#so today we had an interview about the code and all. to make sure we didnt cheat.

[fingertipsmp3]

I feel like I’ve lived through at least a month just in the past 3 days. I checked the date just now and damn near had an out of body experience when I realised Monday was only two days ago

[autism-corner]

ok guilt ommited

[lover-of-mine]

Hi, welcome to Buck just had his oh moment and the color theory of it all.

Usual shoutout to @stagefoureddiediaz because being mind meld with her is what's getting me here lol

First, I'm gonna break my own rule and give too much power to the showrunners, I know I keep saying not to, but hear me out. Buck, Bothered and Bewildered is on Buck's pov, right? That was made clear by the episode and then confirmed in interviews that that was the vision, and well, Tim also said that that scene was from Buck's pov, it's all about Buck's reaction and how he will go crazy about this because he's abandonment issues personified, that is also confirmed with the way we don't see what Eddie is doing until he tells Buck, we are learning things at the same time as Buck is.

Okay, well, why am I going back to 704? Well, Buck's fear of losing Eddie (I don't care what Buck says, he wanted Eddie's attention) made him go completely batshit crazy last time. But it also triggered something really important: Buck's bisexuality. And they just repeated that trigger, but this time with Buck choosing to walk in.

They repeated the bt first kiss structure but with Buck making the choices that create that change. The bt kiss, Buck is working on some bills, Tommy shows up, Buck is spiraling because of Eddie, Tommy kisses him, Buck has the bisexual realization. The 808 scene, Eddie is working on the houses, Buck shows up, he's spiraling about Tommy, Eddie reveals something, and Buck is snapped into the realization. Important thing to notice is that Buck still doesn't fully understand the depth of what his relationship with Tommy showed him about himself, so Buck still might not understand the impact of what his abandonment issues just told him while he was sitting on Eddie's couch. And it's all on Buck's pov.

But Anna, you said color theory.

I'm getting there. Because, well, the bt kiss is blue and red.

Same as 808. So we are evoking the same feeling, especially because of Buck's short sleeves and the buttons (and not a white shirt under this like he had all season lol)

And thinking about the blue and yellow coding Buck's bi arc, he worked his way to lighter blues. He starts with the navy blue colors until that lighter teal tone from the coming out scene.

It's also interesting that in the scenes that are about Eddie in a sense, when he's talking to Maddie and he got it right about it being about Eddie, and the coming out scene being about their friendship, are lighter colors along with Buck matching his background. We don't have the yellow elements but we have that cohesion on the frame composition. (I guess the 606 hoodie also counts since blue and green theory but I don't want to make another image now).

If you're new here, the theory is that Buck worked his way to his blue from darker colors, his blue being the color he is wearing during the coming out scene (and Eddie will find his yellow, but we are not talking about Eddie).

We are back in the darker blue but the composition of the scene is lighter. Buck is literally in front of the light as he is talking to Eddie in the kitchen, and it's the middle of the day.

He matches the background, the couch, the Texas frame, the lighting is also a lot colder than it usually is in Eddie's house. And it's also very important that he is on the couch, because yay couch theory.

But Anna how does any of this prove anything?

Well, Buck is working his way back to his blue while in the darker colors, because while he got the bisexuality part right, Tommy wasn't the right person, and he's finally back in the light, we don't have the dimmed light and the obstruction of his face created by the shadow, dare I saw Buck is finally starting to see things clearer.

But why am I so sure? The shirt he was wearing today?

Same color but in a darker shade than his blue.

Buck is back on the discovery feeling that comes with the darker blue but this time he's in the correct hue, he just needs to get to the right shade, and he just figured something out.

Abandonment issues personified just had his oh moment about Eddie at the thought of losing him permanently, sitting on Eddie's couch while wearing his blue.

Other things to notice, Buck knocked but walked in before Eddie could get to the door, he used his key and the knocking was just to let Eddie know he was there, Buck is the one who suggests moving to the couch and the couch ties it back to the couch theory and the 601 dinner, dare I say that even Buck offering to bake for Eddie and the cooking aspect of it all, and the idea that the couch is home and home is a person and for Buck that's Eddie.

Something else is the way that we finally see someone eating whatever it is Buck is stress baking. Madney don't eat at the loft and the chief interrupts them at the firehouse. Eddie on the other hand is DIGGING into those. And food in 911, in media in general, is about connection, and is very pointedly about love here, and the whole stress baking is great because the kitchen is Buck's safe space, he cooks for people he loves, we see that from when Maddie comes back, to the pointed way he gets take out for his parents in 610, to the lasagna, making chilly with Bobby, cooking for the house on 709 and getting Bobby's approval. And the fact that we are getting Eddie eating what Buck's nervous state is creating while allowing Buck to just go through his kitchen to make more because he is not about to not accept every part of Buck Buck offers him is important.

The fact that Eddie isn't objecting to Buck rummaging around his kitchen is also important in the way the show uses Eddie's house in a meta way, kinda like the way the show uses the loft to match Buck's spirits in a sense, how the kitchen is his heart and for family, how the living room ends up being for guests and it's made pointed about the couch his mother bought "for his guests", Eddie's kitchen and the whole way it's the space Eddie allows himself to be vulnerable but there's the thing of honesty, the core of who Eddie is is tied to the kitchen, and the fact that he's just letting Buck move around like it's his kitchen ads a lot. Buck is the only person who walked into the house through the back door, Buck has a key, Buck has been in every room (except the bathroom but I think they are saving that for buddie canon), that's home for him too and Eddie never thinks to question and Buck never thinks to doubt it ("this is Eddie's house, I'm not really a guest").

Anyway, Buck oh moment real. Buddie 8b real. Color theory got me so high I'm wondering this is what doing hard drugs feels like. I think this is all I have to say. I might come back, who knows? I don't.

If you read this I love you.

taglist (interact with this post if you wanna get tagged)

@sparkedblaze @caw-salem @dreamofsomepiphany @100ceruleaneyes @linus-lucy @chaosqueery @gina-spike @chimchiminie98 @elvensorceress @singitforthegirls @dangerpronebuddie @182daysof @steadfastsaturnsrings @sparklespiff @inell @miles--to--go @jesuisici33 @wolfdeans @lunarsolar1 @joshwritesfics @glasscities @kejfeblintz @stagefoureddiediaz @mosaicstardust @eddiedisasterdiaz @hermioneindisguise @queerprincesseddiediaz @lookforanewangle @becausebuckley @lemotmo @thenainitaldisaster @epiaphany @trudayss @shelfthe-reader @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @buckgettingstruck @scoupsahoy @the-whispers-of-death @iced-coffee-jesus @izzysbeans @starkytower @thegeekcompanion @sunflower-eddiediaz @bucks-daddy-issues

@dingdongfries @angelcamael

[dreamcatchers-husband]

Jitters

Male Reader X Fromis_9 Saerom

Length: 2600+ words

Tags: Roomates, Fuck buddies, Mommy kink, Creampie

A/N- Saerom has always caught my attention so I had to make her a fic. At least a quckie.

Do you ever get the jitters? Get nervous?

People get nervous for a lot of different reasons. Job interview? Getting on a roller coaster? Riding a plane? 

For you, it was none of these. The cause of your nerves was two simple words. First date. When the girl said yes, you were beyond excited but the jitters came once you began to head home. Your shoulder hit several people as your eyes were stuck on your phone screen. After each apology, you continued the walk home, planning on what to do with your date. 

Eventually, you arrived at your apartment complex and walked to the front door. Once you passed the door, your legs brought you over to the elevator where you waited for the metal cage. Your travel up the elevator was uneventful as your legs continued to tap up and down nervously.

With a ding, your eyes looked up and saw the number 14. Recognizing it as your floor, you stepped off and rushed to your door. Once your golden metal key entered the keyhole, you turned it counterclockwise and unlocked the door. 

With your shoulder pushing it open, your feet moved forward and rushed towards your living room. Once there, your eyes began to search for a nice brown bookcase that lived in that part of your home. Once your eyes saw it, your mind took over as you pulled the doors open and found a large black safe that sat there. 

Raising your hand, the various beeps from the safe echoed in your ear. Punching The code 0124 made the green light appear as well as a clicking sound. Pulling the safe open, you found a couple of stacks of money as well as a wallet. Grabbing your black leather wallet, you opened it and pulled out a green card. 

With the card now in your possession. You fished out your personal wallet from your pants and put it in one of the slots. The brown from the wallet faded with time but you still loved how big it was as well as convenient compared to others. Just as your wallet went back into your pocket, the sound of a door caught your attention. With the door, footsteps followed that got closer and closer. Finally, a voice was heard as a figure appeared. 

“Why the hell is there so much noise?” 

“Sorry Saerom. I needed to get my other credit card.” 

“You hate using that one. You always complain about the interest rate. Is something wrong? Do you need new tires? I told you those used one-“

“I don’t need new tires, Saerom. This is great news. She said YES!”

“Who said yes? The librarian if the book you had on hold was finally returned?”

“NO. She finally said yes. I can take the girl of my dreams on a date!”

As your hand closed the metal door to the safe, your body turned around and was met with the brown-haired woman. Her outfit immediately stuck out to you as your eyes went up and down her body. The black top cut short just above her midriff, giving you the slightest tease of her amazing abs. The navy green skirt didn't do any better at hiding her body. Despite being on the shorter side. Her legs looked long and soft. They were for sure soft. Of course, you would know with the amount of times they have been wrapped around your head. 

“Oh, why are you dressed up Saerom?”

“Oh, I was just trying on some clothes for the next time we go out to get drinks. So you finally got a date with Hayoung huh?” 

“Yes! It’s even today. Look, I need to go shower so I’ll talk to you later.”

Not waiting for a response, your legs pushed forward towards your room. Your hands moved faster than you thought ever possible, removing the clothing from your body. Guess just a plain shirt and joggers helped with this also. Normally your body would be covered by a bathrobe at this point, but all reason was gone in your mind. With nothing on, your legs ran across the hallway and pushed their way into the bathroom. 

As you shut the door behind you, your arm then extended out and pulled the door to your glass shower. Turning the dial on the shower wall, the chrome wheel moved from the blue to the red section, changing the water temperature. After touching the water a few times with your fingers, your desired temperature finally arrived. 

Hoping in, the warm water began to roll off your back as you closed the door. Stepping fully into the water, your face looked up towards the shower head, and let the water pour over the rest of your body. Reaching to the left; your hand grabbed the bar of soap sitting and lifted it. As your head began to move away from the water, your hand began to raise the soap to your body until a noise caught your attention.

Looking behind you, Saerom entered the shower with you. The smirk on her face was setting off all the alarms in your head. 

“S-Saerom. What are you doing here? I need to…”

“Hey. It’s good for the environment to save water. Let’s shower quickly.”

Taking the bar of soap from your hand, the young woman began to run the white bar over her body. As the soap moved down from her arms, the bar began to lather over her toned abs and moved up. Saerom didn’t have the biggest breasts but she certainly had a pair you loved. In circular motions, the lather began to form around her perky mounds. 

A small giggle left Saerom’s mouth as she pulled your head up. Making eye contact, your roommate gave you a wink and brought the soap to your chest. Just as she did on her chest, the young woman began to rub the soap in circular motions on your body. You were about to say something until your friend spun your body around. The same action as before continued on your back. The smooth touches were very relaxing, causing you to close your eyes and get stuck in thought. 

The relaxing feeling continued until you felt a couple of nubs on your back. Saerom had her breasts on your back.  As your eyes shot open, the young woman’s arm touched your abs and began to work its way down. 

“S-Saerom. We shouldn’t.”

“Doyoon. You know Hayoung is a great friend of mine. She has a rule about the new guys she dates. No sex until 6 months of dating. This is me doing you a favor.”

Saerom’s delicate fingers finally reached your length, wrapping around it in one swoop. Your whole body jolted a bit from the sudden touch on your cock. 

“Look here, sweetie. The throbbing from your cock lets me know you like this. Why don’t you fuck my pussy one last time? Just for old time's sake.”

“B-But Hayoung w-will be here in twenty minutes.”

“Then we better get started.”

The soap on both of your bodies had already washed off in that time. Dropping to her knees, Saerom turned you around once more and looked up at you. Your roommate's hand began to move up and down, getting you harder than before. Bringing her upper body closer, Saerom brought out her tongue and inched it closer and closer until it made contact with your tip.

A quick flick to your tip sent shivers down your spine, causing a small whimper to leave your mouth. Saerom took this as her sign to continue as her tongue moved down your shaft from the left then the right, Saerom’s tongue continued to get your cock wet all over. 

Without any warning, Saerom then plunged her mouth on top of your tip and moved it down her throat. Your hands immediately took hold of your roommate's head and gripped onto her hair. All reason was gone as your hips began to move back and forth into Saerom’s mouth. 

With each thrust into the young woman’s mouth, the more your body began to shake. Taking the lead, Your friend put her hands on your legs and began to shove your length down her throat. Normally your roommate wouldn’t get to deepthroating off the bat, but Saerom knew you had a time constraint. 

Matching her movements, your hip would thrust your length into her throat as she pulled you in as deep as possible. After a couple of times, you decided to pull your cock out of her mouth and give her time to breathe. The sudden slap to your ass caught your attention and brought your vision back down. The scowl on Saerom’s face made you scared. 

“Who said to stop fucking Mommy’s face? You will stop when I say you stop.” 

The sudden warmth from Saerom’s mouth returned around your length. The constricting feeling around your rod was amazing as Your roommate vigorously moved her mouth up and down your shaft. Your hands were suddenly raised once more and brought to the side of Saerom’s head. The glare you got earlier returned. She wanted her face to be fucked. 

Not wanting to disappoint your mommy, you began to thrust with your hip once more. Just like you were slamming into her pussy, your cock continued to get constricted around. As you continued this action, a small sound began to hit your ears. Sure, you were in a shower but this sound was different.

Looking down, your eyes noticed Saerom’s hand down on her pussy. The sounds were of her playing with herself. Saerom needed this just as badly as you did right now. Bringing your hips back, Saerom let go of your legs and brought one hand up to your length. 

Your roommate's tongue returned to your tip and began to move in circular motions around it followed by some strokes from her hand. Standing back up, Saerom laid her back on the shower wall and signaled you to come closer. The air got heavy as you inched closer and closer to Saerom. 

Finally, in front of her, the young woman wrapped her arms around your neck and pulled your head to her neck. Your instincts took over as you began to pepper her neck with small kisses and bites. As you moved further and further down, you felt Saerom’s finger around your cock again. Your cock head began to feel the sticky mess leaking from Saerom’s folds. 

“Put that cock in Mommy one last time. Don’t keep me waiting.”

With a push, your tip began to plunge into Saerom’s cunt. The slick from the woman’s folds leaked onto the rest of your rod as you filled her. A gasp left Saerom’s mouth as you stood there for a few seconds. Pulling back, your strokes began to repeat little by little like you did with her mouth before. 

The warm comforts of her pussy were removed from your mind as Saerom pulled your neck back from hers. A sudden slap to the face shocked you as Saerom tightened her hold on your neck. 

“Stop being a pussy and fuck me. Or do you want your date to come here while you’re balls-deep in my cunt? 

With those words of encouragement, you brought your hips back and shoved your length down her tunnel. With your hands holding her up, your cock began to shove your length down her cunt repeatedly. With each thrust, your speed increased until you were at a steady pace, in and out of Saerom. 

The sound of grunts and moans was all that could be heard with the running water. Your constant pace was good, but not enough for your roommate. The young woman began to move her hips to match your own, filling her as best as possible. Your length could feel the construction around it as her walls tried to keep you inside her at all costs. 

“T-That’s a good boy. You always have such an amazing cock for mommy. T-The perfect length, and girth. F-Fuck even the throbbing from your length is perfect. S-Stay here. Why don’t you just fuck Mommy’s pussy forever?” 

The offer was tempting. Saerom’s pussy was something you had almost every day and it never disappointed. Still, you had to grow up one day and Hayoung was your chance at a real relationship. 

“I-I’m sorry Mommy but Hayoung is almost here and I’m really close.”

“Tsk. Fine. Then you better make me cum one last time before you do.”

Knowing you had no other option, you began to speed up your waist and move faster than before. Moving one of your hands down to her folds your length pulled out of her snatch, exposing the little nub you were looking for. Now found, your fingers began to rub on your roommate's clit as your cock continued to piston in and out of her.

The circular motions from your fingers combined with your cock’s actions caused the moans from Saerom to increase. Your grunts began to match the sounds from Saerom as both your fingers and cock increased in pace. 

“F-Fuck. You’re close sweetie, aren’t you? Me too. J-Just a bit more and you can empty those balls in my pussy.”

A slap to your ass motivated you to give it all you had left. All of your adrenaline shot throughout your body in that moment as you fucked Saerom as ferociously as humanly possible. Your hips could almost break at the rate you were shoving in and out of your roommate. A loud yell hit your ears as you felt a sudden pressure around your shaft. A rush of fluids hit your legs as Saerom began to jolt all over the place.

“F-FUCK!”

Saerom’s nails began to scratch your back as her climax was achieved. Saerom’s orgasm was the catalyst to achieve your own peak, causing you to yell as well. As your cock throbbed, ropes of semen left your tip and filled Saerom to the brim. As the twitches from your cock finished, the two of you were left panting for air. 

With a laugh, you both stood up straight and grabbed the soap again. Your shower had to be a quick one as your date would be there soon, so after 3 minutes you both hopped out. Running towards your room, you quickly entered and noticed a nice outfit placed on the bed. Saerom must have set it out while you first showered. 

Putting on the nice dress shirt and pants, you made your way to the living room and found Saerom relaxing on the couch. Your roommate was in pajamas yet it perfectly fit her curves, just like any other outfit. Standing up, the young woman walked over and began to fix a few things on your outfit. 

“OK then. You look nice. Have fun. This is your last chance to just stay here with me though.”

“That sounds fun but this is what I want.” 

With a knock at the door, Saerom pulled you closer and kissed you on the lips, one final time. Pulling back, the girl walked with you to the front door. Hayoung was familiar with your home so it was an easy meet-up place. As the door opened, you were met with the cutest girl you had ever seen, fit with a beautiful white dress. 

“Oh hi, Saerom. D-Doyoon. You look really nice.” 

“Y-You look amazing Hayoung.” 

“Well then. You two have fun and be safe out there OK?” 

“Yes, captain!”

With a nod, you made your way out the door and looked at Hayoung. 

“Let’s go!”

As you walked away with Hayoung, your mind went back to Saerom and the activities you indulged in earlier. 

You surely are gonna miss having sex for six months. 

[chaoticloving]

So... I had this funny request.. See.. What if Reader is a famous personality? Like they are an actor and a singer at an young age? Like they worked for movies like Harry Potter and marvel and then later on took singing as career option which resulted being an awesome choice as their music skyrocketed. So what if One directions manager arranged a collab with reader? And one direction was also a huge fan of her but Harry had a huge celebrity crush on reader which he had hinted alot of times in interviews which fans could see, reader didn't knew them well only that they were a famous band and she didn't knew their names too? as she was rather busy with her own stuff plus she didn't knew fans shipping her and harry? So when they all saw reader at the office because it was kept a surprise for them with whom they were gonna collab so Harry started fan girling? I mean it's just pure fluff and teen love?

Performance of a Lifetime

harry styles x reader

a/n: lil blurb for ya! changed it a bit! plus some cheesy h for you!

Harry’s never felt more excited in his life, entirely exhausted, but had that excited-about-to-vomit feeling inside of him while practicing this dance routine.

Its how all of one-direction was feeling at the moment. Wanting to drop dead like flys but not because they needed to impress a certain singer, joining them for a charity performance.

Y/n was a house-hold name, from a young age of being a child star, working her ass off to be taken seriously without being taken advantage of, she slowly dipped into the world of music before she started to become the face of the music industry. She was doing a joint performance with one-direction this friday as the headliner for the day.

Harry nearly fainted when his managers told him they were preforming with her; he also didn’t hesitate to go to dance rehearsals when asked too. He needed to make sure his performance was flawless but also needed to work up his abs—and by work up he means create.

This afternoon though, will be the first time him and be the rest of the band meet Y/n. Harry new he had some competition over winning the stars heart; both Zayn and Louis were trying suspiciously hard during rehearsal to outshine one another, and Harry hated every moment of it.

Soon enough though, they were out of the showers and changing into more professional clothing to meet the singer. Harry was tapping his foot, rehearsing how he was going to introduce himself and win over the girl.

“You ready?”

“Huh?”

Niall chuckled and wrapped his arm around Harry as they walked down the long hall. “You’re going to meet your celebrity crush! Big day for you.”

“I don’t have a celebrity crush-“

“Everyone has a celebrity crush. Mine in Selena Gomez.” Niall chided. “I think Zayn likes one of that Hadid girls, Liam likes Miley Cyrus, and Louis likes any celebrity that people say are nice—which I think is a good thing honestly.”

“How’d you know that then.” Harry sighed.

“You remember in X-factor days, those stair videos we did?” Harry nodded. “Someone asked who our celebrity crushes were, and I think yours is the only one that hasn’t changed.

Harry shook his head, ignoring and hoping that Niall is the only one stupid enough to remember whatever video. “But you saw Zayn and Louis in practice today? They were trying much more than normal, no way they don’t have a crush.”

Niall shrugged his shoulders. “She’s hot. Of course they do. I mean, if she talks to me and is nice I might.”

Harry shoved Niall off of him and groaned, speed walking away from his friend and trying to catch up to the rest of the boys.

“Wait up you dolt.” Niall yelled. “Don’t be stupid, I follow the girl code—I won’t date, flirt, or fuck your crush—and the bro code—I will hype you up. Scouts honor.”

Harry sighed. He was grateful for Niall’s help, really; but sometimes it gets a little carried away with matters of the heart.

“Hurry up ya pussys!” Liam shouted from the elevator, holding the door open for the boys. He got a smack from the manager, John, who gave him a stern glare for his word choice.

Harry and Niall got into the cramped elevator and watched as the doors closed. Harry watched the red numbers go up, slowly yet not stopping. He started worrying as he got higher and higher, it was less than five minutes until he meets his crush—he shivered at the thought.

The doors chimed and then opened. The boys pushed each other out, Zayn, Louis, and it seems now Liam were all extra eager to meet Y/n. John walked slowly behind the group, typing away on his phone.

The say the assistant who stood up when the men entered and made a gesture for them to follow her. She knocked on the door. “Y/n you’ve got your entourage here.”

“Entourage-“ Liam questioned, before the door swung open.

Y/n glanced over the boys, giving them a once-over, and then opened the door fully to let them in. “It’s nice to meet you all!” She chided, flashing a quick smile. “Come in! Come in!”

The women turned around and sat at the other end of a long table, filled with mood-boards, pictures, and tons and tons of sheet-filled binders. The rest of them joined on the opposite side. Harry didn’t miss the glance Y/n sent him, it wasn’t as confused as the last time though, it was more…curious.

Harry ignored that thought. He’s just being delusional.

“Alright so one-direction I can’t wait to preform with you all this weekend.” Y/n’s assistant handed her a clipboard, and she flicked through the pages. “I see the songs you want to preform, and I must admit, I’m not hugely familiar with your work and would like to go over them.” Her manager nudged her. “Sorry.” She sighed, clearing her throat. “I’d like to get to know all of you foremost.”

Harry blinked, but Liam didn’t. “My names Liam, huge fan of your work—both music and film. I sing, dance, date, you name it!”

“Alright nice to meet you-“

“I’m Louis. Raised in Doncaster. And I like your work too, especially that one song on your last album—the one that goes like “why not me la la—“

“Would it surprise you if I told you he’s a singer too.” Zayn smirked, hand on Louis’ shoulder to get him to stop. “I’m Zayn, and to make the rest quick that’s Niall and the one on the end is Harry.”

“Hello.”

“Hey.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you all. And I’m Y/n and quite frankly I’m ready to get to work.” The boys nodded in agreement, a little afraid. “So...Story of My Life.”

~

“Y/n how was it preparing for this event with a group of boys? Annoying I bet.” The interviewer asked.

Y/n and the boys were in their stage outfits, less then an hour left until their due on stage. Harry had on his black skinny jeans, and a grey tang top, his tattoos on display—trying to go for the edgy, bad-boy look. Y/n had on black baggie jeans and a tight, cropped bra-like shirt to match. Harry liked how they looked coordinated.

“It’s been a trip, honestly.” Y/n laughed. “I didn’t know much about one direction, but I like to think that that I’ve made some friends.” Y/n giggled as she pulled in Harry, her arm around his neck. Harry was quite shocked, first of all, he wasn’t apart of the interview, and second of all, she considered him a friend!

“Can you confirm Styles?”

“Oh yeah. We’re best friends at this point.” He delivered his million dollar smile (with a hint of desperation in there) and felt the heat from his blush on his cheeks rise up. “Nice break from those losers back there.” Harry pointed to the boys behind him, shooting the shit and trying to look better.

“How cute you two look! All matching! Was this on purpose?”

“Uhh.” Harry didn’t know what to say. Luckily Y/n saved him.

“Of course! Gotta have the main attractions coordinating!” She joked, leaning into Harry’s chest.

“How cute of a couple!” Harry’s jaw dropped and could feel Y/n freeze. “I’ve got the others to interview! Good luck!”

~~

How Harry got through the performance will forever be a mystery. How he will face Y/n again is an even bigger mystery.

After the interviews went on, more and more people questioned or reminded him of his relationship status with the star. He couldn't even get much of a break after the show because they swung into even more interviews, some better than others though.

Y/n acted odd though. Harry thought back to different relationships he has had with women he was friends with, none were this close to him, sometimes the hug here and there but never hand holding or arm around the neck constantly. Harry was getting mixed signals and was scared he was misinterpreting Y/n's actions. But the public eye, and his band mates, were always around watching him so it's not like much could be said without fear of someone knowing.

"Alright, I think that wraps up this interview. Next in two." Some manager said.

"Hey." Y/n whispered. Harry glanced around him, no one was near; the other boys sat on a separate couch from him and Y/n, and no praying ears were about.

"What?" Thats how you flirt Harry? Come on.

Y/n smiled though. "I just wanted to say I liked hanging out with you today."

"Really?"

"I wanted to know if you could hang out again, but without everyone else?"

"Like a date?" Harry gasped, voice not even a whisper.

"Yeah? If thats alright?" Y/n asked, looking at the dreamed out Harry who was rapidly blushing. "H?"

"Get ready boys!" ... "And Y/n."

"H were are almost live." Y/n reminded him, fixing herself up and then him. "Wanna answer?"

"Good afternoon-"

"Yes." Harry interrupted the interviewer, looking over at shocked Y/n. "Of course! I know this great place off of some road-"

Harry got knocked with a pillow by Niall, who gave him a rude look.

"Anything you wanna share mate?" The interviewer asked.

Harry smiled, finally looking where he should of been all this time, instead of the girl next to him. He nodded his head, held up high and straightened his shirt.

"I got a date."

[thecoleopterawithana]

Even though John is under-powered in this period we still see what made him so magnetic to Paul and to others around him. There is a scene early in Part Two that I find riveting. It takes place a couple of days after George has left. The status of everything - the project, the band - remains uncertain, but they are ploughing on for now. John, Yoko, Ringo, Paul and some of the crew are sitting in a semi-circle. Paul looks pensive. Ringo looks tired. John is speaking only in deadpan comic riffs, to which Paul responds now and again. Peter Sellers comes in and sits down, looks ill-at-ease, and leaves having barely said a word, unable to penetrate the Beatle bubble. At some point they’re joined by Lindsay-Hogg, and the conversation dribbles on. John mentions that he had to leave an interview that morning in order to throw up (he and Yoko had taken heroin the night before). Paul, looking into space rather than addressing anyone in particular, attempts to turn the conversation towards what they’re meant to be doing:

Paul: See, what we need is a serious program of work. Not an endless rambling among the canyons of your mind.

John: Take me on that trip upon that golden ship of shores… We’re all together, boy.

Paul: To wander aimlessly is very unswinging. Unhip.

John: And when I touch you, I feel happy inside. I can’t hide, I can’t hide. [pause] Ask me why, I’ll say I love you.

Paul: What we need is a schedule.

John: A garden schedule.

I mean first of all, who is writing this incredible dialogue? Samuel Beckett?

Let’s break it down a little. The first thing to note is that John and Paul are talking to each other without talking to each other. This is partly because they’re aware of the cameras and also because they’re just not sure how to communicate with each other at the moment. John’s contributions are oblique, gnomic, riddling, comprised only of songs and jokes, like the Fool in King Lear. Take me on that trip upon that golden ship of shores sounds like a Lennonised version of a line from Dylan’s Tambourine Man (“take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship”). “We’re altogether, boy”? I have no idea. Does Paul? I think John expects Paul to understand him because he has such faith in what they used to call their “heightened awareness”, a dreamlike, automatic connection to each other’s minds. But right now, Paul is not much in the mood for it. His speech is more direct, though he too adopts a quasi-poetic mode (“canyons of your mind” is borrowed from a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) and he can’t bring himself to make eye contact. “To wander aimlessly is very unswinging,” he says (another great line, I will pin it above my writing desk). Then John does something amazing: he starts talking in Beatle, dropping in lyrics from the early years of the band, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Ask Me Why. (To appreciate John’s response to Paul’s mention of a schedule, American readers may need reminding that English people pronounce it “shed - dule”.)

What’s going on throughout this exchange? Maybe Lennon is just filling dead air, or playing to the gallery, but I think he is (also) attempting to communicate to Paul in their shared code - something like he loves him, he loves The Beatles, they’re still in this together. Of course, we can’t know. I can’t hide, John says, hiding behind his wordplay.

— Ian Leslie, "The Banality of Genius: Notes on Peter Jackson's Get Back" (January 26, 2022).

[I was curious to read more of Ian Leslie's approach to the Beatles in general and Lennon-McCartney in particular, since he's currently writing a book about John and Paul's relationship: “John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs". He's also the author of that New York Times opinion piece that came out today.]

[ingravinoveritas]

Just wanted to share a few thoughts on the BAFTAs today, now that I've had a bit of time to process the day's events (and am no longer running around cooking Mother's Day dinner)...

I feel like this was a sort of roller coaster of an event, as so many of us were hoping/expecting to see Michael on the red carpet, given David's nomination for playing Crowley in GO 2. In many ways, it was strange and even jarring to see David without Michael, especially while wearing such a gloriously Crowley-coded suit, but mainly because they are now truly a group of the two of them, a packaged set, peanut butter and chocolate.

And yet, seeing David talking about Good Omens and Michael (referring specifically to the Michelle Visage interview, which I adored just because of how they vibed together, in much the same way that Michael was vibing with Sir Ian McKellen on Graham Norton a few months ago), the way he teased the possibility of more kisses in S3 and so effortlessly ran with Michelle saying "Michael Sheen kisses" instead of "Aziraphale and Crowley kisses"...all of that made it feel like Michael was present. Like whatever mark he and David left on each other after the last six months was fully and completely visible without being visible.

I also loved seeing David so brimming over with confidence and self-assurance--something that wasn't there specifically because of Michael or Georgia or anyone else, but because of David himself. I feel like said qualities are most especially apparent in this gorgeous picture:

We talk so much about the suits and how Joshua Kane or Mithridate dress him so exquisitely, but I think something that gets overlooked sometimes is that what makes these suits look as beautiful as they do is David himself. The way he carries himself when he wears them, and how there seems to be such a perfect congruity between how he feels on the inside and how he looks on the outside. Again, this is not saying that David hasn't worn flamboyant or flashy suits in the past (the velvet ones of course come to mind), but there definitely seems to be something special about him wearing these suits, at this specific moment in time.

I also really loved one particular photo of him with the suit jacket off/sleeves rolled up. Again, it's not only the clothes themselves (and how gorgeously they hang on him), but also how it felt like a moment of just...letting go of something. It also immediately brought to mind the photo of Michael with his bow tie undone at the NTAs after party in 2021:

(Granted I'm fairly certain David is tipsy/a bit drunk in the photo on the left, but somehow that damn hint of a bare forearm felt as daring and racy as seeing an ankle in the Victorian era...)

As to what David was "letting go" of, we can't know for sure, but it looked like something was released, and that he was just so fully present and being himself on the red carpet. I'm so proud of him, so delighted by this new, carefree David that I don't think we've ever seen before, but that I absolutely do hope we will continue to see in the future.

Those are my thoughts on the 2024 TV BAFTAs, for whatever they may be worth. I'd love to know what you all thought of David on the red carpet, and if anyone else noticed some of these things, too...

[onekindredspirit]

This photo is the last remaining evidence that I once stood before the mystic portal of the O.K. Corral. Everything else except memory has been taken with time, and so I deposit this remnant here in salt and light and code. The O.K. Corral was a crumbling, condemned 5 bedroom Victorian villa that featured in my life when I was young. I rented it with a friend for, initially, $40 per week. That price was later negotiated down to 'rent free'. Mr. Fox, our landlord, was seen only once more, and on that occasion he tried to sell the place to us for $10,000. The current market value is around $1.5 million ... but money isn't everything. The O.K. Corral was a 'Dude Ranch' and the definition of that is "... an all-inclusive immersive vacation that includes lodgings, meals, horseback riding, fishing and hiking and more." Okay, there was no horseback riding, fishing or hiking but there were other things going on ... and more. Interestingly, the word 'dude' has changed meaning over the last 140 years. Today 'dude' means something like 'bro' but back in the 1880's, when 'Dude Ranches' first began, it was slang for an urbanite. As I write, things continue to fall into place.

I had known my friend since I was 6 years old. I don't think I liked him much back then. He was an extrovert and pushy when getting the painting resources at school. I didn't sit with him anyway because I was a 'foreigner' and I had to sit next to the only other foreigner in the class, Elizabeth Federinko, a Ukrainian girl who couldn't speak English and drew horses all day. I think it was the horse drawing that eventually drove me crazy or maybe it was something else ... possibly bad blood. Anyway, I'll call my friend 'Bukowski'. By the time we were 20 years old I quite liked the guy. Sure there were other arenas of male competition but I found myself better equipped to deal with those. The cool thing about pushy people is that they make thing happen and 'Bukowski' was no exception. For example, he could cook. We had a litany of weirdos and 'freaks' pass through the O.K. Corral. A note to the sensitive - to be called a freak back then was the highest form of compliment in our subculture. It was all a little crazy and you would be disappointed in me if I told you about life at the O.K. Corral, so I won't. Let's talk about something else. One day 'Bukowski' decided to move to another region of New Zealand, some place warmer that would better suit a boho gentleman with alcohol thinned blood. I have rarely lived alone but for a week I did until one morning I was woken at 1am by someone sitting on the end of my bed and talking to me. I wasn't clear as to what she was saying but I wasn't at all concerned as this was probably 'normal' when you don't lock your doors. Realising I was now awake she turned on the light.

I didn't know her but I knew who she was. I'd seen her riding around the city on a Norton Commando motorcycle which had impressed me because of her small size and once she had smiled at me as we passed each other on a city street. I remember that smile, it was powerful enough to stop and turn me around. It was a beautiful smile. The following morning she returned with her possessions and we shared my bed. I feel I had been looking for this person most of my life but when you dream someone into your life there's a danger that the results may be "... reductive and diminutive and I think basically misogynistic ..." as the writer Zoe Kazan once said in an interview when discussing the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' trope. Clementine, in the movie 'The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' warns Joel - "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's looking for my own peace of mind. Don't assign me yours". One thing though, I was never quite sure if she was my projection or if I was, in fact, the projection of her own desires. But I'm comfortable with that. We lived together. She taught me a lot. I gave her love in return. 'Clementine' eventually moved to Australia, a place better suited to her large personality. Years later I was sitting having an espresso at Fidel's Cafe on Cuba Street when 'Clementine' walked past the large plate-glass window. I had only a glimpse of her face but from that brief moment I sensed that she was not happy and that her health was not good. I didn't get up and rush out to catch up with her. I didn't run after her seeking some meaningful reunion. I let her go ... and watched as she disappeared into the crowd. Sometime in the not too distant past I had discovered that the person I had been looking for all through my youth and into later life was myself. I let 'Clementine' go. But the night I wrote this I dreamed of 'Clementine' and it was a beautiful dream.

- One Kindred Spirit

[herotome]

Devlog #125

Hi-ho, Wudge here! Gosh! I missed last week's update.

Happy holidays from Herotome!!

I haven't drawn anything this year-- oh but hmm, I could do a quick edit, here -

Tadah! For anyone who hasn't already seen it, we got those 50 reblogs to make Warden shirtless! A pure version without the christmas lights went up yesterday, just scroll down my blog a bit or check out the #ro: warden hashtag.

I'm pleased with how much mileage I'm already getting from this picture, ha.

Anyway.

Seems like I'm gonna be focused on writing new scenes and drawing expressions for a while. They're some of the more tedious tasks for me, so I'll certainly be looking for every opportunity to do other things on the side - like coding.

Today I've decided that the LI sprites should have their eyebrows on a separate layer from the rest of their face, to offer me the greatest amount of variety in creating new expressions - and I've come up with a naming system for it, too!

I'm looking forward to implementing this. Eyebrow shapes have much, much less variety compared to mouth shapes, so I might even finish drawing every possible eyebrow for every LI sometime soon. I've already gotten a strong start with Warden and Mia's eyebrows.

Speaking of, I did turn in more expressions over on Ko-Fi!

Tadah!! Thank you again to everyone who has donated so far!

I'm realizing that in the set dedicated to Dia, Warden and Mia have the same mouth shape on the upper right side... A fascinating subconscious decision on my part.

Outside of art, I did write... once. Er, it went pretty okay. I'm usually the biggest hater of my first drafts.

I think my goal is gonna be to show off the abilities of all the characters as equally as I can; Warden and Jade have had their time to shine (during the job fair and flying MC home, respectively), and I think MC, Griffin, and Mia are gonna be queued up next.

I'll put the rest under a cut for potential spoilers and further rambling - as always, if you don't see the cut, make sure to check out my blog directly!

I have a good idea of what I wanna do with Griffin (it may or may not involve obliterating your rent debt, and I may or may not have written about that in the first-draft-I-don't-hate).

I've been thinking that this scene would involve a change of clothes btw, and did some fashion concepts for Griffin that I also don't hate;

I'm not super sure what I'm gonna do for Mia's eventual ~special show-off scene~, but I'm sure it will come to me.

For MC, I want to show off her relationship with the city, and showcase how qualified she is for the job in a low-key way. I recently discussed with a friend how Men in Black is a huge source of inspiration for me... Y'all know the scene where Will Smith has his interview and did things differently from all the other candidates?? I kinda wanna capture that vibe...!

And ah... I think that's about it, Herotome-wise.

Wudge-wise, honesty hour - I've had ssssome mild health concerns this year.

I don't want to go into detail; I want to say it's been like... nothing life threatening, thankfully, but a lot of small physical inconveniences that pile up and make it harder to concentrate.

I did rest a lot last week so no worries. <3 It's just that parts of my body have been weird and annoying, and I think it's helpful to acknowledge that the flesh prison can be a weird and annoying place. But I value it! And I'm doing my best to take care of it. Health comes first, etc, etc.

With this new year, I hope you guys take care of yourselves as best as you can, too. The person who's most qualified to take care of you is you!!!

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

[ohhappyday123]

Office Dynamics - Part 9: Boredom and Bonding

The next day, the office was abuzz with the usual morning chatter as everyone settled in for a new day. You were at your desk, catching up on emails, when Michael's voice came over the intercom.

"Everyone, conference room! We've got a special presentation today. Let's move it, people!"

You exchanged a knowing glance with Jim, who was already rolling his eyes. "Another one of Michael’s 'special' presentations, huh?" he muttered.

You chuckled, grabbing your notepad and pen. "Looks like it. Let’s see what he has in store for us this time."

As everyone filed into the conference room, you noticed Tori, the new intern, setting up a PowerPoint presentation. She looked eager and a little nervous, which wasn’t surprising given the somewhat chaotic environment of Dunder Mifflin.

You and Jim found seats next to each other near the back, ready to endure whatever Michael had planned. Pam gave you a sympathetic smile as she took her seat across the room, while Dwight sat front and center, poised and ready to take notes.

Michael clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. "Okay, everyone, settle down. Today, Tori is going to give a presentation on improving office efficiency. I expect everyone to listen carefully and take notes. This is important stuff."

Tori started her presentation with a nervous smile. "Good morning, everyone. Today, I'll be talking about strategies to improve our office efficiency, focusing on time management, organization, and workflow optimization."

As she droned on about time management techniques and color-coded filing systems, you felt your attention slipping. You glanced over at Jim, who was doodling in his notebook. He caught your eye and leaned over, whispering, "Who knew there were so many ways to organize paper clips?"

You stifled a giggle, whispering back, "I think we might need an efficiency plan just to get through this presentation."

Jim snorted quietly, causing Pam to glance over and smile knowingly. Just then, Michael shot you both a stern look. "Hey, keep it professional back there. This is serious business."

You and Jim straightened up, trying to look attentive. Tori continued, oblivious to the minor disruption. "Now, let’s talk about the benefits of a clean desk policy. A clutter-free workspace can significantly increase productivity..."

As Tori’s voice became a monotonous drone, you felt your eyelids growing heavy. You fought to stay awake, but the combination of the warm room and Tori's soothing, albeit dull, voice was too much. Before you knew it, you had leaned over, resting your head on Jim's shoulder, and drifted off to sleep.

Interview with Y/N: “I didn’t mean to fall asleep during Tori’s presentation. It was just... really boring. And Jim’s shoulder was surprisingly comfortable.”

Jim glanced down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. He shifted slightly to make sure you were comfortable without waking you up. Pam noticed and shot Jim an amused look, mouthing, "So cute."

Jim rolled his eyes good-naturedly but couldn’t hide the warmth in his expression. He gently took your notepad and started doodling little cartoons on the margins, glancing occasionally at Tori’s presentation to make sure he wasn’t missing anything crucial.

Interview with Jim: “Y/N fell asleep on my shoulder during the meeting. It was adorable. And honestly, it made the presentation a lot more bearable.”

After what felt like an eternity, Tori finally wrapped up her presentation. "And that concludes my talk on improving office efficiency. Thank you for your attention."

Michael clapped enthusiastically, trying to rally the room. "Great job, Tori! That was very informative. Let’s all give her a round of applause."

The rest of the office joined in half-heartedly, relieved that the presentation was over. You stirred at the sound of applause, realizing where you were and quickly sitting up, embarrassed.

"Sorry, did I miss anything important?" you whispered to Jim, who was grinning.

"Just the thrilling conclusion about the benefits of a clean desk policy," he replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

You groaned softly, rubbing your eyes. "I owe you one for not letting me sleep through the whole thing."

Jim shrugged, his smile widening. "Anytime. You looked like you needed it."

Interview with Pam: “Y/N falling asleep on Jim's shoulder was the highlight of the meeting. They’re just so comfortable with each other. It’s really sweet to see.”

As everyone filed out of the conference room, Michael approached you and Jim, looking slightly concerned. "Y/N, you seemed a little out of it during the presentation. Everything okay?"

You nodded, still a bit groggy. "Yeah, Michael. Just didn’t get much sleep last night. Sorry about that."

Michael softened, patting you on the shoulder. "No worries. Just try to get some rest. We need you at your best."

You smiled, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks, Michael. I will."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of typical office activities, but there was a lingering sense of camaraderie and light-heartedness from the morning’s events. Pam and you found a moment to chat at her desk, still giggling about the meeting.

"So, you and Jim are getting pretty close," Pam teased, her eyes sparkling.

You blushed, shrugging. "Yeah, I guess we are. It’s nice."

Pam nodded, her smile widening. "You two make a great team. Both in and out of the conference room."

You laughed, feeling a warmth spread through you. "Thanks, Pam. That means a lot."

Interview with Y/N: “Today was a bit embarrassing, but it also reminded me how great it is to have supportive friends like Jim and Pam. Even in the most boring meetings, we manage to find a way to make it fun.”

As the day drew to a close, Jim walked you to your car, his hand brushing yours in a familiar and comforting gesture. "So, dinner tonight? My treat. Consider it a reward for surviving Tori's presentation."

You smiled, feeling a flutter of excitement. "Sounds perfect. But only if I can stay awake this time."

Jim laughed, opening your car door for you. "Deal."

Interview with Jim: “Days like today remind me how much I enjoy spending time with Y/N. Even the most mundane parts of the job are better with her around.”

As you drove away, you felt a sense of contentment and anticipation for the evening ahead. Life at Dunder Mifflin was full of surprises, but with Jim by your side and the support of your friends, you were ready for whatever came next.

[herrlindemann]

Sonic Seducer - 2008, interview with Flake

thanks to ramjohn for the scans.

While his colleagues from Rammstein are working at full speed in the studio on the still untitled successor to their 2005 album 'Rosenrot', we invited the eccentric keyboardist to our psycho couch for an entertaining one-on-one chat. Flake Lorenz on success, idols and the advantages of not owning a wallet!

What is your profession?

I'm forced to call myself a musician, anything else would be a lie! The last thing that would probably apply to me would be the term entertainer. You can't really call me an artist either...

Why shouldn't you be considered an artist?

Because such a view presupposes that I would make art! Music does not necessarily have to be art at the same time. As is well known, there is also dance music that is artistically less valuable.

Do you still have stage fright before performances today?

I still have stage fright, but mostly in situations where I'm not 100% sure about how the performance will go — like during my solo performance at the Berlin Volksbühne some time ago, for example. I prefer to follow a precise schedule with times and other details. I feel very safe knowing the band is standing here, I'm standing there and the crowd is standing over there etc.

Are you a generally insecure person?

Yes. I chronically doubt myself and all other people and things.

Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist?

Not at all! Quite the opposite: I'm a real Schludrian - fortunately!

What was your career aspiration as a child?

I really wanted to be a piano player. In the early days I had lessons, but I didn't have my own piano. So in my free time I practiced at the kitchen table on sheets of paper that I drew the keys on. At some point my parents saw that I was serious about playing the piano and bought me my own piano.

Were you a good student then?

At first, but later I became very bad. From the 7th grade I basically saw myself as a punk and school didn't interest me that much anymore.

Did you have to be bad at school to be a punk?

No, not necessarily. I became a bad student all by myself... I actually would have liked to have done better. In the early days of Feeling B I was still in 10th grade - when I came home from our performances at the weekend, I couldn't be completely rested and fit again at school on Monday morning!

What do you like?

Shipwrecks.

What do you hate?

Very much! I probably hate a lot more than I like. I couldn't come up with a top 10 hate objects without neglecting the rest of the stuff.

Where is the most beautiful place in the world for you?

At my home in the country, just outside of Berlin.

Who would you want to swap roles with for a day?

Actually with nobody. I've got enough trouble with myself that I don't necessarily have to take on another role!

What do you have in your pocket at the moment?

A tissue.

That's all?

And money. I always keep my money in my ass pocket — I've never used a wallet in my life!

Out of pure post punk conviction?

No. It's just that I wouldn't think of keeping my money in a wallet in real life. So far it has always looked like this: I kept my credit cards loose in my pocket on the front left and small change on the right. In the ass pockets, notes and banknotes for free use. That's how I got through life for a long time. A friend was very concerned that this would scratch my credit cards and ultimately render them unusable. So he gave me a small bag with a magnet closure. However, this magnetic clasp erased the magnetic strips on all credit cards, garage door openers and alarm system code cards the first time I opened it, so I had to apply for everything again! A clear sign of non-improvement! I dare not imagine what could happen if I used a wallet!

How important is success to you?

There's small successes and big successes — it doesn't bother me that a lot of people think I'm great. With the fame I get from working with Rammstein, the positives and negatives are roughly balanced. It is important to develop your own position on these things. If the TV program annoys me, I turn it off — the same with Rammstein: If I don't want to have anything to do with the band, I put my hat on, go to the back room and have my peace.

What will your life look like in old age?

I don't want to say anything wrong at this point. Mick Jagger said at the time there was no way he would still be on stage singing 'Satisfaction' when he was 50... I also never thought I would live very old. The way of life in this band is anything but healthy: the touring life, the flights every day, the excitement, the noise pollution...

Also, there is a lot of drinking. It has gotten better, but in the past people often drank to the point of unconsciousness; especially in the east. Always. With a reason or without.

Do you have idols?

I think Helge Schneider is very good.

What's your biggest fear?

Quite factually: before dying.

What are your goals in life?

There are none today — I'm done, I've done everything I set out to do!

Do you have any regrets?

My only regret is that I didn't do various things. Then nothing.

[dollsonmain]

That Guy helped clean for one day but then went back to refusing to do anything but play video games.

There's still guest-cleaning to do, and I'll have to knock it out before work. I think vacuuming the downstairs should be good enough, though I haven't checked Son's bathroom which is also the guest bathroom, yet, and it probably needs more work.

I also forgot to do the guest room sheets yesterday, I was so worn out. They're in the wash, now.

Then I have gas station work today.

That Guy said the outfit I picked out for the interview and hair and makeup looked good; both appropriate and on me. I don't know why that one website said the dress code was business formal, black, white, grey. Other than the security and police on site who were in full uniforms, everyone else was wandering around in jeans or slacks and polos or simple blouses. Everyone contracted from Goodwill gets a special overshirt they have to wear around, too. That kind of sucks, actually. It looks bad.

I am still VERY unhappy with how the hair spray dried out my hair. I'll have to not wash it for a couple days, let the natural oils reasaturate the strands, and hope that'll be good enough to make it happy again. If not I'll have to try a masque or something. I can't tolerate the texture of my hair being Wrong.

Mail room blather:

I am a little disappointed that it's not an actual mail room, like when I was in the army I would go get the mail, bring it back to the battalion, process any paperwork like package slips, sort the mail into mail boxes, etc.

That's what I was excited about when I saw the job posting. This job is not that.

She said she's looking for both a backup truck driver which I said I'm willing to try but can't guarantee I can drive the big truck (I did not mention the whole auto-accident related PTSD thing...), and a backup manager which of course that wouldn't be expected until I'd been there for a while and was very familiar and comfortable with the processes involved.

So they will go get mail and bring it back, but then the job is to do safety checks like I said, which was a part of it when I was in the army (there was an anthrax scare at the time and we had to take extra precautions etc. so at least I did already get that training), and to open packages and inspect the contents. I guess from there cleared mail gets passed off to someone else to be distributed or maybe representatives from the various departments come to get it or something. I would learn that later. Part of the job is making sure threatening letters don't make it to their intended targets.

She also said there is a LOT of downtime. So much downtime. Some people quit because they get so bored they can't take it. I can bring in a tablet or my phone and watch movies there's that much downtime. I'm not sure if I can be online and bothering you all, though, and am not permitted to take photos/videos in the mail room.

I can take projects, though, so it would be a good time to work on rehairs and the like.

It's kind of funny that I'd be going from being sedentary with no income to being over-worked at the gas station for very few dollars, to being sedentary again just not at home for ok dollars. $30k isn't a lot, here. The cost of living here is surprisingly high vs the population because we're close to DC. But it is a lot for doing not much, you know?

[rockinlibrarian]

fellow jaclyn moriarty fan! hello :3

Hello! Yes! Let's talk up Jaclyn Moriarty, fellow fan! Jaclyn Moriarty is an Australian author whose sister Liane eventually got more famous on this side of the world because she writes grownup books that get made into shows and stuff, whereas Jaclyn, who HAS written a COUPLE grownup books, MOSTLY writes children's and YA and so gets ghettoized by tasteless people. 🤪 When I first discovered her, she only had the first few Ashbury High books out, which (wrongly) were being marketed as typical realistic YA, so I'd had no temptation to pick them up, until I read an interview with her on a book blog and there was an instant "THIS IS A KINDRED SPIRIT! WE ARE OBVIOUSLY BEST FRIENDS WHO HAVE NEVER MET! ALSO SHE'S FUNNY! Maybe I should actually read one of her books." So I picked up her newest at that time The Murder of Bindy McKenzie (US title--it has a bunch of different titles around the world but always about Bindy) because it had "murder" in the title and was about what today would be referred to as an "autistic-coded" girl so that would be more interesting than straight up realism, and, okay, it was like nothing I'd ever read before. It was epistolary...realism?...but off-kilter, WEIRD. It was both funny and heartbreaking, which is always a nice blend, but my biggest takeaway was just that it was DIFFERENT and I liked it. So I read her other books only to discover they were ALL like that, and also even when there was romance the primary relationship focus was friendship which was really refreshing.

Then she came out with the Colours of Madeleine books which mixed FANTASY into this off-kilter worldview so that got EVEN WEIRDER and more wonderful and just when I thought I'd figured out all the twists it'd hit me with bigger ones out of nowhere! Also they spelled my youngest child's name right! Like Madeleine L'Engle!

By this time I was following her on social media and it became clearer the kindredness was from us being ADHD and loving stories. Whoo! And that's also when I found out she was working on a MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY ADVENTURE! WITH PIRATES! And I was like take THAT me of a decade or so ago that thought our tastes in books didn't overlap! And I can read it to my kids! So I've been reading each Kingdoms and Empires book to my kids and am now trying to get my hands on the latest, but my new library has a smaller budget and I can't get away with buying books just because I want to read them quite as easily. But I do have an excuse, because I'm definitely going to read a few chapters of Bronte Mettlestone to the Summer Reading camp group this summer (the theme is Adventure! How can I not!) So I'll HAVE to make sure we have the whole series...!

Anyway, I'm convinced every last person in the Kingdoms and Empires has ADHD, or at least some sort of neurodivergence, so these stories are truly a delight to read.

Thanks for letting me go off on this topic, anon friend!

[girderednerve]

okay! okay! i am such a functional adult human! wow!

today i accepted the job offer i got, withdrew my candidacy from the job that had a fucky interview (wrong zoom code, wrong time, yesterday evening the head of the committee pocket dialed me?). tomorrow i have to get my snow tires put on, which is good because it will be snowing. my partner is going to take wednesday off & we are going to run errands (fancy groceries). we will probably do some baking even though my stand mixer appears to have abruptly given up the ghost. on monday i start new job at 8:30 so i will have to get up at 7 (horrors). i am nervous but very excited. if i hate it i will just keep applying other places! it will be fine probably! it's very likely that the health insurance plan will not have a carve-out for gender-affirming HRT, which is good because i have an appointment to try to get on that in three weeks! i am being normal about that too!

i have now woven two towel-ish objects, which was very fun, and am now contemplating other possible projects. maybe something with a pick-up stick? maybe some string heddles?? apparently you can also do inkle bands on a rigid heddle if you are stubborn enough & i am tempted by this, in part because of my deeply unreasonable desire to weave shoelaces. shoelaces are so cheap & it feels interesting to me to make them in this very time-consuming way, contemplate Socially Necessary Labor Time, &c. if you have thoughts on weaving please share!

in more cringe news, i caught up on my h/ero a/cademia last night, then for some reason decided to make a 17-second video of manga caps set to "run away with me"? i am not sure why i did this other than having been possessed by the spirit of a fourteen-year-old. it was also a nice test case for how much faster video & photo editing is now that we have a graphics card (much faster!). also i have finished all of the major editing on the last part of my very long naruto podfic, so all that remains is to do the last-pass kind of stuff (normalize sound levels, de-ess, compress slightly); this time i would also like to take both preceding parts & make one m4b file with chapter marks, & i am struggling to work out how to do this on linux. it's fun to have a low-stakes computer problem :)

[belltrigger]

Submastober / Submas Sharetober Day 10!

Sharetober Inspiration: Detective Conan Title: We Are Who We Are, Even When We Aren't Word count: 1303 Synopsis: Kudari and Nobori are rich, complex people who are much beloved by both their employees and the people who visit the Subway. But maybe they aren't who they say. Dynamic: Nobori x Kudari

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Sometimes, it was easy to forget why he'd come here, to this Subway in Raimon City. He could get caught up in the idea of challenging trainers and awarding BP for wins, cheering those that bested him with as much enthusiasm as to those that lost.

If he asked a random passenger, or even their Depot Agents, certainly their answers would echo the same: he was here to rise to ever greater skill heights with his twin brother. Of course, everyone knew about that - he and Kudari frequently voiced this to challengers as well as in interviews. Having greatly skilled trainers come to them instead of being sought out made their wishes to improve that much easier.

But then, that wouldn't be the only thing that was easier with such a set-up.

No, in fact, none of that was the true reason he and Kudari had come to Raimon City, making a bold statement with their expressions and strict color coding. Marching directly to the Mayor's office, they showed off with dramatic poses and unique methods of speech. When it was accepted that they got the very first double Master position, they insisted on the creation of special matching uniforms. Lines were divvied up according to their particular instructions. Their names spread far and wide immediately, and some even likened them to the great dragons Reshiram and Zekrom.

It was once in a lifetime luck. None of that was standard procedure for going into deep cover. Usually, it was best to subtly slip in and work your way up the ranks, provide yourself a history. Flashy actions were warned against, because they got you noticed too fast by all the wrong people. Especially in the case of twins, they were already noticeable without all the extra flair.

However, such a long-term deep undercover mission required them to work together - neither of them were willing to let the other go alone. The worry would absolutely consume them, since they had been close since childhood. It had been Kudari's idea to remain twins during this mission; he claimed it would be weird to not see his brother's face when he looked in the mirror. He understood what Kudari was saying - if their fake personas were anything other than twins, he'd surely get a shock every time he looked to his twin. Still, he would have explained it a bit differently.

In any case, they went full-steam ahead with their plan to be these stand-out twins.

Nobori chuckled slightly to himself, bemused that even in his thoughts he was now using train-puns and vocabulary. It had become ever so easy now, and he silently thanked the extensive research he'd put into his persona's interests.

"Ingo!"

At the sound of his brother's call, Nobori turned crisply, hands behind his back. "Emmet! How did your battle go?" Stopping with a little bounce, Kudari was quite obviously full of energy. Surely, he must have faced an incredibly strong trainer.

"I am Emmet! It went great! Did you know? Many strong trainers come every day! But a really strong one came today and made it all the way to me." Enthusiastic, Kudari brought his hands up in fists, shaking them with barely contained excitement. He was practically hopping in place. An excellent battle, then.

At first, it had been so strange to hear his brother speak in such clipped, simple ways. Top of their graduating class, with Nobori immediately behind him, Kudari was a highly skilled orator. It was important to him to express himself clearly, but eloquently. In fact, Kudari had helped train Nobori on the speech patterns that he now used. But at the same time, he had always sounded so serious and distant - his scholarly tone would offer no opportunity to question him, and held utmost authority.

Something else, too, became different now that his brother Kudari was his brother Emmet.

When they were younger, Kudari's smiles were subtle, small things that only Nobori could really notice. It was not severe like the frown that Nobori now wore as Ingo, but his brother's mostly neutral expression often led people to believe his mood to be ever-sour.

In their actual line of work, Kudari could never let his guard down during their normal cases. Their true work was dangerous but necessary, and although it was one they willingly entered, the circumstances that led to it were messy and still hurt his heart to think on. But here, in Raimon's Battle Subway, he could have a fun day, talking casually to passengers, joking around with the Agents, and facing against challengers who sought to prove themselves. It was so far removed from their actual job, but Kudari had been the one to suggest these personas.

All of that left Nobori wondering if this was the ideal life that Kudari wished for.

He would not say that Kudari was unhappy before but...

As he watched Kudari eagerly recount the battle that he'd just experienced, Nobori never imagined living this life could have impacted Kudari so positively. He smiled so much now - when they first were developing these personas, it was a strain for Kudari to smile so broadly. Over time, though, the smile became more natural and brighter. He laughed way more often. Unlike before, they had enough free time to try restaurants and talk walks through the bustling night life of the city on a whim. Were he engaging in these activities with anyone but his twin, any onlooker would think they were on dates.

And with this thought in the back of his mind, Nobori found himself falling in love with his brother the more he saw his happiness shine through.

It was... improper to be sure. Not only was he falling in love with his twin, but it was happening while they were hiding their true identities. Such a revelation could easily be misconstrued. He feared that confessing this to his twin could be interpreted as him "preferring" Emmet to his true brother. Such a thing couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, he would argue that this *was* his true brother.

"I am Emmet. I think Ingo is no longer listening!"

Snapping his attention back onto Kudari, Nobori blinked. It was true, he had been caught in his thoughts, content in his twin's presence.

"Ah, my apologies, Emmet. I did not mean to rudely become distracted in my own head."

Kudari gave him a smirk, which to outsiders was only visible in the narrowing of his eyes. His smile, Emmet's smile, remained in a pointed v. "Ingo better be thinking of dinner. That is the only thing that could be more important than a good battle!" Putting his fists on his hips, Kudari straightened his shoulders and nodded his head.

It was too endearing. Nobori wasn't sure how much longer he could last without telling his brother about the feelings that had developed within him.

"Indeed. In fact, I was thinking of treating you to that new cafe you were eyeing on our walk to work today." Kudari perked up, dropping his hands from his hips as he stared with great interest. "Cloud informed me of a special menu event they are hosting. It would be a most excellent station to stop at on our track home."

"A treat! A treat! Ingo's treat!" Kudari whirled around on his heel, beginning to walk back to their office in large swinging strides. Following along and quickly catching up to walk next to his twin, Nobori clasped his hands behind his back. If the opportunity arose to inform his twin of how he was feeling, then so be it.

For now, he would think how best to prove to his brother that his love was true and not merely a quirk of their current identities.

~~*~~

Detective Conan spoilers ahead!

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 75

McCoy

“Are you for real?”

McCoy grinned at his sister’s exasperated face on the PADD.

“Why would we schedule an interview for you? We don’t know your class schedule or when you’re free,” Leah said, rolling her eyes at her brother.

“I’m still a member of the royal family and interviews are set up by our people,” McCoy retorted.

“Maybe you should be setting them up through your admirals now,” Leah bit back.

“Oh.” McCoy frowned.

“Oh, now it sinks in,” Leah said.

“No, I mean, am I allowed to give interviews as a cadet? I am part of Starfleet now, do they have rules about that?”

“How would I know?” Leah demanded, throwing her hands into the air.

“Who would I even ask?” McCoy mused, looking past the device in front of.

“Dinnae ken love,” Scotty answered from where he was sitting at his desk. They had returned from the walk in the gardens and had barely sat down before Leah had called.

“Well,” Leah cut back in, “find out. And then send when you’d be free so apparently we can arrange this for you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” McCoy said, waving a hand at his sister. “Late afternoons and evenings are open so far.”

“Call Mother,” Leah told him. “You’ve been lazy about that and she misses you.”

“I will. After dinner tonight,” he promised.

Leah sighed loudly. “We’ll get this sorted out for you, but next time do some thinking first.”

“Love you too Leah,” McCoy grinned.

“Bye Scotty,” Leah called. “Robbie said to tell you hi.”

“Thanks lass! Tell him hi too,” Scotty replied.

“Will do! Bye Lenny.”

“Bye.” McCoy set the PADD aside as he ended the call. “Bit of time still before dinner,” he said to Scotty. “Any thoughts?”

“Bet ye’ve got some naughty ones,” Scotty laughed as he got up to join McCoy on the bed. He moved in for a kiss, then moved back.

“No,” McCoy protested, with a blush. “We’re caught up in homework, I thought maybe we could read a bit.” He reached for the book on the bedside table.

“Suppose we could,” Scotty agreed.

“And if we got any other ideas, I’m sure we could act on those,” McCoy grinned.

Scotty laughed. “Whose turn is it?” he asked.

McCoy shrugged. “I don’t mind.” He sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard and got comfortable as Scotty snuggled up to his side.

McCoy looked over as a gasp came from Christine. They were nearly finished with dinner and the dining hall was emptying out. He was just about to ask what was wrong when Christine spoke.

“What happened to Jim?”

Heads turned at their table to where Jim and Spock were just entering. Even from across the room one side of Jim’s face was brighter than the other. McCoy looked at Scotty wondering what they should say. Jim had very obviously wanted to forget the incident.

“That’s for him to say if he wants,” Scotty said in a quiet voice.

“It’s funny,” Cora said, “but I saw one of the Hammersley’s officers today and he could have been Jim’s twin. I had to do a double take.”

McCoy saw the weak smile on Scotty’s face. Next to him, McCoy felt Christine tense. She looked right at Scotty.

“He isn’t…” she said.

“He is,” Scotty replied.

“What are you two talking about?” Jaylah asked.

“Did…” Christine began.

Slowly Scotty nodded. Christine’s face darkened.

“They talk in code,” Chekov said to Jaylah. “Perhaps we should too. We could make one.”

With their trays filled, Jim and Spock began to walk over.

“Jim! Are—”

“Alright?” Keenser cut Christine off.

Jim looked over at the small alien.

“Yes. Thank you.” His voice was tight and all could hear the unsaid ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

“What did you all do today?” Jim asked, very deliberately changing the topic away from himself.

Part 76

Scotty

After dinner, Leonard made his way to their shared room to call Eleanor and at first Scotty wanted to join him, however, when he heard that Spock had to finish a project at the science lab, he decided to spent some time with Jim instead.

He caught his blond friend in the hallway, calling after him.

"Hey Jim, can I join ye?"

Jim turned around to face Scotty and there was this look in his eyes the Scotsman knew all too well. Jim thought that he planned on pitying him. Which wasn't the case! At least... not completely.

"What? You don't want to spend time with your lovely prince?" Jim asked, one eyebrow raised.

Scotty chuckled and shook his head before shrugging his shoulders.

"Nae, he already has other plans. Leah basically ordered him to call his mother. And I thought maybe I could call mum too. I'm sure she'd be happy to see ye."

At the mention of Francine, Jim's face brightened up. Scotty knew just how much his friend liked his mother. And he knew that Jim couldn't say no if it was about her.

"Sure. Let's head over to my room," he offered and Scotty followed him with a smile.

A funny sight awaited Scotty when Jim opened the door. A sight, he clearly had expected.

Spock's side of the room looked as neat as new. All his things were properly placed and everything was tidy.

Jim's side... looked like pure chaos. Clothes were scattered across the bed and floor. The bed itself looked messy as hell. Nothing was in its place.

"Don't let mum see yer side of the room," Scotty couldn't help but joke and Jim only grinned.

"Don't worry. From where we'll be sitting, she can only see Spock's side."

Jim sat down in one of the chairs that was placed in front of his desk.

"You can take Spock's chair from over there," he told Scotty with a nod of his head and the Scotsman did as he was told.

Jim was right. Sitting at his desk only Spock's side of the room was visible.

"I hope mum is awake already. This bloody time difference!" Scotty muttered as he started the call.

They waited for a moment but it didn't take too long for Francine's face to appear on-screen.

At first she looked very tired, but as soon as she saw who was calling, a smile spread across her face.

"Monty? Oh and Jim! Hello lads!"

She happily looked from one boy to the other.

"Hey, a mhàthair."

"Good evening, Francine. We hope we didn't wake you?"

"Nae, nae. I just got up. It's so nice to see ye! How are ye? How are yer studies going? How-"

Scotty swallowed when he saw his mother's eyes narrowing. She moved closer to the screen to get a better look at the boys. Her eyes widened.

"What in the name of the lord happened to yer face, Jim!"

Scotty tried his best not to swear. He really had hoped that the color couldn't be seen on-screen. He didn't want Jim to need to talk about it again.

He was very surprised when his friend spoke up.

"I... got into a little fight. It's nothing big."

Jim claiming that it was nothing big, didn't stop Francine from being furious.

"Who did that to ye? Did ye report them? How dare someone strike ye!"

A crooked smile formed on Jim's lips as he carefully touched his cheek.

"Sam."

It surprised Scotty even more how open and honest Jim was about what had happened. Never would he have thought that he would tell Francine everything.

"Yer brother? What is he doing at the academy? And how dare that boy hurt ye!"

So Jim told her. He told her about what had happened in town. He told her about how Sam had tried to talk to him and how everything had gotten out of hand.

Scotty could see his mother's jaw tense with every word Jim said. Anger mixed with disbelief and shock.

"Such behavior is totally unacceptable! Ye have to report him! And tell yer mum about it!"

Jim sighed and shook his head.

"It wouldn't change a thing. I'd rather just forget about it."

Worry filled Francine's eyes. She could see that this was all bothering Jim quite a lot.

"How about ye give me a number and I'll contact that young lad myself? I sure as hell have a lot of things to say to him."

"Thank you. But that's really not necessary, mu- Francine."

A blush crept onto Jim's face as he noticed that he had almost called his counterpart 'mum'. But Francine only smiled at him.

"I see. Then please call me at least if there is anything on yer mind ye want to talk about, will ye?"

Jim nodded, a grateful smile on his lips.

"I will... thanks."

"Now, tell me about yer studies, will ye? How's it going?"