#oops I forgot to upload this here yesterday

[neoplasm230]

Dino nuggets for a very special birthday lizard 🦎💚🦖

[vanilla0chinchilla]

Zestmilla week day 2! ...Which I forgot to upload here yesterday. Oops!

After a long, harsh day, Carmilla can always count on Zestial to take care of her. He makes her tea, bakes her some bruschetta and they chat all night long.

[caelyne]

Trance

oops, i forgot to upload a reference yesterday! so here's a trance :3 🗓️: ‎January ‎29, ‎2022

[bloodlustngore]

Stolen Hoodie - Emily Prentiss

This was already uploaded on my Wattpad but I forgot to put it on here so this one shot is kinda late :)

Emily had been on a case for a few days, and Y/n missed her girlfriend so she decided to wear Emilys favourite red hoodie, and go to bed in it. Emily comes home late at night and wakes Y/n up as she looks for her hoodie, realising that Y/n has her hoodie on.

This has been sat in drafts for ages so not really proofread bcos cba so if it's bad oops 😬

Your girlfriend Emily Prentiss had been on a case for a few days now, you had Sergio the cat that you both adopted. But even he was missing his first mom to the point he sometimes waited at the door a few times waiting for her to come home.

You and Emily had been texting back and forth though, whenever she can. Texting you 'good morning' or 'good night' both of you asking how each other have been. She even called you yesterday, saying that she could be home today, but not a specific time. You understood Emily's job was difficult, that you both couldn't spend every single day with each other, she was an FBI Agent, while you worked as a nurse.

It was difficult for you to both be apart quite a bit, but atleast you had an apartment together. And Emily's team practically became your chosen family as much as it did hers, they were always happy to see you whenever they had days off, or whenever Emily forgot something at home, or when they were having gatherings at Rossi', a br, and those ladies nights with JJ and Garcia with Emily. Shes been with them for three years now, whereas you and Emily have been together for five years.

You fed Sergio, then made yourself some food, before taking a shower and then drying your hair. You wished Emily was here because you missed showering with her, it was something you had both gotten used to for quite a while now. Going into the closet you shared with your girlfriend. You missed her so much to the point you went to her side and found her favourite red hoodie.

Emily had this hoodie for quite a few years now, there were a few cigarette burns on the end of the sleeves, which was an indication shes had this since around high-school or college. She had mentioned that she had this for a while. It smelled like her, and all you wanted to feel right now was as if she was here.

You checked your phone whilst you climb in bed, after you put on the hoodie and a pair of pyjama shorts. Emily hadn't seen or replied to your text and it had been two hours. She was probably busy. You tried to stay awake for as long as you could, but it was one in the morning and you felt tired. Sighing you put your phone on the bedside table.

You heard the little patters of Sergio running into the bedroom, jumping up and meowing at you. You pet him and he immeditely curled up on your side of the bed with you. "I know bud, I miss her too. Emily will be home soon, though." You spoke, tiredly.

~~~~

Emily had only just gotten her girlfriends text when she landed and got a lift back with Hotch, Reid and Derek to Quantico, so she could get her car and go back home. She had missed Y/n and Sergio so much that she was glad to be finally home and rid of that unsub. Saying her goodnights to the others as they got to Quantico, Emily got in her car in the parking lot and couldn't wait to get home to her favourite person and cat.

It was two in the morning, so she tried to be as quiet as she could, when opening the front door. The moment she stepped into the apartment, she let out a quiet sigh, putting her go-bag on the kitchen counter, she would sort that out when she wakes up but right now she wanted to see her girlfriend and just go to bed, she did think about having a shower then realised that it was too late and she didn't want to wake Y/n up.

Walking to the bedroom, she tried to be quiet, as she turned the light on. But the moment she did, Sergio immeditely sat up and very loudly meowed. Jumping into Emilys arms. Y/n stirred in her sleep.

"Hi Serg, I missed you too but don't wake Y/n up" Emily mentions, practically talking to the cat. She put Sergio down onto the bed and he suddenly climbed on top of Y/n' chest and made her stir in her sleep again when he put his paw on her nose. This was something he had done for a while now whenever Emily came home and Y/n fell asleep, it was the cutest thing. As if he was worried Y/n would miss her if she didn't wake up quick enough and she'd be gone a few days again, and then he ran into the hallway.

Emily walked into the closet, and stripped off all her clothing, putting them in a laundry basket. She wanted to wear a hoodie because it was the quickest thing to put on. But she couldn't find her favourite, red hoodie.

"Now that is a vision" Y/n smirked, as she stood in the doorway of the closet, admiring the slightly older woman who was very naked in front of her. "Hi, I missed you so much Emily" Y/n mentions.

Emily smiles at Y/n, when she realises that she was wearing her red hoodie. "Thats why I can't find my hoodie" Emily chuckled. "I missed you too Y/n" she added.

"I'm sorry, I just missed you and it smells like you and-"

Emily interrupted Y/n with a quick kiss, before she went back to slipping on t-shirt and some pjyama bottoms. "Don't worry, I like it on you anyway. Looks so much better on you." Emily adds.

Y/n smirks at her girlfriend, pulling her in for another kiss, this time the kiss was passionate and needy, they'd been away from each other a few days so it was to be expected. Emily squeezed Y/n' ass slightly as she picked her up, throwing Y/n down onto their bed, as she straddled her hips. "We should sleep" Emily chuckles.

"I like the sound of that, does that mean you have a few days off?" Y/n hoped that she did. Then again Emily could be called back into work at any time. "Since that was a big case, Hotch has advised us to take two days off. So we have a whole forty-eight hours, longer if theres not another case which will be highly unlikely. And I want to take you out. That's if I don't get called in on those two days off" Emily adds.

"God, I've missed you Em" Y/n sighs.

"And I've missed you to Y/n. Emily adds, as she climbs under the sheets with her girlfriend, wrapping her arm around her waist and pulling her close. Turning the lamp off, Sergio of course comes running back in and finds a space at the end of the bed, curling up.

Y/n was glad that Emily was finally home, even if it doesn't last so long.

[kaslanist]

birthday girl (i forgot to upload it here yesterday oops)

[robinnygrenart]

Oops, forgot to upload yesterday.

So me and my sister saw Ladybug and Cat Noir: the MOVIE a few weeks ago, and because I have planned uploads up to next Valentine’s Day, this was the first best opening I could squeeze in an Awakening-thing.

So… I’m not a big musical-fan. Well, I like High School Musical but that’s it. Well, musicals feel like they pause the plot for the characters to sing out the plot but I did kind of like this one and Reaching Out was absolutely my favorite song. Lord, I can’t explain how hard ���Is it enough to just be me” hit me.

But short movie-review, see how much I remember… I liked it. It wasn’t perfect, the fact it was a musical didn’t land for me. Marinette’s voice, everyone has already complained about it so I will move on.. I liked the characters a little more here. I liked a Marinette without the creepy obsession, I liked a broody lonely Adrien. Gabriel… I feel like he could have needed another design in the end cause I wasn’t really sure what exactly akumatizing himself meant… he just made the water into lava and I was supposed to accept I guess.. would have loved the S5-design but I know I’m alone in liking that design so… where was Nathalie? She was just there, I don’t remember if she knew or if she just was an assistant this time?

Idk, I should have written this while my memories were fresh, 7/10. Might rewatch. Wasn’t sure about the love-story, at least here it moved faster but didn’t feel it had much ground. At least in the show, it’s this apologetic sweet moment in the rain between Marinette and Adrien and it’s Cat seeing how cool and badass Ladybug is but here it’s just the two of them helping the other from the ground. But… they’re also both like 14 so maybe they don't need more.

[stargazer-sims]

Here’s a progress update on the Tim Hortons & apartment (and secret alien crash pad):

I showed off the outside and the inside of the coffee shop yesterday, but here’s another look at the outside, because I think yesterday’s screenshots didn’t show where the walk-up is.

I need to fix the roof, since I ended up having to redo it, and forgot to drag the edges out on the second attempt.

Here’s the living room and hallway. I thought I had more pics of the living room. Oops.

The kitchen is on a raised level. I’m really pleased with how this turned out, even if I had to rebuild the roof to fix the hole in the ceiling. EA really need to fix that glitch with raised floors & platforms.

Bonnie’s room:

Davey’s room:

Here’s the bathroom in the flat. There’s a bathroom in the coffee shop and one in the secret alien rom too, but they’re unremarkable.

This is the laundry room/raccoon room. (Yes, Bonnie’s raccoons have their own room).

Stock room for the coffee shop. This isn’t particularly exciting, but I still thought it was important.

And here’s the “alien suite” downstairs. This is the ideal spot for a newly-arrived visitor to stay for a few weeks, or for an alien in trouble to find a safe refuge for a while. Considering Bonnie’s line of work, I’d say this soace gets used fairly often.

I’m still fine-tuning a few areas, like Bonnie’s and Davey’s rooms, and I want to put some stuff on the shelves in the raccoon room, but at this point it's fully habitable. I think I'm going to call it done enough to move the family into it, and it's probably also complete enough to share, if anyone is interested in me uploading it.

[anogete]

Fifty-Fifty by anogete

A Call of Duty Ghost/OFC fic

Oops, I forgot to post yesterday that I uploaded Chapter 16. Well, I did. And Chapter 17 is also available if you're reading along and want to get caught up. The entire thing can be found HERE ON AO3. (Yes, I DO put you out of your misery in this chapter.)

And here's a teaser from the latest chapter:

He turned around to look at her, the balaclava preventing her from seeing anything but his eyes. They didn’t look happy at all, though. “Have you eaten today?” Anna shook her head. “I’m not your problem, Simon. I–I understand we were out of line last night. I’ll talk to Price when I get back and tell him...I’ll tell him I have, uh, feelings for you and need a transfer. I won’t throw you under the bus. I’ll tell him it’s just me.” “Anna, fuck, do you–I’m the one who started that last night. I don’t know what you’re going on about, saying it was just you. I fucking took advantage of you and what you were feeling and–” “You didn’t,” she told him, getting up to walk back to the house. He stepped forward to help her stand and then stopped himself short. She held up her hands in defeat. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time...with you. And I know you don’t want it. I just...my wires got crossed with the way you were with me yesterday. It felt really good, and I started thinking maybe...no, it’s okay. I’m fine.” She gave him a tight smile as she turned to trudge up the hill. “It’s not that I don’t want it, love,” he called out behind her. “I can’t have it.” All she could hear was that she wasn’t enough. That he wanted her, but not enough to try. She wanted to turn around and say that. Part of her hoped it would turn into an argument. That she could lash out at him for leading her on and making her feel like he’d always catch her. But she was damaged goods and so was he. He couldn’t meet her 70 with 30. Maybe he was willing to give her 5, but that wasn’t enough.

[cryptidtrashpan]

oop i forgot to upload here yesterday here is Tear again

[themysteriouslou]

[pastej]

Oops I forgot to upload this here yesterday!!! But happy belated birthday Kyoutani Kentarou, we've been very lucky to see you grow up 🏐✨

[commanderohan]

Fanart for @octopunkmedia ‘s short film about synthesizers, Envy and Queer Millennials, Seven deadly synths!

I uploaded this on Insta yesterday but forgot to put it here as well, oops

Anyway, I hope you like and if you haven't seen Seven deadly synths, what are you waiting for? Go watch it!

[lake-arrius-caverns]

Nerevarine Rising

Chapter 7: Awakening

oops im seeing about changing my upload day to friday but yesterday i totally forgot abt it so lmao

summary After a successful assignment, Fahjoth is glad to be given a few days off and learns a little about his duties from Caius. The twins plan a trip to Vivec City for some exploration.

content warnings none

tag list @boulderfall-cave , @padomaicocean (lmk if you’d like to be added!)

read under the cut or on AO3, cheers 👍

:: First :: || << Previous << || >> Next >> || :: Masterpost ::

—————————————————————————————

Flouncing through the front door of Cosades’ tiny house, Fahjoth couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he brandished the scrolls of parchment with glee. 

“I got them!” he cried, ecstatic. “The notes from Sharn gra-Muzgob! I got them!”

Cosades looked up from his supper with one brow raised, but by no means did he look on with disapproval. “And not a scratch on you,” he remarked, holding out a hand to receive the scrolls as Fahjoth passed them over. “I knew it wouldn’t be long before you found your feet. Well done, Novice.” 

“Well, I had help—” Fahjoth started, unwilling to take all the credit for his achievement, but Cosades didn’t seem to be listening anyway. He unfurled the scrolls and silence fell as he pored over them, a thoughtful look on his face as he examined the scrawling, loopy handwriting. Fahjoth took a seat at the table and waited, wondering what his next assignment was to be. At least Ribyna was on standby back at the South Wall Cornerclub, and for that, Fahjoth was grateful. 

“Well, Fahjoth,” Cosades started, rolling up the parchments once again and turning to face Fahjoth with the beginnings of a smile, “I’m promoting you to Blades Apprentice. You deserve it after the hard work you’ve put into all your duties.” 

Fahjoth’s heart began to soar with excitement. “Apprentice?” he repeated, awestruck. “Thank you, sir! So, uhh... what will I be expected to do now?” 

“Nothing too different, I assure you. It’s mostly a recognition thing, to be perfectly honest,” Cosades answered. He got to his feet, beginning to pace around the room in deep thought and occasionally stopping to check a book or scrap of paper, cross referencing several stacks of notes. Fahjoth wondered how he was able to keep track of it all. “Now, I'd like some time to think how this all fits in with the Emperor's plans for you. So if you'd like to get in a little freelance adventuring, go ahead. But whenever you're ready, I'll have new orders for you."

“Oh... alright.” The news came as a welcome surprise for sure. Fahjoth had to admit, he was glad to have a few days of downtime at last. It would be a good opportunity for him and Ribyna to do some exploring; she had mentioned wanting to visit Vivec City at some point, perhaps now they could finally go. 

But there was one thing that he had been growing more and more curious about; the subject of all his errands, the very reason he had been putting his life on the line in exchange for whatever information Cosades wanted. He knew nothing about any of it, and the burning desire to ask, to learn exactly why it was so important, could not be quashed. Maybe now was the time. 

“Sir?” he questioned, biting his lip with uncertainty. Cosades stared fixedly at Fahjoth, indicating that he was listening, and so Fahjoth continued — albeit with some hesitation. “Could you explain the... things that I’ve been getting information about? The, uh, the Sixth House and the Nev... Nevera... Neraver—“

“The Nerevarine,” Cosades finished for him, and Fahjoth nodded. “Of course. I forget that you can’t read well. We’ll start with the Sixth House.” 

Fahjoth shuffled in his seat, getting himself comfortable and listening with rapt attention as Cosades began to speak. “There isn’t much to say about the Sixth House cult just yet. A trusted informant of mine says they're a secret cult associated with some strange events recently. More importantly, my informant thinks these recent disturbances are related in some way to the Nerevarine Prophecies."

“And what are the—?”

“I’m getting to that part, Apprentice. One thing at a time. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but there’s been some attacks recently attributed to sleeper agents of this cult. Have you heard anything about them?”

Fahjoth shook his head. “No sir.” 

“There've been several attacks recently, and these Sleepers all say the same thing. ‘Serve your Lord, Dagoth Ur. The Sixth House is risen, and Dagoth is its glory.’”

A shiver suddenly tore through Fahjoth’s ribs, catching him by surprise. Why did that name sound so familiar? There was no distinct emotional response attached to hearing it, but the hairs on Fahjoth’s arms continued to stand on end, giving him prominent goosebumps. 

“Keep an eye out, and if you see anything suspicious, let me know.” 

“Yes sir.” 

“Alright, now for the Nerevarine.” Cosades rejoined Fahjoth at the table and took a swig of something from an open bottle before continuing. “The Ashlanders—“ 

“The what?”

“The Ashlanders— by the divines, Vetharys...”

Fahjoth grimaced, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Sorry...”

“No, it’s alright,” Cosades sighed. “I just thought you would’ve heard about them by now. I don't know much about them. Most people say they‘re murderous savages. But most people are idiots. I know they hate the settled Dunmer almost as much as they hate Westerners. I don't think their tribes tend to be particularly welcoming to outlanders, so watch yourself if you’re ever wandering in the Ashlands.” 

Fahjoth nodded, remaining quiet to let Cosades go on. 

“The Ashlanders pass down their customs and history in the form of poetic verses. Among the things they preserve in verse are the dreams and prophetic visions of their wise women, in particular the verses that foretell the coming of the Nerevarine. And before you ask,” Cosades added, seeing that Fahjoth was about to speak again, “some Dunmer believe that an orphan and outcast, a youth born on a certain day to uncertain parents, will one day unite all the tribes of the Dunmer, drive out the invaders of Morrowind, and reestablish the ancient laws and customs of the Dark Elven nations. They call this orphan and outcast the ‘Nerevarine’, and say they will be a reincarnation of the long-dead Dunmer General and First Councilor, Lord Indoril Nerevar. But... I don't know much else about it. That's why I'm sending you to find out.” 

Fahjoth nodded, fascinated by the sudden bombardment of information he was receiving. “And... it’s relevant to stuff that’s happening now? These cult attacks and whatnot? That’s why we’re investigating it?”

There was a split second where Fahjoth thought that Cosades may have paused, his stern grey eyes locked on Fahjoth’s own, but then came a perfectly normal response, leaving him wondering if he’d simply imagined it. 

“Correct.” 

Armed with this knowledge, Fahjoth suddenly felt inspired. So this was what all his top-secret missions had really been about. He still had no idea why he’d been pulled out of prison to join this endeavour specifically, but he no longer felt as much of a need to question it. This was his chance to make a difference, to do some real good in the world; it strengthened his resolve and he silently vowed to give it his all, regardless of how many errands he would end up having to run. 

“Alright. Thanks, sir.” Fahjoth rose to his feet, figuring he should go and find Ribyna and tell her the news, but Cosades leaned back in his chair and stared at him with such a dour look in his eyes that Fahjoth faltered.

“Don’t forget, Vetharys — always pay attention to what’s going on around you. You’re an agent of the Blades; information is our specialty,” he advised. “And never let your guard down. I don’t ever want to find you being sent back to me in a box.” 

Fahjoth cringed, feeling distinctly like he was being told off for the sheer amount of ignorance he had so openly displayed. Well, he had to learn somehow, didn't he? “Yes, sir… thank you, sir.” 

And with that he bade farewell to Cosades for now, scurrying out of the house before he could be admonished further, and made a beeline straight for the South Wall Cornerclub. Just as he rounded the corner and descended the short flight of stone steps between buildings, he found himself face-to-face with a familiar dark-haired figure, and coincidentally just the person he was looking for. 

“Ribyna!” he called, grinning as he got his sibling’s attention seconds before she stepped into the cornerclub. “Thought I’d find you here.”

“‘Sup, Fahji?” Ribyna turned away from the doorway and gave Fahjoth the usual hug of greeting. “You look happy. Has something happened?”

“I got a promotion!” he exclaimed without hesitation, eager to share the news. “And I got a few days off, too. I was thinking maybe we could do something.”

“Ah, well done, bro!” Ribyna congratulated him with a grin. “Yeah, I’m good for a few days. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I thought maybe we could go to Vivec City? If you still wanted to go there, that is.”

For the second time that night, Fahjoth thought he detected a fleeting look of hesitation on the face of someone he was speaking to. This time it was Ribyna, who appeared almost apprehensive as soon as Fahjoth had mentioned going to Vivec City; but then her response was as casual as ever, leaving Fahjoth even more befuddled and debating with himself over whether he was just seeing things.

Maybe I’m just tired, he mused to himself. 

“Yeah, sounds good. D’you wanna leave now or tomorrow?” Ribyna asked. “If you like, I can go see how much the silt strider bloke charges.”

“Well, it’s getting on a bit, but…” Fahjoth paused, looking upwards and searching for the position of the sun, which was already past its highest point in the sky. He estimated that they had a few hours of daylight left, so ignoring the little voice of caution in his head, he made his decision. 

“Yeah, why not? Let’s go tonight. Could be fun to stay overnight in the big city!” Fahjoth enthused, and Ribyna nodded. 

“Alright! I’ll go find out how much a one way trip costs,” Ribyna said. “Start heading over towards the silt strider and I’ll meet you there!” And with that she tore off, racing over the bridge in the middle of town and zipping up the stairs to speak with the caravaner. 

With a quiet chuckle, Fahjoth shook his head and began to meander at a far more relaxed pace after his twin, passing by one of the townsfolk as he stepped off the bridge. He dipped his head and smiled in casual greeting, but the Dunmer gripped his wrist with such force that Fahjoth gasped in shock. 

He leaned in, his face mere inches from Fahjoth’s own, and Fahjoth could see only too clearly his strangely blank, vacant expression. His eyes, though unfocused, were glaring at Fahjoth with such a scorching intensity that he almost broke out into a sweat, his heart hammering rhythmically in his chest like a trapped sparrow, fast and fearful. 

And then he spoke, his voice gravelly and harsh, the sound of crumbling charcoal over burning ashes. 

“Beneath Red Mountain, Lord Dagoth sleeps. But when he wakes, we all shall rise, and the dust will blow away. Serve your Lord, Dagoth Ur. The Sixth House is risen, and Dagoth is its glory.”

Momentarily frozen, Fahjoth’s senses eventually returned to him and his first instinct was to yank his wrist free of the Dunmer’s grip, panting as if he had just run a marathon. The Dunmer jerked as Fahjoth tore free, and then within seconds, the blank look on his face melted away and he cleared his throat, glancing around as if confused. He then regarded Fahjoth with a perfectly normal, albeit rather sleepy stare. 

“What do you think of our city, outlander?” he asked mildly, but before Fahjoth could even think of a response, a voice calling his name caught his attention. 

“Fahji! C’mon, hurry up!”

His mouth dry, Fahjoth wheeled around and dashed after Ribyna, not stopping until he had caught up with his twin. Ribyna looked irate as she immediately began a short rant. 

“I’m not paying for that bloody silt strider. It’s a ripoff! And if we’re gonna stay in Vivec overnight, gods know how much the rooms are gonna set us back, too. Come on, we’ll walk instead—” She paused and frowned as she finally took in Fahjoth’s appearance, while he tried to calm himself down in the meantime. 

“What the fuck’s the matter with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” With a shake of her head, Ribyna corrected herself, “Actually, you weren’t even this pale when we did see a ghost. Did something happen?”

“A— a Dunmer,” Fahjoth began, his gaze rapidly flicking from left to right, half-expecting an attack to come out of nowhere. “A Dunmer stopped me and... and said a thing...” 

However, as he took in Ribyna’s attentive expression, he realised with a heart-wrenching disappointment that there was no way he would be able to explain any of it to her. Not without going into detail about the missions that Cosades had given him, which he had been strictly forbidden to do. He could lie, omit some elements of the truth, but then what would be the point in that? His voice trailed off into silence, leaving him awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. After a few seconds, Ribyna spoke up again. 

“Did he threaten you?” she asked, very seriously. “D’you want me to find this bastard and have a word?”

“No!” Fahjoth replied hastily. With reluctance, he took a deep breath and tried to swallow his anxieties, his gaze wandering down to his wrist as he rubbed it. There was no visible blemish, but somehow, he felt his wrist burning fiercely where the Dunmer had grabbed him. “It’s fine. It was probably nothing. Let’s just go to Vivec,” he added, “I could do with the walk, I think.”

It was clear from her expression that Ribyna didn’t believe him, but his tone of voice made it very clear that to question him further would only exacerbate the issue, and Ribyna relented. “Alright,” she said eventually. “But if you’ve got a problem, you can talk to me, okay?” 

“Yeah... I know. Thanks, Beebs.” Though he wanted nothing more than to confide in his twin, Fahjoth regretfully held back. He was alive, and that was the main thing; telling Cosades could wait until he got back. In his shaken state, he found it far too overwhelming to think about right now anyway, and so the two departed from Balmora and embarked on the considerable journey southwards to Vivec City.

[tenacityreturns]

aokaga fic alert!

plot: in which kagami and aomine talk about beautiful soul by jesse mccartney and also accidentally injure each other ♥  rating: sfw, very domestic, it’s just them being stupid idiots. also i wrote this in one sitting without taking breaks or reading over it so.... haha.... word count: 2098

it all started with two guys, chilling on the sofa, going through each other’s phones. or more specifically, the music apps (and kagami’s photo reel, but don’t tell anyone because aomine had only gone in looking for something of nigou!). whenever kagami encounters a song title that interests him, he’ll click on it and let about ten seconds play before he changes song again. he gets the idea. 

aomine, meanwhile, will let the songs he finds play in full. not because he respects the skip button and doesn’t want to overuse it, but because he doesn’t understand english and it becomes background noise. he’s just chilling now. legs stretched out over the couch and on top of kagami’s knees, his back leans on the armrest and he thinks about dinner instead. how cheeky he’s feeling with directly impact how extravagant his dining requests will be.

“i just took a screenshot,” kagami says blankly, with a light frown on his face.

“why?”

“i wanted to remember this song, it’s kinda cool.”

“but you’re using my---”

“yeah i know that, i forgot.”

aomine half smiles, returning to the screen. dummy. “i’ll send it to you later.”

he decides to lightly hack his boyfriend and dives onto his instagram. looks up his own page, saves a recent selfie, uploads it from kagami’s account. first, he thinks about captioning it something like sexy, or why is this guy so hot??? but decides against it and instead writes ‘i’ll never be as cool as him :(’ haha. good, harmless prank. who’s this girl that liked it immediately, huh! well, they follow each other, but aomine doesn’t like how snooping around like this is making him feel. his blue eyes will raise, taking in the sight of kagami tapping his hand against aomine’s shin in time with the song. his lips are moving, then his shoulders.

is he... sort of singing along? but to which song? he can’t hear the music from his own phone well enough with kagami’s so nearby, but then... he doesn’t recognise this american music... hm. aomine’s fond smile is forced into a smirk for dignity’s sake.

“what are you doing?”

“huh?” kagami blinks, and the tapping stops. “i used to love this song.”

“used to? it’s on your recently heard playlist, dude.”

“it’s a classic.”

“is it? i never heard of it.”

“me and niji sing it all the time, y’know, just around.”

“okay,” this emotion, unlike the snooping guilt, is straight up jealousy. shut up about nijimura already! we get it! you’re friends! “what’s it about?”

“uh,” cogs turn. his lips move again, maybe in time with the song’s lyrics? aomine isn’t sure. “like, he’s singing about not caring about looks. just... you know, wanting the person’s beautiful soul. that’s what it’s called.”

“sappy,” what a loser. this sounds like the kind of thing satsuki would be interested in for sure. aomine gets an instagram notification from kise and ignores it, then remembers his prank and that this is kagami’s phone! he opens the app again and that blond bastard has written a comment: 

‘looks like you need a new password kagamicchi!’ 

and seen right through the prank! dumb luck. except--- here’s tetsu commenting: 

‘you should never leave your phone with untrustworthy people, kagami-kun.’ 

shut the hell up!

but his oblivious rival distracts the on-coming fury by starting to sing. the tapping against his shin has started again, and he’s still scrolling through the playlist and changing songs, but singing this beautiful soul song. in english. show off! ah, he’s got a nice voice though. and he looks real cute sitting there like that. aomine doesn’t suspect kagami of snooping through the photo reel or posting to instagram, in fact: the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. aomine’s head rocks to lean against the back cushions of the sofa. his fond smile returns.

“you singing about me, bakagami?”

of course he’ll find a way to ruin a perfectly nice moment, and a fleeting glimpse of serenity in his boyfriend. kagami doesn’t look away from his phone, but says something in english that sounded like a comeback. aomine presses his heel into kagami’s thigh, but it incites a more genuine flinch that he’d been expecting and both legs are instantly retracted.

“sorry,” aomine blurts, “i forgot about your leg.”

“what about it?” kagami replies breezily in japanese again ( that is, as breezily as possible through gritted teeth ).

hello again, guilt! aomine rests his knees against the couch, peering around them to watch kagami recover. if he doesn’t in five seconds, aomine will--- no, he can’t last that long. he sits up.

“ah, man, can i get you something?”

“i’m fine, it’s just cramping from sitting so long,”

this guy! they’d not been sitting for half an hour yet! he’s just saying that so aomine won’t feel bad... the bastard... of course he’s going to feel bad!

“wipe that look off your face!” kagami exclaims, “now get outta my way so i can lie down.”

he doesn’t look pissed off, or in pain anymore, which is something. god, wouldn’t it just be easier if kagami could tell him when his half-hearted grumpy statements are genuine or when they’re just him speaking and sounding angry because it’s how he talks? 

aomine rolls himself off the sofa. “is your leg okay?” 

“don’t worry about it,” the redhead returns to aomine’s phone but extends his arm off the sofa. an invitation to join him? but can’t he just say that he isn’t mad right now? ah, look! now he’s glaring at him! “daiki. are you gonna make me say it?”

“say what?”

kagami crunches forward and the arm, still extended, reaches for aomine’s hand. of course he’ll accept the gesture. one second, they’re holding hands ( safe, comfortable, in understanding ), and the next, aomine is falling onto the couch and acutely aware of making sure he doesn’t land on the bad leg.

“be careful!” he scolds, arms bracing against the back of the couch, knees safely avoiding kagami’s limbs. “sheesh!”

“i said don’t worry, didn’t i?”

“i dunno, you talk a lot of shit,” how come aomine’s pissed off at him now!

“what!” kagami launches forward and wraps one of his arms around aomine’s waist, dragging him back as he lies down again.

“taiga!” aomine’s still more concerned about the injury.

“shut up about my fuckin’ leg or i’ll snap you like a toothpick!”

ugh! fine, alright. he’ll give in. aomine definitely sends kagami a look. it’s short-lived, though, and he finds a teasing smile. his hand rests on kagami’s massive bicep. “with these muscles? good luck with a real toothpick, buddy.”

“shut the fuck up, i’ll show you!”

there’s no doubt that kagami hadn’t actually intended to show him, but aomine’s back lasts a total of two seconds of a too-tight hug before it cracks. loudly. it didn’t hurt. caught him off guard, yes, makes him have to pause and stretch his back for a second, sure, but it didn’t hurt. kagami’s staring, aomine notices. not immediately apologising despite the sound, he sees! red eyes are wide, lips tightly turned downwards. he’s waiting to check the damage before damage control kicks in.

“you good?”

“is that all you got?”

“sorry about your back,”

aomine lowers down to lie chest-to-chest. he adjusts so that it’s comfortable to lie with his head on kagami’s shoulder. “yep.”

“does it hurt?”

“nope.”

“good,” and just like that, an arm drapes around aomine’s shoulders and they’re lying in almost silence again. kagami’s phone is somewhere on the other end of the sofa, still playing that muffled song. how long does it go on for?! that beautiful whatever conversation feels like it happened hours ago! of course, it had been the singing that started the teasing which sparked the retort which justified a prod, which had hurt and begun this mess. aomine exhales. kagami starts humming along to what aomine has guessed is the chorus.

“what sorta sappy shit is he saying now?” he closes his eyes.

“uh,” kagami begins to translate the lyrics disjointedly, really having to think about it before he says it in japanese.

I don't want another pretty face I don't want just anyone to hold I don't want my love to go to waste I want you and your beautiful soul

“it sounds better in english,” he then explains, “and when jesse sings it.”

“nah,”

“what do you mean nah?”

oops. well, yeah! alright. so aomine likes kagami’s voice better than this jesse person’s! big whoop! “nothing. so you were definitely singing about me, then.”

“yeah, i got sick of dating hot people and decided to settle.”

“shut the fuck up,” aomine’s smiling, knowing full well that kagami’s not dated anybody before. cheeky little shit!

“all the d-cup supermodels in america, you know.”

“i thought i told you to zip it?” he lifts his head. the stare-off doesn’t last long before kagami just straight up kisses him on the cheek! “hey!”

“can i have my phone back?”

he deliberates being difficult. deliberates telling kagami to get it himself, that he doesn’t know where it is, or just no. for fun, mostly. but then, that kiss had been really cute... and kagami had been kind of nice just now, before the bullshit, about translating and stuff... fine. this once, kagami’s off the hook. saved, even. aomine pushes ( carefully! ) up, finds the phone precariously close to the edge of the sofa, and returns to his place. once comfortable, he’ll hand it over. ah! the prank! he’d forgotten about that. kagami gives aomine his phone too and they are once again silent.

huh. that sure is a lot of facebook likes. his last picture wasn’t even that interesting. or was it? aomine opens the app, trying to recall what it could be about. did he get notifications for likes on things he’d shared? aomine rarely shared anything. oh, to be fair, he did share a video of nigou yesterday saying “he’s the only member of seirin i respect”... was it... that?

a picture aomine absolutely did not post is at the top of his own feed. it’s the seirin team picture, but, naturally, aomine had first seen only tetsu and kagami ( the others are definitely there, but not as interesting or important to look at, you know? ). posted twenty minutes ago. captioned: “i apologise for my last post about seirin, i’m a big idiot. they are really cool”

“hey!” aomine lifts his head up again, though this time, with an expression full of accusation. it meets kagami’s equally offended gaze.

“you posted to my instagram!”

“you posted to facebook! that’s worse!”

“no way!”

“yeah way!”

“everyone knew i got hacked, though,” he grins, “you ain’t slick at all.”

“as if i would ever call myself a big idiot, ever. they would instantly know you posted that to facebook. who else thinks seirin is cool?”

“everyone with brains!”

“bullshit!”

“idiot,”

“dumbass,”

aomine set his head down again. so much for trustworthy boyfriend, kagami taiga! though... isn’t it kind of funny that they both, separately, decided to post to each other’s social media? he’s trying hard to be pissed off about it, but the smile is too strong and, once again, he’s smiling over something kagami has done. satsuki comments under that hacked facebook post:

‘two sides of the same coin.’

which, to the unaware, means nothing. in reality, it makes him think of that thing he’s still accidentally in the habit of saying sometimes. the only one who can beat me is me. maybe kagami really is similar to himself after all? however, it’s hard to imagine that they’re that similar. aomine really likes kagami, after all.

“hey, taiga?”

maybe aomine will tell him he loves him again. does it cheapen it if he’d said it yesterday as well?

“yeah?”

“what’s for dinner?”

chicken.

“chicken, i think.”

aomine blinks. that was almost spooky.

“taiga?”

“still here,”

“love you.”

“pfff,” it’s a scoff! “lame.” insulting!”

aomine pinches him gently in the side. it makes him laugh, even if kagami isn’t that ticklish.

“alright! love you too, obviously. i kissed you, didn’t i?”

“yeah, yeah, yeah. chicken sounds good.”

“are you gonna tell me you love chicken, too? who’s the sap now?”

someone explain why such an irritating response would make aomine’s chest swell as much as that kiss on the cheek? yeah, he’s dead sure if he hadn’t been before. he loves you, kagami taiga, you dumbass, so much. of course he does. they’re two sides of the same coin.

[harlstark]

“The Vanishing of Will Byers”

In Hawkins, Indiana 1983, Will Byers goes missing, but not to the upside down. Instead of a girl with powers, there is normal girl Jane Ives, who shows up mysteriously and helps Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson and the rest of the townspeople, search for the lost boy. But how do they find him, when they can barely trust the rest of the town and what they say about his disappearance? How do they trust Will once the boy is found ‘alive’ like everyone insisted against? Is it really even their friend?

I uploaded this on twitter and youtube yesterday but forgot to put on here oop

[gothpanda]

A Little Bit of Attitude Ch.30: Is She Okay At Least?

WORD COUNT: 4.6k

A/N: I totally forgot to upload the chapter here oops

TAGS: @madamsixx​ @emariehorror​

WARNINGS: none

Read on Ao3

Previous/Next

June 20th, 1986

Los Angeles, California

On the cold wooden wall of the lonely mansion, Nikki rolled onto his naked back, squeezing his eyes to make the blurry vision go away. He didn't know what time it was, and he didn't know if anyone was hiding in the gothic home. All Nikki could think of was how he possibly looked. His naked body was becoming pale and grey, more than last month and growing skinnier to the point Nikki could resemble Tommy. Nikki cleared away the dry feeling in his throat, slowly sitting up to look at exactly where he was. Nikki saw a mirror right in front of him, his clothes either tossed on the floor or hung. He groaned from the pounding between his temples, dropping his head in the palm of his hand. Surrounding Nikki were the items he always seemed to have when he went on a binder, a handgun gifted a long time ago, and dirty needles. The gun Nikki kept a grip on when paranoia set in, thinking something was coming to get him.

It took Nikki a moment to gain enough energy to stand on his own two feet, finding a clean pair of underwear in one of the small wooden shelves, dragging himself out of there. The master bedroom was dark with the heavy curtains drawn in, daylight only peeking in through a thin line, turning on the closest lamp to Nikki. Nikki looked around the room, trying to find something to wash down the awful taste that stained his mouth, only to find a bottle of flat soda on his bedside. Nevertheless, Nikki drank the soda as he sat on his bed, eyes falling on an article of clothing that hung from the back doorknob. It looked out of place for clothes to be; Nikki wrinkled his brows together, trying to remember who it could belong to. He knew it couldn't be something of his; it looked too small and wasn't exactly his style. Nikki placed the empty bottle of coke on the nightstand, mustering up any energy to walk to the bedroom door with a few steps. When Nikki yanked the fabric in his hand and held it out in front of him, it all clicked in the man's head, sighing out as he realized it was a jacket. A small black acid-washed denim jacket with an iron-on Motley Crue patch at the front. A jacket that Nikki had gifted Sammi randomly the one time he decided to go shopping, knowing it would be a sweet gesture that could make her happy. Sammi ironed the patch herself as a cute little surprise for the guys that Nikki found attractive. The man grazed his fingers on the patch, cracking the one corner of his lips into a short smile. Nikki brought the jacket up to his nose; he could smell the perfume Sammi always wore as if she was here yesterday. Nikki cursed under his breath, throwing the jacket on the bed as he searched for any clean clothes to resemble an outfit, going straight to the showers.

*

It was beginning to turn into the late afternoon of summer as Nikki sped at lightning speed down highways in his brand new motorcycle. Nikki's hair was blowing in the winds, almost making his hair bigger. He hid his tired eye behind dark aviator sunglasses, perfect for the sun setting in the man's face, something Nikki hadn't seen in days. After driving further through L.A, Nikki parked the Harley in the first spot vacant he could see by the apartment complex entrance, kicking down the brake pedal. As he swung his legs off the bike, Nikki glanced down into his saddlebag, reaching inside for the jacket. It was the best excuse Nikki had come up with to see Sammi, knowing how angry she could be. Nikki walked up the stoop as he popped a piece of bubblegum in his mouth, pounding the entrance buzzer for Sammi's apartment from muscle memory. The dark-haired man rested his back flat against the wall, wrapping the denim sleeves around his hands to occupy his mind.

When some time had passed with no answer, Nikki scrunched his eyebrows together, pressing the button again twice this time to annoy Sammi to answer. The silence coming from the end of the intercom. "What the hell, Sam?" Nikki muttered to himself, taking off his sunglasses, hanging them on his shirt. Nikki looked at the list of names by buttons for each apartment in this section, wrinkling his face deep when there was no Samantha anyway. The sound of the entrance door open made Nikki's head whip to his right, seeing a man and woman walk out together with their small dog. They were surprised to see a man in black at their doorstep, the woman holding onto her boyfriend's arm. "Um, hi. Have you two lived here for a good while?" Nikki asked, fumbling with the jacket between his hands.

"Yes, we have? Is there anything we can help you with?" the man asked in hesitance. The woman scanned Nikki up and down, trying to see if she could remember him.

"Yeah. Have you happened to see a girl that lives in apartment 23? She's really short, has long dark wavy hair, and a pale round face. Sometimes she wears black glasses and looks cute. Her name's Sammi," Nikki described, scratching the back of his neck in nervousness.

"Why do you need to know where she is?" the woman asked, crossing her arms to seem intimidating to Nikki.

"Because she's my girlfriend, and I pissed her off. I wanted to go up and apologize, but there's no answer. Also, I have her jacket," Nikki said, glaring at the woman as he held up the article of clothing to show proof he wasn't lying. The couple exchanged a knowing look at each other, both stepping back from there on edge appearance.

"We know who you're talking about, but we haven't seen her in a good while. If her name isn't on the directory, then she must've moved out. Sorry, man," the man said, giving a lopsided smile and shrug of the shoulder.

"Moved out?" Nikki asked, curling his lip and standing frozen in front of the couple even after they continued with their day. Nikki blinked for a moment, then looked up at the apartment to try and find Sammi's window. He slowly walked down the steps, staring at the ground as he gripped tighter onto the jacket. Nikki knew from his somewhat sober mind he needed answers right now, knowing there was one person who knew. Nikki jumped on the back of his Harley, speeding down faster to the hills of the rich and famous.

*

Nikki rang the doorbell multiple times of the Beverly Hills mansion, scowling into the distance with his dark set eyes. His sunglasses were off, dark circles for everyone to see as Nikki kept a tight grip on the one thing he had of Sammi's. Nikki decided to stop being a nuisance with the doorbell as he saw a small figure approach the door through the stained glass. Heather quickly ripped the door open in a case of worry, softening when it was only Nikki at her front steps. The tension was awkward as the two stared at one another, Nikki forcing a polite smile to Heather. Heather leaned against the grand door, trying her best not to scowl or frown at the man.

"Hey, Nikki. What's wrong?" Heather asked.

"Is Tommy home? I need to talk to him about something," Nikki asked, biting the edge of his nail. Heather scanned Nikki up and down from his appearance, hesitant of letting the man in her home. Since the wedding, Heather hadn't seen Nikki recollecting her argument with Tommy a week after. Of all the people her husband hung around with, Nikki was Heather's least favorite.

"Um, yes, he's here. Do you want to come inside or stay outside and wait?" Heather asked.

"Show me the way," Nikki muttered, biting the inside of his cheek as he followed Heather. As the two walked into the home, Nikki couldn't help but look around the new home to see the fancy decor that was obvious Tommy didn't pick out. The mansion seemed huge for only two people, Heather and Nikki, turning at corners to find Tommy wherever he was. The two stood in front of a closed-door towards the back of the mansion, hearing a piano play. Heather knocked politely, slowly opening to peek her head in. She mouthed something to Tommy that Nikki couldn't hear, hearing the piano melody gradually disappear. Heather looked over her shoulder, a smile that seemed so disingenuous. Heather stepped away, signaling Nikki to enter the room, disappearing into the mansion to give the men some privacy.

When Nikki walked into the room, he was impressed by the little sanctuary Tommy made for himself, instruments displayed correctly in their spots with nice leather furniture. He closed the door behind him to not let this conversation echo out into the halls—pictures of memories of Tommy's family and friends on the walls. Nikki stopped dead in his tracks to stare at one with a child Sammi who smiled brightly. Nikki shook his head, glancing at the furniture to see if he should sit. As Tommy stood up from the piano bench, he didn't bother to hug or shake Nikki's hand or even look at him, only walking to the small liquor trolley to pour himself a drink. Tommy picked out any random alcohol bottle from the collection, pouring the liquor in a brand new whiskey glass that was a wedding gift.

"What's up, man?" Tommy asked, tiptoeing to the leather sofa, sitting down in front of Nikki. Nikki remained standing, gesturing towards the jacket to Tommy.

"I'm looking for Sammi. She left her jacket at my place, but she's not at her apartment. Is she at Athena's or?" asked Nikki, tapping the back of his heel.

Tommy shrugged his shoulders, frowning as if he didn't know a thing. "Why should I tell you? I haven't heard from you in what a month?" Tommy asked, frowning at Nikki.

Nikki rolled his eyes. "I am so very sorry I haven't called you. I thought your wife would give you enough attention," Nikki said sarcastically, glaring a bit at Tommy. Tommy scuffed at Nikki, taking a sip of the straight brandy. "Seriously, where is she, T-bone? Some guy said she could've moved out and hasn't seen her in a while. Did she get a nicer place or what?" Nikki asked in a timid voice, biting on the inside of his lip.

Tommy bounced his leg, looking out the floor to ceiling window that gave in the perfect amount of natural light. "She never told you anything, did she?" Tommy asked. Nikki fidgeted with Sammi's jacket again, running his hands on the sleeves, shrugging his shoulders. "Sammi's living in San Francisco now, Nik. She's been gone for three weeks, so glad to see you finally cared to notice," said Tommy, fingers playing with the fringe from a throw pillow.

Nikki almost dropped the jacket from his grip, becoming stiff with hurt. "What the hell is she doing in San Francisco?! Why didn't you tell me anything? Why did no one tell me anything if it's been almost a month?!" Nikki shouted, scrunching his brows together.

"Oh, I wonder why I didn't," Tommy muttered.

"Care to explain a little further as to why my girlfriend just upright and left?" Nikki asked.

"She didn't just get up and leave, Nik,"

"Well, then why?!"

"Maybe because she's tired of your shit! Maybe because she dumped your ass after the shit you pulled at my wedding! She didn't even tell our parents until half of her shit was in boxes!" Tommy shouted, jumping onto his own two feet, slamming the glass on the coffee table in front of him.

"So Sammi and I had a fight at your wedding, but that doesn't mean she has to run away. It's not like I haven't pissed her off before!" said Nikki.

"Sammi didn't run away, Nik. She went to San Fran for school, but trust me, I wouldn't blame her for wanting to run away from you or us. Did you even care to think about how she felt after that weekend?" Tommy asked, pointing a sharp finger in Nikki's direction. Nikki stayed silent, looking away from Tommy and down at his feet. "No, of course, you didn't. Because you're just another selfish asshole right now. You know I should punch you in the face right now for hurting Sammi,"

Nikki bit his lip, glancing around to the corners of the room. "She is okay, at least? Can I talk to her?" Nikki asked, switching the jacket from hand to the other in a way to stop fidgeting, finally looking Tommy in the eye.

Tommy scuffed at Nikki, slowly shaking his head. "What makes you think I'm gonna tell you anything about Sam?"

"Tommy, I know I fucked up bad with her. I do! But please give me her number. I just want to know if she's okay," Nikki begged, cringing at the coldness he was getting from Tommy. Tommy didn't want to bother with Nikki any longer; he didn't want to bother anyone who messed with Sammi.

"Just leave Sammi alone, man. If she really wanted to see you, she would've gone to your house and said goodbye. She's perfectly fine getting a whole new life," said Tommy, sitting back down on the sofa. Nikki stood standing in the same spot, looking anywhere but Tommy, seeing more photos of the drummer's family. A photo of the three Bass siblings at one of the Motley shows, Sammi being the only thing Nikki could see. It was moments like these Nikki wished he could run back to his den in a second.

Nikki sighed out deeply. "Fine, if that's what she wants, I'll leave her alone. Thanks for telling me, Tommy," Nikki muttered out, turning on his heels to the door. As Nikki was stepping closer to the door, Tommy gazed down at Sammi's jacket in Nikki's hands, bouncing his leg up and down anxiously.

"Nikki," Tommy said out, Nikki turning back to face Tommy right as his hand touched the doorknob. Tommy only swallowed hard when he looked at Nikki hanging onto the last thing he had of Sammi's, noting the tight grip the entire time. It hurt Tommy to be this tough on Nikki, knowing the circumstances of everyone involved. Tommy could see the hurt in Nikki's eyes but needed to remind himself Sammi was more important than his bandmate. After everything, Tommy saw Sammi's expressions, seeing her sulk in silence while appearing happy about her future. This was all too difficult for Tommy. The soft spot he had for Nikki would always be there even if Tommy tried not to. "If it makes you feel any better, you were a greater boyfriend than Vince to Sammi," Tommy half-heartedly joked with Nikki, shrugging his shoulders.

Nikki scuffed, firmly twisting the doorknob open. "If I was such a great boyfriend, then why didn't she give me a heads up?" Nikki asked, walking right out of the room without hearing any answer. Tommy pressed his lips firmly together, reaching over to finish the rest of his brandy in one gulp. Tommy could hear the echo of the front door shut, soon seeing Heather's figure walk closer to him.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Tommy asked Heather.

Heather only smiled shortly. "Of course, I was. Why didn't Sammi say bye to Nikki?" Heather asked, leaning her body against the doorframe. "Or even tell him anything about moving before they broke up?"

"Because Sammi would rather run away from her feelings than face them head-on," Tommy said to Heather, shaking his head slightly.

"Did you mean it?" Heather asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Mean what?" Tommy asked, wrinkling his brows close together.

"That Nikki was a better boyfriend than Vince?"

Tommy sighed out, resting his head on the back of the sofa, throwing his hands in the air. "He didn't cheat on her. Sammi seemed different when she was with Nikki compared to Vince. Nikki seemed really different when he was with Sammi all together. Maybe Athena and I were dumb to keep them apart at first. I don't know," Tommy said, arm reaching for Heather's waist when feeling her by his side. Heather rested her hand on Tommy's chest, soothing him with her touch.

"It'll be okay. Everything will work itself out," Heather coined in Tommy's ear, leaving feather-like kisses on her husband's neck.

*

Nikki stared up at the chandelier that hung high above his head, seeing the outside front lights reflect off of it.  Foreigner  had begun playing on the radio, Nikki internally begging it wasn't that one song when the music began. The tile was stone-cold against Nikki's back as he felt the heroin coarse through his veins, his mind becoming foggy at a fast pace. Nikki was completely alone tonight. Only this time, he could feel the loneliness sets in. The difference between being alone and lonely is sometimes always blurred from the thin line. Nikki enjoyed being alone for a certain period because he knew someone would come barging in on him, whether that be Sammi with a smile of affection or Tommy with a smile of mischief. But tonight was the feeling of loneliness that only seemed to go away with a certain drug type. Nikki looked beside him to see a tossed jacket on his right, grabbing it and covering part of his body with it. He brought it up to his nose, still smelling the perfume it was intoxicated with. If he believed in God, Nikki would start praying to him.

June 23rd, 1986

San Francisco, California

In the middle of June, Sammi was surprised by the cool breeze San Francisco always had once the sun was quickly covered by clouds. Even if it only lasted for a short time, every local was prepared for the change with light jackets that went with their style. Hiding her hands in the pockets of a brand new hoodie, Sammi walked the few blocks south from her new apartment to the medical campus of UCSF, on the hunt to find a bookstore. San Francisco reminded Sammi of Manhattan in several ways for the city itself, everything close together with many concrete streets compared to nature. It was different from how Sammi lived in Los Angeles; everything felt the complete opposite of the young woman. People were either too friendlier for Sammi right off the bat or entirely in their own little worlds. Sammi didn't mind this, as she knew she was only here for school and nothing else.

Sammi followed the concrete pathways when entering the campus grounds, looking around for some direction to help her out. It wasn't the first time Sammi had walked around UCSF, but to her own fault, she couldn't remember where everything was exactly. Standing in front of a full grounds map, Sammi pursed her lips out as she scanned for the bookstore.

"Hello!" a voice said over Sammi's shoulder out of nowhere, making Sammi jump with fear, not ever feeling the voice come near her. Sammi spun on her heels with wide eyes, staring at a smiling girl who appeared to be her age standing particular close to Sammi. "Are you new here?" the girl asked, her voice sounding high pitched like a barbie. Sammi stepped back a bit to give herself some personal space, looking down at the girl with a frown. Appearance-wise the girl looked like a plain jane, wearing a knee-length dress and hair pushed back with a headband. "Oh I'm sorry, did I scare you?" The girl asked in concern.

"Yeah, you did. Do you always come up behind random people?" Sammi asked, fixing the strap of her crossbody bag.

"No, well yes, but for good reason! I noticed you looked a little lost as I was coming out of the building. Do you need help finding anything?" The girl asked, eyes resembling a puppy.

Sammi relaxed her stubborn face, hands hiding back into her pockets. "Would you happen to know where the bookstore is?" Sammi asked with a shrug.

"Of course! Follow me!" the girl said with an enthusiastic smile, walking right back into the direction of the building. Sammi followed in tow, standing a comfortable distance from the stranger who looked over her shoulder to smile at Sammi. "So what's your name?" the girl asked, opening the door for Sammi.

"Samantha. Yours?" answered Sammi. The two continued to walk through fluorescent-lit hallways until finding an exit. The girls walked into an open garden in the middle of all the buildings, students sitting around.

"Rebecca, but you can call me Becky. Everyone does. Are you from the area?" Becky asked.

"No, I just moved from Los Angles to come here. I've only been here a short while," Sammi answered, looking around as the two walked the short distance to another building.

"Oh, wow! That's so cool! Do you get to see a bunch of celebrities like movie stars every day?" Becky asked with bright eyes.

"Kind of, but that's only because my brother is well known down there. It's not always celebrities 24/7," Sammi smiled slightly.

"Still, it has to be beautiful down there. You get to be near the beach, and the sun is nice out every day," Rebecca said.

"Yeah, it is nice. My family and friends are all down there, so I do miss it,"

"So what does your brother do if he's well known? Maybe I've heard of him,"

"His name's Tommy Lee. He's a drummer for a band called Motley Crue," Sammi said, walking a few steps ahead of Becky before she noticed the stranger was standing still in her spot. Becky scrunched her eyebrows deeply, playing with a necklace around her neck that resembled a cross. "Rebecca?"

"You're related to someone from that devil band?" Rebecca asked, wrinkling her nose as if she were disgusted.

Sammi raised one eyebrow at Rebecca, confused at the girl's reaction to hearing the name Motley Crue. "What? The guys aren't a devil band. Do you actually believe that?"

"All rock music is part of the devil, especially when talking about women in a certain light. That band even have a song about the devil,"

"Yeah, Shout At  The Devil, I already heard all the Jesus-freaks cry about it. But come on Rebecca, you're serious about my brother and… friends being devil people?" Sammi asked, breaking into a smile as if the whole thing was a joke.

"Yes, I do,"

"Trust me, they aren't! I had a whole conversation with the bass player about this, and he promised me he stopped thinking about the devil,"

"Really? How did you do that?" Rebecca asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sammi straightened her shoulders, scratching the back of her neck as she looked away from Rebecca. "Because he's a special person who only listens to me sometimes," Sammi said with a repressed smile to not sound rude in any way.

"Well, if they aren't devil worshippers, then you must admit about their sinful behavior how they all treat women like a toy. Their drinking. I read those gossip magazines for fun, I know," Rebecca said, nose in the air.

Sammi pressed her lips tight together, trying her hardest not to roll her eyes. "Okay, while I can admit they're kind of bad with women sometimes if they like someone, they'll give them some respect. Like my brother, who just got married. But the whole devil and God shit doesn't mean anything to us,"

"Us?"

"Yeah. Us. The guys and I aren't religious in the slightest bit. I don't even remember the last time I went to church," Sammi said, shrugging her shoulders.

"So, in that case, you partake in the sinful acts they do? Since the bass player listens to you, you might as well hang out with him," Rebecca asked, raising one brow and folding her arms across her chest.

"If you mean like drinking and partying, then yeah, I do that," Sammi said, scrunching up her face. "It's not a big deal,"

"Is that it? You don't do any other things that aren't meant for a special?"

Sammi narrowed her eyes at Rebecca in more confusion until a light bulb flickered in her mind. "Oh, you mean sex? Yeah, I've had sex before. I think waiting 'til marriage is pretty stupid. Why do you care?"

Rebecca glared at Sammi, her body stiffening at the idea of sinful acts. "You know I thought you were going to be a responsible young lady, but if you're the kind to hang around men like  that,  then I can leave you here," Rebecca said.

Sammi's eyes opened wide at the insult. "First off, I am responsible, and second you don't even know me. Why should you care? Just because I hung out with a band back home doesn't mean anything, Mother Teresa. I could've done far worse by myself if I wanted,"

"It's a good way to judge someone's character by the people they surround themselves with," Rebecca answered.

Sammi rolled her eyes. "Whatever, thanks for walking me this far. I hope never to see you again," Sammi said with a smile, waving at Rebecca that then turned to a middle finger, causing the girl to gasp.

"How rude!" Rebecca exclaimed as Sammi walked towards the door of the next building.

"You can thank the bass player for that!" Sammi shouted over her shoulder, smiling to herself as she entered the building, finding the bookstore on her near right.

*

Pushing the unlocked door with a foot to a tiny one-bedroom apartment, Sammi walked into the darkness of her new home. She switched on the closet light with her elbow to see boxes scattered around the living room, some filled with photos and other belongings of Sammi's that were still needing attention. Sammi dropped the pile of three heavy books on the kitchen counter, sighing out in exhaustion from carrying them the long way back. Sammi looked around the dwelling, grubbing for motivation in these white walls. Even with furniture slowly filling up space, it all still felt empty to Sammi, not having the feeling of home just yet. Sammi dropped herself on the loveseat sofa, dreading having to finish unpacking but knew it had to be done. As she sat in silence, Sammi couldn't help but reach for the phone beside her, dialing in numbers from memory. The phone dialed for what felt like an eternity, Sammi's heart beginning to race from the nerves, biting her nails.

"Hello?" a raspy voice slurred on the other line, Sammi pressing her lips shut tight, forgetting how to speak. Sammi's hands ran clammy, hearing Nikki's little slurring murmurs through the phone. "Who is this?" Nikki slurred again, Sammi closing her eyes as she rubbed her temple. "Why are you calling?" Nikki slurred again. This time Sammi could hear his panic, making her slam the handset hard against the phone body. She dropped her head in the palm of her hands, groaning out in frustration at Nikki but mostly at herself. Sammi missed Nikki, even though to the best of her abilities, she tried not to, repeating to herself moving was a good thing, which is what she did again, taking in a deep breath and stood up to unpack another box that was close to her, trying to make the best of a sticky situation.