#pacman lives underneath us

[hanaasbananas]

Crush

Summary: In Glaciator, while comisserating over their broken hearts, Marinette lets slip the identity of the person she has a crush on. Consequently, Adrien finds himself wondering if Marinette is really 'just a friend' after all. Inspired by the song Taare Gin

AO3

It feels so nice since this happened, my heart feels as though it is a child again.

“You’ve  had your heart broken too?”

“Yep.”

Chat studied Marinette’s profile beside him. With the moonlight reflecting off her hair, she looked positively ethereal, and it was hard to believe that anyone would be stupid enough to break her heart.

“For what it’s worth,” he nudged her gently “I’m sorry you had your heart broken.”

Marinette sighed “thanks, but it’s okay. Adrien can’t control when his dad will decide he can’t do something, so I really should have expected that he wouldn’t make it. I was just disappointed.”

Chat jerked, turning fully to face her. “Adrien?” His mind raced, trying to see if there was any other Adrien she might have been talking about, but how many Adrien’s with strict fathers could Marinette know?

Marinette hummed noncommittally. “Oh, yeah Adrien’s a friend of mine. I’ve had this total crush on him since the beginning of the year. He doesn’t know though-I can barely get out a sentence in front of him.” She groaned, dropping her head “I don’t know why I’m so upset about today-chances are I probably wouldn’t have even talked to him properly anyway.”

She looked so forlorn standing there, Chat felt a pang of guilt at being the one to cause it. Father hadn’t forbidden him, but he’d blown off solid plans with his friends-blown off Marinette- for a date with Ladybug that she didn’t even show up to.

Karma really hit hard.

Thinking for a long moment, Chat made a decision, getting down from the railing and offering Marinette his hand. “Come with me.”

***

“I’m an idiot,” Adrien groaned, dropping his transformation and falling face first onto his bed.

“Really? That’s news to me,” Plagg snarked “what did you do this time?”

Flipping over onto his back, Adrien considered confiding in his kwami-Plagg could be surprisingly insightful sometimes-but with the mood he seemed to be in, it would probably be better to just stare at the ceiling. “Marinette has a crush on me.”

“Which one is that again?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know everyone in my class, Plagg.”

Plagg sniffed disdainfully “I have an image to keep up, you know.”

“Image?” Adrien snorted, looking over at where Plagg had set up blocks of cheese on his desk and was in the process of eating them like he was Pacman. “What image? A cheese loving gremlin? No-one sees you anyway!”

“A being of darkness who cares not for petty mortal issues.”

“He cares about Pacman though.” Adrien grinned, dodging the piece of cheese Plagg threw at his face. “Alright, alright I’ll leave you alone! It’s getting late anyway.”

Despite the late hour, Adrien struggled to sleep, replaying the events of the night over and over again. Strangely, though he’d looked forward to surprising her, Ladybug’s rejection hadn’t stung as much as he expected it to. What did surprise him however, was how his mind kept straying to Marinette instead.

He’d always held a special fondness for her, but had chalked it up to the fact that she was one of his first friends at school, but what if it was something else? Adrien couldn’t deny that his first instinct hadn’t been to reject her gently, rather, he’d felt something stir inside him when Marinette had told him about her crush; a pleasant warmth filling his chest at the idea of Marinette-talented, kind, sweet Marinette loving him.

It almost felt too good to be true.

***

“Hey Marinette!” Adrien called out, waving and making his way across to Marinette as he spotted her coming down the stairs.

He realised his mistake seconds later, wincing when Marinette’s head snapped up, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ of surprise and she stared at him, not noticing how her hand fell from the railing until her foot slipped out from underneath her.

It would have been quite the nasty fall, had Adrien not rushed forward to catch her, his arms coming around Marinette to steady her. “Got you,” he murmured, unable to hide his smile when her eyes popped open at his voice and he led her carefully down the stairs.

She let go of him when they got to the bottom, following behind him as he went to meet up with Alya and Nino. “We’re all going to get milkshakes at that new place that opened,” he asked. “Do you wanna come too?”

“Uh…”

Knowing what he did now-that Marinette had a crush on him-Adrien could have kicked himself for being so oblivious.

It had been a week now since he’d found out, and he had discovered that Marinette wasn’t exactly the most subtle person in the world. In fact it was quite the opposite.

He actually found it quite endearing; the way she blushed bright red whenever he spoke to her, stumbling over her words, and in class he’d even felt her eyes boring into him from where she sat behind him in class, punctuated occasionally by dreamy sighs.

Adrien found that he quite liked the feeling of being the object of her affections, and he’d started making more of an effort to hang out with her, if only to see the adorable blush that painted her cheeks.

“I can’t,” Marinette wrung her hands together, avoiding his gaze. “I’m belping at the hakery.” her eyes widened “helping at the bakery! I’m helping maman and papa at the bakery.”

Adrien shrugged, swallowing his disappointment. “Okay. Maybe next time?”

“Totally!” she nodded her head jerkily, spinning on her heel and catching herself without stopping when she tripped, and hurrying away.

“What was that about?” Adrien turned to see Alya and Nino watching them in bemusement.

Alya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively “you’re suddenly getting very buddy buddy with Marinette...is there anything you want to share with the class?”

“Not really.” Adrien sighed. “I just want to get her to be more comfortable around me.”

“Uh huh,” Alya used her best journalist voice on him and Adrien sent her a quizzical look. “Why, because you wanna ask her out on a date?”

“Maybe,” he replied absentmindedly, not noticing the gleeful expression that took over Alya’s face at his admission, distracted by the Gorilla who had pulled up the curb outside the school. “Hey do you wanna take the car to the milkshake place or should we walk?”

***

“I think I have a crush,” Chat said out loud. Beside him, Ladybug turned to him, an amused glint in her eye.

"Really”

He smirked “you jealous, bugaboo?”

“Ha!” she scoffed “in your dreams! ”

“Not anymore,” he muttered. Chat had expected things to be awkward after his ill fated ‘date’ with Ladybug, but thankfully, in the month since she’d rejected him, their partnership had only seemed to strengthen. This was due in most part to the fact that they were now on the same page about where they stood as partners-and friends.

It was for this reason then, that he’d bought the subject up at the end of patrol when they simply sat together and talked.

Ladybug’s eyebrows rose high on her forehead. “Wow, it must really be serious then, huh?”

“You have no idea,” he groaned “ever since I found out she has a crush on me, she’s all I think about. And talk about-according to Plagg.”

It had been a slow process, getting closer to Marinette, but the rewards were certainly worth the effort. He could actually hold a conversation with her now, though nine times out of ten Marinette still blushed the entire time. It was adorable.

Chat sighed. “She’s just so amazing. I knew that before since we’ve been friends for a while, but I’ve been talking to her more and I can’t get over the fact that she likes me. She could do so much better, you know?”

“Hey, don’t put yourself down like that! I happen to know for a fact that you’re a pretty amazing guy-anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Heh, thanks bugaboo,” he smiled softly “enough about me-what’s going on with your guy? Any progress?”

At the mention of her crush, Ladybug blushed, ducking her head shyly. “Actually...we’ve been hanging out a lot recently-I think he’s gonna ask me out.”

“Aw that’s great!” The thought of Ladybug seeing someone else no longer caused a pang of jealousy in his heart, in fact, “I’m happy for you.” he said genuinely.

“I am too,” Ladybug paused. “Happy for you-I mean.” She clarified “I’m happy for you too.”

“Yeah, I think I got that.”

“Shut up ” she nudged him playfully. “You know, you should ask your girl out too. I bet she’d say yes.”

Chat thought about Marinette, the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed; how she got a deep crease in between her brows whenever she concentrated that he had to resist the urge to smooth out; how her hair fell in dark waves around her face whenever she let it down and the way she’d stuttered and blushed after he’d said he liked it that way. How he’d planned at least thirty dates for them already, ready for every occasion, and had only realised what a goner he was after date number twenty three.

“Yeah,” he murmured, looking across the city skyline in the direction he knew Marinette lived. “I think I will”

[random-imagines-blog]

They Speak the Language {Tech Boy x Reader}

Requested by: Anonymous Wordcount: 2181 Summary: Tech-Boy’s bad mood is starting to get to you, so you start to look for inspiration to turn it around. Notes: Contains bad language.

You knew it was a bad idea to get involved in the war between the old gods and the new. You were somewhere in the middle, along with a couple of others, who could very well tip the scales. And it wasn’t that you believed that one side was better than the other either. But one side had someone that you cared for more than the others. And that was the dangerous, marvelous, grumpy little thing that you knew as Tech-Boy. Of course you had thought that he was a bit of a douche when you met him for the first time, shortly after his emergence into the world. Everybody did. It was a part of his charm. But deep down, yeah, there was a heart there. After all, not all technology is meant to be cold. Most of it was built to help others, or to improve lives. He just took the functional part of it a little too seriously at times.

You took a lot of rides with him in his special car. Sitting in the back with him as it drove itself - or rather, one of the faceless minions drove - around the different cities. Anywhere you wanted to go, you could. New York one minute, LA the next. Technology had no bounds, no limits, and so - neither did Tech-Boy.

“Why are you wearing your shirt like that,” You scoffed once you realized what it was that he was wearing. The jacket itself was nice, but he only had the top three buttons fastened. The rest were undone, showing off the red shirt underneath. “You look like you’re preparing for a huge dinner or something. You don’t even eat. What gives?”

You poked at his thin stomach, and he shoved your arm away. He adjusted the coat so it was exactly how he liked it, the open flaps down. “It’s the new look, y/n. Not that you know anything about what’s new.”

“Wow, someone’s being fucking harsh,” You said, folding your arms around yourself. You’d grown used to his rather ... delicate temper over the years. You knew not to take offense. “What crawled in your vape and died?”

“New Media,” He grumbled. You nodded, knowing that was a pretty good reason. The bubbly but bitchy new form of Media was a pain in the ass. You preferred the old. At least she had class. And a pretty good David Bowie impersonation.

“Say no more,” You said, sinking into the interior of the seat. You made yourself comfortable as the car went. You didn’t know where you were, nor did you know where you were going. It was more so about the journey than the destination. And with this teched-out car, the journey was definitely in style. “Just don’t forget that she owes her existence to you. Without the printing press, smartphones, internet - all that you have created - she’d be nothing. Lord it over her. I do it all the time.”

“You talk about me to her?” He asked, eyebrows shooting up towards his curls.

“More like I brag about you to her,” You snorted. “Okay, she might be a bit more superior than I am in the hierarchy, I’m barely anything, but you? Bitch is kidding herself if she thinks that she’s better than you. And guess what, you like me-”

“Barely fucking tolerate-” He muttered.

“-way more than you do her, so in her stupid face.” You didn’t allow his interruption to bother your momentum. You knew that behind that hard, technological, douchebag exterior was a heart wrapped in microchips. A soft, beating heart.

“She just doesn’t have to be so fucking smug,” He said. You could still feel anger coming off of him like heat waves. You just chuckled at his attitude - he really let things get under his skin. And he tried so hard to pretend to be this big tough guy.

“Don’t worry about it,” You said, patting his knee. “You’ll be around for the rest of time, and media is just going to be a fad. Especially her kind of media. She’ll get reborn again and again, as media changes. So -- forgedd abou-it.” You attempted your best accent, trying to sound like the Italians in the movies.

“You’re fucking horrible, you know that?” He said to you. But before he turned his head, you could just make out the corner of his lips going up into a smile. You would call that a success.

“So where are we off to, today? Silicon valley to go and mess with the nerds? Seattle to go and talk to Bill Gates? Come on, hit me with something fun.”

He just shrugged in retaliation. “I don’t feel like fucking with anyone today. I just want to .... go.”

“Okay, then let’s go...” You said, eyebrows furrowed. It really didn’t feel like it was a success anymore. He was closing off from you again, and you didn’t have any other choice but to let it happen.

-

You drove around for hours. There wasn’t anyway to measure the time, and the windows were permanently dark so you couldn’t see if it was day or if it was night out there. It didn’t matter. You had nowhere that you had to be, nor anywhere that you would rather go. He did slowly start to open back up. He bitched a lot, but he was well known for doing that. You would be much more concerned if he suddenly started to be positive. But he was slowly getting there.

It must be hard for him. He always provided what the people wanted, and what they needed. There was a difference between the two and he gave both. But there was always so much pressure to do more. To be better. He could outdo himself on one thing, and the next day, people would be clammering for bigger and better. He never got to actually enjoy what he gave.

Even those who had helped to bring into this world, like Media, and New Media. They came from him. They wouldn’t be here without him. And yet, they also just asked for more, more, more. They took, and they took. And gave nothing in return. They claimed some of his gifts to this world. They made it all about them. Look what I can do! If you worship me, you’re worshiping yourself! Narcissism at the touch of a button! Look at this celebrity’s ass! Look at these tits! Oh, a dick pic! Look, look, look.

What a lonely existence that he must have, you thought, as you watched him take puff after puff out of his vape. You don’t really know what he did outside of these drives with you. He never talked about it - only mentioned World and Media in passing. Not what he did with them. Not how the war plans were going. He tended to keep you separate from that part of his life.

“Fuck it,” You said, leaning forward in your seat. “Pull over.”

The driver did what he, or rather it, was told, and pulled the car over to the side of the road. You didn’t even know where you were. It could have been in a field, or a dark and creepy alley, or the suburbs of Albuquerque.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Tech asked, looking at you like you had suddenly gone insane.

“You’re acting like an asshole,” You said, shrugging, and opened your door. “And it’s honestly killing my vibe so... I’m going out to find it again.”

“Find your vibe? Here’s your vibe check-” He said, making a gun with his fingers and pointed it at you. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“And?” You got out of the car, and felt the cool night breeze on your face. It blew through your hair, and it felt pretty good after the staleness of the inside of the car. You looked at your surroundings, and grinned as you saw some lights not too far in the distance.

A movie theater. Absolutely perfect.

Tech-Boy slid out of the car as well, and stood in the middle of the street. His facial expression left you no doubts that he was doing this against his will. He didn’t want to be out here. “What the fuck are you doing?” He finally asked.

“Come on, you big grump,” You said, taking hold of his hand and started to pull his thin frame towards the theater. He grumbled, but he walked along. Once you were inside, you noticed that there was an arcade area, for those who came too early for the movie. “Let’s have some fun. You really seem like you need it.”

Eventually, you had him paying air-hockey. He only half-ass played until you scored on him three times in a row, and then his more competitive streak started to show. He was moving back and forth, using his striker to block off all of your attempts. And just when it seemed like you were slowing down, he went from defense to offense. The puck shot across the table and straight through the slot on your side. The table let out a clang, and added one to his score. You picked out the disk with amusement as you watched him do a little shimmy dance. His thin little hips stuck out of his designer jeans, making you chuckle.

“I’m still ahead, douche,” You said, putting the puck down and shooting it while he was distracted. He was quick though, and blocked it, sending it back your way.

You played five games, until best three out of five, which he ended up winning. You hadn’t let him either - that wouldn’t have been fair. You then went onto the motor-races, with the chairs and the steering wheels. This was also something that he was better at than you were, but you didn’t mind losing. It was seriously so good to hear him laugh. And to hear him say ‘fuck’ in joy when he won, rather than annoyance at someone else.

You got a bag of popcorn and some soda just to watch him play Pacman. “Little - color - fuckers -” He mumbled when they came too close to his circular, yellow character. Only to let out barks of laughter when he got the big pellet and was able to eat them down. “Eat my ass, losers.”

Eventually you were both thrown out due to Tech-Boys language, but you didn’t even care. You didn’t even know which city you were. The likelihood that you would come back was slim to none. You got back into the car, the good mood still going.

“Well, this has been fun,” You said, resting your head on top of Tech-Boy’s shoulder. You were starting to get tired - even some of the minor Gods needed to sleep at times. “I should probably go home though.”

“Okay,” Tech-Boy said, and with a snap of his fingers, the car started to head in that direction. The rest of the ride remained silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Once in a while, a little laugh slipped through as the energy of the night stayed with you.

Eventually it all came to an end as the car stopped outside of your place. You reluctantly took your head off of his shoulder, and got out of the car, but paused before you would close the door. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Yeah,” He said with a nod, picking up his vape once more.

“Okay - bye Techie. Love you!”

He looked at you like you were crazy, then did a shooing motion to try to get you on your way. But you didn’t move.

“Aren’t you going to say it back?” You questioned, leaning on the top of the door as it swayed under your weight. He curled his nose at you, and then tried to dismiss you again. But you didn’t move, just stood there grinning at him. “Not gonna leave until you say it back, big guy.”

He mumbled something under his breath. You cupped your hand around your ear. “What’s that?”

“Love you too,” He said, finally in a voice loud enough for you to hear. “You fucking freak.”

“Aww, you’re such a softie,” You grinned, sticking your tongue out between your teeth. You finally closed the door and made your way up to your place, the car idling outside until you were safely through the door. Tech-Boy held up his hand to snap his fingers, but didn’t until he saw the light in your window come on. Despite being alone, he smiled, chuckled, then finally told the car to keep on going. He might as well head home - the best part of his night was over.

[dis--parity]

Yeong-Hui’s Penthouse

Here’s my rough mental image of what Yeong-Hui’s apartment looks like! A few notes;

They took a considerable amount of time looking for a new property ever since deciding to move out from Naira’s place - they’ve heard stories about all kinds of landlords, and looked at all kinds of properties with girlfriends they’ve had along the way (even considering moving in with them) - but they were fortunate enough to have purchased this particular apartment for themselves using the fortune they amassed with their career as a model and influencer - and has thus renovated it to their liking.

The toilet has a bidet, because of course they would invest in one. The shower’s tub is very spacious, easily able to fit two people inside laying down at once. The mirror is a full-length one, and most notably the glass is reinforced; their decision to do this was spurred on by several smaller mirrors inexplicably breaking during their life with Naira. She never divulged the details of how these mirrors broke, but ever since the installation of the mirror that spans the whole room, it hasn’t shattered once.

The kitchen is equally as spacious and well-equipped; the dining area consists of a single island in the middle, with a space for a couple of chairs on one side. The other side has a large drawer in it, for herbs and spices and anything else that can be stored ambiently. They also have a large and powerful oven, a sizeable induction hob, and even a dishwasher! (Which mostly makes the double sink they own a bit obsolete, but they tend to use it to keep a basin of washing liquid while cooking).

There’s a small table on the side where they keep the two 20-gallon terrariums for their three frogs - Waffle (or Pancake, depending on who you ask) needs his own terrarium due to the fact that Pacman frogs are known to cannibalise smaller frogs. Underneath this drawer are general frog-care supplies, such as batteries for heat lamps and light bulbs, boxes of mealworms and a habitat for live crickets, misting spray, fertiliser for the plants in the terrariums, and more. Sequestered within this very same drawer is a little cache of things that belong to Garis - popped away in a place where Yeong-Hui would never go out of their way to reach normally.

And finally, their bedroom. They’re content to skip out on a walk-in wardrobe, and keep that next to the small desk where they tend to do vlogging and work-related tasks on their laptop. And, of course, the bed is very spacious - and draped over it from a frame is a transparent veil that gives it a new allure and mysticism. The solid wall that faces the window is covered in lesbian art, some of which is drawn by them - and some of which is drawn by Garis, put there under the guise that they must have purchased it.

[danetobelieve]

Don’t Be So Shelf-ish || Orion and Winston

The Scribe Headquarters had surprisingly become one of the few places that Orion could seem to get a full night’s sleep. Which was a miracle considering the mattresses were over 30 years old and the place had no heat. But his house held too many memories of being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night or even worse, the night terrors. Here, Orion’s main concern was how many blankets he would have to sleep under to avoid frostbite. He would take that any day. But Orion’s typically peaceful night’s rest was interrupted by the loud noise echoing throughout the empty, usually silent hallways of the Scribe building. Orion sat up immediately, crawling out of the bed and reaching blindly in the darkness for his duffel bag. It was sad that his first instinct upon hearing a strange noise was to pull a hoodie from his stash of clothes and pull it over his short sleeved shirt. Even if it was a murderer, apparently Orion had no interest in the murderer seeing his scars. If he was going to die, he didn’t want it to be from embarrassment. He grabbed onto his phone next, flipping the flashlight on and creeping out into the hallway. He heard another noise and began creeping towards it. This was eerily similar to the time he had come across Professor Drake sneaking into the Scribe Building. But at least that had been during the day. Not that it changed much admittedly, Orion was alone and defenseless and the Scribe building regardless of the time of day. Orion didn’t even bother grabbing a textbook to uselessly try to defend himself with. What was the point when he had no intentions of using it against someone? He crept around the corner and towards the kitchen area, stopping when he saw the figure fiddling with the cabinets. “Wha- What are you doing here?” Orion called out, his voice shaking almost as much as his hands were. The light from the phone scattering back and forth across the walls. “Seriously… you’re not supposed to be here.” Orion spoke again when nobody replied, slowly creeping forward to get a better look at his potential murderer. But the closer he got the more familiar the features of the person standing in front of him looked. “Uh… Winston?” Orion asked curiously, finally steady enough to train the light on them. But still, Winston ignored Orion, instead continuing to rummage around the kitchen area. Were they… sleep walking? “Winston!” Orion tried again, slightly louder this time and hoping that it would make the sleep walker up.

Honestly, Winston had to be completely honest. This sleepwalking thing was getting to be almost too much to deal with, they had done so much work in their life to secure themself in some level of luxury, security and comfort. They didn’t have that much, much less then many and yet in some ways much more then others. But what they did have was theirs. They had what they had and it belonged to them. So when they woke up, with a cold sweat beading on their brow and dripping down the back of their neck, they had to admit that they weren’t exactly expecting to wake up in a somewhat old, musty and decrepit kitchen. They were sure that they could hear their name. They jerked back to reality and found themselves starring blurrily at Orion. Reaching up, they found their glass pressed somewhat lopsidedly into their hair. Pulling them down, they slid them over their eyes and Orion came into sharp focus once more. “Oh shit,” Winston yawned and rubbed their eyes from underneath their glasses as their level of consciousness came back into play. “Woah,” they suddenly realised what had happened, AGAIN and honestly they were lessed then thrilled by the state of play that they found themselves in. “Hey Orion…” they looked around and tried to do what they could to stifle a yawn, “Uh… do you know where I am?”

Orion stood for a long moment silent and staring at Winston, assessing the situation. Winston looked just as lost and confused as Orion did. But how had they gotten inside of the Scribe headquarters? There was a magic barrier that was supposed to block entry. Of course, some had already made their way through that barrier, but the professor who came through the first time already had some experience with Scribes before. And then the other professor had simply chased Orion through the opening before the gate had closed again. Winston had simply wandered in by themselves, something that Orion didn’t know could happen. Was the barrier failing due to old age? Or was Winston more versed in the supernatural than Orion had originally assumed? “Hey there.” Orion still wasn’t sure what Winston felt about him. Or what Skylar had told Winston about Orion after their anime night. But he was going to remain hopeful, just like he hoped that Skylar would be able to forgive him someday. “I uh.. yeah I know where you are. It’s an old building uh out in the woods.” It would be hard to describe the Scribes if Winston knew nothing about the supernatural. “Do you know how you got here? Were you… sleepwalking?”

An old building out in the woods. Great. They were back to living in a horror movie. Winston couldn’t help but feel somewhat crestfallen about the places that their sleepwalking seemed to be taking them. Getting a high score in PacMan hadn’t put them in any danger. Not like sleepwalking apparently was. “Great,” Winston sighed somewhat bitterly. This was really beginning to get a little bit old. There was only so many times that weird things could happen before they stopped being weird and in someway just became a nuisance. The inconvenience aside, Winston was glad that they at least knew Orion. He’d not exactly been honest at the anime night, but then again none of them had and Skylar hadn’t said to worry about them so Winston assumed that they must be fine. Better then a complete stranger anyway. “I think …” they looked around them somewhat helpless, kind of cold and very confused, “I think I must’ve been sleepwalking because I have no other explanation for how or why I could or would be here.” They sighed and shrugged gently. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” Winston had to admit that they felt curious about what this place was. It was a weird place to find. Not entirely abandoned but having certainly seen better days.

Winston didn’t seem entirely opposed to Orion’s company, so Orion would take that as a good sign. So he could at least stop freaking out about Winston’s feelings towards Orion and instead worry about the fact that they had somehow managed to sleepwalk right by a magical barrier and inside of the only safe haven that Orion had. If Winston could get through so easily, did that mean that Orion’s family could too? The thought made Orion shiver and goosebumps shot across his arms. Or maybe that was just from the cold. He pulls his hands inside of the sleeves of his hoodie for a small amount of extra warmth and pulled the hood over his hair. “Oh no! No worries you’re not interrupting anything I-“ How did Orion explain what he was doing here? In an abandoned building in the middle of the night? “I can here sometimes to clear my head and…” Escape? Hide? Nothing seemed like a good answer. “Read? I guess. There is a… crazy library here.” He shifted his stance nervously, trying to get accustomed to the guest in what he had mostly come to accept as his scribe headquarters. “So you don’t remember how you got inside of the building then? That’s interesting. Have you always had a problem with sleep walking?”

Looking around them, Winston couldn’t help but realise that it was actually also pretty weird that Orion was here too. Winston had a semi valid explanation after all it was hardly in their control that they had begun to sleep walk spontaneously and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t seem to stop themselves. “So, you’re in a strange old building in the middle of the woods, so that you can read and clear your head?” Winston frowned, they weren’t sure whether or not they were being honest or if there was something to hide, but either way they were curious about whether or not there was actually a library here. “Do you mind if I uh… see it?” they asked curiously, “What was this place if it just has a library here any how?” Winston smiled gently at the thought of how weird this was, and then they realised how weird this was and started panicking a little. Forcing themselves to breath, they shook their head gently, “No, this is the first time, well not technically, this is one of the first times that I have ever actually realised I was doing it and I’ve never known about it before. Which obviously isn’t … great.”

Orion laughed nervously and scratched at the back of his neck. “Uh yeah… sometimes I crash here I guess. Just when I need to be alone.” There was not other way to explain it. Even then, Orion wasn’t giving the full truth but it probably started to paint a pretty good picture. Sometimes Orion just needed to get away. “The library? Sure! It’s uh- sorry it’s a little dark here. No electricity and what not. But I have flashlights.” He flicked the light from his phone off and shoved it into his pocket then made his way over closer to Winston in the kitchen area. He opened up one of the cabinets and rummaged through the drawer into the pulled out two smaller flashlights. He held one out to Winston and motioned towards the hallway that lead away from the eating area. “This area leads into the dining room. The library isn’t far off.” As the two begin their journey into the large dining area and then into a hallway that would take them to the library, Orion decided against lying about the Scribes. “They used to be called the Scribes. They were… record keepers. Sort of like historians.” How versed was Winston on the supernatural, Orion had to wonder. If Orion mentioned it, would they think he was completely crazy? But Orion was still thinking about the sleepwalking. Sure, people walked in their sleep, but not many people made it into the woods and into abandoned buildings. Plus, for it to just start recently… that implied more than just average sleepwalking. Professor Beck had mentioned weird things happening around town. Orion didn’t have any type of proof but had to wonder if that had any connection. “That’s… strange. And also dangerous. Any idea why you randomly started doing this?”

Raising an eyebrow, Winston wondered what else they didn’t know about Orion. They only knew that they were friends with Skylar and that they liked anime. “Oh, right, yeah I get that.” Winston had never slept in a strange abandoned house in the middle of the forest because they wanted to be alone. When they wanted to be alone they went to their room. But maybe things were different for Orion. Winston looked around, and frowned. “No electricity?” they asked with a raised eyebrow, “This place isn’t that old is it?” Taking a flashlight off of Orion. They tapped it gently before flicking on the light and casting a thin beam of light in front of them as they set off through the abandoned building. They made their way through a large dining area and down a hallway and Winston listened as carefully as they could, still a little sleepy all things considered. “Scribes, sort of like historians, got it, was it like an amateur society or something?” they had to admit that if it was they’d obviously been passionate. This seemed like it might’ve been quite the set up once upon a time. “Yeah, I won’t lie I don’t love it either, I don’t really have any direct leads on what the cause is, I guess it could be anything.” Like the cursed coin Winston had in their room. 

“There used to be electricity. Back when people actually worked here.” Orion explained. He had explored the building as much as he could over his few months here. And while the dark hallways and doors that could not be opened were more than enough to make his skin crawl, he had been safe enough here so far. “I don’t know when the building was originally built but it would have been abandoned around the seventies or eighties.” Orion had to admit that he didn’t do a lot of exploring around the building in the middle of the night. He often stayed up too late reading texts in the library, but would quickly shut things down and rush into the sleeping room to lock the door. Now, walking around the place in the middle of the night he was starting to get a better idea of just how creepy the abandoned place could be. Their footsteps echoed down the hallways and the wind made the building creak. Orion needed to get his mind off of it or he was going to freak out. “Well… not so much.” Orion tried to find the right way to explain it, “There used to be chapters all over the world. A lot of big cities would have its own chapter.” White Crest was sort of an outlier in that respect, but with the heightened supernatural activity the place had always had it just seemed natural for the Scribes to start one here as well. “But they mostly faded out in the eighties.” Orion made it to the door into the library and paused before opening it, spinning to listen to Winston’s answer. Orion wished he had more information to help Winston. That was what a real scribe would be able to do. This was what they had been here for. And now all they had to show for it was a college student with a history obsession. “That’s creepy. Do you know if anyone else has had the same thing recently? Or just you?” Orion asked curiously. It could help determine something, Orion just wasn’t sure what yet. He realized his hand was still on the door knob and he perked up, “Oh! Sorry I wasn’t try to like build up tension or anything. The library is right through here.” He pushed the door open and led Winston through into the library. “It looks more impressive during the day, promise.”

“You should be able to fix that if you can find the fuse box and the circuit breaker, usually it is just that, you might have to replace some wiring but it isn’t that old.” Forty or fifty years was pretty old, but Winston was ever the optimist. Raising an eyebrow, Winston realised that this might have been something more White Crest then others would’ve liked to admit. Was it possible that there had been entire groups of people dedicated to something related to the Supernatural? Winston had no confirmations to their suspicions but it would make sense. After all why have a chapter house in somewhere that was no where near a big city. This place was a bit sleepy if you forgot about the fact it was a supernatural hotspot. “Uh, if there were so many chapters around the world then why exactly did this one get abandoned? Did something happen to make all of these people, these … uh the scribes right, why did they go?” They wondered if something had happened. Should they be worried? Orion seemed to know their way around here and it didn’t appear that anything had happened to them. “I don’t know,” they weren’t sure if it was just them or if they should include Drew in it too. Either way, they weren’t really ready to admit to the weirdness with the leprechauns just yet. That hadn’t been pleasant. Looking around, Winston could see that there was a vast archive of knowledge in this room. “Yeah, I can imagine, it’s a shame there aren’t lights.”

“It’d be nice to get some heaters in this place.” Orion mumbled, settling for about four to five blankets piled on top of him to keep warm during the night currently. Though a heater in a place this old was probably a fire hazard. “You seem to know more about that stuff than I do. I just assumed that electricity was a lost cause here.” Winston seemed knowledgeable enough on the subject to give Orion a sliver of hope that electricity was possible here, not that he was brave enough to ask them to look at it. Orion wouldn’t want to put that pressure on them. But still, the idea of having a functioning kitchen and lights around the building was desirable. For now, Winston was curious about the Scribes, which made sense considering this place had gone so long under the nose of people unfamiliar with the supernatural. “Not just this one actually. The entire organization sorta died out. Maybe a few headquarters around the world still have some people working, but there’s no more communication. There’s nothing left of this one. I found this place months ago and not a single soul-“ Minus a professor who was not a Scribe, “has come into the building. I don’t think there are any Scribes left around here.” Orion flashed his light around the place, trying to give a view of some of the shelves, even if it was limited. “There are a lot of tables around the place for reading. I usually set up on one with my laptop and some snacks… I probably have some chips or soda around here if you’re hungry.” Orion was trying to think of something else that he could show. But mostly he wondered how Winston was going to get home in the middle of the night. “I don’t want to sound like.. creepy or anything. But if you wanted to wait until it’s not nighttime anymore than you’re welcome to stay here until morning. Or whenever, really. There’s a sleeping room here. The mattresses aren’t great but there’s plenty of beds. And you could see the library in the morning. But uh- whatever you want to do, obviously. I just didn’t know if you’d want to try walking home in the middle of the night. I don’t know how far this place is from you.”

“Sure, I can see this place getting really cold. I guess that there are fireplaces in somewhere right this, maybe you could start bringing in some firewood until you’ve got the place set up how you want it?” Winston raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “This sort of thing is kind of my area of expertise, i’ve always been good with gadgets and stuff and if you understand how to make a circuit board work then you can usually work out the fundamentals of powering a building.” They were never going to be an electrician but they were sure that they could at least jerry rig something if they were given enough time. “If the whole organisation has collapsed then why? Was it like a crime or did they run out of money? These places just don’t fall down in on themselves without a good reason why…” They shuddered to think what could’ve caused something so complicated to collapse in on itself. “It is kind of a shame that there aren’t any of them left, would’ve been nice to ask them some questions.” They were amazed by the ingenuity and resourcefulness that Orion was able to display, but when it was their own turn to display some they found themselves coming up blank. “Are you sure?” Winston asked curiously, “I just, don’t have my phone or wallet or keys or anything and it is probably not a good idea to go walking through the woods aimlessly at night … so if it was cool for me to sleepover and you didn’t mind … that would be really nice dude, thanks.”

“Oh! Firewood! That’s a great idea!” Orion perked up at the suggestion. He had always been afraid that it would be a fire hazard in a building as old as this, but as long as it was kept in a secured area like the fire place, it should be manageable. Orion would just have to make sure he put it out before he crashed for the night. It wouldn’t exactly solve the problem of the night time cold, but it was a start. “That’s good to know! I really appreciate the expertise.” Orion smiled at Winston. They were taking this whole thing super well considering they slept walked and woke up in an abandoned building in the middle of the woods. “It’s a little hard to explain but… there were a lot of factors. The Scribes had a really strict code that they had to follow and I think that led to what tore them apart.” There were a lot of theories that Orion’s uncle had that eventually lead to the fall of the Scribes, but Orion wasn’t sure there was any one reason. It was a slow build up, pressure packing in over time until it eventually burst. “I think another factor was the Scribe’s sort of outdated ideas. They didn’t seem to like change very much. But I agree. I wish I could have a conversation with someone about the building and the history. It would be fascinating.” It felt weird, inviting somebody to stay with him at the Scribe headquarters. He had never had a sleepover or anything with a friend even in his own home. “Well I don’t technically own the place anyways, so I can’t really kick you out. But I am happy to offer. It can be dangerous walking out there by yourself. The room is this way.” The sleeping room wasn’t much, but it was a short path down the hall from the library and Orion kept it pretty clean. He had a few duffel bags on one of the beds that held some of the belongings he had slowly migrated over from his house. When they got to the room, Orion made his way over to flick on the light he had bought alone. The battery operated light gave dim visibility around the room. “It’s not much. But I have a ton of blankets.”

“You can also get these like heaters that are powered by other stuff then electricity, I dunno, I think you could do a bunch to set this place up. But if you’re careful with a fireplace and let it burn down to embers before you fall asleep it’ll help keep the place warmer. Plus no risk of burning the place down in your sleep.” Winston had spent a long time with Ricky setting up their place. They had carefully installed lights, hooked up a sound system and even put in some motion sensors. It hadn’t been much but they’d really enjoyed themselves and they wondered what they could actually get done here. Honestly Winston was kind of just thanking their lucky stars that they had found Orion here and not something that might’ve gone out of their way to kill them. “Is it written down anywhere?” Winston asked curiously, “Like I guess if there was anyone who was going to write their collapse down then it would be because of a group of people dedicated to keeping history.” Winston was pretty sure that they must have kept some sort of history about the supernatural. They’d spotted a couple of interesting book titles and they knew that if Orion would have them they would definitely be returning to this place. They wondered what secrets this place hid and they wondered what they would be able to do to change it if they just had the time and resources to properly work at it. “So what you’re saying is that they were a bunch of boomers who couldn’t be asked to change their outdated ideals and beliefs and it scuppered them. There must still be people around who knew about it though.” Winston followed Orion into the room and looked around, it looked like Orion spent a lot of time here and Winston was somewhat concerned about their standard of living. “Thanks for not expelling me anyway,” they replied with a laugh before continuing slowly and thoughtfully. “I don’t mean to be ungrateful,” Winston said considering  their words as they took a seat on a very musty mattress, “but this … this isn’t where you like live is it? Because as happy as I am to have this place for one night, I also worry that you’re spending every night here without any electricity or heat… so please tell me you’ve got somewhere safe and warm to go to.”

Orion was thankful that Winston was willing to share their ideas on this place. Orion had been so focused in on the idea of translating the texts and reviving the Scribes that he hadn’t even stopped to consider sprucing the place up again. Probably because he didn’t really know how, or where to begin. Orion could only buy so much stuff before his family got suspicious of it. And he couldn’t think of a way to explain the Scribe Headquarters to them. Either they would hate the idea and force him to stop or they would support the idea and demand to see the texts. The last thing that Orion wanted to do was be responsible for his family learning even more about the supernatural. “That’s a great idea! I will have to look into those options. I definitely need to get some more lights around this place, clearly.” Winston was right, they would have documented their own demise. Maybe a bit morbid, but someone had to keep track of the last few years that things begin to fall apart. “I bet you’re right. The Scribes usually kept personal journals that they would write down individual experiences they had with-“ the supernatural? Would Winston think Orion was crazy if he admitted that? He interrupted his words with a cough and tried to backtrack through the sentence. “y’know, history and stuff. I bet in some of those journals they talked about what it was like the last few years. Definitely worth looking into at least. Plus you’re right, they were totally boomers.” Winston had definitely proven to provide good company. They had good ideas and were generally friendly. Maybe a bit too friendly considering they decided to ask questions about Orion’s home life. The question got an actual laugh from Orion, though he wasn’t sure there was much humor in it. “My family lives here. On Harris Island.” He didn’t want to lie to Winston, so he wasn’t going to claim the place was safe. But he couldn’t exactly tell the truth either. “My family doesn’t know about this place. But I started coming here because of my uncle and I started reading and it would get so late I didn’t want to walk home. The first time I fell asleep on one of the tables in the library before I started exploring more and found this room. I just started doing it so often I figured I should bring some stuff here just in case. But I have a place to go to for showers and to wash clothes and whatever.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Orion grabbed a couple of blankets from his own bed and pulled them off,  handing them over to Winston before crawling up onto the mattress. Falling asleep in his hoodie wouldn’t be the most comfortable in the world, but it would be warmer and he couldn’t exactly strip off back into a short sleeve shirt. Not with Winston here. The scars would start a whole new line of questioning. “Do you think those blankets are enough?”

“There’s lots of options, maybe if you want to brainstorm something later on then we could see what solutions we can come up with for this place.” Winston had to admit that this place was fascinating and they really wished that they would be able to give the place a more thorough. “It isn’t exactly super important but I think it would be really interesting to know what went on and why everything fell apart across the globe. Even if they were boomers.” At the mention of Harris island, Winston’s ears perked up. “Oh are we only on Harris Island!” they didn’t intend to leave this place tonight because they didn’t feel like a long walk through the wilderness, “I actually live here so it is nice to know that it won’t take me too long to get down here.” They wondered why Orion hadn’t told their family about somewhere like this but decided that it probably wasn’t their place to ask such a personal question that they may not want to discuss.” Looking around them, Winston started to carefully wrap the blankets around them so that they formed a cocoon. “The blankets are great,” Winston pauses almost afraid to ask the next question, “how are things with your family, i know this is your getaway but like, are things okay? At home?”

Orion couldn’t believe that Winston was actually offering their time to come and help Orion with this place. Orion was honestly surprised that Winston had turned and ran for it as soon as they woke up and found themselves in an abandoned building with Rio. Orion couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice or the smile that was widening across his voice. “That would be really cool. Thank you, seriously. That’s really nice of you to offer.” It was nice to know that Winston was also on Harris Island, but was afraid that Orion had miscommunicated with him – “Oh no.. sorry I meant my family lives on Harris Island.” He scratched at his neck nervously as he tried to backtrack his statement and correct the misstep. “This is uh… on the opposite side of town. We’re out in the woods… back behind the public library.” If Winston was asleep on Harris Island that meant that they had slept walk all the way across town which was… impressive? Scary was the better word. Winston’s legs were probably going to hurt in the morning. “But uh.. if we walk to the library I can give you a ride home in the morning.” It didn’t surprise Orion that Winston wondered about his home life, not really. Turns out sleeping in an abandoned building with not heat in the middle of a Maine winter was sort of a red flag. Up to this point, Orion had been trying to remain as honest as possible, but how did he tell the truth without completely telling the truth. Orion didn’t even know if Winston knew about the supernatural. “My family is super religious.” He began, his arms instinctively wrapping around his freshest scars over top of his sleeve. Sure, he felt that twinge of guilt every time he lied, like a sudden shock shooting up his spine and across his arms, but it was what it was. “And I’m.. not. So that causes some tension. Plus, my sister’s in Med School and my parent’s practically worship her. They would never understand or approve what I’m trying to do here. I just… need to get away sometimes.” Orion clamped his eyes shut and sighed. He needed to deflect, “I know Skylar told me you were in college too. What are you majoring in?”

“Hey dude, this place looks pretty cool and I have some suspicions about what the subject matter on a lot of the books are and I would like to find out more about this place. Besides you look like you could use the company anyway…” Winston shrugged gently and smiled, “you’re welcome dude, thanks for letting me help out.” Raising an eyebrow gently, Winston listened carefully to their explanation. They weren’t exactly sure that they thought it was completely honest but they weren’t about to tell Orion that they were lying to them. Yet just because someone’s family were really religious, it seemed unlikely that they were going to choose to stay here as their getaway, especially in the middle of winter. “I get it, sometimes you just need to get away from the family and do something different and be somewhere different, completely normal. That was why I couldn’t wait to move out of home even though my parents were in the area, I could’ve stayed at home. But I needed my independence.”  They paused and scratched at their ear thoughtfully. “Cyber security and forensics, I want to work within like a Cyber crime unit, specifically in forensics, and I need a masters degree for that. At least.” 

Winston had some suspicions? Orion could only assume that meant they knew more about the supernatural than the two were disclosing to each other. It was a strange feeling, a pit in Orion’s stomach that seemed to always form once those theories developed in his head. If Orion knew and Winston knew and they both knew that the other knew then why couldn’t either of them say something? By the small off chance that the other was wrong? The last thing Orion needed was for Winston to know nothing about the supernatural and think that Orion was crazy. The fact that Winston had woken up in the middle of an abandoned building by Orion was probably creepy enough. “Yeah, I uh don’t get a ton of visitors around here. So please feel free to drop by whenever.” Winston already seemed convinced by Orion’s story about getting away from family. Sure, the core values of it were true. But Orion was purposefully omitting a fairly big portion of the story. Luckily, Winston was willing to move on in the conversation, a detour that Orion was more than happy to accommodate.” “So do you live on your own now or with roommates?” Orion was curious, wondering for himself when the day would come that he began the hunt for a place of his own. Obviously, he couldn’t stay with his family, but moving in here permanently didn’t seem feasible, not without electricity. But it was also pretty hard to move out without a job or any income. “That’s so cool!” Orion had a hint of wonder in his voice, because it was cool. “That’s really awesome. How many years do you have left?” Orion found himself barricading under the leftover blankets on the bed, surrounding himself in them until only his head poked out the top.

One of the things that Winston found the most difficult about this supernatural world that they had recently discovered was not outing the members of the community that they met. It was hard to keep straight who knew what, did Orion know about the supernatural? Probably. Did that mean that they could discuss it with them? Absolutely not. Winston wasn’t sure that they entirely trusted them yet, not to mention the fact that they had definitely been going through Skylar’s things. Though Winston hadn’t heard anything further about that, so they had simply assumed that they weren’t dangerous. Maybe that was a mistake. Yet despite that, Winston knew that they liked Orion. Orion seemed cool and Winston was intrigued by this place.Not to mention there was always the possibility that Orion might think Winston was insane if they started talking about the supernatural like it was real.  “Really? Dude that’s really cool of you, yeah I’d love to come by more, if you’re sure you’re cool with it.” Though they weren’t sure that they were totally convinced by Orion’s story. They also weren’t about to force them to talk about it. “I live with my friend, Ricky? He goes to the college too, I don’t know if you would’ve run into him.” Looking around them, Winston shrugged. “It is one step in a path to do what I really want, but in theory I should be done with it by the end of the summer or the beginning of september.” 

Orion liked Winston. They had similar interests and Winston seemed like a good person. Definitely a better person than Orion was. So he didn’t want to mess this up. He had already made a somewhat rocky first impression. “Of course! Drop by whenever you want. I’ll show you how to get in tomorrow morning. It’s uh- a bit complicated. Honestly, I’m surprised that you manage to sleep walk in.” He scratched at his head nervously. He still hadn’t figured out how Winston had managed to wander their way into the building. “Ricky?” Orion asked curiously, the name peaking his curiosity. Sure, Orion knew his own Ricky, but who knew how many Ricky’s there were living in White Crest? “It wouldn’t happen to be the Ricky with the workshop would it?” Orion remembered the place fondly, Ricky saving him from the torrential downpour despite how uncomfortable it made Ricky to have someone looking at his art. “That’s so exciting! You’re almost done!” He was genuinely excited for Winston, even if the idea of graduation was terrifying to Orion. But that was because Orion had no idea what he was going to do after college, at least Winston seemed to have a plan.

“I think I’ll message you before I just invade your getaway,” Winston replied with a warm smile. If this was really Orion’s space away from a bad situation then Winston didn’t want to take it over. They had plenty of safe space for themselves. “But I really appreciate the offer and I’m kind of surprised that I managed to sleep walk in too….” They shrugged gently and laughed. “Have you seen the workshop?” Winston asked curiously, “I have the corner of the workshop with a plethora of monitors, keyboards and wires.” Not to mention all of the books, texts and PDFs on magic that they had been able to get their hands on. The workshop was something they’d only just been given space in, but despite that it was a special place. They loved watching Ricky work and they’d spent a long time bonding together as they both worked on their own various projects. 

“Well it’s not like my place or anything. So you don’t have to, I mean unless you want to. But like you’re welcome whenever. Seriously.” Orion had to wonder… was this place his? Logically, he knew that the answer was no. But could it be? He was the only one that seemed to care about it. Maybe it would be worth the effort to do more than just read the books here. With Winston’s help maybe they could get the electricity and things back up and running? And maybe Orion could find someone to help with remodeling. He would start with the library of course. Move into the sleeping room. Just a little remodeling to help the place shine again. Of course, this was all just a fantasy. Orion wasn’t the kind of person that could actually throw this stuff together. Even if he had the money, he just didn’t have the connections or the drive. It was a nice fantasy though. “I have! Briefly I mean. Ricky offered me some shelter during a storm. He’s really talented.” Orion decided to omit the immense awkwardness of the night. How Ricky clearly hadn’t wanted company in the workshop and Orion was a bumbling fool around the man. “Oh! That’s cool!” Orion vaguely remembered the area. Orion had thought it was a weird addition to the place that was otherwise covered in artwork. It stood out in the area, but knowing that Winston had his own setup made the area make more sense. “I remember the area, but I tried not to creep too much.” Orion laughed nervously. He had definitely taken advantage of his time alone in the workshop to peak at some of Ricky’s artwork, but limited himself to the stuff out in the open. “I uh- I don’t think he’s super comfortable with random people seeing his work.” Orion related, he wasn’t nearly the artist Ricky was, but he kept a sketch book hidden in his bookbag. He’d rather die than let anybody else see it. “Sorry. I keep asking questions and keeping you up. You’re probably exhausted. From all the walking. Although if you were sleeping while walking… were you still getting rest? Not sure how that works.”

“Thanks Orion, I really appreciate the offer. One day you’ll have to come hangout with me and Skye and Ricky. If you’re going to let me into your place it seems only fair that I do the same.” Winston flashed their new friend a quick smile, after everything that had happened with all of this sleepwalking bullshit they were glad that there had been at least one good thing to come out of these cursed coins. They had found something new that they really thought they could sink their teeth into. Besides, who would’ve known that there was a potentially infinite amount of information just sat here. Of course it could be about nothing, but in the brief time that they had actually been able to spend within the library they were sure that they had seen a number of texts on things that were not to do with history or other mundane things. Raising an eyebrow, Winston shrugged. “He would never admit it, but yeah, he really knows what he is doing. I love watching him work, it is very relaxing.” Pausing for a second, Winston shrugged. “Next time you come over I’ll walk you through everything, Ricky’s stuff is cool, but my stuff is art in a different type of way.” They weren’t being entirely serious, though of course art was subjective to the perceiver. Winston pierced their lips and shrugged. “Some people are private about that sort of stuff I guess…” they didn’t really know what to say. “I don’t know how it works either,” Winston replied as their eyes grew heavy almost in tandem with Orion’s words, they wrapped the blankets more snuggly around them and smiled. “We should probably get some rest.”

Orion smiled nervously. How did he explain to Winston that Skylar hate him without Winston hating him too? Winston seemed like a good person, someone that would definitely side with Skylar if they knew the full story. But maybe that was the point. Orion probably deserved someone like Athena rather than Winston or Skylar. But he wasn’t brave enough to admit that here, so he just nodded his head and muttered, “Yeah. That’d be a lot of fun. We should do that.” Orion threw the blankets off of him and crawled up to reach for the light that he had flicked on when they got into the room. It was battery operated and drained quickly, so he only liked running it when he needed to. “That’d be awesome. I’d love to check stuff out. Your area too! I’m not an expert or anything, but my second major is computer science so I know like.. a little bit about computers.” Orion yelled from his awkward position reaching off of his bed and at the lamp, he fumbled around the area until he finally caught the switch and flicked it off. The place almost immediately went pitch black. Orion backtracked to his original position on the bed and covered himself back up with the blankets. “ Uh let me know if you need anything. Sorry it’s so dark here. I guess I’ll uh- talk to you in the morning?”

[fins-n-swag]

(all I’ve learned while researching) Pac Man frog care masterpost

Seriously why has nobody done this.

Disclaimer: I am getting my first frog on January 4/5 2020. This will of course be updated with personal experience but for now just what I’ve found online.

Feel free to add/correct me on anything

The pac man frog: aka cornwells horned frog or Amazon horned frog

(albino variety)

First things first: prepare to spend a lot on pacmans. Like with any animal, they require the proper care and that can get expensive.

Pacmans are pretty hefty bois, with males reaching 4-5 inches and females reaching up to 8, keeping a circular shape. This means a bigger enclosure. Right now I have a ten gallon set up but I am prepared to upgrade if my frog outgrows. Aim for 10+ gallons.  Floor space is most important as pacmans are a borrowing species. They require a minimum of 2 inches of substrate to submerse themselves in. They are an ambush predator, meaning they will sit and wait up to their eyes in substrate for the perfect meal to come wandering along. They can sit like this for days, even weeks at a time, perhaps only moving from one side of the enclosure to the other. Coconut fiber works best as it doesn’t clump, and is easier for them to burrow into.  Just because they are a burrowing species doesn’t mean they don’t need water. All frogs need water. They require a large water dish full of dechlorinated water. Dechlorinaters remove all the harmful chemicals and metals in your tap water and makes it safe for squishy critters like fish, amphibians and reptiles. Pick one up at your local pet store.  Here’s a good one: https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-Prime-Fresh-Saltwater-Conditioner/dp/B0002A5WPQ/ref=asc_df_B0002A5WPQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167116240456&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16562266558803356605&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032457&hvtargid=pla-310002621828&psc=1

PLEASE wash out your frogs water dish everyday, because it will also be their bathroom.

Speaking of water, Pac mans require high humidity. To create humidity in your frog buddies enclosure, simply spray it down at least once a day with dechlorinated water. Evaporated water = humidity. They like it between 50-80 percent. Get yourself a hydrometer, like a thermometer for humidity! I got a digital combo hydrometer/thermometer.

Humidity: https://pacmanfrogcare101.com/pacman-frog-humidity/

Heat is not optional. Pacmans are a tropical species. They like temperature in the mid 70′s low 80′s. If the room you’re keeping them in stays consistently in this range, then you shouldn’t need one. But if your room is like mine and is usually cold, get a heat mat. Stick it on the side above the substrate, so the Pacman can burrow to cool off if needed. Don’t put the heat mat next to the water dish, that can create mold, algae, nasty stuff. Don’t put it underneath the tank, especially not without spacers. (Elevates the tank slightly to keep it from resting on the cord) that can dry out the substrate and burn your froggy! An 8 watt mat is good for 10-20 gallons. This was the most expensive single item I got, but it’s very worth it not to freeze my frog. Pacmans also so not like mid-high 80′s. A thermometer and thermostat (to regulate the heat mat) are recommended.

The heat mat I got: https://zoomed.com/reptitherm-under-tank-heater-u-t-h/

Once again put it on the side.

I don’t recommend heat lamps because I’ve read it can dry out the frog/enclose too quickly. Pacmans don’t require much light, so a lamp is not necessary.

Pacmans are not a social species. They will eat anything else in their enclosure, including other pacmans. Don’t risk it. Even if they are the same size, one will try to eat the other and end up choking to death. Other frogs/ lizards will end up as dinner, for the love of god don’t try to set up females together.

Pacman mouths are the width of their head, they will eat anything. Hence the name Pacman frog. Their bits can and will draw blood, so feeding tongs are recommended.

(Everything I got for mine I got at joshs frogs. Highly recommended.)

Pacmans eat live food. A good staple would be crickets (what I’m doing) or Dubuia roaches. I’ve read adults will also eat pinkie mice and feeder fish, but I haven’t looked into it. A staple is what you would feed most regularly. Supplemented can be anything from hornworms to red worms to waxworms. Pretty much any feeder insect. To prevent bone deficiency, dust your bugs with calcium and vitamin supplements. “But trickster”, you say, “that seems unnecessary”. ““Petco says they’re fine without”. NO! Exotic pets, may it be reptiles, amphibians, or aquatic animals don’t get the same vitamins and nutrients in captivity that they do in the wild. It’s up to us to give them the best healthiest life possible.  Also, don’t trust petco/smart. The corporate only care about the sales, not the animals. And the employees are clueless, which can mean serious damage to your pets. Do your own research. calcium: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/rep-cal-ultrafine-calcium-with-vitamin-d3.html

Vitamins:https://www.joshsfrogs.com/herptivite-multivitamin.html

Seriously, you put the feeders in a container with 1:1 with these dusts, shakey shakey and boom, dusted with all the good stuff. 2-3 times a week, more if you get a baby. It’s 12$ for the both of them shell out the cash and give your frog the best life possible.

How to dust: https://youtu.be/hlDzjmyVTWM

1/2 inch (or medium) crickets for babies. Feed them what they will eat, 3 one night, 2 the next? Great. Not hungry for a day? Fine. If your frog is refusing food for multiple days that’s a problem. But 4-5 crickets every other day (for babies) should be fine. Once again, not an expert and feeding will be the first thing I report on when I get my frog.

Full size crickets for adults, feed them 2-3 crickets every other day. I’ve read that should be good.

Hides and plants should be provided. Don’t just throw your new baby I. There with substrate and a water dish. It’s ugly, it’s boring, it’s not stimulating for the frog. Get some hides for the frog! There are so many different types, go wild. Just make sure it’s big enough for the frog or they won’t use it. Get some plastic plants while your at it. Make it a jungle! If you want get some live plants and make a Vivarium! Do more research on these however.  Joshs frogs has care sheets, care videos, and a huge selection of decor, frogs, reptiles and supplies. (I swear it’s not sponsored)

https://www.joshsfrogs.com

Now to the best part: choosing your frog!

(Send me pictures !) Pacmans come in all different morphs and colors, from bright green to brown to bright red. The one pictured is an albino. I’m planning on getting an albino or red type. I’m a sucker for red frogs. They all have identical care requirements. The only thing that’ll change is the price.

Tomato frogs are a very similar frog, that require virtually the same requirements. They, however, can be housed together and their mouths are much smaller.

More sources:

https://www.joshsfrogs.com/catalog/blog/2019/01/pac-man-frog-care-sheet-includes-fantasy-frogs-c-cranwelli-and-c-ornata/

https://pacmanfroginfo.weebly.com/facts.html

[swindlersstole]

Panda Panda Panda luminerik for D?

will this modern au live anywhere but my mind WHO KNOWS

d. waking up

~

Erik spent the first morning of the new year watching Nova sleep.

He couldn’t rightly say when it was that the two of them had come back inside, but Serena and Gemma had been waiting for them when they did, faces flushed with alcohol and midnight kisses, and after that point the rest of the night had been a relatively drunken blur. Cards Against Humanity happened, he knew that, because Serena played the Pacman card and he had to read it out loud for her because she hated the C-Word, but honestly, not much of it mattered in comparison to Nova leaning against him for the rest of the night, till they both inevitably passed out.

Gemma had been in enough right mind to take Serena back to her house next door, thank goodness, so the most embarrassment Erik might have to deal with on this January 1st would be from Nova’s mother. But as the rest of his senses started to wake up he noticed the heavy blanket draped over him and Nova both on the sofa, and Nova curled contently against his chest, so maybe Amber was throwing him a bone.

Or maybe she just wanted her insomniac of a son to sleep long and deep for once, for his own sake. Erik wouldn’t argue that, if that were the case. And as he thought about it now, he couldn’t really think of a single time he’d ever seen Nova asleep.

So. He had to commit it to memory

Nova had very naturally strong brows, a natural, neutral expression, but in sleep all his features softened to an almost angelic degree. Erik didn’t think a person could look so relaxed and still be so effortlessly attractive--but then again, Nova did the latter every day when he was awake, so maybe that wasn’t so surprising after all. Even with the way his bangs fell across his eyes, he didn’t have a single hair out of place. One wouldn’t think this was a person with such a haphazard sleep disorder, and yet, here he was.

Their separate living arrangements were already long since set, but Erik didn’t think he’d mind waking up to this sight at all.

He brushed a wayward bang from Nova’s face, and it earned him a mild stir. Nova’s eyes fluttered underneath long lashes, and Erik caught a glimpse of steel blue before his eyes squinted shut with a soft groan. “Nnh...”

“Hey. Go back to sleep.” Ah. Nova sounded a little hungover. Figured, he did shotgun both his and Gemma’s double shots of whiskey, the mad lad. Erik pressed a kiss to the crown of his head to soothe him. “The new year can start when you get up.”

Blearly eyes looked back at him, slowly registering what Erik had said--but Nova’s breath caught a hitch, and he spoke, voice groggy, “You’re here?”

“Well, of course.” Erik nudged one leg against Nova’s, tangled. “You kinda got me trapped.”

“Oh--but I mean--” Nova coughed once, clearing his throat. “You’re here with me?”

There was an edge of disbelieving hopefulness to Nova’s voice that Erik recalled hearing last night in his workshop, the same tone of voice Nova had used as he handed Erik his Christmas present and fumbled out a confession, not knowing if he could ask for more but dreaming of the idea. It stunned Erik now as it stunned him then, that someone could hold him in so much regard--and also that someone could be that oblivious to flirting that he wouldn’t think a myriad of dates where dates. But Gemma had warned him about that, so Erik really only had himself to blame for that surprise.

But he was prepared now, and better composed to not laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, and Erik smiled.

“We talked about this, remember?” He ran a hand across Nova’s back, trying to coax him back to sleep. “I thought we were dating for a month already. Yeah, I’m here with you.”

Again, the grogginess made Nova slow to respond (was he still drunk? possibly), but he soon enough returned the smile in full, with his whole face, and he buried that smile back into Erik’s chest like he would a pillow. “Cool. ‘M glad.”

“Good,” Erik said, just a hairsbreadth away from breathless at how goddamn cute that was, “now go back to sleep.”

“M’kay.”

It took a few minutes of silence, but Nova’s breathing began to still, slowly but surely. His smile slowly faded away, back to a peaceful, slight parting of his lips as he fell back into sleep--no meds, no weighted blankets, no lo-fi hip-hop beats to study and relax to, nothing. Just him and Erik, laying on the couch while the sun quietly rose on the new year.

Erik wasn’t so lovestruck to say that he was the cure Nova needed all along--but he was definitely lovestuck enough to think it.

[squippd-blog]

let’s   talk   about   jeremy’s   room    !        jeremy’s   house   was   renovated   to   his   parent’s   liking    .        they   added   a   guest   bedroom   ,    an   office   area   for   both   his   parents   ,          & .          a   combined   living   room          & .          kitchen    .        it   was   made   when   jeremy   was   roughly   four   years   old          & .          he’s   been   living   in   the   same   house   ever   since    .        his   room   is   off   the   inside          & .          out   room   on   the   right   if   you’re   looking   at   it    .        it’s   a   pretty   spacious   room   with   being   12   feet   by   18.5   feet          & .          his   own   personal   bathroom    .        his   floors   are   a    light    ---    colored    wood   with   a   few   worn   spaces   here          & .          there    .        his   walls   are   an   off   white   ,    learning   more   towards   a   cream    .        over   the   years   ,    he’s   repainted   his   walls   with   the   most   recent   being   the   cream   color   to   bring   forth   a   minimalist   theme    .        his   ceiling   is  ��covered   with      glow   in   the   dark   stars      that   his   dad   painstakingly   put   up   for   half   a   day   when   he   was   5    .

his   bed   is   a   full          & .          pushed   up   close   to   the   farthest   wall   with   the   right   amount   of   space   to   have   a   small   bookshelf          & .          be   able   to   walk   in   between   the   shelf          & .          his   bed    .        his   bed   is   on   a   platform   ,    making   it   roughly   three   feet   off   of   the   floor   to   have   enough   room   for   a   couple   of   drawers          & .          a   mattress   under   it    .        the   mattress   is   for   michael   when   he   spends   the   night    .          *   [      jeremy   refused   to   have   his   friend   sleep   in   the   guest   bedroom    .      ]            it’s   a   made   to   order   trundle   bed   that   he   got   when   he   was   eleven   years   old    .        around   the   headboard   are   white   string   lights   tacked   up    .        his   bedspread   is   a      simple   white   one      with   a   few   plush   black          & .          blue   throw   blankets   at   the   end   ,    on   the   floor    .        he   has      pacman          & .          the   ghost   decorative   pillows      that   he   puts   on   the   floor   when   he   goes   to   bed   or   michael   will   use   them    .        the   drawers  under  his   bed   hold   mainly   the   clothes   he   uses   for   pajamas          & .          where   he   keeps   some   of   michael’s   clothes   just   in   case   there’s   an   impromptu   sleepover    .

on   the   wall   beside   his   bed   is   where   this   window   is   located    .        situated   right   underneath   it   is   his      bookshelf      that   it   laying   on   it’s   side    .        on   the   top   of   his   bookshelf   he   has   a   few   succulents          & .          a   couple   of   cacti   near   the   middle    .        along   with   those   he   also   has   his   nintendo   ds   with   a   couple   of   extra   games   ,    where   he   keeps   his   laptop   when   he   uses   it   in   bed   ,          & .          his   phone    .        he   also   has   a   few   gaming   magazines   he   bought   with   his   favorites   books    .        in   the   first   cubby   hole   ,    he   has   a   travel   carrier   for   his   guinea   pig    .        the   next   one   has   his   guinea    pig’s   popup   cage   for   when   he   wants   to   bring   bowser   outside   or   have   him   outside   of   his   cage    .        the   third          & .          fourth   one   has   more   books    .        the   last   one   has   his   extension   cord   with   his   string   lights   ,    phone   charger    ,    ds   charger   ,          & .          sometimes   his   computer   charger   plugged   into   it    .        on   the   other   side   of   his   bed   is   where   his   nightstand   is    .        on   it   is   his   alarm   clock   ,    some   cash   ,    his   wallet   ,          & .          in   the   small   drawer   holds   a   couple   of   religious   scripture          & .        prayers   ,    some   condoms          & .          lube   ,          & .          a   notebook   with   a   few   pens    .

in   the   middle   of   his   room   ,    he   has   a   huge   plush   rug   where   michael          & .          he   will   sit          & .          play   video   games   facing   the   left   wall    .          that’s   where   a      white   thin   ,    wide   dresser      is   placed   along   with   a   television   on   top    .          next   to   the   television   on   the   left   side   ,    he   has   framed   pictures   of   him   graduating   elementary   school   ,    middle   school   ,    him   at   his   bat   mitzvah   ,    of   michael          & .          him   on   their   first   day   of   high   school   ,          & .          on   his   sixteenth   birthday    .        on   the   right   side   he   has   his   gaming   consoles   ,    his   xbox          & .          wii    .        the   top   drawers   are   where   he   keeps   socks          & .          underwear    .        the   middle   drawers   are   where   he   keeps   his   games   ,    nintendo   ds   games   ,    extra   chargers   for   his   phone   ,    computer   ,          & .          nintendo   ds   ,          & .         batteries    .        the   bottom   drawers   are   his   junk   drawer   ,    this   is   mainly   used   for   things   he   doesn’t   like   to   look   at   ,    he   doesn’t   have   space   for   ,    or   any   childhood   memorabilia   he   doesn’t   want   to   put   in   storage    .        i.e.      :      his   pokemon   card   collection    .        on   the   wall   behind   his   television   is   blank   except   for   the   few      constellation   wall   stickers    .

on his right wall is where he keeps posters          & .          pictures    .        this wall is full of them   ,    covering from the floor all the way up to the ceiling    .        there are posters of certain movies   ,    comics   ,    video games   ,    bands   ,    broadway          & .          off    ---    broadway shows   ,          & .          very little tv shows    .        there are pictures of his guinea pigs   ,    birthdays   ,    vacations   ,    various places around the world   ,    a lot of michael          & .          him   ,    holidays   ,          & .          some baby photos    .        there are a select few things that he’s added over the years      :      a few drawing he got from michael when they were in elementary school    ,    movie tickets   ,    concert tickets   ,    playbills   ,          & .          the cover page of the few plays          & .          musicals he’s been in    .

pushed   up   against   his   right   all   is   his      desk    .        on   his   desk   ,    he   usually   has   his   laptop   along   with   his   textbooks   for   school   ,    his   planner   ,    a   few   school   issued   reading   books   ,    a   desk   lamp   ,    lotion   ,    a   box   of   kleenex   ,          & .          a   few    knick    ---    knacks    .        above   his   desk   ,    he   has   a   clock          & .          a   calendar   with   a   few    post    ---    it    notes   reminding   him   of   a   few   upcoming   important   days   or   things   he   needs   to   remember    .        in   the    left    ---    handed    drawers   ,    he   keeps   extra   school   supplies    .        pens   ,    pencils   ,    erasers   ,    highlighters          & .          calculator   in   the   top        ;        markers          & .          colored   pencils   in   the   second        ;        notebooks   in   the   third        ;        adult   coloring   books   in   the   fourth        ;        a    modge    ---    podge    of   everything   in   the   last   one    .        in   the    right    ---    handed    drawers   ,    he   keeps   personal   items    .        the   top   one   is   usually   empty   ,    he   may   put   his   planner   in   it   or   extra   things   laying   on   his   desk   if   he   feels   it’s   getting   cluttered        ;        flash   drives   in   the   second        ;        pc   games   in   the   third        ;        a   handful   of   comics   in   the   fourth        ;        a    modge    ----    podge    of   everything   in   the   last   one    .        under   his   desk   is   his   garbage   can   ,    where   he   keeps  his   backpack         & .          his   daily   converse   shoes    .

his   closet   is   on   the   closest   wall   ,    right   when   you   walk   in    .        he   has   a   small   dresser   to   keep   pants          & .          shorts   in    .        above   the   hung   clothes   there’s   a   shelf   where   he   keeps   boxes   of   pictures   ,    old   posters   he   took   down   ,          & .          some   decorations   when   certain   holidays   come   around    .

he   does   have   a   personal   bathroom   situated   in   the   far   left   corner    .        it’s   built   into   the   wall          & .          has   a   shower   ,    a   toilet   ,    a   counter   with   a   sink          & .          mirror   ,          & .          his   dirty   clothes   hamper    .        there’s   only   two   drawers   in   the   counter   with   a   trashbin   situated   underneath   it    .        the   left   drawer   holds   his   hairbrush          & .          toothpaste   while   the   right   one   holds   his   medicine    .        on   the   counter   there   is   a   small   toothbrush   holder   with   two   toothbrushes   ,    deodorant   ,    cologne   ,    face   wash   ,    a   small   box   of   kleenex   ,          & .          hand   soap    .        a   place   to   hang   towels   is   right   across   from   the   toilet   along   with   the   hamper   tucked   in   the   far   left    .        there’s   a   serene   forest   picture   hung   on   the   farthest   wall    .        on   the   wall   to   the   right   of   the   sliding   door   is   where   the   light   switch   is   along   with   a   small   hand          & .          face   towel   hanging    .

[sunartotmii-blog]

Chameleon care tips

For someone searching to help keep an axolotl in captivity like a pet it's suggested to utilize a lengthy aquarium having a minimum of 18 inches long. A typical 20 gallon aquarium is usually big enough for one adult axolotl. For more information on Chameleon care, visit our website today.

You won't want to fill the entire tank with water, you simply need enough to pay for the axolotl and permit some room for movement. Typically most enthusiasts fill the tank up about midway to the top in many tanks, this enables a great depth water for the axolotl, and enough space on top so water doesn't overflow from the movement of the axolotl.

Underneath the tank it's suggested you set black plastic of black paper, since the bottom of the aquarium, it can benefit the axolotl to possess a natural and more dark tank bottom. Enthusiasts frequently use polystyrene board covered with a black plastic bag to assist with the color and also to spread the weight more evenly.

Filtration

Filtration is not required for axolotls, so long as you are prepared to regularly change the water. If you opt to make use of a filter there are a variety of possibilities, for example under-gravel, exterior "hang on" filters, and canister filters, all works fine for axolotls but aren't needed if you decide to change the most of the water in the tank weekly.

Axolotls excrete lots of waste, mainly in the type of ammonia (NH3). Through the procedure for nitrification, ammonia is changed into the less dangerous substance nitrite (NO2). This method is among the most significant facets of filtration and it is known is biological filtration.

If you are planning on utilizing a mechanical filter, we advise "aging" your tank for a minimum of two days after filling up with water and installing the filter, before adding any axolotls. This will help with the growth and development of the bacteria on the filter media, as well as in preparation for the inclusion of your axolotl.

Substrates

Axolotls cannot "grip" the bottom of the glass tank, and may cause unneeded stress with time, therefore we recommend you utilize a substrate for example sand or rock.

Standard aquarium gravel isn't suggested for use within your axolotl tank because the small pieces may become lodged inside your axolotls gut and you may risk injuring or killing your axolotl.

Should you choose require to use gravel you have to use gravel reaches least pea sized, about 1/4? or bigger across. Alternatively you may also use mud since it doesn't cause any blockages in the axolotl.

A well known gravel utilized in most axolotl tanks is really a aggregate coated in polymer to avoid it from leeching any chemicals into the water and harming the axolotl. The gravel comes by doing this, already coated in polymer, and is available in many sizes and shapes.

Lighting

Axolotls don't require any special lighting, standard aquarium fluorescent lighting works all right for all axolotl tanks. Unless of course you're keeping live plants, a typical "hood" style aquarium light works perfect for your tank.

Axolotls don't need light to outlive, the light is solely for display purposes. The only requirement could be should you be keeping live plants inside your aquarium, which may require special lighting.

Temperature & Heating

The water inside your axolotl tank ought to be stored between 57-68 levels, which in many homes doesn't need any heating or cooling to remain in this particular temperature.

Temperatures below 57 levels results in slower metabolic process along with a sluggish axolotl. Temperatures above 68 levels raise the risk for disease, and fluctuations between warm and awesome temperatures between nigh and day may also be demanding for your axolotl.

Should you choose require heating for your aquarium, standard heaters utilized in fish aquariums, both under the tank as well as in tank, works fine for your axolotl tank. Want to know more about pacman frog care? Visit our website for more information.

Decoration

Adding decoration for example plastic plants, caves, and rocks gives the axolotl an additional feeling of security, and it is visually attractive to the eye.

[thewandrblog-blog]

My Top 10 Best Places to Drink in NYC

Last week, I wrote about my Top 10 Best Places to Eat in NYC, and so it's only fitting that I follow that up with something to wash it down... 

As I mentioned in the aforementioned post, there are just way too many establishments in New York City to ever really experience them all. Your journey through NYC Food & Drink discovery engenders itself entirely through recommendations or random trial and error.

The bars that made this list were based on my own experience, and I know there's a hundred other great ones! These were just the ones I'd recommend you if you asked me, based on the great memories I made there, or the experiences that left a lasting impression.

Enough already- you're thirsty!

 10. Angel's Share

Address: 8 Stuyvesant St, New York, NY 10003 (East Village)

The amazing thing about New York City is that there are all of these really cool, hidden bars that you would never find, and offer something truly unique inside. They literally don't advertise themselves, because word-of-mouth moves everyone in the city. This is how the locals get away from the tourists in an already over-crowded city. 

Angel's Share is one such bar, unsuspectingly located above an asian restaurant downtown. The cocktails are unique and excellent, and the angel-themed art on the walls are something to marvel at. It's a cool part of the city too, and a fun place to walk around before and after.

 9. The Three Diamond Door

Address: 211 Knickerbocker Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 (Bushwick)

I had to get at least one place in Brooklyn on the list, and I chose "Three Diamond." If you're a fan of hole-in-the-wall bars with good music and a grungier, darker atmosphere, this is your spot. There are three major sections that open up to you once you get inside, including an outdoor patio. They've usually got some great tequila-tecate combo deals (like the rest of Brooklyn), and they've got prosecco on top. I mean, come on. 

 8. The Tippler

Address: Chelsea Market, 425 W 15th St, New York, NY 10011 (Chelsea)

One of many underground old, rustically-themed speakeasies in NYC, The Tippler sits directly underneath Chelsea Market, one of the attractions you should definitely familiarize yourself if you visit the city, and where I used to work for Major League Baseball. The Tippler has excellent drinks, and some great live music every now and then, and is a hotspot for the locals. The cocktails are even pricier than many of its highly-priced peers, but you're paying mostly for the atmosphere here. It's definitely worth a visit.

 7. Yotel Terrace

Address: 570 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036 (Hell's Kitchen)

I can't find enough good things to say about Yotel. I stumbled upon this terrace with amazing city views when I randomly reserved a room here one night because of a great Cyber Monday deal I found a year and a half ago that gave me a sweet discounted rate on an awesome room. To learn more about how to find Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals (aka How to Ball Hard) click here.

Again, great drinks, a nice mediterranean menu to go with it, and an atmosphere that's hard to beat whether it's day or night. They also set up an outdoor movie theatre periodically that feels like a drive-in theatre with the city in the backdrop. How cool is that?!

 6. McSorely's Old Ale House

Address: 15 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003 (East Village)

This bar was established in 1854. Abraham Lincoln drank here.

*drops mic*

*picks up mic*

No, but seriously, this is one of the oldest relics New York City has to offer, and one of the first places I ever had a drink in NYC. You have two options: Light Ale or Dark Ale. And you'll get two mugs when you order. It's cash only, and when you see their register and how busy it gets, you'll understand why. It's awesome to watch. Take a look around when you go in to see some amazing history.

 5. Barcade

Address: 148 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011 (Chelsea)

If you were born in the 1960's or earlier, this is the closest thing you will ever get to experiencing the epic life that Jeff Bridges lived in the movie TRON. There are three (I think) in the NYC area, but the one in Chelsea seems to have the best selection of classic arcade games, including Mario Bros, NBA Jam, Crazy Taxi, and Pacman. It doesn't stop there though- their draft beer selection is on point, and it's worth going to even if you're not going there to play any games. But, who would do that? 

 4. Pod 39 Rooftop Lounge & Bar

Address: 145 E 39th St, New York, NY 10016

This is one of the best bars, visually, I've ever seen in my life. I can't get over architecture that surrounds the perimeter of this rooftop bar. It feels like you're in some ancient ruin that was remodeled for your lounging pleasure but the roof was purposely left off for your viewing pleasure. I've come up here several times, but was only able to get a drink once because this place gets slammed around dinner time. Check it out during the day if you can, or find a way to get in early at night. 

 3. SPiN

Address: 48 E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010 (Flatiron)

Best place to play Ping Pong in the entire world. SPiN plays host to all kinds of events; ping pong tournaments, corporate gatherings, and parties, as well as being an everyday spot for good drinks, good food, and great music. One of the coolest things about this bar is that you can see people swinging away from the subway. Since it's underground, those who are riding The 6 Train through 23rd Street Station will catch a glimpse of all the fun. I was almost a regular here. Just make sure to go during off-peak hours, or it can get pricey in a hurry!

 2. Baita by Birreria (aka Eataly Rooftop)

Address: 200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010 (Flatiron)

Can you tell I like rooftops? Let's be real- who doesn't? There are dozens of them in the city, though, and there are good reasons this one tops the list in my mind. The atmosphere is hard to beat- especially on a summer day, and some of the best food in the city (supplied by a giant Italian market a few floors below called Eataly) is at your disposal. They've got great wine and beer on tap (as expected), and for all those reasons it became one of my go-to spots when people came into town, as well as when those people left it.

 1. Library Bar at Hudson

Address: 358 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

I had a hard time choosing a #1 from all the great places listed above, but I settled on the Library Bar for a few reasons that are completely subjective. It was perhaps my favorite place to have a drink in the city because it felt so good to sit there and feel what it would be like to realize one of my biggest dreams. I genuinely wish to have a giant library in my future home someday, full of books I've read, with a giant ladder and catwalk leading to them all.

This is where I would relax, ingest knowledge, ponder, and sip on a cocktail. So, it was a miniature heaven for me, and an opportunity to work towards manifesting heaven on Earth. It would double as a lounge, with dark wood tones and dim lighting, yet welcoming with cozy fireplaces. 

The cocktails are pricey, but living the dream is priceless. 

I hope you enjoyed this list make some new discoveries because of it! I'd love to hear about your favorite places in the comments section below! Make sure to stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Instagram for more Travel Tips and Inspiration.