#something about turning the mansion into a mcdonald's play place

[dog-beast]

(Narrator 1 Voice)

Moc Weepe...is in a ball pit.

[husbandhoshi]

Congrats on 3k!! You deserve it sooo much💌

If you have the time (and only if you have the time!) I would like to request a sort of a short bullet point fic. Or more so just your thoughts on the following: moving in with seventeen. Who is the one that labels every box? Who will live out of moving boxes for the next year. And yeah, just overall the vibes of new beginnings and promises😶‍🌫️

Pls only do write something if any of this inspires anything, if not pls don't feel burdened to write anyway!

I love your writing, so once again: congrats on the succes💗

seungcheol thinks it's one huge adventure. yes, he will be the person lifting the stupidly heavy boxes at the store. yes, he will make it a competition to build furniture as fast as possible (and race to take it all apart when you discover the desk legs are all different lengths because someone thought he could figure it out without the manual). even among the graveyard of boxes and bubble wrap and those huge styrofoam slabs he keeps chasing you with, seungcheol is happiest to lay with you on your bare, naked mattress (because he forgot to order sheets). he's planning what pictures of the two of you he wants to put on the walls. this is the first time he's owned a welcome mat and he's not even mad about it. it's all yours, together, and there's no bigger adventure than that.

his walk-in closet. bowls the perfect size for a portion of ramen, plus an egg. the lego taj mahal with two pieces missing that he insists will turn up sometime. these are some of the things jeonghan's not sure he can bring to your new apartment. it's not that he doesn't want to move in with you--he just doesn't know if he can. hell, you kissed him for the first time on the tiny futon in his living room, and he just learned it's too small for your new place. it's not until he watches you, later that day, play jenga with the toiletries on his bathroom counter because there's never been enough space for the two of you, that he realizes maybe it isn't such a bad thing to try something new. he imagines leaning you against a new sink, with that carrara marble you've been talking about, and he might even say he's looking forward to it.

you don't think there's a day you haven't seen joshua on zillow. look at my pinterest board, he'd say, and you wouldn't have it in you to ask how the hell you're affording that couch or if you really need a salt lamp that badly. you've lost count of the times your thursday nights consisted of a: your favorite chinese takeout and b: watching celebrity architectural digest videos. but joshua can't help it--to him, there's really nothing that would make him happier than waking up next to you in a bed you picked together. now if it was a midcentury modern canopy bed? even better. he can't wait to use his fancy little espresso machine to make your morning latte and grab your coat from the rack you got from that shop in LA before he kisses you before you head off to work. but they're all just things (pretty, shiny ones, albeit)--more ways he can show you the love you deserve.

junhui loves a good open house. early on in your relationship, you would dress to the nines before pretending to shop for a mansion you could never afford. junhui would comment on the door handles and the crown molding like he was a property brother, and then you'd finish the night off making out in the mcdonald's drive-thru. things are a little different now that you actually can afford a home. what if you end up not liking it? will you get tired of the wallpaper? will the closet be big enough? but surprisingly, none of this seems to matter when you walk into the house. (what's on your mind? you ask him. n-nothing, he says.) but he's really thinking about feeding you in that kitchen and spending the morning looking out those bay windows. how beautiful you'll look greeting him from that front door. needless to say, he's sold.

you find soonyoung hiding in the kitchen at your housewarming party. just an hour earlier, he was dumping cans of sparkling water in the jungle juice to make it more "adult" (as if it would erase the fact that an entire bottle of everclear had already disappeared into the mix). the hour before that, he was cleaning like a madman despite there not being much to clean yet. he held the duster the wrong way and you think he got more windex on the ceiling than on the windows. darling, what's wrong? you ask. his little, drunken hands wrap around yours so he can bring them to his cheeks. i just realized this is all ours. like, all of it, he wails, teary, and you realize he is far too many drinks down. it's only after you've sent him to bed with a water and a kiss that you really think about what he said. the hardwood floors, the duvet, the misshapen tiger plushie on the couch, him--all ours.

wonwoo is not an easy person to live with. the first three things he unpacked were, in order, his table, his first monitor, then his second monitor. then he ruined your perfectly curated aesthetic with his neon red keyboard and a gaming chair that would make any interior designer cry. the final straw is when wonwoo manages to kill the one and only houseplant you have, the single thing holding your home decor together. but he's trying, he really is. he's bought a silly little throw blanket for your couch (aren't the tassels fun? he says, wiggling the fabric between his hands). his ugly lamp has been replaced by a strange glowing cat light and there's a sticker on his computer tower. he buys a succulent and you have a little naming ceremony in your kitchen. and it lives, against all odds!

jihoon doesn't know the difference between a chaise and a sectional. cherry and mahogany look the same to him. and god forbid you ask him to choose between terrazzo and subway tile because he really thinks both of them look good and, no, he's not just saying that to make your life harder. jihoon isn't good at the hgtv stuff, but he's happy to move all the boxes. it's only when he's unpacking said boxes that he finally gets it. (the vase that came with the first bouquet of flowers he bought you. the record player you got him for your first anniversary, now fingerprinted, well-loved. matching valentine's day teddy bears, worn and baby pink.) you're standing on a stool stacked on top of another stool trying to hang a poster, and this is what home looks like.

seokmin wants to live in the ikea showrooms. you can't blame him--sometimes, when there's nothing better to do, you'll spend your afternoon in a bedroom that's not yours. seokmin will try on the lumpy blazer from the closet, and you'll beckon him to your sprawling king size bed, the one sat next to the painted on windows and floating shelves. honey, come to dinner, you'd say. he'll peek over your shoulder, arms wrapped around your middle, and you open the lid to a big, steaming pot of nothing. micke or lagkapten? you ask, completely unseriously. but he's thinking about it, really thinking about it. in his mind, he's building a home together, silly furniture piece by piece, counting down to the days when you really can agonize over plants and how many drawers you want in a desk.

when you got the keys to your new place, mingyu insisted you eat jajangmyeon to commemorate move-in day. unfortunately, he failed to account for the series of delays that led to you having absolutely no furniture to move in on said move-in day. but mingyu is nothing if not a man with a plan, so he runs to the store and buys the cheapest assortment of kitchen tools and ingredients for the world's most unlikely dinner. we really don't have to do this, you laugh, the backs of your legs cold on the kitchen counter. but i want to, he insists, holding out a spoon for you to taste. we have to christen the apartment. you eventually do christen it the right way (involving: lots of tongue, even more laughter), but you might prefer, just a tiny bit, the night you sat on the empty kitchen floor and fed mingyu out of a pan.

minghao has rearranged the living room four times now. every time you walk in, it feels like you've entered someone else's house. it doesn't look right, he says, hands on his hips like his life depended on it. you don't know how to tell him they all look right, every single version. in the first version, all cardboard furniture and plastic wrap, you gave up on deciphering the wifi setup and built a fort instead. the second involved an ottoman in the walkway, which you almost immediately stubbed your toe on (and laughed so hard you cried). in the third, the couch faced away from the adjoining room, and you accidentally spooked minghao so badly he almost broke his knitting needles. but it's all perfect, every iteration, because you're doing it together--a hypothesis he's more willing to believe when you shut him up with a kiss.

don't look now, but seungkwan is buying another doodad at your local sunday swap meet. it's a small painted figurine of a bear in a nightcap, which he simply points to and says that's me. you don't have it in you to mention the fact that you're currently unpacking his seemingly never-ending assortment of doodads and you couldn't possibly know where one more would go. it's only when you're getting ready for bed that you catch the little bear in the glow of the alarm clock light. there's already a turtle with a hat in the medicine cabinet (jeju, last summer). on top of the fridge, a woodcarving that says EAT. (tj maxx, 2 years ago. it still makes you laugh). even though you just moved, all these little seungkwan-isms make home a little more home.

you wouldn't call vernon a planner. his version of housewarming is watching you play the sims. but real life doesn't have nearly as much poolside drama or five story houses--just packing peanuts and 50 page appliance manuals. aren't boxes just drawers? vernon asked you one day. no, but that's how it always starts. two weeks after move-in, vernon cooks you breakfast with a pan procured from a cardboard box. by three weeks, you know the exact box everything is in. (you still haven't been able to find vernon's avril lavigne let go album, though.) it's only when you're eating dinner on top of the box that your dining table is in when you say, vernon, baby, i think we need to actually move in. he takes one look at you, who's wearing mismatched socks and his boxers because your shorts are underneath the tv box, and his smile nearly splits his cheeks. yeah, i think so too.

if you had asked chan what his dream house looked like, he would say it had a wraparound porch, a white picket fence, and a pool. your new apartment has none of those things. the length of your bedroom is a little more than one and a half times the length of his body and he's not even that tall. if he looks out the window he can see right into his neighbor's apartment (three cats and no bitches. almost like he's living next to wonwoo). and his feet stick out of the tub. but he's learning how to live in small spaces. he likes the squeeze of your bathroom, how you have to sit on the counter if you want to both brush your teeth together. he likes the bump of your elbows when you wash the dishes together. most of all, he likes falling asleep with you slotted to his side--even in your tiny bed, he wouldn't mind having you a little closer.

[cometmystic]

hey!! i dont think youve posted abt this yet so… tell me abt your fav characters!!! :D

im about to ramble and expose some weakpoints on the internet so heres a cut !!! im gonna talk about the three that are in the forefront of my mind at the moment !! maybe this will change if you ask me in a months time,,, maybe not !!! mwah thank you for sending me asks sweetie

lots of history with this girl; soo i found out about her during my first mugen phase ? so like 11-13ish,, there was a genre of character that was modeled to play like smash bros characters, and in looking those up, i found one of this weird woman... hong meiling was her name ? she was related to this weird frog girl whose hat was evil and maybe the mcdonalds song girl ? whatever the case i needed to download her. and i couldnt because the download was down. this sent me uo the wall for several years and implanted her name into my brain,, up until i got into touhou proper thanks to you actually !!

so now im learning about the lore and the characters, and turns out theres more to this meiling than being elusive and pretty !!! so this gloomy, scary place behind one of the touhou worlds most significant battles is guarded by this friendly, easygoing redhead ? and shes fiercely loyal and protective of the mansion as well as gensoukyou, despite being employed by people who almost ate the world right up ? thats so wonderful !! shes so cool !!! and she takes care of flowers, and canonically doesnt like dodging bullets and tries catching them instead, and no one has any idea of what she is...!!!! theres so much to her !!! but most of all, the absolute tragedy of some of her mansionmates getting boatloads of development and lore, while shes,, basically in the same place she started in ? even flan did ! but meiling still gets depicted as just lazying about, despite that trait of hers being in favour of working in the scarlet devil mansion, which people fear and dont visit ? or rather used to... so she should have evolved along with it,, so that sadness also makes me even more attached to her in a way !!

i know shes not the most mistreated character in touhou or anything, far from it since shes a th6 girl and those get Everything and everyone sick of them but... idk !! id love to see more of her shine someday ouo

heres some sprite art i made of her

this character is a whisper in the wind. this character is a shadow in the wall of a cave. this character is the tree that falls with no one to hear. this character isnt real. this character is one of my favourites

like shes drenched, positively oozing with lore and content, and its all so utterly relevant and unique that i cant possibly talk about any of it because i cant be bothered to spoiler tag this,, but like,, reading between the lines of the fiction and uncovering lil things about her and what shes like was the most fun ive had during my dngnrnpa phase, to the point that,, here she is still !! at the tippy top !! and because of things youre intimately familiar with russell, you probably know shes probably gonna stay !! im very sentimental like that

and it wasnt even just lore either, her design kind of instantly drew me to her back when i was part of the original animes speculation circle and,, wow suddenly my sonas attire seems a little um,, familiar doesnt it : ...i promise i had other inspiations for ir too óuo;

heres some pixel art i made of her

finally this girl !! much like is the theme here, some lore to my meeting this one !!! this one predates even meiling, since i think i was 9 or 10,, see there was a broadcast channel here called animax, and its responsible for a lot of my taste even nowadays,, from the name you can guess it broadcast all sorts of dubbed anime all day long, most of which i absolutely should not have been watching at that age, like hellsing and gantz oops... well there was this other one which until like 4 years ago i only had the faintest recollection of,, i think there were demons in it or something,, mostly i remember being infatuated by the blonde girl

well 2018 comes around and the memory of this lady shoots straight into my brain in the middle of a call with you russell, which you might remember ! i describe to you what it looks like and tell you that i think a guy kills her and she has him help kill bad guys or else hell kill him right back ? and you, through intense googling, eventually are able to tell me it was called lunar legend tsukihime. woag ! lore unlocked

i wiki crawl for a while out of curiosity and find out that she has a fighting game that kinda rules, and that everyone hates the anime and you should read the visual novel instead and,, hey were making a visual novel at some point huh russell ? maybe i should study up on this tsukihime thing,, apparently its pretty influential,, and

obviously arcueid is ridiculously charming and fun, and every second with her is a mildly exciting, mildly creepy (fun way) delight, and its hard not to absolutely love her for that alone !! but also like,, much like the love for meiling started like a new phase in my life, arcueid did the same thing, in a very wonderful way ? a phase where were both really into this thing and talking about it so often and making so many new ideas about it together,, were playing higurashi currently and it feels like an extension of this, of her, and like,, its so special

i love what meeting arcueid again after 10 years did for me

heres some pixel art i made of her

and if you stuck with me for this long, heres a lil gift !! a lil happy ending for 13 year old me i suppose !!!

i found her after all ouo

[niskoo]

Burrito run

pairing: rich kid! Jake x rich kid! reader

genre: fluff, crack, bff2l! AU

warnings: food, swearing, sneaking out (??)

word count: 3k words

a/n: my dumbass posted this on my nct acc omfg

this was originally for haechan of nct for my nct acc (@daegall) but i thought i could treat you guys to hehe

networks: @enhypennetwork

You had known Jake for more than half of your lives. Thanks to both of your rich ass parents setting you two up for a playdate at the age of 12, now you have found your rock and partner in crime. You know when he's feeling down, when he wants to cause trouble for no reason, when he has an eye for someone, heck, you know when and how to get him out of any situation when needed.

Like right now, as he gives you a side glance as he talks boringly to a group of men. All they talked about was business. Jake wanted to talk about that one burrito place down the block, he wants to get out of there and go get some. He wants to get out of this stupid high class party he has no part of.

He knows you do too, he knows by the way you keep glancing at the back door by the kitchen, and how you occasionally move to each group closer to the door. You know he catches up to the plan, how he also moves from group to group, excusing himself every 2 minutes.

You politely excuse yourself from the many unknown rich aunts who just questioned your love life, giving them a very passive smile, before turning to move to another group.

You don't get to go to another group, because you're already so close to the door, and Jake approaches you.

"Why, hello there, miss Y/n."

You feign shock at his greeting, holding a hand to your chest, "My, Jaeyun, wasn't it? It's been too long!"

Your best friend nods, playing along to the small skit you two have created, "About 2 hours, I think? You've grown very beautifully,"

You flick your hand at him, nudging his shoulder not-so-gently, "Oh stop."

You bite your lip to hold back a loud laugh when Jake winces at your harsh push at his shoulder, watching as his face twists in playful anger. You can't help but thin he looks absolutely adorable, nose scrunched up and eyes narrowed in a non meaningful glare, you ought to kiss his puffed cheeks.

You shake the last thought from your mind, bringing the elegant glass of champagne to your lips, sipping lightly at the sweet and slightly sour liquid. You then take a double check around the spacious room, to see if anyone is watching.

Your mother and father were chatting at the far corner with the parents of Jay, a guy you met earlier this evening. He looked just as bored as you. Jake's parents stood not too far from your parents, greeting anyone who approached them.

This was your chance.

Quickly, as Jake was mumbling something about you growing up strongly as well, you grab his arm. He yelps in surprise, as you drag him through the back door, lightly blushing at your gentle touch at his wrist.

The back door soon slams behind the both of you, and you are met with a large yard.

"Y/n! What if someone caught us?"

Giving Jake a side glare, you start to trudge down the flight of stairs to the garden, "You were too busy complaining about my guns to notice we had a chance to escape. You're welcome."

"You're weak!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

You ignore the upcoming argument you could've started, taking off your painful heels. They were absolutely stunning, but stung your feet constantly. Beauty is pain, as mother says.

"Lead the way to the burrito truck you claimed to see on the way here!"

Through the many bushes, and many guards, and even more bushes, you finally make it out the the big mansion, and into the dark streets. It's 10 in the night, you hope the burrito place is still open or your only choice left is a McDonalds about an hour away or convenience store food. Not that you minded, but you haven't had a burrito since you were 18. You had it right after graduation day with one of your closes friends who you have no idea of her whereabouts now.

The last time Jake had a burrito is about last week, the first time he met another rich kid named Sunghoon. Their parents gave them a bunch of money to go spend on expensive and top quality foods, but they both mutually agreed to get cheap burritos that would probably give them a bad stomach.

Jake takes the lead, as expected, for he was the one who spotted the food truck. He took off his blazer some time ago, you don't remember when, but with his jacket thrown over his elbow and sleeves rolled up like that, you can't help but admire.

You notice every single little thing about him, his slow, rhythmic paces, occasionally kicking stray rocks on the sidewalk. You watch as his hair slightly bounces as he kicks yet another rock, and you want to pet his hair.

There was that one time when you were 16 and you had a movie night as your parents went away for some business, he had his head on your lap, you didn't mind for some reason. At some point you had started playing lightly with a few strands of his hair, but you didn't notice. The moment you softly ran your hands through his hair, you realized, and decided to keep your hands to yourself after that. To your surprise he protested against it, claiming it was very comforting. So now every time one of you come over to the other's house, you would somehow find yourself playing with his hair, like pure human instinct.

But now as you observed your best friend more, you have a different feeling running through you as you had an urge to softly play with them once more, as if it wasn't as platonic anymore. But that was absurd. you've been friends for 10 years now, why are you just feeling like this now?

Your heart jumps in your chest when you are suddenly met with Jake's eyes, shining brightly with a slight mischievous gloss glazing over them. "Can we pick up the pace please? I'm getting pretty hungry and I know you are too."

Your heart softens as he sticks his arm out, gesturing you to come next to him. You jog barefoot to his side, instantly looping your arm with his.

It doesn't take long to find the food truck Jake mentioned, just a 10 minutes from the mansion, somewhere near the center of town. You had to drive about 2 hours to get here, and so did Jake, so it's a bit strange how he knew his way around the town so easily. You guess he just is that way.

You practically drool at the smell of savory foods that lingers in the air, sucking the saliva in your mouth.

Your best friend eyes you playfully, nudging your hip with his, "See? What did I tell you? Burrito food truck!"

You don't respond, simply grunting and dragging him to the cashier to order some food.

It takes a lot of time to decide on what burrito you'd buy, there were even tacos, and weirdly, cookies and croissants. It was your dream food truck, really. In the end, you both went for the classic burrito, nothing could beat it.

There were no seats to the food truck, sadly, so you and Jake opted to sit on the curb, legs sprawled out on the road, hopefully no cars drive by.

"You ready?" Your best friend asks you, looking at you with much anticipation. You stare at your own burrito in much more anticipation, it's been 4 years since you had a burrito. You wonder how you could survive that long.

You nod vivaciously, already opening your mouth to take a bite. Jake chuckles as he watches you take your first bite, your cheeks instantly puffing out full of the contents. You shut your eyes in bliss, licking your lips for anything left on them.

As you continue to chew, you shake your head, "Shit, I haven't had anything this good in sooo long." You exaggerate, taking yet another bite of the heavenly treat.

Jake can't agree more, he just had a burrito last week, but somehow eating one with you feels different. Especially when you don't mind him seeing and pointing out the smeared food around your mouth, simply trying to search for it with your tongue instead.

Your best friend wants to cherish this moment forever, keep it deep in his heart and laugh at it in the future when he suddenly gets reminded of it, he wants to brag about it to his friends, maybe even share it with his grandchildren, he doesn't know. All he knows is that you're it for him.

You're the one he's spent all of his teenage years with, his first heartbreak, first sleepover, first drink was with you, heck, you were his first close friend!

You know so much about him, you share so much about yourself to him, he's the one you trust. He's the first person you call out to when you're down, first person you call out to in the best of your times. It amazing how much you've been through together, and Jake thinks anything is possible, as long as it's you.

Falling in love seems so much easier than ever, especially at that moment, eating a burrito instead of the expensive caviar at the party before, just with him. And nobody else.

He wants to make you his. Not just his best friend, his lover, his soul mate, his whole world. Not that you weren't already.

"What's wrong?" you suddenly ask Jake, startling him. "You nudge your chin at the burrito in his hands, "Why aren't you eating?"

Jake flushes, realizing he's been staring at you the whole time, taking a big bite of his burrito, before looking away bashfully. "It's nothing."

You grow suspicious of his actions, watching as he swallows and bites his lip shyly. You choose to leave it there, instead bringing up your parents being out of town next week.

The conversation keeps going, from one topic to the other, swerving all over the place, but that's just how it is, talking to the person you're most comfortable with.

The conversation goes on and on until you find yourself walking along the streets blindly, fiddling with the paper packaging of the burrito you ate. You also find yourself wearing Jake's shoes instead of walking barefoot, he gave to you after you complained about walking over so many rocks, and you didn't like how your heart swarmed and beat dangerously fast as he claimed it would be better if you borrowed them for the night.

Strangely enough, his blazer he took off about and hour ago now stayed on your shoulders, keeping you warm from the cold breezes of the night. All your best friend's actions made you swoon over him, and that wasn't something you would feel often. Maybe occasionally, but not everyday.

Jake doesn't know what got into him when he took his shoes off for you, or when he draped his blazer on your shoulders, or why he took your heels and held it for you. What he does know, is that he enjoys the way your lips purse and a light shade of pink dusted over your cheeks. Or how you pull his blazer tighter around your body and sub-consciously loop your arm around his again.

You two never really got to go through the proper high school experience, your parents forced you to go to a strict school with strict rules, they didn't even have celebrations.

Jake always imagines what it would be like to go to a dance, prom, maybe? Full of fun, dancing, and definitely you. You had a similar vision. Chugging down punch or soda and dancing crazily together until you both get sick and throw up in the bathroom.

Prom was like a mutual yearning for the both of you.

God, how you would kill to have a normal high school experience.

"You know," Jake starts, "this feels like I'm walking you home after prom."

You can't stop the grin from reaching your lips, giving into it and letting out a soft laugh. Softly, you elbow his side, "Corny."

There are a few laughs here and there after that, but overall just comforting silence that goes throughout the night. The crickets that echo throughout the night are your only noises, and the few cars rushing by. You two come to a stop at a random bench by a streetlamp, settling there until you realize it's time to go back to the party.

You realize it, but you just don't want to let go of the moment.

You feel Jake hook his leg under yours, swinging them together in sync as you rest and stare into the night sky. Tonight isn't that much of a pretty night, no stars, barely a moon, but that's alright, you're enjoying the most of it.

You turn your head away from the boring black sky, instead facing the mot interesting thing you find in life. Jake is staring down at your swinging legs, smiling at the sight. He fiddles softly with your fingers, caressing and tracing them as if they were one of the most precious things in the world.

Your eyes trail from your tangled legs, to your tangled hands, all the way up to Jake's face, tracing each and every detail with your gaze. You don't remember when he matured, you only remember the fluffy cheeked bowl cut Jake when you two were still middle schoolers. Now all that cheek has become more defined, especially his jaw, you can't help but admire him. He was like a piece of art. Your favorite piece of art.

For the second time that night, you focus on his hair, and ought to run your hands through them once again. To pull him into your embrace as he rests on you, to simply relax and twirl his strands around your fingers.

It seems like whenever you're staring at his hair, Jake just startles you with his eyes, still glossy, but this time they hold something different.

They admire you just as much as yours admire him.

Slowly, as if an unspoken agreement, you lean in closer to his face. His breath close to your cheek sets goosebumps trailing your body, and his touch now on your neck warms you inside.

Your eyes flit between his eyes and lips, oh those plump, soft lips you dream of. You would never admit it, but you have had many urges to crash your own upon them.

And that's exactly what you do. Though, crash isn't the right word to describe it. They press together softly more than recklessly, pulling into a soft lock, something much more than just platonic love being poured into it. Pure bliss and love are being poured like gentle and calm rivers, the ones you find clear and beautiful in parks. It runs faster as Jake tilts your head to kiss you closer, lips wrapped up in the warmth of yours. It feels like home to him.

Jake is absolutely perfect, you decide, despite all the many nights spent together breaking down, left for each other to pick the other up, it makes him perfect.

He thinks you're the most flawless thing he's ever seen, despite all the gems and crystals he sees in most parties, you're the brightest one shining, he could never find any jewel more valuable than you.

You pull away with one last soft lock of your lips, but stay close and ghost them together. You find his eyes the shining the most you have ever seen in the 10 years you have spent with him, one different emotion fluttering behind them. Love.

You surely don't feel that big of a person when you're at these big rich parties, even if everyone knew of your name. But kissing your best friend and being the one he sees, he loves, being his, you feel like you could rule the world.

You know you're his after this. How could you not? The way he breaks out into a very bashful smile when you leave one last peck on his lips, the way he holds you so close. There was no way he couldn't be yours after this.

A week later you have a very sleepy boyfriend on your couch, his head resting on your lap as you play softly with his hair. Nothing is all that different, except for all the kisses he steals when reaching up to you. And of course, the corny lines being thrown at each other as a competition to see who can come up with the cheesiest, most disgusting pick up line ever.

"I want to wrap you in my arms and make you my baerito."

"Ugh Jake that was just straight but bad! Not even funny or cheesy!"

Jake simply laughs, and wraps his arms around you just as he claimed to have wanted to, mumbling how he agreed into your forehead.

Being in his arms, you feel like you could fight everything that would try to hurt your lover, but for now you stick to the playful pokes he gives to your stomach and sides.

[daegall]

Burrito run

pairing: best friend! Donghyuck x reader

genre: fluff, crack, bbf2l! AU

warnings: food, uuuh sneaking out??

word count: 3k words what

a/n: hyuck brainrot. thats all i have to say.

networks:@neoturtles @knet-bakery @kokonomi @twozeronet

You had known Donghyuck for more than half of your lives. Thanks to both of your rich ass parents setting you two up for a playdate at the age of 12, now you have found your rock and partner in crime. You know when he's feeling down, when he wants to cause trouble for no reason, when he has an eye for someone, heck, you know when and how to get him out of any situation when needed.

Like right now, as he gives you a side glance as he talks boringly to a group of men. All they talked about was business. Donghyuck wanted to talk about that one burrito place down the block, he wants to get out of there and go get some. He wants to get out of this stupid high class party he has no part of.

He knows you do too, he knows by the way you keep glancing at the back door by the kitchen, and how you occasionally move to each group closer to the door. You know he catches up to the plan, how he also moves from group to group, excusing himself every 2 minutes.

You politely excuse yourself from the many unknown rich aunts who just questioned your love life, giving them a very passive smile, before turning to move to another group.

You don't get to go to another group, because you're already so close to the door, and Donghyuck approaches you.

"Why, hello there, miss Y/n."

You feign shock at his greeting, holding a hand to your chest, "My, Donghyuck, wasn't it? It's been too long!"

Your best friend nods, playing along to the small skit you two have created, "About 2 hours, I think? You've grown very beautifully,"

You flick your hand at him, nudging his shoulder not-so-gently, "Oh stop."

You bite your lip to hold back a loud laugh when Donghyuck winces at your harsh push at his shoulder, watching as his face twists in playful anger. You can't help but thin he looks absolutely adorable, nose scrunched up and eyes narrowed in a non meaningful glare, you ought to kiss his puffed cheeks.

You shake the last thought from your mind, bringing the elegant glass of champagne to your lips, sipping lightly at the sweet and slightly sour liquid. You then take a double check around the spacious room, to see if anyone is watching.

Your mother and father were chatting at the far corner with the parents of Renjun, a guy you met earlier this evening. He looked just as bored as you. Donghyuck's parents stood not too far from your parents, greeting anyone who approached them.

This was your chance.

Quickly, as Donghyuck was mumbling something about you growing up strongly as well, you grab his arm. He yelps in surprise, as you drag him through the back door, lightly blushing at your gentle touch at his wrist.

The back door soon slams behind the both of you, and you are met with a large yard.

"Y/n! What if someone caught us?"

Giving Donghyuck a side glare, you start to trudge down the flight of stairs to the garden, "You were too busy complaining about my guns to notice we had a chance to escape. You're welcome."

"You're weak!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

You ignore the upcoming argument you could've started, taking off your painful heels. They were absolutely stunning, but stung your feet constantly. Beauty is pain, as mother says.

"Lead the way to the burrito truck you claimed to see on the way here!"

Through the many bushes, and many guards, and even more bushes, you finally make it out the the big mansion, and into the dark streets. It's 10 in the night, you hope the burrito place is still open or your only choice left is a McDonalds about an hour away or convenience store food. Not that you minded, but you haven't had a burrito since you were 18. You had it right after graduation day with one of your closes friends who you have no idea of her whereabouts now.

The last time Donghyuck had a burrito is about last week, the first time he met another rich kid named Jeno. Their parents gave them a bunch of money to go spend on expensive and top quality foods, but they both mutually agreed to get cheap burritos that would probably give them a bad stomach.

Donghyuck takes the lead, as expected, for he was the one who spotted the food truck. He took off his blazer some time ago, you don't remember when, but with his jacket thrown over his elbow and sleeves rolled up like that, you can't help but admire.

You notice every single little thing about him, his slow, rhythmic paces, occasionally kicking stray rocks on the sidewalk. You watch as his hair slightly bounces as he kicks yet another rock, and you want to pet his hair.

There was that one time when you were 16 and you had a movie night as your parents went away for some business, he had his head on your lap, you didn't mind for some reason. At some point you had started playing lightly with a few strands of his hair, but you didn't notice. The moment you softly ran your hands through his hair, you realized, and decided to keep your hands to yourself after that. To your surprise he protested against it, claiming it was very comforting. So now every time one of you come over to the other's house, you would somehow find yourself playing with his hair, like pure human instinct.

But now as you observed your best friend more, you have a different feeling running through you as you had an urge to softly play with them once more, as if it wasn't as platonic anymore. But that was absurd. you've been friends for 10 years now, why are you just feeling like this now?

Your heart jumps in your chest when you are suddenly met with Donghyuck's eyes, shining brightly with a slight mischievous gloss glazing over them. "Can we pick up the pace please? I'm getting pretty hungry and I know you are too."

Your heart softens as he sticks his arm out, gesturing you to come next to him. You jog barefoot to his side, instantly looping your arm with his.

It doesn't take long to find the food truck Donghyuck mentioned, just a 10 minutes from the mansion, somewhere near the center of town. You had to drive about 2 hours to get here, and so did Donghyuck, so it's a bit strange how he knew his way around the town so easily. You guess he just is that way.

You practically drool at the smell of savory foods that lingers in the air, sucking the saliva in your mouth.

Your best friend eyes you playfully, nudging your hip with his, "See? What did I tell you? Burrito food truck!"

You don't respond, simply grunting and dragging him to the cashier to order some food.

It takes a lot of time to decide on what burrito you'd buy, there were even tacos, and weirdly, cookies and croissants. It was your dream food truck, really. In the end, you both went for the classic burrito, nothing could beat it.

There were no seats to the food truck, sadly, so you and Donghyuck opted to sit on the curb, legs sprawled out on the road, hopefully no cars drive by.

"You ready?" Your best friend asks you, looking at you with much anticipation. You stare at your own burrito in much more anticipation, it's been 4 years since you had a burrito. You wonder how you could survive that long.

You nod vivaciously, already opening your mouth to take a bite. Donghyuck chuckles as he watches you take your first bite, your cheeks instantly puffing out full of the contents. You shut your eyes in bliss, licking your lips for anything left on them.

As you continue to chew, you shake your head, "Shit, I haven't had anything this good in sooo long." You exaggerate, taking yet another bite of the heavenly treat.

Donghyuck can't agree more, he just had a burrito last week, but somehow eating one with you feels different. Especially when you don't mind him seeing and pointing out the smeared food around your mouth, simply trying to search for it with your tongue instead.

Your best friend wants to cherish this moment forever, keep it deep in his heart and laugh at it in the future when he suddenly gets reminded of it, he wants to brag about it to his friends, maybe even share it with his grandchildren, he doesn't know. All he knows is that you're it for him.

You're the one he's spent all of his teenage years with, his first heartbreak, first sleepover, first drink was with you, heck, you were his first close friend!

You know so much about him, you share so much about yourself to him, he's the one you trust. He's the first person you call out to when you're down, first person you call out to in the best of your times. It amazing how much you've been through together, and Donghyuck thinks anything is possible, as long as it's you.

Falling in love seems so much easier than ever, especially at that moment, eating a burrito instead of the expensive caviar at the party before, just with him. And nobody else.

He wants to make you his. Not just his best friend, his lover, his soul mate, his whole world. Not that you weren't already.

"What's wrong?" you suddenly ask Donghyuck, startling him. "You nudge your chin at the burrito in his hands, "Why aren't you eating?"

Donghyuck flushes, realizing he's been staring at you the whole time, taking a big bite of his burrito, before looking away bashfully. "It's nothing."

You grow suspicious of his actions, watching as he swallows and bites his lip shyly. You choose to leave it there, instead bringing up your parents being out of town next week.

The conversation keeps going, from one topic to the other, swerving all over the place, but that's just how it is, talking to the person you're most comfortable with.

The conversation goes on and on until you find yourself walking along the streets blindly, fiddling with the paper packaging of the burrito you ate. You also find yourself wearing Donghyuck's shoes instead of walking barefoot, he gave to you after you complained about walking over so many rocks, and you didn't like how your heart swarmed and beat dangerously fast as he claimed it would be better if you borrowed them for the night.

Strangely enough, his blazer he took off about and hour ago now stayed on your shoulders, keeping you warm from the cold breezes of the night. All your best friend's actions made you swoon over him, and that wasn't something you would feel often. Maybe occasionally, but not everyday.

Donghyuck doesn't know what got into him when he took his shoes off for you, or when he draped his blazer on your shoulders, or why he took your heels and held it for you. What he does know, is that he enjoys the way your lips purse and a light shade of pink dusted over your cheeks. Or how you pull his blazer tighter around your body and sub-consciously loop your arm around his again.

You two never really got to go through the proper high school experience, your parents forced you to go to a strict school with strict rules, they didn't even have celebrations.

Donghyuck always imagines what it would be like to go to a dance, prom, maybe? Full of fun, dancing, and definitely you. You had a similar vision. Chugging down punch or soda and dancing crazily together until you both get sick and throw up in the bathroom.

Prom was like a mutual yearning for the both of you.

God, how you would kill to have a normal high school experience.

"You know," Donghyuck starts, "this feels like I'm walking you home after prom."

You can't stop the grin from reaching your lips, giving into it and letting out a soft laugh. Softly, you elbow his side, "Corny."

There are a few laughs here and there after that, but overall just comforting silence that goes throughout the night. The crickets that echo throughout the night are your only noises, and the few cars rushing by. You two come to a stop at a random bench by a streetlamp, settling there until you realize it's time to go back to the party.

You realize it, but you just don't want to let go of the moment.

You feel Donghyuck hook his leg under yours, swinging them together in sync as you rest and stare into the night sky. Tonight isn't that much of a pretty night, no stars, barely a moon, but that's alright, you're enjoying the most of it.

You turn your head away from the boring black sky, instead facing the mot interesting thing you find in life. Donghyuck is staring down at your swinging legs, smiling at the sight. He fiddles softly with your fingers, caressing and tracing them as if they were one of the most precious things in the world.

Your eyes trail from your tangled legs, to your tangled hands, all the way up to Donghyuck's face, tracing each and every detail with your gaze. You don't remember when he matured, you only remember the fluffy cheeked bowl cut Hyuck when you two were still middle schoolers. Now all that cheek has become more defined, especially his jaw, you can't help but admire him. He was like a piece of art. Your favorite piece of art.

For the second time that night, you focus on his hair, and ought to run your hands through them once again. To pull him into your embrace as he rests on you, to simply relax and twirl his strands around your fingers.

It seems like whenever you're staring at his hair, Donghyuck just startles you with his eyes, still glossy, but this time they hold something different.

They admire you just as much as yours admire him.

Slowly, as if an unspoken agreement, you lean in closer to his face. His breath close to your cheek sets goosebumps trailing your body, and his touch now on your neck warms you inside.

Your eyes flit between his eyes and lips, oh those plump, soft lips you dream of. You would never admit it, but you have had many urges to crash your own upon them.

And that's exactly what you do. Though, crash isn't the right word to describe it. They press together softly more than recklessly, pulling into a soft lock, something much more than just platonic love being poured into it. Pure bliss and love are being poured like gentle and calm rivers, the ones you find clear and beautiful in parks. It runs faster as Donghyuck tilts your head to kiss you closer, lips wrapped up in the warmth of yours. It feels like home to him.

Donghyuck is absolutely perfect, you decide, despite all the many nights spent together breaking down, left for each other to pick the other up, it makes him perfect.

He thinks you're the most flawless thing he's ever seen, despite all the gems and crystals he sees in most parties, you're the brightest one shining, he could never find any jewel more valuable than you.

You pull away with one last soft lock of your lips, but stay close and ghost them together. You find his eyes the shining the most you have ever seen in the 10 years you have spent with him, one different emotion fluttering behind them. Love.

You surely don't feel that big of a person when you're at these big rich parties, even if everyone knew of your name. But kissing your best friend and being the one he sees, he loves, being his, you feel like you could rule the world.

You know you're his after this. How could you not? The way he breaks out into a very bashful smile when you leave one last peck on his lips, the way he holds you so close. There was no way he couldn't be yours after this.

A week later you have a very sleepy boyfriend on your couch, his head resting on your lap as you play softly with his hair. Nothing is all that different, except for all the kisses he steals when reaching up to you. And of course, the corny lines being thrown at each other as a competition to see who can come up with the cheesiest, most disgusting pick up line ever.

"I want to wrap you in my arms and make you my baerito."

"Ugh Hyuck that was just straight up bad! Not even funny or cheesy!"

Donghyuck simply laughs, and wraps his arms around you just as he claimed to have wanted to, mumbling how he agreed into your forehead.

Being in his arms, you feel like you could fight everything that would try to hurt your lover, but for now you stick to the playful pokes he gives to your stomach and sides.

[dudeandduchess]

Yakuza!Kyōjurō x F!S/O: Sugar and Spice (Mafia!AU, Modern AU, NSFW Series)[Chapter 5]

Summary: Kyōjurō and (Y/n) meet at a party, only to find out that their lives would change forever— since they had been arranged to be married.

Warnings: Making Out, Dry Humping, Extreme Fluff

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4| Chapter 6

***

(Y/n) wasn’t a stranger to fast food establishments at all; especially when she was far away from her family at university, and well away from having to keep up pretenses— on the off chance that an off-the-rails paparazzo would recognize her and hound her for an interview.

She liked to partake in the occasional burger from McDonald’s, and the odd fried chicken from KFC every once in a while. But it was the first time that she’d even been to a fast food restaurant while dressed to the nines.

Hell, she was even wearing statement jewelry that her mother had told Rin to make her wear. And that had her gripping her seatbelt even tighter than before; especially as Kyōjurō pulled up right in front of the busy McDonald’s without a care in the world.

As if he owned the road, which he may as well have— what with the wide berth that people and cars had given him.

(Y/n) couldn’t blame them at all; she would have dived for cover the moment that she had spotted the 4444 digits, as well as the little crown at the corner of Kyōjurō’s license plate. But that was before she had come to be engaged to a Yakuza member— the heir of the family, no less.

“Are you serious? We’re eating here?” She didn’t have any qualm with fast food at all— it was just that they were extremely overdressed. And it was already garnering the attention from a couple of pedestrians, which had her sinking into her seat even further.

But Kyōjurō seemed like he couldn’t give two fucks about what anyone else thought, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and didn’t even bat an eye as he got out of the car; rounding it, all so he could open her door for her.

Gentlemanly, and it wooed (Y/n) a little, but it did barely anything to ease the embarrassment that she got from the stares of all the passersby.

“Why, princess? Too casual for you?” Kyōjurō teased, watching with amusement as his fiancée huffed a little while undoing her seatbelt. And, as a little act of rebellion, she ignored his hand and stepped out of the sedan as gracefully as she can— impressing Kyōjurō even more, as she seamlessly rose up without even parting her legs to move.

“In this case, yes. And in case you haven’t noticed, Kyōjurō, everyone has been staring at us.”

“So? Let them stare; it’s the first time that they’d seen someone as beautiful as you.” The Rengoku answered smoothly, taking (Y/n) off guard and making her cheeks bloom a vibrant red from embarrassment.

And, with a soft chuckle, Kyōjurō quickly took his fiancée’s hand into his own— before tugging her towards the bustling McDonald’s for a quick breakfast.

To Kyōjurō’s surprise— and his utter delight— she managed to finish her pancake and sausage meal; before giving his remaining pancake longing looks across the table.

(Y/n) tried to avoid looking at the fluffy pancake, as it was rude to do so, but her eyes always gravitated towards it; her stomach speaking for her and making her mouth water for the sweet treat. After all, pancakes were one of her most favorite breakfast items— if only for the fact that her father had always taken her to get them before school, before he was the Prime Minister.

The faintest of smiles graced her lips at the fond memories that came flashing in her mind; a reaction that wasn’t lost on Kyōjurō at all, especially since it gave her such a soft and ethereal glow that had him completely transfixed.

His mouth would have fallen open, had he not caught himself in time and kept it closed. And, before he could help it, an equally subtle smile tugged up at the corners of his lips— all while he admired the woman whom sat adjacent from him; the woman who was going to be his wife.

“What’re you smiling about?” The question wasn’t harsh at all, it was merely inquisitive, which had Kyōjurō playfully tilting his head slightly and amping up the wattage on his smile.

However, instead of being teasing, he decided to be upfront with her— hoping to catch her off guard.

Which he did, with his answer.

“You. The way you’re the most beautiful person here without even trying...”

(Y/n)’s lips pursed at those words, but the smile that she tried to hide with that action still crept through the tiny cracks in her façade. It completely enamored the Rengoku even more, as opposed to turning him off from her false placidity.

“You’re too much of a charmer, Kyōjurō,” (Y/n) conceded in a somewhat playful tone, before idly taking her cup of orange juice and taking a sip of it— if only to hide her oncoming blush and flustered smile behind the action.

“Only for you, princess.” And honestly, he really meant it; he’d always been charming, but it was only with her that he truly meant everything he said.

***

A two hour drive later found (Y/n) staring in awe up at the tall trees that bordered a two-lane road up in the mountains. They had turned off from the main road five minutes ago, but she had yet to see where her fiancé was taking her.

If she were to be honest, she would say that she was getting slightly nervous. She couldn’t help the reaction though, as it made sense— all because of Kyōjurō’s job’s nature. She had come to like him to a degree, but she had yet to put her trust in him.

After all, she had to be careful, as she had gone into the arrangement with her eyes wide open. His family was cashing in a favor her father owed, and she could never forget that.

But that didn’t mean that she should hate him for it, as she’d come to realize during their breakfast. He wasn’t all that bad, and he was very easy on the eyes— which was an extremely huge plus.

“I hate to ask this so late, but where exactly are we going?” (Y/n) finally piped up, turning away from the seemingly neverending foliage and looking over at Kyōjurō— whom had his full attention on the road.

He didn’t even turn towards her when he answered, “Somewhere special, and somewhere... private.”

The way that the last word rolled off his tongue was packed with so much meaning, that she couldn’t help but feel herself get a little hot under the collar at his double entendre. Still, she pushed for complete placidity, and even opted to cross her legs at the ankles— if only to squeeze her thighs together.

“I’m sure you’re gonna like it there, sweetheart. Best of all, you won’t have to deal with your mother for a while,” Kyōjurō joked with a grin, still not looking at her, but turning to his left before veering the car left.

A sharp gasp escaped from (Y/n)’s lips at the reckless move, only to be truly left speechless when she got an eyeful of the view in front of her. From a break in the foliage, she saw that they were on a cliff face, with a traditional Japanese mansion down below— complete with an expansive garden— and partnered with such a breathtaking view of Saitama’s lush mountains serving as the backdrop.

Not even the sound of Kyōjurō pulling up the handbrake ruined the tranquility of the moment.

She had been to so many beautiful places in the world, but something about the place just seemed so... tranquil. Like it had touched not jusy her heart, but also her soul.

From his seat, Kyōjurō watched in fascination as his fiancée’s expression became even lovelier as the seconds ticked by. She took in the view so hungrily, that he wasn’t prepared for the sheer admiration in her eyes when she turned to finally look at him.

“Is this yours?” She asked softly, her voice barely above breaking a whisper.

And, with a subtle shake of his head, he gave in to his instincts and leaned in closer to bridge the gap between them— cupping her cheeks in his hands and bringing her face in so he could brush his lips against hers. “It’ll be yours too. Soon, Mrs. Rengoku.”

It was only meant to be a quick peck, but Kyōjurō couldn’t help himself and deepened it into a proper kiss; one that had (Y/n) melting right into his touch. She pliantly parted her lips for his tongue, moaning softly against his mouth when he moved to play with hers.

But things didn’t stop there for the couple, as (Y/n) released more of her control and allowed her lover to pull her over the console and right onto his lap. Thankfully, her dress was flared enough to have not ripped when she instinctively straddled him.

It was a tight fit, with her pressed flush against him— as the steering wheel was digging into her back— but she paid no mind to it as she traded kiss for kiss with her fiancé. All the while, the Rengoku’s hands anchored themselves to either side of her waist, kneading her sides before the right one moved down to cup her ass and squeeze it through her dress.

“Fuck, baby, I want nothing more than to fuck you right here,” Kyōjurō hissed, as he hungrily devoured his lover’s lips with open mouthed kisses. He had even taken to nipping at her lips every once in a while to ease the frustration he felt, especially with her pussy pressed flush against the steadily rising bulge between his thighs.

But he couldn’t break his own word— that his cock was a wifey privilege. Because not only would that be embarrassing and needy as hell for him, it would be going back on his word. And if there’s anything that Kyōjurō hated, it was going back on someone’s word— especially his own.

In response to that, (Y/n) began to grind her pussy up against Kyōjurō’s erection; wrapping her arms even tighter around his shoulders, while her fingers buried themselves in his hair. “Do it. Fuck me right here.”

Part of her was surprised at her shameless words, but she couldn’t very well take them back anymore so she decided to remedy her gaffe by being the one to dive in for another open mouthed kiss— if only to distract her lover from what she had just admitted to wanting, in a roundabout way.

Kyōjurō’s cock was throbbing with need at that statement, but he still forced himself to pull away before things could press on to the point where even he would lose sight of his own control. It was the hardest thing he’d had to do in a while, and it was obvious by (Y/n)’s expression that she did not appreciate being rejected once more— which he tried to smooth over with one last kiss to her luscious lips.

“Wifey priveleges, princess. Not until you’re officially mine.”

[perhapsthanatos]

06:01 am with sungchan ♡

nct's sungchan x fem!reader (ok do u guys know that one vine where its in a party & a girl is vaping & a dude says “wow”? yeah, thats where i got my inspo from)

alternate title: after the afterparty

genre: fluff. pinning. non idol au. party!au (is that a thing?).

word count: 1250~

playlist: melodrama (the whole album) by lorde.

warnings: mentions of some of the nct dream members as well as some mentions of the loona members (not really a warning though). this is set before corona was a thing (pls dont do this now). it is set in a house party (with tension). mentions of drugs (weed), alcohol & smoking. mild swearing. making out perhaps? lower case intended.

a/n: this has been on my mind for awhile now & im really excited to put this out there! it also has more tension compared to the other works so yay :)) i also just wanna take a moment to thank the lovely @nct99 for helping me out with this plot & giving some prompts & ideas too?? :(( she is such a sweetheart & pls she is so talented too ugh im so glad we r mutuals & fellow lorde stans :(( give her love rn or else i will eat ur shower curtains (& nae i hope it was worth the wait! i wish i added more references tho lmaoo)

another graceless night and another house party. this time, it was chenle’s birthday. he is a friend of yours, known for having a huge mansion and known for throwing the best parties regardless of the occasion. come to think of it though, it could easily be the 7th one this week and it’s barely wednesday. the evening passes fast as golden rays already start to gently peek through the thin curtains of the tall windows near the living room, as bodies of wasters are sprawled all over the house.

you lean back on the couch further, a curtain of haze taking up your vision as you inhaled another hit of the fresh blunt. even with the sun rising, you still make most of what you can get before everyone (and everything) starts leaving. you never were a party person until your friends dragged you into it. since that day you found it to be a fun way to get rid of your problems and worries (even if it was just for a few hours). partying (as gross as it sounds) became a routine, even becoming its own cycle. you come, you leave and you have everything in between be a complete blur, maybe even staying completely jaded until the daylight returns. some nights it feels good to kiss and keep busy rather than face the constant harsh reality.

you turn your head to see sungchan, the back of his head resting on the top of the couch right next to you. his leather jacket rubbing against your bare arm. his eyes are closed showing off his long lashes and his pink lips are chapped and parted. he looks seraphic in this light.

to be honest, you didn’t know much about sungchan. all you knew was that he’s the new kid who started getting close with jisung barely a month ago. that led jisung to introduce him to the group and him getting welcomed in with open arms by everyone, except you. it’s not that you hate him or have anything against him, if anything he seems like the most charming people out there. you just have trouble opening up to new people especially when you’re already so comfortable with the others (which he could kind of guess already). but since he joined, he was also dragged into the party scene and often played the role as the designated driver and part-time babysitter (a role that he takes seriously along with jeno). it isn’t an uncommon occurrence for him to be seen wrestling the bottle of gin away from hyejoo, strapping in renjun’s seat belt for him, cleaning up yerim’s vomit or carrying an unconscious donghyuck over his shoulder. come to think of it, he fits in just fine. you have often found yourself near him during parties. just kicking back and sitting in a comfortable silence with you drinking and smoking from time to time. he is the one that notices when you’ve had enough and wanted to leave. maybe you’re more alike than you think?

“feeling good?” he asks, smelling the fresh smoke. he turns his head to you and opens one of his eyes.

you only nod and sigh, turning your head back to the ceiling. waves of calmness hit your head, forcing every burden out. you were about to offer him a hit but you remembered that he would only reject it. but you take another for yourself and he can only stare, completely enamored. we watches the smoke escape your lips in slow.

the thing is, he always had some sort of thing for you. a crush? a person he found cool and therefore admired? a person who he found so damn gorgeous all the time? god knows. all he knew was that there was something in you that was so addictive. on the nights where he’d stay sober, he’d watch you sit by his side, quietly drinking up your little movements and habits. even if he hates the taste of alcohol or the smell of gasoline, he loved how your teeth would close around the liquor-wet lime slices that would sit on the side of your cup and how your smoke always finds a way to leave him stained. he would constantly be falling into this fixation of you. you are etched into his mind as the embodiment of perfection even if you have multiple flaws just like he does. his mind constantly lays restless during the most ungodly hours while all of his dreams show you and him in different dimensions. it hurts him to violently like you like this but how can he not resist when the heartache came from you?

“sungchan,” you quietly call out, turning your head back to him, only to see him already staring.

“hm?” he takes one of your hands, in case you wanted to get up and couldn’t walk.

“may i try something?” you ask him, curiously with your hooded eyes barely holding on to consciousness.

“what is it?” he sits up, trying to help.

you gently push him back into the couch and straddle his hips. his eyes slightly widen and his cheeks turn a rosy red.

“ah, y/n, you’re fucking high.” he warns, stroking your hair and leaning further back.

you only giggle. your finger lifts his chin up, making him look directly at you. his shaky eyes are too irresistible.

“tell me when you wanna stop.”

you take the blunt, inhaling deeply. he continues to hold you, admiring the view while he’s at it.

you then gently pulled him closer by the neck (quite slowly incase he wanted to oppose) to leave an open-mouthed kiss on his plum lips to transfer the smoke into his mouth. he does not fight the feeling, how can he when your lips are the softest thing he has ever felt? the smoke began to seep through as he started to move his lips, eliciting a groan from you. is this what euphoria feels like? his grip on your waist tightens as your arms wrap around his neck, prompting him to go further.

sungchan, almost breathless pulls on your bottom lip, bruising them to then pull away to work at your neck, licking and leaving kisses all over. butterflies filled your stomach for the first time in awhile. you never felt this way towards another person in too long. is it love or desperation? you watch the smoke flow away so gracefully around your bodies, despite what just happened. sungchan pulls away and looks at you, his eyes holding the world. you pray that you didn’t frighten him away.

“you do not know how long i’ve been wanting to do that,” he whispers, his forehead against yours. you smile in return, pulling away to place a small kiss on his jaw which clenches from the sudden contact. you rest your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes as his head rests on yours and his cold hands trace patterns against the skin of your back.

“know i think you’re fucking awesome, right?” you hum, making him smile like an idiot.

“hm, no. but i think you should know that i think you’re really fucking awesome, right?” he says holding you tighter and gently swaying from side to side.

“you wanna leave here and get some mcdonalds or something?”

“ooo, what ever happened to the babysitter and designated driver, hm? so what, you plan to leave them here hungover and defenseless?”

“shut up, it’s already dawn. they can take an uber. i just wanna spend time with you right now.”

“alright.”

© perhapsthanatos (efa)

[novannna]

Best of Friends

Word count: 1663

@renegadesnet event 4: osby october ↪ [ Ruby’s Pov-she is in love with Oscar, but doesn’t think he loves her back.  Takes place sometime before Renegades.  Yearning, kinda angsty, a little bit of fluff between sketch’s team.   ]

Ruby watched Oscar from across the lounge while he was talking to Adrian.  They had just gotten back from their patrol, and were relaxing in HQ.

“Ruby!”  She heard someone snap.  Danna was standing right next to her, an irritated expression on her face.  

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.  “What were you saying?”

Danna sighed. “I said Adrian wants us to meet at his house later for a movie.”

“Oh.  Will Oscar be there?”  Ruby asked hopefully. 

 “Probably.  Adrian asked the whole team.  And you should come.  It’ll be fun.”

Ruby shrugged.  “Sure, sounds good.”  She turned back to glance at Oscar.  

Danna sat next to her.  “You two are perfect for each other.  Why don’t you just ask him out already?”

Ruby blushed beet red.  “What- I, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered.  

Danna raised an eyebrow.  

“Oscar is just a friend.  He’s just another member of the team.  I don’t like him like that.”

“Then why do you keep looking at him like he’s the only thing in the world?”

Ruby ducked her head.  “I don’t like Oscar.”

Danna chuckled.  “Of course you don’t.  Silly of me to think any different.”

Ruby nodded her head sharply.  “Exactly.  Quite silly of you.”  

“Hey guys,” Adrian’s voice cut into their conversation.  “What are you talking about.”

“Nothing!”  Ruby said quickly as she saw Oscar right behind Adrian.  

“I was just telling Ruby about movie night,” Danna said smoothly.

“Oh.  Are you going?”  Oscar asked.

“I think so.  Are you?”  Ruby asked.  

Danna and Adrian exchanged an eyeroll.  

“Yeah!  It’s gonna be fun.”  Oscar slung an arm over Adrian's shoulder.  “Adrian’s promised me lots of popcorn and red vines, so you bet I’ll be there.”

Adrian shook his head.  “Don’t worry, Oscar will have his own bowl.  Otherwise we wouldn’t get any.”

Oscar laughed.  “You know me too well.”  

“Well, I’ve spent enough nights crying myself to sleep because you took all my food to know that you get your own, and we share the rest,” Adrian joked.  

“Unless he runs out, and eats ours too,” Danna added.  

“Hey, I make no promises.”  Oscar laughed.  “In fact, I’m hungry right now.  I’m going to go change, then does anyone wanna go to Mcdonalds with me?”

Danna wrinkled her nose.  “Mcdonalds?  I’m good.  I don’t understand how you like that crap.”

“You can have your own opinion,” Oscar said haughtily.  “But mine is obviously the right one.” 

“I’ll go,” Adrian said.  “I’m pretty hungry as well.”

“Ruby, what about you?”  Oscar asked.  

She felt a burst of excitement rise inside her.  Oscar wanted her there!

“Oh, I don’t know.  My mom probably wants me home soon…” she said, trying her hardest to keep the quiver of glee out of her voice.  

“Please,” he begged.  “I want to hang out with my best friends.”

And just like that, Ruby’s excitement withered away to nothing.  She tried not to look crestfallen.  Best Friends.

That was all they were.  That was all they were going to be.  Just best friends.  Not anything more.  Oh, that cut deep into Ruby’s heart.  If only he knew how much she yearned to be with him.  If only he knew that she fell in love with him the moment she saw him, just the boy with a cane, standing in the center of a studium, screaming fans all around.  She fell apart every single time he reminded her what they were.  And she still wanted so badly.  She was in love with the renegade who could control smoke.  She was in love with the boy who loved all sorts of food.  She was in love with the boy who loved to play video games with her.  She was in love with the brave, kind, selfless, smart, handsome, reckless, funny, charming, awkward boy Oscar was.  

But he did not love her back.  

He never would

They were always going to be best friends.  She heard that enough, you would have thought that it would begin to hurt less.

Danna winced next to Ruby.  

“Yeah, come on Ruby!  I’m sure your mom won't mind too much,” Adrian chimed in.  

“... I guess.”  Ruby shrugged.  “But I can’t stay out for too long.”

“Yes,” Oscar cheered.  “Danna you coming?  You can watch us eat, and be sad about how wrong you are.”

“No.  My dad needs help around the house today.  Some other time though,”  Danna said.  

“Okay.  We’ll miss you!”  Adrian said.  

Danna nodded. “Of course you will.”  She waved goodbye, then burst into her black and gold butterfly swarm.  

“I’m going to go change.  I’ll meet you guys here,” Ruby said.  

“Yeah.  See you soon.”  

Ruby smiled, and hurried off to the changing rooms.  

---

Ruby knocked on the door to Adrian’s house.  The mansion’s windows were bright against the dark evening sky.  

“Ruby!”  Hugh said brightly, as he opened the door.  “I assume Adrian invited you over?”

“Yeah,” she replied, trying to sound brave.  She knew that he was Adrian’s dad, but he was also the most important person in the city.  It was hard to not be intimidated by the man.  

“Go on down.  Danna and Oscar are already there,” he said warmly.  

“Thanks.”  she hurried down to the basement, where Danna, Adrian and Oscar lay sprawled across the floor.  An assortment of snacks and blankets were scattered everywhere.  

“Hey guys,” she said brightly.  

They all started.  

“Ruby, you scared me!”  Oscar said.  He put a hand on his chest.  

Her face reddened.  “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“Oh, it's fine,” Oscar replied, his face red as well.  

“Come on, we were just deciding which movie to watch,” Adrian said, patting a spot on the ground next to him.  

Ruby plopped down, and shoveled a handful of popcorn from a nearby bowl into her mouth.  

“What are the options?” 

“Avengers, Up, or The Sound of Music.”  Adrian gestured to the TV.  “You choose which one.”

“Oh, ummm, how ‘bout Avengers,” she suggested.  “I haven’t seen that in a while.”

“Sounds good,” Adrian said.  He picked up the remote, and started to turn on the TV.  

“Ruby, can you pass me the cheez its?”  Oscar called out.  He was now sitting on the couch, a pleading expression on his face.  

Ruby laughed.  “Alright.”  She leaned over and stretched her fingers out to snag the red box.  She stood, and walked them over to Oscar.  

“Thanks,” he said, while grabbing a huge handful from inside.  

“No problem,” she replied.  Ruby sat down next to him, fully conscious of the thin layers separating him.  She leaned backwards, and tucked her feet up underneath her.  

Danna smirked when she saw the two of them right next to each other.  She discreetly made a heart shape with her hands, then pointed to the two of them.  Ruby raised her middle finger in reply, while Oscar remained oblivious.  

The starting music sounded, and Ruby focused on the screen, desperately trying to think about anything but the boy sitting next to her.  And it almost worked.  But the warmth from his body pressed against hers was another painful reminder that she was ever going to get what she wanted more than anything.  Ruby sighed to herself.  

Why couldn’t she settle for just friends?  Why did she have to want something more?  It was never going to happen, and she was just breaking her heart more with every passing minute.  

“No Ruby,” she thought to herself.  “Don’t think about Oscar.  Don’t do this to yourself.”  Her eyes remained firmly focused on the screen, but her brain was not paying any attention at all.  It was too busy constructing wild fantasies in her head.  

After a while, soft snores filled the room.  Adrian had fallen asleep, his face pressed against the floor.  Danna raised her eyebrows, and stifled a small giggle.  

But she fell asleep next.  After another twenty or so minutes, Ruby looked over to see her slumped against a bean bag, her blonde dreadlocks spread across her face.  

“Just you and me, huh?”  Oscar whispered to her.  

“Yeah.”  Ruby’s voice was calm, but on the inside her heart was racing.  She had never been alone with Oscar before.  Granted, Adrian and Danna were there, but it was just the two of them, sitting next to each other, the movie playing quietly in front of them.  .  

“I wonder which of us is going to fall asleep next?”  Oscar chuckled.  

“I wonder,” Ruby echoed.  “The movie’s pretty close to ending.”

Oscar nodded.  “Yeah.  It is.”  He yawned.  “I don’t know if I’ll make it that long though.  I’m pretty tired.”

Ruby laughed softly.  “Sleep then.  It’s not like you haven’t seen this movie before.”

“Maybe I will.”  He rested his head on her shoulder, and closed his eyes.  “You’re a good friend Ruby,” he murmured, right before his breathing slowed, and he fell asleep.  

Ruby was glad no one else was awake to see the anguish on her face.  To see the pain of just one more reminder that Oscar did not love her the same way she loved him.  

“I love you Oscar,” she whispered into the darkness.  “Every time I see you, it makes my heart hurt.  I love you more than I could ever love myself.  But for some reason, you can’t see it.  I wish that you could tell me if there was the slightest chance you might return my feelings.  Then maybe I would know how pointless this stupid crush is.”  She screwed her eyes shut, and felt tears leaking out the corners.  

“I love you so much, and I will always love you.”  Ruby opened her eyes, and swiped the tears away with the back of her hand.  He looked so beautiful sleeping.  She smiled softly.  She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, then rested her head on his and closed her eyes.  

Ruby was closer to him than ever before, but at the same time, she was farther than she could ever imagine.  

[ice-cream-nekogirl]

Hitoshi & Amy: Adventures in Stay-cationing (This is a very relevant title since this is what we’ve been doing for at least a quarter of the whole fucking year)

Okay hear me out lol so since Amy is my OC and I like to put her in the BNHA canon since well I’m sure that’s what you’re supposed to do with OC’s, this takes place after the Culture Festival Arc, where she officially quits and leaves UA and goes to her mansion to stay there in isolation, just as witches had been doing.

After her little “plus ultra tantrum”, Amy quit UA, because she saw no other option for herself and wanted to get away from her trauma and the people who reminded her of it. A sadly realistic thing that some traumatized people do, she needed to get away, no matter how irrational it may have seemed to others, and her teachers DID try to talk her out of it but she just stormed off. 

So as she retreated to the comfort of her mansion. But also suffered the realistic loneliness when it came to trying to get away from her trauma because she started missing her friends. Still, Amy couldn’t bring herself to really communicate with them, both because she desperately didn’t want to feel reminded of anything that reminded her of her trauma, and out of guilt that she put them in the line of fire during her meltdown. And also because she knew that they started to fear her so it just gave her more of a reason to stay away. 

Which is partially why Shinsou and his parents offered to let her live at their house, saying there was a room waiting for her, but Amy politely declined because she didn’t want to be a burden on them.The parents were reluctant, but decided to let her have her freedom, as Amy had her own adventures when she wasn’t in school! She wasn’t present during the Joint Training Arc however, but she did cheer Shinsou on from her mansion using her scrying spell.

Oh yeah, and Amy spied on all of her friends using her bathtub to scry and see what they were doing, is that moral? Not really but she ain’t really moral to begin with. 

And during the free days, Shinsou would gladly be by Amy’s side and go to her mansion to check up on her as she recovered. She spent most of the days eating junk food, watching Netflix, writing very sad lyrics to songs she was trying to make, building her home theater, spending time on social media and making political posts about her intersectional feminism, making art and writing chapters to her memoir, recreating some of her favorite music videos, singing covers to her favorite songs, hanging out with Kaminari, playing games, and also occasionally fighting supernatural threats that showed up at Amy’s place every now and then. Shinsou was happy to be her partner-in-crime, looking out for her and being very much like a brother by spending time with her as he had been wanting to, and also drowned in some of his own sadness though, especially after losing to Izuku during the Joint Training Arc, again... while he was glad to find a new rival... didn’t mean he didn’t realize how far behind he was compared to everyone else...

So he was glad to just wallow with Amy since at least he had a friend to wallow and be sad with...

Most of the time Amy was just trying to have a good time with her bro Shinsou and her sisters Madison, Mallory and Coco. Watching all of her favorite things and they also helped her make a home theater! Although she did kinda start living like Thor did during Endgame, which Amy had yet to see at the time... but that’s how she lived... drowning herself in Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Dr. Pepper, Cookies, Oreos, Chocolate, Spaghetti and all of her other favorite foods and drinks... because she was... well depressed, and she eats when she’s depressed, a lot... then there’s the sad but realistic thing in that there were days where she didn’t even want to get out of bed.

Amy DID get visited though by her other friends however, particularly Kaminari, Todoroki, Iida and Yaoyorozu, and also Bakugo, Kirishima, Ashido and Sero, the ones she grew particularly close to and so she allowed them to come in and see her. They were also... pretty concerned, didn’t say anything since Shinsou outright warned them to watch their words around her, so they did... Bakugo didn’t really get the hint, but Amy was nice enough to not curse him. The same goes for Iida and Yaoyorozu, who were much more sensitive and merely wanted to see how she was recovering, and Amy appreciated the hell out of them which is why she let them in.

Anyone else she didn’t really want around though, got jinxed if they came too close to her gates or touched them, or got an apparition of her screaming for them to “GO AWAY!!”

Amy also spent the holidays mostly alone with Shinsou because while her former class did send her an invitation to the Class 1-A Christmas party, Amy turned it down and refused to go. Instead, she and Shinsou had their own party with Madison, Mallory and Coco where they just watched Christmas movies, played games and had a nice dinner provided by Mallory and even drank a little bit of rose provided by Madison. And then also, Shinsou’s parents invited Amy for a little vacation together to celebrate Christmas together after so long which really did make the witch feel wanted.

AND... Amy did some of her own things during the holidays by going out and doing some actual charity work by donating some of the money Fiona had left behind for certain organizations such as battered women’s shelters, the Trevor Project and Planned Parenthood. So she didn’t do JUST nothing, she was trying to do things for causes she believed in, and took breaks doing what she loved to do whenever she had free time. And she... had a lot of free time XD But one of her favorite things quickly became spending some time with her new online friend Ashlen, and sending her funny messages, making inside jokes and sharing her favorite movies, music and shows with her.

For a time she did leave her mansion though, particularly during the Winter Internship Arc so she could join Todoroki, Bakugo and Izuku in an internship with Endeavor. Because she didn’t want to turn down something from Todoroki, she actually went out. However, during this time she gained some weight since she did a lot of binge-eating, but she didn’t lose any power and still showed that she was just as strong as the guys, even if she was going through depression and that she was still capable of fighting. 

And then there’s Valentine’s Day... uh... Amy and Shinsou had an Anti-Valentine’s Day more than anything... XD Celebrated each other’s company and pretended to be happy with the fact that they were both single and mocked and made fun of every romantic movie just to cope... which was... kinda sad... but they WERE genuinely happy to have each other as company... 

Don’t worry though... she DOES eventually come out of her mansion and then returns to UA though~! To reunite with her classmates and return as a Hero Course student, but during her absence... this is... mostly what she did...

And frankly mostly of what I’M doing right now XD 

[ericsonclan]

You're My Home Part 3

Summary: Mitch wakes up to a text from Violet that makes it clear she needs somewhere to stay.

Read on A03: 

Mitch woke up to the feeling of drool seeping out of his mouth. Sitting up, he wiped his mouth off with a sleepy groan before checking his phone. Shit. Violet had left him a message at 8:04 this morning.

you home?

Violet only reached out for one reason: her dad was being an asshole drunk again.

yup come on over

Throwing his phone aside, Mitch looked down at his bare chest. The sweatpants were passable, but he should probably find a shirt. Picking up the nearest one on the floor, he sniffed it deeply before tossing it to the side. That one was too rank even for him. Finding another, he gave it a whiff, finding it passable and throwing it on. He shuffled through the cramped kitchen of his family’s trailer home, grabbing a stale bagel off the counter and chewing it placidly. There was still some coffee in the pot too. His mom must’ve made some before heading off to work; Dad wouldn’t be home for several hours either.

Stepping into their living room, Mitch found his brother Willy crouched criss-cross applesauce on the couch, engrossed in the level of Spyro he was playing. As soon as he saw Mitch though, he paused the game and threw his controller to the side, bouncing up and down in excitement.

“Mitch! You’re finally up! Can we play the game now? Please please please??”

Mitch rolled his eyes good-naturedly before ruffling Willy’s hair. “Sure, bud. Just remember: no telling Mom and Dad, OK?”

Willy nodded eagerly, his eyes even larger than normal.

Mitch knelt down to sort through their collection of old video games. Pulling out the Frogger case, he opened it to reveal the game Willy was truly asking about: Mortal Kombat. Putting the disc into their Playstation, Mitch booted up the game. “Violet might be coming over soon so you should get some pants on,”

Willy looked down at his bare legs. “I spilled milk on my PJ’s,”

Mitch noticed the crumpled pants at the foot of the couch. “Well, throw them in the room and get some other ones,”

Willy scampered off, still talking loudly from their bedroom. “Think Vi will want to play too?”

“We’ll see,” It was hard to tell how Violet would be feeling when she arrived. The boys settled in to play a round together. As they always did, Mitch chose Scorpion and Willy choose Sub-Zero.

They’d been playing for about twenty minutes when there was a knock at their door. “Door’s open!” Mitch yelled, in the midst of trying to land a fatality on Sub-Zero. Willy was getting seriously good: he’d have to step up his game if he wanted to keep winning.

Violet walked in. Wordlessly she walked across the room, plopping into the armchair and watching them play.

“Hey, watch this, Vi!” Willy exclaimed. Catching Mitch unaware, he landed a fatality of his own on Scorpion, ripping off his head and pulling out his spine. Willy cheered as Sub-Zero proudly displayed the decapitated remains.

Violet gave a small smile in Willy’s direction. “Good job,”

Mitch observed Violet cautiously, a small frown tugging at his lips. He didn’t see any bruises. That was good. Still, they could be underneath her hoodie. If that piece of shit did anything… Mitch tried to take a deep breath, slowing down his heart rate. He and Violet had had this conversation before. She didn’t want him ever doing anything, “pulling yourself into my shit” as she put it. One of these days he’d love to get his hands on the materials needed to blow up the dick’s van, but considering he had a record as a “troubled youth”, a move like that would immediately lead to the finger being pointed at Mitch. He couldn’t risk getting taken away. He wouldn’t do that to Willy.

They’d gone a few rounds without either of them pulling a fatality move. Time to fix that. Mashing the controller, Mitch got Scorpion to pull his signature move, pulling off his mask to reveal a skull underneath and incinerating Sub-Zero with his fire breath.

“Aaw, man!” Willy exclaimed, letting his controller drop to the couch.

“Can’t beat the master, kid,” Mitch grinned smugly.

“But I did! Like twice!”

“Whatever,” Mitch looked over to Violet, holding out his controller. “Wanna turn, Vi?”

Violet shrugged but stood up to take the controller.

Mitch headed back to the kitchen, trying to scope out some food. Knowing Violet, she probably hadn’t eaten since last night. Opening the fridge, Mitch was disheartened but not surprised to find nothing but the last dregs of a milk jug and some questionable lunchmeat inside. Shopping day was tomorrow. Mitch glanced back toward his bedroom, wondering for a second if he should text Louis and let him know Violet was here. But the fact Violet had texted him probably meant she wanted to keep things on the downlow. Louis coming over right now might be more than she could handle. Mitch strode back into the living room just in time to see Violet landing a fatality with Sonya. She rolled her eyes as her character stepped back, blowing a kiss that sent an ember flying over to torch her opponent.

“God, Sonya’s finishing move is so stupid,”

“Then why do you always play as her?” Mitch asked with a smirk, leaning against the wall.

Violet looked away, flustered. “Shut up,”

“I’m doing a McDonald’s run. Wanna come along?”

Violet’s ears immediately perked up at that. “Sure,”

“I wanna come!” Willy exclaimed, leaping up on the couch.

“Nah, somebody’s gotta stay and watch the house. Besides, you need to brush up on your moves so you can annihilate me when I get back,”

Willy didn’t seem quite convinced by Mitch’s words but he quickly flopped back down on the couch, starting up his own round. “I want a Happy Meal!”

“Will do,” Mitch replied, grabbing his keys before heading out the door, Violet close behind. He still had enough money from his last odd job for a treat. The two teens headed out to his beat-up car, hopping inside. They drove in silence; Mitch’s car only had a tape player and that had broken long before he received it.

It was Violet who spoke first. “He didn’t hit me.”

“And your mom?”

“He didn’t get her either. Broke a lamp though,”

“Bastard,” Mitch’s hand tightened on the wheel.

“It’s fine,”

“Vi, that is the exact fucking opposite of fine!” Mitch huffed in annoyance. He shouldn’t be snapping at her. “Is he gone now?”

“His new route starts on Tuesday. He’ll be gone for a week,” Violet stared at the dashboard, her arms crossed tightly. “My mom’s got her diner shift tonight so at least she’ll be out of his reach,”

“You’re staying with us tonight. And don’t give me any shit about it. You can crash on the couch,”

“…Thanks,” Violet’s voice was small.

Mitch turned into the McDonald’s drive through lane. “Now let’s get some fucking nuggets,”

It was about a half hour before they made it back to the trailer, walking in to find Willy still busy trying to master Mortal Kombat. They sat around the living room eating their nuggets and Happy Meal and taking turns at the controls. After about an hour more, they all decided it was time to switch to something else. At Willy’s request, they put on Dumb and Dumber. They’d all seen it at least a dozen times, but the jokes and gags still had Willy and Mitch laughing while the occasional chuckle came from Violet. Mitch noticed Violet texting as the movie went on. He wondered who it could be but didn’t pry.

Once the movie finished up, Mitch and Violet amused themselves on their phones while Willy started up Spyro again. It wasn’t long afterwards that Mr. Baker showed up, his arms full of grocery bags.

“Boys, a little help here?” he called from behind the load in his hands. All three hurried to assist him. A look of surprise crossed Mr. Baker’s face as Violet took the bag directly blocking his view.

“Oh, Violet! I wasn’t expecting you,”

“Violet’s staying the night,” Mitch declared before Violet might try to back out.

“That’s wonderful! I’ll be sure to make extra for tonight’s dinner,” Mr. Baker glanced at the side of the fridge. “Willy, looks like you’re my helper tonight,”

“What are we making, Dad?” Willy asked, looking up excitedly from the box of goldish crackers he’d begun devouring.

“Not that,” his father replied, pulling the crackers out of his son’s hands and ruffling his hair before placing the box on a higher shelf. “We’re having spaghetti and meatballs,”

“Yeah! Meatballs! Meatballs! Meatballs!” Willy chanted, searching the fridge for the newly bought ingredients.

Violet’s phone dinged. She pulled it out and answered it immediately, her brow furrowed in concentration as she typed out her response. Once she was done, she glanced up at Mitch who was sitting across from her at the couch. He’d been watching the interaction unfold. “It’s my mom,”

“She know where you are?”

“Yeah. Now she does,”

“Was she the one you were texting earlier?”

Violet shook her head. “That was Louis,”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t fill him in completely,”

Violet rolled her eyes. “You know how he gets about this stuff. He’d drive over and try to force me to stay at his mansion instead,”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“His house is creepy. Nothing but empty rooms and servants who look at me like they’re just waiting to catch me trying to steal some shit. This is better,”

Mitch snorted. “Leave it to Vi to prefer a trailer home to a mansion,”

“You know what I mean,”

Mitch looked over at Willy and his dad who were busy measuring the pasta for dinner. She wasn’t wrong. The location might be ass, but he couldn’t think of any people he’d rather be stuck with.

Mrs. Baker arrived home shortly before dinner was ready. She collapsed wearily in the armchair, her head thrown back and eyes closed. “Mitchell, be a dear and rub my feet, would you?” Mitch quickly acquiesced, giving Violet the stink eye as she smirked at him. He rubbed his mother’s feet gently. She cracked open an eye, giving him a tired smile before glancing over at the couch.

“Violet! What a nice surprise. Are you staying for dinner?”

“She’s staying the night!” Willy called from the kitchen. “We’re gonna have a sleepover!”

“That’s a nice thought dear, but it is a school day tomorrow, so you’ll be heading to bed on time,”

Mitch caught the look his parents exchanged across the room. They knew of Violet’s home life. They’d tried to intervene the first few times she’d come over late at night, calling the police and reporting her father. But without her mother’s testimony there wasn’t a case and Violet’s mother never wavered in her unwillingness to testify.

They all sat down to a family meal a few minutes later, sharing stories of their days and passing food round the table. Violet was included just as much as anyone else. Considering she’d known Mitch for over five years now she was practically family. Mitch noticed his parents’ glances his way as he handed the bread over to Violet. He was pretty sure they thought he had a crush on her, but he wasn’t going to bother correcting them. Violet wasn’t out at home yet; he wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to be. Best to leave that matter alone unless Violet saw fit to do otherwise. Willy was sent off to bed shortly after dinner. After a great deal of protest, he finally went, angrily stomping off in the same pajamas he’d worn all day. Mr. and Mrs. Baker retired to their room as well, leaving Violet and Mitch in the living room.

“Want to head to the roof?” Mitch offered.

Violet simply nodded.

In the years the Bakers had lived in the trailer park, it hadn’t taken Mitch very long to find all the good hiding places. One of the best was on the roof of their home, a small space that could just fit two people. The two of them leaned back against the plastic exterior, watching the sky thoughtfully.

“So,” Violet finally broke the silence, “Bring any hot girls up here yet?”

Mitch snorted. “I wish. How ‘bout you? Getting any action?”

Violet shook her head. “Don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon,”

“Howe High School is a damn wasteland,”

“You can say that again,”

“How about this?” Mitch asked, looking over at Violet. “Let’s make a deal: five years from now when we’re in college we’ll both have smoking hot girlfriends,”

Violet quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t think we can really plan for something like that to happen for sure when-”

“Deal?” Mitch asked, raising his fist for a fist bump.

Violet rolled her eyes good-naturedly, returning the gesture. “Deal,”

“I bet my girlfriend’s gonna be hotter than yours,” Mitch declared, laying back with a smile, his arms behind his head.

Violet scoffed. “Yeah right,”

The two lay there in silence watching the stars and only occasionally speaking, their words casual and off-handed. When it had grown truly dark, they snuck back inside. Mitch gave Violet the blanket that rested across the back of the armchair before wishing her a good-night and heading off to bed himself. It wasn’t much, but he was glad his family was able to offer Violet a place to stay whenever she might need it. He hoped she never hesitated to take them up on that offer.

Setting his alarm for the next day, Mitch rolled under his covers with a groan. He wasn’t looking forward to school tomorrow. It looked like Violet had forgotten her backpack. Knowing her dad, he’d still be asleep in the morning if they wanted to risk stopping by her house and sneaking in to grab it. They’d decided tomorrow if it was worth the risk. With that decided, Mitch sank into the comfort of his pillow and let sleep overtake him.

[wtcddy]

HER PULSE’S rhythmic thrumming beneath his fingertips is the tell she’s still alive, but she’s all gone save for the breathy moan she exhales below the press of his lips to her forehead. it’s a shoddy goodbye and the best he could do given the circumstances—she hasn’t been coherent for days. when her eyes are open, she’s far away; she talks to him like he’s someone else until the rude awakening of sobriety brings her back to coarse reality, and his teachers don’t call him a smart boy, but he’s just bright enough to catch the way her face falls every time. something about that, the sheer, unintentional disdain and the flick of her hollow gaze anywhere but his, hits harder than any of her tweaker boyfriends.

THE FRONT DOOR whispers an escape, and he follows its call with a wallet loaded from months of pickpocketing the near-dead collapsed around the living room. the ringer of his shitty pay-as-you-go phone is his security, turned all the way up so he doesn’t miss it when she calls and begs him to pack up and head home. the phone doesn’t ring at the greyhound station or on the hour long trek by bus into the city.

HE CAN’T STAND how the motel clerk looks at him like he’s a pity case, a dumb kid so out of his realm he can’t so much as present a legal i.d., but the transparency of it all works in his favor. she sends the key screeching across the desk for thirty-three dollars a night, and teddy’s got enough in his pockets for a few of those if he eats light. the bed already doesn’t like him judging by the whine of the springs under his weight, but it’s home for the time being, so he’ll take what he can get without a call to the front desk. he drifts off the second his head makes contact with the age-worn pillows, and the phone doesn’t ring all night.

THE WARY EYES that follow him along the sidewalk practically sing that he doesn’t belong here; teddy knows it, too. he’s like a last minute add-on to a painting the artist didn’t account for until the smudge was already there, but reggie, the guy he finds selling weed on the south corner of madison street isn’t much of a connoisseur after teddy convinces him to lower the pistol. they come from the same place, at least in terms of a home life, and reggie offers the protection he can’t find with the other strangers, so he digs his nails in and doesn’t let go. it’s twenty bucks for a gram he has hidden in the universal pocket of his sweatshirt, stamped with that stupid grizz nickname he earned freshman year. that’s all reggie calls him, tells him teddy isn’t anywhere close to masculine, much less theodore. by the end of the night, he’s earned himself another night in his motel room and a few things off the dollar menu at mcdonald’s. the tv playing reruns of south park is all that fills up the darkness in his periphery, and his phone doesn’t ring even after he finishes inhaling a stale side of fries.

IT’S BEEN MONTHS running in place, going out at night to sell with reggie and coming home to an empty motel room, but teddy’s tasting the freedom he’s never had. he can make a life out of this, he supposes—it’s not ideal and he’s not exactly well off, but reggie’s been letting him skim a little off the top of his profits, an extra take that starts somewhere around two percent and climbs to a steady ten. the motel clerk knows his name by now, nurses him with a fresh cup of coffee every morning at nine a.m. on the dot delivered right to his door, complete with a sharpie-engraved smiley face and a note wishing him a good day. it’s always cold by the time he gets to it—working the graveyard shift means he’s a stiff corpse by morning—but he still suffers it with a two fingered salute through the office window. the calendar is just breeching march, and his phone never rang.

MORE THAN A FEW BRAIN CELLS can deduce the italian behemoths blocking the mouth of the alley are a bad sign. reggie, cool-headed and aloof, finds some semblance of humanity underneath the dig of the zip ties they lock around his wrists, and teddy earns himself with a matching pair the second alarms signal in his head to run. the panic waits to set in until there’s a trash bag over his head, knotted a hair too tight at the pulse hammering like a construction site in his throat—teddy always figured his life would end at an even thirty with the barrel of a gun grazing the roof of his mouth until the stars burn out, but the cosmos prefer the theatrical version, apparently. his phone finds a new home in the gutter so he can’t call for help.

THE ULTIMATUM IS THIS—prove your loyalty to the kingpin, or die at seventeen for taking a few measly dollars away from the empire for the comfort of a creaky, motel bed and a couple fast-food meals per day. reggie’s sweat beaded forehead is the target of the beretta weighing too heavy in his palm, and the olive toned man breathing down his neck is the teacher whose lesson he’ll never forget; prioritize yourself, or you’ll end up just like him. the bile overflows as quickly as the blood does, spilling past his lips; he chokes on it, and it’s the closest he’s ever felt to dying. the closest he’s ever felt to deserving it. like the motel clerk, they pity him, or at least, the man with the kind eyes does, so much so that he fits himself onto the sofa in the living room that night as they clean out a bedroom for him, crisp and without holes in the walls. the knife embedded in his chest, placed there by his own strung out mother, twists a little deeper with the guilt, the dread-loaded overhang that promises him his life is over. he belongs to them now, sold his soul for weed and a place to sleep.

THEY TELL HIM NOT TO LEAVE THE TRUCK as they gather up his things, but he’d rather lug it all into the cab himself if it meant not looking into the clerk’s eyes through the office window. that look is back, wearing the very same frown she couldn’t repress the day they met, but this time, there’s less pity. more disdain. she looks just like her.

TEDDY CELEBRATES his eighteenth birthday in a mansion surrounded by foreign faces that still regard him as a liability. the door stays locked, and the tremors rampaging his knees won’t let him indulge in the cake made just for him downstairs. he’s so congested with a snotty nose and moisture filling his lashes that he’s not so sure he could even taste it.

[celawrites]

Day 73

Rain was sweet. Kaito, was it? Kaito isn’t Rain, and the only reason I know that is that Rain told me he had to take a break from editing a couple weeks ago. I didn’t announce it since Rain had edited everything I had written before and it was approaching Leaf’s editing period too. Rain had taken a week off in advance, and I had to edit myself that week. P a i n.

We talk about the upcoming play in class. We had less than 40 days to put together a script, and if we didn’t work fast, then we’d be screwed.

“Okay. Sun, Cressie, Mint, Pebble, you guys can stay over at my place over the weekend,” Opal beamed. “I have a really nice room you could all stay in, and we could say up working on the script!”

“What’s the point? We could just call over the weekend and work together,” Mint deadpans. “I’m not even going to be working on the play.”

“Don’t forget that we still need to cast people.”

“Pebble, you’re playing Vega’s mom. Mint, you’ll play the dude who spoke for Vega and Altair--the one who turned into a cow and then gave Altair the cow skin to get back up there. Sam, you’ll play Vega’s dad, and everyone else doesn’t have any lines.”

“dEAL!” Danny cackles.

“However, you guys still need to design somewhat accurate costumes.”

“The, uh. What are they called? The traditional flowy dresses?”

“Yeah.”

“On it.”

“Why won’t you guys sleep over at mine?” Opal pouts.

“Why should we? We could all crash at Mint or Sun’s mansion.”

“I call Sun’s.”

“Z is calmer than A.”

“Mhm.”

“Why not my place?”

“Because you’re not even going to act. We’d like outsiders’ views, but you’ll start trying to take charge as usual. We have 40 days, and if we finish in 10, we can spend the rest editing and revising,” Mint states. “We’ll have you over for the editing process, okay?”

Opal nods weakly, and soon, the school day finishes. I don't bother to go home and pack, I just drive straight to Sun’s place. The door is opened, and everyone gathers in the living room.

“Ok, so where do you all wanna pull the all-nighter?” Sun asks.

“The kitchen.”

“Oh, we have like a mini house in the backyard. We can spend the night there if you want,” Sun speaks. “There’s a kitchen and everything.”

“Deal,” Pebble grins.

“Fine by me,” I shrug.

“Let’s go, then,” Mint wanders off with his stuff, and Sun leads us to the place.

“This looks like the perfect place to rape, kill, or bury a body,” I grin mischievously.

“Horror material.”

“Too bad we aren’t writing a horror.”

“Even if we did, we would have to make sure that no one got nightmares from it. We have kids at the school too.”

“True.”

“Shall we start scripting?”

“Do you have the article pulled up?”

“Yeah. Let’s get started.”

The next 3 hours go like this. Sun and I script, and Mint and Pebble work on gathering as much information on the myth as possible. The clock strikes 7 when I finally break.

“I’m hungry.”

“Please shut up.”

“Can I cook something?”

“You’ll burn the kitchen, you McDonalds employee,” Sun snickers. I glare at him, and walk over to the makeshift kitchen in the place.

“What do you want?”

“What do we have?”

“Last time I checked we had veggies and chicken.”

“Cola wings?”

“YES!” Mint snaps his head towards me.

I laugh, and start taking out the bones in the chicken. I reach for the cheese and the grater, and I laugh to myself.

“Hey, Sun?”

“Hm?”

“I think you’re grate.” I hold up the cheese grater, and start grating the cheese.

“I-”

“Also, Mint, stop stealing the utensils. I still need that whisk for later,” I chastise him.

“That’s a whisk I’m willing to take,” Mint snickers, and he mixes the cake batter. Sun and Pebble continue scripting, and after around an hour, the food was ready.

“Time to eat!” I call out, and Sun and Pebble sigh in relief. It was nearly 8.

We dig in, and the oven dings to signal that the cake was ready as well. I rush to get it out, and Mint offers to do the decorating, and I sit down to eat again. Dinner passes quickly, and after working on it for another 6 hours, 2 am euphoria hits us.

“Can we play truth or dare?” Pebble yawns.

I rest my head in my arms on the table, and I mumble a soft no. Mint had gone to bed an hour ago, and Sun went to grab a cup of coffee. Thank goodness tomorrow started late. I feel my consciousness slip away from my fingers, and I fall asleep. I feel someone carry me to a bed, and I completely black out after that.

Previous : Masterlist : Next

[oh-mother-of-darkness]

They left the city while the sun was still up, passed into the suburbs of Gotham City, then into the New Jersey wilderness. The buildings turned into forest. It was lovely, Bruce thought, and he enjoyed the drive. 

Damian did not appear to. What else was new. While Bruce drove, Damian glared out the passenger’s side window, arms crossed, ignoring Bruce completely. 

Recent events might have something to do with that. 

“I loved long car rides,” Bruce volunteered. “When I was younger.”

Damian briefly looked up, then went back to staring.

“Alfred always offered to chauffeur, but my mother liked to drive. This was her favorite car. We would all pile into it, and she would drive while Father sat where you are now. They talked the whole trip, and I would read comic books in the back.”

No response.

“There’s a stain behind you from the time I spilled a milkshake on the upholstery. I was seven.”

Damian looked behind him, nodded, and went back to his window. 

Bruce sighed. “You could look more interested.”

Shrug.

Fine. “When I was eight, I had to stop reading in the car. I would get motion sick. So instead I would stare out the windows and imagine that the people in the car in front of us were enemy spies. I was a spy too, and we were shadowing the car in front of us, and I couldn’t let them see me if we passed them.”

“Other cars might be my personal enemies,” Bruce continued, “coming to track me down. I had saved the world from countless villains, so there were lots of enemies. And then when we arrived at the party— it was almost always a party, whenever we left town together— I would keep up the game.”

Bruce smiled at the memory. “I would find places to hide in the big mansions we went to and watch all the party guests for any sign of suspicious behavior. I would count all the exits and find “escape routes” for when things went sideways. I still do that, though for different reasons.”

Damian nodded again. He probably did the same. 

“Sometimes, Father would play with me. I would be the spy, and he would be my contact. I had to make my way to him, across the party, without being seen. Then he would give me clues about made-up plots he had discovered. I always foiled them in the end, usually right before dessert was served. Then I would go back to Mother and Father, and we would eat sweets together while Mother asked about our adventures.”

Damian didn’t respond. 

“I can stop if I’m annoying you.”

Damian made a face that said Bruce always annoyed him, but he uncrossed one arm and examined his nails. “Continue.” 

“It would be dark on the drive back, and I would fall asleep in the back seat until we reached the McDonalds on the way home. I’ll point it out when we pass. We always bought fries and milkshakes for all three of us, no matter how much we had eaten at the party.”

Damian re-crossed his arms. 

“What do you think about while you look out the windows?” Bruce asked him.

“I’m keeping watch.”

“Watch for what?” “Everything. Your childhood fantasies aside, there might be real enemies tracking us. It would be foolish to let down my guard.”

“We’re outside the city, in our civilian identities, on our way to charity event. We’re safe, and if something happens, we can deal with is then.”

“Foolish,” Damian repeated. “Inattention leads to death.”

“You can relax.”

“Mine or an innocent’s.”

“Don’t start.” 

“I did what I’m supposed to do!” Damian bust out, continuing their fight from earlier. “I tried to save her life!”

“And if I hadn’t been there, you would have died. Again. For the hundredth time, intentionally getting yourself taken hostage is not an acceptable option.”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“Not that.” 

“See? You don’t have any other ideas either!” 

Bruce shivered at the memory of last night: Two-Face dragging a struggling child away from them, Damian’s offer to take her place— his son held at gunpoint while Harvey laughed. 

Yes, Damian had been trying to save another child’s life. No, Bruce would never, ever forget the image. And no, Damian would not win this argument. 

“You’re already benched for a week,” Bruce reminded him. “Don’t make it longer.” 

“I did the right thing.”

“You did not.”

“I did what you would have done.”

“You— are not allowed to sacrifice your life for any reason.”

“You’re not addressing my point.” 

“I don’t need to. This is a clear pattern of behavior that I will not tolerate, Damian, and that’s the end of it.” 

Damian went back to glaring out the window. 

The silence stretched uncomfortably for a minute, five minutes, ten.

“Look,” Bruce said, near the fifteen minute mark, “I just don’t want to— I can’t— lose you again. And I thought it was going to happen. I was terrified.”

Nothing.

“I apologize for yelling. I know you’re trying to do the right thing.”

“I’m doing what you taught me to do. I thought that was what you wanted.”

“I do. What I’m teaching you right now is you cannot compromise your own safety during a fight. If you go down, so do I. What happens to the civilians then?” 

“They die.”

“Exactly.” Bruce sighed. “Damian Wayne, I am proud of how hard you work and how selfless you are. But you still have to listen to me and learn. Right now I need you to learn that endangering yourself is bad strategy— and more importantly, your life is worth more to me than any strategic objective. Do you understand?”

Damian considered it. “Yes.”

“Can we stop arguing about this?”

“Fine.”

“Okay. That’s the McDonalds. Do you want to stop?”

“I thought it was traditional to go on the way home?”

“Okay,” Bruce smiled, “On the way home.” 

-------------------------------

@dawnseternallight said:

For fic prompts what about Damian and Bruce on a car trip (maybe tense after an argument?) ❤️

[gramilano]

Jennifer Check as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, photo by Angela Gaul

On Site Opera will present Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, at Wave Hill, a stunning 28-acre historic estate and now public gardens in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, from 25 to 27 October 2019.

This operatic ghost story is perhaps the perfect piece to benefit from an immersive production. Its story will unfold in various locations around the estate, both indoors and outdoors, with the audience following the characters from place to place.

I asked On Site Opera’s director, Eric Einhorn, how the project came about.

The Turn of the Screw is a piece that Geoff McDonald (our music director) and I have wanted to produce for several seasons. As with all of our productions, we take our time scouting venues and finding the right partners. When we entered into a partnership with Wave Hill, we knew we had found a wonderful venue and collaborator.

The grounds and historic mansion provide the perfect setting for Britten and Piper’s psychological drama of ghosts, paranoia, and possible violence. All of the space at Wave Hill inspired our creativity and lead to a production plan that takes audiences on a literal journey around the grounds, just as the Governess experiences.

Jennifer Check

The Governess will be played by soprano Jennifer Check. It will be her role debut.

It’s been a role on my radar for a very long time and is on the bucket list of roles for me.

Einhorn says,

I first met Jennifer in 2009 when she sang the role of Madame Lidoine in a production of Dialogues des Carmelites that I was directing for Austin Opera. I still remember vividly the first time she sang through her aria in rehearsal. It was an incredibly moving experience. Jennifer and I then had several occasions to work together at the Metropolitan Opera, further cementing her place on the list of artists I wanted to bring to On Site. When Geoff McDonald and I were casting, both of us were very excited about the idea of casting Jennifer in the role.

It’s not her first brush with Britten, having sung both Lady Billows and Mrs Wordsworth in Albert Herring. However, Britten is never an easy sing. Check says,

The Governess, and really the entire opera, are perfectly written. Britten gives you everything on the page. Dramatically, she is complex. The trick is not letting the drama take you away. I have to remember to stay grounded and not get too hysterical. There is drama in the stillness. We have found something really special dramatically and it has changed my feelings about her.

Audiences will gather outside by lantern light before the opera begins, then several characters will accompany them to Wave Hill House, where the story will unfold in three different locations. I asked Einhorn how that functions with musicians in tow.

Geoff has done some fantastic planning regarding how and when various combinations of the orchestra are featured before audiences are treated to Britten’s full orchestration.

I wondered if Check was preoccupied about confronting her first ‘on site’ opera, away from a traditional performance space?

I have seen their work and have worked with Eric and Geoff in other houses. There are always certain difficulties that come up in a non-traditional setting, but if I’m being honest, they don’t matter as much as you would think. It opens us up to use the entire space. I can actually look out a window at the surroundings. It heightens the drama for everyone.

But there must be differences?

The biggest challenge so far has been remembering that I don’t have to turn out and sing to the front of the house. The audience still has contact even when our backs are turned!

Wave Hill House

Wave Hill House gardens

Check will find that she’s singing to a ‘full house’ as the performances are sold out, though Wave Hill does have a waiting list.

We are extremely lucky to have such amazing, loyal patrons who create sold-out performances – says Einhorn – We are working to adjust our producing model to allow for more performances. Our revival of Amahl will play six times (rather than four as it did in 2018) and our new production of the musical Das Barbecu will have nine performances.

Who are your loyal patrons?

Our audiences represent a wide cross-section of people, from experienced opera-goers to fans of the venue to people just looking for something new. No matter what brings people to OSO productions, the reactions are always very similar. People are blown away by the power of intimate, immersive, site-specific opera. The proximity of the performers and the incredible venues add to the audience’s positive experience. It’s been wonderful to see familiar audience faces return show after show. We truly have a wonderful patron family!

Is it just that audiences are looking for something new, or is there perhaps a deeper motive?

I think both artists and audiences are looking for more engaging models of performance. The artists involved in On Site shows frequently speak about the incredible opportunity intimate productions create for connecting with audiences. There is something uniquely thrilling about being so close to the audience, to the point where the music literally vibrates in their bodies. Likewise, audiences are looking for more experiential performances. Providing an opportunity to see riveting opera in amazing, non-traditional spaces gives audiences another layer of engagement with the material that you can’t find anywhere else.

You must be gratified to see your productions sold out, but as there are obviously a limited number of places for such an event, how do the economics of the venture pan out?

On Site Opera operates like most non-profit arts producing organisations in that ticket sales represents a relatively small percentage of income. The majority of our funding comes from donations from our fantastic patrons, as well as from many generous foundations and government organisations.

I wrote about you production of Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro three years ago.

The Portugal Figaro took the level of immersion to new heights. Audiences entered the venue to find the world fully alive with the opera’s characters and could interact with all of them before the opera began. Audiences responded really well to this, which allowed us to continue to explore new immersive techniques for subsequent productions.

And last year there was Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors in a soup kitchen.

That production proved to be more powerful an experience than anyone anticipated. The production marked our first collaboration with a community partner in the social service sector: Breaking Ground – NYC’s largest provider of supportive housing. Together with Breaking Ground, we created a community chorus from their resident population of those impacted by homelessness. The participation of the chorus connected directly with our modern retelling of the story, which was set in the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. The production was so well-received we decided to revive it this season!

On Site Opera obviously aim for the spectators to have shivers running up and down their spines during The Turn of the Screw. Will Check feel the shudders too?

When we sing roles, we become those characters for that period of time. We live the drama just like the audience does.

And now that the Governess can be ticked off your bucket list, are there any other Britten roles to add?

Absolutely! Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes and Female Chorus in Rape of Lucretia.

But now, after The Turn of the Screw, what’s next for Jennifer Check?

Lots of notes! A Donizetti Queens concert, Fiordiligi at the Met, Maria Stuarda and some Verdi Requiem and Beethoven 9th thrown in for good measure.

In bocca al lupo!

On Site Opera presents Britten’s The Turn of the Screw at the stunning Wave Hill estate in the Bronx On Site Opera will present Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, at Wave Hill, a stunning 28-acre historic estate and now public gardens in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, from 25 to 27 October 2019.

[365day2021]

Day 341

I went on a date today? So I called out of work and got out of bed at like 1030 and cleaned the house a bit and got ready. I left around like 1140ish and went to ODU. Saw Adam walking while I was walking to the webb center and we walked around campus for a bit. We then stopped by the fasa corner where adam quickly said hi to someone and then we waited in the panda line for a bit. Autumn then came through while still waiting in line and I went back and forth like once talking to both of them. After Adam got food we all talked at like a table right next to the line and then it was 1250 something already and I parked in a 1 hr spot so we split ways. I drove us to VGH in Lynnhaven where apparently something happened? There was a cop car and the lady was like they were closed because of whatever happened so yeah we just went to cool stuff. Autumn was trying to sell Super Mario Galaxy and we looked around and turns out they would only give her $5 store credit for it lmao so she decided not to do it and we bought some stuff. I bought her this plushie thing she thought was cute from hello kitty as an early christmas gift and I got a no face plushie and we both got some stickers. She also bought 2 plushies, one for Kelsey and one for her sister and then we went back to my place. She really wanted to play Luigi’s mansion so I downloaded it on my computer and she played for a bit. I just watched and turned on my animal crossing for a little and then we ended up watching two christmas movies. We watched Gremlin and Polar Express and we also uber eat’s Domoishi ramen. We didn’t realize we removed all the extras so we literally just ate noodles and protein lmao but yeah it was pretty fun. We almost watched a third movie but I had to gym with BZimm so I took her home. We ended up taking a drive cause we talked about some stuff which I might type out on my other tumblr, so reference there. But yeah our drive was Ryan Nelson’s neighborhood and we saw some pretty cool houses with some nice decorations and a random dog on the street where I tried to approach it but it started barking so I said fuck it lmao. But no one was home when I took her back so she called her parent’s and they came back within 5 minutes and then we went our separate ways. I went home and got ready and gym’d at 9. We did short arm day and then I went to McDonald’s cause MJ wanted some lmao so I got them a 6 piece with medium fries and coke and I got a big mac and quarter pounder since I had a coupon for $5 for both. They gave me a small fry too cause I said “6 piece combo” and they gave me the $3.50 6 piece and small fry too so I just ate that as well. But yeah I went to Olivia and MJ’s and told them about the day while we ate. Also MJ paid for everything so fun. Adam also called me while I was there to hear updates about it. But yeah I was only there for 50 minutes and then I went home and played teams with BZimm. We played until midnight and it’s 204 now and I got stuck playing more unranked singles and yeah gonna go to bed after I type out my day on the other tumblr

[freshoutofthegutter]

"Oliver Ward!", she managed as he boldly stroked her thigh as she was putting on shoes for her evening run.

"We are not going to have sex right now", she finished reaching for the other balenciaga shoe but he caught it first.

"Your ideas are lame, mine are so much better", he argued groping her butt.

"How about we have shower sex", she offered. He halted for a moment. "When I return ", she managed. As she felt him hook her leg over his back.

"Nuuu", he grumbled settling between the space on her chest.

Naturally she couldn't stop herself from playing with his hair. He hummed in agreement and landed a few hundred kisses on her face.

"You smell sexy", he spoke placing a kiss on her jawline.

"The only word I heard was smell", she laughed. He raised himself up on his elbows on and looked her dead in the eye

"Its sexy pheromones", and dived back in this time holding her boobs as stress balls.

"Fine sexy pheromones", she agreed.

This time he tried to get up but she held on tighter.

"I have a call", he huffed. Holding her back.

"And I need to get my pre-sex marathon cardio in", she grinned.

"Nuuuu, you tantalising tease, leave this room and run", he spoke in a theatrical manner as they both reluctantly got up from the divan.

"How about pool sex?", she called as they both walked down the staircase.

Well invested in the idea he asked "which one?", as he grabbed her wrist knowing that his little wife would run off after saying something seductive.

"Whatever you pick baby", she winked on her tip of her shoes to properly kiss him.

"I'm gonna run. And you make us more money", she pointed with her head to the direction of the office.

He laughed at her comment. With new zeal he walked to his office to get the job done.

She knew she was accompanied by security. With a quick nod to Oliver's head of security she told him where she needed to go. A small run around the property.

Their closest neighbor's were about a 2000 feet away which granted them incredible privacy.

She stretched and began to run at a slow pace. Soon she had launched into a mild rhythm that had her thoughts wandering into a million direction.

She mainly thought of the brunch tomorrow . The flower arrangements. The sides that needed to be put out. Above all how to get her dad's attention turned away from the mint green piano that Tina had gotten them as a joke. It was an identical one to the matte black in Oliver's Italian family home. A fine piece of history that belonged to his grandfather.

The familiar burn of the lactic acid buildup in her muscles caused her to slow her run to a walk. She walked for another twenty minutes and the amount of water lost by her body being to make its effects known. She checked the time on her smartwatch. It was thirty minutes past six.

Upon seeing a McDonalds franchise she walked another seven minutes to get to it. She smiled to herself recalling the time she was shocked that FCCU had their own MCB and other fast food chains on the campus. The franchise carried the same name as their residential society.

She walked inside and found it to be slightly smaller in side to the ones she had seen. It was wonderfully chilly inside. Given the moist September air. She stood calmly for a moment as two kids in crocks raced past her to get their ice cream floats.

She walked up to the counter greeting the cashier she asked for a bottle of water and debated whether she should break her non-coffee-vacation streak. She looked at the Happy meals on display with a nostalgic smile when she was interrupted by Jamie to let her know what they needed to leave.

She was mildly shocked at first that Jamie demanded that they leave immediately. She got her water bottle and Jamie payed the due. The cashier was confused.

To top things off Jamie handed her his phone. Which was still connected to a Certain "O Ward".

"Hello?", she asked unsure.

"Hello. Where are you", he spoke back rapidly.

"Hey. I'm at McDonalds, just getting water and coffee, are you okay?", she asked casually.

"Are you okay?", he asked at the same time. She smiled slightly. That they finished each other's sentences. As their universe revolved around each other.

"Are you really okay? I'm asking in absolute seriousness". His tone was stern.

"Yes. Darling", she assured her hand settling on her heart. As she quickly looked around once. "I'm absolutely certain that I'm safe and I'll be home in a few". She said.

"Alright. I love you. Just come back to me safe and sound.", he urged.

"And I you. Dearest", she nodded before handing the phone to Jamie.

She didn't even have to go to the counter to receive her order for it was all done.

She looked at the menu one last time before making an exit.

"Mr. Ward says that "we have to take the car no walking", Jamie explained as he opened the Bentley SUV door.

"Is everything Alright?", she asked after settling in. Jamie was on the phone with someone as Eric handed her the coffee and bottle. Nervously forgetting about her thirst she began to sip on the cold coffee. Almost crushing the cup in her hand. They began driving the moment he was off the phone. She launched into deduction mode and finally asked. "Is Oliver alright?",

Jamie made eye contact with her and said no everything is fine. Before making another call.

"What about Tina?", she turned to Eric. Eyes frantic. "The family, my parents. Drew?". She rambled. Over analysing brain into overdrive.

"Madam everyone is absolutely safe", Jamie repeated twice but she had almost shut down. They parked outside the mansion. 

"Block is secured", she heard Eric.

"Tina's plane landed. Driver is taking her to the hotel as we speak", Eric informed as he stepped in the main gates along with her.

She noticed that the lights had come on and Oliver was waiting at the door for her.

Looking into his phone.

For a moment all form of worry melted away as they saw each other. She calmly walked up to him as he bathed her in the warmth of his gorgeous smile. His clothes smelled of their linens, detergent and his own biochemistry deliciously incorporated in the fancy Jean Paul Gauthier that he favours. He pulled her into his side and observed her closely for any form of injuries. Once satisfied he quickly kissed her and reminded himself that he was holding her.

"I don't think that it was an attack but just to be on the safe side, sweep all the houses the family is staying in. Particularly the hotel", her heart fluttered slightly as she heard him acknowledge her weird family as his.

"Speak to Armando, Drew is getting to the site now and Dont tell Tina". She felt him pull her a little more into his side. And she hugged him by placing her arms around him.

"Also cancel our reservation plans", he finished as they walked into the main lobby.

It was perhaps their favourite thing about the house. The Swarovski crystal fishes flooded the house with an incredible aura of  positivity. He saw the setting Sun reflect and was almost blinded by the magical reflection they left on the high walls and ceiling. A sense of possessive overcame him. He was sure that no one would dare plan a terrorising attack on their house.

"What's wrong Darling?"? She asked as they walked to one of the four living rooms in their mansion.

It was the smallest one but the it was able to grant a wide view of the floor plan.

"Sit", he pointed to the sofa. She grabbed onto his forearm and dragged him with her. "Explain", she pinned him with her most brave stare.

"I want you to understand that appropriate security measures are being taken and no one will get to you or anyone in the family", his voice was heavy and dripping with valor. She felt blood rush to her face.

"I dont understand, just tell me",  she cried.

"My love.", he paused to grab her face and take a deep breath. "No need for you to worry or panic.", she groaned.

"There was a small fire or explosion in the B12 research centre, people are getting on discovering or predicting the cause", he was explaining. As she felt herself melting with relief in his face and practically falling onto him.

"Alright. We're melting now", he was observing her pretty closely. But she didn't seem like she needed any medical assistance.

"Oh dear lord. And here my brain literally thought of cancer and tumors and kingsman shite", she admitted.

"what I'm trying to say is. That we need to deal with this. A team has already started to take into consideration the possible causes and we have to wait and see which is accurate and lots of zoom calls.", he emphasized.

"Which means mini vacation is ceased for the moment", she offered.

"Yes. I'm afraid so", he agreed. "I was more than happy to deal with the situation on my own but they needed to speak with you too", he added.

"Cool", she shrugged feeling the muscles of his obliques tighten.

"So you're not upset", he piped.

"Ofcourse not", she lifted her head to look at his face directly. "Also I broke my no coffee streak so what I am I ever going to do with the energy", she winked. Shamelessly feeling his body and grinding up on him.

He reached for her lovely derrier and adjusted her In a more pleasurable position for the both of them. She hummed in satisfaction. As they took their time to make out.

His smart watch made a sound to let them know that first base and heavy petting was over. It was time to deal with business.

"Drew or Armando?", she asked as they both sat up. "Armando", he answered walking away to collect his phone from Celine their manager/PA who had  travelled with them on this trip.

"I'm gonna go shower", she pointed to the ceiling.

"Sure", he grumbled along with a few other words like cock Block and money and blue balls before switching into a professional demeter to speak on the phone.

"Hello, Celine", Tirza greeted as she grabbed her to go coffee cup from the table.

"Hello. Madam", she answered back. "We have excellent coffee here the same brand you prefer", Celine pointed to the cup in her hand.

"Oh yes I saw those. Thank you for being so kind and thoughtful", Tirza smiled.

"Can I take that for you?", she gestured to the empty cup. "And perhaps get Khalida to make you a new". She offered.

"None of that will be necessary. But I would like you to take an account of all the kids that our staff has and have happy meals sent to them and perhaps something for their parents too", Tirza informed and Celine was more that happy to comply.

"And Celine have you considered a checklist for the things that we may require tomorrow?", she began as they both walked up the stairs.

"Yes I've divided the list in accordance and I've taken the liberty to email them to you. In checklist form Ofcourse", she disclosed.

"Thank you Celine, perfectly executed", she praised entering the master bedroom for a quick shower.

"Alright. I understand that certain remains of the sodium salt required in the chemical analysis had clung to the fabric of the lab coat", Tirza agreed casting a quick glance at the clock on the desk. It was somewhere around 10. PM but still early in Italy. Oliver had popped by 15 minutes ago to let her know that he was going to be on a call with the family. Since his mother had received news about the incident from Drew.

"What we need to understand is that was the research material destroyed accidentally, it was merely preliminary results", Tirza argued.

"It could have been an attempt", a voice provoked.

Irked with the absurd theories regarding the fire.

She wished to Eat the cactus on the table rather than further agrue with these mindless pricks.

She still needed to talk on the phone with Joshua. Ask him about his day and the POA regarding the lab day he had missed.

Disclose the situation to Tina and tell her not to panic.

She rubbed at her temple. Almost filtering out the excessive arguments that broke out between the Director of research and one of the sponsors.

"Gentlemen, this is precisely why it was necessary to invest in an insurance policy. Their guy comes in tomorrow and sees how things go", she reminded everyone on the call. There was a small grumble.

"But what we should take into consideration is that was this preplaned or caused by human error", she reprimanded.

"If it was sabotaged the we will sue the doctor", the sponsor threatend.

"And if it is not then we must all remember that we as researchers have to consider human error and limitations, have we not set fire to things or perhaps broken a few test tubes", Tirza joked.

A small chuckle was heard.

"I once got some h2so4 on my lab journal, smaller than a drop but it burned through a few pages", she recalled.

"But this wasn't a mere lab journal, Mrs. Ward", he borderline scolded.

"It is Dr.Vincent for legal purposes not even my husband calls me that, you know better cousin," she corrected.

"Dr. K, be at ease and tell the student not to worry, this small incident has exposed to us a flaw within our safety control program and we will rectify this in the future", she assured.

"I will not bargain an important asset for price of a small controlled problem that we shouldn't even be talking about until the insurance guy doesn't construct a verdict", she was directly speaking to the sponsor who also happened to be Oliver's distant cousin on his father's side.

"Very well", he agreed.

Her eyes were aching as she saw Oliver walk into her office. With a peculiar look on his face.

He settled into the tiny chair staring at her not saying a word.

She quickly said goodbye as Celine walked in, after a quick chat with Celine. The couple bid her goodnight but there was much that needed to be done for the night.

With a moody Oliver still gawking at her. She took the time to pen a quick to do list for tomorrow.

"What?", she asked walking over to him, simply sitting in his lap.

"For legal purposes", he repeated.

"Yes. It is my title and qualification", she pointed out.

"And what does your husband call you?", he emphasized as the energy of the room shifted.

"Tirza", she joked. Getting up. Walking out into the massive lobby. He got on his heels.

"Where are you going?", he reached for her wrist. But she slipped through his grip.

"Kitchen for food", she giggled. Knowing that pretty soon she would pinned to the massive 8 foot mirror.

"Why so?", he tutted. Standing right behind her. Making her grin because he was predictable for moment.

She rested her heated face on the cool mirror surface trying to hide her grin as his right left settled settled around her neck. His wedding band on the rapidly beating vein on the right of her neck.

He flexed his grip once and  she giggled.

"I dont find it funny or cute when you deny my invitations for dinner", he grabbed her around her slim waist. She noticed that he was wearing his signet.

"I already said that I", she snapped.

He flexed his hand in warning. Cutting her mid sentence. Making her grin at the panther like vibe rolling off him.

"Had coffee?", he mocked. Looking at her in disbelief. " go ahead say it", he taunted making eye contact in the mirrors. Fingers angling her face up. Thumb flirting with the seam of her lip.

They both played this game well. Had perfected it over time. Became masters.

"I've had a coffee", she taunted as an echoing smack followed landing on her left buttcheek. That had place her palms on the mirror panes and rise to her toes.

Making eye contact she murmured.

"So be it husband",

He grinned back quintessentially predatory.

          ***** insert super hot smut*****

An hour or so later.

She stretched casually and contently on the deep sofa of the gaming room.

The lights were dimmed and she had fallen asleep in their post glow/cuddling/ after shower.

"What time is it?", she picked all her hair up and looked at the wet patch on the white faux fur of the headrest.

"Somewhere around 12", he murmured against her lips.

"Big Oof", she grinned falling back onto the fur.

"Mega Goof", he naturally completed.

"2 hours is a new record", he commented. Tracing a particular spot on her hip. An elysian smile hovering on his artistic lips.

"My arm is still twitching", she poked it once again.

"Hmm", he was mentally elsewhere.

"What did I say?", she questioned picking at the fine hair on his arm.

"That you want dinner?", he nuzzled her nose with his.

"Fine whatever,  she was now getting up and reached over for his robe.

"Where are my clothes?", she looked around.

He pointed to the door " outside". He stretched in a king like position on the sofa.

"Oomiii gawd!", she cried. Running out to retrieve her clothing.

She quickly poked her head  to glance at the hallway.

Which was clean and empty. Mortified she stared back at his smug face.

"Where are they?", she whisper yelled. Stretching her arm to her left.

"If you want round two just ask", he rolled his eyes getting up. Strolling towards her.

"Fuck you", she swore looking around for her clothes.

"Here I found your knickers", he flung the lacy material to her. She quickly caught it.

"Where are the rest?",

"Wash", he supplied as they walked down the stair into the kitchen.

The fridge was open and he pulled out a box containing a small salad.

"Eat because I your kind husband requested khalida to make this for you when you were sleeping", he spoke as he sipped on a bourbon coffee. "See how much I adore you." He most certainly over sugared it.

A weird doubt settled and she wished he would answer in negative.

"Khalida found the clothes right and put them in the wash?", she deduced.

"Maybe", he shrugged. She knew by now that the maybe was a definitely.

"What are you having?", she pointed with her fork chewing crunchy sweet lettuce.

"Decaffeinated coffee", he lied.

"With milk right?", she went back to eating.

No reply. No coffee lecture or horrified look.

Not the ideal conversationalist are we now. But it was indeed after 12.

"I'm gonna sleep", she mumbled climbing the stairs back up.

"I'll speak to Eric", he nodded.

"Kay", her voice echoed.

Popping into the laundry room to check out the dryer.

Her clothes were hung up in the fancy air dryer. The  cotton fabric dry and an indicator that it had been washed an hour ago.

"Dont overthink it", he yawned on her shoulder. "Its her job", he reminded her.

"Fine, now hold my finger", she agreed. He smiled.

As he linked his pinky with hers. Knowing that this was a small ritual she has been performing. She took a deep breath and began her silent prayer. Thanking the lord for her husband and everything else. Falling asleep with a thankful heart and in the arms of her beloved.

      *le morning*

He was on his second cup of coffee. He had woken up at an absurd hour as he was still adjusting. The 2 hour video conference had her drained along with the activities that followed. It was around 10 am and she was still passed out.

Oliver quietly sipped his espresso as he and Celine chatted with Tina over the phone and explained to her what had happened.

Tina made a lewd comment regarding her dumb fuk  of a sister when she had accidentally popped by earlier for work purposes. He casually smiled and promised to pass on the joke that she had made to her sister being passed out after being involved in vigorous exercise.

*wink wink*

It was precisely 11 am. When he was done with his workout. He had a small snack post workout. Went to his office to check on emails before he ignored the work for the rest of the day.

"You need to stop stealing my post it notes", she entered the office space as he crossed another thing off the list she had penned prior.

"Bellesima, bonjorno", he spoke with reverence. Bathing in her radiance.

"Bellesima, me later!",

"Why didn't you wake me up?", she inquired picking up the yellow paper frowning.

"Because you looked like the depiction of divinity sleeping", he offered holding his hands before him. Smiling.

"Omg. I was supposed to get my hair and nails done in time and now I have none" she settled in his lap. Thankful that his chair was massive and could house them both.

"You looked peaceful, like a troll that had never gotten sleep", he rolled his eyes.

"Wow, maturity suits you, I have to pick between nails and hair now", she debated holding his hands. He drew hearts, wrote his name on her hand as she decided.

"I'll just straighten my hair and wear the rings", she pointed to the drawer in his table that housed her wedding band and the engagement ring.

" you're agreeable, whenever you sleep past ten we should do that more often", he remarked.

"No its merely the results of my orgasmic after glows.", she grinned. Resting her hands on his shoulders she winked suggestively.

"Minx", he shook his head. Full on snogging her. Almost about to participate in office sex.

"Take glasses off. I have no self control", she cried.

Diving her hands in his hair.

"As much as I'd love to do that!, you need to give me 10 minutes", he broke free. She refused to let him go so he gently placed her on the stuffy chair on the left.

She stared back in disbelief. He took a moment to compose himself as he rearranged the contents of his table.

She still sat away sulking. Glaring.

He turned around and got the rings he needed from the drawer. He phone dinged. Making her narrow her eyes at him.

He smiled looking at the text and placed the ring box on her lap and walked out.

Strangely puzzled by his behaviour she found him taking to Celine outside who had arranged a stylist to do her hair. Eventually everyone got to work.

She toyed with the ring on her hand left hand and watched him walk into the room as she sat before the vanity. He didn't talk to her perhaps he too was nervous and needed time to ground himself. He changed his attire and left quietly. The stylist was trying to conceal her reaction to his existence.

But Tirza was more concerned about the lack of communication.

When her hair was straight and set. She got up to pick her phone to ring Tina around 11:20 only to hear him yelling her name. Startled. She ran, to the source of him voice. The coffee in her system making her crazy.

"Oliver!", she called back.

"Tesora", he answered back. She saw him at the bottom of the stairs. Practically bouncing with energy.

She almost stumbled down the stairs only for him to grab her wrist and start running.

She waved a quick hi to Khalida as she passed by her. Who was grining too.

They quickly passed by the indoor pool.

"What do you see?", he asked.

" a perfectly good pool", she guessed.

"But. Its empty", he pointed with his head. As he kissed her.

"Okay, but dont try to mess my hair up", she jumped with joy sliding the thin stap of her top. He stopped her by placing a kiss on the scar on her shoulder.

"Wait", and then they were running again.

They finally stopped outside a door.

"Close your eyes", he requested pulling out a piece of silk from his pocket.

"Kinky, now?", she pushed the hair away from her face. Closing her eyes.

She hear the door click, and he carried her in the room.

"I'm going to put you down now, you have to stand", he informed her.

She nodded.

"What do you hear", he whispered on her earlobe making her shiver.

She focused really hard and it was the sound of the water.

"Water, please tell me that you've cancelled the plans and shifted it to dinner because we are busy", she spoke realising what may take place now.

He just laughed.

"Ding ding", she cheared.

"Almost there", he traced her arm and they began walking again.

"Happy 7 month anniversary, darling", he slid the silk off. It was slightly static because of her hair. But the sight before her rendered her gobsmacked.

The outdoor pools she had seen three days ago. Now had Koi fishes fluttering in the water. There had to be 20 or more.

She was mesmerised. "They are beautiful", she praised. "Thank you so much",

He was walking into he small pool towards the fountain as he reached over and retrieved something.

"Something to commemorade", he said walking towards her.

"Your clothes", she giggled.