#only good thing out of this season. and the roadtrip sorry i did enjoy it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

noladyme · 4 years ago

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The Crown Princess of Charming - Part 1

Welcome to Charming - its name says it all. Cat needed a fresh start; and though she hadn’t planned on that being in the arms of the crown prince of this little town’s bikerclub - that was what happened. This Charming CA would either be the death of her - or a whole new life.

This story is obviously non-canon. It will include characters from multiple seasons; some of them having never met on the show. In this universe, Tara didn’t come back from Chicago. I’ve done this to get the story I wanted.

I’ve also decided to give the protagonist a name in this story. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

“Move, you goddamn piece of shit!”. My car had stalled just a few yards before a sign that read Welcome to Charming – our name says it all. So far it hadn’t been very charming at all. Multiple cars were passing me and blaring their horns. “Do you think I just decided to park here?”, I yelled at a white Honda, with a blonde behind the wheel. She gave me the finger in response. “Shit!”.

I heard a roar of engines behind me; and a leather clad man on a motorbike pulled up next to my window. “You found a hell of a place to break down, luv’”, he said, with a Scottish drawl. “Yeah, thanks. I hadn’t noticed”, I sneered. “Pardon me, I was just stating facts”, he smirked. I frowned. “Sorry. I’ve just had a long ass drive”, I mumbled. “Mind if we take a look at it?”, he asked. I gestured for him to go ahead; and stepped out of the tired, beat up car; that had been my home for the last 4 days – driving from Chicago, to my new home in the town I’d chosen by its name alone. Charming.

I needed something charming at this point in my life – the last few years having been chaos – so I’d thrown everything to the wind; and had basically run away from the city, when I’d applied for, and been offered a job at Charming Middle School.

Behind my car, two more mc’s were parked – one of them a tall bearded man who sent me a friendly smile; and the other a blonde, lean guy, wearing a white t-shirt and white sneakers. Interesting choice for riding a motorcycle, I thought. All three men had the same patch on their backs – a skull-headed reaper. The writing said Sons of Anarchy – California.

The scot had opened my hood, and was looking into the steaming entrails of my car. He let out a long whistle. “When was the last time you checked our oil, luv’?”. I decided to ignore his choice of nickname for me. “I have no idea. I just bought it a week ago; haven’t really done anything but drive it”. He smiled and shook his head. “Jackie!”, he called. The blonde man looked up; and took of his sunglasses – revealing a pair of piercing baby blues. “We’re gonna need the tow-truck”.

The blonde got off his bike, and joined the scot at the front of the car. “Shit”. He drew out the word, ending it with a full-on laugh. “Darlin’, you’ve killed it”. I sighed. “Great…”. “Were you going far?”, he asked. “Charming was my destination; but I didn’t even make it past the sign”. I ran my hand through my hair. “Shit!”.

Blonde guy called out to the bearded biker. “Ope! Call TM. Get Rat out here with the tow”. “We can’t leave her here, on the side of the road”, the third man answered. Blondie chewed his lip. “You up for a ride?”, he asked me. I was caught off guard. “What?”, I asked. “We’ll get your car back to our shop. You can wait there for it; and figure out your next step”. I shrugged. “Yeah, why the hell not”.

Blondie walked up to me and stuck out his hand. “I’m Jackson. Scottie here is Chibs; and the kind man calling a tow-truck for you, is Opie”. I took his hand and shook it. His grab on mine was firm, but gentle. “I’m Cat”, I said cautiously. He smiled brightly at me; a glint to his eyes that made me blush slightly. “Welcome to Charming”, he said. “Now, come on”.

He handed me his own helmet; and got on his bike; patting the seat behind him. I grabbed my purse from the front seat; leaving my keys on the left front wheel. Welcome to Charming, indeed, I thought, and got on Jacksons bike with him, looking for something to grab on to “You’re gonna have to hold on to me, Cat”, Jackson smirked. I put my hands on his waist – noticing his firm and muscular frame – and he started up the bike. The force of the engine between my legs made me jump a little; and I heard Jackson chuckle in front of me. “Don’t worry, I got you”. He revved the engine, and we rode in to town.

—

We drove into a big lot about 10 minutes later. I noticed a large amount of motorcycles; and more bikers clad in leather. They all wore the same patch as the three men I’d just met – though some said Nevada. There were two large buildings; one was an auto shop – Teller Morrow – and the other seemed to be some sort of a clubhouse.

Jackson halted his bike at the end of the line of motorcycles; seemingly a spot reserved for him. I climbed off, almost stumbling; and he grabbed my hand to steady me. “You good?”, he asked. I nodded.

A tall middle-aged woman, with an amazing rack, came out of the office of the auto shop. “Jax; Clays been looking for you”, she said. Jackson smirked, and backed his bike into his spot. “What else is new?”, he said. The woman kissed his cheek. “I’m picking up the kid in a few. You need anything at home?”. “Milk. And coffee”, Jackson answered. He looked towards me. “Ma; this is Cat. Her car stalled just by the edge of town”. The woman looked at me; her eyes enquiring, but mostly friendly. “The one Rat and Juice went out for?”. Jackson nodded.

She shook my hand. “Gemma Teller”, she said. “Cat Rose”, I smiled. “You’re the new teacher down at the middle-school”, she said – more a statement than a question. I nodded. “Yeah, I am. How’d you know?��. “Gem knows everything”, the biker named Chibs said; and kissed Gemma’s cheek. “Hi, mom”.

I chuckled. “You seem a little too young to be his mom”. “Around here, I’m everyone’s mom”, she answered. “Though my only biological kid, is the cheeky blonde you rode bitch with”. I took that as meaning Jax was her son. The cheeky blonde sent me a smile. “Gemma will take care of you from here on”, he said. “See you around, teach’”. I smiled in return; and Jackson walked towards the clubhouse.

I followed Gemma into her office. “What’s the Sons of Anarchy?”, I asked. “Sweetheart, stick around long enough, you’ll find out”, she said. “Coffee?”. “Yeah, thanks”, I smiled.

I didn’t see any of my new biker friends the rest of the day; as my car arrived not long after we did. A mohawked Latino named Juice, of all things; informed me that my cooler was shot; and I needed a completely new starter. None of this made any sense to me; as I didn’t know anything about engines – but looking at the costs of repairs needed to have the vehicle function again; I decided to sell it for scrap.

“Too bad, honey”, Gemma said. “I had one of those as a teenager”. “You wanna buy it?”, I grinned. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in it”, she answered, and lit a cigarette; offering me one. I accepted. “Juice; is Tig still selling his old chevy?”. “Yeah, he hasn’t gotten a buyer yet. I think it’s ‘cuz it smells like wet dog”. I shook my head. “I won’t be able to afford it; with or without the smell”. Gemma winked at me. “I’ll get a you a good deal; and you can make payments”. I smiled. “I’m gonna like this town”. “We all do”, she smiled back.

—

Gemma gave me a ride to the motel I was going to stay at, until I found a new place. I got my four boxes and two suitcases out of her trunk and backseat; thanking her for all her help. “It’s me who should be thanking you. The school had been looking for a good arts teacher for over a year”. “I’m taking over 6’th and 7’th grade English as well”, I said. She laughed. “Mrs. Bloom finally decided to retire, huh?”, she said. “She taught both me and Jackson”. “Wow…”, I grimaced. “I’m not that old”, she said. “That’s not…”, I began. “Just pulling your leg sweetheart”, she smiled. “See you around”. She drove off, and left me to settle in to my new temporary home.

I spent the evening scanning the newspaper for cheap rentals. Money was scarce; but I knew the motel needed to be short term – especially after noticing the thin walls inability to hide the sounds of my neighbors having kinky sex. Some woman kept screaming Yes, Daddy!; making it difficult to concentrate on my apartment-hunting .

In the evening; after ordering a pizza; I decided to take a shower. I let the water run for a bit; before stepping in – trying to ignore the metallic smell of it. Washing 4 days of roadtripping off my body; I finally felt clean enough to face my new situation.

I’d left Chicago in a hurry; leaving my furniture, and only bringing my most cherished belongings. I wanted to get as far away from the city as possible; but a ticket to Hawaii was out of the question on my teachers’ salary – and I wasn’t ready to go back to dancing at clubs. Most of my last cash had been spent on the now dead Ford; that I’d sold for scrap through TM.

Chicago wasn’t my home town; but I’d thought it was the place for me. I’d been proven wrong, when a relationship had gone wrong. Very wrong. I’d needed to get away from the guy in question; as his possessive nature throughout our relationship had ended up scaring me. Trying to get a restraining order hadn’t worked due to his own contacts within the court-system. I wanted a new life. Maybe Charming could be the base for that.

Stepping out of the shower; I wrapped myself in a towel. There was a knock on the door, and I went to open it. Outside stood Jackson; a grin the size of the county on his handsome face. “You’re not pizza…”, I said. “Not the last time I checked”, he chuckled. “You left behind some paperwork at TM”. I looked down at my lack of clothing. “I should get dressed”, I smiled. “Come on in. Sorry about the mess”. He stepped inside. “It’s fine, darlin’. You should see my place”.

I grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms, and a tank top from an open suitcase; and went into the bathroom. “Do you usually order pizza in just a towel?”, he called after me. “Only if the delivery-guy is really cute”, I called back. Shit… now you’re flirting with the biker. Good one, Cat. “I’ll have to change professions”, I heard him mutter.

I stepped back into the room, fully dressed. “What’s the paperwork?”, I asked. He handed me an envelope. “Just a signoff for the scrapping of the car”, he said. “It’s too bad. My mom had one of those back in the day”. “She told me”, I smiled. “Coffee?” He smiled. “Nah, sorry, I gotta run again”. “Too bad”, I said. Dammit! Stop, you idiot.

He chuckled. “It’s good to have some fresh blood in town. I hear you’re starting at the school. You’ll be teaching one of Opie’s kids. Ellie – sweet kid”. I signed the papers he’d handed me, and gave them back. “I’ll remember to give her good grades”, I said. “Yeah…”, he answered sadly. “She’s been through it. Her and Kenny both. Their mom died a year back”. “I’m sorry to hear that”, I answered earnestly. “Donna was a good mom. And a good old lady”, he said. “What’s that?”, I asked. “An old lady? Shit, you are new in town”, he smirked. I shrugged. “Just not used to biker lingo”, I winked. “I’ll have to get you used to it, then…”, he said with a smile. I chewed my lip, a rush of heat going through my body.

He remembered himself. “The car – the one you’re buying”, he said. “Tig will be down at the shop tomorrow night. You can pick up the keys then”. I exhaled; trying to calm down my budding crush on the gorgeous man in front of me. “Thanks. I’ll be there. 7 pm good?”. “We should be done with church by then”, he said. “Tomorrow’s not Sunday”, I answered. He chuckled. “Not that kind of church”. I narrowed my eyes playfully. “Biker lingo…”, I said. “Biker lingo”, he smirked.

We stood there for a while, both unsure what to say; before Jax broke the silence. “Tomorrow; it’s Gemma’s birthday. There’s gonna be a party at the clubhouse”, he said cautiously. “If you wanna stick around for a while…”. “Maybe”, I smiled.

“Yes Daddy! Slap that ass!”, we heard from next door. We both laughed. “If I’m not mistaken; Tig might be right next door. But it’s probably not a good time to disturb him”, Jackson said. “I’ll wait”, I agreed. “See you tomorrow?”. “I’m looking forward to it”, Jackson winked; and walked out the door; giving me a final grin; before closing it behind him.

Cat. You can’t have sex with the biker, I told myself. But the warm sensation streaming though me, told me I’d probably have a problem sticking to that, if I had the opportunity.

—

The next day I slept in; enjoying the feeling of being in an actual bed for the first time in days. I did some light shopping for groceries – the fridge in my motel room not being very big. The people I met seemed friendly enough, though a bit standoffish. I figured it was because I was new in town.

Walking back towards the motel; a group of bikers rode by – one of them being Opie. He lifted a hand in a wave at me. I noticed that the bikes were ridden almost in a procession; with a leader in front; and everyone else keeping to their assigned position in the group. It was led by a grey-haired man with a prominent jaw. He looked at me, and nodded. I nodded back.

Back in my room, I had a light lunch; and decided to figure out what the hell one wore for a birthday party at a biker club. I figured some skinny jeans and an off the shoulder, black t-shirt would have to do. Putting on my favorite necklace – a silvery hand with an eye in the middle; a Hamsa symbol – I let my hair hang lose; and put on a little makeup. Black cat eye; and red lips. It usually did the trick. You’re actually dressing up for the biker now, I smirked at myself.

I was early; so, I tracked down a coffee shop to sit and read a book. My shoulder bag usually had at least one volume in it. This week, it was American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I was completely concentrated on my book; when suddenly Chibs and a large curly haired man stepped in to the shop. “Well, look who we have here!”, Chibs smiled. “Bobby, this is the young lady who killed her car just outside town”. I grinned. “Thanks”, I said. “I needed a reminder of my bad mechanic skills”. “I aim to serve, madam”, the scot grinned. Bobby stuck out his hand. “Welcome to town, my lady”, he said; and kissed my hand chivalrously. “Careful Bob. VP’s got his eye on this one”, Chibs said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, I asked. “Don’t worry about it”, Bobby grinned.

I took a sip of my coffee, and shook my head. “What are you doing here?”. “Coffee run for church. It was a long night”, Chibs winked. The man behind the counter handed over some coffees to Bobby; who pulled out his wallet. “Your money’s no good here”, the barista said. Bobby nodded. “How’s your mom?”, he asked. “Much better, thanks”, the man answered and smiled. “I’ll pay you back”. “We know you’re good for it, Gary”, Chibs said. He looked at me. “See you later?”. I nodded.

The bikers left the shop; and drove off towards TM. The barista walked up to me with my check. “Welcome to town”, he said warily. “Look… Samcro; they’re a part of this town; and they do a lot of good. But they’re in to some pretty bad stuff as well. Be careful”. He didn’t wait for an answer; but just went back behind his register. I frowned, and tried to wrap my head around his words. I paid Gary, and left the shop myself.

I decided to do some light sightseeing. It was Saturday; so most of the small shops closed early; but I made my way to the middle-school that would be my new place of work the coming Monday. The trek was a bit longer than I’d anticipated; so I was glad that I had a newish car set up for me. The building wasn’t large, but I figured it was large enough for the amount of kids in the area. The look of it gave me some peace of mind. It would be an easy start, I thought. And I was looking forward to it.

—

Walking back towards TM, I stopped by a florist who was closing up. I got a nice bouquet for Gemma, and walked into the auto-shop lot. The place was bustling with people. At least 20 bikes were parked in the lot; and everywhere people were shaking hands, and grabbing wrapped presents out of their cars. The men were all clad in leather; except for a man in a sheriff’s uniform; and the women were mostly wearing miniskirts and dresses – their boobs on display as much as possible.

I didn’t recognize any faces, and felt a bit anxious, before someone grabbed my shoulder. “Hey, darlin’”, Jax was beaming at me. He leant in and kissed my cheek; his stubble and short beard scratching my chin in a delicious way. “I’m glad you made it!”. “Yeah, me too”, I smiled. He took my hand, holding it confidently. “Come on. I’ll introduce you”.

We walked in to the clubhouse. It smelled like motor oil and whiskey, and the air was heavy with smoke. It should have put me off; but I was enjoying it. It reminded me of my former profession as a dancer, and the kind of trouble I’d gotten in to then. Jackson let go of my hand, and put his own on my lower back, leading me to the bar counter. “You remember Opie”, he said; gesturing at the tall bearded man. With his helmet off, he was now wearing a hoodie, and had a beautiful blonde on his arm. Opie shook my hand and smiled at me friendlily. “This is Lyla”, he said softly, and gestured at the woman. “Nice to meet you”, she smiled. I thought I recognized her face from somewhere, but I couldn’t make the connection. “Cat”, I smiled, and shook her hand.

Jax led me on. “Chibs and Juice, you know as well; and I’m told you already met Bobby”. The men both nodded at me. “Then there’s Happy…”. A tall menacing man sent me a warm smile. “Piney; Opies dad”; Jackson said, gesturing at an elderly man with an oxygen tank hanging from his shoulder. Jackson looked at a scrawny looking guy, and a tall heavy man standing next to him. “Those are the prospects. They don’t matter”. I scrunched my brows at him. “Trust me”, he chuckled.

We walked towards a dark-skinned, kind looking woman, holding a beautiful baby in her arms. “Hey Neeta”, Jax smiled, and took the baby from her; holding it to his chest. His face was glowing with pride. “And this is my boy. Abel”. I let the baby hold my finger, and smiled at his chubby face. “Hi, Abel”. Jacksons eyes met mine; gleaming. “Is… his mom…”, I tried – fearing the answer. “Not around”, Jax answered. “It’s better that way”, he said meaningfully. I nodded. It wasn’t the time.

Abel started fussing. Jax took a baby-blanket from a diaper-bag on a table. “Did you bring…?”, Jax said, before Neeta handed him a bottle. Jax smiled warmly in thank you. He put the bottle to Abel’s mouth. “Here you go, little dude”. He bounced the baby up and down softly. “You’re good at that”, I smiled. “My mom would have my ass, if I wasn’t”, he grinned. “Besides, he’s my little man”. I stroked a finger over the baby’s forehead. “He’s perfect”. Jax looked at me proudly. “Yeah”, he smiled.

I looked around. “Where is your mom, by the way?”. “Shit, yeah”, he said, looking at the watch on his wrist. Jackson kissed the top of Abel’s head, and handed the bottle back to Neeta. “Gemma and Clay will be here in 5”, he called into the room. “She doesn’t know why she’s here. So quiet the hell up!”. There was a rumbling of an engine outside. “Shit, they’re early!”, Bobby said. “Turn off the lights!”.

Someone hit the lights; and about ten seconds later the door opened. “Goddammit, Clay”, Gemma grumbled, as she walked in. “You promised to take me to dinner, you jerk!”.

“Surprise!”, everyone yelled; and the lights turned on again. Gemma stood, mouth agape; flanked by the grey-haired man I’d seen on the road earlier; and a black-haired man with piercing eyes, I figured was Tig. “Oh my God!”, Gemma cried out. “You assholes!”. She laughed, and began hugging the people around her. Jackson walked up to his mom; and embraced her warmly; Abel still in his arms. Gemma kissed first Jackson; and then the baby, taking him from Jax’s arms. “You guys are dicks”, she said; happy tears in her eyes. The grey-haired man – Clay – put his arm around her waist, and kissed her warmly. “Happy birthday, baby”, he said. “At least you remembered it this year”, Gemma pouted playfully at him.

She looked towards me, a sense of wonder in her eyes. I smiled, and mouthed happy birthday. She mouthed me a thank you in response; followed by a warm smile. For a second her eyes shifted from me to Jackson, and she narrowed her eyes at him; whispering something in his ear. He laughed in response, and looked at me, biting his lip. He nodded at his mom, and walked back to me.

“Do you want a drink?”, he asked. “Please”, I said, smiling nervously. “Don’t worry, babe, you’re here with me”. I laughed. “Maybe that’s why I’m worried”. He winked at me. “In that case, you should be worried. Word around the street is, I’m dangerous”. He kissed my cheek again, and put his arm around me. “Rat, get this lady a beer”. The scrawny prospect handed over a cold bottle, and I took a welcome sip of it.

Opie joined us. “You’re teaching my kid this year”, he said. “Yeah, Jackson told me”, I answered. The tall man looked a bit uncomfortable. “She’s been having some issues… It’s been messing with her schoolwork”. I smiled comfortingly. “Don’t worry, I won’t be a hard-ass”, I said. Opie smiled softly. “Thanks”, he muttered.

Jax looked at his friend. “I told Cat about Donna”, he said. Opie nodded and met my eyes. “So you get it”, he said. “I do”, I said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help”. Opies expression warmed. “Thanks”, he said. “Cheers”, he said, raising his bottle at me. We clinked our beers, and both took a sip.

Opie looked meaningfully at Jax. “We got that thing, brother”, he muttered. Jackson frowned slightly, and looked at me. “I need to do some business”, he said, and put a strand of hair behind my ear. “Be back in a bit”. He walked off with Opie, leaving me to sit on a stool by the bar.

The black-haired man walked up next to me. “I hear you’re in need of a car”, he said, accepting a beer from the larger prospect. “I’m Tig”. “Cat”, I answered. “I know”, he winked at me. “It’s a piece of shit old chevy, but it’s better than the one you came to town in”. “Anything is better than that”, I laughed. He handed me a set of keys. “80 a month for a year work for you?”, he said. “That’s cheap”, I said, frowning slightly. “We take care of our own”, Tig said, and patted my shoulder. “By the way; if you get sick of the VP, let me know”, he smirked. I laughed again. “Sure, Daddy”, I grinned. “So the was you, next door”, he chuckled. I shrugged, and nodded.

Juice stepped up to stand on the other side of me. “Hey”, he said, giving me a crooked smile, and a lifted brow. Tig tapped him over the head. “Hands of, Juicy!”, he said. “Jax territory”. The young biker took a step away from me. “Sorry”, he laughed nervously. I shook my head, laughing. “This place is weird”, I said. “Welcome to town”, Tig said; and clinked his bottle to mine, taking a sip of beer. I joined him in the drink. We took a shot of whiskey together, before Tig’s attention went to a busty brunette in the corner. “Excuse me”, he muttered; and sauntered off, leaving me alone again.

I decided to look for a friendly face in the crowd, being a bit uncomfortable on my own. Jax hadn’t come back for his business yet, and I was worried he’d leave me alone all night. Lyla was standing with another woman, looking like they were gossiping about something. She caught my eye and waved me over. “How are you holding up?”, she asked. The other woman walked off; climbing on to Happy’s lap, where he was sitting on a couch. “Uhm…”, I began. “I just got in to town, and I’m already having drinks with the local biker gang. I’d say I’m a little out of my comfort zone”. She smiled friendlily at me. “You’ve already bagged the vice president. You’re doing just fine”, she said. “I haven’t bagged anyone”, I smiled. “He’s known you for 2 days, and already invited you to his mom’s birthday. I’d say you’re a bit more than some crow-eater”, Lyla responded.

I took another sip of my beer. “What’s a crow-eater?”. Lyla chuckled. “Ok, quick lowdown on the women in the club”, she began. “Most of the women in here, are what we call crow-eaters. They hang around the club, make the men feel good about themselves… you know”. “An easy lay”, I muttered. “Yeah”, Lyla smiled. “Some of us are what you’d call old ladies. We’re the ones who have locked our men down. See this…”. She showed me a tattoo of a flying crow on her shoulder. “This means no one but Opie touches me”. “Doesn’t it feel weird to be… marked, like that?”. I grimaced. “Sorry… I didn’t mean…”. “Don’t worry about it, honey. I get it”, Lyla responded. “This is just my way of showing everyone around me that I belong to Opie; but also, that Opie belongs to me”.

She smiled, and took my hand, squeezing it. “You seem nice, so I’ll let you in on a secret. This life… it’s not easy; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love Opie – and his kids. He takes care of me and my boy”. She looked at me meaningfully. “But if you’re unsure about whether this is your idea of a good life; you should walk away. I mean that in the nicest way. Please don’t take it as anything else”. I gave her a crooked smile. “I’ll take it a day at a time”. She nodded.

A hand grabbed mine. Jax was standing next to me. “Hey”, he said softly. “Come say hi to my mom”. I followed him over to Gemma. “Hey sweetheart”, she said. “Thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful”. “You’re welcome”, I smiled. “This is my husband, Clay”, she said, and the man at her side shook my hand. His eyes were deep and menacing; and I was unsure whether to be afraid of him or respect him. “Welcome to town, teach’”, he said. “Thanks. It’s been good so far”. Clay nodded at me, and looked at Jax. “Did you finish that business?”. Jackson clenched his jaw. “It’s done”, he said. “I made the call”. “Good”, Clay said. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t blow back on us”.

Gemma patted his chest. “No club business on my birthday, baby”. Clay smiled at his wife, and kissed her again. “Yes, ma’am”, he muttered. Gemma looked at Jax. “Do you need me to take the baby tonight?”. Jax looked at me, and then back at his mom. “Would you?”. “You know I love taking him”, she smiled. “Make it my birthday present”. Jackson chuckled. “Shit, I’ll take back the diamond necklace then”, he said. He took my hand. “Come on, let’s find somewhere quiet”. My breath hitched, and I followed him out of the clubhouse.

We sat down by a picnic table just outside the door. Jax had brought us a pair of freshly opened beers. “You doing ok?”, he asked earnestly. “Yeah”, I smiled. “Just … a bit out of my element”. He bit his lip and looked at me enquiringly. “What element is that?”, he asked. “I dunno… I usually don’t go to mc-parties”. He chuckled, and took my hand. “I’m glad you’re here”. “You don’t even know me”, I said quietly.

He sighed. “Tell me, then”. “What do you want to know?”, I smiled nervously. “Whatever you want to share”, he shrugged. “Why?”, I asked. He looked at me with a genuine warmth. “Because I’ve been thinking about you ever since you wrapped these hands around my waist, and it sent chills down my spine”. He took my other hand, linking his fingers with mine. “Where did you come from?”.

I didn’t know how much to tell him. I was still mentally sore from my ordeal with the guy in Chicago – but his serious expression made me trust him. “Chicago”, I said. “I was a teacher there as well. It didn’t work out…”. “Why?”. I sighed. “The city can wear a girl down”, I smiled theatrically. “And there was… a guy. He didn’t know how to take no for an answer”. Jacksons jaw clenched. “What’d he do to you?”, he almost growled “At first he was fine. We had a few dates, before he suddenly proclaimed his love for me”. “You didn’t feel the same way?”, Jax asked. “No. I mean; back then, he was friendly, had a steady job… He saw himself as a catch; and I guess he was. But I just didn’t care about him like that. He was… possessive. I tried to call it off, but he acted like I’d never said anything, and continued dropping by at my school; sending me flowers; and showing up at my apartment at all hours of the day”. Jackson bit his lip. “Sorry… I guess you’re off men for a while”, he said, and met my eyes again. I smiled. “No. Just him”. “Good to know”, he muttered. “But why didn’t you get a restraining order?”.

I sighed again. “I tried… he has connections. When he didn’t like my way of handling things, he let the word spread in the school council that I had an issue with drugs”. Jax shook his head angrily. “Asshole”. “Yeah”, I agreed. “I managed to get the drug accusations of my record – but it was too late, and I was fired”. “So you came to Charming”. I nodded. “I looked at names of towns on the west coast; and Charming seemed promising”, I smiled. “There was an opening as a teacher the elementary school; so I applied – and they must have been desperate, ‘cuz they gave me the position with just a phone interview”.

He squeezed my hands again. “I’m glad you’re here”. “Me too”, I muttered.

Jax put his hand on my cheek, and stroked my temple. “So if you’re not off men… mind if I give it a shot?”. I bit my lip, trying to stifle a smile, and shook my head.

He leant in, and stroked his nose against mine. Our lips brushed each other for a second; and he kissed me. I parted my lips slightly, and the tip of his tongue met mine. He put his hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. He smelled like leather and some musky cologne; a warm smell that fit him perfectly – and his kiss tasted like the beer he’d been drinking, and mint chewing gum.

He exhaled deeply and pulled back a bit. “Do you want to get out of here?”, he asked softly. My body was screaming yes, but I was desperately trying to control myself. “Jax… I just moved into town. We’ve known each other for 5 minutes… I don’t think…”. “I get it”, he smiled. “I’m not expecting you to jump in to bed with me. But I do want to see you again”. “I’d like that”, I smiled.

Our lips met again. “You taste like… pancakes”, he smiled. “Is that good?”, I smiled. “It’s perfect”, he said against my lips, kissing me deeply one more time.

The door opened, and Juice stepped outside with a ginger girl. “Shit, sorry”, he smiled. “It’s fine, Juice, the table is yours. Just clean it up afterwards”, Jackson smiled. “Come on”, he said to me, pulling me with him.

“I think it’s time for me to go home”, I said softly. He looked at me with a kind smile. “You want a ride?”. I jingled the keys in my pocket. “I got a new car; remember?”. Jax groaned. “Shit; I would have loved to have these legs wrapped around me, in one way or another”. He slid a hand over my thigh; squeezing them gently.

Juice looked impatient; and Jax took my hand – leading me over to a black, classic looking Chevrolet. “Wow…”, I said. “I popped an air freshener in there for you. It had a pretty gnarly smell”, Jax chuckled. “Thanks”, I smiled, and looked at him warmly.

Getting into the car – immediately thanking Jax an extra time for the air freshener; as it was needed – I rolled down the window. “Thanks for inviting me”, I smiled at the blonde man. Jax took the hand I had resting in the window-opening, and squeezed it – winking at me. His face suddenly dropped. “Shit, Cat. I didn’t get your number…”. I grinned, and rattled of my digits, and he punched the number into a flip phone from his pocket. Who uses flip phones anymore?

Jax leant in, and planted a final soft kiss against my lips. “Bye”, he whispered, and bit his lower lip. I smiled and started up the engine. My new car purred, and I had a wide smile on my face, as I left the lot – sending a final look towards the picnic table, where Juice was face deep in the red-haired girls cleavage.

Welcome to Charming, I grinned to myself, and drove off.

—

Tag-list: (let me know if you want on it)

@wolf-lover-bookdragon

@wonderlandfandomkingdom

#soa #jax teller #jax teller fic #jax teller x oc #jackson teller #jackson teller fic #sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fic

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daisylincs · 4 years ago

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AO3 Stats

Thanks for the tags, @loved-the-stars-too-fondly, @justanalto, @aleksandrachaev, @eowima and @everythingirl44! Oh hey look, a list of some of my very favourite people, and authors!! ily, guys, and thanks for thinking of me 😍😍💜

I officially joined AO3 and posted my first fic on the 22nd of May 2020, and have been too actively posting since then, coming in with a total of 47 works this year, in two fandoms. (Holy shit 🤣🤣😱) And the results of said "holy shit," apparently, we shall see below!

What are your five most popular works of all time? (starting with the most kudos)

time can break your heart, have you begging please with 132 kudos, 1133 hits (Agents of SHIELD, post-7x10 Dousy hurt/comfort)

my, my, just how much I missed you with 131 kudos, 1171 hits (Spider-Man: Tom Holland Movies, ten years post-Far From Home Peter and MJ meeting again in an airport)

square with 107 kudos, 959 hits (Agents of SHIELD, post-finale Dousy fluff)

mountains and valleys, and all that will come in between with 106 kudos, 1006 hits (Spider-Man: Tom Holland Movies, Spideychelle roadtrip and bed-sharing AU)

blue with 95 kudos, 849 hits (Agents of SHIELD, Daisy character study focusing on the colour blue)

What are your five least popular works? (starting with the least kudos)

peace with 9 kudos, 40 hits (Agents of SHIELD, Staticquake relationship study)

all I want for Christmas (is you) with 9 kudos, 52 hits (Agents of SHIELD, Dekesy Christmas Musical AU)

i just wanna be with you with 9 kudos, 70 hits (Agents of SHIELD, Staticquake Modern Royalty AU)

we wish you with 12 kudos, 58 hits (Agents of SHIELD, Staticquake & Fitzsimmons New Year fluff)

all the comforts of home with 12 kudos, 79 hits (Agents of SHIELD, post-canon Mackelena domestic fluff)

Are you surprised about any of these lists?

I'm always surprised by time can break your heart's popularity, lmao, because for a long time, I even completely forgot I wrote it 🤣🤣🙈 And it was cobbled together in like one hour on my daily train ride, too!! I was convinced it was crap at the time, but... apparently not, lol! Also, I suppose it's Dousy, which was SUPER popular mid-season 7. And as for the rest of my most popular things, well... I'm just flattered :D

Regarding the less popular stuff, well, I've only written oneshots, and often for rarer pairings, too, so I was never expecting HUGE amounts of kudos. Staticquake, Mackelena and Dekesy, for example, while I like all three of those ships very much, they're not the huuuuge ones in the fandom, so, RIP. 🥺 I adore and appreciate all my regular readers much more than words can say, though 🥰💜💜

Optional, if you want to calculate it (remember that ao3 will count all the words in a multichap towards the year it is completed, regardless of how much was actually posted that year): How many words did you publish in 2020?

Wellll, in my case, AO3 absolutely cannot lie to me, since the one and only year I have actually posted fic in was our friend 2020. So my total wordcount for this crazy year: 204317. *pause to almost drop phone* I'm sorry but HOLY SHIT, I what???? Unbloodybelievable 😱😱😱 in a good way, though!

What’s a favorite fic you published this year?

arghhhhhsgkldjgksaskldjfks I agree with Kat, asking me to choose one favourite fic is like asking me to pick my favourite child! But in the end, I think I'll have to call a tie between ever after, which is the single fic that I'm proudest of, and a VERY emotional post-finale Daisy character study; and you could call me babe for the weekend, which was a gargantuan labour of love in the form of a 19k Spideychelle fake dating AU.

How do you feel like you’ve improved as a writer this year?

Well, since this is my first year of actually writing fic, there's not much I can say here... I have become a lot more confident with what I put out there as compared to when I posted my first fics, though, so that's a good thing! :D

What is something new you did writing-wise in the past year? (new fandom, pairing, setting, genre, collab, etc)

Lolll, well, technically, everything?? I'm seriously someone who thought I'd NEVER write anything creatively again after passing my English A Level, so just the fact that I posted any fic is new to me.

A little more seriously, though, I'd say... polyships? They're something I wasn't against, per se, but would also never read or write personally. Until I met @bobbimorseisbisexual and their writing, though!! My entire stance has changed thanks to Al, and I now greatly enjoy both reading and writing polyship content.

In that vein, I like to think I've become a lot more accepting with what I'll read and write, ship-wise? I used to only write a very narrow few ships that I enjoy, and not broaden out at all - but through the course of this year, as I met more and more incredible writers and friends, with an equally incredible spectrum of likes, I gradually started reading for more and more ships, including some I'd never think of myself. Now, I'm proud to say that you can persuade me to read almost anything if it's well-written and the story shows me a way for the characters to fit together (with the exceptions being abusive/non-consensual, pedophilic or otherwise morally wrong things, but that, I do believe, is just general decency.) The same goes for me and writing, nowadays - if you ask nicely enough, I'll do pretty much anything. And honestly, I'm proud of me for that.

What is something writing-related you would like to try in the future? (check back at the end of the year and see if you did it!)

Oh, gosh, I'd LOVE to do a collab someday! I think it's SUCH a cool and unique challenge to write something with someone else, and I'd very much like to try it out one day. My wife has promised me we can try one someday, though with both our jobs, no idea when it'll ever actually happen... it's definitely on the wishlist, though!!

But it's not necessarily just with Kat, I'd be thrilled to do a collab with pretty much anyone, from any of my fandoms. Ahhh, I just think it's such an awesome goal, and it's definitely one of mine for 2021!

Today’s date, so you can see how your results might change if you do this again in a year.

3 January, 2020

I have been the laziest ass this weekend which is why I'm only getting to this challenge now instead of on the 1st someone please drag me away from my Netflix but doing this was actually super fun, and cool! And insane. Yup. So insane!!! Anyway, to join me in the fun-and-cool (but hopefully not insane, lolll) I tag @ohwriteiforgot, @apathbacktoyou, @springmagpies, @nazezdha321, @maybebrilliant, @the-9muses, @fitzsimmonkeys, @besidemethewholedamntime, @libbyweasley, @infinitestarsintheskye and @bobbimorseisbisexual! 🥰💜

#tag game #ao3 stats #oh; these were SO COOL to find out and compile!!#and it'll be EPIC to come back in a year and see what's changed 😍😍#queue'll figure it out together

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wheremytwinwatches · 4 years ago

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[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 31

Last time: Roy gave Riza his number, war was hell, and there could only be one Doc. Onwards!

Envy is not happy to change jobs from Doc Marcoh’s waiter to Scar’s maid, cleaning up his latest mess of brain matter. And so much for the guard dog. Or dogs? There’s an empty collar… Riza’s seeing Ed out after tea, when Ed worries about her new job as a hostage she waves it off as a better chance to kill him in his sleep. That’s one way to look at it, I suppose. One message to pass on about Scar being back, and thanks for talking about Ishval, and Ed’s off. Quick, go save your brother from his new admirer! Episode 31 - “The 520 Cens Promise“ Cens? Is that like an Amestris version of a penny, or what? Ed catches up with Al at a clock-fountain, you can tell how much hearing about Ishval got to him when he calls himself “practically a kid”. And it definitely casts a light on Roy’s drive to become the Fuhrer, if it’s really just setting himself up for Mob Justice. Speaking of the future, they talk about their plans after they regain their bodies. Food for Al, of course, he should still be carrying around that “Stuff to Eat” book. Ed claims that he’s been so busy just trying to get his limbs back he hasn’t thought about what comes next. Maybe some courtesy calls NO NO NO NO Leto-damn it, boys! “Let Granny and Teacher know we’re all right”? “They’ve both helped us out so much”? “They’ll be smiling when they see us”?!?! Stop it, you’re signing their death warrants! Oh my Leto stop with the optimism, you are painting great big targets on yourselves for the Irony Gods. Moving on, moving on! Ed talks about his plan to get around Uncle’s Anti-Alchemy Field with Alkahestry, I’m a little concerned about that seeing as Uncle changed his method to counter Scar’s mixed style, but it’s still a starting point. Time to get lessons from a little girl! A little girl who has skipped town, apparently! Doc says she left his house/hospital that morning. Wow, I get that you’re upset Ed, but there’s no need to just hang up on the Doc like that. And people wonder why he’s snippy all the time. Now, how to track down the little princess? It’s not like she has a unique identifier like a foreign animal companion OH WAIT Elsewhere in Central, Havoc gets visited by Breda and a gift of dumbbells, a farewell gift before he gets shipped off to the West. Fuery and Falman catch up as well as the latter goes to drop off a chess board, Falman griping about the cold of the north. I feel ya buddy. Up in Roy’s office Riza stops by as well, to get a few things she forgot but also to tell him about Scar being back and tell him to take care of himself. Then it’s just Roy, on his own in a big empty room. No pawn (what, just because Fuery’s short he gets the pawn?), no bishop (always serious Falman), no rook (stocky Breda), no knight (poor Havoc), and no queen (CAN’T STOP THE SHIP). But don’t count out the wannabe-king just yet! He’s still in play. And so is the Conspiracy, hidden message in the king! Go Falman!

Hey, Ed? You might wanna work on your drawing skills, or at least don’t inflict your own Angry Gremlin art style on a poor panda. At least Al’s there to show people what it actually looks like, but the day goes by and they haven’t gotten anything. Suddenly the Colonel drives by and offers them a ride, as well as any leads on May he finds. Anyways, about that- Leto, watch where you’re driving man! Anyways, about that money that Ed borrowed to panic-call Winry? [Ed]: “You remembered?! C’mon, how much did I borrow, 500 cens?” [Irate!Roy]: “It was 520 cens!” Titledrop! Ha, nice. “I’ll pay you back when you become Fuhrer.” Now he has even more reason to wait why is the music menacing? Seriously, Roy? You’re asking how Ed learned of your ambition to become Fuhrer? It’s not like you’ve kept it a secret. A bit of snarking about paying back pocket change after each time Roy improves the country, seriously though the music is making what I would normally be chuckling at depressing as heck. Stop it. Alright, back to their ro- Person in the room, look out! Wait, who. Oh jeez, it’s Ling’s other bodyguard, uh… *rifles through past posts*. Fu, right! Last we saw he was escorting Ross to Xing. Yeah, so while you were gone a couple of things happened… Really, Roy? One day without your Conspiracy, and you go drinking. I am- [Roy]: “Hey.” [Bar full of ladies]: *turns* [Who dis?]: “It’s Roy! Well I’ll be damned. Long time!” What. Who are you and why are you hugging Roy. What is going on. Riza, Riza I need you to get over here now. Uh anyway, we have a new character in the owner of this ‘establishment’, Madame Christmas. *Sigh* Come on Roy, I know that you and Riza aren’t official, but you just called her your queen! Show some- Oh. OH! The epic plotting music has started up, Roy’s passed a note to the Madame asking for something special. Secret informant group, go! One that has a direct line to General Grumman, no less!

Mid-episode pictures of Roy scowling at his King, and That Ass Kimblee strutting around in his white suit from the intro. Uh oh. Fu is not happy with the bodyguard he left to watch his liege. Lost her arm, Ling got Goth’d, and now moping in a dingy basement. Look dude, with all the foes WHOA nope! No hitting the lady! I get that you’re upset, but she did the best she could! Then it finally sinks in that Lan Fan lost her arm. Wait, what? [Lan Fan]: “Please forgive me, Grandfather.” He’s your grandpa? I thought it was just a teacher/student job, but they’re family? Ouch. Still very upset with you for hitting your granddaughter, dude, not letting you off the hook. But yikes, this has got to cut deep. You leave for half a season, and come back to this. Alright, time for a roadtrip! Lan Fan needs to meet up with Winry in Rush Valley to get her new arm. Or not? Come on gramps, this it not the time for foolish national pride, you can’t just- Oh. Ok yeah, the Goths have seen Lan Fan’s face now and have already threatened harm to Winry unless Ed toes the line. If she patches up one of their foes? It sucks, but they have to find another way. Fu thanks Doc for saving Lan Fan’s life, and I’m sorry this is a touching scene and all but I can’t get over the magically floating cigarette whenever Doc talks. Sweet scene of him blustering and trying to act grumpy and all, but really. That cigarette. Later, ninjas. Gather your strength, save your young lord, and give that old fart back in Xing immortality (again, ruining any chance of Ling advancing, but whatever). Greed? You just take care of Ling’s body until we can kick you out. The Doc’s resting on his couch, now that he can actually use it, thinking about… um. Thinking about a basement operating table with corpses strewn around the room. Um. Whatever THAT was, it’s compared to May and Lan Fan thanking him for his treatment, which he scoffs at. Yikes. His grumpy attitude and self-dismissal make a lot more sense now. Knock at the door, Doc goes to answer- “Uh, g-good evening Dad. Good to see you.” “It’s been awhile, how are you?” This is his family? His ex and son who were in the area and decided to stop by? And for the son to say he plans to become a doctor? To the tune of tinkly music? Yeah, no. I call bullshit. This is some Goth nonsense right here, I’d say a trick of Envy except there are two people so I don’t know how. But no way this is happening, especially after the giant middle finger to the Irony Gods earlier in the episode. Bracing for awfulness! Dude is crying as he gets some cups for coffee, asking God for a break. Just asking to enjoy some time with his family.

Next day in Central, looks like a cell with OH FOR LETO’S SAKE NO. How does Kimblee have that Stone? Wow, really officers? You gave this Blood Knight the most powerful MacGuffin in your setting, and after he did your dirty work you expected him to just hand it over and file a report on the power he once wielded? How have you survived this long? So it seems Kimblee got arrested for their murders, but no one else knew he swallowed the stone so he’s had it since. But if that’s true, why the heck has he just been sitting around in a cell all these years, not even escaping when Mr. Freeze tried to recruit him? He’s being released? Wrath, what are you up to? I can only assume that you knew he at least had a Stone because the Goths spearheaded the whole process, so why keep Kimblee locked up all this time only to release him now? How does this help you? Could be a distraction for the Protagonists, I suppose. Oh! I see it now, it’s for Scar! Throw the murderer of his people and family at him so he stays away from you. Kimblee’s walked out by a grumpy Warden who might as well be talking about his retirement party in three days. Death flags everywhere for this fool. Kimblee’s outside at an open gate, turns around to shake the man’s hand- and Transmute a bomb to his wrist. Leto, that’s- a baby chick? Wow, ok. Strapping a fake bomb to the man, just to see his freakout? You’re an ass. So now that the jerk’s free, he gets waved into a car by a MP who yup is Envy in disguise, here to give Kimblee a job. Marcoh’s gone. Or maybe not? Oh yeah, that missing guard chimera. If Marcoh could transmute living tissue to make a fake body, ala the Ross Deception, then he could have escaped with Scar. So the job’s to kill Scar and retrieve Marcoh, and then wipe a- A town?! Holy Leto, they’re gonna target Resembool! Scar, kill this ass! Ugh, and then in addition to his hidden Stone Kimblee gets a fresh one from Father, made from the assistants of Marcoh that first time. Makes sense in a jerk way, I guess. If you have to kill off the witnesses, why not grab those souls they aren’t using any more? Scar and Marcoh are hiding out in an alley, Scar explaining that Marcoh’s more useful alive to provide info on Kimblee and info about his brother’s research. Right, there’s that whole thing about Amestris’ alchemy being strange, and not just in that it’s different from alkahestry. Oh, and May’s caught up! She’s curious about their new companion, Scar’s quick to shut that idea down. He’s just the guy who made the Philosopher’s Stones-

Bleh. May hears “immortality” and jumps on it, she’s tugging on Marcoh’s sleeve and begging him to teach her how to make a Stone. Little one, stop. You have no idea what the true cost of a Philosopher’s Stone is. You can’t- Ah. I can see Scar’s logic here: better to remove the temptation now. I guess Marcoh is… still alive after that HoD? Oh yeah, the doctor is kinda recognizable, needs a new face. But wow dude, dick move to just grab him without any warning. Now, time to go and get his brother’s notes… In the north. Looks like everyone’s going to Drachma! Time to break out the winter outfits!

#wmtw #where my twin watches #full metal alchemist #full metal alchemist brotherhood #fmab #fmab 31

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girls-scenarios · 6 years ago

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I Fancy You

Idol: Jeongyeon (Twice)

Prompt: Hello✨ Firt of all, I want to say that I really love the blog💖 Then, can I request a scenario with fem!reader being on a roadtrip with Jeongyeon from TWICE (and some other friends) and they end up confessing bc they both have a crush on the other? Much love💓💓

Writer: Admin Kiwi

A/N: Perhaps “Fancy” is my new favorite Twice title track. Also all of the girls looked incredible this comeback but my girl Jeongyeon is out here serving looks. Look at that long hair. She’s a goddess. Also the friends in this story are Jihyo and Nayeon because I was feeling in the mood for some 3mix today. And this is LONG I got a little obsessed with this prompt oops. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Warnings: Occasional curse words and a little bit of tension, I think that’s all.

♡ Tip Jar♡

“A road trip?” You looked up at Jihyo over your laptop, raising your eyebrows. Beside you, Jeongyeon looked up as well, putting a bookmark into her book. The two of you plus Nayeon had sitting at your normal table in the library, working on homework as the end of the semester crept closer, when Jihyo had approached, coffee in hand and a smile on her face.

“Yes, a road trip! To celebrate the end of the semester! We’ve all been friends for a while, right? It only makes sense that we go on a trip at least once before we aren’t young anymore.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Nayeon said, running her hands through her hair and sending Jihyo a look. “I don’t even want to think about not being young.”

“Because you’re already old,” Jeongyeon teased, earning her a kick under the table.

“No seriously, listen. When we finish the semester, we take a road trip somewhere. My uncle owns a vacation house near the beach, we could go to the beach and take a week to unwind and get into the mood for summer.” Jihyo sat down at the table and passed out the coffees as she spoke. “It would be a lot of fun, I promise.”

“It does sound fun,” Jeongyeon admitted, taking a sip of her coffee. “This would be the week after finals, right?”

“Right! You’ll want to take off of work now.”

“And the beach means lots of cute summer clothes. And lots of girls in those cute summer clothes,” Nayeon said, grinning as she turned to face Jihyo. “I think I’m down.”

With a laugh, you saved the essay you were working on and closed your laptop. You weren’t going to get any work done now. “You’re just going for the pretty girls?”

“Mostly. That and the ice cream.”

“So, (Y/N), are you in?” Jihyo turned to you with sparkling eyes, and you bit your lip, looking around the table. Everyone was looking at you, and your eyes lingered on Jeongyeon for a moment before you quickly looked away. Being on a trip with her for a whole week wasn’t something you’d been expecting to happen, but just the thought of the warm sun hitting your skin as you buried your toes in the sand made you relax a little bit, and you really wanted to go.

“I’m in,” you said, pushing back any reservations you might have had. “I’ll talk to my manager about taking time off tomorrow.”

“Yay!” A librarian shushed her from a few feet away, but Nayeon just shrugged them off, eyes sparkling as she threw her arms around Jihyo. “We’re going to the beach!”

“It is finals season, Nayeon, try not to get us kicked out of the library,” Jeongyeon said, but the usual edge in her voice was gone, and you could see the beginnings of a smile on her lips as she turned back to her book. She was excited, cheeks slightly flushed, and as you turned back to your laptop, listening to Jihyo talk about the things the four of you could do, you found that you were excited too.

“Did you guys pack everything? Toothbrush, combs, deodorant, jackets just in case?” Jihyo was standing at the door, calling inside to where you stood with Jeongyeon and Nayeon at the table, finishing up with the last of the packing: snacks and drinks.

“Yes, mom, everything is packed,” Nayeon replied, picking up two of the smaller bags. “Want to help me start putting everything in the car?”

“Don’t call me mom, I’m younger than you,” Jihyo said in return, but took the bags from the older girl’s hands, sounding too tired to fight. All of you had stayed up late the night before, barely getting any sleep in order to pack for the trip and make sure everything was perfect. Jeongyeon especially had hardly slept at all, and you could see the dark circles under her eyes as the two of you finished packing the snack and drink box, but you didn’t say anything. She had always been a perfectionist, so she’d probably rather sleep in the car on the way there than accidentally forget to pack on of the many things on her packing list.

“Okay, that looks good.” Jeongyeon stepped back from the box, surveying its contents. “We have chips, granola bars, candy, sodas, water, and energy drinks. I think that’s all we need.”

You stepped back as well, squinting at the box. There was something that Jihyo had gotten the night before that nagged at the back of your head until you snapped your fingers, remembering. “Oh, we should probably pack Jihyo’s apple juice packets she got.”

Immediately, Jeongyeon’s hands went up to her head and she let out a dramatic gasp, reminding you too much of Nayeon. “You’re right! How did I forget those? She would have kicked me out of the car, you saved my butt.” She backtracked to the cabinet, rummaging around until she gathered something up in her hands and turned around triumphantly. “Apple juice acquired. Anything else we’re missing?”

“Nope, that’s it,” you said, giving her a smile as she walked back over. “Ready to load it into the car?”

“Let me just put these in here,” she said, stuffing them down into the box. After a moment, she shook her head and stood back up, letting out a sigh. “I can’t believe I almost forgot the one thing Jihyo told me specifically to remember.” She looked even more tired than before, and you let your hand settle on your shoulder, knowing that she had to still be exhausted from the finals the week before.

“You’re tired, any of us could have done it. In fact, I’m willing to bet Nayeon forgot her toothbrush, even though Jihyo has reminded her at least ten times to pack it.” At your words, she laughed softly, and you let out a little relieved sigh.

“You’re totally right. Nayeon is just a mess in general.”

“Right? That’s why nobody believes that she’s the oldest.”

“I can hear you guys talking shit in here!” Nayeon threw open the door and stomped inside, making both of you laugh. Grinning, Jeongyeon picked up the box and sent Nayeon a wink.

“Hey, did you remember to pack your toothbrush?” Her words made you laugh, and Nayeon just looked between the two of you, confused.

“For the hundredth time, yes! What’s this even about?”

“Nothing,” you said, grabbing your bag from where it sat under the table. “Let’s get going, shall we?”

Outside, Jihyo was stuffing the rest of the luggage into the trunk of her car and Red Velvet was already blasting over the speakers from Nayeon’s phone in the front seat. Jeongyeon jogged ahead of you to put away the box of snacks, and you watched her go as you walked slowly behind her, a smile blooming on your face as Nayeon yelled that she would be right out and Jihyo yelled back at her to hurry. This trip was already shaping up to be a lot of fun.

Less than an hour into the drive, Jeongyeon was passed out in the seat beside you, head leaning on her pillow propped against the window. Nayeon was also asleep, letting out soft snores that she would deny later as her head rested against the back of the chair, and Jihyo had long since turned down the music, although she was still quietly humming along as she drove with her apple sauce packet in hand. Usually, you would already be asleep too, but you found yourself staring at Jeongyeon beside you instead. She had been so tired after exams, and you could tell from the way she was sleeping with her mouth slightly open, completely passed out, that she hadn’t been sleeping enough after them either. Still, she looked cute, and you reached over to push her now-long hair out of her face to keep it from tickling and waking her up.

When you’d first met Jeongyeon, the two of you had been college freshmen in orientation. Back then, she’d had her hair cut short and dyed blonde, and she’d been intimidating until you shyly said hello. Then her face had lit up and she’d introduced herself, telling you that she was nervous that no one would talk to her and that she had a friend who went here already, but that she wanted to make new friends. She had a bubbly personality, and immediately, you were drawn in by her, heart jumping around in your chest as you told her that you’d be her friend if she wanted you to be.

That was how it started, and now her hair was grown out, she had a few more ear piercings, and a secret tattoo that only the group knew about, but she was still the same girl you’d fallen for during orientation. Even if she was tired, she still smiled with all her teeth and joked to cheer up the table and argued with Nayeon over things that didn’t matter. She was still bubbly, even if she was more mature and organized than before. Her room still had her Oh My Girl poster and her ten small cacti by the window, even if she’d changed the rest of her room to be more “adult” with black and white bed sheets and a black vanity. She’d grown, you both had, but she was still Jeongyeon. And you still had those feelings stuck in your heart, refusing to go away.

She shivered slightly, and you noticed that the temperature in the car was getting chilly.

“Hey, Jihyo, where did we put the blankets?” You tried to keep your voice low even though you had to be loud to be heard. Thankfully, she heard you, eyes darting to look at you in the rear view mirror.

“They’re in the trunk, but you can get them if you open the little door in the middle seat. It looks like a drink holder,” she said, “sorry, is it getting cold back there?”

“Only a little bit, but Jeongyeon is shivering.” You turned and looked at the middle seat until your eyes recognized the outline of a little door in the seat and you reached over to pull it out. As soon as it came out, you could see the blankets folded neatly inside the trunk. “Oh, wow, this is cool!”

“Right? I made sure to put anything we might need right beside the door, so if you need anything, check there first.”

“Got it, thank you!” You pulled out two blankets and draped the first one gently over Jeongyeon. She shifted slightly in her sleep and one hand grabbed at the blanket, but she didn’t wake up, and you couldn’t help smiling because of how cute it was. As you settled back into your seat, unfolding your own blanket, you saw Jihyo glance at you in the mirror one more time. There seemed to be a glimmer of recognition in her eyes, but she almost immediately turned her eyes back to the road, and you decided not to think about it. Instead, you closed your eyes and listened to the soft sounds of Oh My Girl’s “Closer” playing over the speaker, letting the rock of the road and Jeongyeon’s even breathing beside you lull you to sleep.

The beach was just as wonderful as you’d thought it would be. Jihyo’s uncle’s house was almost right on the beach, and your eyes were wide as you climbed out of the car, looking around. The place was gorgeous, especially with the setting sun coloring it orange, and you could hear the sounds of the ocean lapping at the shoreline.

“This place is awesome,” Nayeon said behind you, sounding a bit breathless as she closed her car door. “How the hell does your uncle afford it?”

“Apparently he makes good money, I’m just glad he’s letting us borrow it,” Jihyo called as she moved to the trunk of the car, smiling proudly. “Come help me unload now, if you’re done gawking.”

“You sound like a rich girl,” Nayeon grumbled as she turned around, but you could tell that she was just being dramatic because she all but skipped to the back of the car.

Jihyo looked at you over her shoulder as she handed two bags to Nayeon and nodded towards the car. “Oh, (Y/N), please wake Jeongyeon and let her know we’re here.” Your door was still open, so you climbed inside and reached across to gently shake her shoulder, feeling almost guilty about waking her up.

“Jeongyeon, we’re here. Wake up.” You said it softly, but it was enough to wake her up combined with Nayeon’s loud voice outside the car, and she blinked sleepily, looking up at you before glancing out the window.

“Oh, okay. Did I sleep the whole time?”

“Yep. We stopped to get gas and tried to wake you up but you were completely out. I’m guessing you really needed your sleep after exams.”

She let out a laugh and sat up, yawning and stretching her arms out in front of her. “I guess I did. I didn’t realize I was so tired. Sorry if I made the drive boring.”

“It’s okay, you needed the rest. But you should step out and see this place, it’s gorgeous.” At your words, she raised her eyebrows and ran her fingers through her messy hair, trying to smooth it down.

“It’s that good, huh?”

“See for yourself.” You sent a grin her way and stepped back out of the car, but glanced back at her before you shut the door. As she reached for the door, she looked down at the blanket and seemed a bit confused. But it was only for a second, and she opened the door and stepped out, turning to look towards the house. Immediately, her jaw dropped open, and you found yourself smiling again.

“Woah, it is that good.”

“Told you.”

“Hey, Jeongyeon, since you didn’t help with anything else during the drive, come help with these suitcases,” Nayeon called as she slung two bags over her shoulders, breaking the moment as Jeongyeon turned to glare at her.

“I’m sure you were so much help yourself.”

“She handed me my card when we were filling up at the gas station.” There was laughter in Jihyo’s voice as she fumbled with her keys, and her words make Nayeon pout at her.

“I also played all your favorite songs so you wouldn’t feel like falling asleep!”

“Oh yeah, of course. Thank you, Nayeon.”

“That doesn’t sound genuine at all,” Nayeon complained, and Jihyo just laughed, turning to you and Jeongyeon.

“You two grab some luggage and let’s go inside and check it out.”

The inside of the house was just as pretty. It wasn’t a big house, but it was beach themed, and the cool air inside felt nice. From the front door, you could see that there was a patio looking over the beach at the back, with chairs, a table, and a grilling area set up already. You wanted to go check it out, but Jihyo started to announce the room situation, so it had to wait.

“Okay, so there’s three rooms, each with one bed. Two of us are going to have to share a bed.” She said it like it was nothing, but those words sent your heart racing and made your cheeks begin to burn. You hoped that it wasn’t too visible in the low light.

Nayeon narrowed her eyes, dropping her luggage to the ground. “Wait, so who’s sharing the bed?”

“I thought we’d draw sticks for it. I already made them and everything.”

“How do we know you aren’t going to cheat and get yourself a good room?”

“It’s random, Nayeon. How would a cheat at pulling sticks? There’s two with red marks and two with blue. Reds get to share the bed, blues get their own bedroom.” Quickly, she turned to dig into her purse for the sticks, and you glanced at Jeongyeon. She’d been just as quiet as you while Nayeon was whining, and you could see that the ends of her ears were slightly red, but you didn’t want to give yourself any hope by reading into it. “Here! See? Completely fair, they all look the same here.” The sticks in her hand were covered halfway by a little black felt bag, bottoms completely concealed inside.

“If you say so. I’ll go first.” Nayeon still looked a bit skeptical, but she reached out anyway, grabbing one of the sticks. At the bottom was a blue mark obviously made with a highlighter, and she grinned. “Good! At least if you cheated, I benefited from it!” With a roll of her eyes, Jihyo offered the bag to you and Jeongyeon.

“Who’s next?”

Swallowing, you reached out to pull a stick from the bag. Red. At the sight of the color, your heart started up again, and Nayeon whistled. “(Y/N)’s sharing the bed! But with who?”

“Just because you’re a drama major doesn’t mean you have to make everything so dramatic or theatrical,” Jeongyeon said as she reached towards the bag, ears still flushed. Her words made Nayeon pout, again, as she reached over to gently hit the girl with her stick.

“Shut up. You’re mean,” Nayeon replied, but you could barely hear her over the sound of your own heartbeat in your ears as Jeongyeon’s fingers closed around a stick. Was this really happening.

“Oh. Red.”

“(Y/N) and Jeongyeon are sleeping together!” Nayeon yelled, and Jeongyeon threw her stick at her, making her yelp.

“Are you twelve? I’m going to drown you in the ocean, just wait.”

“You won’t do that, I’m your best friend.”

“Anyway, guys,” Jihyo spoke up, voice cheery as she waved her blue stick. You squinted at her, remembering the glimmer you’d seen in her eyes earlier. Had she planned this? “Since Jeongyeon and (Y/N) have to share a bed, they get the master bedroom. The bed is bigger and they actually get their own shower. Nayeon, you and me have to share a shower.”

“Fine with me. I get a whole queen size bed to myself.”

“Let’s try and finish getting everything inside before it gets too dark, okay? I had my uncle get groceries ordered for delivery so I could cook tonight and he said they should be here any minute. We can just chill tonight before we go out exploring tomorrow.” Jihyo picked her bag back up as she talked, walking into the hallway. “Nayeon, me and you are on this side of the hallway. Jeongyeon and (Y/N), your bedroom is on the right.”

“Thanks,” you said, glancing at Jeongyeon. Her ears were still slightly red, but she gave you a smile and shrugged.

“Nothing we can do about it, right? At least we got the master.” Leave it to Jeongyeon to always be positive. You smiled back at her and nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. We’ll make this work.”

Dinner sizzled in the kitchen as you unpacked your things, hanging them up in the closet or folding them into the dresser. Behind you, you could hear shuffling, and you turned around to see Jeongyeon dumping extra pillows onto the bed and arranging them down the middle. As if she sensed your gaze, she looked up and gave you a little smile.

“So things don’t get too awkward,” she explained, and you nodded your head, hoping that your feelings of disappointment weren’t written all over your face.

That night, you caught yourself watching as Jeongyeon walked back into the room from the shower, hair tied up into a messy bun and face slightly red from the heat of the water. She wore a pair of shorts and an old baggy t-shirt, and you watched as a trail of water ran down her neck and disappeared into the collar as she leaned down to search through her bag for her toothbrush. When she stood back up, her eyes locked with yours, and you quickly looked away, going back to getting ready for your own shower.

“Do you think Nayeon forgot her toothbrush?”

You shrug, careful not to let your eyes wander again as you stand up and send her a smile, stomach twisting into knots. This trip was going to ruin you. “Definitely. Are you done with the shower?”

You woke up to the smell of coffee and waffles, and an empty spot in the bed beside you. For a moment, you just laid there, staring up at the stark white ceiling as you listened to what was obviously Nayeon’s playlist coming from the kitchen. The bed still smelled like Jeongyeon, and you breathed in deeply, closing your eyes for a moment only to quickly open them again when the scene from the night before plays in your head.

“Hey (Y/N), do you want any creamer in your coffee?” Nayeon’s voice interrupted your thoughts and you sat up with a sigh, stretching your arms above you. Vacation or not, you needed to get up and get ready.

“Yes please, I’ll be right out!”

Jihyo was plating one of the biggest waffles you’d ever seen when you walked into the kitchen, and she looked up at the sound of your footsteps. “Good morning, (Y/N). We’re eating on the patio, Jeongyeon and Nayeon are already out there. Oh, and Jeongyeon finished your coffee.” She pushed a mug your way, and you took it gingerly, looking down at the liquid inside. It was the exact color that you always had your coffee, and you smiled slightly as you took a sip. It was perfect. “Here, this one’s yours.”

“Thanks, Jihyo. You’re seriously the best.” As you stepped outside, the view again took your breath away, and you stood there staring for a moment before you sat down in your chair beside Jeongyeon.

“I can’t wait to go down to the beach.” Nayeon’s voice was slightly hoarse from sleep, but you could tell she was excited as she stuffed the rest of her waffle into her mouth, making Jeongyeon laugh.

“Don’t choke or you won’t be able to go to the beach at all,” Jeongyeon said as she brought her coffee to her lips. Her hair was pulled back into a slightly messy ponytail and she was still wearing her pajamas, but what really caught your eye was the dark circles under her eyes, or rather, the lack of dark circles. She looked more energized than she had for the last month.

“Did you both sleep well?” You asked as you cut into your waffle, looking between the two.

“I did.” Nayeon spoke through the rest of the waffle in her mouth, making Jeongyeon grimace.

“Girl. Swallow your food before you talk.”

“What, are you trying to take the mom position from Jihyo?”

“I’m not a mom!” Jihyo yelled from inside, making you chuckle under your breath. The mood was good and the air was warm, and the weight from finals had lifted from your shoulders. Mentally, you thanked Jihyo’s uncle as you dug into your waffle and basked in the summer sun.

After finishing her plate, Nayeon jumped to her feet and stretched, looking out towards the ocean. “Come on you guys, let’s hurry so we can get on the beach. I really want to wear my new bathing suit. It’s so cute! You’ll all definitely fall for me.”

“No offense, but I’ve known you for most of your life, including your peak during high school. There’s no way I’m falling for you now.”

“I did not peak in high school! Yoo Jeongyeon, you take that back! We’ll see who peaked when we go down to the beach.” As Jeongyeon laughed, Nayeon turned her eyes to you, making you throw up your hands.

“Nope, no way. I’m not a part of this.”

“You are now. When we get down to the beach, we’ll have (Y/N) and Jihyo rate us based on our outfits. We’ll see if you’re laughing then!” She turned and stormed away, and when you turned to look at Jeongyeon, her cheeks were flushed. She was still smiling, and she shook her head as she picked up her plate, but you could see a bit of nervousness on her features.

“Why is she like this?”

“This is Nayeon we’re talking about here.”

“True. My swimsuit is old, so go easy on me, okay?” She gave you a little wink as she stood up to go inside, and you swallowed, nodding your head. You were so, so screwed.

Sometimes you wished you were as confident as Nayeon. She walked out the bedroom with nothing on but her swimsuit and some short-shorts, sunglasses perched up on her head and a grin on her face that obviously meant she was expecting to win. “Cute, right? It’s the latest style.”

“Definitely cute,” Jihyo said, raising her eyebrows. “When did you buy it?”

“As soon as you said we were going to the beach. I knew I needed something new.” She did a little twirl and tossed her hair over her shoulder, and you laughed softly, because she just loved being the center of attention so much it was funny. “Should we get going?”

“Let’s go, attention-seeker.” Jeongyeon stepped out of the bedroom behind her, pulling her hair back as she walked. Her outfit wasn’t anywhere near as flashy as Nayeon’s, but you still found yourself staring. She was wearing a sheer white cover-up that went just past her jean shorts, and you could see she faintest hint of mint green underneath it. She looked great, like she always did, and when she met your eyes, you gave her a little thumbs up. Her cheeks colored slightly but she smiled, sending you one in return as the two of you headed for the door behind Jihyo and Nayeon.

The beach was just as gorgeous as it had been that morning, and as Jihyo laid out the towels she’d brought from the house on the sand, Nayeon kicked off her sandals and danced around, singing the chorus of Oh My Girl’s “A-ing” as she went. Jeongyeon joined in, with Jihyo beginning to hum a moment later, and you grinned as you sat down, shielding your eyes against the sun. For a moment, you thought that maybe they’d forget about the dumb swimsuit contest Nayeon had suggested earlier, but no. After she’d danced and sang the chorus of “A-ing” Nayeon turned to you and pointed.

“It’s time.”

“Nayeon, do we have to?” You asked, and she immediately nodded, shimmying out of her jean shorts.

“Yes! Come on, Jeongyeon, show them your swimsuit.”

Jeongyeon seemed much more embarrassed than Nayeon as she reluctantly pulled her cover-up up over her head and handed it to you for safe-keeping. You’d seen her in this swimsuit before, but it didn’t matter, because it fit her. It was a light mint green with a tied string in the front and thick straps that went over her shoulders. It was nowhere near as flashy as Nayeon’s, but it still looked great.

“I vote for myself,” Jihyo joked, and Nayeon rolled her eyes.

“You won’t win with an Adidas swimsuit, Jihyo.”

“I think it’s cute!”

“Okay for real, (Y/N), whose swimsuit do you like better?” Nayeon turned to you with her arms crossed, and you swallowed, looking between the two girls. Of course you liked Jeongyeon’s better, but you had a feeling that you would hear about it for the rest of the trip if you told Nayeon that. As you looked at Jeongyeon, she gave you a big smile and made an exaggerated pose, and you laughed. You really had to pick her.

“Sorry Nayeon, I like Jeongyeon’s better.”

“Hell yeah! In your face, Nayeon!”

“The judge is biased, I want a rematch!”

“Okay Nayeon, I like yours,” Jihyo said in a playful tone, obviously just trying to make her feel better, but it seemed to work because Nayeon stopped steaming and came over to let the younger girl put sunscreen on her. Jeongyeon also moved over, raising her hand to give you a high-five. You equated her pink face to the heat.

“Thanks (Y/N), I appreciate you.”

“No problem.”

That evening, you stood on the patio, watching as the sun set over the ocean with a smoothie made by Nayeon in your hands. It was a little bit too cold and a little bit too sweet, but you were on a beach vacation, so it was just right. You still smelt a bit like salt water from swimming earlier, and you were pretty sure you were never going to get the sand out of your sandals, but it didn’t matter because you felt good.

“(Y/N)?” You turn around to see Jeongyeon at the door, her own smoothie in hand. “Jihyo and Nayeon are setting up Netflix and told me to ask if there’s anything you want to watch.”

“I’m fine with anything,” you said, smiling as she walked out to stand beside you.

“Wow, it’s really pretty out here. It looks like a photograph no matter how many times I see it.”

“I know, I can’t wait to see what the stars look like.” The two of you stood in silence for a moment, watching as the sun-kissed ocean lapped at the shore.

“Hey, did you really like my swimsuit better earlier? Or were you just saying that to get a rile out of Nayeon?”

You turned to look at Jeongyeon, taking her in. She was still looking at the ocean, the outline of her face glowing in the golden hour light. Somehow, she was even more beautiful than the view. “I really liked it better. You looked cute today.” A smile bloomed on her lips.

“Good. I hoped that you did.” You didn’t have the time to decipher what that meant. So you didn’t, instead turning to look back at the living room, where Jihyo and Nayeon were arguing over what to watch.

“Should we go back inside?”

Jeongyeon’s voice was soft as she spoke. “Let’s stay here for a little longer.”

The next day at the shops near the beach, Jeongyeon picked up a giant pair of earrings and held them up next to her face, grinning widely.

“Do you think these fit me?”

Nayeon replied with some sarcastic comment as she headed to the register with two dresses in her arms, but you couldn’t help but smile, placing down the necklace you were inspecting to really look at her. The earrings were shaped like sand dollars, and although you would have never picked them up for yourself, they looked good against Jeongyeon’s wavy dark hair.

“I like them on you.”

Her face brightened up and she placed them into her palm. “Then I’ll get them. Are you going to get the necklace?” She pointed at the necklace you’d been looking at, but you shook your head, laughing.

“No way. It’s too expensive and fancy for a college student like me. I just liked the way it looked.”

“Oh, okay.”

After the purchase, she took out the earrings she’d been wearing before and replaced them with the sand dollars, moving her head slightly to make them bounce. “How do I look?”

“You look amazing, let me take a picture,” you said, pulling out your phone and holding it up with a smile, and she quickly tucked her hair behind her ears and posed for the photo.

Later, you’d look at the photo and swear she was glowing.

That night, Jeongyeon turned on music in the shower (not Oh My Girl, for once) and you tried not to listen as you finished getting ready to sleep. The pillow wall in the middle of the bed stared at you as you climbed into bed, but you ignored it, settling into the covers. Minutes after the music stopped, the bed dipped and you could hear her shuffling with her things and the blankets as she climbed into bed.

The lights were turned off, and for a moment, there was no sound other than the AC blowing cool air into the room. Then, you felt her shifting on the other side of the pillow wall, and she spoke, close yet muffled by the barrier. Somehow still so far away.

“Good night, (Y/N).”

“Good night, Jeongyeon.”

You woke up to find Jeongyeon up first once again, but when you padded out into the kitchen, Jihyo informed you that Jeongyeon and Nayeon had gone out to the store and would be back soon. Something like jealousy nagged at the back of your head, but you shook it away, knowing you were being sleepy and dumb. Jeongyeon and Nayeon had been friends for years. That had nothing to do with your relationship (or lack of one, really) with Jeongyeon.

You were sitting on the back patio with Jihyo, talking and people-watching while eating snow cones, when Jeongyeon and Nayeon got back. Nayeon immediately came out to settle herself into Jihyo’s lap and tell her about the outrageous outfit she’d seen at the market (Jihyo was unphased by Nayeon’s antics it was impressive), but Jeongyeon lingered behind for a while longer. You thought nothing of it as you finished your snow cone, figuring that Nayeon had just left her to put things away as usual.

It wasn’t until she poked her head out the door and asked for you to come inside that you realized something was up. “(Y/N), I need your help with something in our room for a minute.”

You raised your eyebrows as you stood, wondering if something had fallen. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“You’ll see.” Jeongyeon turned around without saying anything else, and you caught Nayeon smiling like she knew something, but you didn’t know what to make of it as you stepped inside, dropping your cup into the sink before hurrying off towards the bedroom.

When you got there, Jeongyeon was sitting on the bed, something square in her hands. “Here. This is for you.” Your heart jumped up into your throat and butterflies began to dance in your stomach as your mind went wild with the possibilities. But you tried to keep it cool just in case, walking slowly over to her.

“Really? From you?”

“Yeah. It’s a present.” Her face was impossible to read as she handed you the box, and your mouth went dry as you looked down at the gift. “Go ahead and open it.”

You did as you were told, slowly lifting the top off the box. As soon as you realized what was inside, your heart skipped a beat, eyes widening and mouth dropping open. “Jeongyeon! This necklace was expensive, you didn’t have to get this for me!” The familiar necklace from the store reflected the light from the window, and your fingers moved on their own to touch the carefully crafted and polished stones.

“I saw that you really liked it at the store,” Jeongyeon said, tucking her hair behind her ears, a sign that she was nervous. “I guess I just wanted you to have it.”

“But it’s so fancy, when am I even going to wear this?” As you spoke, she stood from the bed and gently took the necklace from the box, unclasping the back. On instinct, you leaned forward, letting her put it on for you.

“Well, I got it for you because I fancy you, so it fits to wear it now, right?” Her face reddened immediately, but it took you a moment to process what she said, blinking at her in confusion before it hit you and your face turned red to match hers.

“I-I... W-what? Jeongyeon, did you buy this necklace just to use that pun?” Despite your stuttering and the urge to squeal building up in your chest, you could feel yourself smiling like an idiot. Jeongyeon, too, giggled and covered her face.

“The pun was just too perfect. But I also bought it because you liked it. Was that too corny?”

“No, I liked it.” You reached over to pull her hands away from her face. “I fancy you too, Jeongyeon.”

“Oh. Good. That’s great. Date me then?”

“Gladly.”

“Awesome.” The two of you looked at each other before bursting into giggles at the situation, and Jeongyeon let out a little squeal as she flopped back onto the bed, pulling you so that you ended up right beside her. “Oh my god, that was the most awkward thing I’ve ever done in my life!”

“It was pretty awkward. But it was cute too. I liked it.” You grinned as she turned to look at you, face still flushed.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you that for a while now. Not in those words, but you know. That I like you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. I was scared. But this trip made me think a lot and realize a lot, so I told Nayeon and she agreed to help me get the necklace to confess to you. It was kind of a mess. But I’m happy I did.” She was glowing again, and you had the sudden urge to kiss her.

“I’m happy you did too. I’m so happy that I want to kiss you.”

Again, she turned pink, but her smile didn’t waver. “Then kiss me, (Y/N).”

Jeongyeon tasted like the strawberries and pancakes from breakfast, and her lips were smooth against yours. As she kissed you, her arms snaked around to pull you closer, fingers caressing the skin under your thin shirt, and you would have kissed her forever if you could. But eventually you had to pull away, and the two of you sat up, still tangled together. The pillow wall caught your eye, and laughed softly.

“Can we do away with the pillow wall now?”

“Oh god, yeah. That was stupid, why did I do that anyway?”

“To not make it awkward, even though it kind of did the opposite of that,” you said, voice teasing as she groaned and buried her head into your shoulder.

“Sorry I’m so awkward. I’d like to cuddle with you from now on, if that’s okay.”

“No more pillow walls?”

“No more pillow walls, I promise.”

“Good, because I’d like to cuddle with you too.”

“Then we have a deal.” Jeongyeon looked back up at you, and the two of you dissolved into more giggles until her lips found yours again. The ocean could be heard outside the open window as Jeongyeon kicked the offending pillows off the bed, and happiness bubbled up in your chest as you pulled her close again. You made a mental note to thank Jihyo for suggesting the road trip as Jeongyeon kissed you breathless, because everything was perfect, just like it always was when you were with her: your girlfriend, the woman of your dreams. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

#twice #jeongyeon #twice scenario #twice scenarios #jeongyeon scenarios #girl group scenarios #kpop scenario #girl groups #kpop girl groups

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fyrapartnersearch · 5 years ago

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Send Help: Addicted to Roleplay and Chipotle

Greetings from Earth! First time poster to this blog and stoked to meet some new partners. My name is Chris and I'm a male nurse (Yo, you're going to get some medically accurate roleplay) in his late twenties. I have a lovely wife and two stupidly handsome animals (Pictures of the animals available on request) but manage to maintain a pretty active roleplay life due to the fact that I work nights. The Basics: I tell everyone that I'm a professional. I try to reply 1-3 times a week and the length of posts depends on amount of characters in play. If I'm going to take longer, I always try to let you know. I'm willing to write male and female characters and focus on M/F as the male and F/F. M/M just isn't my thing, sorry y'all. My limits include pedophilia, rape, and animal abuse. Anything else can be discussed. I prefer e-mail for writing ([email protected]) but have Discord for plotting (NurseBatman#3674). If we get along really well, you can convince me into discord roleplay. The text limit just drives me nuts. I do use faceclaims pretty aggressively. Is there anything else? Central time zone?

Onto the roleplay stuff. I'll start with originals and then dive into fandoms. I put extra *s by the lines that I will literally lose my mind if you approach me about. Searching hard! -The Social Media Age****** A m/f line that I've given a little thought to, looking for someone to write a young woman that is pretty much making her living being an instagram model/fitness person, etc. I think the proper term is *Influencer*. Meets and starts dating a successful guy with no presence online, the two falling for each other but at odds over their differing attitudes towards the world. -This American Life Something set in the 1970s, focusing on a roadtrip. A group of teenagers leave their small town behind to head out west. I love this time period. Can be supernatural, supernatural lite (think Twin Peaks weirdness) or totally natural. -Stranger Things inspired A group of four to six friends enjoy their last summer together in a remote town as strangeness begins to unfurl. I'd be willing to set this in the present but think it would be way more fun in the 70s or 80s. I have an idea for one of the kids having lost a sibling in a strange way when they were young and possibly some sort of cult in town.

Fandoms!

-Star Wars**

I know Reylo is all the rage these days, as is Qi'Ra/Han. But, man ALIVE, I really want something focusing on the core four: Luke, Leia, Han, and, ya boy, Chewie. Something taking place in that three year gap between New Hope and Empire as they work among the rebellion. Strange new worlds, getting into scrapes, sharply running from the empire, avoiding Vader, bounty hunters, and all sorts of things. This time period is far from explored and we can really thrive in the galaxy. Primarily I want to focus on the budding relationship between Han and Leia and Luke's training, pre-Yoda. In a perfect world, I'd want to write Han and Chewie (If anyone thinks Chewie is just a NPC, get out my face) while my partner takes on Leia and Luke. I'd be willing to switch out Chewie for Luke if need be, I guess? We could also split up C3PO and R2. I also would enjoy writing a young Amilyn Holdo and a few other soldiers. Let's real build out the resistance and delve into the 'WARS' part of those big yellow letters that never get enough attention. On top of all of that, I also have an original love interest in mind for Luke if someone else plays him! She's a spitfire. Alternatively, I'd be down for writing something set in the clone wars. Perhaps two jedi that broke the order's relationship laws and then survived Order 66 together? -Preacher Seriously. Love this show, love this comic. Would happily write Jesse or Cassidy against Tulip. Just definitely looking for a Tulip -The Boys Would love to write Hughie against Starlight! Currently working my way through the season that just dropped. -Marvel -I will love you forever if you write an Elektra against my Daredevil. They are toxic and in love and I love it. Whether it be the comics or the Netflix series, I don't care. Someone please write me an Elektra. Netflix did a good job of portraying this one -Alternatively, I'd also be happy to write against a Black Widow, either with Daredevil. They were a mainstay OTP in the comics in the 90s and I'd love to write against Scarlet's Black Widow. -Has anyone seen the trailer for the neverendingly delayed New Mutants movie? I would love to write something based on that horror aspect of the mutant universe.* -I'd love to write an older MCU Peter Parker (like college) running across a MCU version of Black Cat. Or just a Spiderman roleplay in general. I've always wanted to write Peter but have never gotten the chance! I have a ton of ideas for this, plus faceclaims for a few of the villains. Would also be willing to play him against Zendaya's MJ, Spidergwen, or Silk (Deepcut)**************************** (I so badly want to write Peter) -One of the pairings that was done for a time in the comics was Star Lord against Kitty Pryde and it was actually a lot of fun. If anyone would want to do a MCU version of this, I would so *DOWN* to play Quill, Xmen hijinks a plenty in space -If you write Jessica Jones, I'd be willing to write almost anyone against her (NOT KILGRAVE). Just let me know. I'd be super down to write Luke Cage or maybe Matt Murdock. I do a mean John Constantine, which, let's face it, is a cross company illustration of the two most terrible people together -Hawkguys! I would love to either write Clint against Kate Bishop (This would be a slightly skewed MCU vibe) or Kate against America Chavez. I would really love to do either of these lines. Or a poly version if someone is willing! -I'd love to write Logan as an active member of the MCU Avengers, possibly as a partner in crime/wetworks/murder with Black Widow. Those two could cause some mayhem. -Honestly, any X-men relationship could be sold to me. Just try it. I would love to find a Kitty for Piotr, a Rogue for Remy, or almost anyone for Kurt.

-DC I'd love to write Batman against Catwoman, please. Or John Constantine against literally almost anyone -Hannibal I've been dying to do a sort of season 4 for a while now, focused on Clarice Starlings interaction with Will Graham and later Hannibal Lecter. Just need to find someone willing to create an original style Clarice. -Resident Evil I'd like to write Leon against Claire Redfield or Jill Valentine in an original outbreak or a new one. I know this is an old school fandom but I'm a diehard fan. -Star Trek Okay, so first up, I am not the most well versed Trekkie in the world. Never watched any of the TV shows but am a massive fan of the trio of rebooted films and would love to give Kirk or Bones a try against Uhura, Dr. Eve, or maybe a female Vulcan OC? Hit me with ideas! -The Matrix Another obscure fandom. Maybe just an original crew, set during the movies, after, or an AU where they're the only survivors of Zion? Im not sure but I could plot something out!

-Uncharted I'd love to write Chloe Frazier against Nadine Ross, continuing their adventures. I'm pretty wide open on what we can do with this one. RANDOM CRACK SHIPS! Caught in a Web: I would love to write an iteration (Daniel Craig or an original) of James Bond/007 against a non superhero version of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Spy vs spy shenanigans as two people working for different governments. Totally impossibly but putting it just in case: Did anyone see all that Wonder Woman/Lara Croft art that was floating around the internet earlier this year? I would love to dive into that. I'd prefer to write Lara but I'm definitely not picky. If you made it this far, you're a hero and I owe you a beer. Hope to hear from some great writers! Let's create something *EPIC*

#oc rp #multiple paragraph #long term #email #marvel rp #avengers rp #mcu rp #dc rp #submission

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the-kings-tail-fin · 6 years ago

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So it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Mack and Gale, mind writing a little fic about them where they see each other at some party or just accidentally bump into eachother?

It has indeed been a while since we’ve seen these two. It’s about high time we fix that!

I’m gonna stay away from the party plot because I am of a rather boring opinion that parties are boring and as such all my plots end up being the same. Let’s try something a little more… semi-truck-ish!

Also can I take a moment to rant and ASK WHY THEY DON’T MAKE A REGULAR GALE DIECAST???? MY MACK IS LONELY.

Mack’s annual cross country trip started the moment he was released from his duties as Dinoco’s primary driver for the season. Those few short months between the Dinoco 400 and the Florida 500 were a time to get back to basics - a time to see the country on his own schedule, no place to be, no real destination. Just him and the road and the country around him.

The roads pulled him northward, through California and into the Pacific Northwest. It was something different, a part of the country he didn’t normally get to see while making the rounds on the race circuit. The south was great, but the cool, fresh air of the evergreen forests was especially rejuvenating. The Cascades were calling him.

Gale had a mountain home in Washington. It had always been her one true getaway, one she never told anyone about. It was personal to her, inherited from a family member, a great place to sit and watch the snow fall in the colder months while staying warm and cozy inside.

She had once had plans to share it with someone, but, well - it’s business. That’s all it was. She’d just have to enjoy it the way she always had. But the minute she rolled through the front door, the overcast skies through the windows seemed different. Usually settling in by a window with a warm cup of oil would make her feel right at home, content to be in such a remote location. This time it just felt depressing. This wasn’t how she’d planned it at all.

South. Maybe happiness was south? Back in California. Cars in California seemed happy. Yeah, that’s it. That’s the destination.

She didn’t make it very far. The skies cleared up a ways down the road, and Gale found herself parked at an overlook along McKenzie Pass. The mountains were beautiful, she’d forgotten how much she’d loved them. She thought it funny how things tend to change in a different light. She thought about what she was doing and why. The ‘why’ part seemed a little fuzzy now, still painful, but duller than it had been.

Mack took the detour onto the seasonal road upon seeing it open. Not one to pass up a good view, he took his time up the winding road. He stopped at every single overlook to let the traffic behind him go and to take in the nature around him. Oregon wasn’t a bad state. Not at all.

Higher and higher he climbed the pass, looking forward to every pull off. Maybe there’d even be a place to stay on the other side to enjoy the area a little longer. Maybe there would be -

He missed a gear as he rounded the next curve. The landscapes were beautiful, but suddenly they were dwarfed in majesty by the gleaming black truck observing them from the side of the road. His mind slowed as he did, signalling to pull off. What was he going to say? Should he even approach her? What was she doing here, of all places? Of all the roads in America, why would he cross paths with her here? Destiny? He pulled up and parked beside her.

She glanced over at her new company and squeaked, jumping in surprise.

“Mack!” she exclaimed. “What - I - Why - ”

“Lack of oxygen gettin’ to you?” he asked with a smile.

Gale stared at him in disbelief. “I am going crazy. I’m crazy, aren’t I?”

“Only as crazy as you want to be.”

Gale blinked a couple times. How had he found her? He didn’t know she lived up here in the winter. Did he? She didn’t remember telling him. But even so, she was hundreds of miles from home… this was out in the middle of nowhere.

Mack looked down as she went silent. “Hey, uh, sorry if you wanted to be alone, I was just passin’ by and - “

“No, no, no,” Gale gathered herself quickly. “I’m just - why are you out here?”

Mack shrugged. “On a solo roadtrip. I do it every year to recharge. You?”

“I…” she trailed off as she stared back down the mountain. “I don’t know. I just started driving and… I miss you.“

They sat in silence for a brief moment. Mack shared the same sentiment, but wasn’t sure how to express it to the same degree that he felt it.

“I… I went home and couldn’t stay there,” Gale explained better. “It’s north of here a ways. Just seemed too… dark? So I came south. Was going to California, but…”

“It’s nice this time of year,” Mack offered. “Crowded still, but nice. Where you headed to, exactly?”

Gale shook herself. She didn’t know. She hadn’t made it that far, and now she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue.

“Where are you headed to?” Gale asked in response. “You’re awful far from those ol’ southern roads.”

“Wherever the wind takes me, I have no plans. Right now, I’m here.”

“This can’t be a coincidence,” she muttered. “It’s too ridiculous.”

“What?”

“I just, I don’t know,” she whispered. “I’m tired of playing this game. I’m tired of staying away. I’m tired of being alone when I don’t have to be.”

Mack gave her an affectionate nudge in a small attempt to cheer her. She leaned into it, wanting so much more.

“Yeah,” Mack responded quietly. “But! Maybe we can bend the rules a little. You’re here. I’m here. It is the off season, after all.”

“Hm?”

“I’m just saying, this is our free time. No ties to work at all for the next couple weeks. If we’re not at work, there’s no conflict of interest, right?”

Gale considered it. Sure, they were both still employed, so technically they couldn’t get away from their respective affiliations, but… oh it was tempting. Why else would they happen to come across each other out of the blue on some random road? This was no coincidence to be ignored!

“Oh, screw it, I’m in,” she resolved with renewed energy. “I can’t take it anymore. Need a companion for your solo roadtrip?”

“Could always use the company,” Mack responded, perhaps a little too gleefully. “Hey, you’re from around here, right? Know any local places to stay? It’s been truck stops for me for the last several nights.”

Gale smirked. “How’s a private lodge sound?”

“I’ll follow if you lead the way.”

“See if you can keep up!”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Gotta catch me to find out!”

#Anonymous #gale beaufort #Mack

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covtocov · 6 years ago

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Cornflake Girl

Let’s talk about Cornflake Girl, shall we? This was the song that started it all and inspired this blog and we're gonna get into WHY (kind of, don't expect anything too deep, this is gonna get goofy).

If you don't know this song, it's fuckin great.

Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos (1994)

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Tori Amos, a legend out of North Carolina (and somewhat honorary citizen of the UK), released the song "Cornflake Girl" in 1994. The song was released as a single, then later featured as the eighth track on her second studio album, Under the Pink.

Influenced in part by a recent exposure to reggae music, discussions of female genital mutilation, and Alice Walker's novel, Possessing the Secret of Joy, this song addresses the concept of the "cornflake girl," women who would hurt other women despite a close personal relationship, often to appease some patriarchal construct. This referred, in part, to the fact that the ratio of raisins to cornflakes in breakfast cereal is much lower, making "raisin girls" harder to find - "Thought it was a good solution/Hanging with the raisin girls."

(Fun bonus fact, she is not saying "rabbi," but "Rabbit," the name of her friend, a "fantastic, magical creature" who lives in the woods with their partner, Fox.)

"Cornflake Girl" reached #4 on the UK singles charts, paving the way for later hits off Under the Pink including "God," "Pretty Good Year," and "Past the Mission." A lovely video discussing more about these ideas can be found here. Amos released both an American and a UK version of the music videos, both which are definitely worth seeing if you haven't.

Now...let's talk about some covers.

Cornflake Girl - Florence and the Machine (2018)

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This is the cover I heard this radio on the morning. The intro came on and, not seeing what the song was, I was like '...uh...who stole the intro to Cornflake Girl?"

The answer to that question would be Florence Welch, who covered the song in September 2018 as an exclusive release for Spotify.

So let's get into the nitty gritty.

(All of these qualities are being measured in comparison to the original song, and are my opinions, so with that disclaimer out of the way, come with me and we'll be in a land of PURE IMAGINATION.)

Listenability: 4/5

It's a good cover. This version is much smoother and less choppy than the original...though whether that's a plus or a minus is completely up to the listener's discretion. As a fan of Tori's ability to really fuck you up mid-song (wait, this was just in a fucking 4/4 and now it's in 3/4?! Or maybe it's 2/3, I don't know shit about time keeping, I just know I'm distressed), I would say...not quite as good as the original. Sorry, Flo.

Originality: 2/5

Ahhhhhhh it's just pretty much a nice, safe homage to Tori. The instruments are all pretty evocative of the original song, Florence's vocals are absolutely beautiful, but she really does follow the same cadences as Amos does. Nice use of the occasional drum, though.

Integrity to Original: 4/5

I mean, it's hard to say anything else when this is almost a direct copy of the original. To my knowledge, Welch hasn't gone on the record saying anything about this particular cover, but as an artist who was almost certainly influenced by Amos (this is a total uninformed claim on my part, but like...fuck, they are both redheaded indie mythical wood deities in their own right, so they've probably consorted in the moonlight at least once), I would say she was probably well aware of the intention of this song. What I really appreciate about this version is the clarity of the lyrics - Amos is notoriously tricksy with her pronounciations - which allows this truly haunting song to be brought home even more.

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 5/5

Not bummed out. Love Florence. Love Tori. They are both magical. This cover did make me want to make this blog to explicitly talk about covers that had more theoretical potential, so ironically, it got me more hyped.

Overall: 4/5

Good cover. Good Song. Could have done more with it, but only because we've come to expect so much more from you, Florence.

Cornflake Girl - Jawbox (1996)

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In 1996, Jawbox, an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., released their cover of "Cornflake Girl" on their fourth and final self-titled album, Jawbox.

Originally, the band didn't take the song particularly seriously in their repertoire. In an 2015 article from AV club, frontman J. Robbins admitted that the cover had started as a goof, but became serious enough that the group made a music video of the cover (see above).

Listenability: 3.5/5

I actually like this cover a lot. It's got some of the 90s/2000s grunge rock, wall-of-sound element, while still being recognizable as the song we know and love. It's a jam (a slow-jam, but a jam nonetheless). I do feel as though it lose a bit of the fun instrumentality of the original in the cover, but overall, would definitely make the roadtrip mix.

Originality: 4/5

Jawbox does a lot of very cool things with this. It definitely leans more alt-rock than indie-pop, which I think gives those drops in the song a real kick. The stutter-step rhythm is a really good addition, and I think it makes a nice homage to Tori's style, which often plays around with rhythm in similar ways.

Integrity to Original: 3/5

I'm gonna play this card: I don't think it has quite the same impact coming from a dude. He does not know what it means to be a cornflake, nor a raisin girl. The music video mostly seems like a series of bizarre images that seem to - probably jokingly - take the "cornflake" imagery pretty literally, with someone being force-fed milk from a tube and someone's soft tummy being poked with a spoon (also, a dude with his mouth full of pennies, so who the fuck knows). Not all covers have to say the same thing the original was saying, or anything at all for that matter, but for this one, I'm gonna land right in the middle for ?????

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 4/5

Nah, not really! Besides the fact men are involved (always a bummer) (jk) (or am I?), I enjoyed the change of pace.

Overall: 3.5/5

Solid cover. Loud. Wall of music. Still couldn't dance to it. Nice level of angst. Too many men involved.

Cornflake Girl - Imogen Heap (2010)

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A one time, live performance! In 2010, Imogen Heap covered "Cornflake Girl" in Melbourne, Australia. The performance was an auction item for the charity Concern Worldwide; the winning bidder got a chance to meet Heap and receive "A Song Just for You." Heap offers her own unique interpretation of the song, which can be seen in the video aboce.

Listenability: 2/5

This is due MAINLY to the fact that this is a live performance. A more polished, recorded version would probably actually be pretty killer. Still probably not a 'have it on in the background, good for the party mix' kind of song, but definitely a get kinda stoned and listen to it on repeat a couple times song.

Originality: 5/5

Amazing range of sounds and instruments she's able to play with since she's performing electronically/has an array of instruments on stage. Fantastic use of double tracking and creating her own vocal loops on the spot. She really makes the song her own in this performance.

Integrity to Original: 3/5

I do really think this is in the spirit of the original, and she plays with an similar set of instruments that Amos herself uses while incorperating her own flair. The lyrics feel a little bit throwaway, which is kind of a shame, because honestly, Tori Amos is nothing if not an incredible lyricist. That being said, most electoric music (in my experience) is more about the instrumentation/sampling, so this makes some sense from Heap, I think.

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 4/5

Yeah, it's cool. She takes some real risks with this cover, and I think for the most part, they pay off.

Overall: 4/5

You do you, Imogen. It's a cool cover. It's neat. I dig it. Do your dance. Do some fun looping things. Wear your hair like Bart from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (jk, she wears her hair like you). Dig it.

Cornflake Girl - Noah Hawley & Jeff Russo (2018)

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Legion, an FX series based on the Marvel character David Haller (aka Legion) (surprise surprise) first debuted in February 2017. The show revolves around David, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, only to find out in his thirties that there may be much more to his mental illness than he'd previously thought.

This cover of "Cornflake Girl" was featured in the finale of Legion Season 2. I have not personally gotten this far in the show yet (it's good, but a little exhausting and hard to binge for me, so much withholding information), but I watched the clip and it makes no sense to me, so that's a start!

Listenability: 3/5

It pretty much sounds exactly like a Coldplay song, so depending on how you feel about Coldplay, this could go either way. I'm mid-road.

Originality: 2/5

I mean, eh. They make the chorus a minor key and put in some synths. It would play well over the trailer. I bet it will in the future.

Integrity to Original: 2/5

I feel like this is one of those many cases where people just take the lines This is not real/This is not really happening/You bet your life it is and they're like THAT COULD APPLY TO THIS FUCKED UP SITUATION and you know what you're right it does well done gold star for you.

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 1/5

Definitely a bummer. Bumming hard listening to this on repeat.

Overall: 2/5

Is it BAD? No. You know what it is? Meh. Just meh.

#cornflake girl #tori amos #florence + the machine #florence welch #imogen heap #jawbox #under the pink #noah hawley #jeff russo #legion #ctc #review

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idealisticrealism · 7 years ago

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Blindspot 3x01 recap

Okay so honestly, until the episode actually aired I wasn’t sure this recap would happen. This hiatus has been all too easy for me, because the finale-- or, specifically, the time jump paired with the realisation that Weller really was going to have a kid-- really made me question whether this was still the show I fell in love with, and if I really wanted to dedicate any more of my time to it. Plus, since I avoid spoilers, there were some serious concerns-- for example, whether Weller even knew why Jane left-- that I had, that I didn’t have the answers to yet.

Which meant that basically I went into this episode not really expecting to feel particularly positive about it. But instead-- like with the second half of S2 after that rather unpleasant start-- damn Gero managed to pull me back in, as he somehow always does.

So here goes. Recap time. But fair warning: this review is about my personal feelings towards the show, and therefore you may not agree with what you read. Feel free to come and talk to me about it anyway.

Honestly I (like everyone else) knew a wedding was coming, but unlike everyone else I wasn’t all that interested to see it. I mean, I’m happy for them and all, but I’m more interested in seeing the being-married part than the actual getting married. But then the flowers, and the music, and the family looking so beautiful, and Patterson OFFICIATING, and Hirst and Stuart being there (side note: I am only now recognising Stuart as an actor from Gero’s old show the LA Complex, along with about six other actors who have been on this show over the years lol). But anyway, considering my biggest problem with S2 was the baby fiasco, I was expecting to feel the same nausea when seeing the baby onscreen as when I thought of it at any other time (it’s literally one of my least fave tropes, guys, so I’m sorry but I will always hate the existence of the baby), but it was fairly easy to just ignore it. I was bummed not to see Sarah or Sawyer, who would literally have never missed this wedding and tbh would have been a waaaaaaaay better inclusion in S2 and 3 than the unwanted offspring, but whatever. #Foreverbitter

That said, seeing the team laughing and dancing and having an amazing time was just the best. And of course the Jeller lovey-doveyness was so great, and maaaann I really wish we could have heard those speeches. Reade and Tasha dancing was a little bit borderline for me-- they’re so cute and I love them as best friends but PLEASE GERO JUST LET THEM BE BEST FRIENDS. DON’T PUT THEM TOGETHER. PLEASE DON’T.

Ngl I don't at all like that Jeller moved to Colorado. Big nope for me, though I understand why it happened, and god I did love the scene with the fam helping them pack and then tough-as-nails Tasha crying??? Let me die. But I also identify with her the most rn, bc she GETS it. With Jeller gone, their family will never be the same. The roadtrip montage was cute, and the carrying over the threshold???? Ughhhhh save me. I love that they took on the project of the house, the two of them making the perfect team (was there a baby in this montage? Nope, not that I saw. No babies here. Maybe just Allie’s new puppy that they look after from time to time. Yeah, let’s go with that. Bethany is a puppy they babysit and no one can force me to view it as anything else).

So as much as I’m enjoying this montage of domestic bliss, I’m kinda ready for it to end because GUYS PLEASE I’M TOO USED TO ANGST AND SLOW BURN, YOU CAN’T OVERLOAD ME WITH FLUFF LIKE THIS. And then phew it ends, leaving us in the new Jeller residence with Weller just returning from napping in the laundry beside Bethany’s basket because she still howls when she’s left alone and so he had to pet her until she fell asleep. Awwwww, so nice of these two to look after Allie’s puppy while she works nightshift. I love that Jane cooked dinner-- I bet Weller’s been teaching her and lots of sweet and sexy kitchen times have ensued. Jane gushes about the puppy’s cuteness and Weller suggests maybe they should get one of their own. Good thing they’re talking about a puppy and not a child because wow “one of our own” sure had a very exclusionary implication, like Jane was not at all connected to any other puppies/babies that might exist. But anyway I gotta move on before the world I’ve carefully constructed in this Matrix starts glitching. Saved by the bell, or rather the phone-- it’s Keaton with a warning that their lives are in danger, and here’s yet another topic that threatens to glitch my reality. Keaton tortured Jane for THREE MONTHS. Brutally and without true remorse. He should be persona non grata with literally everyone (the team and the fans alike), but instead the writers have turned him into the team’s new buddy. This is the biggest issue I’ve had with the show, I think-- not Keaton specifically, but what he represents. Because honestly when I think about certain plot points in theory, I feel very strongly and very negatively about them; but when the show goes “no it’s fine everything’s actually great” it somehow sucks me in and I just go ‘oh okay cool everything is great, that’s good then’’, and I just?? For example, I really enjoyed watching Keaton in the finale, and then I thought about it after the episode ad was like ‘wait no I hate him, how did I forget I hate him?’ Like I stg Gero is a wizard, and like anything truly magic related, that’s both a good and a bad thing. But anyway rn I’m appreciative of Keaton because he just helped save Jane and Weller’s lives. So I guess he gets points for that, though technically Jane has saved his life a couple of times already now. Jeller proceed to beat the crap out of their attackers, and aaahhhh, isn’t this so much more THEM than painting walls and picking out cushions? Their Colorado life was a nice little holiday but it wasn’t them. Naturally the gunshots wake little puppy Bethany who is now barking in distress, but they check on her and she’s fine. Keaton rocks up to explain that some Sandstorm member has put out a hit on Jane for $10M, and now no one can stop a shit-ton of mercenaries from coming after Jane. Keaton and Jane are in agreement about putting Jane into a version of WitSec-- hopefully with much more comfortable lodgings than the last time she was put up by the CIA. (#Yesstillbitter). Weller tries to reject the idea, then decides he’s coming too, bc “You’re my wife” ughhhhhh, but Jane can’t let him walk away from the rest of his life. She knows what that’s like, after all, though lbr giving up her life as Remi was the best thing she ever did. Unfortunately for Weller, he has a very hardheaded wife and he sleeps very heavily when he’s cuddling a fluffy puppy, so Jane bails in the middle of the night, and nope nope nope I never needed to see her crying as she pulled off her wedding ring, thanks Satan (I mean Gero). But lbr, Weller is Jane’s everything, and she would do anything-- including break her own heart-- to keep him safe. Oh, Jane, you noble idiot. At least this whole scene has allayed one of my concerns going into this season-- Weller definitely knows why Jane had to go, so he knows it was done out of love, and not for the lack of it. I still think she could have kept the ring, but I suppose by leaving it she was telling him that she was okay, that she was leaving of her own accord and hadn’t been kidnapped or murdered or anything.

Have I mentioned lately how much I really hate time-jumps??? After the finale, I desperately hoped that they had been married the majority of that two year gap and that their separation was only like three or so months. I even mostly-completed a oneshot postfinale fic along those lines, but then we found out about the 18 month thing and I was like “well screw you too, show” (#yepdefinitelybitter) and abandoned the story entirely. Plus, it’s been otherwise proved non-canon now, so that was rather a waste of time. But anyway, it’s now 18 months after Jane disappeared (undoubtedly aided by Keaton) and you just know the whole family will have been scattered to the winds. Another reason to hate time jumps. Speaking of the team, Hirst shows up at Weller’s apartment-- which he somehow still has; renting it out, I guess?? But damn he’s clearly richer than I thought he was. He’s about to sell it though bc he’s spending all his time and money searching for Jane, just as he has for the last 18 months. And on one hand, I can totally be like “awww he loves her so much” but on the other hand I want to be like “wtf you sadistic writers, you’re literally going to rip apart a couple who loves each other for A YEAR AND A HALF, which is a FREAKING LONG TIME (seriously where were you 1.5yrs ago? Think about that and how much of forever ago it was) and then also literally have the love of Weller’s life disappear into thin air, when he had already spent 25 years of his life searching for the last person he loved who disappeared, and OH YEAH, WHO TURNED OUT TO HAVE BEEN DEAD THE WHOLE TIME???” Legit, if you actually take two seconds to think about it, this entire plotline is freaking awful and upsetting and yet the show will literally brush it off like it’s nothing, or merely a tiny insignificant blip in their lives. Just watch. And so again, this is one of those moments where Gero bedazzles us into not being upset by things which very much should upset us. But ANYWAY, Hirst is there because the team has been kidnapped, and I use the word ‘team’ lightly here, because they literally haven't seen each other in like a year because everything fell apart after Jeller abandoned them to go puppysit in Colorado. Anyhow, a mysterious box with Jane’s name on it (or her maiden name at least, no one can convince me that the woman for whom Weller is her home wouldn’t have taken his name and the belonging that went with it) was left in Reade’s apartment, likely because he’s the only one left in NYC because all the others bailed. Seriously I feel like this team’s breaking apart has given ME abandonment issues, so I have no idea how they’re all managing. But anyway the other nifty thing about the box is that it has coordinates on it, very possibly leading to Jane’s location. Congrats, Weller, looks like you don’t have to sell your apartment after all. And you totally have all the info you need to go find Jane, plus an excellent excuse, given that only she can open the box and help them save their friends (who they completely ditched two years ago). Fun times.

Jump to Nepal, and the scene from the finale. Now we know for sure that the hug was because Jane had never wanted to leave him, which is nice. Also that whoever left the box (lbr we all already know it’s Roman) literally made it so the two of them HAD to solve this together. Looks like someone ships his his sister and brother in law lol… Aaaand okay now Jane is glowing. She admits that it must have happened when she was in an accident some months ago that had her in and out of consciousness for days, and wow how must that feel for Weller? Hearing that she literally almost died months ago and he would never have known about it? Dammit Jane, I know you suffered without him too and that you were doing it for ‘good’ reasons, but I still think you were wrong to do it. If anyone has a time machine up their sleeve, please donate it to these guys so they can go back and make better choices.

But all realistic feelings aside, the pair are straight back into tattoo solving mode (admit it guys, you’ve missed this) and quickly figure out that the first clue is a reference to the place that Weller proposed to Jane-- St Mark’s Square in Venice. Which on one hand is ugh so sweet and romantic but on the other is… kinda unoriginal? Lol. But regardless I need to hear more about his proposal. How long were they in Venice? How long had they been together? Did he intend to propose the whole time or did it just happen? Why did they holiday in Venice as opposed to other locations? Tell me EVERYTHING, GERO. But anyway Jane’s like ‘It’s happening all over again’ and it’s easy to assume she’s unhappy about that, but then again, maybe she’s actually not? Technically working with the team on the tattoos was the best time of her life (with some exceptions here and there). Weller offers for her to stay out of it if she wants to-- which is big of you, Weller, it really is. I mean we all know you're desperately hoping she comes with you, but then again you want her to be safe, so… this must be conflicting lol. But of course Jane is down to rescue their best friends (again, friends that they abandoned #irrationallybitter), and lbr is probably super sick of climbing that damn cliff, PLUS can’t face leaving her hubby a second time, so together they set off to Venice. Yay!

Weller has taken some full-body shots of the new tatts (I feel like that had to be slightly awkward for both of them) and sends them through to the lab, where they are received by Stuart (onya for moving up in the world, buddy), Hirst, and… RICH DOT FREAKIN COM. I mean, we’ve all known for a while that he was returning, and suspected long before that, but honestly this is the moment that makes the episode for me. My fave is back and is making jokes about nudes, and all is right with the world. Jane is like ‘wtf’, and so Weller gives her a rundown on all she missed-- namely, that her entire ‘family’ has become estranged-- Reade is working in a position that tbh feels above his ability and experience level, give that his predecessors are the superhuman Mayfair and the wonderboy Weller; Tasha the CIA-hater is now working for the man who tortured Jane; Patterson has literally moved as far across the country as she can, to do work as far from their FBI work as possible. See what happens when parents abandon their children, Jane?? Everything falls apart, so you better go fix it. Also, two things: first, I wanna know all about Rich’s dealings with the FBI in the last two years. Give me a spin off just about that, please. Secondly, did Rich and Patterson try to find Jane after she disappeared and how did they feel about their (apparent) lack of success? But anyway ugh literally every line of Rich’s is pure gold. I love that he’s staying in the same safe-house she did?? Keeping it in the family lol. And then ugh for all his jokes about the nudes etc, you can tell he’s legitimately concerned that they’re about to walk into a trap. Oh my baby loves and misses his friends and wants them back in one piece and I juST LOVE HIM SO MUCH

Meanwhile, in the fun bunker, Reade and Zapata wake up after being drugged, and while he’s all business, she’s like “it’s good to see you, even if it takes being kidnapped for it to happen” and we discover that they haven't spoken at all in the year since Zapata went to the CIA. Dammit Jeller, see what you did??? Everything is broken!!! And now a long-haired Patterson is herded into their cell, and is understandably all ‘wtf’ about it. Well, at least they’re all in the same room again, right?

Seeing Jeller in Venice is weird. I walked right there in the spot where they're walking, many times. I saw everything they’re seeing now. And ugh Jane says it seems like forever ago that they were last here, whereas for Weller it feels like it just happened. Which subtly demonstrates how they’re no longer in sync, and then ugh Weller tells her that this was the first place he came to after she disappeared, going straight to the place that only they knew about, hoping that she was waiting for him. But she wasn’t, and ugh you can tell how much that hurt him, realising that she was never going to come. How long did he wait for her before he realised that?? Ugh. But I appreciate that she immediately stops to apologise and try to explain herself, including making it clear that her love for him was the driving factor behind everything she did. The choice of language by the writers is clever, though, because we (and Weller) hear her say ‘loved’ and neither of us know for sure if that love is still present tense or not. Which of course it is, but still, the suspense… But ugh poor Weller. He’s still so hurt. Jane can you just give him another hug please? For longer this time? Like, say, forever?

Also sidebar: I’m holidaying in Vanuatu atm, and there’s an old guy swimming in the pool that I’m sitting beside, and he looked up at me as I was writing that last sentence and at first I thought maybe it’s because he’s a man and I’m female in a bikini, but then he goes (in a cute, accented voice) “Don’t work so hard. You’re on holiday! You should be relaxing!” hahaha. Don’t worry, buddy, I’ve been lazing by this pool for hours now, and I’m currently writing about some of my favourite fake humans. I’m all good.

Meanwhile back in the Blindspot world, Jeller find a case on the roof that has her tattoo on the side, and while Weller is all ‘wait for the bombsquad!!’ Jane ignores him and immediately opens it. Ah, Weller, did you miss this? I mean it’s just like old times. Inside the case there’s a phone, and Jane calls the number, and Roman answers almost too eagerly. He’s clearly pleased to be interacting with them both, and proud of himself for his genius plan for ‘tormenting’ them (while also bringing them back together, freeing Jane from the hit on her, and giving him an excuse to interact with them whenever he wants). Aw, my psychopathic lil boy just misses his family. Honestly it sounds like he’s gone through a fair bit of trouble to get to the guy who holds the hit out on Jane and give them a way to take him down… a way that involves kinda almost killing Jane but eh, could be worse? And then ooooh they realise from the bells that he’s right there in the square too, and omg as Jane is asking him how they get their friends back (answer: apparently they don’t) she’s spinning around looking for him, and right behind her is a walkway with a snack bar on one side of it, and man I have such clear memories of walking along that walkway to our hotel or stopping into that snack bar for gelati. Ugh, I miss Venice. And then he says her name again (dude it’s Jane WELLER, not Doe) and she spots him and takes off after him and Weller suddenly panics because he doesn’t know where she is (ugh my poor boy) but luckily he manages to take the exact right turn to find them (do you know how easy it is to get turned around in Venice????? He’d have never found them) and he jumps onto Roman’s getaway boat which is badass, and after what seems like several minutes of an unpleasant upper-body workout he manages to pull himself up on the boat and attack Roman. Meanwhile Jane, who got left behind earlier, has managed to just about catch up to them despite having commandeered what appears to be the Italian version of a motor-pontoon. Also Roman manages to keep his sunnies on throughout their fight which is pretty damn impressive considering that Weller has bodyslammed him a couple of times as well as punching him full on in the face more than once. But eh. Weller does manage to dislodge Roman's jacket as he gets literally kicked off the boat, though. Good thing Captain Jane and her trusty vessel aren't far behind, and pick him up. I like that she called him Weller; that’s right Jane, just because it’s your name now too doesn’t mean you can’t still call him that. Oooooh but rather than being grateful for the rescue, Weller is too busy being upset with Jane for ditching him, which he’s understandably just a tad sensitive about these days. Looks like these guys have still got a little bit to go in terms of getting their groove back. And while Jane is lamenting Roman’s escape, Weller shows her the phone from the pocket of Roman’s jacket, his voice all proud. Yeah, son, you did good.

Back at the lab, Stuart is still being antagonized by Rich, who I have to say pulls off those flowered shirts better than I would have believed possible. Though lbr, I gave up on trying not to be inexplicably attracted to Rich a long time ago. While they’re cracking the encrypted phone, Jeller go ahead with Roman’s plan to get rid of Jane’s bounty. Not that the munchkin is happy about it, of course, but Jane is determined to have her life back-- lbr, after getting to see Weller again after all this time, there’d be no way she could ever let him go again. While Weller’s super against the death-mimicking drug, it gets support from Stuart and Rich, the former in simply confirming that it does what Roman says it does, and the latter detailing his own uses for it which include faked-death border crossings and, of course, ‘some sex stuff’. Not sure I wanna hear the sex stories, but the border crossings one sure has me intrigued. The guys do bring up one catch: if she doesn’t have the antidote within 90 mins, she’ll actually die. Weller is NOT down with that, but before he can even get past the opening statement of his list of all the reasons why this is a Bad Idea, Jane stabs herself in the leg with the needle. His face is the most hilarious thing, like ‘Aaaaand she did the thing. Of course she did the thing. Why do I even ever try to talk her out of the thing, she always just does it anyway.’ lol. But let’s not forget there, he could literally grab the antidote right out of that case and stab her with it right now, completely counteracting the drug’s effects and preventing the plan from being able to go ahead. But she begged him to do it for her-- for them-- and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. Especially if it gives him the love of his life back. And come on, it’s not a true Jeller moment until one of them does something the other tells them not to, nearly dies, and is saved by the other, so…

In the fun bunker, the (now loosely defined) team is trying to figure out where they are (no clue), and why they were taken, and Reade immediately assumes it’s something to do with Zapata’s work at the CIA, and the two of them are immediately at each other’s throats about it before Patterson plays mediator, trying to get everyone to focus. On one hand I agree with Reade, bc the CIA is pretty shady and I don’t trust them, but Zapata’s probably right when she says that it must be about their time in the FBI since all three of them are here. However some Spanish-accented military dudes appear a moment later and tell them to break into a fancy safe or die, and hmmmm that is not quite what I expected. While Patterson assesses the crackability of the safe (fairly easy apparently, and dude how could I ever forget how much I love Patterson) Reade gets his wet-blanket on, and starts preaching about how they shouldn’t open it bc it’s a government safe and might have dangerous secrets inside etc, whereas Zapata is all “pshh, that’s a problem for another day. Today’s problem is not dying” which I fully support. And then they’re at it again (and not ‘at it’ in the sexy way, which in this moment would be uncomfortable for all kinds of reasons) but in the squabbly bickery way, but Patterson interrupts with some much needed truth bombs: Reade is mad at Zapata for leaving, Zapata’s mad at him for freezing her out after she left, and the team fell apart after Jeller left and they’re all still trying to deal with that loss. And ughhh everyone missed each other and they’re all unhappy in their separate lives and clearly the solution here is for everyone to come back to the team and stay together forever and never let Gero break them up ever again ugh. But anyhow, like all Patterson rants, this one results in everyone being like ‘sorry mom what do we need to do’ and ugh I’ve missed themmmmmm

Back in Venice, Weller is rolling a duffel bag with his estranged wife’s death-adjacent body inside. Act natural, Weller, because this would be a really awkward time to get stopped by the cops. Also sidenote, he’s rolling that bag like it doesn’t weigh much at all, which I'm going to pretend is just because he’s jacked and not because there’s actually nothing in the bag that they filmed with lol. Anyhow, the bag is now up on the altar in a church filled with bad guys, and time is running out before Jane needs the antidote. Of course the bounty guy is late. Thanks for my blood pressure issues, Blindspot. Also another sidenote, but the guy who greets him is totally a silver fox. Too bad he’s soon to be either arrested or dead. Finally his boss arrives-- he got caught up watching a glassblower, which tbh I completely understand, bc that kind of thing is awesome-- and then lolllll he listens with a stethoscope for like 2 seconds and then does a blood pressure and then declares Jane dead?? Um, no. As someone who has certified the deaths of many people in the last three years, and also interacted with a lot of death-adjacent people, let me tell you that a) a blood pressure is useless, b) he would need to listen for at LEAST two minutes with the steth, and c) there are several other simple checks he should have done that totally would have given Jane away. But whatevs, his lack of any medical understanding totally works in our favour. Weller is all “cool I love that she’s dead and that I’m getting all the moneys for it, hey can I have a sec with the body please?” but nope, the dude has his cronies ready to take her to the in-house crematorium (wow, talk about a one-stop shop) and Weller’s al ‘coolcoolcool’ *punches the dudes out and stabs Jane’s body right through the bag before being pulled away and having his ass handed to him*. And okay Jane would not have woken up instantly like that but DAMN if it doesn't look cool with her slowly emerging from the bag like an avenging angel (cool parallel with the pilot, of course) and then she’s all ‘how dare u hurt my man’, leading to a shot like in those cartoons where two characters are brawling inside a closed room or building and all you see is like the door bending outwards and clouds of dust puffing up and windows rattling etc, and then BAM BABY, JELLER IS BACK AND KICKING BUTT and also looking like they’re both a little turned on by it which is kind of awkward but at the same time I fully support it and Idk there’s just a lot of emotions going on rn

Rich excitedly confirms that Roman’s plan actually worked and Jane is now free, and ugh I like to think that it’s not just because he can’t believe it worked but more that he’s just really happy for them bc he ships them so much and it also means that they’re going to be coming home and basically I just want the whole gang back together ugh. That might be a little difficult though, as Rich informs them of the not-so-good good news-- Roman sold the other three into slavery, but thankfully he’s freaking awesome (and knows it) because he’s managed to figure out where they were taken. Lol at Weller's “Ugh he’s worse than Patterson” hahahaha. Ugh I just LOVE THESE GUYS. And so the others are apparently being held by the Venezuelan government, and Rich tells Jeller where, but they can’t have any official help (Oh Stuart: “shouldn't we just call the president or something?” my sweet summer child) and so Keaton is there to hook them up with some of his contacts and goddammit why is hating him so damn hard. And awww I love that lil baby Stuart is getting to play with the big kids these days, and awww Hirst is determined to get their ‘friends’ back (not their ‘agents’ or their ‘team’) and ugh this FAMILYYYY. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the original family of five has now been joined by the cool wine aunt, the awkward and often annoying but also kinda useful uncle, the wacky flamboyant cousin, and the shy young nerd cousin now added into the mix.

In the fun bunker, Patterson is casually cracking the safe while snacking on her MRE, while Reade whines about his own food and Zapata messes with him for entertainment. Ah, good times. Then Patterson opens the safe-- literally the others seem to be barely there for anything other than moral support-- and they realise that the safe contains a government computer, probably with a bunch of dangerous secrets on it. Uh-oh. Before they can argue more about the merits of dying for the cause, though, the baddies arrive. They want Patterson to decrypt the computer which is gonna take a hella long time. Awww ‘we paid for the best computer specialist in the FBI’, and ughhh she really is. And then it turns out that Reade and Zapata are literally just there as incentive for her to get crackin’ or they’ll be killed. Eeeep. But our Patty Pat is a genius, and the baddies made the epic mistake of providing sustenance in the form of MREs. Basically if they use the hot packets from the food to turn the computer into a flashbang, they can distract the baddies long enough to overpower them and escape. Ugh I’m so proud of my lil baby genius. And she makes Reade apologise to the food for badmouthing it hahaha. Man I have missed this lil team so much!!

Up in the sky, Jeller are rushing to save their buddies, but also having The Talk-- aka the ‘what are we now?’ talk, bc lbr Jane so desperately wants their life together back, both as a married couple and as kickass FBI agents, but she doesn’t know if she has the right to have it back or if it's even what he wants, and then he’s all ‘yep let’s be married again we can just sweep this past 18 months under the rug please I’m good with that let’s just do that’ and ugh Jane admits that leaving him and their life was the hardest thing she’d ever done, but-- and man does he feel the ‘but’-- she really found herself after she left him. Oh man, what a kick in the guts. I totally get what she’s saying-- it’s not that she doesn’t want to be with him, or that she can only truly be herself without him, it’s that the puppy-sitting life in backwater Colorado is just not for her (Well, duh). She did it once to make him happy, but she can’t go back to it again or she’ll go stir-crazy. Well, good thing these new tattoos have given them both the perfect excuse to go back to their lives of kicking ass in NYC! Poor Weller though, he doesn’t understand yet, and the way his voice gets a little choked up just kills me. Oh Weller, just because she discovered who she is as a person without you (bearing in mind that pretty much her entire life that she can remember, you’ve been there), doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you with all her heart!

Now Jeller are at the compound, about to search every building individually when the others save them a bunch of time by causing a hell of a ruckus (exploding computers, gunfire, all-round hell breaking loose-- you know, the usual) and so Jeller have to adjust their plans. In a big, kick-ass way. I love the three making their big escape and then seeing the tank a roll up and aim towards them and they’re all ‘shit alright you got us geez we surrender’ and then BAM, the tank destroys the bad guys’ vehicles and probably everyone’s eardrums as well. I just love the wtf moment that these three must have when Weller suddenly pops up out of the tank-- dad’s here guys! Time to go! And then they’re inside and mom is driving and they all probably think that they’re hallucinating from something in the Mexican Style chicken stew and ughhhh they must be so relieved and Jane literally drives over a car bc ain't nothing getting in the way of getting her family to safety. Also lol Patterson must have been raking it in with the app designing because she’s all ‘I gotta buy me one of these’ haha. I’d love to see her cruising around NYC in one hahaha. And then ugh Jeller are all in sync again , taking out the baddies following them and the team is half-confused, half-happy and they have so many questions and then Reade’s “We got time, this tank is slow as hell’ lolllll. Well he’s not wrong…. wonder how long it took for things to get awkward??

Aaaand the team is safely back at the NYO, and Jane is in the scanner again, and Keaton is there again for whatever reason-- oh, because he wants the CIA to take the tattoo cases, while Hirst is all ‘bish please” in her excellent southern accent. So lemme guess, this is about to be a joint task force… and yep, Reade is all ‘this is the most sensible option’ like he totally doesn’t just want Zapata back. Haha yeah Keaton, you get me on this. It’s nice to see Reade stepping up and going head to head with the big kids, though I still don’t think he’s ready to be in this position (Are we forgetting the whole Jones thing and the drug binge??). But whatevs. Reade goes to tell the team about the joint task force and they’re like yeah duh, we’re all already in’. Well, except Patterson, who is playing a little hard to get. Maybe she’s still struggling to deal with all the Sandstorm trauma? And then omg “Rich is gonna brief us in Stuart’s lab” was the perfect sentence to say right then to convince her to stay haha. Well played, Reade. Patterson is not happy at all about Rich being involved, though Reade defends him which feels kinda weird but I also like it. I wanna hear more about their interactions. Again, spin-off, anyone?? Weller is all ‘oh god please where is the briefing just give us the briefing’ so after a lil more Patterson/Rich bickering (ah how I’ve missed that), Stuart tells them what they already know-- lots of tattoos to crack, so they better get…. Cracking (*insert finger guns here*). Patterson is now all in, refusing to leave this to Rich and Stuart (“No offense Stuart” hahahaha), and Jane is in too, despite Hirst offering for her to be free if she wants. Aww, Hirst. You are a sweetie pie. And then Rich: “Backstreets back alright! Six best friends and Stuart!” And UGH YES. Give me all the Rich, and all the Patterson and the Stuart and the ughhhh all of it. I do love that all joking aside, Rich does very genuinely tell Jane it's nice to see her again. He loves his Jane and he would do anything for her ugh

Oooh Jeller in their old apartment, and he’s all unsure whether she really wants to be there with him and she makes it clear that there’s nowhere else she wants to be, and yaaaas my boy acknowledges that the move to Colorado really didn’t fit her and that she’d given up a lot of her own happiness and personal meaning just to make him happy. So now they just need to strike a balance, which is all she wants-- to be there with him and be happy and in luuuurve while also kicking butt and saving people. And then ugh he pulls her ring out of his pocket and he’s been carrying it EVERY DAY since she left and he rushes to tell her that she doesn’t have to put it back on until she’s ready and ugh she takes it and kisses him and then lord save me from how husky her voice goes when she tells him she’s missed him so much and ughhhhh he’s missed her too and ugh my babies are about to have reunion sex on multiple surfaces in the house and I’m so happy for them. Damn Gero yet again you have managed to make the thought of 18 awful months completely disappear in the face of this excellence, and it’s all too easy to just let you make me forget, and ugh I want to stay upset about it but I just can’t. Damn it you crafty wizard, how have you gotten me so under your spell….

Lol Aunty Hirst checking in with Reade, seeing if he’s okay with all his fam coming back, but also warning him (and us) that none of these people are the same as they were two years ago. And to prove that point, uncle Keaton and Zapata are having their own, much shadier little conference about one of the tattoos, one that clearly points to something related to either them or the CIA in general, but it’s something they’re both very familiar with and won’t let the others find out about. Oooh, secrets. Speaking of secrets, Rich and Patterson have apparently been interacting regularly over the last two years??? And before anyone goes there, NO, I I don’t think their relationship is at all romantic or sexual. I think they’ve been business partners of a sort (probably with Boston as well, since he and Patterson kinda became buds) and I also think that Patterson has been secretly helping Rich help the FBI with their cases. But again, I want to hear ALL about whatever they’ve been up to bc ugh I love these two and their dynamic though I also kinda wanna give Rich a hug and tell Patterson to be nicer to her weirdo cousin haha. Oh wait, you thought we were done with the secrets???? Nope, Jane is looking unhappy and hiding a bunch of passports (probably given to her by Keaton) away the moment Weller leaves, and he steps outside their (apparently-renovated) building and immediately encounters Roman, who basically blackmails him to help him with tattoo-related stuff or he’ll tell Jane about ‘what happened in Berlin’. Weller is agrees to help immediately, which kinda makes it seem like whatever happened in Berlin was really, really bad. And again NO IT WAS NOT SOMETHING ROMANTIC OR SEXUAL. Geez, people. Neither Jane nor Weller would have slept with anyone else during their separation. To think so would be to have no understanding of either of the characters, or their character growth. Far more likely Weller did something that would be considered illegal or amoral, like killing someone, or something. Personally I think he and Roman encountered each other in Berlin and had an altercation wherein Weller injured and very nearly killed Roman, and Roman only survived by pure luck? That feels like a thing he’d want to keep from Jane, that he nearly killed her only family? Plus then he would kind of ‘owe’ Roman as well,. But idk, maybe it was something even shadier. Guess we’ll find out….

And so okay, I admit it. You've won, Gero. You’ve done a ton of things that have upset me or that I object to on multiple levels, but try as I might I can’t escape from your web. Looks like I’m stuck with this show, which means you guys are stuck with me and my recaps...

#Blindspot #Blindspot recap #Jeller #goddammit show how do you pull me in like this

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the-keionbu · 7 years ago

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Never before did I feel the theme of ticking time that K-ON portrays than I did this past year/semester of my college career (and I guess bleeding into my summer)

Well, let me preface first with one of the major themes of K-ON season 2 of time, starting when the girls are recruiting new club members, ultimately deciding not to have new people and Yui saying something along the the lines of that they (the girls) have all the time in the world to spend with one another. To which, Sawako responds, “A year can fly by in a blink of an eye,” or something to that extent.

And then this theme is beautifully portrayed carefully throughout the season with the many “fillers” where you forget time is running out. Then by episode 20, the seniors FEEL the reality of their time as high schoolers, as a band, may soon come to a close.

Past strong character development, I really admire series that can tell relateable stories. And not just stories that are like, easily resonate-able. It’s one thing to portray the importance of friendship, and to be able to look at your own respective groups of friends and say “Yeah, I feel.”

What I REALLY admire, is the realistic portrayal of emotion throughout the course of the characters lives we see.

Of course that’s a given, but theme analysis (IMHO) is MUCH MUCH stronger when taken from the viewer’s own story. So, let me explain further by my own personal experience.

I’m pretty sure everyone has basically gathered from my personal posts on here that I was heavily involved with a student organization during my time in college.

I joined the club my spring semester of my freshman year, and that has been one of the most important catalysts that made me into who I am today. During that time, I got involved, served in little parts of this campus ministry, and then as an upperclassman, took up the main leadership role for one year, and was on the leadership team as another leader for a different ministry within the group this past year.

Throughout that time, I grew SO much, personally. God sat down my prideful ass and showed me humility, He showed me what it means/takes to lead, and showed me to truly love myself for as I was made. And the ways that translated to how I see life/interact with people have been life changing (LITERALLY I’M NOT EVEN BEING OVER DRAMATIC I SWEAR)

BUT BUT BUTTTT, another big big thing I can’t be more thankful for during my 4 years was the people that surrounded me.

I have always always valued friendship. Growing up as an only child, friends were a big part of my life, because sitting at home alone is boring and lonely.

But the group of people I met in college showed me what real family meant.

It started out as seeing them once, maybe twice a week for our official group meetings. Then slowly it would be a few times a week, and for a while, I would be with at least some people (out of ~40 people) nearly everyday.

As someone who grew up essentially being taught crying = weakness, and grew up with an incredibly small emotional support system, I had nearly closed myself emotionally to most people. I HATED showing anything other than positivity, strength, courage.

I went through a lot of ups and downs in college. I was brought to to the aftermath of what happens when you think you can do everything yourself, I can finally sympathize with people who have really low self-esteem, because BOI at one point I lost nearly all self-confidence I once prided myself in, I’ve been in a car accident EVERY YEAR, for the past three years, and suffered lowkey PTSD from getting clipped my a truck, and then getting my back car WRECKED in the rain this past year.

I’m very grateful to say most of my life growing up was very pain-free, for the most part (it also helps when you unconsciously repress many things.)

BUT B O I did college test my endurance as a person. I’ve had more arguably “BAD” things happen to me in the course of these 4 years than I did my entire 22, but I honestly can’t be more thankful for them.

One of the biggest, yes, each one helped me grow as a person. I can firmly say each was a lesson in life, and has made me stronger from surviving each one (I AM MELODRAMATIC I’M SORRY) and jesus is my boi for being a homie throughout all of them, the dishing out, and the saving

BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FRIENDSHIP

AND NOW WE WILL

I can honestly say, I would’ve been much more rekt from all of these if not for my friends, those I call my family.

These people were there for me, right by my side, checking up on me through each stage. It took me 20 years to cry and admit weakness and vulnerability in front of ANYONE, and when I did, the amount of relief and love I felt from them was immeasurable.

TLDR, I LOVE THEM ALL VERY MUCH.

Now, where does time play into this?

I went about my fourth year in college in literally full out Senior Mode.

I did NO T H I NG.

I literally went on a roadtrip with people nearly every other month, I would skip class to go get lunch with someone, my freetime thatt should be spend for classwork WAS MOST CERTAINLY NOT

I was very determined to enjoy my time (which, this was basically me during my entire time but w/e)

And I would always chalk it up to “ya know, I can’t be as lackidasical and lazy when I start working”

Senior year went by so fast.

I can’t stress that enough.

There’s no way I can intangibly measure the rate at which I felt the year fly by, but boi did it FLY. BY

and literally the next thing I know is that my graduating class in our fellowship and I are having our last offical meeting with everyone, mid-may before club activities end. The ones not graduating (like, ~40 pople,) prayed for the graduating (8 of us) and all of us broke down

Then WE prayed over our underclassman, and I literally couldn’t speak, and I can as I look back, I’m hit with the realization that the emotions of departure that I was feeling were the EXACT same that Yui, Mio, Ritsu and Mugi felt in episode 20.

The underclassman had planned an entire night for us, to thank us for all we’ve done in our fellowship. There was a cute video of them talking about us, they made us presents, wrote notes to all of us, et ecetera.

But it wasn’t until the very end of the night, as we prayed over each other did I realize that I would not be able to be in the same place as them, fellowship with them, worship with them, really ever. Or at least for a long while.

It it broke my heart (in a good way)

One, because of the sheer “I will very seldom see them all (I mean as a big group) again”

Two, because of the deep, deep gratitude I have in meeting each, and every one of them.

Of course, I still see a bunch of them, hanging out this summer, but as I (kinda) prepare to move for my job, it’s a weird feeling.

During that night, I had thoughts of “man, I wish I reached out to this person more,” or “I wish I spent more time with them,” or “I wish I didn’t miss this event” or “wasn’t busy with x instead” AND SO MANY THOUGHTS

And I’m not saying I live in regrets, nor that I’m nenver gonna see them again. Not at all. I think no matter how much time I spent with this family, I would always think it could be more. Because that’s what happens when you truly find people you love, HOURS of hanging out amount to seconds as you look back on it. And I’m very thankful to say I’m pretty sure I will see most of these people in my life for years to come

BUTTTTT

As I move onto the next stage of my life, Sawako’s words really resonate with me.

What I really want to point out is just how FAST they go from Sawako saying a year goes by fast, to them almost immediately changing the topic and carrying on their daily routine of snacking

Because that’s just so real. The entire concept of how time flies by fast is packed into this 30 second dialogue.

And let me tell, you, is that ever, ever true.

Now,

I was gonna write something here, but I decided now is not the time

BUT BASICALLY as someone who now feels pretty old in this fan base, and advice I can’t stress enOUGH

Open yourself up to possibilities, people, and truly, truly treasure the time you have with your friends.

Yes, opening up to people is SCARY, TRUST ME. But if you really feel it’s someone you can trust, just do it. And even if it turns out bad, it’s okay, you will bounce back, and you will grow.

And when you find those people, those that you feel like they are HOME for you, treasure treasure TREASURE them. Spend more time with them, take more pictures, do MORE dumb things, because that’s what will cling to your memory more than anything. And if my words don’t prove that, go just frickin watch K-ON again and tell me the times that they stalked Sawako, or when Yui got lost during the marathon, TELL. ME. that those weren’t more memorable to them than whhen they just practiced.

With that, let me end this with one story:

I graduated at the end of may in the MLB ballpark in the city my college was in. Which meant, we were all in the stands. Grads were mixed together, we could sti with anyone, and we were able to walk around the stadium during the duration of the ceremony.

Which meant, we got to walk around, get food from the ballpark, meet our friends and family in their stands, it was just, very casual, and not like a usual graduation ceremony.

The actual commencement was so boring. And it was a joy to hear they’d start to let us line up to get our ‘dimplomas.’

So background, since we had it at an MLB ballpark, the team had a game next day, so wwe couldn’t go on the field, or else it’d mess it up. And EVERYONE who was graduating, NOT BY MAJOR, but E V ERY O NE, sat together. 5,000 people graduating at once.

So instead of calling our names one by one, like a usual commencement, all the grads lined up for 4 different cameras set around the field that would be displayed on the Big Screen on the stadium. Our friends and families would have to play “Where’s Waldo” for when their loved one was on the screen.

My friends and I, the ones that were graduating from our fellowship, sat together, got our dipolmas together, and took pics together back in the stands before the fireworks show started.

this whole thing for people to get their degree on camera took over an hour, whic, ofc with 5k people.

We got ours in the middle, and were just chilling with our other friends who came down to see us.

earlier that week, one of our guys (not graduating) joked about bringing his old middle school robe from their promotion and sitting with us, because they don’t check. Only if eveyrone had a purple cap and gown.

He didn’t end up bringing it, and we gave him crap

JOKINGLY, I said to him as were waiting for fireworks, “What if you took one of our cap and gowns and pretened to walk and graduate”

and after a short bet, he had to do it. Borrowed one of our attires, suited up, and joined the last leg of people receiving their diplomas, dabbed (trash) on screen as he was on the camera, and was stopped by a security asking him “Why did you wait so long to line up??”

and the whole thing was hilarious, and documented HEAVILY on our social medias and phones, and still something we all joke and laugh about.

BUT

the point is, we all remember and cherish the memory him pretending to graduate, over our own graduation

and i hope each and every one of you strives to make memories like those

#i'm a heavy advocate of #your own personal experiences strengthen meta analysis #and i love projecting so here's 35% analysis and 65% experience !!!#*

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otome-obsessed · 8 years ago

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Vehura Reviews - Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds Limited Edition

Just in case you are not up-to-date on this massively popular otome series, the plot of Hakuoki is:

Chizuru Yukimura goes to Kyoto to attempt to find her father and, through a series of events, she ends up with the Shinsengumi. From there, and after revealing who she really is, she joins up with the men to help locate her father. And, at the same time, uncovers a dark secret the group are keeping as well as some secrets of her own.

Hakuoki is the grandpapa of otome internationally. Originally released in 2012 on the PSP, it help boost the otome landscape of what we have today. It’s a long game in its original form being 30~50 hours with six routes. It has spawn anime, stage plays, musicals, and many MANY versions of the game.

Are we all caught up? Good.

Once Kyoto Winds (the upgraded version of the original PSP) was announced, I spent December playing the original game on my stream to build hype for Kyoto Winds and we had a blast! After the stream, many people told me they were very excited for the new version of the game that was adding six love interests and expanding the shorter romance routes.

Then there is the merch.

When the Limited Edition was announced I was like a puppy who had seen its favorite toy. Bento Box? Sign me up! Furoshiki? I will be the most beautiful weeb-bushka! Artbook? OMG, are you trying to make me cry?! Soundtrack? I’m gonna take epic roadtrips! Reversible Cover Sleeve? When I get tired at looking at these handsomes, now I will look at these other handsomes!

So, when I was contacted by Idea Factory International to be sent a review copy of the Limited Edition, I was floored. Yes, a thousand times, yes.

First and foremost, I have a degree in graphic design. I love touching and holding things. I enjoy well made items. I don’t want flimsy items. If I’m going to spend money on something, I want to get my actual feels worth. And because of that, I hold physical items up to a pretty high standard. I also am a bit of a package design snob. How things fit in packaging, was the package actually designed or is it just a box with things thrown in it, ect.

Oh god. I’m so happy right now I might cry and I want to shake the package designer’s hand. They did a beautiful job.

Let’s start with the collector’s box itself.

(Pocky for scale)

This is a nice box. It’s not flimsy. It’s a thick board. If you bought the Amnesia collector’s edition, this is a big step up from that. At no point am I worried I’m going to put the box back together the wrong way and bend it. Just hold the sides and let the bottom slide out. Awww yeah...

I gasped at opening this. I think it’s important to note that the last handful of Limited Editions I bought consisted of “just throw it in the box!” I can tell that everything has a compartment and I’m floored. (Sorry sorry, designer coming out in me again.)

We’ll get to the game itself later but first...

The bento box is not fake wood. It is legit Bamboo and Chinese Fir that has then had a thin layer of latex added. Hand-wash only, not microwave safe. I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable actually using it for its intended purpose because how nice it is.

Every Limited Edition needs its nick-nacky things, this and another thing in this box are those things. They are the body pillow and coasters from the Amnesia Box Set. In this set it’s this and the furoshiki, two items that I would be worried about ruining if I used them. OTL

Maybe I’ll hold charms in the bento instead, like suggested in the Unboxing video that IFI did a month back.

Soundtrack, the necessary item in a limited edition. If there is one small thing I am disappointed in here, it is the same thing that disappoints me about CDs and games these days. I remember in my day we had booklets that came with our CDs and games! You kids these days have no appreciation for a well designed booklet!

20 tracks. I jammed to it on my 10 minute drive to work this morning.

Peek-a-boo. It’s the furoshiki!

For those of you who don’t know the use of a furoshiki, you wrap things in them. Presents, bentos, ect are wrapped in them for easier transport. And now here is one with all 12 bachelors on it. Also, it’s massive (Vita box for scale).

It’s made of polyester so there is a nice feel to it. This is another thing I don’t think I would actually use, though the idea of wrapping my hair in it like some weeb-bushka is very tempting.

Maybe I’ll frame it just to get weird looks from the people I get my prints framed at. They’ve seen what I’ve brought in before, I don’t know why they would be surprised...

Here comes the other thing that made me gasp when I saw it.

It’s a hardcover art book! I opened it to hear the crack. Ohhhhhh I’m gonna curl up in a ball of happiness. That’s some good stuff right there. Nice glossy paper that still has some tooth to it. I held it close for a bit and thought about actually displaying it on my bookshelf instead of hiding it inside the box.

The information is really nicely laid out for the most part. You get a lot of stats info that can help you figure out the age of the characters when you meet them during the game.

Husbando likes tofu. I’m gonna get that MFer some tofu so he’ll love me.

Also, stop calling Toudou the shota of the game, he’s the same age as husbando! Which, going by MC’s age and her birthdate, puts them both at 19~20..........

*lies on the floor* Still gonna get husbando tofu...

It’s just a really nice 64 page art book... Oh and there were ~40 pages of CGs in the book. TAG YOUR CG SPOILERS, IFI!!!

And finally we make it to the game’s case.

I’ve looked at the three new husbandos long enough. Gonna flip the cover to the other husbandos.

Straight up: For me, the artbook alone makes it. Just some nice artbook. 10/10, would artbook again. That artbook is easily worth $30 on its own. The bento and the furoshiki are nice thing to have for display or maybe a purpose outside of their original ones. And if you want to use them, more power to you! It’s up to you. I do believe that items are best and their happiest when you are using them.

Also, there are chibis all along the sides. And who doesn’t love some cute chibis?

Quick Game Comments

The game Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is a wonderful upgrade too. The GUI (Game User Interface) has an amazing upgrade that almost made me cry when I saw it. Gone are the jagged edges and the yellow text box. Everything is crisp. Don’t want to press X? Just touch the screen now. The characters blink and their mouths move when they talk (I was surprised when it happened). Random characters, like one of the ronin in the beginning of the game, now have sprites, which adds to the game’s richness. Backgrounds are now added in where they weren’t in the original game. There are effects happening on screen, it’s now snowing in the game and there are animations when the MC moves.

Oh, and splatter effects. Bless splatter effects. lol

All in all a very nice upgrade from the original version.

Conclusion

I like it so much. I was thinking that I would have a few more gripes about it, but it’s a solid package with nice extras and the game itself has a beautiful upgrade.

Something I do feel the need to confirm with everyone is this game is in two parts. Due to the additional routes, upgrades, and extensions of existing routes, Idea Factory decided to release this game in two parts. The first part is Kyoto Winds (Kaze no Shou) and there is a second part, Hana no Shou. Think of it like an anime series that leaves you with a cliffhanger until the second season comes out. I have seen that most reviewers, who seem to not know what they are missing, feel satisfied with the game after playing it.

I’ll still be here ready for the second part. Additional releases could still be ahead for this series as well. If you look anywhere where fans are talking about this series, you will see wails for Hakuouki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ which is a High School AU game. Otome fans love their AUs...

If you want to get your hands on this, you need to make a decision FAST. The game isn’t even out yet and, on May 5th, Idea Factory Intl announced they are at 40% stock. It’s going and soon it might be gone!

Get those husbandos and enjoy your merch!

Thanks to Idea Factory International for sending me this to review. I’m still in shock when I hold it and feel I’m not worthy. Also, hearing I was the first person outside the company to receive this in no way made me super nervous. NOPE.

Release Date: May 6 (NA) May 9 (EU) Store links: NA - http://www.iffysonlinestore.com/HakuokiKyotoWindsLE EU - https://store.iffyseurope.com/products/hakuoki-kyoto-winds-limited-edition Official Site: http://ideafintl.com/hakuoki-kyoto

#hakuoki #hakuoki: kyoto winds #hakuoki kyoto winds limited edition #otome games #otome #limited edition #vehura reviews

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