#obviously the prep work is important for some people

[mllemaenad]

Huh. Well, now I'm very annoyed. Bioware couldn't be arsed to keep track of the world state changes anymore, so they're just torching everything. And the thing is, this is exactly what those world state imports are for.

You can certainly critique Mass Effect 3, but I've always felt it used its save import well. The world is very literally ending in that game and any reasonable player is immediately going to ask: where are my friends? Your companions foremost, obviously, but also NPCs you've helped or who helped you, or even just random people you encountered. You start doing a head count day one. Some characters made actual appearances, but there were also emails and ambient dialogue. Sometimes you found out that a character was fine – and that was a delightful relief. Sometimes you found out that they weren't – and that hurt. The point is, it made it feel as though your world was ending. Not just a world.

This is the moment where every change you've saved across the previous three games comes into play.

I'm certainly not saying this must be the last Dragon Age game. But it does feel like the end of an arc. We're answering all the big questions first posed in Origins: where did the Blight come from; what became of Arlathan, why are the dwarves in a constant apocalyptic state? Any new game will be about something else.

And here, as in Mass Effect 3, we are facing the end of the world.

The thing is. The thing is. I did not explicitly prep for this scenario. But bloody hell am I prepped for this scenario.

The King of Ferelden and the White Divine are both veterans of the Fifth Blight. The Hero of Ferelden is alive and well (since they have not told me otherwise) and well prepared at Amaranthine – and her sister is queen in Orzammar. She also has Awakened darkspawn allies to call on. The Grey Wardens were not expelled from the south, so should be on hand to face the crisis. And hey – the leader of the newly freed College of Enchanters is herself a former Warden. We are as Blight ready as it's possible to be!

I want to hear about how the king worked out that Denerim was beyond saving in time to evacuate the civilians because he could sense the oncoming horde well before anyone else could.

I want to hear how Warden-Commander Brosca, flanked by Nathaniel Howe and Sigrun, came out to lead the refugees to safety.

I want to hear that Prince Endrin led the Orzammar reinforcements that saved Redcliffe, and his aunt beamed with pride.

I want to hear that the Divine herself took command of the defence of Val Royeaux, and that the mages came out in force to assist the woman who backed their fight for freedom.

I want to hear that the Champion of Kirkwall returned with her Warden lover in the city's darkest hour, defending the people as they fled, and that with Merrill's assistance the alienage elves made it onto the last ship to escape the harbour.

If we're going to bloody Starkhaven, of all places, I want an acknowledgement that the Blight has forced a reconciliation – because last I heard Sebastian was getting his arse handed to him by Aveline.

I want to hear that the Grey Wardens are everywhere, because they never left.

I want to hear about intelligence gathered from Awakened darkspawn, and their bewildered frustration that these new invaders are different.

I'm not going to work out who lives and who dies right now, because this is new information and I'm still processing it. And in any case, it's not my point.

If they're destroying the world, I want it to be my Thedas, not a Thedas. I want these stories to have mattered.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

im a trans boy who has grown up with very oppressive religious parents so ive never gotten the chance to experiment sexually or romantically with peers irl, im about to move to the city for college in the fall

(i will be living on campus with two roommates who i haven't met yet and i know basically nothing about, one of them i will be sharing a bunk bed with)

im really nervous about how im gonna do socially.. ive had a really hard time making and maintaining irl friends for like my entire life, which has been really upsetting for me obviously.

being able to experiment sexually is something im really wanting to do and im really really nervous about it, i know that the most straightforward advice is just "talk about it to people you wanna do sex stuff with" but like everything is new to me i havent had the chance to really socialize irl up until this point and now im being shoved into a group of other young adults who all have the prior experience of being well socialized and having complex interpersonal relationships with peers

i also feel extremely insecure about my lack of experience, like is it actually normal for someone my age to have never had a romantic or sexual encounter? are the things ive discovered and assumptions ive made about myself sexually through masturbating wrong?? i can't watch porn bc looking at strangers having sex grosses me out!! im pretty sure my front hole is like unnaturally tight?? anything wider than two of my fingers is uncomfortable and no matter how much prep and easing myself into it i do, it stays that way.. and i think my cervix is also lower than most, about 3-4 inches is the maximum that i can insert before i can feel it bump my cervix (which hurts REALLY BAD)

im just so nervous and scared about my own body and personality and all that andi don't know where to look for resources or reassurance. ive never been to the doctor for any kind of reproductive care and im really scared to!!! i live in a state that has completely outlawed abortion rights and im really scared that if i go to planned parenthood or something to get like a checkup that they will be mean and not gentle with me

i don't know, i guess im just looking to be heard and hopefully pointed towards some resources if anyone has any, thank you for the work you do and thank you for taking the time to read my panicked ramblings

hi anon,

there's a lot happening here so I'm just doing a numbered list

1.) man, how did the third guy luck out and avoid the bunk bed? you don't have to answer that, I'm just curious how you guys have already worked out that two of you are stuck with the bunk beds. unless you're into bunk beds (I was), in which case mazel tov.

2.) in the nicest way possible, I think you may be vastly overestimating how "well socialized" other students are going to be. reading between the lines a bit, it sounds like you were maybe home schooled, or at least don't have very much experience mingling with other people your age without adult supervision. I guarantee you every public school in the world is also full of introverted freak losers who rock up to college with no idea of what they're doing; I was one of them. the majority of first year college students are also running around panicking and trying to figure out how to be away from their parents for the first time; everyone is a loser and no one is cool.

would it comfort you at all to know that my day job is organizing events at my office's LGBT student resource center? I spend a lot of time hanging out with queer first year students, and I love them dearly, and they're all cringefail losers. it's unavoidable. every 18 year old is a cringefail loser. every single person on Earth looks back at their 18 year old self and goes "goddamn, what a cringefail loser." and it's fine! it's so normal! that's the entire point of your first year of college! you try things and you're socially awkward and you meet some of the most important people you will ever meet and you meet people whose opinions about you won't matter literally at all and you'll completely change how you think about everything for the rest of your life and you'll think you're going to die and everything will be fine!!!!

anyway moving on

3.) it's normal for anyone at any age to have never had a romantic or sexual encounter. I'm assuming you value my insight at least a little, since you sent this, so would it help you to know that I arrived at college as virginal as could be (wildly insecure about it, btw) and didn't have sex for the first time until I was almost 21? would it comfort you to hear from my housemate, also transmasculine, who gave me permission to share that they've never had sex and that none of their life problems really have anything to do with being a virgin?

4.) "are the things ive discovered and assumptions ive made about myself sexually through masturbating wrong??" hard to say, since I don't know what those things are, but probably not. it's extremely hard to get masturbating wrong, no one knows what feels good to you better than you. you're sort of an authority here. masturbating isn't exactly like partnered sex, of course, but it's a really good place to start learning about things that you like and make you feel good.

5.) everything you're describing about your front hole sounds very typical. two fingers is the max number of comfortable fingers for a lot of people, regardless of experience; often, taking something larger doesn't become easier until after having penetrative sex with a partner. average vaginal depth is about 3.6 inches, and while that can increase significantly with arousal, it's something that doesn't generally happen if you're not relaxed during sex. if I can be a bit presumptuous, it sounds like sex and masturbation are maybe a bit anxiety-inducing for you, in a way that is pretty much perfectly contradictory to comfortable penetration. if I can offer you some advice I wish I could give my younger self: calm the fuck down, buy some lube, stop worrying so much about making your body react the way you think it should and learn to appreciate what it's actually doing, and maybe see if your campus has some free therapy options available. anxiety meds probably wouldn't hurt this situation. also stop hitting your cervix if that hurts oh my god.

6.) Planned Parenthood is generally one of the best places to go if you're nervous; they're aggressively queer friendly and tend to be extremely accommodating of patients' needs. I personally do not care for penetration at all and have a difficult time with Pap smears, and every examiner I've ever had at PP has been an angel about letting me take breaks and swear my way through it. it ain't fun, but if you want to have an adventurous sex life you need to take care of the health of yourself and your prospective partners by getting STI tests and Pap smears.

you're so normal, calm down, I love you

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Lilia Vanrouge - Beach Wear Vignette

"Lilia's Super Deluxe Uninhabited Island Special"

[Uninhabited Island – Cottage]

Lilia: Here we go, Stitch. Time to start prepping "that" thing.

Stitch: Got it, okay!

Lilia: First, we need a large pot…

Lilia: Then we take all the fresh fruit we gathered, and… GO LIKE THIS!!

[squeezes fruit]

Stitch: Weehoo ♪

Lilia: Kufufu, doesn't it look delicious? Fresh fruit always tastes best raw or juiced like this.

Lilia: We'll just squeeze the mango and pineapple with magic, just like this…

Stitch: Yeehaw!

Lilia: Ohh…? You've got a tight grip on that pineapple there…

[CRUNCH, CRUNCH CRUNCH!]

Lilia: Nice going, Stitch! You got some nice 100% Juice flowing almost instantly.

Lilia: Kufufu, then I'll leave the squeezing of all the fruit to you.

Lilia: But I can't let you show me up. Let's see, here's the clear water we pulled from the waterfall…

[turns water to ice]

Stitch: !!

Lilia: Surprised? If I use magic like this, I can freeze water no problem.

Lilia: But I have to make sure I don't get carried away and use too much. We don't know when Gantu might attack us next.

Stitch: Yay!

Lilia: Have you finished squeezing the fruits already? Kufufu, you sure are a strong one, Stitch.

Lilia: …You are just like him.

Stitch: ?

Lilia: There's this guy named Malleus. He's descended from dragons, and his power is overwhelming.

Lilia: Even the hardest coconut shell is nothing more than a fragile eggshell in his hands.

Lilia: And he would also throw tantrums left and right if something didn't suit him.

Lilia: Like punching holes in the walls, or encasing the castle in ice, or raining down thunderbolts… To put simply, he was a pretty rambunctious kid.

Stitch: Bad boy appeared… Grr.

Lilia: I suppose so. There definitely are those who think he is a bad boy.

Stitch: Aw...

Lilia: If the people around him are frightened and try to avoid him, of course he'll turn out to be a rowdy kid.

Lilia: But, you know, Stitch. I think that it's okay for a bad kid to stay as they are.

Stitch: ?

Lilia: You may be hunted by Gantu just because you're a bad boy who likes to destroy things...

Lilia: But you've helped us so much with your amazing strength. The most important thing is how you use that power of yours.

Stitch: Ye-huh ♪

Lilia: …Well, I guess you could also say it also depends on the circumstances, too.

Stitch: ？

Lilia: Aw, but, I think that your aggressive and cute little self is just the most charming little thing!

Stitch: Oooh!

Lilia: Mhm, that's a good smile. Okay then, let's get back to the task at hand, Stitch.

Lilia: I say that, but all that's left for us to do is to add some more fruit juice.

Lilia: Oh yeah, we'll need a bowl to serve what we made. The shells are a little too small, so maybe we can make something out of the branches and leaves?

Stitch: Hah-ha!

[thock, thock, thock…]

Lilia: Oho, that's…

[Uninhabited Island – Cottage]

Jack: Lilia-senpai, did something happen? Why'd you call us all to the cottage like this suddenly?

Grim: Sniff, sniff, sniff… Funyaa～ I smell something sweet.

Ace: Eh! Oh, is this some kind reward for all our hard work gathering fruits and drawing water every day?

Floyd: A reward? Well, obviously we should be getting' something, I've been working sooo hard～

Lilia: Very perceptive. You're right, it's a reward! Something I've prepared for each and every one of you. And it's…

Everyone: It's?

Lilia: A FROZEN DESSERT!!

Grim: A frozen dessert!! …Like what?

Azul: He must be talking about a type of sweet made from freezing fruit juice and the like.

Azul: Since it's made of the ingredients found on this island, it could possibly be a sorbet… or perhaps a frappe?

Lilia: Correct. I'm treating you all to some cooooold shaved ice.

Grim: Shaved ice! Yuuuum, hurry and give me some!

Ace: Me too, me too! Every day's so hot, I'd been wanting to have something like ice cream.

Lilia: Kufufu, no need to fret.

Lilia: Now then, I'll take this bucket full of ice, and… DO THIS!

[CRACK!]

Ace: All the ice just shattered from that hand chop!?

Riddle: Lilia-senpai can even fell a large tree almost instantly. …Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore.

Lilia: Once you get a mound of shaved ice into one of the bowls that Stitch made for us…

Lilia: Drizzle some of the syrup we made from the fruits, and… IT'S READY TO EAT!

Lilia: Okay, let's start with you, Grim. Make sure you savor the flavor.

Grim: Nom, slurp, crunch, nom! Oooowee, it's so cold and tast…

Grim: URK!?

Ace: Grim!? Lilia-senpai, don't tell me you made the syrup out of that terrible tasting fruit…!?

Grim: Urgh, my head is numb… But it's so sweet and cold, it's crazy good!

Ace: Oh, you just ate it all tooo fast and got a headache. Sheesh, you scared me.

Lilia: Alright, everyone! I'll make one for all of you. [Yuu], what kind of syrup do you want?

1. Mango flavored! 2. Pineapple flavored!

Azul: I would like to have pineapple flavored syrup. It should have a nice tartness to it for a crisp taste.

Jack: I'll… try the mango. If I'm going to eat it with ice, I'd rather have a richer flavor.

Ace: Lilia-senpai, can I have both?

Floyd: Oh, is that allowed? Then I want both too～

Lilia: Here's the mango flavored one. And this one's the pineapple. And a combo for Ace and Floyd.

Jack: It's so cold and delicious. It's refreshing and I feel like this is a nice way to cool down.

Floyd: Yup. I thought it'd be nothing special 'cause it's just fruit juice over ice, but this syrup is pretty bangin'.

Ace: This syrup rocks! The parts where the mango and pineapple mix together is the best part.

Azul: What, really? Urk, I should have also chosen to have both…

Lilia: Kufufu, there's still a lot of syrup, you can have seconds. And it's all because Stitch helped me so much.

Stitch: Yahahahaha ♪

Lilia: But we have to make sure everyone gets their first helping first.

Lilia: Riddle, have you made a decision? If you're still having trouble choosing, you can also get both syrups.

Riddle: No, thank you, that's unnecessary.

Riddle: My mother always would say, "You cannot eat food made of ice, for they will chill your stomach."

[Uninhabited Island – Cottage]

Lilia: Riddle, have you made a decision? If you're still having trouble choosing, you can also get both syrups.

Riddle: No, thank you, that's unnecessary.

Riddle: My mother always would say, "You cannot eat food made of ice, for they will chill your stomach."

Ace: Ehh! You gonna worry about that now!? There's no way she'd find out even if you had some now.

Floyd: You don't get it at all, huh, Goldfish-chan. It'll be even more delicious when you snag a bite to eat even after your mom says no.

Lilia: Now, now. It's impolite to comment on the customs of other families.

Riddle: Indeed. Therefore, please don't worry about me…

Lilia: Then, I'll make a special dish just for you, Riddle.

Lilia: I'll freeze the mango with my magic, and… DO THIS AND THEN THIS!

Azul: Oho, you've sliced the frozen mangos thin, almost replicating the shaved ice.

Floyd: And you served it in a coconut half shell as a bow. It's all decorated with frozen bananas, pineapples, and even flowers, too.

Lilia: Here you go, Riddle. It's a "Chilled Fruit Dish." There's not a single piece of ice on it.

Riddle: …Heh. This certainly is a dish "made out of fruit" and not "made out of ice."

Riddle: Thank you, Lilia-senpai. Then, I shall dig in…

Riddle: !!

Riddle: Delicious! The fruit just dissolves instantly as soon as it touches my tongue… This is the first I've ever had such a thing.

Grim: Funyaa～～! No fair that just Riddle gets some! Lilia, me too! Me toooo～!

Floyd: Ehh, I wanna eat some too. Goldfish-chan, give me a bite!

Lilia: Okay, okay, I got it. I'll make some for everyone, so just wait a moment.

Azul: But really… Who would even think of freezing fruit only to shave them? Lilia-san, that was a brilliant idea.

Lilia: I just tried copying this one snack I tasted during one of my trips to a tropical country.

Lilia: In the past, there was many a time that I had to make this sort of thing. When it comes to frozen desserts, I'm really quite particular.

Lilia: At first, I was only able to make simple dishes, like shaved ice with drizzled nectar or fruit juice…

Lilia: But there was this one guy who would just revel at eating the shaved ice I'd make him.

Lilia: I thought he'd get bored of continuously eating the same thing, so I tried to make it look more and more gorgeous, adding condensed milk or honey-soaked fruit to them.

Lilia: Back then, I wasn't very used to cooking, but I bet if I tried again now, I could probably make something much fancier.

Lilia: Alright, Lilia's Super Deluxe Uninhabited Island Special is ready! Come, eat it before it melts.

1. Let's dig in! 2. Thank you very much!

Grim: Nom, nom nom!! That rich, sweet flavor just completely melts in my mouth～!

Jack: It's more flavorful than just drizzling the syrup on the ice. This is the first time I've ever eaten fruit like this.

Ace: This frozen banana is also crazy good. It's got a way different texture than the raw stuff. You should try this too, [Yuu].

Lilia: What do you think, Stitch? Is it good?

Stitch: …

Riddle: He's looking very forlornly at his empty shaved ice bowl. Perhaps he would like seconds.

Lilia: Or maybe… Did looking at the cup remind you of someone?

Stitch: …

Riddle: Now that you mention it, the bowls that Stitch made for our shaved ice does have an interesting shape to it.

Riddle: It has a conical shape, as if for ice cream, or gelato…

Lilia: Hm. Well, that reminds me that I once saw shaved ice being sold at a food stand in this one tropical country in a similar conical shape.

Lilia: A tricycle carrying a silver box was parked on the side of the road. They were selling shaved ice to those walking by.

Lilia: Eating shaved ice with a ton of syrup on a hot day is the absolute best. You should try it sometime.

Riddle: Eating while walking is… Ah, never mind. Yes, alright. Perhaps if the occasion arises.

Riddle: Based on your anecdote just now, it may be that Stitch here is from a more tropical region.

Stitch: …

Stitch: …Ohana.

Lilia: I get it. There's a certain "someone" you want to share this delicious shaved ice with.

Stitch: Ye.

Lilia: Mhm, I understand that feeling well.

Lilia: The guy who would always ask me to make him frozen desserts was always the same way.

Lilia: It's not that he wanted to eat it because it was delicious. It's more like he wanted to eat it with someone he cared for.

Lilia: I'm the same way. I used to think that whatever I ate didn't matter, so long as it sated my hunger. However…

Lilia: Even those frozen desserts that I never thought would satisfy me would always be the most delicious when I could eat it with him.

Stitch: Yeah.

Lilia: Now that he's more or less stopped throwing his tantrums, I haven't really made him any shaved ice anymore.

Lilia: Maybe once we escape from this island, it may be a good chance to try my hand at it again.

Lilia: Oh, right. You should make this shaved ice for your loved ones as well. I'll give you the recipe.

Stitch: Great!

Riddle: Eating it with people is what makes it delicious, hm.

Riddle: Lilia-senpai, please teach me the recipe as well.

Riddle: I would like to make it for my dormmates who no doubt are fulfilling my duties while I am gone.

Lilia: Well, of course, I'd be happy to. I'll give you a proper lesson on how to make it, too.

Lilia: I'll have to tell them all about my adventures on this island. Kufufu, that's just another thing to look forward to this summer.

Requested by Anonymous.

[doingdathockey]

Dubas' participation in this event said a lot about his leadership style. As he is also handling general manager duties on an interim basis through July, Dubas could have left this portion to the amateur scouting crew. Instead, he made time to travel from Toronto to Buffalo to be involved in a couple long days of draft prep in the midst of a chaotic time for not only Dubas, but also his family - wife Shannon, son Leo, and daughter Lennon.

"I think number one, it was important for me to be here with the staff, because I haven't worked with them the whole year," Dubas said. "So be here in support of them, get to meet people who I don't have as long a track record with.

"But, more importantly, just to get to see the process that the team goes through and learn the way that they go about it, so that I can try to be helpful and help the process as we go through the next few weeks before the draft in Nashville."

And it wasn't just that Dubas was there - it was that he was completely engaged. On Dubas' first day in Buffalo earlier this week, he got to Pittsburgh's suite bright and early before the rest of the crew arrived. Once they did, Dubas greeted everyone warmly, and made it clear right away that he was deferring to them in this process, and that it shouldn't be the other way around.

Dubas was focused and observant during every session, with each player getting his full attention, as he really only looked away to make notes. He was true to his word about not wanting to interrupt the flow, only asking follow-ups here and there. For example, when a forward mentioned that he had driven his line last season, Dubas said, "what exactly does driving a line mean to you?" And when another said he liked listening to podcasts, Dubas wanted to know which ones.

Dubas did have one specific question he asked at the end, which was some variation of: "if I was going to watch one game of you at your absolute best from this year, what game would you tell me to watch?" Some kids answered without much hesitation, but there was one prospect in particular who thought long and hard. And instead of pressuring him for a response, Dubas offered him the chance to think about it more, saying he could text him with his reply by the end of the day, with the two exchanging numbers.

It was clear that Dubas relishes this particular area of the draft process, saying, "I really enjoy this part of it. Enjoy getting to know the players and who they are, in case you draft the players, so you know the type of people that are coming into the organization. And also, I know it's only been a few days, but start to identify the types of people that we want to bring in that are going to become great Pittsburgh Penguins."

And speaking of great Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby was drafted by the organization all the way back in 2005, the year most of these kids were born. Having grown up watching him, they all possess so much admiration and respect for the captain, which definitely came across.

"I know there's no perfect people, but he's as close to perfect as it gets," one prospect said before wanting to know more about what sets Crosby apart from everyone else, as the Penguins gave the kids a chance to ask questions of their own at the end.

Dubas truly lived up to his stellar reputation as a leader who fosters collaborative relationships with everyone around him during his stop in Buffalo, leaving a great impression on the Penguins scouting staff, who appreciated having him around and getting the chance to have some good conversations.

"I think I speak for everybody that's here with the Penguins that we've enjoyed one, getting to know him, and two, learning from him," Pryor said. "Obviously extremely intelligent, and we can learn a lot from him. He's been really open asking us questions. We've been able to ask him questions as well and kind of pick his brain. So, anytime you get a chance to spend with him and get to know him and understand him and his path - he's been extremely successful and he's really intelligent, so it's always good to be able to pick his brain."

people gushing about dubas and sid… excellent

[yuncheoligans]

Forever

Wooyoung x Single Mom! Reader

Your life gets flipped upside down when you take a new backup dancer job at KQ Entertainment, you lied in your interview how will you get out of this one?

Genre: Mostly Fluff, Some Angst.

Warnings: (?) Angst, Mentions of cheating, self-doubt, and arguing.

w/c: 8715

a/n: Ahhh the longest one I've written so far!!! Oh god, I really hope it's good and that you guys like it, I've never written anything this long and I'm so scared to post it hahaha. I feel like even as long as it is it might feel a little rushed. I have no idea....it took me a long time to write anyways so any and all feedback is welcomed. Okay AH! Enjoy, please!

tags: @cromernet @starillusion13, @jaehunnyy (for you Chippie)

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do I wake up every morning with my hair in every direction, toothpaste foaming at the mouth, a stained t-shirt and pajama pants, and a toddler crying because I can’t hold her? Not every morning…sometimes I don’t get to brush my teeth before breakfast. Today was a really important day for me though and I absolutely could not bring my screaming toddler to my first day as a backup dancer at KQ Entertainment.

“What do you think Sweet Pea? Pancakes for breakfast?” I looked at her. “How about some fruit too? Grapes, Cantaloupe?” she smiled.

“Mama!” she pointed at the plate.

“I know I know they’re coming.” I flipped the stove on and kept brushing my hair. This is what I get for letting her try to braid it last night. “I knew I should’ve prepped last night.”

Of course, the day was going to be crazy, I’m a ball of anxiety there’s no way I couldn’t be.

“Do you like the melon today? It’s in season so it should be nice.”

“Juicy.” she smiled. “I like it!” she raised it in the air.

“I’m glad, maybe I’ll get more the next time we go to the grocery store.” I ate with her and wiped her mouth when it got to be too much.

“Are you excited to hang out with grandma today?” I picked up her plate so we could go wash dishes together.

“Grandma is coming?” she looked at me.

“Yes, are you excited?” I looked down at her and pulled her step stool up since she insists she can ash her own dishes.

“Mmmmm I dunno.” she shrugged and I chuckled.

The doorbell rang.

“Hi Mom, thanks for watching her again.” I sighed opening the door a two-year-old attached to my hip. “Saja, say hi to grandma.” I nudged her and she hid behind my shoulder. My shy little girl.

“Oh still shy as ever I see. Does she talk to anyone?” my mom chuckled.

“She’ll talk to me, especially when she gets upset…she’s just nervous around people. In fact, we were just talking about you coming over.”

“Oh, how fascinating.” she smiled.

“Okay let me just show you around really quickly to make sure you know where everything is. It’s been a while since you traveled here and I really appreciate it.”

I gave her the tour around the apartment, sure it wasn’t big but it was enough to stress me out, and have trouble keeping clean. Important numbers on the fridge, obviously call me if there’s an emergency. Snacks in one cabinet, dry food in another, what she likes and doesn’t so far, what she likes to do all day, hopefully, if the weather is nice they can go to a park. I went to get ready while Saja was distracted and put my bag together.

“Where we going?” she asked and patted my bag by the front door reaching for her shoes.

“Unfortunately today Pumpkin you have to stay with grandma while Mama goes to her first day of work.” I pushed the hair out of her eyes.

“But-”her eyes gazed over. “But I wanna go.” she pouted and big tears started forming.

“It’s just like that time that mama had to drop you off at daycare for the first time sweet pea, remember how much fun that turned out to be. You met Junie, and Kiri.”

“But I no want mama go.” she hiccuped.

“I know baby, I’ll be back before you go to bed I promise. Probably even before dinner ok.” I hugged her and spun her around. “It’ll be hard today, but easy tomorrow ok? Just gotta trust me.”

“Otay.” she wiped her eyes. “Promise come back?”

“I promise. I’m not ever leaving you.” I kissed her forehead.

And so that’s how the first day of the rest of my life began. I got to KQ, nearly died from exhaustion on how much they taught us that first day, raced home to be there for my kid before she went to sleep, and did it again for months, some days it was picking her up from daycare, sometimes my mom would take care of her. Of course, I made some work friends who wanted to hang out but I couldn’t… I can’t just go drinking after practice, I have to get home to watch the new episode of Octonauts, read bedtime stories, and make sure her “homework” (coloring.) is done.

“Oh come on y/n, come out with us.” Jaeun begged.

“I-I really can’t, I have to get back home.”

“What do you have a kid or something?” he teased.

“S-Something yeah. I um…just a tight schedule and I’m trying to make ends meet.”

“Oh second job?” Eun suggested.

“It’s just important and I can’t just…I don’t really have free time. I’m sorry, I really do want to but I have so much to do…” I bowed. “Thank you really. I appreciate it every time you ask me. I’ll see you around.”

I started to leave when a voice spoke up next to me.

“Nice work today y/n.” came the calm cool voice of none other than Jung Wooyoung.

“Th-Thank you Mr.Wooyoung.” I said again with a bow.

“Maybe they can’t convince you out but could I?” he quirked an eyebrow…..Is he flirting with me?

“I’m s-sorry I really have to go.” I picked up my bag and left. Did Jung Wooyoung just talk to me….and ask me out? Are you kidding me? I can’t get…I can’t.

“Mama.” called out the small voice waiting by my front door.

“Hi baby.” I picked her up and smiled once more. “I missed you too.”

“You look upset.” my mom said looking me over.

“It’s ok Mom, maybe later.” I didn’t want to talk about it in front of Saja. “For now, let me see what you learned today?”

“Color!” she ran over to the table after I set her down and started telling me the names of the colors.

“Wow look at you my smart girl.” I smiled and looked at the drawing she made of the rainbow. “Definitely going on the fridge today.”

“Yay!” she smiled and went to pick out the magnet for the drawing.

“I got asked out for drinks again.” I sighed.

“I would’ve watched her honey, you can go.”

“It wasn’t just by my coworkers this time…it was one of my bosses….I don’t know I’ve maybe bumped into him like 3 times but I haven’t really ever had a conversation with him and I…I couldn’t say yes.”

“Why not, it’s been a while since you had a date.”

“Mom I’m not really…dating material…I have a kid and…I don’t know.”

“y/n, you should try it…just…take a chance.”

“Maybe….I’ll…I’ll think about it mom.”

“I just want you to be happy kiddo, and to not feel so alone.”

“I’m never alone…but it would be a little nice to…think about some help…Mom he doesn’t want kids! What am I even saying.” I sighed.

“This one!!!” Saja ran back in with a rainbow magnet for her rainbow drawing. “I want dis one.” she smiled.

“Okay that one it is.” I smiled and took her rainbow to hang it up. “And so now which one is your favorite color?”

“Yellow.” she smiled.

“Good choice.” I kissed her head. “Come on let’s get ready for bed.”

I got her into her yellow duckie pajamas, we washed our faces, and we brushed our teeth and read together, she’s trying new words but also told me what color each things were. My smart girl.

“Goodnight Princess.” I whispered and kissed her head leaving the room.

“y/n.” my mom called me over. “I really want you to think about having fun with your friends.”

“I will mom…I…They don’t know I have a kid and I just, I don’t know wouldn’t it just be weird I’m suddenly the mom friend.”

“Honey, you already act like a mom because you’ve always been the mom friend.”

“I just don’t want to get hurt again….I don’t want Saja to get hurt again.” I looked back at her door.

One year ago, it was raining, I’d just gotten fired from my job for falling asleep in a meeting because my good-for-nothing partner wouldn’t take care of his own child at 2am. I came home to a screaming Saja, no furniture except her bed and mine, and a letter on the counter with photos of my worst fear….he was cheating on me this whole time. At least he had the decency to leave his keys. I was so scared I called my mom and that night I did the only thing I could hold onto my screaming one-year-old and cry too. I just wanted the best for her, unplanned or not she deserved as much love as I could give her. In some small ways, she tried too, if she saw me having a bad day after I couldn’t find a job she’d offer me a snack, if I fell asleep while we were together she’d curl up next to me and stay put so I could sleep. She was truly one of the best things if not the best thing to happen to me. I just wish I could give her a good life where she doesn’t have to worry about things at 2 years old…she shouldn’t see me cry already. Now the opportunity was knocking on my door, figuratively of course…Just the prospect of a date was terrifying, could I really let someone in like that again?

Jung Wooyoung is nothing but consistent…consistently a pain in my ass, he really doesn’t quit I mean at first it was every other day he’d ask if I was busy after work, but now it’s twice a week…he won’t stop…He’s famous, he’s…he’s an idol he wouldn’t want anything to do with me if I said I had a kid. He’d leave me alone…can I really expose myself like that? What if I get fired? I really need this job…Christ, what am I going to do? Just keep saying no he’ll give up and move on. Right.

“Oh you’re just mad someone actually said no to you Wooyoungie.” San teased his best friend as he pouted at another failed date attempt.

“It’s the way she carried herself, and that she always looks after the others, I mean I’ve seen her make sure everyone has water before drinking herself, and if someone looks unwell she’s the first one to check on them.” Wooyoung groaned flailing on the couch.

“Didn’t know you had a thing for moms.” Hongjoong chuckled.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s a total mom friend making sure everyone else is taken care of.” he smiled at the younger one, rejection never looked so good on someone.

“You could’ve just dated Seonghwa if you were into that.” Mingi spoke up.

“He’s not my type.” Seonghwa flipped the page he was reading.

“No you’re not my type! I’m everyone’s type!” Wooyoung stood up flabbergasted by the thought. “Jung Wooyoung is everyone’s type.”

“Just don’t catch a harassment case.” Seonghwa sighed. “I like her a lot, she’s kind.”

How could she say no to Jung Wooyoung so many times, he’s charming, handsome, funny, super attractive, sexy, cute, hilarious, and a dance machine. Maybe he should start with…

“How about lunch?” Wooyoung smiled.

“Hmm?” I looked up at him.

“Come get lunch with me.” he nodded.

“Oh um I-”

“You never want to do anything after work so why not during, we get a long enough break, I’ll even buy for being a pain in the ass so much.”

“Really Mr. Wooyoung I’m flattered but I have my own, it’s alright.”

“You seriously have to stop calling me Mister, I’m not that old and I’m not even your boss.” he smiled. “Just have lunch with me…us really a group of us are going.”

“I……okay.” I said sheepishly thinking about how much my mom is going to yell at me for not going.

When he said group I wasn’t expecting all of Ateez to be the group. Oh god, do I look okI should really sit like Six feet away just in case there’s cameras and does my breath smell ok?

“Hi y/n!” seonghwa waved. At least he was kind….they all are I don’t know what I’m saying.

“H-Hi Seonghwa.” I flushed and waved back sitting at the small metal table with them, the chairs dragging on the floor causing the shrill sound to ring out.

“Guys this is y/n…the one rejecting Wooyoung.” he smiled.

“Okay so not cool!” Wooyoung yelled. “I finally get her to come down to lunch and you embarrass me.”

Lunch with Ateez was becoming a regular thing, every week now I’d go with Wooyoung and we’d chat and…I almost felt like another member, sure they did this with others but it felt really special…I felt special. Mom was right I do need more friends. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I just let go and got to know Wooyoung. 

“Like a good mother.” Hwa chuckled.

I did a spit take. “Sorry! Just inhaled too much water.” I coughed and my phone started ringing. “Oh sorry I have to take this.” I got up to answer around the corner.

“Mama!” the voice came from the small face on my phone.

“Hi Pumpkin are you having fun with grandma?” I smiled.

“Grandma makes Tteokbokki like you! But not as yummy.” she smiled and held it up.

“Oh? But I learned from grandma so shouldn’t hers be better?”

“Oh now you know it was your grandmother that taught you this recipe, I can’t cook to save my life.” she chuckled.

“And who’s that?” came a voice from behind me.

“Shit!” I jumped and dropped my phone.

“y/n? y/n?” my mom spoke.

“Mama?” Saja called out.

“S-Seonghwa. I-”

“So you are an actual mom?” he smiled.

“N-No I-....I um…it’s my niece and I” I felt the anxiety creep in, I got nauseous and I could taste the bile in my throat.

“Can I see her?” he smiled and sat next to me and picked up my phone but face it away in case I said no.

“Mom I’ll call you back ok. Saja it’s ok.” I smiled lightly at the phone and hung up. “Am I fired?”

“Fired??? For what? Did you steal a water bottle too?” he smiled. “Those are free.”

“No for…for lying about not having a kid.”

“It doesn’t matter that you have a kid pabo.” he picked my face up. “Why’d you hide it?”

“I really needed the job, it’s just me providing and…I didn’t want to be turned down because I have a daughter.”

“I see…y/n you were hired because you are insanely talented and can dance circles around any of those guys, mom or not. I think they wouldn’t have been making you stay so late if they knew, it’s important to be there for a child too.”

“I really need this job Seonghwa.” I felt the tears fall.

“You’re not losing your job honey I promise. It’ll stay between us….only if you let me say hi.” he smiled.

“I…” I picked my phone up and called my mom back. “Hi Mom, um…sorry my um…my boss scared me and he…yeah.” I nervously handed Seonghwa the phone.

“Oh that’s not who I wanted to say hi to hi Mrs. (l/n) you’re very lovely, I wanted to meet y/n jr. though.”

“Oh Saja, come say hi to Mister??”

“Seonghwa.” he smiled waiting for the small child.

“Hi.” Saja said smally as my mom came down to her level with the phone. “Mama??”

“I’m here sweet pea.” I called and peeked over Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Hi baby, what’d you have for lunch?”

“Potatoe.” she said getting quite shy at the man looking at her.

“And?” my mom prompted. “We tried pajeon, and Kimchi for the first time.”

“Kimchi?” Seonghwa smiled, “how exciting. Did you like it?”

“Spicy.” she frowned.

“Maybe we’ll try radish Kimchi she likes crunchy things.” I nodded. “I should get back to my own lunch honey, anything you want to say to Mr. Seonghwa?”

“......pretty.” she blushed looking away from the phone.

I think Seonghwa short-circuited he nearly dropped my phone.

“I’ll be home after work okay, be good for grandma, bye mom, thank you.” I smiled softly and hung up. “Mr.Seonghwa?”

“You really are ana amazing person.” he smiled and hugged me. “Next time we’re meeting in person.”

“Wouldn’t that be unprofessional?” I questioned.

“I don’t care that little ray of sunshine is getting spoiled by her uncle Seonghwa now.” he smiled.

If Seonghwa could’ve felt the eyes burning into the back of his head at the glare Wooyoung was sending the older man he’d probably be dead. I on the other hand couldn’t process what just happened…everything felt so strange, letting Seonghwa in on my secret…I wasn’t sure I liked it but it was…nice to let something out.

“And what were you two talking about?” Wooyoung questioned as we sat back down.

“Nothing, I was just making sure she was ok.” Seonghwa shrugged like nothing happened.

“Sorry just a weird phone call. I’m okay.” I nodded and looked down at my lunch.

“Aww cute!” Wooyoung pointed out the note Saja had wrote for me. “Where’d you get that.”

“Must’ve came with the wrap, I didn’t notice.” I looked at the scribbles that I’m sure were supposed to be words but what really made me tear up was the heart, it was mishapen and wobbly but it was her.

“Hey? Are you sure you’re okay?” Wooyoung lifted my chin up before the tear hit the paper.

“Yes, I’m ok.” I looked at him and blushed a bright red.

“Promise?” he held out a pinky for me. Saja does the same….

“Promise.” I whispered and let a few tears fall.

That’s where my relationship with Wooyoung took a turn. I noticed the small things at first…the little notes in my bag, the heart on my water bottle, and getting me lunch, or a snack, he always came to talk to me during breaks, and we always sat next to each other if we could during things, bus rides to venues for performances, meetings, anything. It all felt so nice. I felt…happy. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to give him a chance…even just one. 

“Hi cutie!” Wooyoung yelled over the phone as I answered.

“Hi Woo.” I smiled lightly at the phone and walked out to the little patio I had.

“Why so quiet?” he questioned.

“No reason. Just enjoying the peace.” I had just put Saja down and I didn’t want to risk her waking up.

“Listen I was thinking-”

“Isn’t that a dangerous game.” I chuckled cutting him off.

“Come to dinner with me?” he smiled. “Please?”

“I-”

“Before you say no! Just…one chance, look I know you said your ex was terrible and left you with nothing but I just…y/n you’re great, and smart, and wonderful, and beautiful, and…and amazing…please…just one date so I can stop my terrible attempts at flirting. I’m running out of pick-up lines to use on you.”

“Wooyoung I….”I looked back at the apartment and a cool breeze wrapped around me sending a shiver down my spine. It would be nicer to try having someone else around. Was I ready for him to know everything? “Dinner sounds nice. Maybe Friday?”

“Friday.” he smiled, you could hear the grin. The wonderful grin followed by his melodic giggle. 

Maybe we can try again…maybe this time won’t hurt so bad. Maybe he’d stay.

You’re getting too ahead of yourself y/n. Just one dinner, and maybe it’ll be okay from there, just take it one day at a time.

Friday came quicker than I’d like and I still had no idea what to wear, what to do, all I knew was my mom was excited and I felt like I was going to throw up again.

“You know Saja likes watching him perform onstage, she says he moves the most like water.” my mom smiled. “She gets so happy seeing you on the tv.”

“I know…she asks to watch a performance before we go to bed usually.”

“Aren’t you excited?”

“No…I mean I am but, god this could go horribly wrong.”

“But it won’t, I’ve seen the little notes, you have this boy smitten like he’s a teenager.” she chuckled.

“Yeah but eventually I’m going to have to tell him about Her.” I motioned to my daughter.

“How do you know he doesn’t like kids?”

“I didn’t say that, but he has been thinking I’m just some poor single woman this whole time Mom, and I don’t know how to bring that up, Oh hi by the way I’ve been lying to you for 4 months, and actually have a two-year-old, hope that doesn’t change anything.” I groaned and pulled on the black cocktail dress I had picked out.

“Honey, I don’t think it will…you trusted Seonghwa with saying hello.”

“That was over the phone and this is different mom…this is a…potential love interest, you know a maybe boyfriend, Seonghwa is no more than a potential babysitter and even that’s a maybe.”

“I think you should let some people in…it’ll be good for you to have more than just me for her. Also I have plans for tonight”

“I know you’re right mom I just…. MOM!!! And you didn’t tell me!” I groaned and picked up my phone. “Fine.”

“Just giving you an extra push dear.”

“You are…I swear!” I hit dial.

“Hello?” the voice on the other end of my phone croaked out.

“Hey, could you…do me a favor.” I sighed.

“So you want me to meet your daughter, and babysit her while you go on a date with Wooyoung?” Seonghwa questioned me as I stood with him in the hallway.

“Yes…because my mom forced this…”

“How so.”

“She ‘made plans’ or whatever so now I need a babysitter or I have to tell Wooyoung I’ve been lying this whole time.” I sighed.

“Hey hey okay, I’ll do it.”

“I figured since you brought a goodie basket.” I eyed the stuffed animal behind him. “Saja.” I called out coming back inside. “Come meet Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa could barely contain himself waiting to meet my two year old.

“Mama?” Saja hid around the corner.

“Hey sweet pea, it’s okay…remember him, he’s from the tv.” I held out my hand for her and she walked over to hide behind me.

“Hi Saja.” Seonghwa said calmly and in a quiet tone getting down to her level. “I’m Seonghwa, I work with your mama, remember we talk on the phone.”

“....pretty.” she blushed.

“She remembers.” I pat her head. “Why don’t you show Mr.Seonghwa the painting you did.” she nodded and ran to go get her newest art piece and came back over, she stopped and looked between me and him before taking a cautious step forward. 

“Oh my goodness, look at this.” he smiled. “Okay let’s see….a cat?” she nodded. “Wow what a beautiful cat. What’s his name?”

“Rainbow.” she said quietly.

“Rainbow? What a perfect name.” he smiled. “And is mama going to hang it up?” he looked up at me.

“Yes” she smiled and ran off to find the magnet.

“She likes you, I promise, she’s just shy at first.” I breathed. “I have to get going I don’t…want to be late.” I looked at her in the kitchen.

“I promise nothing bad will happen.” Seonghwa tried reassuring me.

“Last time I left her alone with a man he took everything and left.” I brushed him off and grabbed my things.

“Y/n” Seonghwa placed a hand on my shoulder and I tensed up. “I understand, but you deserve some help, and some fun.”

“She’s all I have Seonghwa.”

“Y/n I promise she’s in great care, I wouldn’t dream of hurting either of you.”

I sighed. “Saja. Come give mama a hug please?” she came running over with a new magnet for her cat drawing.

“Where go?” she questioned holding her arms up for a hug.

“Mama is going to go see a friend because she really likes this friend ok? It’s called a date.”

“Date?” she questioned more.

“See when two adults, like mama and her friend like each other more than just friends, which is a very complicated feeling to understand even for adults, they go out to do things together, like eat dinner or watch a movie.”

“Why?”

“To see if they like each other’s company more than other people.” I smiled. “However no one’s company is better than yours sweet pea.” I kissed her nose. “So you stay here and play with Seonghwa and Mama will be back later, like when you stay with Grandma.”

“Are we go on a date too?” she whispered.

“Sure.” I smiled and she was blushing as I put her down. “Have fun okay?”

“Yes ma’am.” Seonghwa smiled and Saja walked back over to her table.

My phone dinged again and I made my way out and downstairs to Wooyoung and his very expensive car.

“Didn’t know you could drive.” I raised an eyebrow,

“Very recent, you look beautiful” he smiled.

“Thank you.” I blushed and he opened the car door for me. “Not so shabby yourself sir.”

“Thank you.” he smiled and closed the door gently and mumbled to himself he told me what he said later was “Wow she looks beautiful.” however I think  “okay rizz master Wooyoung, you gotta work.” sounds more like what he actually said…don’t let him tell you otherwise.

“So I was just thinking a quiet dinner without all the noise from the guys and maybe a walk?” he smiled.

“Sure, I’m just along for the ride.” I nodded. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this so you’re going to have to carry me along.”

“Don’t worry I’ve got you.” he smiled.

Throughout the course of dinner I learned that work Wooyoung, friend Wooyoung, and date Wooyoung are three very different people. He seems different.

“Yeah no order whatever you like.” he smiled and gestured to the menu.

“I’m not used to this kind of stuff.” its usually chicken nuggets and mac and cheese…why am I suddenly craving it…or pizza, I could so go for a pizza right now.

“Well only the best for you.” he smiled nervously. “How am I going to pay for this?!” he thought to himself.

“Right.” I swallowed nervously and looked at the menu. There aren’t even prices listed. “Wooyoung?” I looked up at him over the menu.

“Hmm? Yes, oh did you have a question?”

“Have you ever eaten here before?”

“Oh yeah loads of times!” why am I lying??” 

“What do you recommend?” I blushed a little, I knew he made good money but…I don’t know this seems a bit much.

“Well there’s the uh Hakarl.” he said and pointed. “That’s good and then the Bird’s Nest Soup.” he nodded.

“Oh okay. Why don’t you pick for me, I mean I want whatever you’re having.” I shrugged. He knew what he was talking about.

“I don’t have a clue what I’m saying! What did I even recommend!” he yelled at himself.

When the waiter came back he ordered for us and we left it at that, I finished my glass of wine and looked around at some of the dishes…they all looked interesting…to be kind…I don’t know if I can do this.

“Um excuse me.” I pulled a waiter aside and asked about the dish he had just served. “What did she order?”

“Ah that ma’am is the Bird’s Nest Soup” he smiled. “You see the saliva turns hard-”

“Thank you.” I interrupted and turned back to Wooyoung. Saliva? “Wooyo-”“Y/n” we both said at the same time.

“You go first.” he gestured.

“Wooyoung I really appreciate this but I…I can’t do this…this food is…it’s way too much for me.”

He sighed….here it comes.

“Thank god.” he breathed out. “I really didn’t want to find out what the other thing I ordered is.”

“Can’t we just go get a slice of pizza? Like normal?” I looked down at my hands.

“Please.” he stood up and walked over to our waiter talking to him before handing over his company card and explaining everything. “Let’s go before they bring it out.”

I nodded.

What started off horrible and scary turned into something magic, we found a place by the park close to my apartment and got three sliced of whatever pizza sounded good and just sat in the park. Much more my speed, much more…relaxed.

“I just wanted to impress you.” Wooyoung looks down at the slice of pizza in his lap. “I thought…maybe you’d like it if I took you somewhere special.”

“Who says Pizza isn’t special?” I looked at him but his eyes were turned down to the ground. “Woo?”

“I just….I really like you, especially the more I’ve gotten to know you, you’re kind, and gentle, and just…you’re absolutely wonderful y/n and I really fucked this up tonight.”

“Hey.” I nudged him. “Hey” I said a little more sternly and lifted his chin up to meet his gaze. “I’m still here aren’t I?....I appreciate that you think I deserve some fancy restaurant where we sit 10 feet away from each other and the menus don’t have prices and we’re waited on hand and foot, but…that’s not my speed. I prefer picnics and pizza and bullet train sushi and…fried chicken, and mac and cheese, and stupid little fruit cups.” I smiled at him. “I like it when we have lunch together and we eat ramen or tteokbokki, or even rabokki!”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for Wooyoung.” I kissed his cheek. “I’m having a great time eating pizza in my favorite park with my second favorite person on the planet.”

“Who’s the first?”

“No one you need to worry about.” I chuckled and blushed.

“Ahhh your mom then.” he smiled. “Thank you…for not letting me feel like I completely fucked this up.”

“Quite the contrary, you’ve shown me that I really mean something to you…I mean that place was faannncyyyy.”

“You do mean something to me.” he looked into my eyes and there was that intensity that he had when he was dancing. The look of “I’m doing this and no one can stop me.”

“Thank you.” I rubbed his cheek.

You know how it goes, he walked me home, I got the third degree from my mom on how it went…except Seonghwa joined in, I tucked my two year old into bed and then…I had a full moment in bed in my pajamas where I squealed and kicked my legs and just…he kissed my cheek and held my hand and and and…pizza. Yeah. I could…I could get used to having Wooyoung.

It was just like any other day, it was warm and sunny, Wooyoung wanted to go out on a date and we decided another park date, kimbap which of course he made, in fact he made all of the food we ate, mandu, rolled omelet, potato salad, some pajeon, and finally because this obviously isn’t enough food for two people he also made my favorite cucumber salad . I really am one special girl. 

“Woo this is too much.” I chuckled looking over at him as he kept bringing out more food.

“Nonsense, you’ll love this.” he smiles but you can tell there’s something bothering him.

“Are you ok?” I looked at him his face tight.

“Yeah, no it’s..it’s nothing I’m fine.” he nodded but he seemed more in his own head now.

“How about next time I’ll make the kimbap? I’ve been told I make it pretty good.” I smiled trying to lighten the mood.

Sure everything was going well, I really like him but I don’t know he seems a little distant recently and I can tell something is bothering him. I…

“Woo?” I said putting down my things. “You know we can talk about things right?”

“I….y/n…I….” he started and closed his mouth a few times. “What’s your relationship with Seonghwa?”

“Seonghwa? I don’t know…friends I guess. I mean I can certainly feel safe around him.” I looked at him confused.

“I know…what I’m about to say is…I know…Are you…Are you cheating on me?”

“What no?!” I looked at him incredulously. “Cheating?? Wooyoung I would-”

“Then why is it that you drop everything when he calls?” he looked at me getting a little teary eyed. “Why is it that when he calls you leave the room? Hmm? What private conversation can’t Wooyoung hear?” he was getting upset.

“Wooyoung it’s not like that-” I started.

“Well then how is it y/n! Because it certainly seems like you two aren’t just friends!”

“Woo please listen to me.” I said my voice quivering a bit. “Please take a breath and listen.”

“Then start explaining…I thought it was me and only me.”

“It is!”

“I saw you together!!” he stood up angrily.

“He’s just my friend Wooyoung I swear nothing more!” I looked at him, my own tears blurring my vision. “Wooyoung I would never cheat on you I swear, please just listen to me!”

“So you can lie about-”

“Mama?” a small voice called out. 

Fuck.

“S-Saja!” Seonghwa’s voice called out.

“Seonghwa?” Wooyoung looked over at his friends familiar voice. “What are you doing with a child?”

“Mama!” Saja threw herself into my arms hugging me tightly. “Hi!”

“H-Hi sweet pea.” I looked at her and moved her hair lightly, I could feel Wooyoung looking at the scene before him. “Wooyoung, this is Saja…my…daughter.”

“Daughter? Are you two-?”

“No! Wooyoung I’m just…I just babysit while you two go out.” Seonghwa looked at him.

“Is she yours?” Wooyoung looked at the child and then back to Seonghwa.

“No.” I said and held her closer. “She’s my ex’s…he left…Seonghwa just…he found out I had her and I needed someone to look after her because I really wanted to go out with you but I…” I felt like I could throw up.

“Wooyoung did…I wouldn’t do something like that to you.” Seonghwa looked at the younger male, anger burning behind his pupils.

Wooyoung looked between us grabbing his things.

“Wooyoung, don’t leave…you’ll regret it if you do.” Seonghwa warned the younger male. I covered Saja’s ears.

“Well what was he supposed to think Seonghwa…afterall I drop everything when you call, I go to you when I don’t know what to do, I call you late at night because she’s crying.” I shrugged. “I would think the same….Maybe I should go.” I moved to get up but Wooyoung stopped me before I could get further.

“No.” he looked at the blanket. “Don’t.”

“Saja why don’t you and Hwa go play.” I looked at her and kissed her forehead.

“Hwa Hwa!!! You It!” she got up and ran away.

Wooyoung sat back down and folded his hands together in front of me.

“Wooyoung I…This isn’t how I wanted it to go.” I looked away from him. “I promise there is nothing go on between us other than he’s my babysitter…I think of him as my older brother honestly. I have feelings for you and you only.”

He stayed quiet before nodding and looking over at Seonghwa and Saja playing.

“Why’d you lie y/n? About…her?”

“No one would hire a single mom…I needed the money before she got kicked out of preschool and we lost our apartment so I begged my mom to come help take care of her just until I had enough that I could come clean about it.”

“We have plenty of parents I don’t understand.” he looked at me.

“By the time I finally got to KQ I had been turned down so many times I-I-I panicked it was the only thing I could think of and I was desperate and they..you were all so kind and I-” tears rushed down my face. “And then you showed up and everyone else and then Seonghwa found out and I got scared and you kept asking me out and making me smile and…this isn’t how I wanted you to meet. I wanted you to meet her please.”

He stayed quiet and I wiped my face, before I knew it he brought me into him and rubbed my back.

“I really have made an ass out of myself haven’t I?” he whispered into my hair.

“I understand where you’re coming from though Woo really.” I held onto him.

“Tell me everything.” he asked

I told him our backstory, how my ex left, cheated, basically robbed me, how Hwa found out, I told him what I could and he listened.

“I’d really like to meet her if you let me.” he picked up my face and cupped my cheek. “I promise I’ll listen better.”

“Woo it’s not your fault, what were you supposed to think.”

“That my girlfriend wouldn’t cheat on me.” he squeezed me a little. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too…..I’d really like for you to meet her.” I looked at him. “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.”

“Whenever you’re ready.” he brushed my hair back often like I do for Saja. “Some times…things work out differently than we want them to.”

“Are you still mad?” I asked.

“I’m still….trying to figure out why.” he sighed. “It makes sense but…I just…I.”

“You can be upset Wooyoung, its a big thing I hid from you.” I shied away from him.”Does it change how you feel about me?”

“I don’t know…maybe? I….I mean-” he looked up at me and I knew he could see it, the heartbreak on my face, I never was good at hiding it. “No baby I-”

“No…no it’s fine Wooyoung…” I moved off him. “I wouldn’t…” I stood up and turned away from him. “I wouldn’t feel the same about me either, it’s probably why I got rejected from everything else.” probably even why he left in the first place. “We’ll just go.”

“No baby, stay. We can have lunch, I’m sorry.” Wooyoung pleaded.

“Mama? Can I has water?” Saja came over tired from playing.

“Here!” Wooyoung jumped up and opened a bottle for her. “I made all this food would you like a snack?”

She looked at me and I nodded and we sat back down only this time apart.

“Y/n.” Seonghwa looked at me.

“It’s nothing.” I turned away from both of them to pay attention to my daughter. “It’s just me and Saja.”

Seonghwa looked over at Wooyoung who looked down at the blanket and pushed food over to us before looking to Seonghwa and away again.

“Saja what do you say?”

“Gram…Sa…Ham…Mama what was it?” she looked at me. “Oh! Hamyida!”

“Good.” I chuckled and wiped her face. “We’ll get going now, thanks for running into us Seonghwa…It was nice to meet you.” I got up and helped Saja up before starting our walk home.

“Mommy?” Saja looked up at me.

“Yes sweet pea?” I stopped.

“Why you look sad?”

“Oh don’t worry angel, I’m okay. I just really thought it’d turn out different.”

“Like what?” she questioned. Every the curious two year old.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about Saja.” I picked her up.

“Can we play with Hwa Hwa tomorrow too?” she yawned.

“I’ll ask him later baby. Let’s get you home.”

I got her home, and of course, she was asleep on me when we walked in. I put her down and sat by her bed, I couldn’t stop the tears that came down my face. I thought everything would work out this time, I thought that maybe…maybe one day he’d be here too…maybe she’d go to sleep and we’d stay up and watch a movie together, maybe we’d play games, or have friends over, or…it was always too much to ask. Too much for me to be happy. Not even a text when I walked through the door. Was this really over?......I’ll turn in my resignation on Monday. 

Monday came and went but my computer screen remained blank, I didn’t want to write a resignation letter it’s only been a few months but, I loved my job, I loved the guys, my friends….I loved him. I called in sick I just couldn’t see him, of course by now Seonghwa and Wooyoung had told CEO Kim who asked if there was anything he could do, if Saja was sick or anything. No. There was nothing anyone could do.

“Mama again!” Saja called out pointing to the finished episode of Paw Patrol. I replayed it for her and pulled myself into the chair more, staring at the blank document.

“Saja I’m going to the potty, don’t answer the door like usual ok?”

“Otay!” she smiled and sang along to the theme song.

I just wanted to splash some cold water on my face, something to get it out of my system.

“Hi!” I heard Saja yell from the living room.

“Saja? I told you-”

“Hwa Hwa!!!” she screamed and I ran out to see two men standing in my now open doorway.

“Sorry, I used the spare key.” Seonghwa flushed and spun Saja upside down.

“Why are you here?” I stood there wanting to grab my child from them.

“Baby I’m sorry.” Wooyoung pleaded. “Please can we talk.”

“No, it’s fine. You don’t need to apologize.”

“I do. Please.”

I pushed him out into the hallway and closed the door.

“Wooyoung you shouldn’t…you made it clear how you felt.” I looked away from him.

“No I didn’t because that wasn’t how I felt. That isn’t how I feel y/n.”

“Then how do you feel, because I think “I don’t know if they changed” after that means anything different but it-”

“It didn’t change how I felt okay! I…I panicked…I freaked out because I…You have a kid and sure I love little kids, I love Kyungmin, I love babysitting, and I love playing dress up and tag and…I really love them you know I do, but…it was scary. I no longer had to impress just you I’d have to impress your daughter, I’d have to figure out how to…be a good role model and…take care of her and I’m just a cool uncle or big brother I’ve never had to…be a parent.”

“You’re not her parent Wooyoung.” I crossed my arms. “And how do you think I’m going to feel! We Slept-” I quieted down. “You were the first person I’ve slept with since I had her and you just……..I’m her parent Wooyoung.”

“Yes but we’re dating, so that means I need to be there for her too, because you don’t just date the one person, that’s the most important person in your life I can’t just…I have to be a good example. None of it changed how I felt about you, after you two left I just wanted to do it all over again, I wanted to ask you on a picnic and play tag and push her on the swings and..please believe me y/n, I want to try again. I feel so stupid ok, I have real genuine feelings for you and I hurt you I know I did, I just…one more chance baby please. I’m sorry y/n please. I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life apologizing if you just give me one chance to make it up to you.”

I sighed. “It’s not up to just me Woo….give me two seconds.” I walked back inside and he stayed in the hallway. “Saja?”

“Hi mommy!” she called out from the couch where she was giving Seonghwa a makeover. “Princess Hwa Hwa.” she smiled.

“Oh how lovely.” I smiled and looked at Hwa…I need a photo. “One photo so we can remember your masterpiece?”

“You can take ONE photo. Make it count.” Seonghwa looked at me and I took a photo of him and Saja.

“Saja honey?” I came down to her level. “Would you like to meet mommy’s friend from the other day? The one with all the food.”

“Yeah!” she smiled. “The one mommy likes!”

“Yes, the one mommy likes.” I smiled. “Come on.”

I carried her to the door and took a breath, everything was going to change once I opened this door.

“Ready!” she called out. Ok.

I opened the door half expecting Wooyoung to dart…thank god he was still there when I opened my eyes.

“Saja, this is Wooyoung.” I looked at him. “Wooyoung this is my daughter, Saja.”

“Hi!” she smiled and waved.

“Hello Saja.” he smiled back. “It’s very nice to meet you.” He pulled a flower out from behind his back.

“Where did you-?” I looked at him.

“Flower!” she smiled and took it. “Mommy likes a maggisin!”

“Would you like to come in for coffee.” I looked at him.

“I would love to.” he smiled

This was it, Wooyoung was entering my life, he was seeing the real me and my daughter. I set Saja down to go play with Seonghwa but she stayed and talked to Wooyoung, she showed him all the pictures she drew and all the things she did for pre-school, he smiled and listened the whole time. He helped with a snack since she was getting hungry and he even let her do his hair, and for once in the past 7 months I’ve known him, I could finally breathe. It felt as though a weight has been taken off my chest and I could actually let him see me, the real me. It felt good. It felt so fucking good.

Wooyoung is a wonderful partner, truly. Saja loves him, she’s started calling him every night before bed if he isn’t here to tuck her in, she likes to tell him about her day, he plans dates with all three of us and sometimes even just the two of us, the guys have slowly been introduced to her and they all claim to be her favorite uncle (we all know its Seonghwa). Wooyoung has been maybe slowly moving in slightly, his stuff appears more and more, and what do you know he’s usually attached to it, and now, almost a year later her birthday was coming up and I had no idea what to do.

“Okay I know it her birthday but I was thinking we could bring her to work and surprise the guys for a birthday party?” he rubbed my cheek, the soft sunlight drifting in for the morning.

“She would like it, especially if San and Hwa were there, and Mingi, she likes being tall.” I kissed the palm of his hand.

“I’m sorry.” he said and looked at me fondly.

“For what?” I questioned.

“For everything. For being ignorant, and stupid. For-”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing for that.” I held his wrist gently.

“I told you I’m apologizing for it every day.” he kissed my nose.

“Good Morning!” Saja called out and climbed into the bed and on top of Wooyoung. “Wooyoungie!”

“Hi Princess good morning.” he smiled and kissed her head. “Did you sleep well?”

“From the looks of her bed head I’d say so.” I chuckled.

“Well I better get those pigtails back in before Hwa Hwa sees you then hmm?” Wooyoung lifted her up and got up to go to the bathroom with her.

“Woo?” he turned around. “It’s a great idea.” I smiled. He smiled back and nodded.

As I made breakfast Wooyoung made sure they got their morning ritual done, you always have to dance in the morning if you want your day to go well according to him. Saja likes spending time with him and frankly, this past year it’s been so nice to not feel like a single parent.

“Okay and 1,2,...3 and 4. Good! Okay Okay. shh shh.” Wooyoung spoke. “Eomma!!” he called out.

“Yes?” I peaked around the corner.

“Saja wants to show you something.” he smiled and nodded for her.

He started playing the music to Case 143, the chorus specifically and she looked like she was going to do it but then turned to Wooyoung and looked scared.

“I can’t” she whispered. He stopped the music and got down to her level.

“Hey hey what’s wrong princess?” he scooped her up.

“I can’t do it.” she sniffled.

“Of course you can.” he smiled. “You practiced hard with me while eomma was busy.”

“Too hard.” she looked away from him.

“I think she’s just nervous to do it alone Woo.” I looked at him and gave him a small smile.

“Do you want me to do it with you princess?” he pushed her hair back.

“Want Youngie do it too.” she whispered to him.

“Wooyoungie will do it too.” he nodded. “Okay? Together?” this time it was her turn to nod.

He started the music over and set her down.

She looked at him as they started and even though she was shy she saw him do it and knew he meant it when he said he’d do it with her. It gave her the boost she needed to do it too. Before my eyes here she was trying her best to dance along to Case 143 by Stray Kids and for an almost 3-year-old, she did a great job.

“Oh sweet pea that was amazing!!” I scooped her up and kissed her face. “Such a good dancer.” I smiled.

“Like Appa!” she smiled and pointed to Woo. I stumbled a little.

“O-Okay breakfast time.” Wooyoung clapped and took Saja and sat at the table to eat breakfast. “Baby? Come eat ok?”

“Y-Yeah.”

We’d talk about it…after breakfast.

“I’m sorry.” Wooyoung confessed. “She started calling me that last week when I was watching her when you had to stay late with Yunho and I didn’t correct it but she knew you would be scared if you heard and-”

“Is that what you want?” I looked at him. “Is this what you want? You know you can’t leave if she starts calling you that.”

“You are what I want y/n. Nothing else. Just this.” he nodded, I’ve never seen him look so serious. “I may be young and handsome, but I-I I can be a dad too.”

“Are you sure?” I held his hand and he gave me a firm squeeze.

“I’m sure.” he nodded.

“Of course you taught her how to dance.” I wiped my face and chuckled.

“She’s got quite a talent, I think she picked it up from her mom.” he smiled and kissed my cheek. “I’m not going anywhere..in fact, I was waiting until her birthday but…Maybe it’s time I…move in?”

“And what else could you possibly bring over…You already live here.” I smiled and kissed him.

“I have some other things.” he chuckled and kissed me back.

“I love you Jung Wooyoung.” I smiled and held onto him.

“And I love you l/n f/n.” he smiled back and held my hips.

Do I wake up every morning with my hair in every direction, toothpaste foaming at the mouth, a stained t-shirt and pajama pants, and a toddler crying because I can’t hold her? Not every morning…sometimes I wake up in the arms of my loving boyfriend, sometimes with no clothes, and sometimes I wake up to the sight of my daughter getting ready for the day with her two favorite people, I see a smile on her face as her appa cries dropping her off for school, I see the joy on her face when the guys come over and San talks to her about her day, I see my daughter being surrounded by more love than I could ever ask for. Surrounded by her 7 uncles and her appa, better than I could’ve asked for. 

Sometimes I wake up to the biggest smile I could ever see, more radiant than the sun, and I know this is all real. Wooyoung is real, and he’s here Forever.

[heretic-altias]

Now that people are starting to post more spoilers, I’m gonna say it. I don’t believe Alexandria came from the 12th reflection. I don’t think we could have tapped into a reflection that’s gone and rejoined. I think whatever shard it was is similar to the first, it ALMOST had a lightning based calamity but for whatever reason it didn’t work out.

When they say time flows differently, that doesn’t matter for a calamity. The setup has to be correct at the same moment across both shards. It already happened. Maybe the 12th had a much longer or shorter history before that than the source, but it happened to both worlds at once in the multiverse regardless because conditions had to match between the two. The 12th couldn’t still be before a point where both had to match at the same time, otherwise the calamity would never happen because conditions aren’t right on the source.

Also, the shard travel used has a very obvious Ascian connection (thanks Azem symbol!). The Ascians could shard hop, but they clearly didn’t move through time. Otherwise what would stop Emet from having just gone back and undoing any mistakes? I know a lot of people justify the time thing with what G’raha did but that was only done once very deliberately and took generations of work. And it wasn’t Ascian based. This key is. The Ascians don’t do time travel, as far as we know.

Yoshi P also did say to pay attention to the lore on what shards are gone and what shards remain in an interview. A lot of people are taking it as proof it could be the 12th, but I’m getting the opposite. The lore book clearly shows which shards remain and I bet the one we were one is one of them and yoshi p was trying to hint they were important for that reason. Besides, why jump to dead shards when we have the 1st and 13th both as examples of rejoinings failing? I doubt the other shards were left alone all that time, they might all have at least been prepped for calamities that didn’t work out. It just seems more likely to me that they’re going that way with it than some convoluted mess saying it’s a world in the past.

Obviously the writers could throw a brick at me later on and decide it is the 12th anyway, but with what we have now I just can’t believe that and was honestly surprised to see people talking about it like it is the 12th as if it definitely was when I first started talking spoilers with others. It never even occurred to me because of how empathized it was that rejoined worlds are GONE, my first thought was a failed attempt at a second lightning calamity.

[esosage]

God i love it when robotnik is put into a very normal and average setting because he is litterally the antithisis of that.

My man has spent his whole life acting and living like a cartoon supervillain. He knows hes evil full stop, and he has only been reafirmed by the people around him that hes evil (probobly from a young age aswell.)

So for someone like him, whos acted like a cartoonish supervillain for most of their life, to be forced to live in a regular, mundane enviorment, where the people are people, and dont have some alterior motive like how all of his previouse interaction have been, he obviously starts getting a bit paranoid, and anxiouse.

Because think about it, up until now hes lived in an cut throat enviorment where it was either him or the other person. This mentality started in the orphanage, and only got worse when he started working for the government. (Because you know he was backstabbing people to get to the top.) And through that enviorment, he learned that emotions were weaknesses, and that if you showed weakness you'd get mowed over by your opponents. Leading him to develop a very distant persona to survive.

But now? Hes in a safe enviorment, which isnt something hes used to. You can show weakness and not get black mailed for it. Theres no vying for the top, because there is no top. And everyones so damn freindly. No ulterior motives, no plans to backstab him later, just kindness for the sake of kidness. And robotnik has not a clue what to do, he just cant wrap his head around it.

To put it in perspective, robotnik is at the top of his game when he has a clear goal, an objective: Get to the top, aka, be better than everyone else. Thats what hes used to. And thats where hes been most of his life, thats where he's most comfortable because hes used to that. But what he's not used to is neighboors comeing to his door to hand him gifts withought poisioning it or expecting to reep the benefits later. What he isnt used to, is people checking up on him later to see of hes okay whenever he has a sudden outburst. What he isnt used to is people being so kind to him withought useing it against him later.

Robotnik has always thought that they way he grew up is how everything is: Freinds are transactional, showing emotions is showing weakness, noones truely on your side at the end of the day. But by placeing him in a normal, regular, run of the mill setting with no stakes and no drama, that entire world view is challanged. Because as much as he tries to find it, as much as he searches for it, he cant find any evidence that his life is in danger, or that his credibility, ego or whatevers important to him is on the line, which is a situation hes never been in. Normally, in the previouse enviorments hes been in, theres always danger around some corner, something to prep for, but theres none of that here. Theres no betray to prepare for, no secret plot comeing his way, just... calmness. And that obviously puts him on edge, since he doesn't think things are capable of being this calm withought something comeing after it. He doesnt belive that the world has the capability of being this peacefull. (Which is bassically him thinking the way he grew up is how the entire world is.)

And that bassically means he has to learn to be peacefull, to not always be on edge. And learn to calm the fuck down. Something that he couldnt even fathom before now.

Another thing i like about putting robotnik in this setting is that it also highlights how not normal he is:

Robotniks the weird kid, hes always been the weird kid. Everywhere hes went, hes been starkly different from the other people around him, and he knows that. He knows that to the point where hes twisted it into a reason as to why hes better than everyone else. And the mundane enviorment really highlights that.

Robotnik has always been treated like a cartoonish supervillain. Not just by the people around him, but by the setting and plot aswell. Hes hyped up as big and intimidateing, and in that way, he fits in despite being so cooky. Hes evil, stupidly evil, but it makes sense because the plot acts like thats normal. Its normal for him to act like a crazy supervillain, because he is one. Its practically required from him.

But now, hes in an enviorment where he isnt in the roll of a supervillain, he's just like everyone else around him. but he still trys to act like he is because he doesnt know what else to do. And that creates a deleciouse contrast that i love. Because of the eviorment hes in, now being crazy, and acting like a supervillain isnt normal anymore, because the plot isnt treating him like one anymore. Again, he's on the same level as everyone around him, and he doesnt know how to cope with that. So he tries to restort back to old habbits to have framiliarity in a landscape so unframilar to him. But those habbits arn't neccisarry in an enviorment like this, so they come off as weird.

And of course, you can make people shun him for this, (since thats what normally would happen,) but i find it more interesting if you dont. Because robotnik has been met with that reaction, hes been shunned before, so he's used to it.

He knows how to shut off his heart, and not care to that type of reaction twards him since its something hes had to do time and time again. And in a way, hes kind of hopeing for that reaction, because it only further proves his world view. It again gives him something framilar to work with here.

But imagine his shock when hes not met with that, when hes not shunned like he thought he would be. It freaks him the hell out, because he's not used to that level of openess, of emotional intamacy. He isnt used to people wanting to talk to him, or genuinly being interested in him, or not groaning whenever he comes into a room. Because before, he was some big mean scary supervillain. Someone you ran away from, someone who was delightfully evil and insane. But now, he isnt scary, he isnt a supervillain, hes just like everyone else.. a person... and that terrifyies him.

Because hes used to everyone hateing him. Of dreading him, and thats been his entire perspective of how other people can view him up until now. So for someone to be freindly to him, genuinly freindly, is probobly the most off putting thing to him.

So in other words, we need a robotnik sitcom paramount.

[majachee]

I am so tempted to make an entire post about my design decisions for the MMPC cast... Do not tempt me....

{*poke*} [I do like to hear monologues about design choices.]

GRINS... ALRIGHT... LET'S START!!

Some are more coherent than others, but these are most of the Thoughts I've had when designing... will be continued later....

Noah's Design Notes and Rambles

Both for his upcoming redesign, and his current design.

His hairstyle is a choppy, layered mullet with sideswept bangs, the bangs being exaggerated to the MAX. Mainly to give him an interesting silhouette and because I thought the bangs would look cute. He has thick hair, imo, and based on my experience layers help A LOT. His hair is pretty heavy, that's why he chopped it off. Easier to maintain when you have less to work with!

His eyes are very, VERY dark, almost black, brown. In the show, they're the same color as his hair iirc, but I decided to darken them dramatically to enhance the bored/smug look he has. Also as an added contrast to Alejandro and Justin, who I draw with much more noticable pupils!

In art, people tend to put focus on the eyes when demonstrating that a character is looking intensely at an item/person, typically with a noticable glint or the pupil changing dramatically in size... Noah doesn't get that. He furrows his brows, puts a hand on his hip, widens or squints his eyes, but no matter what the pupils are indiscernable.

His outer layers are quite loose on his body. Adds bulk to his silhouette without changing his body-type, in my opinion. He's got a slight frame, not helped by his aversion to fitness, so I'd imagine sweaters and such would hang off him a bit. This also allows me to introduce more squares into his design!

OH YEAH, SQUARES. He's a pretty neutral character in the show, and I like adding in his canonical blockiness to other aspects of his design.

Bulky, woolly socks, blocky shoes. Again, square motif and loose clothing. He wears like 3 layers of shirts, one being a DAMN SWEATER VEST, so why not go all out with the more "warmer" clothes, yeah?

I also extended his shorts into capris. I'm pretty sure they're meant to be capris in the show itself, but most people call them shorts. But yeah, he wears bulky cargo capris that — you guessed it! Hang fairly loose off his legs but are tight and secure around the waist.

He's pretty covered up! Not a lot of skin showing! This is because I think he likes to feel a bit toasty. Not warm, exactly, but he's definitely not prone to mid-Autumn chills when dressed up. The cold, northern breeze nips at his exposed ears and shins a comfortable amount and that's how he likes it! Hopefully I can successfully portray that through vibes lol

90s prep influence... sorry... 💔

Due to his interest in planes in Dramarama and interest in Kosmic Kaos in the main series, I plan on giving him an aviator jacket that he wears during the colder months.

And since I HC that Kosmic Kaos is a multiplayer sci-fi/fantasy game that takes place in space (I mean... come on... KOSMIC...), he has a simple yet baggy backpack with a pixel art-styled airship pin on the main flap. The pin is IMPORTANT to ME. We must acknowledge the fact that he is a GAMER.

Also, KK is OBVIOUSLY an MMORPG, fight me on this. I'm thinking World of Warcraft mechanics but with sci-fi alien aesthetics. RuneScape Classic aura.

Short. In Gen 1, he's one of the shortest males on the Island (Cody and Ezekiel being shorter than him), so I made him shorter than he realistically is in canon to make that height difference more obvious. Also as a way to contrast Harold's "gangly nerd" schtick.

Speaking of Harold...!

Harold's Design Notes and Rambles!

His body is the hardest for me to draw, but I am dedicated to the tall, gangly nerd thing he's got going on! I think it's charming! Especially in contrast with Noah.

I HATE his outfit in the main series, specifically because of his T-shirt.

I DETEST that stupid hamburger design. I'm sorry, but genuinely what the fuck is that?? It feels so random, so incoherent. I changed it to an alien to tie back to that one schtick in World Tour, and to also mesh better with his green-tinted glasses and shoes. I also added orange to his pink undershirt, not only to give it a more 90s vibe, but also to tie it back to his orange hair.

Also overalls because cute! ... What? It's a thing in 90's shows, and it's cute! What more reasoning do you want from me? 😈

Gave him more stubble, and I plan on going back and adding freckles and faint acne scars. Due to the wonky colors, my electronics tend to make his canonical freckles fade into nonexistence 😭😭😭 I'm so sorry Harry Styles.....

Elaborating on the stubble: it's very much meant to be patchy, like it's just growing in. When it comes to facial hair, I'm digging through my memories of highschool for reference, mostly. The classes I shared with juniors and seniors during my senior year had kids with barely there/patchy stubble like Harold's to full on thick beards.

ELABORATING ON THE ELABORATION... It comes down to genetics and hair thickness, and Harold has thinner hair methinks. The lighter color would also make his facial hair seem thinner than it actually is.

His eyes were directly inspired by this little cutie from Little Witch Academia!

Along with vague memories of "Doraemon" ... back when the English dub was on DisneyXD or smth. <- only saw clips of it fyi 💀

Despite Noah being the Blue Ranger in this AU, Harold takes the most inspiration from the character Billy Cranston in the OG 1993 show.

Billy, for those unaware, is the Blue Ranger's real name/identity. While he does participate in martial arts like the rest of the PR friend group and is quite fit, he's also the nerdiest. He uses long, complicated words and likes explaining things using very technical/scientific terms, to the point where he's sometimes asked to rephrase what he just said. Though, unlike Harold, this quirk of his isn't really treated negatively. Billy's friends find this charming, and so do the people who interact with him for the most part! (Exception of Skull and Bulk, obv.) You can see where I drew the similarities, lol ... I also find this trait charming in a majority of fictional characters... 😭 is it obvious Billy is my second favorite male power ranger

I made his face more round, to better contrast with Noah and Duncan's faces. It's also rounded out a bit with stylized sideburns.

I plan on adding scrapes and bandages to his arms and legs sporadically. He's pretty accident-prone... and "accident"-prone.

I like to think his bangs are really light compared to the rest of his (already pretty light) hair. Very easy to get them all tossled up!

Had the most fun stylizing his nose tbh. Just a general fun fact.

He has some muscle in there! Mainly in his abdomen and biceps. It's subtle, but there. He's a pretty active guy, and nunchucks can build up decent arm muscle and grip strength! Maja lore, I used to take martial art classes as a kid lmao

Fair bit of lore behind this guy!

Anyways!

Heather's Design Notes and Rambles!

Saw a lot of fanartists giving Heather a jacket, so I did that. Thought it looked cute, and added to her silhouette.

I changed her wedged sandals to simple slip-ons for convenience sake. Since I'll likely be drawing her a lot, especially in group pics, I wanted to make her shoes easier to draw.

As you may already know, due to being subjected to my ramblings, Heather had a Carrie moment in late Sophomore year that lead to her Baldening. Tis why her hair is short.

The scrunchie in her hair is a direct reference to Heathers.

I also gave her some hella subtle muscle! You can see it because she's showing a lot more skin than the rest of the cast.

I added tears and such to her shorts, giving them the distressed denim look. I remember them being trendy for, like, my entire life, and I think the less clean look also reflects her personality. She is, quite literally, rough around the edges.

I gave her scrapes and such on her legs for the same reason. Also to add more "clutter" to her design. She owns a cat as well, and my cat always bites my legs after I shave them. Projecting that onto her.

Inspired by Buffy and Cordelia from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I DO want to change her outfit a bit, though, and give her a more 90s style crop-top and a higher waist on her shorts. And a belt.

Rather than taking inspo from a specific niche, trope, or subculture, I'm looking at trendy/pop-culture fits to reflect her "Queen Bee" title.

... wow not a lot for Heather... Sorry! She's easy for me, tbh.

Duncan's Design Notes and Rambles!

Leaned towards 90's grunge rather than 90's punk, but with obvious punk influences thrown in there.

The stains I gave him on his black skull tee are meant to be bleach stains. I wanted his outershirt to look abused like his HELLA distressed jeans!

His hair is yet another nod to punk culture! Thick, long mohawks and dyed hair were part of more loud/rebellious scenes, and I can imagine Duncan absolutely VIBING with that aesthetic and appropriating it.

The mix of aesthetics is intentional, he uses them to feed into his tough-guy persona but doesn't really embrace the themes/values/beliefs both aesthetics carried. I mean, he's a bully, and punk is all about non-conformity. Bullying people who don't fit the "status quo" is the opposite of punk.

I gave him more piercings because I love drawing piercings and I think they look cool. He says he did them himself, but that's not true at all.

The hems of his pantlegs are also all stained and distressed, due to natural corrosion. This is the grunge inspo talking!

His jaw structure is meant to be a lot sharper than Noah's and Harold's, he's also the most muscular of the entire group.

He's often chewing on gum, an edible plant stalk, lolly stick, etc. He feels very fidget-y to me, and I want to portray that.

It's 11pm... I grow tired...

I believe I rambled on about Courtney's design elsewhere... remind me tomorrow tho! Xoxo

[noa-de-cajou]

The stadium rented for the meeting of the People’s Party is well-filled today. Clearly not what it used to be in its glory days, but good enough. Even though we’re entering winter, the sky is clear and the sun shines high, meaning I'm in good dispositions. I'll need it.

“Comrades, welcome! It makes me quite happy to be here on this fine day. Seeing people from all corners of our city, young and old, gathered here for the same ideal fills my heart with hope.”

There it goes. This man, Anthony Marques, is one of the rising stars of the Party, and chairman of today’s meeting, aiming for Parliament. His clothes are plain but smart, his smile blinding, his words even more so.

He’s also a mage. Like most important people in this party are.

This isn’t a battlefield worth fighting on, Taiven. This party’s controlled by the mages. They’ll make the guiding line so it serves their own interests.

He’s right, obviously. But I’ve been here for a few years now. I made my place, slowly but surely, I fought tooth and nails for it. I couldn’t change the roots of the problem, of course. But if we leave this to the mages too, then it means we’ve given up, and everyone in my life knows damn well I'm not a quitter.

Anthony’s wife, Janelle, isn't with him behind the microphone. Instead, she sits a few seats to my left. Most of the people seated in this area are women. The poorest are here with their family or husbands, the richest often alone. They have time to be here, since they usually don't work.

Well. They’re not paid, more like. Domestic labour still isn’t regarded as actual work, but I'd love to see any working husbands keep their houses clean, the kids fed, the meals prepped, just for a day. But after all, their wives get the money, isn’t it the least they could do? They know damn well they can't divorce without losing everything.

If Janelle thinks I haven’t noticed the bruise under all that make-up, she’s sorely mistaken. Everyone knows.

Everyone knows and I've been trying to gather evidence for months. But it's harder when the case targets an important man, who’s a mage, and the victim is his wife, who’s not. It’s harder when you’re just a woman yourself and you don’t have half the budget that the Bureau has to investigate. It’s harder when you're not a mage yourself and your law degree has been gathering dust somewhere in a drawer.

Everyone always knows. Who cares what happens to non-mages? A few people. Who cares what happens to non-mages women? A few of those few people.

Needless to say, I've gotten good at handling my frustration.

“... I know tensions have been rising around a few… polemics. Please pay it no mind. As the opposition, it is important we remain united, and that we not let a few dissidents ruin what we’ve built on the ruins left by the War.”

Some people cheer, others start to boo. Janelle looks like she wants to sink into her seat.

This is going to be long and I know I need to wait for him to finish. So I light up a cig and listen.

“... We ask you for patience. Everything can’t change at once. Everything shouldn’t change at once.”

Of course. Those most opposed to change are those who benefit most from the status quo, after all.

“... The Party will not be downed by pressure from extremist movements or unwarranted cliques…”

Like you’ve never plotted in a dark room with said extremists or cliques. Like you've never bribed or been bribed.

“... We hear you. We hear all of you, all of your despair and anger...”

Maybe you hear, but I know who you chose to listen to.

I know who they listened to, back then, and it wasn't me.

He remained unscathed. Unbothered.

Just like you.

Everyone always knows.

Everyone always hears.

But you play deaf.

“... We’ll always, always come out stronger! No matter who tries to make us fall! We’ll carry the legacy of those who came before us! We will always…”

I’d love to see an asshole who beats his wife speak to my grandfather who moved here under the Nepheli presidency about legacy.

He’d be so appalled. By you, by all your lies.

My cigarette has burnt out.

“... Thank you, comrades. I’ll now leave the stand to anyone who wishes to speak.”

Perfect timing. I squash the butt of my cig under my shoe. On the seat to my right, another Gaikamshigthai girl looks at me nervously as I stand up. Sixteen, seventeen maybe. My age when I became an adherent. I smile confidently.

I’m doing this for her. For us.

“Comrade Marques, permission to take the stand?”

I don’t have a microphone, but my voice echoes through the stadium. As soon as they recognize it, I hear groans and hushed whispers from the bleachers, but I don't mind. My greatest satisfaction is seeing Marques’ eyelid twitch in annoyance when he sees my face. That's right, my dude. Me again.

If I can't get him down in front of a court of law, at least I'll give him someone to beat that isn’t his wife.

Janelle, looking at me with anger in her eyes, gestures at me to sit down. I don't blame her. It doesn't matter how she feels about me or how I feel about her. I'm doing this for everyone, even people who hate me.

“Certainly you can wait a little,” Anthony says with a laughter. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d like to –”

“You said anyone who wishes to speak,” I cut him off. “I wish to speak. Isn't it weird how it’s always ladies first, until we're in the stadium?”

Some women cheer, there’s laughter echoing, even from the men, and not always mocking. Anthony's face reddens slightly. Oooooh, he’s pissed. But I don't intend on letting him get a word in just yet.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Would you rather I… What was it you said to me after my first public speech? Use my pretty little mouth for other things than spouting nonsense?”

There's gasps. Angry whispers from the women. Janelle might be contracting an ulcer.

Everyone knows that I’m telling the truth.

Everyone always knows.

Someone just has to say it.

Anthony’s hands would probably already be around my throat if we weren’t in public.

“Taiven, this is highly diffamatory –”

“If you want me to talk about actual issues, then you’re going to leave this stand and let me take it. Isn’t it my right as adherent, Anthony?”

There's some shouting. Shut your mouth, let her speak, sit back down, we won't take this disrespect, someone get Marques out of here, let her speak, let him speak, let her speak.

“You will address me as comrade –”

“Not before you do the same. The year 200 is just around the corner, Anthony, maybe it’s time to be a little progressive. I thought that was what this Party was all about.”

I calmly make my way down to the stand, under boos and cheers that barely reach me anymore. What does is the expectant stare of all those women and men that have known me since I was a teenager hunched over in my seat.

I stop and stand right next to Marques. He's seething. I smirk. Oh, if this gets to their ears, I'm in for an earful, but I don't give much of a shit right now.

“Why so reluctant? You will have a right to answer and debate each and every one of my claims. Who will not be about you, even if there’s a lot to say.”

The mic detects my voice, amplifies it. Marques is cornered. Cornered by the masses he wishes to seduce and by the twenty-eight years old bitch he always tried to undermine. He looks at the crowd. Steps back, slowly.

“Fine. The floor is yours, comrade Kellermann.”

Hah! Nice try using that name, fucker, but that won't work on me. You know my real name. Everyone knows it. You'll see that it won’t matter.

I am the ruins from the War that you didn't rebuild.

I am the thorn in your side that you try to ignore.

I am the ant that stings the giant’s foot.

I am the them to your us.

I take my place behind the stand, head held high, and pull out my notes.

I won't shut up until justice is served.

“Hi! Sorry for this little scene, that was quite embarassing. I know you've waited a while, so let me speak of matters that won't wait.”

I see some teeth grit and eyes narrow in anger.

I laugh in their face.

Bring it, fuckers. We’re done shutting up.

[xojennyboo]

A/N: Hey everyone! Here’s another update, this one is edited lol. Thank you once again for reading my posts, truly means a lot, please leave your feedback, whether it’s commenting on my posts or messaging me in private. Leave your requests as well, obviously if you don’t want to be mentioned I will do it anonymously. I do have all of these imagines in Tumblr as well where you can comment and reports and also request. Once again thank you and I hope you enjoy this one. Happy reading!

You hated studying. It was one of those things you hated about being in college. You were studying out of state, being away from your family and friends. That was the only negative aspect of studying out of state. You wanted adventure, peace, fun, and maybe a bit of romance. You’d been single for quite some time, focusing on yourself and your studies. Being here has given you the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. For the past year you’ve been lucky enough to dorm with your friend Harry. He was pretty chill and nice to you. He gave you your space when you needed it, he also helped you study from time to time.

One bad thing about it was that he would bring girls over. He had the decency to not sleep with them in the room, but for some reason it ticked you off that a random girl was in your space, regardless of being on Harry’s side. Overall, you kept your frustrations to yourself and minded your business.

For the past week, you’ve been working on acing your midterms. So, far you’re taken 3, leaving the last one for today. You were a bit nervous for this one considering that this one was the most important to you. You’d study all of last night staying up later than expected. Luckily you woke up on time and didn’t oversleep, which was a concern of yours.

You were currently prepping your things to head over to your class and take your exam. Harry walked up to you with a to go cup of coffee in his hand, handing it to you with caution. “You’ll do great y/n” he says giving you a small pat on your shoulder. “Thanks Harry. Wish me luck”, you say, sliding your bag on your shoulder. “Good luck, but you won’t need it though”, he says plopping down on his bed, putting his arms behind the back of his head.

Without giving it another thought you exited your room and walked towards the building where your class was at. Once there, your nerves were kicking in. ‘take deep breaths y/n’, you say to yourself. You sat down in the same seat you’ve always sat in since the beginning of the semester, by the window in the front row. Little by little the classroom filled up the seats being taken left and right. The professor walked in and addressed the room, everyone pausing their conversations. “Alright class, once I hand out the exam there will be no more talking. You will have all of the class time to complete the exam. Once you’re finished you may hand in your exam and leave. I wish you the best of luck”, the professor says, making his way down the aisles of desks handing out the exam.

Once you saw the exam your nerves calmed down, remembering the things that you studied. You felt you flew through the exam, answering the questions with confidence. You finished the exam in 45 minutes, getting up with your things and handing the exam to the professor. You couldn’t get out of that classroom quick enough feeling like a weight was lifted as soon as you walked out. “How was the exam?”, you hear Harry asks you from behind causing you to let out a small yelp from the small scare he gave you. “Jesus Harry. You’re gonna give me a heart attack one day”, you say hitting his arm. He playfully flinches away, rubbing the spot where you slapped him.

“Sorry”, he chuckled lightly. “But how was it?”, he asks again putting an arm over your shoulder as you walked side by side. “It was good. I think I passed”, you confidently say heading over to the cafeteria for a much-needed breakfast. “That’s my girl. See, you had nothing to worry about”, he says, his words making you feel warm inside enjoying the praise he was giving you. “I guess you were right “, you say. “I’m always right”, he says opening the door leading to the dining hall. Instantly your ears were engulfed by chatter from other students. People grabbing plates of food, coffee, etc. Or catching up with friends.

Harry followed you to grab a plate for yourself, handing him one as well. The food was set up as a buffet. There was French toast, regular toast, eggs, bacon, muffins, etc. You were never truly bored when it came to food here. You decided on getting French toast with a couple of strawberries and blueberries. You also decided on grabbing another cup of coffee, your second one of the day. You both sat down at an empty table and ate your breakfast in silence. “Hey guys!”, Bethany, your other close friend says sitting right next to you. “Hey Beth”, you say giving her a side hug. “Hey”, Harry mumbles, with food in his mouth. “So, since midterm week is over, Caleb is throwing a huge party at his frat house. I was wondering if you were down to go”, she says focusing the question more on you rather than Harry. “I don’t know Beth. You know that’s not really my vibe”, you say causing Harry to scoff. “What?”, you ask him, sounding a bit aggressive at his reaction.

“Oh nothing, I just knew you were going to say no”, he smirks taking another bite of his toast. You roll your eyes at him looking towards Bethany. She had hope in her eyes making you feel guilty. You let a sigh out before putting your fork down. “I’ll think about it okay. “, you say causing a squeal to emit from her and hugging you tightly causing you to laugh at her reaction. “Harry, you better convince her”, Beth says before saying goodbye and leaving. “Oh, don’t worry princess, you might have fun”, Harry presses causing you to roll your eyes again. “We’ll see about that”, you say before finishing your breakfast and leaving him there.

You walk back to your dorm to freshen up. You took your clothes off and went to take a shower. The hot water washed away the stress you had. You washed your hair with your favorite lavender shampoo. You washed and shaved your body especially since you might be going to this party tonight. Once you were done with your shower you walked back into your room, changing into some comfy pajamas since you’re planning on staying here until this party.

For hours you laid in bed contemplating on what to wear. You wanted to feel sexy and beautiful. Maybe you could get laid tonight, you never know. Lord knows the last time you had sex, Harry being here doesn’t help either. For endless nights you would imagine Harry’s body hovering over yours, thrusting into you with no mercy. Sometimes you would find yourself waking up sweaty from the wet dreams you would have. You were getting flustered just thinking about it.

Before overthinking it, you reach over to your drawer and take out the vibrator. You pull your covers over you and shimmy out of your shorts and panties. You turn it on and place the vibrator on your clit, a small gasp escaping you from the sensation you were getting. Closing your eyes and spreading your legs a bit you imagine Harry’s big soft hands roaming your body. You imagine his lips on your warm skin kissing down your body, nipping at your skin.

You swirled the vibrator around the sensitive nub, your orgasm approaching. You imagine Harry’s cock inside you, filling you up to the brim. You imagine him pounding into you repeatedly until both of you came. You moved the vibrator against your clit faster feeling the bubble in your stomach about to pop. “Fuck”, you silently moan as the feeling intensifies and you cum. Your chest rising and falling at a fast pace from your orgasm. You turn the vibrator off and lie there for a moment trying to catch your breath.

You slide your panties and shorts up your legs and get up. Opening your eyes, you went to the bathroom and showered again. You felt cleaner this way. You went back and changed into a new pair of panties. You looked at the clock and noticed that it was already 7pm. The day flew by quickly. The door room opened Harry walking in. “Hey”, you say, trying to hide the small blush that crept up on your face, trying to hide the fact that you just played with yourself with the thought of him. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have teased you”, he walks up to you giving you a hug as you looked through your closet.

“Harry, I’m not mad. I just feel a certain way that people depict me as a buzzkill. Just because I don’t like partying, doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun”, you say, finding a cute little black dress that you barely wore. “I know. I’m sorry. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to” he mumbles, walking over to his bed. “No, we can still go I already told Beth I’d go”, you say. “Very well. I’m going to go shower. Be right back”, he says while grabbing his shower essentials and leaving the room.

Quickly, you changed into the black dress. It was a nice fit, hugging your body in all the right places. It was a dress you wouldn’t normally wear considering how short it was, but you were trying to prove a point that you could have fun. Once you put the dress on, you looked in the mirror. You looked good, the dress making you feel more confident. The dress stopped right below your ass going down to your mid thigh. The dress had sheer sleeves which made you feel somewhat comfortable. It also didn’t expose your boobs too much regardless of the chest being exposed. Overall, it was a cute little number.

You sat down on your bed and took out a bit of makeup products you were planning on using. You definitely wanted a natural look not liking the heavy makeup. You liked seeing it on other women, but you thought you couldn’t pull it off. Once you were done with your simple makeup look, you curled your hair. Doing your hair didn’t take long at all, being finished in just 20 minutes. As soon as you were finished your dorm door opened revealing a fresh out of the shower Harry. His usually curly hair was wet, some strands sticking on his face. He was naked, the only thing on him was the towel hanging loosely on his hips. His body covered in tattoos, the water making the tattoos pop.

You quickly checked him out, looking away quickly once he saw you. “wow “, he says clearing his throat before continuing. “You look...different”, he finishes saying, causing your eyebrows to furrow together, a bit confused as to what he meant. You think he realized what he says because his eyes widened slightly at your reaction. “Sorry. A good different. You look beautiful", he says, his compliment making you smile and blush. “Thank you, Harry. Get ready so we can leave. We’re starting to run late”, you say looking at the time. You see a text from Bethany telling you that she was already there.

“Okay give me a few”, he says, yanking the towel off in front of you, noticing that he already had his briefs on. He quickly looked for an outfit. He quickly decided on a pair of black jeans, a short sleeved black and white button up shirt, leaving the 3 top buttons unbuttered, and his pair of black boots. Goodness, he looks sexy, you thought as you put on your gold hoops. Why does he have to look good in everything. For shoes you decided on wearing your scrappy heels to compliment the look. With one last look in the mirror, you were both ready to go.

Since the party was at a frat house, the walk was relatively short. The closer you got, the louder the music got. Harry didn’t leave your side as you looked for Bethany inside. He could get a little protective of you, especially when it came to gatherings like these. He attended all of these parties, some people expecting that he’d show up. As soon as you guys had arrived, he was being greeted by people left and right.

Maneuvering through the huge crowd of other students dancing and drinking, you finally found Bethany. She was talking to some other people who you had recognized, some of them being in some of your classes. “Oh my gosh, you’re here!”, she yells, stopping her conversation to come hug you. “Yes, I’m here, yay”, you sarcastically say. “Oh stop, you’re gonna have a great time”, she guarantees. “Come on, lets get you a drink”, she yells over the music. Before you could protest, she’s already dragging you to the kitchen. There was a bartender making drinks, which you found kind of cool considering that most of the times they would just serve beer. “What can I get you ladies”, she says. “Can you make her any drink that’s fruity”, she yells at her due to the loud music. “Coming right up”, he says.

Beth looks so excited for you to be there. You knew that she wanted for you to just have fun and let loose. Beth is definitely one of the reasons why you came. Your thoughts were interrupted by the bartender handing you your drinks. “Cheers to a fun night”, Beth says. "Cheers", you say, taking a sip of the fruity slushy drink. It was good but definitely strong, and you knew you could only have maximum of two because you knew you were a lightweight drinker.

As the night went along you found yourself actually having fun for once. You and Bethany spent most of the time dancing and drinking. You had definitely stopped at two drinks not wanting to overdo it. Harry had disappeared right after you found Beth. Throughout the whole night you tried looking for him but had no luck. Once you and Bethany started dancing, he hadn’t crossed your mind.

“Ill be right back, I have to pee”, you yell at Beth nodding her head as an answer. You maneuvered through the crowd of people until you found it. Without a second glance you opened the door to the bathroom but only to be halted by the image of Harry making out with a girl. “Oh shit, sorry”, you say trying to get out of there as quick as possible. You don’t know if it was the alcohol in your system, but you felt sad and pissed off at the sight of him kissing a random girl.

You were so deep in thought that you accidentally bumped into Bethany. “Hey, are you okay you look like you just saw a ghost “, she says. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think I’m done for tonight. I’m getting tired”, you tell her. “No, come on, let’s get another drink”, she says dragging you to the bar. You gave in to the peer pressure and had another drink. This one was different and definitely much stronger than the others. Without thinking twice about it you chugged the drink, earning cheers and claps from Beth and the bartender.

“Come on let’s go back to dancing!", she once again says dragging you back to the dance floor. You let the alcohol in your system take over, dancing with Beth. You feel a strange sensation, like someone was staring. You looked around the room and stopped once your eyes met the green irises of the man who clouded your mind. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion as he stared at you as you were dancing. Something clicked in you as his eyes roamed your body, your hips swaying from side to side. You enjoyed him staring. You were enjoying the reaction he was having smirking now and then at your movements.

As you danced you felt a pair of hands around your waist, dancing with you. Those hands were definitely not Harry’s considering that he was still staring at you, the eyes that held a bit of mischief, now held darkness, like anger. Two could play at this game, you thought, so you purposely pressed your body to this stranger and closely danced with him. This caused Harry to storm towards you and push the stranger away from you. The drunk individual didn’t even bother to try and fight with Harry, immediately walking away from the situation.

“We are leaving", Harry says, gripping your arm and dragging you out of the house. You didn’t utter a single word as you walked back to your dorm room, noticing that he was upset. Once you reached your dorm, you walked in and immediately took your heels off. He didn’t say anything as you watched him pace back and forth. “Why’re you upset”, you ask, causing him to scoff. “You know why, don’t play dumb y/n”, he says making you frown. "Enlighten me”, you test making him stop in his tracks.

“You enjoy teasing me, don’t you? You knew what you were doing dancing around like that”, he says, stepping closer to you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Plus, it looked like you were too busy with that girl “, you say sitting on the edge of your bed. He leaned in front of you his arms on either side of your body, his face inches away from yours. “Were your jealous?", he says, your eyes rolling at his remark, especially trying to hide the truth. “No, I haven’t been jealous before, so why would I be jealous now”, you smirk.

“You were dancing for me, that I know for a fact. You enjoyed me watching you. Giving me my own little show”, he says leaning closer. “You wish Styles”, you say leaning back to keep a bit of distance. “Oh, come on baby. We both know you love me watching you. Whether its you dancing, or playing with yourself", he is now extremely close to your face, your eyes widening at his little comment. "W-What?", you say, causing his smirk to widen at the fact that you just got caught.

“That’s right baby. I saw you playing with your pussy earlier today. You were too into it to notice. But let me tell you, it was definitely a sight to see”, he looks between your lips and eyes. It did turn you on that he caught a glimpse of you playing with yourself. “Now tell me princess, what were you thinking about when you were playing with yourself?", he whispers. You felt your face grow hot, the heat causing a crimson color to adorn your cheeks. “Harry, I- “, "nuh-uh-uh. Come on, you can’t be shy now princess. Now tell me”, he insists but you were too embarrassed to admit that you were thinking of him.

“Were you thinking about me being between your legs?”, he whispered. You couldn’t say anything. “Or maybe you were thinking about me fucking you in my bed”, he taunts. He stares at you intently, wanting some sort of reaction from you. He took his hand and lightly caressed up your arm, goosebumps forming at his touch. “Want to know a secret?", he asks. “Yes”, you whisper. “I think about fucking you all of the time”, he confesses, your eyes widening at his confession. Your heart rate increasing at the fact that he’s been wanting the same thing as you.

“The whole night I couldn’t stop thinking about taking you out of this little black dress and making you mine. Having you wrap your wet pussy around my cock. Making you moan my name at how good I’m fucking you”, he teases, your breathing picking up at how horny you were getting. “Do you want me to fuck you baby, cause if you do, all you have to do is ask”, he whispers against your ear. He places a small kiss on your neck, your eyes closing at the sensation of his lips on your skin. “Come on baby, you know you want it as much as I do”, he whispers, his lips now planting kisses on your cheek. You really wanted him to. You wanted him to fuck you, like he did in your mind.

You pushed him away from your body, now standing up as he looked down at you. With all the confidence you had, you leaned back in your bed, your legs spread just a tiny bit, before looking up at him with a smirk. “Fuck me Harry”, you simply say, causing him to be a bit surprised. Nonetheless, Harry went on his knees in front of you. He took your leg in his hand and slowly trailed kisses up your leg until he reached your thighs. Without thinking about it, he pushed the dress upwards, resting on your waist. “Did you wear this specifically for me princess?", he says, kissing your inner thighs, your legs over his shoulders.

His lips sucked on your inner thighs, creating hickeys that will be noticeable tomorrow. He lightly bit the sensitive skin causing you to gasp at the harsh feeling on your sensitive skin. “Answer me princess", he mumbles, his mouth still attacking your thighs. “Yes”, you whispered breathlessly, the anticipation taking control of your body. “They look so sexy on you baby. Although right now they’d look better off”, he says looping his finger on the lace undergarment and pulling it down your leg. He smirked, his eyes lighting up as he saw your bare wet pussy.

“How beautiful", he says spreading your legs apart, so he got a better view of your glistening pussy. “I can’t wait to taste you baby, but first. I want to kiss you”, he moves up your body until your face to face. Instantly he attaches his lips to yours his tongue twirling with yours for dominance, him winning. You felt his fingers trail down your body until he slides them over your pussy, a moan immediately coming out of you as his fingertips made contact with your clit. “So wet for me”, he mumbles against your lips.

His fingers start rubbing your clit, the nub being sensitive as he played with you. His fingers slid against your clit and down your hole, spreading your wetness on your pussy. “Mmm Harry”, you moaned as his two fingers inserted inside you. Fuck that feels good you thought. Your legs automatically spread out more, wanting to feel more. He thrusted his fingers rapidly in you as he kissed you, sucking on your lips. The only sound being heard are your panting breaths and the sound of your wetness on Harry’s fingers. He continued his assault on your pussy until he changed the angle of his fingers. He thrusted them up and down inside of you, a foreign feeling overtaking your senses. A pressure forming within you as he repeatedly thrusted his long digits inside you. “Fuck Harry!”, you moaned rather loudly, your pants becoming louder and louder. Your legs starting to shake as he increased the speed of his thrusts. “Fuck fuck fuck”, you moan. “That’s right baby, cum on my fingers", he groaned against your ear. That pressure exploded out of you, your back arching as you came, but not before squirting all over his hand. “Fucking hell that was sexy baby”, he says, bringing his fingers up to his mouth and sucking off your juices.

He instantly kneeled down between your legs, wrapping them around his head as his mouth attacked your sensitive pussy. His tongue gave you no mercy as it flicked your clit and licked your wetness and cum. Your body jolted from how sensitive you were, but this only made Harry want to eat you more. He ducked on your clit, pulling it back and letting it go multiple times, your clit swollen from him rubbing you. Your fingers attached themselves to his curls, pulling on them as he inserted his tongue inside you, flicking it the best he could. “Ooh fuck Harry”, you moaned out, his nose pressing against your clit. He moaned against you, the vibration becoming too much. Your legs started shaking around his head, his head moving up and down as licked you completely. “I want you to squirt one more time for me princess”, he says inserting his long wet digits inside you again and fingering you at a fast pace. He rubbed your clit fast as he fingered you and soon you were a screaming mess and squirting again, the sight making his rock hard and groan in pleasure.

You sat up, your hands reaching down to his pants, unbuttoning them. “Take them off Harry”, you say, not caring how eagerly you sounded. You needed him now. He took off his pants, standing up off the bed. You got on all fours on the bed, watching his cock spring free from the constraints of his clothes. “Want to suck on my cock princess?", he asks. “Yes please”, you say innocently. You open your mouth, and he slides his cock in your mouth. You didn’t touch it with your hands, bobbing your head back and forth. “Fuck your mouth feels so good”, he groans, his head leaning back in pleasure. Slowly he inserted more of himself, the tip hitting the back of your throat, his pelvis touching your nose. You moaned against his cock as he slid it back out, then thrusting it back in. You hallowed your cheeks creating the tightness he needed. He leaned in taking a hold of your hair to pull it back. “Let me fuck that beautiful mouth of yours”, he pants.

He slowly thrusted into your mouth, little by little his thrusts becoming faster and harder. Your small moans becoming gags as he hit the back of your throat saliva dripping down your mouth. Your eyes tearing from the pleasure you were giving him. “Fuck baby. I’m gonna cum”, he moans. You moan against him one last time, the sensation causing the grip on your hair to tighten, and his thrust coming to a halt as you tasted his cum on your tongue. His warm liquid dripping down your throat. You sucked him a couple more times before removing your mouth from his cock with a pop. “Fucking amazing", he praises, wiping the sides of your mouth with his fingers. "Beautiful", he mumbles kissing your lips.

“Let’s take you out of this dress”, he says, leaning down to unzip your dress. Once the dress was off, your hands went to the buttons of his shirt, unbuttoning each one until it was off and placed with the pile of clothes on the floor. His tattoos were on full display now. Tattoos that you would sneakily look at when he was shirtless in the room without him knowing. You were fully exposed now and quite frankly you were extremely nervous. He got on the bed, hovering over yours as your back pressed against the mattress. This image that constantly would replay in your head now becoming a reality. He dipped his head at the crook of his neck leaving small kisses. His lips trail up your neck, kissing along your jaw until he kissed your lips.

You both moaned against each others' lips, your hands on his biceps as he held himself over you. You reach up to kiss his neck, sucking on his skin lightly, leaving a small mark.

“Ready princess?", he asks. “Yes”, you say desperately. His hand reached down between time two of you, gracing his cock in his hand and pumping it a couple of times. Your eyes stayed glued to his actions as he slapped his dick on your sensitive pussy, your body jolting a bit at the sensation. With a couple more slaps, he slowly inserted himself in you, your eyes rolling back at how full you were, his thick cock stretching your insides deliciously. The grip on his bicep tightening, leaving small crescents on his skin.

“Fucking hell princess, you’re tight “, he moans, slipping all the way in you.

He stayed still for a moment letting you adjust, the slight stinging subsiding. “I’m good”, you say. Slowly he thrusted outward, then inward, thrusting at a steady pace. He adjusted his body, kneeling down in front of you, grabbing your thighs. This new angle made him hit your cervix repeatedly, the delicious sensation sending you into heaven. Your eyes rolled back as his light thrusts became harsher. You grabbed your breasts squeezing them with each thrust.

“Fuck Harry, that feels so good. Don’t stop”, you moan as he thrusted faster. You opened your eyes, watching his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “That’s right baby, fuck my pussy”, you moan, not knowing what came over you, but noticing that he liked it when you talked dirty. “You like how I’m fucking your pussy princess?", he groaned. “Mmm yes Harry”, you gasp as he sharply thrusted in you. “I love how you’re taking my cock so well “, he says, letting go of your thighs and leaning in to kiss you. His forehead leaned into yours as he thrusted in you, moaning against each other. “I-I want to ride you”, you say. He didn’t answer, just smirked as he switched positions. He was now laying on the bed, you on top with your legs on each side of his waist.

In this position you fully felt him all the way inside of you. Without any time to adjust you moved your hips, first moving your hips in a circling motion. He grabbed your waist, holding you as you moved. You then moved upwards, your head falling back in pleasure at how deep he felt. Your hands placed on his chest as you bounced on his dick more rapidly. His hands guiding you, his grip tightening on as the grip on his cock tightened too. You couldn’t stop moaning, the noises of slapping skin being euphoric. The bed hitting the wall repeatedly as he started thrusting upwards, meeting you halfway. “Fuck Harry, I’m gonna cum baby”, you moaned. “Me too babe”, the pants. He leans your body over his, your chest against his, his hands on your ass now, spreading your cheeks as he pounded into you.

His rapid movements literally knocking the air out of you as you uncontrollably moaned against his ear, his moaning against yours as well. Your sweaty skin slapping against each other as he guided you through your orgasms. “H-harry, on my gosh”, you moaned as you came all over his dick. You felt his dick twitch inside you, and he stilled inside you, dispensing his load in your creamy walls. You were both panting, trying to control your breathing. You kissed his lips softly, riding him lightly, milking him empty. You were both sensitive from your actions, halting completely and just staying still as he softened inside you.

“That was amazing” he mumbles against your shoulders. “Yes, it was”, you say pecking his lips as you got off of him. “We should do it more often”, he says, causing you to laugh. “Maybe, but only if you don’t sleep with other girls" you say, looking at him. "Confession. I haven’t slept with anyone since I started thinking about you in this way”, he says, removing a strand of hair from your face as you were now laying down, facing one another, and placing it behind your ear. “In what way?”, you ask, a small smile playing on your lips. “In a lovingly way “, he answers. "Lovingly can mean so many things”, you giggle. “In a… romantically way”, he reiterates. Your checks turned red at his confession. "Really? But you bring girls around-”, “But, I never sleep with them. We make-out, yes, but never sleep, I make that very clear”, he says. Shocked was an understatement. “Let’s see where it goes”, you say making him smile. “Yeah?”, he asks. “If you want to “, you say. “of course I do “, he says, placing small kisses on your lips. “Okay then let's do this “, you say. “Let’s princess", he smiles. You couldn’t be any happier and as you layed here with him, in his arms, naked, you were excited at what the rest of the semester would be like, especially sharing a room with him.

[workingforitallthetime]

the fantilli bros talk about adam following luca to kimball union academy

On March 7, the Inside Michigan Hockey Radio Show did us the great favor of a joint Adam and Luca Fantilli interview. There's no direct link, but you can stream the episode on the app for The Varsity Network or via the on-demand section of this site. Here is a transcription of their explanation of how Adam fled the GTHL to follow Luca to the USA, with my unhinged commentary in brackets.

Luca: I headed out there first. It was definitely hard leaving him and the family, but he followed along shortly after.

[lol "him and the family"... like i guess i missed my parents but first and foremost adam]

Adam: Yeah, that didn't last long.

[adam says this with a little laugh, like obviously he was not going to let this unacceptable separation continue]

Adam: Right when he left, I went to go play minor midget with the Jr. Canadiens back in Toronto. Was living at home without a sibling for the first time in my life, it was pretty weird. I went to go visit him in New Hampshire and it was amazing, the campus was gorgeous, the people there were so nice, and it just happened to like work out that they needed a forward spot. I wanted to go down there so badly, and Coach told me I was welcome if I wanted to, and I think it was Thursday and I was there the next day. I packed up my whole room and I was down there. I went there late so I got thrown in a single dorm room, we were separate dorms and everything, so that was a bit weird. But yeah, being able to go down and start playing together was so much fun.

[14yo brace-face adam fantilli frantically packing up his room so he could leave IMMEDIATELY to join luca? i'm feeling insane over this. also i love that four years later he's still salty about how he didn't get to room with luca at prep school. adam was not gonna make the same mistake at umich, no sir.]

Luca: The coach, it was actually funny, when I went down to tour down there the year prior the coach didn't know who Adam was.

Adam: He asked me if i played hockey.

Luca: Yeah, and when he asked that I was like, "Do you know how good he is?" He had no idea who he was. That was kind of weird for me 'cause it was the first time a coach ever was just looking at me and not knowing what he was. And then I was like, "Yeah, Coach, you might want to do some research on this kid, he's pretty good." And he did and he's like, "Can we get him down here?" And I was like "I would want nothing more in the world." So we worked it out, and it was great.

[you would think that luca would be pleased to be seen as an individual for once, but no, luca's reaction to this is incredulity that anybody might not know who adam is!!! how dare anyone be unaware of luca's very important brother!! we think adam's the codependent one but actually luca's identity is just as tied up in being adam's brother. i'm obsessed. i'm clawing my face off. I WOULD WANT NOTHING MORE IN THE WORLD, luca says, as i melt into a puddle of ashes.]

[phdmama]

You Showed Up Just in Time

Okay first, I’m just going to apologize because this one, it’s angsty, pals. In my defense, I’m not being as big of an asshole as I could have been because we do have an open/vaguely hopeful ending.  Mainly, I can’t even tell you how grateful I am to have found some words, to have written something. This is the angsty soulmate vignette I was thinking about (gentle reminder that I prefer people not to finish my vignettes without talking to me first! Thank you so much for your understanding).

~1800 Words. pre-Drarry. Teen. Brief mention of Harry/OMC. cw: Mention of blood and major bodily injuries, harm to Harry and others. Pretty much SOOC. 

10 Years Prior

Soulmates are a thing, it turns out. No one ever thought to tell Harry about this, so when he wakes up on his 18th birthday day with a mark on his wrist, he thinks at first that maybe he’d just had too much to drink the night before, gotten up to something with a stranger who’d been a little rough.

Okay, that part is true, obviously. 

Harry yawns and stretches, relishing the twinge in his lower back, grinning to himself as he remembers how, exactly, he got that ache. It was a good night. That’s when he spots the mark and frowns, pokes at it a bit. It doesn’t hurt, doesn’t look like a bruise, or even a curse mark (not that Harry’s really seen those, he hasn’t finished the Dark Arts portion of Auror Training, but still, it doesn’t look evil). 

It’s kind of an oval. Shades of grey that make it look almost like a stormcloud. Maybe four centimetres wide, it covers the delicate skin of his inner wrist. It’s… muted, almost, Harry thinks, poking at it again. He can see the faint tracing of the blue of his veins underneath. So, Harry shrugs it off, and wanders down to the kitchen for Morning After Breakfast, as he and Ron have taken to calling it.

Ron’s already up, sausages sizzling in one pan while another heats up for the eggs he’s briskly whisking, and he gives Harry a knowing smirk over his shoulder as Harry slouches into the kitchen.

“So,” he says finally. 

Harry snorts, pours himself a cup of the coffee that Ron insists is an affront to all wizarding kind. It’s not that Ron doesn’t like coffee, he just hates the way Harry makes it. Harry sips and makes a face. Okay, maybe prepping the coffee the night before while utterly shitfaced is not a recipe for the best coffee, but whatever. It’s coffee. He peers over the rim of his cup at Ron’s expectant face.

“So, what?” Harry asks, knowing exactly what Ron wants to hear.

“You and McDavid certainly seemed… cosy last night.”

Harry snickers. “That’s one way to put it.”

Ron laughs. “Well, happy birthday to you.”

Suddenly Ron’s eyes narrow and Harry realizes, he’s just seen the mark on Harry’s wrist. Ron sucks in a breath, drops the bowl onto the counter with a clatter, where it teeters dangerously close to the edge until he pushes it to safety. He reaches out, grabs Harry’s arm and yanks it up so he can look at the mark more closely.

“Oh, Harry,” he breathes and traces lightly over the mark. “You got it.”

“Yeah, what the hell is that?” Harry asks and Ron blinks at him.

“It’s your soulmark,” Ron says slowly.

“That doesn’t help,” Harry says, stomach sinking as he realizes that yet again, here’s an important piece of information about how things work in the wizarding world that he doesn’t know. “What’s a soulmark?”

Ron lets go of Harry’s arm and drops into a chair, kicks out the one opposite him, and just watches Harry as he slowly sits down. Ron knows exactly how Harry feels in these moments. They’ve been through this before.

“Your soulmark appears on your 18th birthday,” Ron begins. “It represents…” His voice trails off as he’s clearly trying to figure out how to put whatever this is into words. “It represents the person you have a soulbond with. Yours isn���t activated yet.”

Harry just blinks at him. “So, this is like, my fated person?”

“Sort of...” Ron runs a hand through his hair. “Soulbond relationships can take a lot of different forms. Usually, they’re romantic, but not always. Mainly, it’s the person who’s the best complement to you. Like, it’s the person who pushes you to be better, to be the best person you can be.”

Harry swallows. “Do you have one?”

Ron nods and then gets to his feet, moves closer and pulls down the elastic waist of his joggers. There, on his hip, is a mark similar in size and shape to Harry’s, but the colours are vivid and saturated, deep blues that shift and swirl into a rich purple. There’s something about it that feels almost familiar to Harry and then it clicks.

“Hermione?”

Ron nods. “Yeah. Hers came in before mine, so it didn’t activate until mine came in. Mine appeared like this.”

“What does that mean? Activated?”

Ron steps back over to the counter and picks up the eggs, dumps them into the hot skillet and pokes at the sausages.

“Soulmark magic is weird,” he says finally. “Like, no one really understands it. I’m pretty sure they’ve been working on it in the Department of Mysteries for like, a thousand years, but still. No one really knows why soulmarks activate. Sometimes they come in like that. Sometimes it’s when you meet the person, if you haven’t already. Sometimes though, you might already know the person, but you’re not ready for them.”

“Not ready for them?” Harry accepts the plate with a nod, passes Ron the butter after he sits back down.

“Yeah, no one really knows,” Ron says through a mouthful of eggs. “That’s definitely more rare, but it does happen.”

“What if it never activates?” Harry asks curiously and is surprised at the expression on Ron’s face.

“That can happen,” he says finally. “Like, if your soulbond dies before you meet or are ready, they say your mark, like, activates and then goes out, and it’s like. It’s really awful, I guess.”

“Huh,” Harry says, and then shakes his wrist at Ron. “So, what does this mean? That I haven’t met them yet?”

Ron grins, good humour apparently restored. “How the hell would I know, mate? It just means that whoever it is, it’s not the right time.”

Current Day

This was supposed to have been an easy arrest. Their intel had said there were only two members of this neo-Death Eater group on-site, and no weaponry or defence had been observed. The rest of the group had been taken down in Scotland this morning but these two, the ones left behind, are, by all reports, the leaders of this group. Harry knows it’s critical that they be stopped. But nothing in their histories, nothing in any of the information Harry’s seen or gathered himself suggested the possibility of this.

Harry’s on his back. He’d been first through the door, as team lead, and he’d been thrown the farthest, landing in the dirt. He’d blacked out, for who knows how long, but now he’s awake, on his back in the dirt. 

All around him, it’s quiet. The smoking remains of the house are off to his left, and he can see on the lawn, the bodies of Shannon and Daveed, far too still, lying where they’d fallen when the curse had exploded. It’s been long enough that the ringing in his ears from the blast has subsided, and the only thing Harry hears is the crackling of the burning house. He coughs and tastes blood in his mouth. This is bad.

Harry lifts his arm to reach for his emergency beacon and cries out at the sudden, shocking pain that engulfs him. His arm drops back into the dirt and he tries to catch his breath. This is really bad. 

He has to activate the beacon, and he has to do it now. He has no idea if Shannon and Daveed are even alive, and he’s got no illusions about how badly he himself is hurt, but if he’s to have any chance at all, if any of them are to have any chance at all, he’s got to activate the beacon now.

The pain is overwhelming, sucking the air from his lungs but finally, Harry manages to reach the beacon pinned to his chest. He can’t actually feel his hands anymore, can’t tell if he’s managed to achieve the pressure necessary to send the alert. Once more, his arm drops back onto the ground. Harry stares up at the sky and hopes it was enough.

Time passes, becomes meaningless as Harry lies in there in the dirt, staring up at the blue, blue sky. It’s a beautiful day. He wishes he could feel the warmth of the sun on his face or the soft dirt under his hand, but there’s nothing now. Not even pain.

One day they’ll tell him how the Auror-On-Duty had stepped out for tea when Harry’s beacon alerted. How it had taken them far too long to notice and call in the Emergency Parahealer Response Team. How by the time they’d arrived, Harry had been almost gone. 

But all Harry knows right now is that it’s quiet. The sun is shining and he’s on his back in the dirt with the taste of blood in his mouth. I’m sorry, he thinks helplessly. He doesn’t even know who he’s apologizing to. I thought I’d have more time. He manages to turn his head and before his eyes close, he sees that there’s a garden next to the house, filled with spring flowers in bloom. Beautiful, he thinks, they’re so beautiful, and then— his eyes close. 

He’s been drifting for some time when there’s the pop of someone apparating in. There are faint shouts in the distance but it’s not until he hears the sound of a familiar voice that he manages to open his eyes.

It’s Malfoy, and he looks terrible, Harry thinks vaguely. Malfoy is shouting frantically over his shoulder and then casting charm after charm at Harry. Harry’s seen this enough times to know that Malfoy’s trying to get him stabilized enough for transport. 

“I’ve got you,” Malfoy says again and again. “Just, fucking hang on, Potter. I’ve got you,” and Harry tries to smile, to let Malfoy know that it’s okay. “Okay, we’re going to get you onto the backboard,” Malfoy says and moves into position. 

Harry’s not sure who’s at his feet, but he can’t feel them anyway so he thinks maybe it doesn’t really matter as they shift him quickly onto the stretcher. Even with the stabilizing charms, it’s agonizing and Harry hears a broken cry, realizes it’s coming from him.

“I know,” Malfoy says, and then again. “I know, I’ve got you.” 

He leans over and grabs Harry’s wrist in preparation to transport him and as he does, there’s a flash of something that isn’t pain at all, emanating from the spot where Malfoy’s thumb is pressing against the thin skin of Harry’s wrist, right on his soul mark. Malfoy visibly jolts and stares at Harry, eyes wide, even as he reaches to activate the emergency Portkey. 

The last thing Harry hears before he’s dragged under is Malfoy’s voice.

“What the fuck?”

[thetirisfaltheatretroupe]

A Brief Announcement & Holiday Wishes

Salutations, everyone! Atos with the Tirisfal Theatre here, hoping you're all warm and well - unless you're TOO warm, in which case, cool off a little. At the previous event we'd appeared at we announced something for mid November. Obviously, that did not happen, which is why nothing was announced here regarding any shows. We hit a small snag with scheduling, so we've decided to go full-in on our 'off season'. For those of you new to this blog, the troupe, etc., our off-season is just a short period of about 3 months where we don't actively schedule shows unless our crew feels like throwing something together, so that we can focus on one of the busiest times IRL and get some material ready for the coming year.

Rest assured we have something nice for everyone already in the works for mid to late February, and a ton of ideas we're discussing in our discord.

Which reminds me, our public Discord server is also nearing completion, and will be ready to roll out very soon. You'll be able to join up, view event postings, communicate with the troupe more easily for events or just banter, and we plan to introduce music, sound effects and, in the future, voiceover work for our shows as well once we're ready. When we feel the Discord is all prepped and set, we'll make a post here about it so you can all join up! We realize that keeping a unified place to have all information up to date is important. We're (read: "I am") still getting used to updating all of our avenues of advertisement and announcement. There's just so much more than there was 10 years ago to keep up with, sheesh. Now apparently there's a new Twitter type of thing? ...er..X or whatever they call it. Anyway, back on topic, we'll still be appearing at a few things during these few months. There's some events that, as the time approaches for them, we'll be sure to announce it here. We still enjoy doing appearances and smaller scale shows or supplementary entertainment, so if you have an event you'd like to see us at, give us a shout! A reminder that you can message myself in-game (Atos-Wyrmrest Accord), send me a message on Discord ( .gla, or GrandLordAtos), or even message me here on our blog! We hope this holiday season is as stress free as it can be, and wish you plenty of good cheer! <3 Stay safe, folks, and see you all again soon! PS.: If anyone has been interested in joining us, just a reminder, we're always looking for awesome people to perform with <3

[strezzedanddeprezzed]

Level Up- LSAT Prep/Mental Glow Up

I’ve finally been crawling out of a 2-year long depression and I’m putting a list together to hold myself accountable and keep myself from becoming unmotivated and sad again. I’ve already started doing some of these things, but the list is to keep myself on track. I need to start using my time wisely. 

LSAT | Law School

The MOST important thing in my life right now. I’m taking the November and October LSATs. Goal score is a 165+, hopefully a 170. But this won’t happen unless I put in the work. I need a good score to reflect the GPA I spent 4 years working for. Still doing 100 days of LSAT prep, just trying to find a study schedule that works for me. 

6 days a week: Focus on 1 section each day for 3-4 hours. Split up into two blocks of studying. First block will be a timed section. Do one-two timed section PTs for the chosen subject. Focus on timing and blind review for two hours. Second block is 2 hours and is untimed/strategy. Go through a PT and study each question. 

1 day a week: Full PT and blind review. 

EX: Section is Reading Comp. Do 1-2 timed 35-minute PT sections. Go back and analyze answers. Then come back a few hours later and do an untimed PT and thoroughly analyze it. Also do two 30-minute drills for the two subjects not being focused on (LR and LG). 

Reading | Journaling | Mental Health | Physical Health

I want to read 1 book chapter a day. Doesn’t matter the length of the chapter. I have so many books I could be reading instead of spending hours online. 

I need to actually work through my issues rather than hope they’ll go away. I’m going to try to journal regularly every day. 

GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA. I spend so much of my time and energy comparing myself to people online. I could be putting this energy into myself and working on me. I deleted tiktok and any other app that is toxic. I’m keeping tumblr (obviously) but I’m trying to replace everything else with brain games like crosswords, audiobooks, or podcasts. 

Replace unhealthy snacks with fruits. I’ve been doing this by replacing breakfast burritos with smoothies, ice cream with sobert, cookies with fruit, etc. Need to keep at it and eat good to feel good.

Walking/ exercise every day. 3x a week doing workouts with resistance bands and 4x a week walking for 30 minutes to an hour. I feel so much better after I start moving and I’m more motivated to study. 

Working | Money

I’ve been out of work for a bit (paid work at least, I’ve done some unpaid internships in the past few months). I want to at least start doing something part time so I can save up to move out of state for law school. I’m aiming for 10-18 hours a week and until I get a job I will send in 3+ applications a day. 

Cleaning

I need to start cleaning every day. My space gets messy really fast and I need to stay on top of it. Cleaning for 10-30 minutes a day will keep me from cleaning for 3-4 hours one day a week.

[bisexual-horror-fan]

Do-Over-December 18th. Public Sex. "Passionately And Publicly Indecent." Doc Halloran X FEM! AFAB! Reader.

This is the first Doc Halloran thing I ever wrote and coming back to it and cleaning it up was super fun honestly! I still stand by the ending! I hope you all enjoy the updated version. We go on with Kinky December.

—

Rating. Explicit. Length. 5.2K. (Old Length. 4.9K) Warnings. Making Out. Grinding. Thigh Riding. Dirty Talk. Gloves. Older Men. Possessiveness. A Little Jealousy. Vaginal Fingering. Vaginal Sex. Riding. Public Sex Obviously. Praise. Mild Dirty Talk. Reader’s First Time. Voyurism. 

—

He hadn’t even meant to find you, but he was so grateful that he did. 

Doc Halloran has always felt bad that he didn’t do more on Leslie’s first ‘outing’, that he didn’t save more people and how close a call it was with Taylor, if she hadn’t made it then he didn’t think he could ever forgive himself. 

Thus far he was pretty spot on, he had predicted that Leslie was planning his next spree, and it seemed like that was going to happen soon, and so finding you was amazing. He had figured out that Leslie had hand-picked you to be his next survivor girl.

It was sheer luck, really. It truly ended up being a thing of the right place, right time. He saw how Leslie had looked at you when he was following him one afternoon, and it clicked. He thought long and hard about what to do. The work he did was important, but it was still a lot for just him, maybe if he told you it would help. He came to the conclusion there was only one thing he could do morally, for your protection of course, he approached you and told you of Leslie’s plans for you. 

You had heard of Leslie Vernon, of course, how could you not? But you never saw him obviously, and hearing that he had chosen you as his current fixation, well it was a little hard to believe at first. But Doc had spoken with such conviction and seemed to know much more about this situation that you came around. So you agreed to help him, mostly because it was the right thing to do, and your life was in danger and all of that.

Plus there was that other little thing too. 

You may have had a thing for him, or a thing for older guys in general but him in particular. How could you not, though? He was caring and concerned and knowledgeable and wanted to protect you, was invested in you. So you went along with it happily. 

You would meet up, and you’d learned a lot about the terminology, which you picked up quickly. Leslie was the slasher who was after you, the survivor or final girl and Doc, the Ahab, tried to stop him. Most of the talk up until now had been theoretical, but now it was time for more than that. 

Doc had told you that Leslie was going to get up to something tonight, some serious prep, it was supposed to be the first meeting with you, a large step that signalled how close the big night was and how quickly it was coming up. 

You had never met Leslie obviously and to say you were nervous was kind of an understatement. You inquired what Doc needed from you, and he said this meeting was important, ultimately he said his being there was important. He wanted both of you to be there first, he wanted to oversee what was going to happen, and the idea of having him right there made you much more comfortable. So the plan was made, you were worried about Leslie knowing about this, about you two meeting up and trying to get there earlier, but Doc reassured you, he said he knew him and his patterns well and that it would be fine. 

He picked you up and the two of you ended up near where the meeting spot would be. Parallel parked on a road near downtown, a side street you knew intimately. Typically, on a night like tonight you did a part-time shift at this bookstore and Doc figured that Leslie would push the meeting when you walked home on this road after work was over. You made it work, so you were off tonight just for this. 

You are fidgeting nervously in your seat as you ask, “Are you sure it’ll be okay?”

Doc looks into the rearview mirror for a moment at you before he responds, “Of course. I’m here, I’ve dealt with him before. Besides, he is much more careful about moving around in public after what happened. People are aware of him now.”

It made sense. It did put you at ease a little. You shift in your seat again, unable to get comfortable, you were sure he could tell you were uneasy, and also, you were so close to him. 

You had developed feelings for him over the past few weeks, he was serious about this and making sure you were going to be okay, it was thankless work, but you appreciated what he was doing. Furthermore, you thought he had similar feelings. Could swear you caught him looking, his touch lingers a bit too long, you may have tested that at points, “accidentally” brushing yourself against him, showing a hint more skin than usual. 

It was a cooler fall night, and you were in a skirt that wasn’t exactly weather appropriate sitting well above knee height, higher still as you were seated in his car. 

You were in the backseat, behind the passenger's side, and he was still up front in the driver’s seat. He was looking out the windshield again, paying attention, looking around, and you couldn’t take your eyes off of him.

You broke the silence, “I really appreciate what you are doing.”

You reached out. Your hand on his shoulder and he looked over to you. Something unreadable in his eyes, a pause, before he said quietly, “Thank you.”

It sounded very sincere. People must not say that to him much, it was almost like he didn’t know how to take what you said. You squeezed his shoulder once and looked away as you asked, “Can you sit back here with me?”

He thought for only a moment before doing so, getting into the back seat with you without saying anything, he knew this was a scary thing, seeming to understand that you needed some comfort, to not feel alone. You felt bold. You took his hand and the leather glove on his hand felt warm and well-worn, eyes down on your joined hands as you said, “Thanks again.”

You looked up into his eyes and he seemed a little nervous himself, probably not anticipating your sudden contact from grabbing his hand. He was looking back at you as he muttered, “No problem.”

It was very fucking tense right now. 

You loved being this near to him, you wanted to be closer, you wanted more, hell you were close enough to smell his cologne. You thought of why you were here and what was to come and who knows how it would all work out, not necessarily tonight but soon, on that big night, who’s to say if you or he would make it out alive. That thought pushed you along, your hand that wasn’t holding his, reached out and gripped one of the lapels on his jacket, and you pulled him closer to you and kissed him.

To say he was shocked was a bit of an understatement. He certainly didn’t mean for that sound to slip out, but he quickly stifled it, his hand pulled away from yours and came to your face, he let himself go for a moment, kissing you back. 

You made it easy to get lost in this, and normally he was so busy, totally consumed with his work, that he hadn’t pursued anyone in a long time. I mean, his divorce was years ago, and he hadn’t even given much thought to trying dating or anything of the sort. He couldn’t lie to himself though, since you came around his mind had been turning to those thoughts more often with you, even if it wasn’t necessarily right. 

You could hardly believe you were really doing this, from this alone you felt your heart beating harder. Fuck, your mouth felt good on his, you slotted together in a way that felt right.

But he shouldn’t be doing this, he was supposed to be caring for and protecting you, Hell you two were on serious business tonight, he should put a stop to this. He pulled away, his hand on your cheek and your hand was on his wrist again, not wanting his touch to leave, and you were looking up at him, “Wh-why’d you stop?”

A quick pass of his tongue over his lips, he tried to make his gaze harder and steady his voice as he said, “We shouldn’t.”

You wanted to pout. You gripped his jacket and tugged a little, shifting in your seat, scooting closer to him. “Why not?”

He seemed like he wanted to, fuck, you were SURE he wanted to. He looked like he wanted to reach out and touch you and kiss you and so much more. 

The response left him quickly, “It isn’t right.”

Of course. Always so morally superior, but you didn’t care about any of that. How much older he was than you or the nature of your relationship, power imbalance or whatever, it wasn’t important to you. He was good to you and cared and was very fucking attractive. You had him right here, and again, who knows what could happen to you two? You had to convince him.

Not only that, but you have to fight off the urge to squirm as you implore, “Doc, please?”

An idea. You hoped it would work out. With your hand gripping his wrist, you pulled his hand, sliding it off your cheek. You pressed a kiss to his leather clad thumb before carefully running your tongue over it, you noticed that made his breath catch. You bit your lip before smiling indulgently, closer still, practically pressed to him and whispering that request again, “Please?”

His thumb traced over your bottom lip, and you swear you could see his resolve break in his eyes and he pulled you to him this time, mouth crashing into yours. You practically moaned into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed, and kissing him deeply in return. You were still worried you might scare him off, you needed so much more, you had thought of getting to do this so many times. Thought of him alone in your bed while fingers explored yourself and wondered how much better his hands would feel on you. You needed to seal the deal, make sure you really had him. 

His hands were both on you now, one on the back of your neck and the other had slipped down your back and was resting on your waist, and you were getting turned on so fucking fast. You pulled closer, your other hand fisted in his jacket now, straddling his thigh as you two made out, you couldn’t help yourself, you loved finally getting this chance. He seemed just as into it as you were.

You shifted your hips and held back a gasp.

Oh, that was good. You moved the same way again and yeah that was fantastic.

You couldn’t stop yourself. It felt too nice. Grinding on him, fuck it felt incredible. You wanted so much more, and you vocalized it, hands gripping the lapels of his jacket, and you asked, breathless- “Please? D-Doc I need more, can you…?"  -you couldn’t say it. 

Couldn’t finish the thought, but you didn’t need to. He knew what you needed, and he nodded, the gloved hand came up off your waist and while he was looking into your eyes he bit the end of the middle finger of his leather glove. Starting to pull it off, and that was a hot image, but you wanted something else, you quickly scrambled saying- “WAIT! I…I uh…”

He looked questioningly at you, pausing, taking off his glove as he said, "Yes?" 

You swallowed hard, looking away as you said so quietly, shit, were you really about to ask for this? You had to, you wanted it terribly, "Can…Can you uh…Leave them on?…”

You felt those leather clad fingers on your cheek slide down, gripping your chin he made you turn back to face him, looking him in the eyes again, there was something so hot about that look in his eyes as he said, “I can do that, my child.”

Okay, that shouldn’t have been as hot as it was to you. Maybe it was just the tone with which he said it, but you didn’t have any time to linger on that as his mouth was back on yours. 

You kissed him and his hand slipped down, the backs of his knuckles traced lightly down your neck and over your chest, and you shivered in his grip and his hand finally came to rest between your thighs. With how you were seated on his thigh, your already short skirt was hiked up so high, he could touch you so easily. His fingers brushed over you, and you let out a quiet gasp, he took his time, as much as you might have wanted him to rush there was no way that he would. Teasing passes of his fingers over your clothed cunt before focusing in on your clit, even through your panties, it was intense. 

Pressure increased slowly, between his fingers and his mouth you were burning all over, you pressed closer into his hand, rocking into his touch, craving even more. You were breathless as you two kissed, emboldened further your tongue ran over his bottom lip before pulling away, a particularly good pass of his fingers making you moan. 

“More?” He asked as he leaned in again, mouth on your neck, and you nodded furiously with a whine, “Ple-please!”

He gave you just what you needed, fingers hooked in the sodden fabric covering you and tugged it aside, he touched you again, the texture of the leather felt so damn good as two of his fingers ran through your folds. You were wrecked already, and he hadn’t even done that much. He rubbed circles over your clit as his mouth nipped at your neck, and you tugged on the lapels of his jacket, it was almost too much to handle. 

He made a promise to you then in the growing heat of his car, words passed from him to you in the dark, “I’m going to take such good care of you.”

You let out another moan from his admission, as well as the feeling from those same two fingers pushing inside of you. That right there is part of why you liked this so much. He was older and more experienced, and you were just so not, he could take the lead and show you the ropes, you loved that. You couldn’t help it, you ground down on his fingers as you begged, “Ye-yes please, show me-ah! Everything-”

The last word came out like a sigh, as his fingers started to slowly move in and out of you, palm pressed just right, grinding on your clit, he had kissed up your neck and whispered in your ear, “Poor thing, you don’t know anything, do you?”

Fucking hell, you were on fire for him. I mean, you went from doing essentially nothing with no one, other than yourself, to now getting finger fucked in the back seat of Doc’s car. Oh shit, that is right, you were in his car. It was late enough no one was around, but the chance that someone wouldn’t see wasn’t exactly zero. His fingers curled and touched something inside of you that made your legs jerk and made you moan again and almost immediately forget where you were, he kept talking which also helped distract you.

“You need me to teach you.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. 

You nodded again, hips grinding again with a whimper, if he kept this up you would cum on his gloved hand. 

“Say it.” He said it firmly. Oh, God. His fingers stilled for a moment, and you wanted to whine and pout, but instead you responded, shakily, “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” He asked, leading you further. 

Fucking Hell, could he ease up even a little bit? He had pulled back and looked in your eyes, making you say, breathing still so uneven, “P-please, Doc. I-I need you-”

He looked pleased, a sudden thrust of his fingers made you cry out, making you unable to finish your thought, but he was satisfied with your answer even if it was cut a little short. He couldn’t hold back, a light chuckle before he ground his palm over your clit and curled his fingers in you again. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”

Nothing sounded better.

He didn’t stop now. He kissed you, one hand ending up under your shirt, you shrugged off your own jacket, it was far too hot for it now, and his other hand kept going, touching you just right. Why hadn’t you pushed for this sooner? If you knew it could be like this, be this good, you would have come onto him weeks ago. He kept going until you were unable to hold back, fingers inside of you and palm to your clit, the tension became too much, the pleasure built and finally the dam bursts. You fall apart as you ended up coming on him with a cry of his name. It felt fucking incredible, you let it sweep over you completely, thighs trembling. 

You were panting as you came down, and his fingers slowed, a softer kiss pressed to your lips, and you returned it, still trying to catch your breath, “My God-”

A pleased hum from him as his fingers left you, and you adjusted, fully straddling his lap now, you brushed against him and yeah he was obviously just as excited as you were. Your fingers closed around his tie, and you grabbed hold, using it to pull him close again, you felt so good. Ample warmth running through you and still very excited, you wanted more already as your mouth met his again. You moved your hips and rubbed against him and felt him tense under you and both of his hands were now on your hips, he helped move you. 

You were still so sensitive and again kind of unsure again about if what you were doing was right, but with his hands on you, helping guide you, made you more confident. It was almost like he could sense your mind working, and he broke away from you, uttering, “That’s good.”

That helped your confidence as well. You moved feeling a little more sure of yourself, the strained sound that left him made you clench on nothing, it made you want, you wanted to feel him inside of you and wanted to hear him more. 

You never expected your first time to be in the back seat of a car, well at least not once you got involved with Doc Halloran but to be honest the location didn’t matter much, again, it was hot. Not only that, but you shouldn’t be doing this in such a public setting but the fact that you both wanted each other so badly that it didn’t matter was making your situation even worse, you loved it. You were learning a lot about yourself tonight, you didn’t realize you were into that, but if how much you were leaking was any indication you were very into it. You decided to take some initiative, you pulled back a little and your hands came down and started unbuckling his belt. 

Fuck, when you could finally reach him he felt this hard and so warm too. You held him in the palm of your hand and stroked experimentally, he helped you with that too, he was encouraging. Still pressed so close together as he told you what to do, and that got you much hotter too, him telling you just what he wanted from you. 

What he said got to you badly, heated in between more kisses, encouragement and praise mixed with his instruction, “Harder-yes like that.”

You watched with rapt interest as he loosened his tie, shifting under your touch, his own breathing harder, “Twist your wrist-”

A rushed question, excitement permeating your tone, “Like this?”

You did as asked and the groan it pulled from him, eyes practically rolling back with a nod,“Yes-God yes.”

How could you possibly take it without wanting more? You were the one trying to rush this, you just needed him desperately, you shifted and brushed him against your soaked folds and his hands on your waist squeezed, stopping you, he was looking at you again, “Are you sure?”

So concerned again, you nodded, and he still seemed hesitant, and before he could speak again you decided to. He was an intelligent and logical man, why not use some of your own. You were still so hot and bothered, but if you wanted any real relief, wanted what you were really craving, then you had to sell this. “Doc-I want this so much an-and not just for the reason you think.”

He seemed interested so far and you kept going, “Leslie wants me because of uh-” You glanced down momentarily, trying to get your point across and then continued,“-of um that ‘quality.’ So what if…”

He finished your thought, saying out loud, “What if you weren’t.”

He was a smart man, he caught on easily to just what you meant, he already wanted you so much, and he hadn’t needed much convincing, but when you presented such a persuasive argument you had given him basically no choice. 

It was about survival, really.

If one of the prerequisites for being a final girl for Leslie was being a virgin, if you weren’t one any more, then wouldn’t you be safe and throw a wrench in his plans?

You were really about to get fucked like it was going to save your life. And to be fair, it just might. 

Despite the energy and how much it was wanted by both of you, he was still careful. You had your arms around his neck, and his hands still on your waist, he guided you again, lowering you down onto him. You felt so at ease with him, so relaxed and thankful from how he fingered you from before it wasn’t painful, however it did take some adjusting, you weren’t used to the feeling. Again, he helped, the words making him glide even easier inside of you as he confesses, “You feel incredible.”

You were gripping the back of his jacket, he let you take it at your own pace, letting you sit with him fully sheathed inside of you and waited, hands still at your waist, he kissed over your cheek and whispered in your ear, “You’re doing so good for me.”

That made you want to do even better. You moved up slowly and came back down, drawing a groan from him, you DID feel amazingly good, and were very hot in his lap, this might be a bit of a struggle for him to hold on. You took your time, riding him slowly as you got acquainted with the feeling. Soon it was feeling much better, gasping, soft moans and sighs falling from your lips, “D-Doc, yes-”

You needed more of his hands on you, and almost like he knew he was pulling your shirt up, leather clad dragging over the newly exposed skin, greedily touching you, and you wanted to shiver from the feeling. “My God.”

Hands holding on harder, moving more forcefully, breathing becoming faster, you pleaded with him,“He-help, please?”

Help he did. He started to move with you, meeting you in the middle, thrusting up from below as you came down, and that had you crying out for him. You were pressed so close you were getting that much-needed friction on your aching clit and if you both kept up this pace you would find your end again easily. 

“Doc, yes!” You were getting close, your rhythm was becoming uneven, hard to keep up the pace, thighs burning, and he helped further, holding you firmer and taking more control, rocking up into you. He wanted you so badly to cum at least one more time before he allowed himself to, face buried in the crook of your neck as he fucked you.

“C’mon, do it.”

And you did. Fucking Hell, if you knew it felt THIS good to cum while stuffed full to the brim, you would have experimented with penetration so much sooner. Moaning his name as you found your release, your legs were useless by this point, good thing he had fully taken over, fucking you through your high, hands still holding onto you. It took almost all the will power he had not to spill inside of you during your orgasm, but he somehow made it through and when he was sure you were finished he pulled out, gloved hand gripping himself and with a few strokes he came over your bare stomach with a shudder and a groan. 

You leaned back after you caught your breath, hands on his shoulders, you were impressed to say the bare minimum, if this was your first time then you were excited to see how much better it could get. It was quiet while you both caught your breath, you weren’t even sure what to say, so you didn’t say anything. 

You kissed him instead, much softer and sweeter, and it was returned in kind. Your fingers in his soft hair, lips sliding over his, it felt so damn right. You broke the kiss and pressed your foreheads together, just enjoying the closeness. 

Until it was just a little too uncomfortable. You pulled back and spoke up, “Mind getting the window?”

“Hmm? Oh, of course.” It was a little stuffy and hot in here, he looked over, reached down, he rolled the window down the rest of the way, it had been about halfway so it wasn’t that as bad as it could have been. But the extra fresh air was still needed. 

You were about to lean in and kiss him again, when instead you heard something that nearly made you jump out of your skin.

“Well hey there.” Your head whipped around to the now open window, heart was pounding and yeah you weren’t alone. “Jesus Christ, Leslie?”

Oh? Oh, God.

Yeah, you two might have lost track of time, you grabbed your jacket and covered up as best you could, tugging your shirt down, reminded of the cooling cum on your skin, you’d need to wash this shirt. 

“What’s up, Doc?” Leslie seemed amused by his own joke, Doc on the other hand seemed less than impressed, “Seems like you are having a good night.”

Doc cleared his throat and yeah he looked pretty displeased. Leslie spoke again, “Awe, c’mon aren’t you gonna introduce me to your uh, friend?”

Leslie seemed unbothered by Doc’s mood and asked it with a cock of his head. A roll of his eyes and Doc sighed, hand running over his face, clearly exasperated. “I know you already know her. But fine, Leslie, this is-” And he gave over your name, causing Leslie to turn to look into your eyes, a wave that was much too friendly as he greeted you, repeating your name with an enthusiastic, “Hi.” 

You swallowed thickly, okay yeah you understood why Leslie was so dangerous. His smile and overall demeanour, you could see the appeal clearly, if he got to you before Doc, who knows what might have happened?

“Hi.” You replied, with a small wave of your own, holding your jacket closer, and you felt incredibly exposed right now, but it was understandably that you felt that way. You could feel Doc hold onto you harder, you glanced at him and oh God, he was jealous? Why did you kinda like that thought?

“You were watching us?” Doc accused. 

Leslie was leaning on the window frame now, resting on his forearms, that damn smile as he said,“Well shit Doc, if you didn’t want someone to watch why were you doing it in public?”

He made a compelling point. You two weren’t exactly subtle about this. A glance at him out of the corner of your eye and yeah, Doc was pissed by this point, “It wasn’t an invitation!-I can’t believe you, this is too much even for you!”

“Oohoho your tone right now!” Leslie fired back with a laugh and a wide grin and Doc scoffed as he responded, “MY tone?!”

“Yeah Doc-” He was leaning forward more, purposefully taunting him, it’s like he was looking to get smacked, “It’s awfully judgmental, I mean look Doc, all I’m saying is one of us is out here defiling virgins in public on a school night, and it isn’t me-” 

Doc bitterly cut in, “For once.”

That made you had to stifle a laugh at that, Jesus, is this what it was like when they got together? Interesting dynamic to say the least. There was a pause at that, a beat before Doc spoke up again, seemingly just realizing something, “So you’re not angry.”

A more statement than a question even though it was kind of one. 

“Why would I be?” Leslie asked, a brief look to you and his brows furrowing for a second before realizing what Doc was thinking, and he laughed, “Oh, you think she’s the one?!”

“She isn’t?!” Doc sounded taken aback and quite shocked, you were too. Leslie was still laughing as he continued, “No! I was considering her but right around when you caught on I found a much better candidate, and obviously I was right to switch-”

Leslie looked you over as he kept going, “-but I had the thought that if I let you think she was, that it could be really fun. And as per usual, I was right!”

Leslie clapped Doc on the shoulder once, making him jump with a little grimace, before Leslie pushed back off the window with another laugh and said, “Anyway, have a good night you two.”

Mood sufficiently killed, Doc seemingly not knowing how to react to any of this information, you didn’t know how to either really. Doc had warned you that Leslie was always seemingly a couple of steps ahead and was excellent at planning and predicting things but going this far? Jesus. Playing the part and convincing Doc that you were going to be it, the whole plan around you, while it was really never about you. Just to fuck with Doc. If he went this far for a bit, how far did he go for his actual work?

Leslie’s voice comes through the open window again, “Oh! And Doc one more thing.”

A heavy sigh from him, he took a moment, before asking, “What is it, Leslie?”

He was leaning his hand against the roof of the car as he said, “Just a note. Really it was good, very hot-but I just gotta say now that you two are going this far you gotta cut it out with the ‘my child’ stuff. Makes it way harder for me to finish like that.”

You couldn’t hold your laugh back this time. What did you get yourself into?

[percyforever1022]

Okay Percy Jackson show rants bc I’m really trying to love stuff and like I’m enjoying watching it and I’ll keep watching it but also I have thoughts I need to get out (this started out as tv show complaints and also became about my love the lightening thief musical)

I feel like my biggest complaint is they messed with the stakes and they keep telling instead of showing like why change it to the solstice has passed that makes literally no sense and like yes Percy is smarter than he realizes but that comes through in how he makes instinctive decisions and pieces things together why does he just know things like the crusty one annoyed me the most it’s so frustrating and disappointing like I’m still enjoying watching it but I’m like I gotta be critical this is rough and I feel like they also just don’t know how to write tv like I think the best episode was 5 so far but even then like some great writing some bad writing shoutout to the lightening thief musical for being the best adaptation

Like I hope it gets another season and that they get more people in who know tv writing and pacing but like I’d still be nervous watching it and I think part of the issue too was like obviously they were modernizing stuff to fit now and like okay some stuff sure but then other stuff I feel like most changes really don’t make sense and haven’t been effective

Also they’re emphasizing stuff with the gods too much in my opinion and same for storylines that are a thing and covered in different novels like part of the amazingness of the first series is how well stuff builds!!! Show it to us slowly let us form our own conclusions and we learn more and more like yeah not all monsters are monsters you know who teaches us that? Tyson! not all heroes are heroes that’s the main point of titans curse

Another thing especially with the last episode I feel like we’re emphasizing too much just that the gods are bad with the kids and not just bad all around like Charon would’ve been such a great example with them bribing him and him being like yeah I don’t really get paid enough bring that up with hades like yeah what a bad system that would get reinforced when we later see calypso

Also I get changing stuff but some changes I’m like guys cmon like why change them going over the river Styx that would’ve been a perfect time to establish stuff naturally about it considering it’s really important later like annabeth being like Percy don’t touch that you’ll lose your soul like that’s relevant

And like one of the things I’m most nervous about is like Percy is different bc of sally like that’s a fact it’s the main reason him and Luke are foils and part of what’s so effective of the last book but I like in the books it being less intentional like it’s not oh I want him to be his own before you guys mess him up it’s just oh this is my son and I love him and I want him to live and be happy and in that Percy gets strength him choosing to not stay year round to be connected to humanity and be with his mom is so important but like sally just loves him and that love and connection to humanity is what makes Percy different from Luke and I think it’s more effective when it’s less intentional like obviously she makes choices to keep her son safe but idk it’s different

Also literally why make the solstice pass like the gods going to war is crazy stakes and now like technically they’re “prepping” but like they should be at war and that should have consequences why do that now it looks like nothing has consequences like the one day left thing worked let it be the solstice change has def annoyed me the most I literally wanna scream anytime I think about it

And then I feel like people get mad that people are criticizing the show and trying to be like well Rick is modernizing it and like there’s a way to do that that isn’t this and also if you’re going to do that than don’t market it as the faithful book adaption that we’ve been crazing like once again the lightening thief musical is great at adapting stuff and cutting what does work and making changes while still keeping the tone and all the stuff that makes Percy Jackson what it is and the show could’ve done that too and like everything up until the solstice change I was like okay I have thoughts but I’ll let it go the solstice tho that has larger implications

Also this is specifically about annabeth and no critique to Leah but I feel like the writers don’t know how to write a 12 year old girl like she’s supposed to be serious but in the way you’re serious when you’re 12 where you think you know everything and you can do it all bc duh but then everyone else is just like wow that child is doing a lot like where’s the energy where’s the passionate rants about architecture and the stuff she loves like this 12 year old should be bouncy off the walls she wants to do so much and make things permanent and be remembered and she’s going to do it just you all watch like literally my grand plan gets her this show complaint is also just another love letter to the musical oops like let her be desperate to prove herself not just to her mom but to everyone show us more of that

Also I love percabeth and I’m living for all the percabeth moments but I’m nervous we’re moving too quickly into romance territory like they seem too aware of it if that makes sense like I really like the moment where Percy imitates Athena in the arch bc like that’s so giving 12 year old trying to impress their crush when they don’t know they have a crush like give me more of that but also let them be friends let the trip goof around more and like this goes back to the show don’t tell them but let me see how they work together let Percy piece together information let annabeth make more plans let’s see her myth knowledge and then how they respond when stuff doesn’t go to plan that’s part of how they work so well together and same with Grover

Also like the musical just such a good job and like pairing Percy and annabeths issues and balancing their friendship and how they get closer with the potential of what could be in the future and like Percy singing I’m good enough for someone and annabeth singing I don’t know how or when but I promise you I’ll never be invisible again someone will notice me with the staging of Percy looking at her literally makes me insane

Also the musical did such a good job in the first song at setting up like yeah you wanna hear our story? Okay here’s our representative Percy Jackson and Chris McCarrell slid on to that stage like look I didn’t want to be a halfblood and then showed us why Percy is literally Mr accountability to the gods

Like this story can be adapted well it has all the potential literally everything is there but if you’re gonna do something in the medium it helps to have people who are passionate and understand that medium and know how to work with it

Also Luke’s good in the last day of summer lives in my head always truly iconic