that ration food aside. He make good time on his morning jogs, and his biggest ailment is 'creaky knees'. "Widowmaker heart attack out of nowhere" isn't an unheard of COD for someone who seems otherwise fine, especially someone who has been under a fair amount of stress (six years of wartime, including the fucking Blitz would do a number on my heart) but his sudden relocation makes me pause. It's only been about a year since he got relocated away from Button House, right? What was all that about? It's presumably still requisitioned, given that they're throwing a swanky victory party there and Heather Button is nowhere to be seen, but has the weapons program been disbanded? Or was there some reason to pull the CO out of a high-stress position and send him to the beach to take potshots at seagulls? (I am being glib here-- the coast was NOT a stress-free place when you can see your enemy just across the Channel). I genuinely forget what he said he was doing in season three-- was he even still in the army at all, or did they send his ass to the Home Guard? Even they got a campaign ribbon.

I think Cap made one last push to get to the front, and while its very clear that this dingus should under no circumstances be on the front line (<3) they humored him with a medical-- and found something really troubling. Or maybe he went in of his own accord, the old flutter, or maybe it was just a routine checkup. Either way he got some very serious news, so sorry old boy, just one of those things, could be any day now-- best make sure your affairs are all in order.

Hence the single-minded desire to meet, once last time. Everyone else clearly drove-- did he walk all the way from the train station, down the country lanes? Did he feel a little short of breath scaling all those walls? Did every set-back and stressor make him more determined-- just give me a little more time, just a little more time...

It could also be that he just got yelled at so hard he died of it, which is almost certainly how I will go, but that was my immediate impression and it has not left me, nor have I known peace. I know there's a few holes in my theory but I haven't talked myself out of it yet. For me the kicker is that he experiences at least ten devastating emotions in the last moments of his life, but "surprise at entering cardiac arrest" does not appear to be one of them. It looks more like grim acceptance. Stoic in the face of death-- a soldier to the end.

[gilbirda]

gil gil gilgilgil gil gil.

i had

omg

i had the best

the best

Okay so.

Soulmate Identifying Marks AU

ANGER MANAGEMENT STYLE

i am

i need it.

(don't feel pressured i might write it myself but also might not but i had to throw the idea to you)

Fam.

You got it.

[Read on AO3]

------

Jason never actually cared about his soulmark. Really. Why bother? He was poor, his parents' relationship was shitty (he later learned they weren't soulmates and Catherine sold him a pretty lie), and his life was complicated enough to add romance.

Once he became a vigilante at the tender age of thirteen, he understood that love was a luxury, and that having a soulmate at this point was a liability more than a blessing. A curse, even. He envied Dick, who didn't have a soulmate mark, and who loved freely and without hesitation; he envied Bruce, who loved intensely and burned just as bright.

He just. He couldn't do it.

So he chose to ignore it. Sometimes he hated it, sometimes it felt like a shackle to a complete stranger, someone he was supposed to tie himself to-

(Someone that didn't belong in his world. Crimefighters and civilians were not a good idea.) - so he just scrubbed at the damn ink on his skin when he got pissed at it, and covered with long sleeved clothes when he wanted to ignore it.

And then he died.

He was surprised to discover his mark was still there after coming back to himself post-bathing in the Lazarus Pits. He lowkey had hoped his soulmate was free from the connection the moment his heart stopped beating. But it was still there.

It was a bird. Ironic.

A freaking bluejay.

It was still colorful, it has all the details, no matter what he did about the mark. His soulmate was still there on the other side, waiting, biding their time. He wondered if their mark became a black silhouette like it did when partners died. He wondered if that stranger was holding hope or gave up on him already.

(He hoped they did. Giving up on him was the best option.)

When years passed and he didn't find anybody with a matching tattoo, blacked out or not, he tried to forget about it again. Holding hope was useless, and he had more important things to do. Dick eventually stopped asking about it, when they were back on speaking terms. Bruce still gave it pained looks when he visited the Cave.

That's why when a woman sat down on his table and hid her face behind a binder, he didn't notice the picture on it at first glance.

"Hello?" He put down the cup of coffee and sat straighter. It was never a bad idea to be wary.

"Um." The woman lowered the binder enough to look around the quaint café. She turned and checked the window, but if there was someone there she wouldn't be seen. That's why Jason liked this table, it was the best strategic point. "Sorry, I..."

"Hiding from an ex?"

The woman rolled her eyes, setting the binder back on the table. "Try a creepy coworker."

She tried to downplay it, but by her body language she was more affected than what she let on. He was interested in her story immediately. No woman was going to be stalked on his watch.

"Did you try the police?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Police doesn't do shit in Gotham."

Her sharp tone and eyes made him smile immediately. "Have you tried kicking him in the nuts?"

The unknown woman arched an eyebrow and untied her tight bun, massaging her scalp for a second, revealing long natural red hair. Jason noticed her white shirt, so she may be coming back from work. An office? He wondered where she worked. He could try and find out and then identify this creepy coworker-

"Hard to do that when she doesn't have a pair of those." The woman snorted. "My stalker is a woman."

"My mistake. Have you tried kicking her anyway?"

She made a face as if she didn't know what to do with him, but laughed at his comment. He smiled back, glad to see her relax after the scare.

"Thanks. I really needed the laugh, stranger." She made a move to stand up. "I'll leave you alone now."

He nodded, making a note to follow her and find as much information as he could about this stalker.

His eyes wandered to the picture taped to the front of her binder.

A bluejay.

"Wait." He extended a hand, catching her-

It was like an electric current coursed through him, from the palm of the hand that touched her forearms to the tip of his toes. He knew she felt it too, because she froze where she stood, her eyes glued to his hand on her person.

He had to let her go, he knew, but he couldn't. He really couldn't. He knew what this meant, and yet he didn't want to believe.

"Where did you get that?"

It took a moment to come back to reality and process her words. She was looking at his arm, her free hand hovering over the hem of the jacket her had rolled up to be comfortable. The shape of the tail of the bird was in plain sight.

He could lie and say it was a tattoo. That he thought bluejays were cool. He could say so many things.

He didn't need to say any of those lies.

The woman put the binder back on the table and rolled up the sleeve of her sensible white shirt, on the same arm he had his mark. He knew what he would see, what he could see, but it didn't prepare him to the sight of the same bluejay shape blacked out.

"I cried for you. I felt you die."

Her eyes were haunted with memories. What could he say? What could he explain?

"I should have looked harder for you." She narrowed her eyes. "I knew I could still sense you, but I didn't want to hope..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

"It's okay. People shouldn't be running around chasing ghosts." He understood her. Really. Holding hope for the impossible could be dangerous.

The woman smiled at his words, truly smiled, amusement morphing her expression like the turning of a page. She sat back down and extended her hand.

"Jasmine Fenton. Professional ghost hunter. Or was." She rolled her eyes. "I was taking a break now, actually."

Jason tried to gauge if she was joking. But she was completely serious.

Huh.

"Jason Todd." He shook her hand anyway, barely stopping when the electric current made an appearance again.

"Like the dead socialite?"

She did her homework.

"Yeah." It was his time to be amused. "Just like him."

He smiled back at her, and it felt right. Like coming back for air after being underwater for too long. Like feeling the sun warming your skin for the first time after a long winter.

He always found the soulmate talk boring, and in his darkest hours, pathetic. He would never experience that, and romance was for those that could afford it, so why care?

But now, touching her, seeing her smile and her teal eyes that hid many secrets, Jason decided that those people were very off about their descriptions - and very right at the same time.

So he just ignored everything he thought he knew about soulmates and tried to remember if he had the rest of his day free, since he apparently had a soulmate to get to know.

---

Hate the ending, might rewrite it.

Bone apple teeth.

Also I hc Jason as aspec if it wasn't obvious here.

Do you like my stuff? Buy me a Ko-fi!

[jerzwriter]

High Seas (1 / 2)

I am so catching up on fic requests this week! lol This one is for my bestie, sister from another mister, and soon-to-be NYC jail cell partner (lol nah, we'll be good!) @icecoffee90 based on this ask. I decided to make it a 2-parter. I hope you're OK with that. I hope you enjoy this!

Book: Open Heart (Post Series)

Characters: Tobias Carrick x F!MC, Ethan Ramsey

Category: Fun Fluff?

Words: 1,200

Summary: Casey and Tobias have been looking forward to their vacation plans, a cruise on the high seas with some old Hopkin's friends as well. But when work gets in the way, Casey has a suggestion. Can she sell it?

A/N: Part two will be up tomorrow - This is just some light-hearted fun and I hope you enjoy it. Participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge - I could make it stargazing or sunglasses? It's definitely a summer vacation - does that work Dani? lol? Thank you!

Casey walked into Tobias’s office sheepishly, without saying a word. She turned around and leaned against the locked door. Knowing what that typically meant, he broke into a lascivious grin, but Casey’s scrunched-up face and worried demeanor left him perplexed.   

“Babe...” she grimaced.

“Yes....” he simpered with a raised brow.

“No,” she corrected with a nervous giggle. “It’s not that... not this time, at least. I’m afraid I have some... news.”

His shoulders dropped as his eyes widened. “Oh, shit... you’re not pregnant, are you?”

“What? No!” she shot back incredulously. “Tobias, that happened once, and now every time I have news, you assume that’s it? Besides, I thought you wanted ten kids or something.”

“More like five, but Sammy is barely six months old. Sweetheart,” he smiled as he rose to embrace her, his lips meeting hers in a tender, delightful kiss to seal his wordless apology. “For the record, I would be delighted... but we said we wanted to space the Carrick Pack out a little more, that’s all.”

“Well,” she attempted to worm out of his embrace with a bashful smile that was the very opposite of his devious grin. This man was entirely too proud of the effect he had on her. “Once you hear my news, you’ll probably wish it was Carrick Bambino 2.0.”

His face grew serious as he leaned against his desk, and his wife collapsed into his visitor’s chair.

“Case... you’re OK, right? You’re not sick or something?”

“No, no...” she assured. “Nothing like that. I didn’t mean to frighten you. But remember that proposal I submitted to the governor’s office?”

“The one about expanding free healthcare to children in the state’s poorest communities? Sure, how could I forget? You put your heart and soul into that project – pregnant and all.”

“Well, it paid off... I got a call from the Lieutenant Governor, and well... they loved the proposal and asked if Naveen and I could put a presentation together for them. They’d like to make it happen.”

“Hon! That’s incredible!” He gasped, face glowing with pride. “What are you doing, scaring me like that? This is wonderful news... the best! Why would I be unhappy?”

“It’s... the timing,” she sighed. “The Governor and her healthcare committee only had two days available to meet with us.... both during the week we were supposed to be on our cruise.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, baby. I know how much we’ve been looking forward to it... but this project is so important and,” she stopped when she saw his face fall. “... and I supposed I can bring someone else up to speed and let them take the meeting. It’s just...”

“Oh, No!” he interrupted, taking her hand. “Baby girl, you worked your ass off on that proposal, and I’m so proud of you! No way are you handing all your hard work over to someone else at this stage. Besides, no one believes in it as much as you – and it’s too important. You have to be there. We’ll go on a cruise another time.”

Casey glanced at him with a playful smirk. “Did you put cancellation insurance on the trip like I told you to?”

The mischievous gleam in his eyes answered her before he did. “Have I told you how proud I am of you? And how absolutely beautiful you look today?”

“So, that’s a no on the insurance,” Casey laughed.

“I don’t care. We’ll lose the money. Or I’ll see if we can transfer the trip to someone else.”

“But it’s with your old Hopkins friends! I don’t want you to miss out, so I have the perfect solution. Ethan only declined so we could go together. But, if I can’t go, I can hold down the Diagnostic Team with Harper and Baz, and Ethan can go with you.”

“Uhm, no.”

“Uhm, yes. I already called the cruise line. They said we could transfer the ticket to his name. Plus, it would be nice for you to see your old friends together without your old ball and chain there.”

His lips pursed and he gave her with a reprimanding stare. “When have I ever referred to you as my ball and chain!”

“I’m teasing,” she reassured. “But come on, tell me it wouldn’t be fun for you and Ethan to go on a trip with your old med school friends? As much as I’ll miss you, it’s not such a terrible outcome.”

“It’s not terrible,” he groaned. “But I wanted a little romantic getaway with my wife, too. Ethan is no use to me there.”

“True. But you can cancel the romantic suite with the jacuzzi and change to a standard room, but go! Sammy and I will be fine, you get some friend time and will be back before you know it. All we need to do is get Ethan to agree. What do you say?”

“One condition. I get to Zoom in for your presentation. No way I’m going to miss watching my wife kicking ass.”

“Oh, but Hon,” she grinned, slipping into his arms and playfully toying with the lapels on his lab coat. “But then you’ll be all turned on and so far away... is that a good idea?”

“Sure is. Imagine how worked up we’ll be for the reunion when I get back,” he winked.

“So, then it’s a deal?”

“As long as Ethan’s on board, it’s a deal.”

~~~~~

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Ethan scowled.

Tobias turned to Casey. “See, what did I tell you?”

“Ethan, you can stop pretending you don’t like Tobias. You were our best man. You’re Sammy’s godfather. You practically live at our house on your days off....”

“That’s just to see Samantha,” he interrupted.

“You’re so full of shit!” Casey joked. “I know being curmudgeonly is your brand, but shut up and go! Are you afraid I’ll destroy the DT while you’re gone?”

“No,” Ethan insisted. “It’s not like I’m leaving Carrick in charge, for God’s sake.”

“Well, technically, you are,” Tobias teased. “She is Casey Carrick now, remember?”

“Yeah, the poor thing,” Ethan scowled. “But you know what I meant!”

“Come on,” Tobias cajoled. “It’s been a long time since you and I spent with the old crew. As much as I’d rather be with Casey than you, and, frankly, as much as they’d rather be with Casey than you... it’ll still be fun.”

Ethan’s expression softened as he stared into the distance. “We did have some fun times together in the past.”

“Sure as hell did,” Tobias agreed.

“And you don’t mind?” Ethan asked Casey.

“It was my idea! I’d love to be there, but this presentation is too important to me. Vivian promised she’ll help me with Sammy, and I’d be happy to know you two clowns are off having fun.”

“Sounds like you have it all worked out,” Ethan replied.

Tobias reached over and poked his friend in the arm. “So, is that a yes?”

“I may live to regret this, but fine. I’ll go.”

“Yey!!!” Casey clapped.

“See that,” Ethan smirked. “She’s already happy to get rid of you.”

“Shit!” Tobias laughed, “I’m shocked it took this long for that to happen.”

“Oh, God,” Casey rolled her eyes. “Just promise me you won’t push each other overboard.”

“No promises, babe. If he’s gone, one of us is up for a promotion.”

“Now, that’s premeditated.”

Casey shook her head. “I have a feeling I may live to regret this.”

Part 2

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Other tags in Reblog

[runwayrunway]

No. 42 - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Oh, don't worry. I think probably at least a third of the planes in the world are blue. I knew what I was getting into. And blue might be ubiquitous now, but it's hard to hold that against KLM. They're the oldest airline in the world, after all. I think they more or less get dibs.

That said, they also fall into a particular trend in blue planes which merits further examination. I mentioned it the first time in my Vietnam Airlines post - although each does it distinctly differently and they're difficult to mistake for each other, airlines keep deciding to make the bottom half of their plane white and the top half some sort of blue. Another example is Korean Air. I plan to cover several more of these in the near future, but I find the phenomenon fascinating. I have yet to coin a catchy name for it, and would appreciate suggestions, but it just keeps happening!

Well, okay. How does KLM distinguish itself among its blue counterparts? How well-designed is its livery in general? Does it live up to the gravitas its name tends to command? Is that crown earned? I think we can all agree that I am objectively the arbiter of these questions, so read on to see my answers.

It's not an exaggeration to say that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) is one of the most noteworthy airlines in existence. At 103 years old, it is the oldest continuously operating airline in the world. Its first flight was operated in 1920 by a four-seater Airco DH.16, like the one below.

Today it operates a fleet of over 100 jets to 145 destinations, and that isn't even counting its subsidiaries.

KLM is the flag carrier of the Netherlands, a country I sometimes forget is still technically a monarchy! In fact, King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander sometimes flies for subsidiary KLM Cityhopper. (As a first officer, no less. Can you imagine being a regular Fokker 70 captain at a regional airline and suddenly the king of your country shows up and says tell me what to do, boss?)

I did, in my questionnaire, ask people their opinions of KLM. My reasons for doing this, as with the other airlines mentioned, are mainly to judge if I'm correct or not in various assumptions of mine, because you know what they say about assumptions...they make you look like a complete tool if you're wrong! I was right, though, most responses spoke fairly highly or at least better-than-averagely of KLM's service, which I've always found exceptionally good for a European carrier. Two people stopped to state their distaste for the monarchy; four people said that they like that the planes are blue; one person said the state shouldn't be spending so much on them (good news for you-they're a private company with the Dutch government holding less than a 10% stake); the lowest opinion I got was one person who said 'meh'; and an entire five people said one of their main associations was the Tenerife disaster, which I was surprised by. I think this is a function of me being fairly young; in my experience people in my age bracket tend to not know about it.

For those (potentially in my age bracket) unaware of the Tenerife disaster, just know it happened in 1977 and KLM has been fatality-free since. They've got it out of their system, if you will. Even if aviation weren't generally as safe as it is, KLM is a very safe airline.

So, yeah! This all chimes with the general perception of KLM and also my own, which is that they're a pretty darn good airline if you can afford them. I have a KLM trivia post coming up later, but they have quite the history and it's worth putting your feelers onto a few books or articles if you like civil aviation history, because unfortunately I don't have the space to go into a lot of their little Dutch activities in this post. This post is about one thing only.

I'm not going to give discrete ratings to historical KLM liveries, because none of them are super out there (we aren't looking at dramatic overhauls like SAS's), but I will spend the majority of the post on them. You'll see what I mean by this later, but KLM really only has something like two and a half liveries. They've been around 100 years, mind.

One thing does, first, bear interrogation. Why blue? After all, orange is sort of the de facto national color of the Netherlands despite not being in the flag, as it's associated with the royal family. That's why basically every Dutch sports team has orange kit. I cannot find an answer to this question. The best I can figure is they just liked it, because KLM has always been blue and never any other colour. Focus group testing (my survey with 50 respondents) suggests that this is a well-received choice.

Well, anyway!

Here is a chart showing the evolution of KLM's iconography over time. I have to say that I was fine with the KLM logo before but now I'm sort of miffed that they ever got rid of the 1930 one. It's by far the best-looking of the bunch and I don't even think it really looks dated. Minimalism is a curse upon the airline industry. I will admit the lighter blue is definitely more distinctive, but I just prefer the darker blue (and I think the 1930 logo would be fine in their new chosen shade).

image: RuthAS

Another thing I'm furious left their branding was their very early habit of writing 'THE FLYING DUTCHMAN' on their planes. I had wondered to myself why they don't do that before learning that they used to and later stopped. I am furious that they stopped. It is so obvious, so perfectly created for them, and they let it pass right by. Shame!!!

The stripes on the rudder, by the way, are the Dutch tricolor. I do say that I'm more okay with the overdone red-white-and-blue colourscheme when it's done by flag carriers of nations with flags coloured such, but that doesn't mean I'm not relieved that they didn't.

image: RuthAS.

The description of the above photograph on wikimedia mentions that her name was 'Pallas'. KLM names their planes to this day, though there is no one consistent scheme. Airplanes are generally named according to model, but each type gets a different inspiration - these range from birds and insects to city squares and rivers. Here's a list of the names of their planes as of 2015!

As you can see, these early KLM liveries featured cheatlines, one light and one dark blue, a white top half, a bare metal lower half, a painted black radome, and the 'KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES' name written in obnoxiously small text. This was all very standard for the time. The only really recognizable feature is the striped blue tail (see, condor? Horizontal stripes look so much better). This was their scheme for a very long time. The above image was taken in 1969, right at the end of its lifetime.

This is the same model of airplane wearing a new scheme, taken in 1972. The livery was introduced in 1971 when KLM received their first 747, which wore it.

This was the era before Eurowhite caught on, when liveries mostly made up of bare metal were only just beginning to fall out of ubiquity. I'm sure, given the context, and given the size of the 747, this was a startling vision of elegance towering over its surroundings. However, I was born closer to when KLM retired the 747 than when they introduced it, and the world is different now.

I can't deny that even now it looks impressive watching this giant roll on by. It's difficult to see from here, but one of the cheatlines still says 'The Flying Dutchman'. It's difficult to come up with better slogans than the one KLM was given literally for free and has let slip through their grasp for reasons beyond me.

I truly wish I hated this more than I do, but I think as a limited-edition or commemorative livery, or one reserved for the 747s, it would look fantastic. As a brand, I'm not thrilled, but as a variant of the brand, I like it. Keep in mind the 747 was the first wide-body airplane introduced to service and was an order of magnitude larger than anything which had existed previously. These planes are huge by modern standards, but at the time they would have been almost unbelievably gargantuan. I've always thought that while the 747 wears a lot of liveries very well the plane by itself is a bit distractingly goofy-looking, but in white and surrounded by buildings that are shorter than it they have an august grace, quietly elegant, easily charismatic, and never thinking twice about their glorious size.

(It looks pretty bad on the DC-9, though. That's not a plane which really commands awe.)

Even compared to this DC-10, the 747 is massive. But do take note of the DC-10! Around the same time as the white-top livery (I've seen both 1971 and 1972 given as dates of introduction) we saw the introduction of today's blue-top KLM livery! That's right - they did it first, as far as I can tell! Earlier than Korean Air's 1985, and definitely older than Vietnam Airlines' 2002.

For a few years they operated this fleet of half-white-top, half-blue-top. And then they made the right decision and realized this white livery would lose all its gravitas the moment it stopped being something new and special and clean and splendid that the world had never seen before.

By the close of 1977 this was the KLM livery-full stop.

I actually find this pretty incredible. KLM's livery has changed over the years, and that's what I'm about to talk about, but I wouldn't say it's ever become a different livery - just different takes on the same one. KLM is over 100 years old, and their livery is over 50. Most airlines aren't that old. KLM's livery is over twice as old as Kosovo. That is one hell of a way to stick to a consistent, recognizable brand. I admire that and I wish more airlines would commit instead of jumping between short-lived mediocre liveries.

The crown really does set the tone for KLM. It's an airline that carries itself with elegance and refuses to be stingy. These engines are clean, shiny, well-maintained, and wearing their logo. It's all executed so perfectly.

Unfortunately, I do not like their livery. It doesn't look fantastic. This is a rare situation where the 747 actually wears it worse than the more conventional tube-with-a-fin models, but that miniaturized logo replacing the wordmark just looks so tiny and weirdly placed. I hate when airlines just use the same logo twice instead of putting an image logo on the tail and a wordmark on the main body. It instantly lowers my opinion of any livery. Reoccurring elements and a consistent design are one thing and repetition is another; it's the reusing-the-same-shot-in-a-film of airplane livery design. The uninterrupted blue just makes me want to pick up a breeze-block and tear it in two with my hands. Something about the cheatline being placed so high makes me want to take a wooden dowel and beat the nearest wall with it until I have a gaping hole in the wall of my bedroom. Like, it's fine. It's not that bad. But I am going to go chew on a towel until I calm down.

Hey. Don't cry. Air Canada's first A320 delivered wearing scarf and ear warmers ok? I'm doing alright now. And while I was getting done crying KLM apparently came to my same conclusions. I'm not sure exactly when the change was made, but I imagine this livery was phased out sometime in the mid-late 80s or early 90s. It doesn't seem to be instantaneous - rather, the cheatlines have almost bled off over time, and you can find a handful of strange in-betweens.

image: Ron Monroe

It wasn't all that bad before. I was being dramatic for a bit. I mean, it looked a lot better on the DC-10, even though it still wasn't exactly fantastic. But it was never, you know, hideous.

While this gay plane may be mistaken for having landed, she is actually in the process of beginning to rotate for take-off.

I like the modernized version a lot more. I love cheatlines, this is widely apparent, but sometimes liveries just look better without them. Cheatline liveries can't really afford to be minimalist - having a big detail like a cheatline makes any attempt at this sort of cleanliness seem quite cluttered and cramped. When the blue is allowed to expand to a proper half of the fuselage it really makes the whole thing feel a lot better proportioned, and I like that they still kept a thin dividing line (though I think it would have been fine if they hadn't, too). All of a sudden this is far from glorious but it at least looks clean. I can say, with confidence, that I think this is acceptable. Not...pretty, maybe. Doesn't fill me with awe. But nothing about it bothers me except the lack of wordmark. I can live with it.

The one thing I feel obliged to point out - and I am far from the first person to say this; it even feels cheap - is that this livery looks like an amount of toothpaste. I am not bothered by this. I am a big fan of oral hygiene. Taking care of your teeth is important! And I do think it's a very nice shade of blue.

Sure, it may not be the most elegant livery in the world. It's certainly not the most detailed, but it maintains all the iconography necessary at bare minimum. It feels like a revision or evolution of the 1971 livery rather than a new one altogether, and it is impossible to mistake for another airline, and that's my minimum, really - be iconic (in the literal sense), don't be repulsive to look at. Goals met. And the white belly really adds to the whale-like appearance large planes already have, which is always a plus. Maybe it's a form of countershading?

And this would be where the story ends, but in 2014 KLM did a classic airline thing. A bunch of absurdly wealthy individuals sat down in a conference room and decided they were going to make things worse.

Now, 'ruined' is a strong word, and in this case it doesn't apply. The original livery wasn't really good enough to ruin, and the change is very very minor. But I am simply not a fan of this new iteration of the livery.

It just looks sloppy. It doesn't look intentional. It looks like a mistake.

Compare it to Vietnam Airlines, which is in the same blue-and-white-halves category and also features a curved line. I gave this livery an A and one of the reasons for that is that its minimalism is deceptive. Each detail of this livery is very deliberate, and the consistent, smooth angle of the curve, the thickness of the separating line tapering with it - these all work together to create something extremely elegant, despite the fact that if you described these liveries with words alone they might sound quite alike.

There is something so fundamentally sloppy about this localised droop. And it doesn't help that this is KLM, the same airline with those crisp white titans. I don't see what it adds, to create the appearance that your airplane's coat has stretched like an old sock until it doesn't quite fit properly. How far we've come, and how little has changed. But those changes can sometimes be tragic in their simplicity. This small adjustment has disrupted the equilibrium that had me feeling fairly neutral about KLM's livery for so long.

I have to leave it with a D+.

I fought myself for quite some time about this. There's nothing truly offensive about this livery despite the things that make me dislike it, but I just couldn't bump myself up to a C- because, above all else, I'm let down. KLM has the budget, the brand, the acumen - and they had a decent livery, too! One of the most recognizable in the world! It didn't need this change!

A lot of airlines update their livery every decade or two. I wonder if KLM felt pressured not to stagnate, if they were ashamed of keeping their livery the same year after year. But, look...if you're going to be parading the fact that you're sanctioned by the royal family of the Netherlands around you shouldn't be afraid of not looking modern.

And I'm not a fan of monarchies, but not all old things are bad. You don't need to feel pressure to change just because other people are doing it. One of the industry's biggest names shouldn't feel pressured by the trend cycle. You've taken a jacket from a thrift store and cropped it, and it looks worse now. It was fine the way it was. You don't need to touch a classic. It's a bit oversaid, maybe, but...if it's not broken, there's no reason to try and fix it.

[underaverageheight]

Archive 01 - limbo

i found an old piece i wrote when skz-replay came out

LMH x gn!reader angst with a little bit of fluff at the end (mb guys i wrote this with 'limbo' in mind haha) Warning(s): profanity y'all know i dont proofread

You were going abroad. Leaving for school, making you leave behind your current life. Making you leave behind Minho. You were already having a hard time taking in the fact that you were leaving for 5 years to a foreign place with no one you knew.

Minho knew how much you wanted to learn the arts, encouraging you to leave, saying, “5 years isn't too long. It's okay. I'll be here.“ Already ticked off, you retaliated, screaming that he only wanted you gone and that he won't be waiting when you come back.

“Fuck this, I'm going. I might not even come back. Maybe I'll find someone that wants me to stay.” With the slam of a door, you quickly scrambled to finish packing.

“I- fuck. fine.“ Heavy footsteps tread away from the door. Packed, you set out the house key and all the pictures of Minho. Tears threatened to fall but you pushed through and left. It was an hour to the aiport. All throughout the ride, you were quietly sobbing, making the driver uncomfortable.

Minho sat with his head buried in his hands at his desk, a few tears falling. He was so confused. “I only encouraged you to chase your dream, as you did to me…so why, why is it like this?“ He stopped, looking towards the office door, hearing the front door slam. Shit. He jumped up, grabbing his coat and keys.

Approaching the front door, he saw the pictures and keys, scattered all over the floor. He picked one up. It was a picture of you and him, after his first concert. Minho's heart clenched as he left to chase his lover, his best friend, his motivator.

It took an hour and a half to the airport. You dabbed at your puffy red eyes, pulling your hat down even lower. You sat, waiting in the terminal. 1 hour til I can forget and start anew. Looking around, you saw families, couples, students leaving and coming back. I am so sorry. What if he's not actually going to wait? Are we already done? God, I'm so stupid.

Remembering that you bought the tickets on a shared account, Minho found the terminal for the flight as he raced through the airport. 30 minutes. Don't leave me just yet love.

With 15 minutes left before boarding, he made it to the terminal. Staring blankly, you broke your concentration to look at the guy who ran to the chairs, looking around for something or someone. He was covered up, wearing a certain dark navy jacket. The one you gifted him for his birthday.

He's here? Eyes wide, you ran up and hugged him tightly from behind. You sniffled, “Looking for someone?“

“Yeah, you,” a soft chuckle rippled through his body. Minho turned around and picked you up. “I…I didn't mean that I wanted you to go. It's just- when I wanted to give up training, you encouraged me. You pushed me. That's why I fell in love with you. I just want you to chase your dream now,” his voice cracked at the last part.

“Min, I'm so sorry for yelling. I was just stressed- and scared. But that is no excuse for what I said. I am so so sorry.“ You buried your face into his warm chest. Gentle hands traced patterns and softly pat your back, a quiet comforting motion.

“Last call for boarding!“

“Are you going?“ Minho asked, breaking the embrace. “Will you be here when I come back?“

“Of course, love” with a kiss, you left.

A/N: as i said before, i found this when i was organizing my files, decided to put this out there since i haven't posted in a while, i am beginning to progress a bit on Love w/ felix but anyways feel free to reblog w/ or w/out feedback/comments (this is a sub-blog so i can't return comments ㅠㅠ) have a great day and stay tuned ^^

[jazzpostsrandomthings]

Journey Retold: The Three Grand Companies

<< Previous Entry

Woops! A full month has passed since I last wrote for this series, my bad. Was busy with exams (aced the last one yesterday) and witnessing my friend go through Shadowbringers for the first time. I have a lot more free time now so I can finally continue Journey Retold!

There will be a preamble of sorts next, feel free to skip around until you see a text written in purple.

One of my friends told me that I should shorten the names of the players when I am inserting their messages into these posts. His suggestion was to shorten "The player of the self-proclaimed Emo Catboy" to "Emo Catboy" for example and he has a point, but I am not going to. I wanted to switch to a format of "The player of [WoL Full Name]" actually, but I had to make a choice against it out of my respect for the privacy of my dear first friend I've made through the game upon their own request so I am not going to do the switch because otherwise they would stand out like a sore thumb.

Another reason why I don't want to shorten the names like this is that... I feel like it's important to point out that there is a real person behind each of these characters. I find it one of the coolest and most magical things about FFXIV and MMO genre as a whole, and for an extravert like me who only goes outside for studies it just holds a lot of weight. Not all interactions with these player characters and people behind them themselves might be pleasant, it's a double-edged sword all multiplayer games and social medias even have to deal with, but an overwhelming majority of these interactions have brought me joy and laughs and it all just feels more real than just interacting with someone over Discord DMs and such.

The issue of the player names being too long in these posts during the messaging segments is real so from now on I will shorten it to "TPo [simple character description]", like "TPo Emo Catboy" or "TPo stern Auri man". That should do it.

...

OK, where did we stop last time? Ah, right, Ifrit.

Pi had slayed a monstrocity from the deep depths of hell yaaaaaaay.

I picked the msq back up the next day, judging from the screenshots' date. The word of Pi's conquest over the Lord of Inferno had spread quickly, like a wildfire, and the officers of the three Grand Companies had arrived to the Waking Sands, wanting to have Ifrit's bane to themselves. I was hit with a choice between these three Grand Companies, i.e. Limsa Lominsa's Maelstrom, Gridania's Order of Twin Adders and Ul'dah's Immortal Flames. And I wanted to join Maelstrom right away because I like Merl-- I mean, I like Limsa and I am the most familiar with it, but I was open to seeing what can other two city-states offer and thus I had set for Ul'dah first.

Raubahn entered the scene, as well as a cute lalafell woman wearing a weird dress that honestly makes her look like a bowling pin when she stands, I am sorry. That lalafell, Nanamo Ul Namo, is the sultana of Ul'dah by the way and it was my first time seeing her.

Their combined speech was very strong, talking about their glory and wealth (both in monetary fortune as well as the spiritual) and how they laid low the VIIth Imperial Legion five years ago.

For Victory and Fortune, stride fearless into the inferno, for we are by fire reborn!

Some young and kinda familiar gentleman had something to say about that last line:

So that's how it happened. How soon history forgets.

The speech was met with a round of applause and cheering, and like I've said before, the speech itself was very strong, I actually started to think that maybe Flames can win me over. Then the twins (or rather one of them) decide to speak to me to explain some things that were kinda glossed over in the grand speech, mentioning the refugee problem and their relationship with Amalj'aa that keep summoning Ifrit and costing many soldiers' their lives.

Next up was Gridania. The speech was mainly presented by Kan-E but her brother and sister (and also another seedseer) were also present, even if they didn't say anything.

The Elder Seedseer's speech was about peace and harmony. She talked about uniting Eorzea to fight the Empire and to protect the place that have been their home for almost five centuries.

And together, let us heal the forest's wounds, that our progeny might live in harmony beneath these ancient boughs. For serenity, purity, and sanctity!

I liked the speech as well, but it wasn't as memorable and strong as Raubahn's and I felt like this would be the Grand Company Pi would most likely side with canonically since he is mostly pacifistic and he wishes for the fighting to stop so there could be peace. Alphinaud chimed in again, mentioning how Gridania has to deal with two beast tribes, Ixal and sylphs, and how all the fighting they do is in self-defense. He also mentioned that their lands have been hurt the most by the Calamity which only complicated things for them and soon their bickering with the beast tribes can turn into an all-out war which is why they might need more people to deal with it when the time comes.

Now, all that remained was Limsa Lominsa.

Merlwyb's speech was about freedom, how their nation was fighting for it for seven centuries since they came to La Noscea and how they would like to keep their freedom until their very last breath.

And with the guidance of the Navigator, this great vessel of ours shall ride the waves till sea swallows all!

Alphinaud spoke to Pi once more, mentioning that Lominsans have a lot of blood feuds betweens the factions that comprise the city-state, not to mention the two beast tribes, kobold and Sahagin that both want to take the place for themselves and are planning on summoning their respective Primals to help them with that. All that made them quite an easy target for Garleans which is why they would be needing more men soon, "drenching the Maelstrom standard a deeper shade of crimson ere long".

Freedom is also something that Pi as a character have been craving for because of his passion for travel and exploring, but he wasn't the person to kill somebody for it... but I didn't want to disappoint Merlwyb so I ended up choosing Maelstrom in the end. Sorry Kan-E and Raubahn ;w;

Next up we see Alphinaud and his twin sister Alisaie talk about the speeches between themselves. The sister says how those remembrance ceremonies (because yes, these speeches were dedicated for those celebrations) didn't talk much about the Calamity and were mostly about "standart-waving rallies" while the brother remarks how they didn't even mention the Warriors of Light, as if they chose to omit their deeds in saving their realm in order to move on from the Calamity. Alisaie did not agree that was a right choice.

She couldn't stand it all and chose to find a different way "to cute ails of this world", the twins going their own separate ways. For now, at least.

And then it was the time to get my chocobo.

Say hello to Eorzean Axl by the name of Gingerhead. I made him into Pi's horsebird lol.

Then I did the next msq quest which was Sylph Management which allowed me to unlock Summoner and Scholar. I went on to do... Summoner one before continuing the main story.

"Huh? But didn't you choose Arcanist to then unlock a Healer job?" Yes, I did, but I realized that I actually have a Healer anxiety and that I probably won't play as a Healer much anyway, plus beating MSQ as a Healer will be pain so YUP, I chose violence.

First chain of SMN quests was OK. Kinda cool, but not memorable. Even thought our quest companion was Y'shtola's sister.

And to conclude this entry, have this hilarious screenshot.

We will be dealing with sylphs next.

[kipscorner]

-- Anything in parentheses (abc) feel free to delete! -- Anything in square brackets [abc] feel free to change! -- This is a long post, so please remember to tag “long post tw” or some kind of varient of the sort so you don’t clog mobile users dashes/people who don’t have “shorten posts.” turned on! :D

“Doesn't this seem like a bit much?”

“This is what Christmas is all about! Can't you feel it?”

“You guys, where are we? I think we should go back.”

“Serves them right, those Yuletide-loving sickly-sweet, nog-sucking cheer mongers!”

“I really don't like them. No, I don't.”

“I've been much too tolerant of these (Whovenile) delinquents and their innocent, victimless pranks.”

“So, they want to get to know me, do they?”

“I guess I could use a little social interaction.”

“Yeah, you bet. Ho, ho, ho, and stuff…”

“You see, [name]? The city is a dangerous place.”

“Now, please, don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.”

“Well, it's just, I look around at you and [Mom] and everyone getting all kerbobbled. Doesn't this seem...superfluous?”

“I think they were up on the mountain playing with matches, or defacing public property, or....”

“Take a look at his mailbox, (sweetie). Not a single Christmas card, in or out… Ever!”

“And for the rest of you: Jury duty! Jury duty! Jury duty! Blackmail. Pink slip. Chain letter. Eviction notice. Jury duty!”

“Well, that worked out nicely.”

“[Max], let's go. Our work here is finished.”

“Don't you know you shouldn't take things that don't belong to you? What's your problem? Are you a wild animal?”

“Saving you? Is that what you think I was doing? Wrong-o.”

“You've been practicing your Christmas wrapping! I am so proud of you.”

“My, I've never seen so many beautiful Christmas lights, [Betty Lou!]”

“It's handcrafted and almost 100 years old.”

“Come on, hurry up, Slowpoke.”

“What's that stench? It's fantastic!”

“One man's toxic sludge is another man's potpourri.”

“Did Christmas change or just me?"

“First floor, factory rejects.”

“But we did our worst. And that's all that matters.”

“At least I scared the bejeebles out of that little [girl] at the post office. [She]'ll be scarred for life, if we're lucky.”

“Funny she didn't rat on us, though. Must be afraid of reprisals.”

“If you utter so much as one syllable I'll hunt you down and gut you like a fish!”

“I've got all the company I need right here.”

“I'm an idiot!”

“You're an idiot!”

“Am I just eating because I'm bored?”

“In your own words, please tell me everything you know about [the Grinch.]”

“Hey, honey, our baby is here! He looks just like your boss.”

“It was Christmas Eve, and a strange wind blew that night.”

“Do you want a Christmas cookie?”

“Don't forget, tomorrow is our big Christmas gift exchange.Everyone bring a special gift for a special someone.”

“You don't have a chance with [her].”

“It was a horrible day when they were so cruel to [him]. And I could hardly bear it.”

“And that was the last time we ever saw [him]. The very last time.”

“I hate you.Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely!”

“Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!”

“I may do something drastic.”

“You made that up! It doesn't say that.”

“But the book does say: The cheer-meister is the one who deserves a back slap or a toast. And it goes to the soul at Christmas who needs it most."

“Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant.”

“The impudence! The audacity! The unmitigated gall!”

“You called down the thunder now, get ready for the boom!”

“Gaze into the face of fear!”

“You see? Even now the terror is welling up inside you.”

“Run for your life before I kill again!”

“Maybe you need a time-out.”

“Kids today. So desensitized by movies and television.”

“"Holiday Whobie-what-y"?”

“I know you hate Christmas, but what if it's all just a misunderstanding?”

“I myself am having some Yuletide doubts.”

“Award? You never mentioned an award!”

“Was anyone emotionally shattered?”

“Come on, a minute ago I couldn't shut you up! Details, details!”

“I don't know if it's that adorable twinkle in your eye or that nonconformist streak that reminds me of a younger, less hairy me.”

“Who knows? This Whobilation could change my entire outlook on life!”

“You can make snow angels later.”

“The nerve of those (Whos). Inviting me down there on such short notice. Even if I wanted to go, my schedule wouldn't allow it.”

“4:00, wallow in self-pity. 4:30, stare into the abyss. 5:00, solve world hunger tell no one. 5:30, jazzercise. 6:30, dinner with me… I can't cancel that again. 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing… I'm booked! If I bumped the loathing to 9:00, I'd have time to lay in bed stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness.”

“It's not a dress, it's a kilt! Sicko!”

“This is ridiculous. If I can't find something nice to wear, I'm not going! That's it, I'm not going.”

“Ohh, ahh, mmm… That's it, I'm not going.”

“[He] isn't here. What? [He] didn't show? Who could have predicted this?

“All right. I'll swing by for a minute, allow them to envy me grab a handful of popcorn shrimp, and blow out of there.”

“But what if it's a cruel prank? What if it's a cash bar? How dare they!”

“All right, I'll go. But I'll be fashionably late.”

“All right. I've made my decision! I'm going, and that's that!”

“Come on, while I'm young!”

“But first, a little family reunion.”

“Are you two still living?”

“Sweater? What are you talkin' about? No, I can't! I can't do that!”

“No. I can't do it, honestly. I'm not ready. It's too much, too soon!”

“I've got a lawyer. There'll be hell to pay!”

“Look at the time. I really should be getting back.”

“Bring it on! Is that all you got? Is that all you got? Come on!”

“That's what it's all about, isn't it? That's what it's always been about!”

“Look, I don't want to make waves, but this whole Christmas season is stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“There is, however one teeny-tiny Christmas tradition I find quite meaningful. Mistletoe.”

“Burn, baby! Burn!”

“Evening, folks. Mind if I ride along? You might want to scooch over.”

“You fellas all right? How about a nice hat?”

“I'm hurt, [Lou]. I'm hurt, and I don't hurt easily.”

“But you and your family.... I'm so disappointed.”

“I just wanted everybody to be together for Christmas.”

“Suffering snorkelblatz! They're relentless!”

“Oh, no. I'm speaking in rhyme!”

“I must stop this whole thing. Why for year after year I've put up with it now.”

“Are you having a holly, jolly Christmas? Wrong-o!”

“If you're not going to help me then you might as well…”

“You're as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel.”

“Just face the music, you're a monster.”

“Your heart's an empty hole.”

“I asked for three-quarters, not five-eighths. Stay focused!”

“Air bag is a little slow. But that's what these tests are for!”

“Talk about a recluse. He only comes out once a year, and he never catches any flak for it!”

“Probably lives up there to avoid the taxes.”

“No, forget that part. We'll improvise.”

“Saving Christmas was a lousy ending. Way too commercial.”

“We're gonna die! We're gonna die! I'm going to throw up, and then I'm gonna die!”

“[Mommy], tell it to stop!”

“Almost lost my cool there.”

“It's Santa! Go right back to sleep.”

“[He]'s planning a double-twisting interrupted forward-flying 2-and-a-half with a combo tuck and pike. High degree of difficulty.”

“Blasted water weight! Goes right to my hips.”

“Okay, fellas. Show time.”

“[Mr. Santa], what are you doing with our tree?”

“[Santa], what's Christmas really about?”

“I know [he]'s mean and hairy and smelly. [His] hands might be cold and clammy. But I think [he]'s actually kind of sweet.”

“Nice kid. Bad judge of character.”

“Clearance sale. Everything must go.”

“That wasn't so bad, was it, [Max]?”

“What an embarrassment! I've been robbed!”

“I wonder who could have done this.”

“But did anyone listen to me? No.”

“[Cindy], I hope you're very proud of what you've done.”

“You're glad. You're glad everything is gone. You're glad that [the Grinch] virtually wrecked.... No, not wrecked, pulverized Christmas. Is that what I'm hearing?”

“You can't hurt Christmas, [Mr. Mayor], because it isn't about the gifts or the contests or the fancy lights. That's what [Cindy]'s been trying to tell everyone! And me. [She]'s been trying to tell me.”

“What's wrong with you? This is a child!”

“[She]'s my child. And she happens to be right, by the way.”

“I don't need anything more for Christmas than this right here, my family!”

“Now for the final note in my symphony of downright nasty not-niceness! The crescendo of my odious opus! The wailing and the gnashing of teeth. The bellowing of the bitterly bummed out! It'll be like music to my ears!”

“Somehow or other, it came Just the same!”

“How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!”

“Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

“Help me! I'm feeling!”

“What's happening to me? I'm all toasty inside. And I'm leaking?”

“All right, that's enough! Knock it off! beat it! Get out of here! One step at a time!

“Wait! This can't happen! It shouldn't! It couldn't! It mustn't! It wouldn't! Not now, not then, not ever again!”

“What are you doing up there!?”

“I came to see you. No one should be alone on Christmas.”

“I got you, [Cindy Lou]!”

“Are you kiddin'? The sun is bright and the powder's bitchin'!”

“Now scoot over! It's my turn to drive!”

“Now you listen to me, [young] [lady]! Even if we're horribly mangled there'll be no sad faces on Christmas.”

“By the way, these lights match your outfit perfectly.”

“This could be more difficult to negotiate.”

“Out of the way! I have no insurance!”

“Run for your lives! Watch out, I can't stop!”

“Aren't you gonna cuff me? Put me in a choke hold? Blind me with pepper spray?”

“Sorry but my heart belongs to someone else.”

“Cheer up, dude. It's Christmas.”

“There's nothin' like the holidays.”

“Too late! That'll be mine.”