#noon at the museum tag

[jennycalendar]

in my head im making connections to how giles dad treated giles and how giles treated xander but have no idea if that connection is actually there (what you make)

i was not CONSCIOUSLY putting it in there but uhhhhh i think you are so absolutely right???? this theme of like -- my son doesn't want me there and i'm bad at this anyway and nothing i do REALLY matters to him because he doesn't care about anything i say, so if i'm a little harsh with him to straighten him out, the worst that'll happen is him not liking me, which isn't even that bad, because he doesn't like me anyway. and meanwhile on the opposite end it's just I Have Never Experienced Kindness In My Life And The Only Positive Male Role Model I Have Clearly Thinks I'm Useless And A Failure

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Who Taught You How to Love Like That? - Chapter Two

Pairing: Modern!Aemond Targaryen x f!reader Warnings: Sugar daddy/sugar baby dynamics. Word count: ~2.8k

Chapter summary: Alicent's birthday dinner proves to be eventful in more ways than one.

Author's note: No gods, no masters, no tag lists. Only scabs community label fics. If you find yourself tempted to slap a label on this, please block me instead.

She flops down onto the sofa next to her flatmate, once safely back inside, huffing a dramatic sigh and replaying in her mind the mortifying moment that Aemond refused her kiss.

Mysaria takes out her earphones and closes her laptop, turning to her with a smirk. “So, sugar baby, how was your evening?”

“Shit.” She shoots back, dipping a hand into the open crisp bag that sits between them and taking a few.

“Let me guess, didn’t look anything like his picture?”

She shakes her head, speaking around a mouthful of crisps. “Exactly like his picture. I tried to kiss him and he said no.”

“Sounds like a win to me.” Mysaria says with a shrug. “If you can get away with not doing that sorta stuff and still get the money then you absolutely should.”

She sighs. Therein lies the problem, with Aemond she wants to do that sort of stuff.

The rest of the weekend passes by uneventfully, with no further word from Aemond, no matter how hard she wills for it as she stares at their existing text chain.

She has to suppress a strangled sounding squeal on Monday when he texts her while she’s at work. Her hand flies to her phone the moment she sees his name light up her screen with a buzz.

Are you working today?

She is almost embarrassed at the speed with which she replies.

I am. Why?

She feels her breath hitch as his response comes instantly.

I’ll swing by at lunch time.

She’s unable to concentrate for the rest of the morning, too nervous to focus on anything other than the fact that she’ll be seeing Aemond in a few hours. The time passes painfully slowly and she feels as though she’s anxiously drummed her fingers on every available surface until finally it’s noon.

She spots him in the foyer as she heads downstairs. He is instantly recognisable; taller than almost everyone, the top half of his pale hair is pulled back from his face in a bun, while the rest hangs loose around his shoulders. His fitted black shirt is rolled up to the elbows and paired with a well tailored pair of suit trousers and expensive looking dress shoes.

He gives her his subtle trademark smirk when he sees her and she immediately feels self conscious under the intensity of his gaze.

“Thanks for giving up your lunch break for me.” He says after she’s greeted him. “I figured it would make our story more believable if I’d actually seen you at work. We’re bound to get asked questions at dinner on Wednesday.”

“Oh…sure, no problem.” She feels herself deflate a little upon hearing that this isn’t a visit because he simply wants to see her.

“I brought you a little something, guessing you haven’t had lunch yet?”

He hands her a thick, white box that has ‘Cédric Grolet’ inscribed in gold lettering. It’s a bakery she’s read about in Time Out Magazine, but never visited. In her opinion, anyone willing to spend six pounds on a croissant has more money than sense. She opens the box, her eyebrows raising in surprise as she looks at the delicate pastry inside.

“You brought me a custard tart.” She meets his eye with a grin.

Aemond scoffs. “Parisian flan, actually.”

“Thank you.” Her cheeks heat up as she holds his gaze. “I’ll eat this later. Don’t want to risk it around the exhibits.”

He nods, a mixture of amusement and something she can’t quite place evident in his eye as he looks at her. “Shall we then?” He gestures for her to lead the way.

She guides him around the museum and she is impressed with the depth of his knowledge as he tells her what he knows regarding Ancient Egypt and Greek history. Likewise, he pays rapt attention when she explains the timeline of the Vikings and Saxons, asking relevant questions and nodding enthusiastically as she answers.

For the first time in a long time she feels genuinely listened to when she speaks about the subject she’s so fiercely passionate about. It’s nice to have someone take an interest. The conversation flows easily and all too quickly an hour slips by.

“I should let you get back to work.” Aemond tells her, pulling his phone from his pocket and checking the time. “I need to get back to Vhagar anyway.”

“Vhagar?”

“Yeah.” Aemond says, and for the first time since they met, his face lights up with genuine happiness. “She’s my doberman. She’s getting on a bit, so I try not to leave her with the dog walker for too long if I can help it.”

She feels herself melt a little at this admission. As if he wasn’t already perfect, he was an animal lover to top it all off.

He’s quick to compose himself, clearing his throat and returning to his stoic demeanour. “Anyway, I’ll pick you up at six on Wednesday, okay?”

She nods and they wave goodbye to each other. She heads back to work, a slight spring in her step for having seen Aemond. She can’t believe how much they have in common, smiling to herself as she wonders when she’ll get to meet Vhagar.

She’s brought crashing back to reality when her phone buzzes with a text from Aemond.

For working through your lunch break.

It’s immediately followed by a notification from her banking app. A one thousand pound deposit from A. Targaryen.

She knows she should feel elated by the money, but it’s a sobering reality check. He’s not your boyfriend, this is transactional.

When she arrives home from work on Wednesday afternoon, she is overwhelmed by the idea of having to get ready for Alicent’s birthday dinner. There is no way she can reuse the dress from Jace and Baela’s engagement party, and everything else in her wardrobe feels far too casual for a family as high end as the Targaryens.

She’s distracted momentarily when she catches sight of a package sitting on the kitchen side.

“Parcel on the side for you!” Mysaria calls out from her bedroom.

“I see it, thanks!” She shouts back, working to remove the packaging.

Inside is a Cartier box, with a note; ‘Would really like you to wear this to dinner - A.’

“Well, then, what is it?” Mysaria asks, creeping up behind her and resting her head on her shoulder. “It arrived this morning and I’ve resisted the temptation to open it all day!”

She gasps as she opens the box. A white gold necklace inlaid with diamonds, and a single sapphire at its center, rests inside.

Mysaria lets out a low whistle. “You could sell that and put down a deposit on a bloody house!”

She rolls her eyes. “I think he intends for me to wear it, not sell it. But what the fuck am I going to put it with? It’s going to look like I’ve put tinsel on shit!”

An hour later, having rummaged through Mysaria’s wardrobe, she’s finally ready, having paired a long sleeved, silky button down top with a faux leather skirt. Simple enough for a casual dinner, yet dressy enough to compliment the completely over the top jewelry that now sits around her neck.

Aemond arrives and is ever the gentleman, opening the passenger side door for her as she climbs into his car. Her eyes linger a little too long on the way his expertly tailored suit hugs his body. Thankfully, his attention is focused entirely on her throat, so he doesn’t notice.

“Necklace looks good.” He says buckling his seatbelt. “We’ll have to do something at some point about the rest of it though.”

Her mouth gapes open in shock. “What’s wrong with my outfit?!”

He reaches across, rubbing the material of her top between his thumb and forefinger. “Polyester.”

The touch of his fingers in such close proximity to her skin makes her feel so light headed that she can’t find it in herself to be offended. Wordlessly, he starts the car.

“So, I should brief you on what you’re getting into before we arrive.” Aemond glances over at her as he drives. “It's my mother's birthday. She won’t have cooked, she never does; she’ll have ordered Thai food. Her partner, Criston, will be there, so will my brother, Aegon, and my sister, Helaena. There’ll also be my half sister, Rhaenyra.”

She doesn’t miss how Aemond tenses up as he speaks of Rhaenyra. She can’t help but feel panicked at how intimate of an affair this will be, especially as this is only her second date with Aemond, if date is even the right word for it.

“What about the rest of your family that were at the engagement party?”

“Most of the people there were not anyone I’d consider family. My grandfather’s away on business and ‘Nyra knows better than to bring her boys. Mum won’t want them there. None of us do.”

The grip that Aemond has on the steering wheel tightens and his jaw clenches. She decides not to push the subject any further, it’s clearly a touchy one and she simply doesn’t know him well enough to pry. The rest of the drive passes in silence.

The townhouse they pull up outside of is lavish, a blanket of green ivy covers the outside. Aemond is quick to take her hand as they walk up the path to the front door. Her heart races at the feel of it, and she has to battle to remind herself that it’s all for show.

Alicent gives them both a warm welcome, pulling them into a tight hug with a kiss on both cheeks. She looks radiant as ever as she leads them through to a large dining room, with a long mahogany table at the center of it.

Helaena jumps up as soon as she sees them, giving them both a hug, while Aegon opts to remain seated, making a mock salute as he takes a swig from his beer bottle.

Aemond was right about the Thai food, as Criston enters shortly after they arrive, carrying several paper bags from a place called Patara and places them in the middle of the table.

Aemond pulls out a chair for her and she takes a seat, her eyes fluttering closed involuntarily as he presses his lips to her temple. A shiver runs through her.

“Get me a fork, would you, Hel? I’ll be here all fucking night trying to eat with chopsticks.” Aegon says, leaning forward to rummage in a bag.

“It’s Thai food, you eat it with a spoon, not chopsticks!” Helaena shoots back.

“That’s not a fork though, is it?” He rolls his eyes exasperatedly, pulling out tubs and setting them down. “Get me a fork!”

“Get your own fork, dick.” She fires back.

“Will you two stop it?!” Alicent hisses. “I just want one family dinner without an argument. Rhaenyra isn’t even here yet, stop opening the food. Aegon!”

She hurries from the room as the doorbell rings.

The mood around the table shifts. She notices Aemond rubbing his fingers together absentmindedly, his teeth grinding ever so slightly. Without thinking, she reaches over and takes his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He squeezes back, shooting her an appreciative look.

Rhaenyra sweeps into the room, looking glamorous. Her long, light hair is pulled into an intricate braid and a pair of teardrop ruby earrings hang delicately from her lobes.

“Apologies for my lateness.” She says with a tight smile. “Difficult to be on time when you have to make separate dinner plans for the side of the family that aren’t welcome.”

“Oh god, she’s started already.” Drawls Aegon. “Come on, who had ‘as soon as she arrives’ in the sweepstake for when ‘Nyra would start her bitching?”

“Aegon!” Alicent scolds him, her brown eyes widened with anger. Her face softens as she turns back to Rhaenyra. “Ignore him, I’m so pleased you could make it.”

The two women exchange a warm embrace before taking their seats.

The meal passes in relative high spirits, in spite of its awkward start. Expensive red wine is shared around the table, as they all dig into dishes of soft shell crab mango salad, chicken massaman and vegetable pad thai. 

Alicent asks her more about her line of work, while Aemond interjects that he’d dropped by to surprise her with lunch. This little anecdote is met with excited coos from both his mother and sister.

He plays the part of attentive boyfriend perfectly. Dishing out food onto her plate, feeding her from his fork and placing his hand on her knee at regular intervals. The longer it goes on for, the more difficult it becomes for her to remember that it’s all an act. The way her body responds to his touch is certainly not for show, however; there is no pretending when it comes to the gooseflesh left in the wake of his hand on her skin.

As the meal is drawing to its end, Rhaenyra sits back in her chair, running her fingers along the stem of her wine glass. “So, I was planning on making a gift of Dragonstone Cottage to Jace and Baela, since they’ll be needing a place to live together once they’re married.”

“That’s not yours to give away.” Aemond tells her, staring at her with an intensity that’s almost frightening.

“Father didn’t name an owner in his will. Technically, as first born, everything goes to me.” She says with an offhand shrug.

“That’s such bullshit!” Aegon seethes, over the rim of his glass.

“Don’t.” Criston warns. “You’ll upset your mother.”

“Maybe this is best talked about another time.” Alicent says, shooting an apologetic look around the table.

“That’s the problem though, isn’t it, Mum? You never want to talk about it and she always gets her own way, just like when Dad was alive.” Aegon says, his voice raising an octave with every word.

“Oh, I think you’ve gotten far more than what is owed to you.” Rhaenyra glares at him.

Aemond slams his fist on the table, causing everyone to startle. He stands abruptly, storming from the room.

She isn’t sure of where to look, she has never felt more uncomfortable in her entire life than she does right now. The atmosphere around the dinner table is horribly strained and she is suddenly glad of the opportunity to play up to her part of concerned girlfriend in order to get away from it.

“I’ll…um…I’ll just go and see where he’s gone.” She says shakily, eager to get away from the sour, sullen faces that now surround her.

She finds Aemond stood outside in the back garden, leaning against the railing of the patio decking as he smokes a cigarette.

“I didn’t know you smoked.”

“I don’t.” He responds, taking another drag.

“Anything in there that you wanted to talk about?” She offers meekly.

“I don’t pay you enough for that.” He sighs.

Her face falls slightly at this. Each reminder of what their relationship really is is like a punch to the gut. She leans against the railing, placing her hand next to his.

“Whatever it is, I’m sorry. If you ever do need to talk though, I’m happy to listen.”

Aemond flicks the cigarette away, crushing it under foot. “I just…just once it would be nice to feel appreciated.”

“I appreciate you.” She tells him honestly, her little finger stroking over his as she stares up at him.

His face softens as he looks down at her and for the first time since she stepped outside she feels like he is seeing her, really seeing her. His hand moves from the railing to brush her hair away from her face and as his eye moves from hers to her lips, she leans up and presses them to his. This time he doesn’t stop her.

He tastes of cigarettes and red wine, it’s a heady combination, intensified by the plushness of his lips. All too soon, he is pulling away, breathing heavily.

“I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that.” He admits.

“But I wanted to.” She pleads earnestly.

He wraps his arms around her then, one hand clutching desperately between her shoulder blades, as the other buries itself in her hair. He kisses her like he is a man starved of oxygen and he needs her to breathe. She whimpers as she feels his tongue work itself against her own. Nobody has ever kissed her like this before, it makes her head swim and heat lick at her lower belly.

“Go to dinner with me on Friday.” He says breathlessly, once their lips part. “Just me and you.”

“I’d love to.” She whispers.

Chapter one || Chapter three || Series masterlist

[bullet-prooflove]

Photo Finish: Douglas Hamilton x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @lucymalfoy18 @ashrionest @mimi-8793 @glamourous-eloquence

Companion piece:

Mississippi Meanders - Douglas doesn't expect to meet the love of his life.

Pedestal - Douglas puts you on a pedestal, much to his detriment.

The Prettiest Damn Thing - Douglas regrets having to leave the morning after.

Something Special - You decide to give Douglas something special after you notice how stressed he is.

Games - You decide to distract Douglas.

Martha’s looking for a pen in Douglas’s desk when she finds the photographs in his top drawer. They’re glossy, black  and white pictures of him at home in situ.

Sitting pensively by the fire, a notepad on his lap.

Chopping vegetables with that handsome smile on his features.

Standing in the mirror, watching his reflection as he ties his tie.

All of them are Douglas Hamilton captured in the moment, completely unguarded.

She knows it’s you that has taken them. She’s seen your work before, studied it diligently ever since the image of the Mississippi Meanders appeared on his desk in a matching black photo frame. You’re an exceptional photographer, she can’t fault that and the level of intimacy and vulnerability in these images…

You can’t get from staged scenes.

It’s exactly what she needs for the People’s Mayor segment running in The New Orleans Tribune supplement later this week. A way to show the masses that their mayor is a person, just like the rest of them.

When the article is released you smile when get the notification on your phone. You’ve set up a Google alert because you like to read the positive ones out to him to remind him of all the excellent work he’s doing when he’s having a shitty day.  

It’s when you see the pictures that your heart sinks. You scroll through every single one of them and the ache in your chest, it just grows because these images they’re meant to be private, a gift you gave to Douglas so he could see himself the way that you do.

You pause as you study the final one. Douglas’s tousled hair from the night you’d spent together, his sensual smile as he looked up at you, his back against the headboard. A minute after this picture was taken he’d tugged at the shirt you were wearing, drawing you back into his lap.

Noone was meant to see this side of him, it was meant to be yours and yours only. That’s why it’s hurts so badly, to know that he’s taken something so important to you and used it as part of his campaign.

You don’t respond to Douglas’s texts for the rest of the day because you can’t stand the sight of his name when it appears on your phone.

He comes to find you when you don’t turn up at his place that night. The two of you have a longstanding arrangement, you come over on a Thursday and he cooks for you. By nine o’clock he's concerned he’s not heard from you so he grabs his coat and drives to the museum.

He finds you standing on the bridge where the two of you first met, looking over the river as the lights from the city twinkle over the water. You don’t ask him how he got into the sculpture garden, you know being the mayor has it’s perks, that your head of security is a big fan.

“I’ve missed you today.” He says as he takes up residence beside you, his elbows coming it rest on the railing. “You haven’t been returning my texts, you didn’t show up at the house for dinner…”

“You used the pictures I gave you.” You say, your tone practically glacial.

He’s never heard you sound like that, so cold, so distant.

“Martha found them.” He tells you as he clasps his hands together. “She thought they’d make me seem more personable so she submitted them to the magazine.”

“Did you know?” You ask him, tilting your head so that you can study his features. “Did you know that she was going to use them?”

“Not until the article ran this morning.” He tells you rubbing one palm over the other. “They did the job they were supposed to…”

You jaw clenches and your swallow hard against the emotion that raises up in your throat because that’s what your relationship have been reduced to. A marketing tool, a way of making Douglas seem more likeable.

“Nothing is really ours is it?” You say, your knuckles turning white as you grip the railing of the bridge. “All of it is just one big marketing campaign, a way of making you seem more personable to your constituents. ”

Douglas sighs as he stares down at his hands.

“You knew what you were getting into.” He says, his voice pained.

“I can’t live like this.” You tell him resolutely. “I can’t have a relationship where the things I say or do can be leaked to the press by your publicist everytime she feels like your ratings need a boost. I’d ask you to fire her but…”

You trail off then and Douglas refuses to meet your gaze, confirming what you’ve always suspected. He needs Martha, her connections, her ingenuity, her ruthlessness. After all she was the reason that he got elected, that he wields all this power.

“I need to go lock up.” You say, pushing away from the railing.

“I’ll wait.” He says and you shake your head.

“No, you won’t.” You say as you tuck your hands into the pockets of your overcoat and begin to walk away. “We’re done Douglas, I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Love Douglas? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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[leaderoffestivals]

Mikejima Madara FS2 4*: On a Wintery Street Corner in Paris

Madara: PLEASE PARDON THE INTRUSIOOON ☆ Shu: GEH—? Mi—Mikejima… …!? What in the world are you doing here!?

Season: Winter Author: Yuumasu Characters: Mikejima Madara, Itsuki Shu

Shu: Nnngh… … Yawn~...

(Because of the consecutive all-nighters I’ve pulled—or perhaps due to the immense relief I felt at having delivered the final products—I ended up sleeping soundly until well past noon.

Umu. Fortunately, there’s plenty of lead time before the next job is due. I will need to prioritise a proper rest in order to achieve the perfect results. 

Perhaps, I could take a stroll and clear my head—)

Madara: PLEASE PARDON THE INTRUSIOOON ☆

Shu: GEH—? Mi—Mikejima… …!? What in the world are you doing here!?

Hmph! Cease this tomfoolery of yours, and get yourself gone this instant! The last thing I’d want is for a barbarian like you to be rampaging around my atelier!

Madara: Hahaha! What a nostalgic exchange of words!

I recall having a similar conversation with you back in the day when we were both in Yumenosaki Academy! It was about the Museum (1), if I remember correctly—

Shu: NON! I have no intention of reminiscing about Yumenosaki with you!

You came here for a reason, did you not? State your business quickly, and in as few words as possible. 

Madara: My business, huh~? What if I told you it's “Nothing at all”?

Shu: (glares) … … … …

Madara: Sorry, sorry! I was just kidding, alright? Please stop with the death glare already!

Actually, I’m here because Leo-san asked me for a favour. 

Shu: Hmm? Because of Tsukinaga… …?

Madara: Yes. Apparently, he’s been treating the pen case that Shu-san gave him like a precious treasure, however—

He was so focused on caring for the case, that he left all his writing stuff behind in this atelier. 

Shu: So that’s the reason he ended up taking just the pen case home with him? He’s quite the amazing fellow for doing that, honestly. 

And what about you? Did you really come all this way to Paris just for Tsukinaga’s forgotten items?

Madara: Nope. It just so happened I had some business in Europe, so I just dropped by. 

Shu: “Just dropped by”—you say? Even though “Europe” can be expressed as a single word, it’s still not a place you can travel about hither and yon on a whim and fancy. 

Anyway, Tsukinaga’s belongings aren’t here anymore. The other day, I happened to send some parcels to Seisoukan, so I slipped his forgotten items in as well. That’s where they are now. 

For heaven’s sake. Anyone and everyone seems to be carelessly leaving their things behind lately. They’re travelling abroad after all; I’d really wish they’d be more careful!

Madara: I agree. The language and culture are different here, so one shouldn’t assume that things will be the same as back home in Japan. It’s better to be more careful in the end.

However, I believe the reason people always leave their stuff behind in Shu’s atelier is because they feel so much at home here, you knowww ♪

Shu: Hmph. I’m not happy to hear that at all. This place isn’t a playground, you know. 

It looks like you've made a wasted trip. Will you be leaving Paris right away?

Madara: Nope. I’ve got some time before my flight, so I’ll relax and enjoy myself till then. 

… … Hmmm? Why are you all dressed up for?

Are you heading out? If so, I’d absolutely love to tag along ☆

Shu: Hmph. Forget it. Being with you, Mikejima, doesn’t exactly spell rest and relaxation for me. 

Madara: Haha! Oh, come on, don’t say that! As the saying goes, “No road is long in good company”, and two people will have more fun together than when they’re on their own, you knowww ♪

<An hour later.>

Shu: Umu. It seems there’s a flea market held here during the weekends. 

Madara: Oooh. What a classic Parisian scene~

You may already know this, but the origins of the flea market started right here in Paris. 

It is said that the name came from the fact that ‘antiques could be found in such sheer numbers, it was likened to a gathering of fleas’.

Shu: Urk. Please spare me your detailed description. I already knew about the name’s origins from long ago, and simply imagining it as you have described it makes my back itch. 

Besides, there are other theories about the origin of the name. 

Personally, I much prefer the idea that the name came about because of "the thrill which comes from the time and effort spent hunting for hidden treasures here, which are as elusive as fleas.”

Madara: The thrill of a long hunt, huh? Indeed, the accomplishment you feel when you locate a hidden treasure is reeeally something special!

Madara: … … Oh, what's this? It seems I have found something good right away!

Yes, yes! This piece of pottery will be perfect to display some plants ☆

Shu: Humu. Is gardening a hobby of yours? 

Madara: No, I wouldn’t exactlyyy call it a hobby, but—

I’m not sure who started it, but my dorm room is full~ of plants. I myself add in new ones occasionally too.  

Madara: [Excuse me, Shopkeeper! I’m interested in this piece of pottery here—]

Shu: (... … Hoho. His French seems pretty good, from all that time spent abroad. The best part of the flea market is the haggling over the price. It’s a battle of wits on how skilfully one can negotiate… …) <Ten minutes later.>

Madara: HEYYYY! I’m baaack, Shu-san!

I’m sooo sorry to have kept you waiting. Things got reeeally lively with the shopkeeper, and our conversation got carried away!

Shu: It’s alright, I don’t mind. I’m glad you got what seems to be a good deal. 

It’s really none of my business what happens to you, but witnessing someone I know get ripped off doesn’t sit right with me.

Madara: Ufufu. Have you been worried about me, Shu-san? You’re sooo kind… … ♪

Shu: Oh, for heaven’s sake. Stop jumping to weird conclusions. I simply did not wish to have an unpleasant experience. 

Madara: Hahaha! Even so, it made me reeeally happy ♪

And since I managed to score a good deal just now, I’ll give you a treat as a thank you for waiting!

Please recommend a local specialty, Shu-san!

Shu: Hmmm… … In that case, how about “Marron Chaud”—or roasted chestnuts?

It’s a winter specialty that’s sold all over town at this time of the year.

Madara: Hoho! That sounds great. It seems like it’ll warm the body up too!

There’s the scent of something reeeally fragrant coming from over there. Let’s go grab some right now… … ☆

Translator’s Notes: 1) (!) era story, Steampunk Museum.

[oddcryptidwrites]

Welcome Back to the Collection of the Odd Cryptid's Writings

Hi! I'm Athens/Andy (they/them). I am a somewhat old yet somewhat new face on writeblr. I'm currently a second year student at a university in the deep south, studying history and anthropology in order to become a museum curator. Most of my free time is spent writing, which is the driving force behind this blog. Writing has become the love of my life over the past ten years.

AthensWrites has had two prior iterations. All I posted here in the previous iteration was privated, including Not Your Typical Fairytale. Don't fear, NYTF will make a glorious return ;)

With all that said, welcome back to the odd writings of Athens, and I hope you enjoy your stay. Below the cut, I've detailed some of my current projects, which range from Sci-Fi (my favorite) to thrillers to fantasy to realistic fiction. I've highlighted key content warnings and tags for each, just to keep you aware. If you'd like to hop on a tag list for any of these stories, please let me know! Some of them I post more frequently than others. I am also very tag list and tag game friendly so PLEASE tag me in stuff. If you need other people to tag in a writeblr tag game, look no further than this post!

The collection is constantly updating and evolving, so stay tuned!

Not Your Typical Fairytale (#nytf)

Although originally planned as a standalone novel, NYTF has now expanded into three separate books: Knight of Dawn, Queen of Noon, and King of Dusk. There's an additional collection of short stories/untold stories planned as well, tentatively titled Pawn of Midnight.

Content warning: gore, death, violence, graphic scientific experimentation, derealization, paranoia, drug use and abuse, alcohol use, child abuse (physical, verbal), relationship abuse (verbal, manipulation), sex (consensual) Related tags: nytf, Piers Hall, Grady Yensey, Rene Dubois, ATLZoS

Knight of Dawn

Piers Hall is the newly crowned monarch of the post-apocalyptic State of Georgia, after their mother, Queen Adele, was declared unfit to rule. Despite meaning well, they find themself unprepared for the role, especially as political rivals, like North Carolina’s President René Dubois and Councilmember Shanna Miles, close in on their tail, seemingly threatening to topple their rule. When various palace staff start to show where their real loyalties, it seems like Grady Yensey, Commander of the Royal Guard and their closest friend, is the only one they can trust. Piers and Grady must scramble to uncover the truth behind Queen Adele’s questionable associates, Piers’ missing past, and President Dubois’ shady activities

International Alliance of Superhumans (#iash)

Superhumans have existed as long as we have, normal people who suddenly develop seemingly magical powers overnight. That’s why the International Alliance of Superhumans was founded in 1945, to help control these superhumans to better humanity. Now, the Alliance's ideals and control is falling apart, as the Underground and the Union threaten its weakening rule over the superhuman community. Fireball is the golden hero of the Alliance , the face of the organization, the beloved apprentice of the Chief Administrator after the death of the one and only GoldenSon. He’s brave, courageous, kind, and always up to take a photo with the kiddos, accompanied by his partner, NightSong. He’s taken down villains from Quantum Rift (the killer of GoldenSon) to Árbol Terror, and now has his eyes set on taking down Hueso Blanco and Morpheus Nox before they can tear a hole in reality. Brigid Roberts is the face behind the mask of Fireball. They’re the only child of the now-deceased Nikki Roberts and find have found themself seeking revenge for Nikki’s death…while also trying to manage this superhero business and their senior year of high school. It doesn’t help that the administration of Wesmoreland keeps threatening to expel them for their aggressive behavior. Hueso Blanco is the epitome of an ex-Alliance villain, a well beloved hero fallen from grace, after Árbol Terror and Quantum Rift convinced him to join the Underground. Now with both of his former allies dead, he leads the Underground, and with the help of Morpheus Nox (an up and coming villain with a terrifying similarity to Quantum Rift) he plans to tear a hole in our reality, ripping out world apart. Martin Garcia-Flores is the sole caretaker of his younger brother, Elias, and would do anything to protect him. After the Alliance's violent threats, he left, in order to protect what was left. He lost friends and family and his love to the Alliance's corrupted side, and now works tirelessly to bring it to his knees…while also trying to work three separate jobs to keep himself and Elias afloat. When fate brings Brigid and Martin face to face, maskless and vulnerable, the two come to understand they may not be as different as they’d both previously thought. Content Warning: violence, gore, death, family abuse (physical, verbal), alcohol (use) Related Tags: IASH, superhumans, Brigid Roberts, Martin GF, Hueso Blanco, Fireball

Space Clue/The Murder of Fredrik Lexand (#tmfl)

In 2183, humans abandoned earth as her ecosystems collapsed and became uninhabitable. Now, the remnants of humanity live in the Lexand Starfleet, a group of 16 name-brand ships, sailing towards deep space. In control of it all is Fredrik Lexand, the 17th great grandson of the original founder of Lexand StarFleet. From his living pod at the head of StarSeeker Alpha, he controls everything and anything that happens to humanity, from their food to their spouses to where the remnants of humanity will travel to. The weight of the world on one man’s shoulders (who are we kidding, of course he has lackeys who do all the menial work), worshipped as a god. Until the morning he is found brutally dismembered, mangled parts of his body strewn all over his office. Humanity freezes, watching intently, as the Lexand Pod is locked down by Detective Scoud Tambry, swearing to uncover the killer, and avenge the Corporate god-king. Content Warning: Violence, gore Related Tags: tmfl, space clue, Triple A Siblings, Scoud Tambry

Something Queer is Afoot (#SQIA)

Something Queer is Afoot is a massive collection of stories, all centering around queer life and romance. The Queer Crew is the group which most of them are centered around. This collection is MASSIVE and has about 10 different novella-length stories within. The content warnings listed below covers ALL of SQIA. Content Warnings: su*cide, death, homophobia, transphobia, abuse (physical, verbal, and sexual), drug use and abuse, religious trauma, sex (consensual and noncon/r*pe) Related Tags: SQIA, tqc, nlth, frf, sunandgun, boc

Still to be added: All of SQIA's individual projects, Cryto Conspiracy, The Great Fantasy American Road Trip, World of Ateine, Neon Squad

MORE TO BE ADDED SOON, SO STAY TUNED!

Athens' Current Objectives....

Blog Tag Directory:

#athenswrites: Personal writing

#athens answers: ask games

#other writeblrs: exactly what it sounds like, other writers I've reblogged

#writers I love: reblogs of close friends or writing that just hits me different

#rblg: general reblog tag

I'm pretty good at tagging extensively, so if you need to find something or are looking for a specific wip in my blog, there's a high probability I've tagged it like crazy

[bjfinn]

NEW & IMPROVED MASTER LIST

GUARANTEED TO WORK OR YOUR MONEY BACK!

(TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY 😜)

Since my first attempt at a Master List seems to have gone completely on the fritz now (probably because I changed my URL after doing the links!), I've made a new one.

I've also added the title of each story in its own tags in case this sort of thing should happen again -- that way you can just look for the one you want to read by searching for the title in the hashtags, or to find all of them together: #bjfinn writing or #bjfinn poetry.

Also, I'm starting to draw again! You can find my art at: #bjfinn art

STORIES

Beetlejuice

1. Three Ghosts and a Baby (AU)

2. Imaginary Friends (AU)

3. Hellhound

4. Beej on a Hot Tin Roof

5. Demons Have Feelings, Too

6. Birds of a Feather

7. How to Train Your Demon

8. Shadow Work

9. A Day at the Beach

10. Star Light, Star Bright

11. Movie Night

12. Turkey Day

13. Tango Argentino

14. Midnight Musings

15. Mommy Dearest

16. Spores

17. Shutterbug

18. Misinterpreted

19. Harry's Quest

20. Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

21. Mother's Day

22. Rampage

23. Truth or Dare

24. Goth and Ghoul

25. Father's Day

26. Lily

27. Healing Circle

28. Petey

29. The Trial of Otho Fenlock

30. Alphabet Soup

Foul Play

1. The Egg-Man

2. PopChat

School of Rock

1. 'Tis the Season

2. Something Special

3. Double Date

Spamalot

1. The Horned One

Crossovers

1. One Last Chance (BJTM/SoR/Deadbeat)

2. High Noon at the Gardner Hotel (BJTM/Deadbeat)

3. The Ghost and Mr Finn (BJTM/SoR)

4. Book of Shadows (BJTM/SoR/TWoE)

5. Holiday Plans (BJTM/SoR)

6. Chaos and Candy Canes (BJTM/SoR)

7. The Great Christmas Potato War of 2023 (BJTM/SoR)

8. Candid Confessions (BJTM/SoR)

Candid Confessions (Version 2.0)

9. Together Forever (BJTM/SoR)

10. Somebody to Love (BJTM/SoR)

11. Beej, Book and Candle (BJTM/TWoE)

12. Partners (BJTM/Deadbeat/SoR)

13. Ghost in the Museum (BJTM/Deadbeat/SoR)

14. The Babysitter (BJTM/TWoE)

Non-Fandom

1. Just Cloth and Stuffing

POETRY

1. Deck the Halls

2. An Cú Dubh (The Black Dog)

3. To Sleep

4. The Supermarket Blues

5. The Ides is Nigh

6. The Senators' Picnic

7. The Might of the Fight

8. Holes

9. Summertime

10. Bang in the Night

TV COMMERCIAL PARODIES

1. That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

2. You're Not You When You're Hungry

PLAYLISTS

Beetlejuice

1. Beetlejuice's Playlist (#1)

2. Lydia Deetz's Playlist (#1)

3. Adam and Barbara Maitland's Playlist (#1)

School of Rock

1. Dewey Finn's Playlist (#1)

2. Dewey Finn's Playlist (#2)

3. Dewey Finn's Playlist (#3)

4. Dewey Finn's Playlist (#4)

5. Dewey Finn's Playlist (#5)

6. Rosalie Mullins' Playlist (#1)

7. Rosalie Mullins' Playlist (#2)

8. Rosalie Mullins' Playlist (#3)

ANECDOTES

1. Salad Days

2. One is the Loneliest Number

3. Big Tipper

4. Yes, We Have No Bread Today

5. Under Pressure

6. A Cashier's Life: Shopping Etiquette

7. Shelter from the Storm

ADVENTURES IN COOKING

1. Pua'a Kālua (Hawaiian Pulled Pork Shoulder)

2. Bagún (Irish Bacon)

3. Síoróip Úll (Homemade Apple Syrup)

FOOD REVIEWS

1. Zagnuts

[sluttywonwoo]

instead of you [part six] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either. 

warnings: swearing, swearing, mentions of sex, simulated sex (18+ mdni), menstruation mentions

word count: 5.2k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!! ; i know minho is the chef of the group but just suspend your disbelief for this series and pretend it’s jisung

series masterlist | early access to the next chapter on ko-fi

“Tickets are seventeen euros.”

You patted your back pocket instinctively in search of your wallet before remembering it was in the backpack Jisung was carrying.

“Nice try,” he said smugly and turned around so that you couldn’t reach the zipper. “You’re our guest on this trip, remember? Everything is already paid for.”

You didn’t need reminding. You knew you were tagging along for free- it had been one of the ways Jisung had convinced you to come, but you still felt guilty. It felt like you were taking advantage of the Hans, even if you were doing Jisung a favor.

You stuck your bottom lip out in a pout, catching the attention of Minho who chuckled at your pathetic little display.

“That’s cute, but our parents are both earth signs. Stubbornness runs in the family.”

You cocked your head at Minho in intrigue. “You know your parents’ zodiac signs?”

“Yeah, why?”

“No reason, I just think that’s interesting,” you hummed. “Out of curiosity, do you know your rising sign?”

“Scorpio. Why?”

You turned and gave Jisung a look. He nodded in confirmation and you both mouthed whore at each other. You turned back towards Minho and smiled fakely.

“Again, just curious.”

“Here are your tickets, kids,” Nikki announced from her spot at the ticket booth, ushering the four of you forward. “We’re giving you two hours to explore. You can go off by yourselves or stay together, but your father and I are going to start with the sculptures.”

“That’s their way of telling us they don’t want to hang out with us,” Felix whispered loudly.

Nikki gave her son a cold glare and shook her head at him. “Not funny.”

“I thought it was pretty funny,” he pushed.

“And you wonder why we don’t want to hang out with you guys,” Dom said pointedly.

All three of the boys groaned or rolled their eyes at their father and swiped a ticket from their mother. Your little group made their way over to the security line while Nikki and Dom split off in another direction.

“They’re already embarrassed to be seen with us,” Jisung scoffed.

“They’re just getting coffees,” Minho assured him, nodding in the direction of the café where they were standing in line.

“They never drink coffee,” Felix said, “so they are definitely embarrassed of us.”

“I would be too,” you sighed, already tired of them. It wasn’t even noon yet.

“Well you’re stuck with us.” Jisung smiled and wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Don’t remind me,” you groaned.

He dragged you by the hand behind his brothers to the back of the line, where you waited patiently to be admitted into the museum. They had you empty your pockets and place bags on a conveyor belt to be scanned like they did at the airport. Jisung explained that security had been upgraded in the past few years as France didn’t have very many… fans internationally.

“You colonize a few dozen countries and run their economies into the ground and suddenly you’re the bad guy,” you said sarcastically, earning a shush from Minho at the front of the line as he approached the security guard.

“How many are in your party?” the man asked.

“Four.”

He eyed your group in a bored sort of manner and motioned you forward one at a time through the metal detector. Once through, you followed Jisung and his brothers through the main hall and up an escalator into one of the galleries.

It wasn’t nearly as crowded as the lobby had been, and it was much quieter. Visitors meandered around the room in small groups or solo, admiring the paintings on the walls thoughtfully.

Minho and Felix moved further and further ahead of you and Jisung as you walked through the gallery. They were clearly less interested in the art than you were, but you didn’t mind. Jisung stuck by your side, but you knew he was only doing so to humor you. He didn’t care about some old fucking paintings and he didn’t give a fuck about the “pretentious white men” who painted them. You didn’t know much about art, aside from the one art history class you took your sophomore year, but you still enjoyed looking at the pretty pictures.

You had never had the opportunity to see history up close like this, and it captivated you. Each brush stroke was discernible, individual. You could reach out and touch the canvas if you wanted to, though you would certainly be kicked out on the spot.

Jisung hung back, a few paces behind you. You could feel his gaze on the back of your head, observing you observing the art. You tried not to linger too long in front of each painting, not wanting to lose Minho and Felix completely.

As you made your way through the gallery you noticed a woman with long black hair perched upon one of the velvet benches with a sketchpad in her hands. She was drawing a replica of the piece in front of her, a painting by Lorenzo Pasinelli titled Sainte Cecile chantant. You watched the woman with the sketchbook trace careful lines on her paper with a chunk of graphite. She etched the portrait quietly, leaning around onlookers who blocked her view. You were in awe of her. The way she effortlessly copied the painting onto paper, the way she was in her own little world, unbothered by the crowd around her.

“C’mon, baby,” Jisung urged gently with a nudge of his elbow. He waited until you were out of the woman’s earshot to mutter, “you were into her, weren’t you?”

You pushed him off of you in annoyance. “So what if I was?”

“I’m your boyfriend, remember?”

“I was just admiring her art,” you said defensively.

“Uh huh, you were admiring something all right.”

“I hate you.”

“Remember our list of rules?”

You rolled your eyes and dropped your voice to a whisper. “I wasn’t going to hook up with her. I doubt I even know enough French to ask her if she likes girls.”

“You did see her earrings, right? They were strawberries.”

“You’re not allowed to say things like that, okay?”

“It was just an observation!”

“A stereotypical one.”

“All I’m saying is she would’ve been into you, given the chance.”

“Do you want me to remain abstinent or not?” you huffed in frustration, “because you’re giving me mixed signals.”

Jisung shook his head, double stepping to catch up with you and grab your hand in his own. “Sorry, old wingman habits die hard I guess.”

You chuckled and let him lead you back behind his brothers despite your longing glances towards paintings you merely passed by. Minho and Felix were bickering about something when you rejoined them at the end of the hall, but you couldn’t be bothered to ask what. Jisung, on the other hand-

“What are you guys fighting about?”

Minho turned sharply on his heel to face his younger brother, causing the two of you to nearly crash into him. “We’re not fighting.”

“Okay, what are you guys talking about,” Jisung amended.

“Trying to decide where to go next.”

“And what are you debating between?” you asked.

“Minho says we should go see the Mona Lisa next since there’s always a line and we only have a couple hours here, but I think it’s a waste of time,” Felix explained. “The Mona Lisa is just an overrated painting that brings in tourists.”

“We are tourists,” Jisung pointed out to his twin.

“And y/n’s never seen it before, dumbass” Minho added. “It wouldn’t be fair to deprive her of that.”

“We don’t all have to go together,” you said hurriedly. “Your parents said we could break off into groups.”

The boys seemed to give your suggestion a moment of thought before Minho spoke up again. “Well I kind of want to see it too,” he admitted.

Felix rolled his eyes. “You could’ve just said that, idiot.”

-

The line for the Mona Lisa was long, as Felix had predicted, and you had to trek all the way back out into the lobby under the glass pyramid just to be admitted into the gallery it was held in.

“It feels like we’re in line for a rollercoaster,” you said offhandedly when it had been silent for a bit too long.

“Trust me, this is much less fun than a rollercoaster,” Felix grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Don’t be a dick,” Jisung chided.

“I was just being honest.”

“Be a little less honest then.”

Silence fell over the group again and the four of you traded wary looks, shuffling forward when the queue moved every so often. It was still only ten a.m. and you felt like you needed a nap. You tried listening in on the conversations around you, but couldn’t understand any of them. The couple in front of you was speaking French much too fast for you to keep up with and the family behind you was joking in German.

Jisung nudged your shoulder gently and gave you a look that you understood immediately. You cleared your throat and took a minute to think while Jisung held up all ten of his fingers.

“Never have I ever missed an exam because I was hungover.”

“That’s targeting! That’s not fair!” Jisung protested.

“No it’s not! How am I supposed to know if you’ve ever done that?”

“Because I called you about it immediately when it happened.”

“Oops, must’ve forgotten,” you lied, trying to hide a smile.

“You wanna play like that? Fine, never have I ever blacked out on a first date.”

You narrowed your eyes at your fake boyfriend and begrudgingly put a finger down.

“What are you doing?” Felix asked suddenly, leaning over to watch.

“Playing Never Have I Ever. We play whenever we have time to kill,” Jisung said.

“Wanna join?” you offered. Minho and Felix shrugged and held up their hands. “Okay, but we’re starting over to make it fair.”

“And this time no targeting,” your best friend sneered, glaring at you.

You held up your hands innocently. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Go ahead, babe, you start,” Jisung prompted you, winking.

You knew you had to tread carefully in front of Jisung’s brothers so you started with an easy one. “Um, never have I ever been in a fight.”

You looked around the circle expectantly, but the only one who put a finger down was Minho.

You raised your eyebrows in surprise. “Really? When have you been in a fight?”

“He’s probably lost count by now,” Jisung whispered not so quietly.

“It was only a couple!” Minho said defensively. “Anyway, never have I ever been to college.”

“I think that counts as targeting, but whatever,” you muttered to yourself as you and Jisung put a finger down simultaneously.

Jisung took his turn next. “Never have I ever flirted with someone to get something for free.”

You and Minho both sheepishly put a finger down while Felix shook his head in judgment. He was the only one with all of his fingers still up. You, on the other hand, were tied with Minho for the most fingers down.

Felix took a second to think about it before taking his turn. “Never have I ever had a threesome.”

You pursed your lips and lowered a finger while Jisung’s brothers looked at you in shock. They both turned back to see if Jisung had put a finger down too, but he hadn’t, leaving them to draw their own conclusions.

“It was before we started dating,” you supplied, not offering any other details. Your fake boyfriend’s brothers didn’t need to know that you had actually had more than one, and that the last one had been just three months ago, or that it was at a sorority party. You were in deep enough as it was.

The game stopped there as you were finally let into the gallery where the Mona Lisa was on display. There were a couple more rows of the queue to get through, but it appeared to be moving fast. The security guards were urging the crowd along, scolding anyone who lingered in front of the painting for longer than a couple of seconds.

You tried peering over the heads of the people in front of you, but they were too tall. You were forced to wait patiently for your turn to see her like everyone else. The pathway widened a little when you got to the front, allowing for more people to pass in front of the glass case and take pictures. You pushed your way to the front of the little section and pressed yourself against the metal bar to get a good look.

You didn’t want to admit it, but Felix was right. The Mona Lisa was overrated. And tiny. The painting was beautiful, that much was true, but you knew the only reason it was hailed as a masterpiece was because it had been stolen over a hundred years ago and then miraculously recovered. You still remembered that bit of trivia from Art History 101. Your professor would be proud.

You leaned closer and snapped a picture with your phone to commemorate the experience. You had seen it, the most famous painting in the world, with your own two eyes and now you could mark it off your bucket list.

“Keep moving!”

You jerked your head in the direction of the voice and locked eyes with a security guard who gestured for you to get out of the way. He had probably already yelled at you in French and when you didn’t realize the order was directed at you assumed you were an ignorant American- which you were, but you were still offended.

You turned around to look for Jisung, but he wasn’t behind you. In fact, none of the Hans were. You double-checked and then triple-checked, but they were nowhere to be seen. Maybe they were waiting for you at the end of the line…

But when you made your way to the end, they weren’t there either. You tried not to panic, they had to be somewhere close by- they wouldn’t just leave you, right? It wasn’t like you could call Jisung either because your data plan still wouldn’t be activated for a few more hours. A brief search of the gallery turned up nothing. They were gone.

Now you were beginning to panic. You hadn’t discussed a meeting place if one of you were to get lost. Even if you had, you wouldn’t know how to get there. The palace was fucking huge, and Jisung was the one with the map.

You followed the flow of traffic through the big arched doorway at the other end of the hall that led into yet another gallery with plum-colored walls. You were breaking the number one rule of being lost, which was to stay where you were, but you were feeling desperate. You felt like it was your fault you got separated from the group so you needed to be the one to find them. The paintings and artworks on the wall were a blur, you barely paid attention to them as you searched the exhibit.

On the verge of tears, you trailed behind a group of visitors down one of the main staircases, watery eyes frantically searching the crowd until you recognized a familiar face staring back. Minho was standing on the staircase opposite to you, frozen in place, eyes wide in relief.

Immediately he began pushing through the mass of people, fighting against the tide to get to you. You did the same and met him halfway where he crushed you into a hug.

“Oh my god, what the fuck is wrong with you?” he demanded, arms still around you.

You stiffened in his embrace, unsure of what to do. Do you hug him back? Do you push him off? You didn’t know. You decided to settle for what you hoped was a middle ground.

“Are you happy to see me or not?” you asked, getting mixed signals from a Han for the second time that day.

Minho let go of you finally and cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m happy!” he assured you, “just don’t do that again, okay?”

You nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“C’mon, let’s go find the twins. They were looking for you in the atrium.”

You walked alongside Minho in silence as you navigated the winding halls of the Louvre together. You wouldn’t let him go ahead of you. You were too afraid to lose him again.

“How long have you and Jisung been dating again?” he asked suddenly.

“Since November,” you answered automatically. “So a little less than a year. Why?”

He shrugged. “I was just curious. I know you guys were best friends before and it just makes me wonder how much changed after that transition.”

“What do you mean?”

Minho paused to gather his thoughts like he was choosing his words carefully. “Just that, you guys still seem like best friends, you know? Like you’re best friends first, in a relationship second. It’s really nice.”

You expected a ‘but’, you could practically hear it dangling from his lips- he stopped there, letting whatever he had been about to say dissipate in the space between you.

Your mind began to race. Did he suspect your little act? Was he unconvinced or did he know something? You needed to get back to Jisung.

Luckily when you turned the corner the stairway opened into a large room that you guessed to be the atrium. It was mostly empty, save for a few large marble statues and planters commanding the attention of all the nearby patrons. A sectioned glass roof hung overhead, bathing the room in natural light.

Jisung was standing a few meters away next to Felix with his hands in his pockets. You were running towards him before he even saw you. You grabbed him by the shoulders and threw yourself into him. He stumbled, but caught you and wrapped his arms around your waist. You didn’t let him get the chance to speak before you were kissing him. It was more passionate than usual, more than just a peck on the lips. You didn’t know if it was because you were so relieved to see him, or if you were trying to prove something to Minho.

He broke away and gave you a quizzical look.

“We need to have sex,” you whispered.

“What?” he hissed back, looking at you like you were crazy.

“Not for real- we just need to make them think we’re having sex,” you explained. Jisung followed your gaze over to his brothers. Felix had joined Minho by the entrance where they were now deep in discussion. “Minho isn’t convinced.”

Jisung nodded at you like it was decided and took a deep breath. “So, how are we going to do this?”

-

“What exactly did Minho say?”

You looked up from where you had been pacing in front of the bed. “What?” 

“What did Minho say? About us.” 

“He said it seems like we’re still best friends.”

“We are best friends.”

“But he said it like, we’re best friends first, dating second. And he said he wonders how much changed about our relationship after we started dating.”

“What did you tell him?” 

“Nothing, it was more like he was talking to himself. He asked me when we started dating and then mentioned it offhandedly.”

Jisung rubbed his hands on his jeans nervously and took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Why does he care?”

You shrugged and sat down next to him. “I don’t know. Maybe he was just trying to be a protective big brother?”

“Well he needs to mind his own business,” Jisung muttered. 

“C’mon, Ji give him a break! He’s trying to save you from getting your heart broken by an immoral, scheming harlot like me.”

Your best friend gave you an unimpressed look. “A harlot? Since when do you have the vocabulary of a fifteenth-century pirate?”

“Just thought I’d spice things up.”

“Promise me you won’t use it when we have pretend-sex in a couple of minutes?”

You frowned. “You mean you don’t want me to call you ‘matey’ in bed?”

“Absolutely not. Us fucking is already weird enough.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on,” you insisted. “Anyway, Minho was probably just looking out for you.”

“I don’t know about that,” he said doubtfully. 

“What do you mean?” you asked. 

“Nothing,” Jisung brushed it off with an abrupt subject change. “Now about us having sex… what’s the plan?”

“We just… do what they did in Easy A. Hotel walls are thin, right? They’ll be able to hear us.”

“You really think that’ll work?”

“It’s the best I’ve got.”

Jisung sighed and ran a hand through his hair, further emphasizing his disheveled appearance. You put your hand over his and laced your fingers together. 

“Should we start like… now?” Jisung asked, checking his watch.

“Maybe wait a few minutes?” you suggested. “It’s kind of early. We could start at eleven.”

“Wouldn’t they think it’s weird that we’re having sex at eleven on the dot?”

“Fine then, eleven oh two.”

“I’ll pencil it in,” Jisung joked, causing you to yank your hand out of his in disdain. 

While you waited for the scheduled time to roll around you got ready for bed. You showered the day off, letting the hot water ease some of the tension from your sore muscles. You knew you’d be worse off in the morning, but you hoped that a steamy shower would at least help a little. Jisung showered next as you slipped into pajamas and went through your nightly routine. You were never very good at remembering to moisturize, or do any skincare for that matter, but you were determined to make it a habit by the end of the summer. 

You scrolled through your phone anxiously while you waited for Jisung to get out of the shower. You didn’t know why you were so nervous, this wasn’t even the most intimate thing you’d done together. You’ve kissed dozens of times before by now- you’d watched porn together for christ’s sake. Why was this the breaking point?

The couple glasses of wine you’d had at dinner to hype yourself up for tonight were starting to wear off. The pleasant buzz was gradually fading and being replaced by sober realization. Jisung’s brothers weren’t your only neighbors. Other guests were staying on the opposite side of you as well. They would surely hear you if you were going to be loud enough for Minho and Felix to hear you- was it even worth it? To put some poor strangers through your improv act? No, you were already too far in. You had made your bed, now you had to lie in it. Literally. 

Jisung emerged from the bathroom with a towel in his hand, using it to shake his curls dry. He’d changed into his version of pajamas- a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and grinned when he saw you were wearing pretty much the same thing. 

“Ready?” he asked, tossing the towel to the side.

“Wait, Jisung, I just realized-”

“What is it?”

“I’m still on my period.”

“So?”

You blinked. “So… it wouldn’t make sense to have sex?”

“Why not?”

“Because it would make a big mess!”

“I’m still not seeing an issue,” Jisung said matter-of-factly. “Have you never had period sex before?”

“Have you?” you countered. 

“Yeah, you haven’t?”

You shook your head. “No, none of the guys I’ve been with were down for it. And I was too nervous to ask the girls.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you only date losers,” he quipped with a smirk. 

“Need I remind you who I’m pretend-dating right now?” 

Jisung pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at you. “I doubt Minho even remembers you’re on your period,” he pointed out. “And if he does he won’t think anything of it. Period sex is normal.”

“Fine, okay. What time is it?”

“Eleven-oh-four.”

“Shit, we better get started then.”

Jisung just nodded and joined you on the bed. He kneeled in front of the headboard and wrapped a hand around the frame. You looked to your best friend for the go-ahead and winked when he gave you the thumbs-up. 

You cleared your throat awkwardly, suddenly aware of the echo in the otherwise silent room. You weren’t even naked, but you felt so exposed. For someone who prided themselves on being so sexually expressive you were choking. But Jisung was looking at you expectantly and the clock was ticking so you mustered up what little courage you had and let out a soft moan. 

“Louder,” Jisung urged. 

You shot him a dirty look but did as he instructed, raising your voice an octave. Jisung grinned in approval and gestured with his hand, encouraging you to continue. 

“Why don’t you have a turn?” you demanded. “Making your girlfriend do all the work? That’s not very gentleman-like.”

“In my head, this is just foreplay, so I’m like fingering you or something. We’re not actually having sex yet.”

“Oh sorry, I didn’t realize our porno had a narrative,” you hissed.

Jisung rolled his eyes at you. “Just keep moaning.”

“Ji,” you whined loudly, unmoving on the bed where you were flipping him off. “Fuck, Jisung! Feels so good!”

“Yeah, baby?” he asked, finally breaking his silence. 

“So good,” you repeated breathily. 

Jisung released his hold on the headboard so that it could start to knock against the wall you shared with his brothers as you both rocked your hips to simulate the pace of sex. 

“Fuck,” Jisung grunted and you’d be lying if you said your stomach didn’t twist at that. 

You supposed this was the part in the storyline where you were actually having sex, so you tried to make yourself sound as needy and desperate as possible. 

“God, Jisung, don’t stop!”

Jisung rammed the bed frame against the wall even harder and groaned your name, clapping a hand to his thigh to make it sound like he was slapping your ass. You continued to beg and plead for a few more minutes before you both decided to kick it up a notch. Jisung put a hand around his throat, motioning for you to act like you were being choked. 

How did he know you liked to be choked?

Lucky guess.

You took his suggestion and closed a hand around your throat to muffle your moans. You were out of breath, for real now, from all of the flailing around and jumping and choking yourself that you were just about ready to wrap it up.

“Should we cum now?” you whispered.

“How long has it been?”

“I dunno, like five minutes?”

“You think I’d only last five minutes?” Jisung accused.

“I think five minutes is being generous,” you scoffed. 

“Fine, but you first.”

You sighed tiredly and prepared yourself for the crescendo. You stretched your arms above your head and moaned in relief as your muscles tensed and relaxed, arching your back off the bed dramatically. 

“Fuck, Ji. Right there right there right there,” you cried, loud enough for the whole fucking city of Paris to hear you. “Yes, yes, yes!” 

“You look so fucking hot like this, y/n,” Jisung praised, catching you by surprise. 

You whipped your head over to stare at him, but he wasn’t even looking at you. He was scrolling through Twitter with one hand while rocking the headboard back and forth with the other. 

You rolled your eyes at his multitasking and continued moaning obnoxiously like an amateur pornstar. You “finished” first with another string of curses and Jisung’s name and he followed shortly behind you, voice wavering as he slowed the motion of the bed. 

Jisung flopped back on the bed next to you wordlessly. You were both still catching your breath and processing everything that had happened. You pressed your fingers to the pulsepoint on your neck and began to count. Out of all the walking you already did today, faking sex with Jisung was the most cardio-heavy by far. 

“I think that was my best performance ever,” you said proudly once your lungs didn’t feel like they were burning from the inside out. 

“What are you comparing it to?” Jisung asked, turning his head to look at you properly. 

“My third grade VBS concert, my entire high school theater experience, telling customers it was a pleasure to serve them, faking orgasms with frat guys, do you need me to keep going?” 

He chuckled. “You were an excellent co-star.”

“You weren’t too bad yourself. Do you think they’ll buy it?”

“Definitely, but if you want to seal the deal I might have an idea.”

“What is it?”

“I give you a hickey.”

You bolted upright. “Are you serious?”

“Not an obvious one, it’ll be easy to hide.” 

“Then what’s the point of having it in the first place?”

Jisung shrugged. “You cover it with makeup in the morning, but not so much that it’ll wear off later in the day when my parents aren’t around. If Minho is really as nosy as we think, he’ll definitely notice it and stop asking questions.”

“You don’t think it’ll just lead to more questions? Who’s to say he’s going to be looking at my neck anyway?”

“Oh he will be,” Jisung said confidently. 

“How do you know?”

“I just do.” 

“Fine, fuck it,” you groaned, giving in. “Go easy, though, okay?”

Your best friend smirked. “No promises.”

You pushed down your shirt to expose more of your neck and shoulders and scooted closer to him on the bed. You rolled your head to the side to give him easy access. He brushed your hair out of the way and leaned down so that he was just inches away from your collarbone. His breath tickled your skin as he hovered above you, deciding where to mark you. You flinched when you felt his teeth sink into the tender skin just below your jaw. You held back a yelp and tried to relax, but the sheer absurdity of it all was getting to you. And it tickled. Jisung licked the spot he had just bitten and then began to suck on it, eliciting a sheer squeal from you. 

“Shh!” He had broken away to scold you. 

“You know I’m ticklish!” you argued back defensively. 

“Try to stay still.”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

Jisung placed a hand on each of your shoulders to hold you down as he went back to work. By the time he was finished your neck was sore from holding it in an uncomfortable position for so long and your left hand had fallen asleep. 

“There,” he said finally, satisfaction clear on his face. 

You got up to go look in the mirror in front of the bathroom to evaluate his artistry. Right on your neck in plain view was a fresh bruise, blooming purple underneath your skin. 

“Jisung, this is huge!” you complained. 

“It’ll go down in the morning!” he insisted. 

“I know how hickeys work, genius. It’s still fucking giant.”

“It’s not as bad as you think it is, okay? Now come on, let’s go to bed.”

iou tags: @sluttywoozi @gimmeurtmi @phobia0325 @fwess @hipsdofafangirl @galaxleeknow @urmomma0324 @bangmechanpls @102598s @farfromsugafanfic @ritzy-roo @dimpledsatan @bvselines @wonderfulshinee @imwithurmother @smollquokka @rosexjimin @skizzel @endzii23 @lady-lena @kwanisms @ch4nniebang @lilramennoodle @babyphotos0325 @dearalice @sojohns @mistlitmoonlight @yoontaethings @babebatter @mal-lunar-28 @shy-kisu @zerefdragn33l @downbadreading @sana-within-you @saquso @bunnispaces @reianagarcia @hyunehans @imtoooyoungforthisshit @i8rsie @honeslykindahorny @214racha @hgema @chillllllli @vixensss @smhlino @feiyaa @borahae-reads @bigbearenergy @hoodiesandicedcoffee @darkacademic2512 @y00nzin0 @i8yul @shinypieceofgarbage @woozarts @just-a-little-delulu @djeniryuu

add yourself to the taglist here!!

[ninakuli]

Fever

Bo Sinclair x reader

Maybe will write Lester and Vincent too!!

I just want to take care of him🥺

Special tag: @sh1n0o

Bo wake up at the morning, he feel sick he want to throw up and he feel dizzy, but he force himself to stand up and walk, he have work to do, he won't let himself rest until he finish his ma dreams, so his hand support the wall and tumbling to the stairs, he look at the challenge and slowly go down but unfortunately he slippery, he fall down the stairs.

"Fuck..." He curse.

You hear the sound at first you suppose it's Vincent.

"Vin are you okay?" You run to the stairs then found out it's Bo.

"Omg!!! Darling are you hurt?!" You kneel down and check on him, then when you check him you feel his abnormally high body temperature.

"Fuck off don't touch me..." He push you away but strength weaker then before, you can feel.

"Honey you have high fever, just go to rest."

"I'm fine." "No you not." "I say I'm fine!!!" He yell.

"You just fucking fall down at the stairs!!" You refute.

"Then who can tak' care the gas station an' the tourists?" "Gas station I can take care and tourists Vincent can so just go to sleep!" "You can't." "Of course I can, I watch you take care the gas station so many times, I know how to do! Please just rest!" Your face full of worries.

Bo try to think about it, but his brain burned out, he can't think too much, he rub his head and try to stand up, he can't stand up without the wall support, you help him get up.

"Fuck, fine, only this time..." He whisper, he really don't like this, he hated be so weak and need help.

You assist him go back the bedroom and set well at bed.

"Wait me a second darling." You kiss his forehead and run out the bedroom, you bring the medicine, water, towel and some soup, you scooped a spoonful of soup and blow a few times then bring to his mouth.

"I can eat by myself." He snort "Come on just let me take care of you please?" He silence a moment then take a bite, you gentle smile and help him to eat, and help him take the medicine too, you lead him to lay down and put the cold wet towel on his forehead to cool down his body temperature, you kiss his temple and turn off the lights to let him sleep.

You walk to the gas station and sigh a little then start to work, you rely on your memory to take care the station, luckily today don't have any tourists at morning. It's noon, it's time for lunch, you back the house and sneak into the bedroom, Bo are sleeping but the fever don't have any appearance about turn good, you worry and put some food, water and medicine on the nightstand then go back to work.

Lester bring two tourists come, you nervously chat with them and try to allure them to the wax museum(Lester help you too), even it's difficult but you still successful and Vincent do the good job too, you check no one will bother Bo. Work gets done faster than you think, cause Lester help you so you back to house to check on Bo, you sneak to the bedroom, you touch his forehead, it's still burn but it's better than before, when you prepare go out he be pulled by Bo, he pull you under the covers with him, he hugs you tight "Don't go..." He whisper, you smile and snuggle closer then one hand around him another hand gentle comb and pet his head.

When you wake up you feel so tired and your head are hurt, you feel strange then you find out Bo are gone, you panicking and support your body from walls, tumbling to the downstairs and find Bo in the kitchen.

"Morning darlin', make your favorite breakfast." You weakly sit "Ya okay? You look not well." "I'm fine" You rub your head, Bo click his tongue and shake his head "I don' think so darlin'." You finish the meal and try to get up to do the dishes but your legs are shaking "No way..." Your face fall at the situation "Sit still I'll do the dishes." Bo take the plate to the sink and wash it, when he finished he walk to you and raised his one brow, you look at him "Fine..." You pout, then he picking you up bridal style to bedroom and bring you some medicine to take then snuggle into the covers with you, he hugs you.

"Hey thanks for tak' good care of me yesterday, now, le' me take care of you k?" You nods "Good, now rest." You feeling so tired so you fall asleep very quick, when you sleeping Bo just watching you and take care of you, he never leave.

[cecilebutcher]

Day 4: Voyage

Azul x gender neutral reader

@azulashengrottospiano you like Azul stuff so I hope you don’t mine me tagging you in this

Azul deserves tons of love, and a fucking break. So he gets tons of love, and a fucking break.

Azul Ashengrotto was a businessman first, teenager later. His past time is spent making sure monstro lounge is in tip top shape. The food had to be the best, the staff had to be amazing, the costumers had to be more that pleased. That with the fact that he had to make sure his grades were mostly A’s of course he had no time for himself.

And while you loved your stupid mere boyfriend. And you knew that the lounge was his pride and joy, so you tended to help around. But that eventually got trying, for you and for your dear lover.

So you seconded that he’s going to take a break whether he wanted to or not.

So your plan was in motion.

First thing fisrt, Getting Azul new clothes and packing his clothes. So we have Jade and Vil to help them pick clothes and a suitcase for Azul since he can’t know about this yet.

Then the twins help you with booking a plane and making sure Azul leaves with you.

At first he thought he was only dropping you off at the airport, but when he realized you were taking him on a surprise trip he was touched, you actually did this for him? He could cry, and if you saw him tear up your lying, that’s not nice love, don’t lie.

The plane ride was, something. At first he was fascinated, then terrified, then he fell asleep until you landed. It was adorable honestly.

When you landed he was so mesmerized and fascinated by everything. Especially when you left the airport and started going on a small walk to wait for the cab Vil set up(thank you Vil). In the Cab he wouldn’t stop asking questions about every single thing ever in your trip. Where were you staying? Where were you going to? How much did this all cost? When will you return?

You just told him to relax and enjoy himself, you had this all figured out, he needn’t worry. And he trusted you, so he won’t ask any questions for the time being.

The hotel was, wow, it was wow. He asked the receptionist a billion questions about the place and looked around while you two walked to your room. Speaking of your room, he inspected it from top to bottom. You had to drag him to sleep that night, he was so busy researching the place and what activities you two could do and the history of it.

The next day you woke him up with breakfast in bed to his utter surprise. It was a simple scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and hot tea. For yourself you orders some pancakes with berries on top. You two ended up sharing your meals with one another.

After that you two went out sight seeing. You took him to museums, parks and a lovely river. To your surprise he had info on all these places so you let him talk your ear off.

The day continued on like that, with you guys enjoying each others company, trying food and spewing out random facts about random thing.

Soon night fall came and you too had to head back to the hotel as you both were tired.

Next day you let him sleep in till noon, which he appreciated. After that you two went to lunch at a sorta fancy place and then saw a play. Later on you took him to a festival and won him a couple of gifts, and he won you some. You rode roller coasters and huge rides. And as romance goes, you rode the Ferris wheel last, watching as the moon and stars shine in the night sky, sighing softly as your beloved boyfriend places his head on your shoulder.

The walk back to the hotel was calming and quiet. You two didn’t say much and just enjoyed having the other around.

The last day came and you two left to see a movie. It was a mystery movie so when you two left you had tons of things to talk about with each other. The was everything lined up so perfectly well. The foreshadowing. The victim and killer’s relationship. It was great! Then he took you to a small cozy cafe and insisted he payed, after all you had payed for everything else(it was Vil, thanks again). You let him pay for that one thing.

And as you two sat down in your small booth, smiling talking and laughing, Azul was happy. So very happy. That he found someone like you, he couldn’t ask for a more perfect lover even if he tried.

This was a challenge to write. But I winged it and got it right so slay.

Anyways likes comments and reblogs are very appreciated!

If you wanna get tagged in future twst contact tell me plz!!

[hunting-songs]

WHAT PEOPLE KNOW... Tagged By: A little wildbirdie! Tagging: @skarletchains @kiigan @gyofukuki @saiakv @kylo-wrecked @muddsludge @zaeltry @distortedkilling @lightfaithed @bewitchingbaker @soulfulempathy ...and YOU!

PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ; most people, even strangers, know about this –

-Senritsu is a craftsman-master restoring and building instruments from oral traditions, written records or old paintings. Her beeing a Hunter is, while well known about her, actually on second place to her good name as a craftsman who works for museums or university -researchers as a handyman.

-She made her Master-exam in building wooden wind instruments.

-She never made a higher education degree (craftsman-master-letter aside). Senritsu ran away from the Music-Consortium as soon as she turned eighteen to take part in the Hunterexam, which was only a few months before finishing taking her A-levels.

-Senritsu always traveled with her best friend.

-Before joining the Mafia, Senritsu was famously known to other Hunters as the person "You do not play poker against". Unfairly perfect hearing or not, Senritsu is a trickster at heart and knows her ways with cardgames. She cheats. She cheats so very good with the most sweetest smile on her face.

-The way Senritsu had looked before listening to the Sonata of Darkness is how she is known in her professional Life. For the people she works for at museums or for university-professor-research, her face before the curse is what they think she now still looks as she had not taken on any official jobs were she needed to be present in her profession since she had been cursed. For the people she works for Senritsu kind of suddenly emerged out of nowhere as a Music-Hunter when she was eighteen and three years later suddenly vanished to be only reduced to email-contact for hired work.

-She says that there is noone that is close to her.

SEMI-PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ; selected groups of people know about this –

-Considering her dyslexia and horrible frustration with school in general, Senritsus marks were horrible. Studying (as in topics that did not spark her interest) had never been her strong suit, so her leaving school might had saved her resumeé- better a blank in the resumeé than so very bad marks.

-Senritsu listened to the Sonata of Darkness and was cursed. Her best friend died when he played that song. It is a well known fact in the Hunter-community because Senritsu spend years searching for a Nen-Exorcist to lift her curse before when not finding any help, taking matters into her own hands in a not so noble way.

-"Everyone hates this kind of Hunters. They have no pride or honour. They are just dogs out for a petty reward." Which is more a context-fact in the HxH world: But while Senritsu has a known reason for joining the Mafia, she still did so and this very much puts her name in a very bad light in the Hunter-community.

-Senritsu donates most of her income to museums.

-Her flute is made of bones.

-In certaine rocksongs from before 1997, Senritsu can be heard as a background singer. The songs are often played on private radio-channels for people with this kind of musictaste.

-She earned a scholarship for a Music-Consortium when she was twelve and stayed at the school until she was eighteen. During that time she played in a lot of concerts and there is still "learning material" of a teenager-Senritsu on the schools website where she could be seen playing different instruments for others to learn. Hoever, it is easy to see that Senritsu had a waggish sense of humor and the teachers had a hard time making her do what they wanted her to do.

-When Senritsu uses her Aura on Water, it turns scarlet. She might had played a few pranks on people with that. The people were her best friend. It was his bath-water.

-Senritsu met her best friend Ask when they both were twelve at that school. He teached her how to read music-notes and from that time on they were joined by the hip.

-She passed the Hunter-Exam at the second try. At the first try she ran into Tompa and spend the rest of the exam in the restroom. Senritsu says at her second try on the exam, she lured Tompa into a restroom and locked him in there.

-Senritsu can hold her drinks very well and she loves to sit with colleagues after work to drink a beer.

PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE ; very few people know about this - in doubt, please ask!

-Senritsu is a Genius in the HxH worlds definition of it. She learned to use and preform a Prototyp of her Hatsu as a young child- the ability at that time was a pure stunning-Hatsu that was born from the wish to make sure her siblings would never be in the danger to be caught when stealing from the publicum listening to Senritsus music. Nolens-Voles: Senritsu is a emitter and if she would not have been given proper Nen-Training a short time after she had started to use her Hatsu on her own, she would have died a very early dead as it is naturally her aura-nature to spread out as much and far as possible and she would have simply died because she would have no aura left.

-She will turn 25 on december 12 of 2001, if she survives that hellish August on the Black Whale that is.

-Her best friend Ask had skinned, scarred over hands. When they met Ask would lay his always hurting hands on the piano Senritsu played on so sooth the pain. So when Senritsu years later under the teachng of a proper Nen-master started to model her actual Hatsu out of the stunning-ability that was born from a wish, it turned into a healing-ability based on using vibrations like the vibrations of the piano to sooth pain and heal injuries / sicknesses.

-She refers to her best friend as "my twin who happned to be born a few days too late and to other parents".

-Senritsu hails from a group of Traveling People. Originally wandering thiefs, robbers, crooks and Musicinstrument-builders using animalbones, the group was discovered by the body-part-collector-community and from that on hired to build instruments from human bones for collectors on commission. It is now the Groups main-income. Senritsu used the fact her Groups instruments were so lovingly collected in the community to build connections in the bodypart-collector-community and eventually get herself hired by the Nostrade family by beeing most warmly recommended.

-She has six siblings. She has a twinpair of older sisters. A younger twinpair of sisters, a younger sister who is the irish- twin to her brother whom is her youngest sibling of the seven. Senritsu is the only child not having a twin and having at least four years (or more) years between her and her other siblings. Since she left the Traveling Poeple she barely had any contact with her family.

-She is an aunt. The twinpair of nieces are her godchildren, and while she had never visited them, Senritsu had put up a trust fund for them. The Mafia-money she earns either goes to museums or to the trustfund.

-Senritsus father was a serial-killer. He was hanged when she was twelve.

-She wants to mold her Hatsu further into a nen-exorcistic ability, after she had destroyed the Sonata. It is already a healing ability, so molding it further would be possible with proper teaching. Senritsu wants to help people in situations in which her could not be helped. However, she thinks of this as a little daydream as she thinks that she will not survive destroying the Sonata or that she will die before doing that when the scars on her arm reach her heart.

[jennycalendar]

thinking about the cervenak-kovacs family going bowling in these trying times

they don't use the little guardrail things bc the littlest ones wanna be seen as adults, so art n bella are just bowling repeated gutter balls & having a mini contest over whose ball can get the closest to the pins (before ending up in the gutter) & then getting into an extended argument about who won because it is incredibly subjective and both of them are absolutely lying about how far their ball got.

ezra COULD bowl a perfect game but he doesn't want to <3 so he plays Suspiciously Average

stacey is infuriated by the fact that none of her siblings are giving her any serious competition and is repeatedly desperately trying to get someone/anyone/everyone to agree that putting the little guardrail things back would be A Good Idea, Actually. when this doesn't work she settles for trying to beat jenny.

jenny is trying so hard to let the kids win but she just does not have it in her to do things badly so she is semi-accidentally demolishing everybody. she feels SOME level of guilt but also: she just got four strikes in a row AND her baby thinks she's incredibly cool and good at bowling (which she is). SO.

giles is just watching jenny because he thinks it's funny. and also trying to avoid bowling himself.

donovan is doing the exact same thing that ezra is doing, except a little more subtly.

nora has been barred from playing in all colorado bowling establishments :) she IS allowed to sit and watch, though. it's fun.

[hanmi-xo]

Chapter 7: "I Have to See Her"

| Between Us | Chapter List | Previous | Next

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

| M I N G H A O |

It's been a week since I've heard from Dokyeom. Ever since the whole Lihua situation, he's been growing distant with me.

I was never one to reach out, and I knew if I did reach out to him, it certainly wouldn't be natural.

So the past few days for me have been work and painting. I did this on repeat. It's not because I entirely wanted to-

But it's because of Lihua.

I couldn't get her out of my head, and I needed something to distract me from her.

But I couldn't help and wonder what's she's been up to these past few days. If she's been eating well. If she still wonders about the painting.

If she still thinks of coming back to the museum. And if she would gaze at the painting as I did.

See the beauty of it and ask me about it.

But, would she even talk to me?

She was the first girl to consume my every thought, and I felt sick to my stomach, knowing I couldn't do anything about it.

"Get a grip," I mutter to myself. "You're at work."

It was past noon, and this whole shift felt like I was in autopilot mode. I just went with the motions of everything. Being a tour guide, talking to coworkers, etc.

But now that I was away from everyone, and I could catch my breath, here I was, standing in front of the very painting that seemed to draw me closer whenever it possibly can.

The white flower painting that brought Lihua's attention.

It remained hanging on the wall like an untouched relic. Its beauty was eternal, but its mystery was asking to be solved.

Maybe I could do more research on this. Possibly reach out to the client that sold me this?

My train of thought was interrupted.

I felt my phone vibrate.

I took out my phone from my pocket to see Seungcheol seeking my attention. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I responded to him since it seemed urgent.

Joshua?

As in, Lihua's ex?

I narrowed my brows at his name.

Why in the world would he be in town?

My thoughts went back to Lihua, and I found myself curious yet annoyed from this conversation.

I rolled my eyes at Seungcheol's messages.

I knew who Joshua was, but I was more interested in why that asshat was even back in town.

I played dumb. I didn't need him knowing what I knew.

I need him to give me more information.

Even if it pisses me off.

I decided not to respond to him after reading his last message.

It was stupid and annoying to look at.

I exited the messages I had with him and found myself looking for Joshua's social media account on social media.

I remember him being friends with Dokyeom and the others, but I never got to know the guy. I had different classes from him, and during lunch I never paid attention to him. He was more interested in talking about money and what not with his other friends.

Jeonghan and Seungkwan. The two guys that were always full of themselves. To think Dokyeom's ex bestfriend and Seungcheol's ex bestfriend became a trio with Youtuber wannabe Seungkwan.

Thank God I hardly knew them.

It didn't take long for me to find Joshua's social media account. I recalled Lihua talking about his modeling career and he was one of the top people to pop up as an emerging popular model.

The guy had so many photos of himself it was giving me an eyesore.

He had thousands of followers, but even so, what exactly was he posting to these thousands of people that has stirred up this commotion?

What has he done to make Dokyeom mad, and hurt Lihua?

I narrowed my brows.

What the hell am I looking at...

Why is he acting like Lihua and him are still in love? From what I know, she wants nothing to do with him.

I felt annoyed the more I looked at his posts. Each one was like a love message towards Lihua as if he's trying to win her over.

How long has this guy been doing this?

And Lihua has been dealing with this?

I scoffed.

This guy was more obsessive than in love. And for him to even send her flowers? Tag her in his posts? Exposing her private account and everything?

Model or not- this guy needs mental help. I don't blame Dokyeom punching him. Maybe if he does it again, he'll knock some sense into him. Or even better, he'll forget about Lihua if he gets a concussion.

What am I saying-

We need the police in this.

I had to contact Lihua. If Joshua's back in town, then he's bound to bother her again.

There's no way I'm letting a guy like that near her.

I have to see her.

---

| L I H U A |

My brother continued to message me while I ate my lunch alone at the counter island.

He was more protective than usual, and I wasn't surprised by his words.

I was ready to put my phone away. I didn't want to think about Joshua anymore.

It's been a week since he sent me that package and when I told Dokyeom about it, he immediately came over and got his agent to help him install cameras.

His agent, Mingyu, was not happy about it, but he did what he was told since he wanted to appease my brother.

Dokyeom was slowly growing in popularity with his songs that he was producing with his colleague and producer Jihoon. To lose someone like my brother in the industry, and much more in a music company, would be like losing a bag diamonds by being careless.

I don't recall ever calling him by his real name now that I think about it.

My brother wanted everyone to call him Dokyeom in high school since he wanted to use it as his stage name, and ever since then, it just clicked.

Lee Seokmin was nothing more than his childhood hidden behind his now signature name Dokyeom.

Joshua was the only one who would call him Seokmin though. It was his way of trying to show a clear closeness he had in friendship with him.

Afterall, he was friends with my brother since middle school.

But then again, Minghao also knew my brother during that time. I never got to meet him until high school since I was a grade lower so I never hung out with my brother and his friends.

Minghao...

I haven't spoken to him for awhile, and I did leave us on awkward terms.

With Joshua sending me random gifts and whatnot, I never really thought too much about Minghao.

He's probably at the museum doing work or something. In his own problemless world.

I sighed.

What was I thinking pouring out my thoughts and feelings towards him at the pier?

I placed my hands upon my face as I groaned with embarrassment. My voice vibrated through my palms as I tried to calm myself from my foolishness.

"Lihua, don't do that again," I scolded myself.

I felt my phone vibrate.

My train of thoughts ended by my phones notification.

Was it my brother again?

Or was it Joshua trying to send me follow requests?

He already tagged me in one of his posts and I've been getting random messages from strangers throughout the week all thanks to him.

I want to hide in a hole and never get out of it.

Why did my existence have to bother people so much?

Can I go back to the time nobody knew me except for the girls?

I looked down to my screen in fear of who could possible bother me at this hour. I know it can't be the girls since Ellis is at work and Fallon and Astrid are at school

I froze.

Minghao? Why in the world is he messaging me?

I wasn't sure what to say.

Did the others tell him about Joshua and his stupid antics?

I sighed.

Of course he would get his information that way.

Astrid and Seungcheol always spend time together. If there's drama, he's the first of the guys to know anything because of her.

But even so, it was strange messaging Minghao like this. I appreciate him caring about me, but it just felt odd knowing I'm getting comfort from him of all people at a time like this.

Isn't he at work?

He shouldn't have to worry about me because of Joshua.

I don't want to be a burden to him.

Him hating me is the last thing I need right now.

His type bubble appeared above his name, and he began to message about his concerns over me and my brother.

Minghao was being reasonable, yet reassuring. I felt the ends of my lips curl up at the end of his message.

Is Minghao like this with everyone?

Whatever the case was, I couldn't help but like his message.

I felt myself grow flustered. It was like a rush of nervousness yet excitement hit.

Like a leaf floating through the wind, the feeling took over me and I smiled like a child given a present.

Why did he seem to sincere?

Why does he care?

And why did he have to message me that?

It was like he was trying to enter my bubble without breaking the surface. He was being caring like how he was back at the pier.

I bit my lip.

I shouldn't be this happy reading his message.

He's Minghao. I shouldn't like him.

But, I wouldn't mind him coming over as a friend.

---

| M I N G H A O |

I wasn't sure what to do once I got to her house. I wasn't even sure if I should bring anything to cheer her up.

What if she ends up crying because of that asshole?

Or what if she's awkward me and I get the silent treatment?

What if there are other people there and it isn't just me? Will I have to sit there and wait for a moment to speak to her?

My hands were getting sweaty the more I thought about it.

But I wasn't going to be a coward and go back from my word.

Besides, I'm already in front of her door with flowers in my hand and ice cream.

My mom told me when I was younger that girls like these kinds of stuff. Something pretty and something sweet.

I took a deep breath.

I was ready to press the doorbell, but before I could reach the button, I heard footsteps shuffle towards the door along with the sound of smaller faster ones which I could only assume was a certain girl with a small dog.

The door slowly widened, opening the entrance to the home, but the first thing I was met with was a beautiful pair of brown eyes.

There she was.

The girl that consumed my brain like a cavity to my teeth.

Her hair was clipped up into a messy bun with her bangs framing her face. She wore a grey tank top with matching grey sweats. Behind her was her dog who seemed happy to see me.

He barked with excitement while Lihua remained gazing at me.

I've realized we both haven't greeted each other, and I found myself struggling to speech.

"Ehm," I tried to clear my throat.

I moved the flowers and ice cream towards her so she can see it in my hands.

She looked down at them before looking back at me. Her eyes grew wide.

Did she like them?

"I-I wasn't sure what to get you-" I stuttered like an idiot. "I thought that you might need ice cream or flowers or something..."

Why did I feel so nervous talking to her?

I watched her lips curl up before she moved her hands up to cover her laugh.

I clenched my jaw to stop myself from possibly smiling.

Why is she so cute?

I internally screamed in my mind.

Get a grip, Minghao. This is Lihua. A normal girl. Dokyeom's sister.

You can talk.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

SPEAK MINGHAO. JUST FUCKING TALK.

"Uhhh," I finally said.

I internally face palmed from my stupidity.

I closed my eyes ready for her to laugh. It's been more than a week since I last saw her and hear I am acting like a mime.

"Do you want to come in?" Her soft voice filled the air.

I watched as she grabbed the flowers and carton of ice cream from my hands.

I quickly wiped my sweaty hands to my sides.

"Yes," I finally spoke.

She smiled towards me before opening the door wider so I could come inside. She shut the door behind me, and even though I've been to her house before because of the party, it felt different knowing that the guys aren't with me.

Here I was, possibly alone with just Lihua and I.

I felt more nervous, but I tried to keep my composure. I looked at the staircase in wonder if her friends were home. I didn't see any other cars in the driveway, but then again, the house does have a garage.

"Minghao?" I heard Lihua call after me.

I didn't even realize she disappeared until I heard her voice in the distance. Was she in the kitchen?

"Yes?" I called out to her.

I took off my shoes and went after her voice. There she was, putting the flowers into a vase with water while the ice cream carton sat on the counter.

"The girls aren't home so you don't have to feel nervous," she tells me. "I know you don't like being around girls so you don't have to worry."

A rush of anxiety hit me.

So, I really am alone with her?

Why did that make me even more nervous!?

Her eyes met with mine, and I remained planted in my spot. She smiled brightly, and I felt my heart do flips.

"Thank you for the flowers and ice cream. It's been a while since anyone got me flowers," she says with a warm tone.

I felt the ends of my lip tug up but I stopped myself from smiling.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure what to bring you to cheer you up," I tell her.

She smiled at me again, and I felt myself grow more nervous the more she looked at me.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she says. "You being here is enough."

I felt myself unconsciously smile. Hearing her say that to me made me feel light as a feather.

When was the last time I appreciated a girl's compliment that wasn't my mothers?

I can't recall.

I made my way towards her. She finished fixing the flowers and tossed the trash that was left over before washing her hands. Her dog made his way past us and yawned. He disappeared past the corner, probably making his way to take his dog bed to take a nap.

It was quiet between Lihua and I for a moment.

Similar to when we went on a walk outside the museum the other week.

It was quiet, yet peaceful.

I stared at Lihua. She was wiping her hands before opening one of the top cabinets. She was trying to reach for bowls that were a little too deep in the cabinet. She was on her tiptoes, but her hands couldn't reach them due to her stature.

So I went behind her, and I helped her.

She turned around once I grabbed the bowls, and I found myself towering over her with our bodies close and face close in proximity.

We were close.

A little too close.

---

| A N O N Y M O U S |

My love...

She's still loves me right?

She has to. I gave everything away for her...

I did this for her. I left behind my career for her sake. I ignored Jeonghan and Seungkwan's words about you.

So why won't you respond to me?

I just wanna talk to you.

I just wanna see you.

"Lihua, are you home?" I whisper.

It looked just like the picture her friends posted when they were drunk out of their minds. The house was picture perfect. An image that came to life.

I smiled. They made my life a lot easier...

I wonder if she'll be happy to see me? Hopefully, she won't be too upset with what happened between us.

I love you Lihua.

I love you...

My eyes met with a certain vehicle, and all joy disappeared.

I never saw that car in the pictures...

So, who's car is that?

-----

SM Post:

Many people have posted...

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[bracketsoffear]

More Gunpowder Tim propaganda:

There are several Mechanisms (Jonny, Ashes, Brian, and Tim) who get their origin stories detailed in the band's songs, which according to the Gender Rebels concert are all written by Jonny D'Ville in-universe. Out of all those, only Tim gets a ten and a half minute long rock epic about his backstory, indicating that Jonny was really really impressed by the bloodbath that is his origin--and considering how Slaughter Jonny is, that says a lot about Tim.

In The Mechanisms' Tour of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Tim is assigned to explain Colonel Pitt Rivers' innovations in firearms technology and ends the segment by shooting the cameraman.

As I've mentioned, he both figuratively and possibly literally is Achilles IN SPACE.

He is carrying the hopes and dreams of all The Mechanisms on his back.

He played Gawain, who causes and gleefully participates in the massacre of Camelot and the Saxons, in High Noon Over Camelot.

The newspapers in the Ulysses Dies At Dawn album confirm that he was up to violence in The City, as an Enomotarch in the army and by killing forty in an explosion.

The Gender Rebels concert he leads starts with the words "We killed our lead singer!"

Rachel fought in a war, but Tim's been in several (including World War I In Space). Rachel died battling the Yeerks on the Blade Ship; Tim died in a bloody rampage on a gunship that shattered stars. Rachel is not musical; Tim is a guitarist and singer in a roving band of pirates (in both senses of "band").

HIS NAME IS GUNPOWDER. No it really is--his dog tag lists his first name as Gunpowder. THIS MAN IS NAMED AFTER WEAPONRY.

Gunpowder Tim vs The Moon Kaiser is so very much a musical statement about the creation of a Slaughter Avatar.

.

[xoheartsaurore]

Tag Game

Tagged by @triassictriserratops (original post here) <3 The word "favourite" had me questioning everything I knew but (at last) here's mine, belated!

Favourite painter: I love museums, my answer to the superpower question is usually teleportation because I would happily spend all of my afternoons in like, The Met or the Lourve. But, weirdly enough, no one particular painter comes to mind... Erm, Bob Ross?

Favourite writer: At the risk of sounding like a pretentious English major, I'm gonna say Shakespeare. It's the boundless troves of meaning and magic in his texts. What I love, perhaps even more, is the immeasurable volume of art his work has inspired — from She's the Man (2006) to Ran (1985) to Moby-Dick.

Favourite band: Queen. My dad was a HUGE fan of 70s rock (Queen, Deep Purple, Guns N' Roses, Scorpions, Aerosmith) so that was what I grew up with. Lol my teacher was very confused when I, at age 7, told her my fav song was 'Another One Bites the Dust'.

Favourite meal and drink: Bread and iced water. Sounds slightly psychopathic but think about bread in it's many and varied forms! Then think about all the other yummy things you could put on or into bread!

Favourite outfit aesthetic: Bold colours. Simple designs. Lots of jewellery. My body looks quite different from how it did a few years ago (unintentional weight loss), so I've been building a whole new wardrobe and gradually figuring out what I like.

Favourite singer: Taeyeon 태연. My Korean isn't great but that means nothing because her voice has a way of piercing straight through my heart and deep into my soul. Someone once said she sings like "a woman who has been divorced seven times" and like, YES.

Favourite item I own: My laptop. A basic answer but it's what I'm typing this on and it's one of the few things that's truly completely mine and it keeps me company a lot (and sane, ngl).

Favourite possession: A stuffed animal I've had since I was a child — a little doggy, because I've always wanted one but my parents said no. I used to be quite embarrassed/ afraid of being laughed at but the lovely solreefs once said:

“oh I’m too old for stuffed animals” skill issue. sorry you can’t appreciate little creatures made to hang out with you, I on the other hand am full of joyous whimsy and therefore vastly superior.

I love that. Now I'm not only unabashed in my whimsy, my little stuffed animal has become a special sort of... gauge? Comfortability indicator? Like, I knew my ex wasn't the one when I felt this deep reluctance to show him it *wince*

Favourite perfume: SW19 Noon — Feel the noon of Wimbledon Park, with the scent of cold water under the cool shade of a tree and the scent of iris flowers in full bloom in the sun. It's divine.

If perchance you see this, please consider yourself tagged! I'm too horrifically shy I fear

[corrodedbisexual]

🎵💿 discography tag 💿🎵

Rules: pick an artist or a band and share your favorite song from each of their albums, then tag some mutuals!

@eddiemunsonwillbethedeathofme and @i-me-mine both tagged me 😘😘

No pressure tagging: @josephfakingquinn @eddieslostsheep @witchy-munson @hellfirelady @chaoticgood-munson @pizzaqueen @flowercrowngods (I think I know your pick xD) @die-lerche @thesolarangel

Artist: Muse

Perfect because a post I reblogged yesterday "put your favorite Muse song in the tags" left me frustrated as hell. What do you mean pick just one?! Fuck that.

Album: Showbiz (1999) || Song: Muscle Museum

Album: Origin of Symmetry (2001) || Song: Plug in Baby

Album: Absolution (2004) || Song: Sing for Absolution

This was a hard choice between this and Hysteria.

Album: Black Holes and Revelations (2006) || Song: Knights of Cydonia

Starlight is a classic. But nothing beats being in a crowd of ~50k people yelling "NOONE'S GONNA TAKE ME ALIVE".

Album: The Resistance (2009) || Song: Uprising

Best album ugh. Undisclosed Desires is a banger shipping song. Resistance and Guiding Light are both absolutely amazing. But this one is increasingly personal with each year.

Album: The 2nd Law (2012) || Song: Madness

Album: Drones (2015) || Song: The Handler

Another album of absolutely banger tracks. Dead Inside. Mercy. But that "YOOOOOU YEAAAAH YEAAAAAH" Matt sings like he's fucking DYING and that fucking cosmic interlude man.

Album: Simulation Theory (2018) || Song: Algorithm

Close tie with Get Up And Fight. But this just has that BEAT. Can't explain it. Best experienced in noise cancelling headphones lying on the floor after a bottle of wine.

Album: Will Of The People (2022) || Song: Kill Or Be Killed

Won't Stand Down would be a close second. But this one is just. Fucking EPIC. Loud and aggressive and bitter and ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY and that's me a lot of the time throughout last year.

[patriciavetinari]

Okay FINE, I don't go out enough. Yes, I should be wasting money on alcohol and destroying my liver or paying insane prices for bottled water in order to find a mate. Sure. Let's say that is normal

First of all, I've done that. I've spent hours on a weekend sitting in bars or lounges in my sexiest dress, bored out of my mind. I did not get my phone out other than to check the time because being on your phone makes you less approachable. Yes, I read the advice. I smiled at strangers and strangled all my anxietes to make small talk if someone was ordering right beside me. None of that made any difference.

But then they say 'oh you shouln't go alone! Bring a friend! People will approach a couple of chatting girls easier than a lonely girl!'

Ok, I say. And immediately propose: 'Sure then, let's go iut Friday night!'

And all of a sudden:

Oh I have a netflix night planned with my partner, we're watching the Bear

Oh and the following weekend my parents are coming over

Oh and weekend after that we go out of town

Fantastic. Trully unironically happy for you. And my absolute favorite, a response when I ask a friend out:

Oh I can't, I'm going out with some friends.

This response neatly segregates me out as a not-friend-to-bring and ok, I can be grown up about this, people absolutely have the right to have separate groups of friends and they owe me nothing. But this illustrates my situation where I'm either 'going out more' alone or I'm not going out.

This will sound like a childish complaint once again, but I am rarely a priority to the friends I made in the last few years that physically live in the same city. They are good people and I understand and don't hold a grudge, but I'm also not exaggerating above when I say that even getting to tag along with someone is impossible.

And whenever I bring up the topic of where to meet people, the first 3 answers are always the insufferable trio: work-bar-nighclub. If you happen not to enjoy crowded sweaty spaces in covid times or loud music that is never your taste because you prefer string quartets – it's your own fault for being too 'quirky' and lonely as a consequence.

I understand that someone people need the advice of 'go out to eat on your own! Go to a museum date with yourself! Don't refuse experiences just because you're on your own!' and that's true but that's pretty much the only way I've been living my life. I go to restaurants, cafes, concerts, plays, movies, museums and galleries on my own. I keep smiling and attempting polite small talk with staff and other patrons, and helping when people drop things or get lost or can't find the restrooms. I'm not bragging, I just genuinely think all those are decent things to do and the old tune of trying to be what I want to see in others and how I want others to see me.

And nothing. This brings experiences: tasty food, art, music, stories, days lives learning and admiring, but absolutely no human connection. Nothig long term. I collect those moments when I talk to strangers for a minute – with no romantic or any kind of expectations – like little beads of human interaction that I have to stash away for later remeniscing because there's a deficit. I do things that I like on my own and face the world on my own with as much kindness as I can, and I attract noone with that.

And then I tell someone I'd like a romantic relationship some day, and they send me to a nighclub, to go with a friend which they are refusing to then be – the one to accompany me and show me the secret techniques of neurotypical thin people that collect phone numbers like a polished piano collects dust. I have to go alone, so far outside of my comfort zone that it becomes a discomfort zone (with an added touch of pandemic for the past four years), drown my anxietes in an overpriced cocktail, dance to shit music, then in three hours turn around and go home, commuting for an hour on famously safe night streets (although I have been told 'who'd want to rape you anyway?..' which was an outstanding way to make rape sound like a compliment). And I'm supposed to do that repeatedly, weekend after weekend, until it works. This is so miserable.

Or tinder. They also send me to tinder. Recently I was also told to go to a paid matchmaker. Which... Yeah.

Yeah the right answer is hobbies I guess, but theatre courses are expensive, and there are no chess clubs that would work with my commute or that accept new members. So.