#sitting in class today i was like 'hehe what if i wrote the title on the board in calligraphy n then titledropped it as a visual aid'

[rubberbandballqueen]

for my comm class we're doing an informational speech abt a topic of our choice, n i Really Wanted to do the irc to mangadex pipeline (so that i could have an excuse to go fucking ham on that research shit again), but my prof was like, "ehhh i hear abt manga every semester; i've Never heard anyone do a speech about fountain pens [my other topic proposal] for this class" n like,,, idk i just kinda wish i hadn't been kinda pigeonholed into this bc i have Way Too Many Opinions(tm) abt fountain pens that it's hard to not make it into a persuasive speech at times,,

[michael-aftons-nonbinary-lover]

The Knack

-(Michael Afton x reader)-

-(Summary:

-(CW: mentions of child d3@th/bite of '83)-

-(The title is based off of one of my fave Mother Mother songs "The Knack", it makes me think of Michael everytime I hear it so yeah, I wrote this)-

-(Also, Mike and the reader are 17 in this, hehe)-

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Michael had always thought of you as an anamoly. You had a knack for so many things. You were so outspoken about what you believed in. About who you were. About who you loved. About what you wanted.

He wanted to be like you. He wanted you to be his. He wanted to be yours. All of this, fully and completely.

You had somehow blown your way into his heart, into his head, into multiple little doodle into his sketchbook. His sketchbook that you asked to look at nearly daily.

Michael had no idea why you talked to him. He was just some teenage punk with daddy issues and highschool angst. You were so cool to him. Bright smile, twinkling eyes that somehow always got you into and out of trouble.

You were the essence of a all things ethereal to Michael. Why you chose to associate with him confused him thoroughly, but he would never complain about it.

You had crowned yourself 'Michael Afton's Best Friend Ever' shortly after his brother's untimely death. The two of you had spoken to each other before, sure, but once you saw that his other friends had left him and he had almost no one, you had decided not to stand for it. You forced hang outs and sleepovers, and dragged him places that you thought would boost his serotonin. And you were right, but not for the reason you had originally thought.

Mike dropped his things onto the ground near the base of the tree where you met him after school every day. He pulled out his walkman and his sketchbook, waiting patiently for you to get out of your last class.

He started up a sketch based off of a picture he had taken of you. He remembered the scene so vividly. You both had been dancing around in his room when you were supposed to be studying, blasting ABBA's "Waterloo" and screaming along to the lyrics. He collapsed onto his bed in a fit of middle school girl-like giggles, grasping his camera and aiming it at you teasingly. You hadn't even noticed. You just kept twirling along to the beat, yelling your heart out and messing up your science homework. He sat up slowly, allowing himself to see you properly and to catch his breath in the same moment. You looked divine, the setting sun dancing on your skin in a playful way that exerted youth and joy as the song ended, your smile high and your arms higher. He snapped the polaroid quickly, setting it aside face down to let it develope.

He had brought the polaroid with him today, wanting to sketch it into his sketchbook before hanging it up on his corkboard filled with polaroids full of his old friends, his passed siblings, his mother, his father, his uncle Henry, anything and everything he held dear and cherished.

He began sketching and kept sketching for gods know how long, until the last bell of the day had rung. Knowing that you would find him quickly, he shoved his things into his backpack and waited your you by the bike racks. He had a plan for today. He was gonna tell you how he felt. Did it risk losing his one and only best friend? Possibly. Would it make it better than keeping secrets from you forever and continuously feeling guilty for it? Yes, absolutely.

"Hey, Mike!" You bounded up to him, your running looking more like jumping as you did your best to get to your best friend as fast as possible.

"It looks like it's gonna rain, we should probably head home like, now."

He nodded.

"Your house or mine?"

You contemplated it for a moment.

"Depends, do you know if and when your dad will be home?"

Mike shrugged.

"Yours."

And off you were, racing each other on your bikes, trying to outrun one another and the rain.

You made it to Mike's house first, setting your bike down on his porch and sitting down to wait for him. He arrived half an hour after you with a plastic bag full of something, hurriedly pulling out his house key and trudging inside.

"Mike, dude, what the hell took you so long, I waited for you for a long ass time? And where'd you get the bag? Is there a project that I forgot about?"

"Hm? Oh! Uh, no, it's a surprise! For a friend!"

"So it's for me?"

"I never said that!"

You deadpanned, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"Mike I'm like, your only friend."

He sputtered.

"Ugh, fine, yes the surprise us for you, but you can't have it yet, it's for later."

You sighed dramatically, flinging yourself down onto his couch. Mike winced. If his father ever found out about how recklessly the furniture in the Afton house was treated, there would be hell to pay.

"You know I hate waiting for surprises! Come on, Mike, at least give me a clue!"

He thought about it for a second.

"It has to do with a book. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get it ready. Watch some TV and make yourself comfortable, I'll be back down in a bit."

Michael returned about two hours later, his sketchbook in his hands. Seeing you fast asleep on the couch, he contemplated this entire idea. Maybe he could just ignore it and pretend that he never even had a surprise for you in the first place. But he couldn't. He had already told you, you were already expecting the surprise at any moment.

He sighed. This was it. He shuffled onto the couch and gently shook you awake.

You groggily rubbed your eyes and smiled, sitting up when you saw his sketchbook.

"Is that the surprise?"

"Uh, yeah. Go ahead and look through it, if you want."

You quickly, but gently, yanked it out of his hands, opening it up to the first page, looking through doodles that you had seen before.

About halfway through, you finally found new ones. They were all of you. Some of you and Michael. Some you remembered as things that had already happened, some were of things that had never happened in your life.

One of you singing in Mike's beat up truck, something you remember from a couple weeks back. One of you and Mike dancing at a prom that was 4 months away. But one in particular stood out.

The reference for the sketch was taped onto the inside corner. It was a sketch of you in Michael's bedroom, arms in the air, smile wide, face flushed and sun dancing on your skin in a warm glow.

Michael had written a note on the polaroid that he had used as a reference.

'The moment I knew for sure I was in love-1985'

"Mike, is this, are you-?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm really serious about it. If you don't wanna be friends anymore, I totally get it-"

You shut him up by grabbing his face, smashing his lips onto yours.

"Mike, if we ever get married, this is being shown to everyone there."

He laughed breathlessly, pulling you in for another kiss.

"So, does that mean we're like, a thing now?"

"Yeah Mike, definitely."

(HEYA! Once again, sorry that the asks are taking so fucking long, I am getting to them I stg. Anyways, remember to hydrate and have a wonderful rest of your day, bye!!!!)

[extra-salt]

The Growing Height, Feelings, and Distance (Tsukishima Kei x Reader)

Title: The Growing Height, Feelings, and Distance Pairing: Tsukishima Kei x Reader Genre: Fluff, very light angst?  A/N: Hi there! I've been listening to several songs on my playlist in hopes of getting some inspiration for a story and I did, BUT, I don't know how to put them into plots and words. I only managed to write this one out and this has been sitting in my drafts for a week or so. I wanted to finish writing it but work keeps eating my time sad noise .

This story is loosely based on a song called 20cm by Tomorrow x Together (lyrics here). When I started getting inspirations from the song, I immediately tried to find a character that will go with it and I chose Kei (one of the things that this song explicitly talks about is the height, so yea, that's how I really decided for it, there ya go). I love Kei, but I'm not entirely confident of how I wrote him in this one :(

(Also posted this on AO3.)

Let me know what you think~

Masterlist

—

“Am I missing something?” Kei questioned as he went downstairs to the dining table only to see a lot of dishes being served.

“I’m home!” Kei heard from the entrance.

“Kei, can you put this inside the fridge please?” His brother handed him a box containing a cake. A strawberry shortcake.

“Are we celebrating something I’m not aware of?” he asked.

“The L/Ns are coming over for dinner. They just moved back from Tokyo and they’re staying for good this time.”

That means…

Akiteru gave his little brother a teasing grin. “That means Y/N is back and that cake is not all yours. I got that flavour because you two liked it so much.”

—

It’s been 4 years since you and your family moved to Tokyo to look after your grandparents and also for your father to take over the family’s business as your grandpa decided to retire. Your families lived next to each other, and as your parents put it “you and Kei have known each other since you were in diapers”. When you left for Tokyo, you shed some tears while bidding goodbye to Kei who only teased you for being a crybaby.

You would come back to Miyagi during your summer breaks. The first time you went back for a vacation, to say that you were surprised is an understatement. It had only been a few months but it was very much visible how he grew taller and his voice was a bit deeper than what you were used to. Let’s say you didn’t let him live a day without teasing him about it.

Even if you would often annoy the hell out of each other, it was needless to say that you got each other’s backs, even in as kids. You were there for him when he discovered his brother’s secret and he got you when your parents were going through a rough patch.

Things got busy for you when you entered middle school. Your family got busier in handling the business as well so there wasn’t really a chance for you to go back to Miyagi even for a short vacation. You and Kei remained connected through emails and occasional phone calls for a few months until you’ve never heard from each other again.

—

The family dinner started and you two were sitting across each other while the older ones are talking and with Akiteru chiming in from time to time. You and Kei were quietly eating your dinner, not finding the right time to strike up a conversation any time soon. Kei excused himself first from the table after finishing his meal. After a while, you stood up to excuse yourself as well, but Akiteru called for you from the kitchen counter. You can see him getting a cake from the fridge and settling it down on the counter and then goes to get small plates and utensils. He proceeded to slicing the cake and placing them on the small plates and pushing two to your direction. “One for you, and the other one is for Kei. He's at the backyard, will you please bring it to him?"

"Sure," you replied. "Thank you, Akiteru-nii."

"Be sure to catch up with each other. As much as I hate how rowdy you two were back then, I kinda miss it."

"Just say you miss me and go," you replied with some sass and earning a laugh from Akiteru.

"I was so sure you lost your words and sass somewhere in Tokyo when I didn't hear anything from you back at the table."

"I think it only comes out when I talk to an annoying Tsukishima sibling?"

"That ain't me."

—

You went to the backyard and as what Akiteru said, Kei was there with his headphones and sitting on the porch.

You put the other small plate down beside Kei and quietly took a seat in the opposite direction with your own slice of cake. He must have felt your presence as he removed his headphones and noticed the slice of cake beside him. He muttered a thank you and started digging in. You rack your brain for whatever topic or question that you could use to strike up a conversation. All the questions that you wanted to ask seemed to have evaporated. Think! Think! Come on…

"Kei, how much have you grown since we last saw each other?” you asked awkwardly, mentally slapped yourself for it. You were not expecting an answer for it really, but Kei did anyway.

"Last time I checked it was around 188cm."

“That’s around 20cm! You’ve grown so much!”

"Duh, of course. It was several years ago. Do you really expect me to remain a shorty just like you?"

His last statement ticked you off, but you can't help but smile as you slowly felt the atmosphere between the two of you go back to how it was. Seeing that faint shit-eating grin on his face is enough proof.

"I'm not a shorty! I grew up too!"

"Really? Let's see then," he challenged. He stood up from his spot, you followed him, and stood right in front of him to compare. "Alright, stand still--" you said, holding on both of his arms to make him stay still and when you looked up, blush crept up on your faces at the close proximity. Before you completely drown yourself in his golden-brown eyes, you pushed him out of panic and lost your balance. Luckily, he managed to catch you before your clumsy ass hit the ground. He pulled you up and you steadied yourself. “Sorry about that.”

While you were trying to collect yourself, he flicked a finger on your forehead causing you to yelp in pain. “What the hell?! I said I’m sorry!”

“Ah, sorry. You’re so annoyingly clumsy, I can’t help it.”

“Damn you beanpole!” He then walked back to his previous spot and picked up the now empty plate. "Leaving already?"

“Yeah. I got things to do," he casually replied. You wanted more time to catch up with him but he already marched back inside. "I guess that's enough for today?" you thought.

The previous scene was still playing in his mind as he went back inside. You were standing too close to each other that he can smell your shampoo scent. He had the urge to pat your head, run his fingers through your hair and graze them lightly on your chin, but he managed to hold it back. Where did these urges even come from? He doesn’t understand. He never did, and it annoyed him.

—

Monday came and you were surprised to see Kei outside your house in his school uniform. Damn, he’s just wearing a gakuran but he sure makes it look like he’s gonna be on a runway. “Your mom asked me to accompany you to school, transfer student.”

“Sounds like a very troublesome task. I like that.”

“If you don’t hurry up, I’m gonna leave you behind.”

The walk to your new school was rather silent. You two bicker a lot but you also used to have moments where you enjoy the comfortable silence. But right now, there's nothing comfortable with the silence between the two of you. “We really drifted off, didn’t we?” Those thoughts were never meant to be spoken out loud. Kei saw your mouth moved as he was sneaking glances at you, but he was not able to catch what you said. “Sorry, what was that—?”

“Good morning, Tsukki!” From behind, you can see Yamaguchi Tadashi running to your direction. “Y/N is that you?!”

“Good morning to you too, Yamaguchi,” you greeted. “Yes, it’s me. The one and only.”

“When did you get back?! Oh, you’re wearing Karasuno’s uniform, does that mean—“

“Shut up, Yamaguchi. We’re gonna be late,” Kei interjected.

“Hehe. Sorry, Tsukki!”

When you arrived at school, you parted ways with the two guys and went to the teachers’ office to get your class schedule. You got introduced to your new classmates and immediately hit it off with your seatmate, Yachi Hitoka, who was willing to show you around and accompany you on your first day. During lunchtime, you two were on your way to the cafeteria and saw Yamaguchi and Kei who seemed to be headed to the same location.

“Yamaguchi—!”

“Kei—!”

You and Yachi called out at the same time, earning the two boys’ attention. “You know them, Yachi?”

“Yeah, they’re members of the school’s volleyball team. I assume you know them too?”

“Ah, I remember you mentioned that you were one of the managers.”

Yamaguchi and Kei made their way to the two of you. “I’m friends with them. Kei and I are childhood friends, and I met Yamaguchi through this blonde beanpole.”

Yamaguchi and Yachi can’t help but snicker at the way you talk about Kei. “You two must be very close if you’re on a first-name basis,” Yachi commented.

You suddenly felt Kei’s arm on your head and moving it to mess up your hair. “Yeah, we’re very close,” Kei replied in a mocking voice. Once you were able to get his arm off of your head, you held onto it as he was still attempting to bring it back on your head. “You never told me you were in the volleyball club.”

“You never asked," he replied nonchalantly. It kinda stung, but you buried it at the back of your mind. You used to tell each other everything even if you didn't ask.

“Well I wanted to catch up with you during the weekends but you declined. So much for being friends.” You felt him trying to lift his arms up again in an attempt to further mess your hair but you somehow managed to get away from him and run behind Yachi and Yamaguchi.

“Anyways! Can I come to your volleyball practice later, Yachi?”

“I think you can. I’ll go and ask permission from Takeda-sensei and I’ll let you know.”

“Nope.” Kei objected. “There are already enough bothersome people in practice. Don’t try to add more by coming over.”

Do you ever listen to him? Nope, so after class, you went with Yachi to the gym. "Keeeiiiiiiii!!!" you called the moment you saw him enter the gym. He was visibly annoyed by your antics but you're pretty much used to it.

You also got to meet the rest of the Karasuno team that afternoon. They found it amusing that there’s a girl who can actually talk back to Kei and get away with it unscathed. For the rest of the practice, however, Kei did not pay you any attention at all. During their breaks, he would rest somewhere away from where you’re sitting, making it clear that he doesn’t like having you here in their practice. It didn’t faze you though. When they were done with practice, you went up to him to say that you’re gonna wait for him to clean up and you can go home together.

“You looked really cool today, not gonna lie.” You kept your eyes on him as he wiped away his sweat and removed his training bib. No response. “Let’s go home together! It’s a bit late already.”

“I told you not to come here.” He places the towel on his shoulder and turned to your direction, displaying his annoyed face. “You could’ve gone home earlier and it would save me the energy to walk you to your house.”

“Did you really expect me to listen? Duh. And you said I never asked about you playing volleyball so I went to see you play,” you retaliated. “And our houses are literally next to each other, stop overreacting.”

“Don’t come again.”

“Not gonna happen.” And it never really happened. You’d always go to their practice after class hour like it’s your normal routine that Shimizu even considered getting you as a manager, an idea that Yachi rooted for. You declined, saying that Kei might disown you for good, which is half true.

Kei still doesn’t talk to you whenever you’re there, but you still go home together. You can already feel yourself running out of patience. The unanswered questions have been plaguing your mind ever since you went back to Miyagi but you never even got a chance to bring up one of it.

“Tsukishima Kei!” you yelled from behind as you two near your houses.

He was clearly taken aback with your use of his full name that he immediately looked back. “Why the hell did you stop talking to me back then? Did I do or say something wrong?” You asked with a pained expression. “Did you get tired of me?”

Kei remained unmoved. The distance that you felt between the two of you seems to grow further as he remained silent. He has been trying to avoid this moment ever since you came back because he doesn’t really know how to answer that question. But the look on your face when you asked if he got tired of you seemed to tug some strings on his heart.

“I’m sorry. What was I thinking?” You continued. “You did get tired of me. I’m sorry, Kei. I won’t bother you anymore.”

You walked past him, but he was able to grab ahold of your arm and pulled you to his chest. “I would never,” he whispered. “I would never get tired of you.”

“I’m not good with words when it comes to expressing my feelings. Heck, I didn’t even understand them.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and you snuggled closer to his chest. You felt him lean his chin on the top of your head and heaved a sigh. “My brother used to tease me a lot because we kept in contact to the point that he got so annoying. So to spite him, I stopped contacting you.”

“What a lame-ass reason! You got me overthinking and feeling sad for years just for that LAME. ASS. REASON!”

“I know! Stop rubbing it on my face! I wanted to reconnect but I was thinking that you already either hate me or have forgotten about me. I never had the courage to speak to you again but I cannot find it in me to let the thought of you go. When you came back, you asked me how much I’ve grown. I don’t think it’s just my height. My feelings may have caught up with it as well.”

You pulled away from his hold for a bit and looked up at him. “Then why did you ran away from me that night?”

For the first time since you came back, you saw him looking at you fondly. The same look he’d use to give whenever you render him speechless when you’d never back down when bickering with each other or whenever you manage to throw a good comeback to his snarky comments. “I was unsure..of what I exactly feel, of what you feel towards me.”

“I forgot how dense you could be.”

“Now you’re just being annoying.”

[droogiesanddiscourse]

9 People Tag Game

I was tagged by @poruchik-logy  !!! Ahh I’ve been asked to do some tag games before but I am so so so bad at keeping track so LETS DO THIS! Thank you so much sweetie!

Last song: “It’s All So Incredibly Loud” by Glass Animals. I have certain playlists for characters I write for, and the entirety of Dreamland has been a big inspiration in my current Sonny x Reader series. So a lot of the titles for my writings come from songs.

Currently reading: My textbooks LOL HELP!! This is my last semester of university and it’s kicking my butt, I don’t have a whole lot of time to read for pleasure. But the last book I read was Stephen King’s “It” which was such a fascinating dive, and was one of my bucket list books - it was over 1200+ pages! Literal insanity, but I really liked it. I enjoy Stephen King books / horror novels immensely.

Currently watching: Columbo

GIRL HELP! IM OBSESSED WITH THIS show I just reached season 2 and I cannot even begin to explain how fascinated I am by the episodes. I'm a huge true crime fan, and hope to expand my education one day to get my master’s in criminology. So it kinda combines all my interests into one: film, true crime, attractive men with fluffy hair HEHE I love it. It’s my current hyper fixation, I literally wrote about it in a class report this week because I can’t control myself.

Last movie: Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

My friends never saw it, so I was like okay drop everything you’re doing right now and sit with me and watch this. And we did! And they loved it as much as I did, which is really special. I love when you’re vulnerable and show a piece of media that means a lot to you, to your friends group and they also enjoy it. It’s a special moment! I could probably recite that movie front to back with the amount of times I’ve seen it at this point. What can I say, it’s a perfect film.

Currently Craving: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, might walk to the local ice cream parlor to get some today since it’s so nice out :) and iced coffee, of course because I live off of that stuff. 

Tags!!!: @robert-de-niro-only-fans  @goodfellaz @woman-with-no-name @mitsukatsu @robert-deniro-love @mysticfrullato​ @discodeniro ​ @mpmarypoppins @puddingofficionado-johncassavates @scarecrow1973

And even if I didn’t tag you, feel free to respond :) I love to get to know you guys a little bit more, and I hope you get to learn a bit more about me so I’m not just a random enigma writer heheh

[teamfortress2yaoi]

From Pet Sounds to SMiLE: The American 60s defined

Helloooooooo friends! Here’s the essay I wrote for one of my college classes this past semester that I’ve neglected to post on here. Our prompt was to analyze the 60s through looking at the work of some prominent artists, musicians, architects, writers, etc.,. of the time. We also had to examine a film from that era or about that era. I obviously chose The Beach Boys hehe

Apart from examining Pet Sounds and SMiLE (whose analyses in this essay are not as in-depth as I’d like, but I’d like to keep this unaltered version for my future reference), I also look at some of their earlier discography and provide a brief blurb about Bill Pohlad’s 2014 film, Love and Mercy. Amongst all of this Beach Boys nonsense, I insert some quips about historical events that occur within the 60s, however, it’s still not to the lengths I’d like to write about :(

Anyway, please enjoy and let me know your thoughts! The essay is under the read more :)

Highs and lows marcate great, enthralling dramas. Surrounding every great drama is reverence, nostalgia, and critical analysis. The 60s, in this regard, is a great drama, forever cemented in the American psyche as a dreamland of innovative music, free love, drugs and expansions; yet also a hellish landscape of violence, strife, and trepidation. Amongst this music sits The Beach Boys: the pioneers of popular surf rock, the American competition to The Beatles, the creators of the first concept album, and the chaotic family. The Beach Boys as “America’s band” is a title they fought for through Pet Sounds (1966) and SMiLE (unreleased, 1967), encapsulating what made the 60s into the beautifully volatile era that still reverberates within the America of today.

In the early 60s, The Beach Boys revered the sun and an almost utopian California in their music, reflecting the era’s need to escape from the uncertainty that sprawled before itself. Leisure culture was rapidly expanding-- cars were becoming more accessible, the West Coast found itself fiercely gripped by surf, the beach became a safe haven, and rock ‘n roll found a place in the hearts of many. It is here where The Beach Boys found their most commercial voice. In songs like “Fun, Fun, Fun,” The Beach Boys sing about a girl taking her car out to have some of that aforementioned fun, fun, fun. In “Little Deuce Coupe,” it’s all about talking about how cool cars are. And, in one of their most well-known songs (which is just Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”), “Surfin’ USA,” they sing about the magical sport of surf and how it will bring together the entire United States, despite most of it having no access to a beach. These songs all reflect that same leisure culture and its greatness, yet, not all of their songs from that time just stagnate in some sort of happy, fun, and oblivious dream.

Brian Wilson, the founder, songwriter, and producer of The Beach Boys, had another message to put out into the world that echoed what he felt, and what the rest of America felt but wasn’t able to express entirely with words. Songs like “The Lonely Sea,” “In My Room,” and most remarkably, “The Warmth of the Sun,” echo a terrible loneliness and introversion that America found itself embroiled in. “The Lonely Sea” describes the sea as it constantly changes, never permanent or staying-- although it primarily focuses itself on the topic of an uncertain romance, it is the romantic narrative of America from the 50s that is changing. It reflects the rapidly changing landscape of civil rights, politics, and war that emerged in the early 60s. With “In My Room,” Brian retreats into his room, a place where he feels safe, secure, and set away from the world around him-- a topic previously unexplored in music of that time, accompanied with the lush harmonies that The Beach Boys are so fondly known by. He, and the rest of America’s teenagers retreat from the changing world around them, and in “The Warmth of the Sun,” these sentiments are turned into intense clinging to what good is left in the world-- most plainly, the warmth of the sun. The song was written in response to JFK’s assassination, and reflects the sheer panic that America was faced with-- only in clinging to the good could they prevail as conflict in Vietnam escalated into war. The Beach Boys, and the rest of America, continued to retreat further into themselves and sought respite through whatever means necessary.

As the Gulf of Tonkin resolution is passed, the 60s takes a sharp turn into the psychedelic as anxiety and fear wildly scatters itself about, reflected in The Beach Boys’s magnum opus, Pet Sounds (1966). Apart from the American invasion into Vietnam, The British Invasion has begun with the Beatles playing on the Ed Sullivan show and garnering a massive swarm of crazed fans. In 1965, they release Rubber Soul, pushing what pop music was, which Brian Wilson found himself challenged by. Following a panic attack on a plane from a live show, Brian promises to retire from touring entirely, and focuses his efforts on creating the best pop and rock album of all time.

Brian looks deeply into himself to find what he, and the rest of America yearns for-- good times in the face of the violently bad; a return to romance. Yet, he could not ignore what else was brewing within him and America as well-- turmoil, fear, terror, and resignment. He did not achieve this through introspection alone-- with the help of psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs that took the youth of America by storm, he was able to expand his mind and the scope of what music was. He turned his feelings into grandiose instrumentation, and took those instruments into a studio, and in turn, made the studio into an instrument as he produced and wrote the entirety of Pet Sounds by himself. Brian Wilson, at 23 years old, created the first ever concept album-- an album for only listening. A narrative of a love that falls apart that is littered with self-doubt, worry, desperation, and a keen sense of pure innocence. A work of art.

The album’s opener is The Beach Boys’s most popular song, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” a relatively cheerful song about running away with your love from a society that refuses to accept that same love-- a feeling that hit home for the slowly growing LGBT community in the 60s, but also for the America that wants to escape. In “I Know There’s An Answer,” Brian (following an acid trip) sings about people who are close-minded and yearns to know exactly why they’re the way that they are-- echoing the counterculture’s questioning of the status quo through its exploration of sexuality, spirituality, and mainly drugs. Through “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” he speaks of how he doesn’t feel like he has a place in the world, isolated, confused, and almost defeated-- again, previously unexplored topics in music before its release. In the album’s closing track, “Caroline, No,” the unnamed, hypothetical girl that Brian Wilson sings about (and to) through the album’s run is described to have changed so much that he cannot even recognize her, and he questions whether or not things may ever return to normal-- these sentiments are sent off with a train whirring past as dogs bark amongst the cacophony. 

These ideas bleed throughout the 60s and its constant evolution back then and today-- will things ever return back to normal? Although the counterculture that The Beach Boys are attempting to embrace is pushing what that normal is-- will that constant change ever cease? Will there ever be a time where The Beach Boys, and effectively, America, feel safe?

In the creation of the unreleased 1967 album SMiLE, The Beach Boys attempted to define what America is in order to preserve whatever of it they could save, and its collapse echoed the collapse of the 60s’ beloved fervor and wild personality. The 60s’ ideals of peace, love, and connection are kicking into high gear in the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam. 

These great ambitions are shared by Brian Wilson, who aspires to meet the outrageous expectations that came with the release of Pet Sounds, and he clamors to put together material for the album-- his “teenage symphony to God.” He smokes weed and drops acid time and time again. He competes with himself and his band. He comes to the realization that he can tell the story of America with music.

Emboldened, Brian heads to the recording studio and records, records, records. He creates bits and fragments of instrumentation that, when eventually combined, are to create “mini-symphonies” that each carry their own distinctly American narratives-- like reaching Plymouth Rock (“Do You Like Worms?”), the genocide of the Native Americans at the hands of colonists (“Heroes and Villains”), the building of the transcontinental railroad (“Cabinessence”), and the Chicago fire’s blazen destruction (“Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”). Amongst those narratives lies themes of innocence, wellness, and unfettered energy.

The aforementioned themes come together in pop music’s greatest and most expensive song ever created: “Good Vibrations,” the last No.1 hit from The Beach Boys that was supposed to be SMiLE’s greatest hit. It’s an electrifying single that features the innovative use of a theremin, wildly piercing triplets on the cello, genuine musical movements, the voices of The Boys in sheer celebration, and one of two songs that shows Brian’s fully realized talent.

“Surf’s Up,” in that regard, is the other display of Brian’s fully realized talent. It is a dramatic and evocative symphony that recounts a spiritual awakening, resignment, and an unanswered hope for innocence’s return.

If “Good Vibrations” is the 60s the America remembers through rose-tinted glasses-- an era of love, passion, peace, celebration, and innovation-- then “Surf’s Up,” the soul of SMiLE, is the 60s America sees without those glasses-- an era where a collective aspiration was to cling onto a form that was rapidly deteriorating before the eyes of the public. 

SMiLE’s collapse, following tensions regarding management, excessive drug consumption, Carl Wilson’s (the youngest Wilson brother) draft evasion, and heavy expectations, is a representation of that 60s aspiration’s collapse. It is from Pet Sounds where the 60s expresses its uncertainty and fear, and it is through the absence of SMiLE where the 60s falls apart and leaves America wondering if it will ever return.

In the 2014 biopic Love and Mercy (dir. Bill Pohlad), this saga is explored through a younger Brian Wilson (played by Paul Dano) who represents The Beach Boys in the 60s, and an older Brian Wilson (played by John Cusack) who represents The Beach Boys beyond the 60s. Dano is energetic, troubled, creative, and impulsive. Cusack, on the other hand, is a shell, weathered, depressed, and traumatized-- it is a drama of Brian’s psyche that echoes the drama of two differing accounts of the 60s that makes The Beach Boys’s story, and in turn, the 60s so palatable, compelling, and relevant to this day.

Brian Wilson, with SMiLE, you aspired to define America. Yet, it is with your Pet Sounds and SMiLE that The Beach Boys became “America’s band”, and that 60s America is defined as a dreamland and hellscape; a drama. A drama that lingers, ghosting about, crafting America into a world forever changed by the 60s that dared to see the country’s innocence protected and preserved.

[yutamint]

pink ears + peanut butter (college!au I.M)

hello i am back w/ college!au changkyun bc i was just thinking bout it ok

pairing: im changkyun x reader (f)

genre: fluff pretty much

notes: there’s some swearing so sorry bout that also this is pretty long sorry also i didn’t proofread i’m just here posting it thank u

word count: 1.8k

so listen you aren’t a straight A student ok you’re like maybe a B average student bc math is hard and chemistry is the devil’s asshole

but one thing you’re good at?? world history

all those crash course videos you watched in your spare time came in clutch when it came to this class bc wow you shine like a star in hist25

and plot twist?? you actually enjoy it

the crusades?? FUCK YEAH gimme more on eleanor of aquitaine

anyways, long story short you’re pretty good at world history and your professor KNOWS you’re good bc you’re literally... the only one who answers questions in lecture.... about literally anything

“how are we all doing?” “i’m good how are you professor” “thank you Y/N”

so yea you’re a big nerd for this ok cool let’s move on

im changkyun is doing well in all of his classes except for... you guessed it: hist25!! with you!!

he just doesn’t show any interest in it honestly? it was one of those filler classes he has to take in order to graduate and tbh..... it’s like he never enrolled

he never shows up to lecture bc “he has better things to do with his time”

but your professor knows that he’s capable of so much more than a damn 59%

so you’re casually discussing the cold war at office hours when knock knock changkyun shows up

“ah mr. im, glad you could join us” and you’re over here like ‘he’s joining us?? who is this dude?? he’s in my class??’ “glad i could make it professor”

anyways this fucker pulls up a seat next to you and you ... just... look at him like ‘why are you here but also why have i never seen you before you are so cute??’

“so changkyun, i understand you’ve been doing relatively well in all your other classes but not mine.... is there any particular reason??” “i’m not very good at history professor” “i’d like to introduce you to Y/N. they’re one of the top students in the class and willing to help you in the course, right Y/N??” and you actually cHOKE ON YOUR OWN SPIT because when did YOu say you were willing to help

“ahem.. right Y/N? your notes are far more helpful than the textbook and i’m sure changkyun would learn a lot from you” “y-y-yes a-a-absolutely professor! i’d love to help changin” “it’s changkyun” “right, sorry” at this point your ears are literally flaming red and you can feel your fingers start to clam up

and changkyun notices all of this bc as soon as he walked into the room, he couldn’t take his eyes off you!! bc wow you were gorgeous!! even in your school sweatshirt and messy hair hehe

he can’t stop looking over at you bc 1. you were cute and 2. you were fidgeting like no end smh changkyun noticed how you shake your leg when you get nervous, how your eyebrows raised when your professor mentioned your name, and the various shades of pink and red your ears turned as soon as you realized what was going on

“wait so am i tutoring him or something” “you could say that! of course you don’t have to work with Y/N, changkyun, but i really would like to see you pass the course” “i’d be happy to work with them, sir” and he gave u a small grin and you actually felt your heart stop

anyways you have a class starts in like 20 min so you start to get up to say goodbye to your prof and changkyun but you feel a hand on your shoulder

“wait where’s your class?” “oh uh it’s in the engineering building” “i can walk you there?” and you look at the professor like he was supposed to tell you what to do like what the actual fUCK DO I DO but you look back at changkyun and you just nod

why is the air so thick between you two?? you can feel his eyes on you and you’re just like.... pls

“c-changkyun you didn’t have to w-walk me to class... thank you though” you literally avoid eye contact with him in order to not embarrass yourself further “don’t worry about it Y/N, my next class is in that direction as well” “when’s your class?” “oh in about 2 hours” “what the hell dude”

you walk faster bc class is in 5 min and you aren’t even halfway across campus ok cool speed lightning

so ye you guys finally get to the lecture hall and changkyun looks so surprised?? like “wait is this chem” “yeah kill me right” “wait no i love chem” “are you serious” “yeah i’m really good at it.... can i sit next to you?” and you look at him like are you insane.... who would sit in a chemistry lecture for 50 min for fun?? answer: im changkyun

so you two are in the back of the lecture hall and he’s literally just sitting there watching you take notes and scratch your head in confusion... “hey you wrote down that entropy is change in heat but that’s enthalpy” “oh... thanks changkyun” “your handwriting is cute” and honestly he finds so much amusement in seeing your ears go from pink to red in 5 seconds

chem is already hard as it is but having hIM sit next to you watching your every move made you want to get up and leave... but if you left then you wouldn’t be able to see changkyun so you just suffered quietly like usual

after lecture, you were off to your dorm to take a nap after everything that happened and changkyun was off to meet his friends, but before you two parted ways, he mentioned to go through your notes from today when you had a spare chance

you flip through your notebook and surprise he scribbled down his number on your chem notes w/ a lil note ‘let’s study for world history tonight!! text me’ and you actually thank your professor for letting this happen

so pull your blankets over your head and shoot him a lil text

‘changkyun?? it’s Y/N’ ‘you checked your notes huh? ;)’ ‘yeah ngl that was pretty smooth of you’ ‘i try my best :~) do you wanna meet @ the lib to study?’ ‘sure!! is 7 on the 3rd floor okay?’ ‘perfect i’ll see u then’ ‘ok goodnight’ ‘goodnight??’

you woke up from your nap literally 10 min before you had to meet changkyun and honestly it was terrible bc your hair was a mess and you had drool on your chin but anyways you rushed to get yourself together bc you didn’t want to leave him waiting 

you didn’t realize that he texted you like 5 diff times asking you if you wanted to eat dinner before studying until you got to the library

‘changkyun.......... i’m so sorry omg’ ‘are u alive now’ ‘yes omg i fell asleep are u here yet’ ‘ya i’m on the third floor by the window’ ‘wait... there are windows everywhere’ ‘ok i’ll come get u’

so you stood by the elevator trying to fix your hair to look presentable when you hear “Y/N!” to your right and you look over to see changkyun and his lil smiley face waving over to you

“have you eaten yet?” “no i came straight here after my nap” “i got you something in case you get hungry” and you stopped dead in your tracks bc... you barely know him yet he was kind enough to get you food wtf

so anyways you both got settled and changkyun handed you a juice pouch and a messily wrapped sandwich in a ziploc bag

“are you allergic to peanut butter” “no i don’t think so” “ok good bc i only know how to make pb and jelly sandwiches”

and your heart fluttered a lil bit bc..... he made u a sandwich wtf changkyun

“so where do we start” “where’s your textbook??” “i never bought one” and you look at this boy like ..... why.... did you not buy one and he just shrugs and says “it’s not like i was gonna need it and it was $300″

so you pull out your notebook and you guys start to go over everything that would be on the upcoming exam

and changkyun gets it!! maybe it’s bc he’s finally paid attention to material or maybe it’s bc you’re teaching him!! who knows

but seeing you nod enthusiastically and praise him when he got something right motivated him to keep going!! bc seeing your smile and your eyes light up was something that made HIS ears turn pink and his palms sweaty (but he wouldn’t ever tell you that)

and you were so excited bc changkyun was starting to show interest in something that you enjoyed and loved and that made you so happy!! plus you didn’t mind the attention that he was giving you who wouldn’t mind it’s changkyun wtf

so anyways you guys met up at the library practically every day up until the exam

he actually shows up to class now and always saves you a seat

and you always give him a pen bc he happens to “lose” his every single time

and by this point you’re like 900% sure changkyun knows more about the byzantine empire than you did

so it’s no surprise when you get your scores for the exam back and changkyun does better than you?? and you’re like ..... i taught you everything 

but he gives you this look like holy shit you actually taught me something and i thought i wasn’t gonna make it but it looks like i can pass with at least a solid C now and like.... that’s when the lightbulb flickers on for you??

like.... am i actually.... romantically....interested in im changkyun?? and ring ding dong you are

bc while you guys would be at the library, you’d always bring an extra carton of milk for him and he’d always split his sandwich with you.... and he would always doodle lil stars on the corners of your notebook.... and you’d always let him borrow your textbook and leave him lil post it notes saying stuff like “ur annoying” and “pls bring food to class on tuesday”... and you guys would literally stay until the librarian begged you to leave bc you two were the only people left... 

and when you’d show up to your guys’ study sessions frustrated bc your damn lab partner didn’t pull his weight on the assignment again and you were left to finish the entire lab report by yourself again, changkyun wouldn’t hesitate to help you finish everything

so when changkyun gave you the bIGGEST hug and pressed his lips to your forehead after class one day, you were like !!!!!!!

“you know Y/N we only see each other in class and when we have our study sessions, but i’d like to see you more than that...do you wanna get dinner w/ me sometime? like maybe tonight?”

“changkyun, is this like a d-date?” “yup it is, make sure you don’t wake up from your nap 10 min before”

thank u for reading this if u got all the way to the end i love changkyun

[ryqoshay]

How to Handle a Nico: Different

Primary Pairing: NicoMaki Hinted Pairing: NozoEli Words: ~2.1k Rating: K Time Frame: The week between Christmas and New Year, during Maki's 1st and Nico's 3rd year of high school. Story Arc: "First Christmas" First Christmas Different

List of all HtHaN scenes

“Maki-chan!” an energetic orange-haired girl called and waved. “Over here! Over here!”

“Yes, I see you, Rin.” The redhead stated flatly, walking over to join her fellow first years.

“Good morning, Maki-chan.” The brunette beside the orange-haired girl said with a smile.

“Good morning, Hanayo.” Maki replied, returning the smile, though nowhere near as wide.

“I see you’re wearing the scarf Kotori-chan and Nico-chan made for you, nya!” Rin pointed out.

“It’s cold today.” Maki replied with a shrug. “And like I said last night, this is warm.”

“Uh-huh…”

“What the heck do you mean by that?”

“Is that the only reason?”

“I don’t get it.” Maki said, honestly confused. “What other reason would there be?”

Rin just smiled back.

“Besides, you two are wearing yours as well.”

“We like ours, nya!” the cat-like girl pounced on her friend to nuzzle their cheeks together. “Right, Kayo-chin?”

“That’s right, Rin-chan.” The mild-mannered girl replied, leaning into the embrace a little.

“Don’t you like yours?” Rin turned her attention back to Maki.

“Of course, I-kyaaa!” the redhead cried out as something impacted her from behind. Arms encircled her waist and a chin plopped down on her shoulder.

“Someone’s wearing their new sca~rf.” A voice cooed near the redhead’s ear.

“N-Nico-chan?!” the first year squirmed against the surprisingly strong embrace of the smaller girl.

“It looks cute, Maki-chan.” The third year continued. “I knew red and pink would look good on you.”

“I-I’m j-just wearing it because it’s cold and…”

Wait.

Maki stopped struggling.

Something was wrong.

No. Wrong was the wrong word. Something was… different.

“Maki-chan?” Nico detached herself from the other girl.

Maki turned quietly and stared at her senior.

“You feeling alright?” The twin-tail responded with half a smirk. “You’re not sick or anything? The scarves were kind of supposed to help prevent that kind of thing.”

“I’m… fine…” the taller girl responded hesitantly.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Uhm…” Hanayo spoke up, “I think we’re going to be late soon if we don’t hurry.”

“Then let’s go, nya!” the orange-haired cheered, throwing a fist in the air. “I’ll race you guys to the gate!” That said, she immediately started sprinting towards the school.

“R-Rin-chan!” the brunette cried, jogging after her friend. “Wait up!”

“C’mon, Maki-chan,” the raven-haired girl said, grabbing the redhead’s hand. “I doubt we can beat Rin, but we can’t get left too far behind.”

“A-alright…” Maki responded, letting herself be pulled along.

“Maki-chan!” Nico greeted, walking into the first year classroom. “Rin! Hanayo!”

“Nico-chan, what brings you here?” Hanayo looked up from the sizable onigiri she was enjoying for lunch.

“I wanted to talk you two, Rin and Hanayo, about the next radio show.” The third year explained, taking a seat next to Maki.

Why does she always have to sit so close? And why is that difference there again?

“D-do you want me to leave?” Maki asked.

“Don’t be silly, Maki-chan.” Nico laughed. “Of course you can stay. Heck, if you have any ideas, let us know, we’re always looking for more fun things to during the broadcast.”

“A-alright…” the redhead fell into silence as she let her friends continue their conversation. Her thoughts focused more on Nico, her proximity and the difference.

“As you all know, Maki and I wrote a new song for BiBi, which they performed for you last night.” Umi explained from her position at by the whiteboard. “But that was just the first part of our gift. We also wrote songs for lily white and Printemps.”

Maki started handing out sheets of paper from her music folder. “As usual, I recorded myself singing both songs with piano accompaniment.” She explained as she took her seat again. “The files are in the shared portion of my cloud drive.”

“I’m the center this time, nya?” Rin spoke up, looking at the page in her hands.

“We thought it appropriate, considering the title.” The blue-haired girl replied.

“So, did you make me the center because I cheer a lot?” Honoka asked, tilting her head.

“You do cheer us on, Honoka-chan.” Hanayo pointed out.

“It’s what keeps us motivated.” Kotori added.

“Awww… thanks you guys…” the leader of µ’s said, scratching the back of her head as she grinned somewhat sheepishly.

“So why was Maki-chan the center of Silent Tonight?” Nozomi pondered.

“Well, Maki-chan is often quieter than the rest of us.” Kotori offered.

“Hehe, yeah right.” Nico laughed, reaching towards the first year.

“Don’t you dare.” Maki glared at her.

“See?”

“Nya!” Rin cried, using the opening to tackle her fellow first year from the side.

“Rin!?” Said first year cried. “What are you…?!”

“Maki-chan’s not silent at all!” the twin-tailed girl ignored the warning and joined Rin in smothering the redhead.

“Ahhh... Mohhh! Nico-chan! I told you…” Maki protested, earning only laughter in response. “Rin! You guys are heavy…”

There it was again.

Something was different. Maki hadn’t noticed it when Rin hugged her, so it definitely had something to do with Nico. But what was it? She’d thought about it all day and still couldn’t put her finger on it. Why was Nico different today? She was as clingy as ever and up to her usual teasing. Her pride also high, going by her conversation at lunch and the decisions about the radio broadcast. Her twin-tails were still tied with the same ribbons. She was still slipping into her idol persona and happily repeating her favorite catch phrase. She was still short and bratty. Nico was still Nico. What the heck else was there that could possibly be different?

“Alright,” Umi was saying, “let’s break up into our subgroups and start practicing our new songs.”

Most of the rest of the girls responded with various cheers.

“C’mon, let’s go, Maki-chan!” Nico said, excitedly, grabbing the other girl’s hand.

She was still dragging her around incessantly as well, Maki noted before replying. “Alright.”

NicoNii: Ughn… Why does Maki-chan have to be so dense?

SpiritualPower: What do you mean, Nicocchi?

NicoNii: I was trying all day to get her to notice, but she didn’t

SpiritualPower: What, that you’re using her gift now?

NicoNii: Exactly

NicoNii: Thank you. At least someone noticed.

SpiritualPower: I think Maki-chan did notice.

NicoNii: She didn’t mention it to me

NicoNii: Did she say something to you?

SpiritualPower: Not technically, but she did seem particularly interested in you today.

NicoNii: Yeah, she was staring a lot

NicoNii: Especially during practice.

SpiritualPower: I think she noticed but didn’t realize she noticed.

NicoNii: What

SpiritualPower: Like you said, she can be a little dense sometimes.

SpiritualPower: So I think she knew something was different, but couldn’t figure it out.

NicoNii: Geez, she really is dense…

SpiritualPower: She’s not that good with subtlety.

SpritualPower: You’re just going to have to be more obvious, Nicocchi

SpiritualPower: Just tell her you like the gift.

NicoNii: I suppose

SpiritualPower: It’s good to know you like the gift, though. She’ll be happy

NicoNii: It’s nice

SpiritualPower: … but…?

NicoNii: Geez, you’re psychic.

SpiritualPower: ^_^

NicoNii: It’s nice. The products are really high quality. And I’m thrilled to be able to try them. But they’re different from what I’m used to. And I’m kind of afraid of getting used to them because I know I won’t be able to afford them again when they’re gone.

SpiritualPower: Understandable.

SpiritualPower: So think of them as a special, one-time treat.

SpiritualPower: You know, like some special chocolates someone brings back when they travel, or something like that.

SpiritualPower: But then again, who knows, maybe it won’t be a one-time thing.

SpiritualPower: Maybe Maki-chan can get you more for your birthday.

NicoNii: Yeah right.

NicoNii: We’ll have graduated by then.

NicoNii: Who knows if we’ll still be in contact by then.

SpiritualPower: I doubt Honoka-chan will let us grow too distant.

NicoNii: Yeah, she’ll probably insist on regular reunions.

NicoNii: Not that I’d mind, of course.

SpiritualPower: Of course.

NicoNii: But honestly, I’d almost like to help pick out the next batch, to get stuff I know would work best for me.

NicoNii: Like the skin cream is nice, but it’s not the best for my skin type.

NicoNii: I mean it’s not bad and it’s not going to damage it or anything, but I’m pretty sure the company makes one that would work better.

NicoNii: But who am I kidding?

NicoNii: It would be really awkward. Who helps a friend pick out their birthday gift?

SpiritualPower: Elicchi and I have done that.

NicoNii: Figures…

NicoNii: And what the heck could I possibly get her to match something that expensive?

SpiritualPower: I don’t think Maki-chan cares about that kind of thing

SpiritualPower: You obviously saw her reaction to that teddy bear you gave her

SpiritualPower: She just wanted to get you something that made you as happy

NicoNii: I am happy with it

SpiritualPower: But it could be better

NicoNii: You know that’s not what I mean, Nozomi.

SpiritualPower: I know

SpiritualPower: But I also think you’re overthinking things

SpiritualPower: Maki-chan gave you a gift.

SpiritualPower: The gift makes you happy.

SpiritualPower: It’s as simple as that.

SpiritualPower: Now show her that it makes you happy so she can be happy as well.

SpritualPower: Or tell her, because showing her apparently isn’t working.

NicoNii: I suppose you’re right.

SpiritualPower: Of course I am.

NicoNii: Don’t you dare say the cards told you that.

SpiritualPower: They don’t have to

SpiritualPower: All I have to do is remember Elicchi’s smile when she knows how much a gift she’s given me makes me happy.

NicoNii: Fair enough, I guess

NicoNii: I’ll tell her tomorrow.

SpiritualPower: Good luck!

SpiritualPower: See you in class!

NicoNii: Yeah, see you.

Maki sighed as she slid down into the tub until the water lapped over her shoulders. She loved a nice hot bath after a heavy workout with µ’s. The scented candles always helped her relax as well. And tonight was the first night she had used her new shampoo. It was the same brand as the bottle she had given to Nico in the gift basket last night, just a different version. So long as she was buying the products as a gift, she had figured she would try some for herself as well.

Scent. Shampoo…

Maki’s eyes snapped open. Of course! That was the difference! Nico was using her gift! How the heck did she miss that? Geez… and she often called Nico an idiot… what did this make her?

Well, it’s not like she had paid a ton of attention to what Nico used before. And really, the scent was pretty mild to begin with. That was a good enough reason to not notice, right?

Still, she would probably have to apologize to Nico tomorrow. Somehow…

“Maki-chan!” an energetic orange-haired girl called and waved. “Over here! Over here!”

“Yes, I see you, Rin.” The redhead stated flatly, walking over to join her fellow first years.

“Good morning, Maki-chan.” The brunette beside the orange-haired girl said with a smile.

“Good morning, Hanayo.” Maki replied, returning the smile, though nowhere near as wide.

“I see you’re wearing the scarf Kotori-chan and Nico-chan made for you, nya!” Rin pointed out.

“It’s cold today.” Maki replied with a shrug. “Wait, didn’t we do this yesterday?”

Rin bounced up and down on her toes while sporting a toothy grin.

So that means…

Maki spun around.

“Kya!” A surprised third year lost her footing and stumbled towards the first year.

The redhead, more prepared than yesterday, braced for the impact and prevented the other girl from falling to the ground.

“Oh… hehe… you caught me, nico…” Nico looked up, sheepishly.

“Literally.” Rin added, earning a roll of the eyes from Maki.

With the other girl’s head in such a position, it was almost impossible not to notice the new scent now.

“You smell… dif… good.” Maki concluded after a moment.

A smirk curled Nico’s lips. “Finally noticed, huh?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s alright. Nico will forgive Maki-chan for ignoring her this time.” She slipped into her idol persona as she slipped out of the embrace.

“I… what? I wasn’t ignoring you.” If anything, I was paying more attention to you.

“Just this time.” Nico sang.

A guttural sound of annoyance came up Maki’s throat. “Don’t make me start ignoring you now.”

The twin-tailed girl only laughed in response.

“Uhm…” Hanayo started to speak up.

“Let me guess, we’re running late for class?” Maki shook her head, remembering the day before.

The timid girl nodded.

“And you’re going to race us to the gate, Rin?”

“Absolutely!” the orange-haired girl exclaimed before dashing off.

“R-Rin-chan!” Hanayo called, breaking into a jog. “Wait for me!”

Maki sighed and held out a hand.

“I thought Maki-chan was going to ignore Nico.” Nico said, still not dropping her persona.

“I’m still considering it.”

“Well, in that case.” The older girl’s voice returned to normal as she grabbed the younger girl’s hand. “Let’s see how well we can keep up.”

“Alright.” Maki nodded.

It seemed there were a few things that stayed the same.

Author's Note: Before anyone asks how someone could be as oblivious as Maki is in this scnee, I will say that this scene is partially based on real life events, with me playing the part of Maki. Though it wasn't a gift, I still helped pick out new shampoo for a friend who disliked her previous bottle. I even made my decision between the final two picks based on which scent I liked more. Then I utterly failed to recognize the scent the very next day.

Not long after, a mutual friend failed to notice that she had taken about a foot and a half off her hair length and dyed it. In his defense, it was over a holiday break. He also pointed out that the change did not affect her personality; that she was still the same person. This is the reason for the "Nico was still Nico" part of the scene.