#stage is yuh name

[whodonthear]

GenXCarnival Jamaica

[staycalmandhugaclone]

Identity Pt 7

Part (7) of Identity, the next arc of Doc's Misadventures! If you're new, start at the beginning with Touch Starved!

Yuh know... there are chapters that are just so much harder to write because I elected to keep Doc unnamed... I'm standing by that decision, but that doesn't mean I won't bitch about it on occasion

Warnings: Flashbacks/PTSD, description of torture, loads of angst, reference to gore, profanity, self-deprecating thoughts

WC: 3,926

“So much for keeping that squad of yours off my back.”

He’d already removed his helmet before I’d entered, yet my gaze still settled blindly on the dark transparasteel shielded beneath the extended ridge of his visor, attention absently noting how clearly the burnt orange reflected atop the polished surface of his pale desk, and I found myself remembering the immaculate attire boasted by those at the gala, how carefully the droids had been prepared for display, void of even a scuff of dust, yet Cody had made no effort to hide the marks left upon him by war.

So much of that brilliant orange had been worn and chipped away that the rays of light adorning his chestplate were nearly unrecognizable absent the memory of how clearly they once shone. Even the base white yielded to the grey of raw composite below from constant wear and abuse. He could have it repainted or replaced, could elect for a separate set entirely to keep pristine for these moments between battles, but he stood before me with no thought wasted toward such excess. He’d earned every scar carved into flesh and armor alike, and he wore them with neither pride nor shame but with the simple acceptance that they were a part of him.

My chest hitched at the belated realization that he’d spoken, that I’d been silent long enough to prompt him to call my name with a hesitant concern, brows drawing slightly together as his head ducked slightly to study me with eyes that I knew had seen the death of thousands of brothers yet still held such kindness. I gave a quick nod, tongue slipping over my lips in preparation for a response I hadn’t yet thought of.

“I think Wolffe has more to worry about from them than you do.” I offered, body shifting back to attention as though it might make up for how heavily my voice fell in something far closer to a mutter than a proper reply. Drawing in a quick breath, I tried to force some composure over myself, determined to dispel the commander’s worries.

“The initial stage of the mission went smoothly – I met with the contact and acquired the datachip, and reported a significant portion of the Separatist defenses to Commander Wolffe through the comm in the bracelet.” Cody didn’t move as I spoke, arms relaxed at his sides, gaze still focused on me, and I found myself wondering if he was searching for any sign that I’d been compromised; that I was damaged beyond further use to the GAR and unfit to return to my unit, and that thought was enough to send my heart racing, nerves lighting with fresh anxiety until my fingers tensed with the need to fidget.

“You’re not on trial here.” He murmured suddenly, and I froze, unsure if I felt caught – trapped – or if I could allow myself a taste of comfort offered in the gentleness of his voice, the softness of his eyes. Still, I cursed the way my breath threatened to shake. “I’ve seen soldiers with more years on the battlefield than you break from that kind of torture… It’s okay to struggle with what happened.” I wanted to turn away, to hide from everything he saw when he looked at me in that moment, and I was almost shocked at the anger that warmed my chest, unsure if it stemmed from some want to prove him wrong or simply from needing to prove to myself that it hadn’t broken me.

“I appreciate that, Commander. All the same…” I knew he gleaned no reassurance from the mediated determination forced into words spoken with far more strength than I felt, but pushed myself to continue regardless. “After the exchange, I continued patrolling. A woman took notice of me.” My lips twitched into the beginnings of a scowl at my ignorance in that moment but refused to let myself stop. “I’m afraid I never got her name, but I later learned that she was the one who orchestrated the gala; that she… handpicked each of the members in attendance.” I knew Wolffe’s report would have detailed all of this; that nothing I’d told him offered new insight, but such was the nature of debriefing: hearing the same story told from different mouths in search of any sign variation, for the smallest detail that might have only been noticed by accident in the hopes that it could reveal something profound.

“She asked me to dance. I attempted to decline but came to the conclusion that doing so might draw too much attention. Afterwards, the speaker was introduced – the same woman who’d approached me. She insisted I accompany her to the podium, which I now understand was her way of keeping me from leaving. Her speech had barely started when an explosion blew out the back wall.” The scent of ozone and burnt hair lingered beneath the subtle staleness of the ship’s recycled air.

“I understand you sustained some injuries from that explosion.” He prompted after a moment’s pause, and I gave another quick nod.

“Suspected concussion, some burns and bruises.” The brief, itemized response left me absent any emotion, thoughts sifting through the snips I could only barely remember; bodies undoubtedly void of life beside those vying to escape still burning debris; screams reverberating throughout a ceiling designed to echo music not the sounds of agony filling that elaborate hall. “Maybe a dozen guards surrounded the speaker. I couldn’t see her status, but she must have been alert enough to talk. One of them approached me. I was too disoriented to move, and they sedated me.”

I didn’t notice that he’d moved until he called my name, eyes flicking back up to find him now seated in the chair behind his desk, and part of me recognized exactly what he was doing; wanted to snap at him for thinking I needed such a rote example of physical de-escalation, shout my insult at his hope that some ancient part of my brain would recognize his laxed stance and find enough comfort in it that I might mimic him, but I could feel how quickly my heart raced, noted the stiff movement of my chest around too-shallow breaths, and I knew why he’d felt the need to try.

My gaze dropped to the chair beside me, hand hesitantly shifting to rest atop the pale plastoid. I imagined myself pulling it out enough to slip into the seat, thought of what posture might be most appropriate when finding oneself across from one of the highest ranking members of the GAR, and then I remembered how my body had strained against the reclined seat in that filthy cell, robbed of leverage and hope and autonomy, and I quietly let my hand return to my side.

“I’m not sure how long I was unconscious.” I continued as though nothing had happened, pointedly forcing my attention back to him. “I was restrained when I woke up. A man was already attempting to interrogate me. I-” My voice caught, jaw freezing at the memory of his callused fingers gripping me hard enough for the bone to ache. Breath fleeing lightly parted lips in a huff, I couldn’t keep myself from turning away once more, studying walls not tarnished with dirt and blood and all manner of nightmares.

“He wanted to know who was responsible for the explosion, then asked general things about me: my name, where I’m from.”

“What did you tell him?” I didn’t even try to look at him again, though I couldn’t dismiss my reluctant gratitude at how quietly he spoke, how free his voice was of any judgement or disappointment. My head shook before I could form an actual answer.

“I didn’t… I didn’t say anything.” The words felt weird as they dragged up my throat, as though my body was going through the motions of speech before my mind could anticipate the sensation of anything other than the burn of frigid water. “Then he put a cloth over my head.” I didn’t want to hear it. “Turned on a… spigot or… I don’t know – I couldn’t see where the water came from.” But my lips kept moving despite how my chest threatened to lock around what precious air filled my lungs. “He didn’t… It wouldn’t stop.” I remembered not being able to tell up from down as that icy liquid poured over me, remembered that first rush of true panic.

Again, Cody called my name, but that earlier softness was gone, replaced with something firmer, commanding, and it was just enough to rip my attention away from the deafening sound of crashing water. He wasn’t sitting anymore, stance rigid, hand clasped about the corner of his desk as though he’d paused midway to me.

“I want you to take a slow breath and tell me where we are.” He ordered, and only then did I realize how quickly my diaphragm bucked with rushed gasps. Shame sent heat up my neck and across my cheeks as I caught my lip between my teeth in an effort to force some control back over myself. Still, it took several seconds before I could bring myself to speak, breathing only just quieting.

“The Negotiator.” I answered roughly, unable to hide the annoyance in my voice, the disdain for my own weakness, but he drew no attention to either as he visibly eased the tension from his stance.

“Good.” There was no trace of condescension in that murmured word, and something about that left me feeling even more defeated, shoulders innately trying to tuck into my chest. “We’ll stop there for now. Take a day. Tend your injuries. We can finish this later.” My teeth ground against the violent rebuke sitting atop my tongue, mind balking at the thought of delaying this, of trying to walk away with that impending conversation looming over me.

“I’m fine. We can finish this now.” I stated firmly, expression pinched into something I hoped illustrated my determination rather than my fear. He didn’t respond for several, long seconds, but finally yielded with a slow exhale before motioning me to continue. I had to swallow back the stiffness in my throat, resettle the weight between my feet to convince my back to straighten.

“I was rendered unconscious.” Empty words, carefully void of all trace of emotion lest they cripple me. “The cloth was still over my eyes when I came to. The man immediately attempted to question me again – asking my name, who I worked with.” My head flinched at the ghost of water droplets hitting my forehead. “He repeatedly demanded I tell him who ordered the attack and who the primary target was.”

“Did you tell him about Commander Wolffe’s presence there?” Again, his voice fell into a gentle whisper, tiptoeing around the edge of pushing me too far, and part of me tried to remember that I should have rebelled against being coddled like that, but I merely shook my head in reply. “What did you tell him?” He asked softly. Something shouted at me to remain silent – to say nothing lest I reveal everything.

“I don’t know.” I muttered, faltering thoughts straining to remember who I was speaking with despite the rancid scent of filth filling the room that was somehow too light and too dark at the same time. “I… I said I didn’t know.” I clarified, neck seizing as I tried to swallow against the sudden dryness of my mouth. “And he’d… every time I did, he’d…” I choked around an attempt to clear my throat, eyelids straining to blink away the memory of that black fabric trapping me in utter darkness. “He’d pull the mask back down and… he’d wait until I was just about to pass out before turning the water off.” Something about my voice sounded wrong… drawn too thin… like my lungs were being stretched, squeezed.

“Did you tell him anything about the GAR’s involvement? Or the contact you were sent to meet with?” Again, I merely shook my head, unsure if my eyes were closed or if I’d feel that harsh fabric upon drawing my fingers over my face, and the sensation of cloth against my skin ruined me.

In an instant, my torso curled forward, hand clawing at my hair to rip away that wretched sack, my other arm thrashing against whatever held it trapped to my chest in sharp, desperate jerks that sent agony tearing through the joint. I couldn’t understand that the cloth I’d felt was from my own glove, that my arm was held fast by a split rather than those cruel restraints; that the frigid liquid soaking into my blacks was sweat as panic ripped all memory of thought from my mind.

The depth of familiarity that should have accompanied the voice echoing around me was muted beneath how violently my heart slammed against my ribs, the wheezed keening of frantic breaths stolen in what little time I knew lingered before that putrid water would again fill my lungs.

Something touched my arm, and my body reacted in a feral rush of terror, legs snapping out to launch myself away with enough force to nearly rip that coveted air from me at the powerful impact of my back slamming into the wall, and still I felt myself straining to escape, to vanish, feet pressing into the front of my boots until my toes ached.

“…otiator… safe…” Snips of words that held no meaning echoed amidst demands screaming from the shadows, questions I couldn’t answer laced between an icy guilt of knowing I was no better than the man torturing me.

“…eed you t…”

I couldn’t tell who was screaming, stomach churning at the scent of flesh burnt by blaster fire and explosions, and I sobbed at the knowledge that nothing I could do would get the bleeding to stop in time, that I deserved the hatred in his eyes in that first moment that understanding dawned on him even as his life slipped through my fingers.

“…member where… not…”

The shriek of my pistol morphed into his cries, and I realized I’d never bothered to note where his fingers had fallen, only felt the relief of watching him tumble closer and closer to breaking, to telling me what I needed to know, and I felt sickened at the certainty that the man in that cell had felt that same exhilaration granted by what self-deception promised us that fault lie only with the one refusing to answer our questions… how easy it was to believe that our cruelty was justified…

My body shied from a touch I should have known without thought, deaf to gentle words and blind to the concern darkening eyes I’d found comfort in so many times before. In that moment, however, I couldn’t remember the safety once so inherent to his presence, nerves screaming with a terror I had no hope of freeing myself from. He didn’t shy in the face of my panic, touch following me with a quiet persistence untainted by the impatient indifference that had left my jaw bruised and tugged so roughly at the sack clinging to my face between shouted questions, and, for that reason only, I found myself hesitating.

Trembling violently against a chill that no longer sank into my bones from fabric left soaked by hours of torture, I found myself again trying to find something beyond the memory of that almost perfect darkness, wide eyes darting all around for some glimpse of a reality that was lost to me.

“…d… don’t kn… I… I don’t know…” Was that my voice?

“Shh, just look at me, Doc.” Something swept carefully along the ridge of my cheekbone, and I felt myself flinch sharply away even as my mind longed to cling to the tenderness of that touch.

“N… I-I d…” Ruined, broken fragments of pleading words that I knew would bring me no relief stammered from lips shaking too violently to attempt real speech. Someone called my name, and I felt myself sob at the fleeting warmth laced through a smoky voice I so desperately wanted to remember.

“Just look at me, cyare… I’m right here…” I could feel the heat of his words washing over my cheek. There was no lingering stench of stale beer nor rancid sweat, no overwhelming taste of copper from old blood, and that didn’t make sense amidst the certainty of what nightmares engulfed me. “Good… that’s good…” He murmured, fingers shifting ever so slightly through my hair, and I couldn’t fight the shiver that swept down my spine. “I want you to try to breathe with me, Doc… nice and slow…” Was I looking at him? I couldn’t tell. My head swam, vision too blurry to make out more than churning colors… but… even that was different, brighter than the devouring darkness that had robbed me of all sense of self.

I vaguely understood that I was still pinning myself against the wall, fingers tangled into my hair as though it might keep that mask from blinding me again, that I’d slid down so far as to nearly be curled in a ball against the corner; that the man speaking so gently to me had lowered himself onto a knee at my side, callused hands delicate in how he cradled my face between them, how he wordlessly wiped away the line of tears falling from my eyes, and I somehow noted the slow rise of shoulders broadened by that familiar, dark armor illustrating his own mediated breaths.

“Come on, Doc… breathe.” It wasn’t a command. He was begging me. There was a whisper of logic reminding me of the dangers of hyperventilating – the way that imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide impairs cognitive function, how it increases blood pH and causes systemic upheaval; remembered that he could hear how quickly my heart was racing, smell the adrenaline flooding my veins. My hand tentatively shifted, fingertips just skimming the thick tendons lining his wrist, and I saw how quickly he stilled at my touch.

“H… Hunter?” I could barely whisper his name, only then realizing my eyes had locked onto his, and the way his body sank with a relief that should have left me ashamed only worked to further drive away dreams that I knew would haunt me for years to come. In that moment, though, I allowed myself to focus only on the man before me as his hand trailed lightly through my hair.

“Yeah… Yeah, it’s me.” He sighed, shifting his weight thoughtlessly in silent invitation, and I needed no further incentive, feet scrambling even as my legs folded uselessly beneath me, hand abandoning his wrist in favor of darting toward him for my arm to lock around the back of his neck in an effort to drag me closer. He didn’t hesitate, embrace instantly drawing me flush against his chest, and I sobbed at the familiar earthiness of his scent.

“I’ve got you, cyare… I’ve got you.” Another shiver tore through me at the warmth of his words fluttering atop my scalp, and I pressed myself harder against him because of it, the hand still trapped by that splint latching uselessly about the lip of his armor. “Alright… Just breathe, Doc… You’re alright…” How could I not melt into his touch at the softness in his voice, air fleeing me in a shuttered huff before forcing some steadiness into the next inhale, if only to hear the quiet “Good” whisper past his lips once more.

He made no effort to rush me as that panic gradually quelled, moving only to ease me closer against him as he leaned back to unfurl his leg, and I tried to ignore the static prickling up my own legs at nerves reawakened by the subtle change. I wondered if he was listening to the gradual slowing of my heart, if he was torn between the want to ask endless questions I was too frightened to answer or if he was too busy pushing back plumes of anger that the mission had clearly gone so wrong, forcing him to pick up the pieces… and then I felt that shame.

Body tensing, I couldn’t help but pull away from him slightly, head falling to my chest as my teeth burred into my lip. I could see his attention shift, gaze studying me expectantly though he kept purposefully silent. Cheeks warming as understanding finally dawned on me, as I realized just how deeply I’d broken and where, I stole only a quick glance around us, half expecting to find Cody watching with arms crossed about his chest and a knowing darkness in his eyes, but I saw no one else in the room.

“Cody’s outside with Wolffe.” Hunter explained quietly, and my brows drew together in confusion.

“Wolffe?” I asked, voice still too unsteady to keep from breaking.

“Cody called us both. I just got here first.” He explained, thumb absently dancing against my back. I took a moment to make sense of his words before a tiny huff of laughter escaped me, and my arms instantly tightened around him once more, but this time the gesture was driven by an affection I couldn’t bring myself to try to explain. I knew how far away the hanger was; could guess how much time had passed since I’d said my farewells to my old Commander, and I didn’t doubt just how hard Hunter had pushed himself if he reached me before Wolffe could.

At that, he paused slightly before returning the embrace. While that brief note of mirth was a desperately needed reprieve, it quickly ceded in light of the still wretched truth evident in the very need that had brought him so swiftly to me. I’d crumbled beneath the weight of all the horrors I’d done in those past weeks, beneath the horrors that had been done to me. There was no hiding from that truth; no means of denying the display of devastation and fear that had overcome me in front of the damn Marshall Commander himself… and a new fear brought back the ghostly chill that was so eager to whisper through my chest.

“Is… is Cody going to…” I couldn’t finish, my tentative grasp on control already threatening to cave at the mere thought of being discharged from the GAR because of this. It took him a moment to understand what I was asking, but then he answered me absent hesitation or doubt.

“No.” He leaned back just enough to meet my eyes, hand cupping the back of my head to keep my gaze turned toward him that I might see the conviction fueling his words. “He knows things have been… hard lately… and then this… but he’s leaving that decision up to me, and I’m not ready to let you go yet… Not unless that’s what you want.” He added, head ducking down slightly in an unspoken question. Unable to even try to respond, I quickly shook my head, overwhelmed by a relief I hadn’t begun to let myself hope for. He let out a carefully slowed breath before pulling me against him once more, and I finally managed to feel the stretch of air filling my lungs, the warmth of a safety somehow still untouched by a lifetime of terror, and I knew I would never be able to find the words to tell him just how much he meant to me, how desperately I needed him, so I merely hugged him harder.

Next Chapter

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[jayandfreakybob]

Bonus Stage OC time! 🤫

yuh I changed my BS OC a bit 👅 (what you’re about to see is copy pasted from Discord because I’m not writing an entire essay about her again) 🐈

This is Melanie Gardner, AKA my Bonus Stage OC!! I definitely didn’t name her after the song Hearts and Crosses by Heavenly,,,🤫

In terms of lore, she used to hang out with Phil and Joel back when they were kids. During middle school, her and Phil ended up dating at one point, and just like every middle school relationship, they broke up. Melanie didn’t take this too lightly, as Phil was the one who wanted to break up with her and not vice versa. Shortly after this, she moved to a different location.

She meets Phil and all the others again a few years later, before the events of High Score, and she’s still pissed off at her ‘ex’, though not as much as she was before. She’s also angry towards Joel for an unknown reason I haven’t thought of yet, and everyone else she meets during this time are either people she never knew or people she did know but never interacted with much.

Personality wise, she is very dual-sided depending on who she interacts with. She’s more prone to being nicer and likeable to the girls than the guys (TOTALLY NOT BECAUSE SHE’S A POSSIBLE LESBIAN 🤫🤫). She does end up friending everyone (including Phil), and gains a bond between her and all the RAD FEMALES 💥 (especially Elly, Rya and June, she relates with all three of them)

[justagirl-with-aphone]

Pt.2 of this Post-Random Prompt Generator ~Kirishima edition

Pro hero Kirishima x Awkward florist reader!

I would love to! tysm for requesting this! @yuh-l8

It's been a few hours since the redhead left, and you guys were texting NONSTOP. You were also getting ready for the gala, it still felt so surreal to you. I mean, you were a flower shop owner, and someone of his magnitude wanted to take you??? You weren't complaining though, however, you were a little nervous about what everyone was going to say...

A knock at your door brought you out of your spiral, you skipped to the door, happy to see him. Pulling it open, he greeted you with a bouquet of flowers and a big smile on his face.

"I know they aren't as pretty as the ones you're used to, but all flowers pale in comparison to you." He laughed. You didn't know whether to cringe at the line or blush. Your body chose the latter though. you looked down holding your arm in your hand, your face as red as his hair.

"Let me grab my shoes.." You murmured, trying to distract yourself.

The car ride there was filled with laughter, and you felt as if you could talk freely and not worry about coming across wrong. It was freeing. All that changed when you got to the place though, bombarded with flashing cameras and questions, you didn't know what to do. So you followed Ejiro, and let him do the talking.

Navigating to a table, you were met with familiar faces. You didn't know them personally, but everyone knows the faces of big-time heroes. You were immediately greeted by Pinky, (a very fitting name if you do say so yourself.) She ran up to you and pulled you into a hug.

"You must be the one Ejiro won't stop talking about!! I'm so happy he took my advice and decided to bring you!!! You can call me Mina, it's a pleasure to meet you y/n!" A little thrown off by her enthusiasm, but flattered to hear he talked about you, you stumbled out a simple "Really nice to meet you too, I love your work." The girl was easy to talk to, and so were Sero and Denki. You were a little worried about Dynamite, was he going to blow you up? He looked like he didn't want you around.

"Don't worry about him! He's just like that, I've known him for years and I still get the cold shoulder at times! He's just an angry boom boom man" Ejiro laughed, sensing your hesitance around the blonde.

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME SHITTY HAIR?" He yelled.

"See?" Ejiro laughed even harder, at the 'tsk' that came from Bakugo.

You found that you could talk really easily with his friends, and you even ended up exchanging numbers with them all. Even though Bakugo was reluctant, he ended up folding with a "Spam me and I'll blast you sky high." You think it helped to have people like Mian and Ejiro around, extroverts like them who could make conversation with anyone really helped you come out of your shell.

You stood happily cheering with the rest of the group when Ejiro won an award. And was even happier when he gave you credit when complimented on stage about the decorations. Giving you credit and talking about how friendly you were, you were embarrassed but happy.

You were so happy, you didn't want it to be over, You didn't want to get out of the pro hero's car. You were even happier though when he held true to his promise and came into the shop the next day. Making it a part of his daily patrol.

Maybe, just maybe, you were happy you were running this shop. Not just for the money this time.

So sorry I've been gone for a while, preparing to go to college is a pain in the ass ToT

[faunandfloraas]

thank you to Karolina for tagging meeeeeee @inloif

Do you make your bed? Most the time, yes! Because I have a cute, very grannycore bedspread and some cute throw pillows so I like to see it made up and it makes me more likely to actually open the blinds and let the sun in.

What’s your favorite number? 12. Genuinely no reason why.

What is your job? Nothing official. Unofficial.... well maybe theres been a cashy once or twice lately, who knows not me.

If you could go back to school, would you? If I could go back in time, I would- but at this very minute? no. i dropped out of hs because *undiagnosed everything so if I could have, yk, ever accessed help that would have been nice lol

Can you parallel park? I'd prefer not to.

A job you had that might surprise people? idk- aged care? none of my jobs have been very weird or random, so

Do you think aliens are real? 🛸 I WANT TO BELIEVE

Can you drive a manual car? Yes. For 33 whole seconds before I blow up the clutch and destroy the car.

What’s your guilty pleasure? Well. Thats for me to know and to not inflict on my lovely kpop pals 😇

Tattoos? No I'm too indecisive I cant even get a haircut 😭 i like them on other people, though!

Favorite color? depends on the time of day and what stage the moon is in- but like Im always a fan of pics and browns and greens and yellows and

Favorite type of music? Once again. I cannot ever land on a favourite.

Do you like puzzles? Uhhhhhhhh? I think im too adhd for that.

Any phobias? Im a bit scared of heights but not phobia scared.... hmm nothing else really.

Favorite childhood sport? baseball. which didnt exist here and no one cared about and was weird for me to be into since I cared naught for sport, generally.

Do you talk to yourself? Yuh. Incessantly. I do voices and stuff. Inherited it from my mother actually, so it's her fault.

What movies do you adore? Uptown girls, Imagine me and you and moonlight are all films Ive seen multiple times and have enjoyed everytime so those I guess :)

Coffee or Tea? Both! I love them both. idk I guess Iced coffees my number 1 girl but I have been havin tea every morning lately now its colder so.

First thing you wanted to be growing up? long haul truck driver is the main thing I ever remember really thinking Wow. that'd be so cool. ???? i wanted to sleep in the truck, particularly? and as I have said before, I believe I should have been a gay truck driving 60 yr old man named big Al but the universe had other plans, I guess.

this was fun! I tag any and all moots or followers who would like to do this, I'm always happy to learn things about you guys :)

[goatskickin]

Where did we leave our college students last time? Oh yes: Faith was cookin’ and lookin’ (for a husband), Bettina bagged a Dreamer warlock, and Tempe, against all odds, managed to kiss a girl.

As the semesters come and go, what have the Springs-Eternal kids gotten up to?

 Seeing has how she had a Popularity Secondary aspiration, Faith felt that she needed to put herself out there and make some new friends.

With the offerings at Brainia U being meager, Faith took a chance on Marsha Tse. If nothing else, Marsha’s a sucker for Faith’s cooking. And Faith loves a good compliment.

“Yuh! You haven’t tried a Spanish-fried flax egg? Bro, it will change your life.”

“I don’t think that’s - Marsha…are you high right now?

“Huhuhuhu, yuh!”

Marsha likes eating snacks and standing still. Truly, expectations for companionship are low.

Faith is happy to cook though. People who cook for others are kind!

Or so she tells herself.

“Faith, we should do this more often! Like, a teatime? But with an actual meal? Get in the habit of taking time to socialize and visit? A girl group power hour?”

“Hell yeah! I’ve been working on this lentil tofu that isn’t totally ass. I’m thinking some kind of creamy coconut milk curry soup thing to do with it…who else can we invite over?”

Bettina knows Marsha Tse from bubble-related hangs.

“Duuuude, can I like, borrow the computer? I totally spaced and my chemistry lab is due like, huh, today. Also, do you have a tampon?”

“Huh! Faith, who is ‘genesissprings-eternal@brainia.edu’? You have like, hella unread emails from this person.

“…Marsha…go to class.”

“Sooo…you wanna talk about how you got all smoochy smoochy with Skylar at karaoke yesterday?”

…

“…no, I do not. And I wasn’t.”

                        “What I remember is Kiera being pitchy.”

“Hahaha, stoppp…but she kinda was though...”

♫ Your beauty is beyond compare With flaming locks of auburn hair ♫

♫ With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green Your smile is like a breath of spring ♫

♫ Your voice is soft like summer rain And I cannot compete with you Jolene ♫

♫ He talks about you in his sleep ♫

♫ And there's nothing I can do to keep ♫

♫ From crying when he calls your name ♫

♫ Jolene ♫

…

“Bettina! Come on! We can do a duet for this next one.”

“Uh, okay…but I’m no singer…”

“This one is easy! Come on!”

“Ha, okay…”

♫ Life is a mystery Everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name And it feels like home ♫

♫ When you call my name, it's like a little prayer I'm down on my knees ♫

♫ I wanna take you there ♫

♫ In the midnight hour, I can feel your power Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there ♫

♫ I hear your voice It's like an angel sighin' I have no choice I hear your voice Feels like flying ♫ – “Bettina, take your jacket off! Come on!”

“Ha! That’s not the words!”

♫ I close my eyes Oh God I think I'm fallin' Out of the sky I close my eyes Heaven help me ♫

♫ When you call my name, it's like a little prayer I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there In the midnight hour, I can feel your power Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there ♫

“I remember Skylar grinning at us like a store mannequin while we were singing Like a Prayer…”

“And? And you remember him totally giving you lovey dovey eyes?!”

“Faith! Gosh, are you a contralto? That was great! You should be getting paid to sing like that.”

“Sorry, I know we don’t know each other well, but I had to say something…”

“Hm, well, I would say that I could be best compared to Karen Carpenter in terms of both range and emotionality in my voice….

…

…thanks.”

…

“Faith, you’d have made a much better Queen Gertrude in the spring showcase, rather than whoever that girl was that they had doing it…she had no, you know, gravitas? You do.”

“…um, wow. Thanks Skylar.”

“I can see it now Faith – you, Sky, total power couple, he’s supporting your dreams, you’re conquering the stage – “

“Bettinaaaaa, stop! I’m totally not serious about him!”

“He’s cool, but like, he’s just a friend, you know?”

“He’s cute I guess.”

“I mean like, he does have good taste. Clearly not an idiot.”

“But like, he’s just ‘some guy’ from Bluewater Village.”

“For my future, I need the perfect husband.”

“You’re so picky! Sky can’t be that man, Faith? I think you need to be more openminded…”

“Uh, guys? Um, like, the computer is making a funny…smell…um, I’m gonna finish my paper on paper …”

 Though Faith didn’t take her interaction with Skylar seriously, her talk with Bettina did get her thinking about what her life would be like once college was over.

Marriage was on the horizon, obviously.

 And moving back home of course. On another trip to campus, Faith and Bettina happen to run into another Pitstop Valley native - Benny Navajo.

…

“Hey Benny. Sorry about your dad. I heard from my mom.”

…

“Thanks.”

…

“Hi Faith.”

“Benny! Benny-man! Hi! How’s Brainia U’s big sports star?”

“Hm. You follow our basketball team Faith?”

“Totally. I totally knew what sport you played!

…

How are you?”

“Like, in general?”

“Yeah! In general! And in specific.”

“Um, fine, I guess. Got to go to my history lecture in an hour.”

“Cool, that is totally cool. History is so…like it’s a thing that happened. And we need to know about it. You know?”

“Um? Yeah, sure.”

“So, listen, when we all get back to Pitstop Valley…”

“Oh, I am not going back to Pitstop Valley.”

“HA! Ben! Benny, you’re funny. Anyway, when we get back to Pitstop – “

“I am not going back there Faith. I am staying here.”

“Benny! Ha! HA! What, are you going to do, stay at Brainia U forever? Be a super senior?”

“I dunno. Coach says if I take 15 more credits after senior year that I can do another semester at least.”

“Um, are you kidding Benny? Like – “

“Pitstop Valley is not a good place. It’s pretty shitty actually.”

“What do you mean?!”

“Well, we don’t have electricity, there’s only one store, anyone over 65 practically loses their mind, we can only use the phone one day a week, we don’t have a lot of – “

“Oh, is that all?! What, you wanna stay here because there’s pinball? And a movie theater?”

“…don’t be an asshole.”

“Fuck you! You don’t be an asshole.”

“Yeah, yeah, fuck you too.”

“Look, my dad is dead. Candice left town with some new boyfriend the last I heard. And Cheyenne has Mercy.”

“Okay…what about Benji?”

“Fuck Benji. He works for the mob. Fuck the mob too.”

…

 “Move over.”

…

“So, what are you going to do then?”

“…I dunno. I can stay here. Or I can go anywhere. Maybe Downtown. I don’t know.”

“Downtown? Dangerous.”

“Whatever. Maybe it’s the right place for me. And you’ve never even been there, so you can’t even talk.”

“Like you have! How would you get there anyway?”

“I dunno. I’d figure it out.”

  Faith’s conversation with Benny gave her a lot to think about. Not go back to Pitstop Valley? Faith couldn’t imagine it.

Sure, there wouldn’t be the nice amenities like they had at Brainia U. But her parents were there.

Well, Justice was at least.

Besides, Pitstop Valley was a small nowhere town – the perfect backstory for star who came from nothing.

The nice thing about Brainia U though; Faith and Bettina often had the pleasure of running into friends on-campus. That was one aspect of university Faith would miss.

“You guys are so CUUUUUUTE!”

“Faith! Get lost, will ya.”

 Seb’s had been Bettina’s official boyfriend for some time now. Their relationship had a basis of a solid friendship. And they had magic in common as well.

While he’d been reluctant to share his magic training with Bettina, he was pleasantly surprised to find her a quick and eager study.

Nothing too crazy – a little spell here, a little charm there…

After all, it was likely that Bettina would follow her mother’s Good alignment, and possibly learn from her as well.

   Remy on the other hand, took different approach to magic than Seb. He wasn’t above pushing the envelope.

After having settled on Philosophy as a major, in addition to his studies, Remy’s belief was that writing the next teen/YA novel would set him on the path to security and fortune.

Much to the amusement of his twin.

“Okay, so, let me guess…teeny tiny female protagonist who is not like other girls, somehow knows kung-fu and then she’s forced to team up with the school bully/secret crush who is also a werewolf-"

“Shut up! That’s terrible. That’s not even a GOOD example of a bad YA novel.”

“Just you wait. The book I am going to write is going to be amazing. And it’s going to make me a lot of money.”

At least that is what Remy was telling himself.

Wade, while not being really big on school, finally decided on a major that suited him: Kinesiology.

Going to gym class several times a week with a little bit of science class sprinkled in suited him nicely.

And who knows? Maybe that extracurricular karate class would come in handy one of these days.

       At the boy’s house one snowy morning, Wade made the daft decision to shoo away a penguin from the yard right out of the shower.

Little did he know that it would lead to one of the most important days of his life.

Pengu: “BRRR! Indecent!”

A student known to everyone at Brainia U simply as ‘The Streaker’ happened to run past right as Wade was doing his shooing.

“AHHH!”

And Wade, outside and having already made one questionable decision that day, decided to make another.

He talked to her.

“Hey – “

“Wow! Outside in a towel?! Freeing right? The air is to totally crisp today!”

“….uh, heh, yeah! Sur-sure is! Um! Can I ask! What are you – “

“Oh yeah, ha! Totes didn’t mean to startle you if you saw me, but I just couldn't let this crisp and sunny day get away from me, you know? Totally exhilarating! You ever hear of barefoot running?”

“Uhhhh –“

“Wait! You’re in my Pilates class, yeah?”

“Uh…oh! Yea? I think? I’m in the front usually, so if you were behind me – “

“Dude! You give me like, golden retriever vibes, yeah? I like your style! What’s your sign? Do you know that penguin? Is it around your yard a lot?”

Pengu: “I am alarmed at what is transpiring here.”

Snowman: *judgmental and snowy agreement*

After helping her focus her attention, Wade invited the Streaker inside. Most people would find it cold to be outside in weather like that, after all.

Robin (her actual name) turned out to be a pretty interesting person.

She was also a Kinesiology major like Wade, with a focus in bodywork and massage therapy. She took up the habit of ‘frostrunning’ as she called it, to deal with anxiety her freshman year. She found it to be exhilarating and mood boosting, and she’d been hooked ever since.

Before the Fall, a college campus might have had a security team, one that would enforce rules against the kind of fast & naked exercise Robin had accustomed herself to.

But at Brainia U, her only real danger was that of falling on the ice or freezing to death. No other student had dared to approach her.

Except for Wade. He found her to be the most fascinating person he’d ever met.

“I’ll look out for you in class next time. Maybe you can show me that hip stretch you mentioned?”

“Sure!”

Remy’s interactions with girls were usually less…good. 

“…then we get to the tower, and the whole time we are following the protagonist – I still don’t have a name for him – and then suddenly at the top of the stairs, in her defense, the princess who has whipped the door wide open in anticipation, has the dagger, aimed right at his – “

“Puh-LEASE! Stop! That’s godawful!”

“Could you come up with something that’s even more pandering?! I mean my god; did you rip that right from the Chronicles of Pretentious Douchebags? Where is the female character’s agency?! Does this heroine have any friends? And what about the arch with the mourning dove? I mean were you going to forget about that entirely?!”

Luckily, there’s some other Brainia U students that are a little more easygoing.

“Howdy Faith! Any luck making friends with that personality?”

“Suck my butt, Bettina.”

*grumble*

“I can make other friends…”

      …

“…maybe talking to new people was a bad idea.”

“Hey! I am literally right here.”

“Well, Kiera, you’re being weird, and you needed to know.”

*sigh*

“I hate small talk…. but not everyone should get to know me on a deep level.

…

…how am I supposed to connect with anyone? I hate this! Everyone’s so dumb…but I want to be in a relationship...”

“It could be that you’re feeling overwhelmed about who to choose for the future. It’s a big decision.”

“Well, good point! I’d definitely want to be with someone who would kiss the ground I walk on!”

“Uh, okay…”

“Well, think about it. You need to be careful. A lot of people unconsciously look for partners that have the same traits and qualities as the people they grew up with. You know? Because those people feel familiar. But that’s not always a good choice, depending on your family and upbringing and all.”

“No offense dude, but have you even kissed anyone? Do you even know what you are talking about?”

“Geez. Sorry for trying to help.”

  Fortunately for Faith, there’s other people on campus who prove to be more receptive to her.

“Oi! Lambkin! What’s a lovely single lady like you doing here? You seem tense. I may be able to help you unburden your troubles…among other things…”

“Um!! I, uh…”

“Verily! Across the campus I’d seen ye, and I thought – “

“Hey Rasmus, fuck off. Don’t touch people. Go take a shower.”

“Lo! Our fiery leading lady! Faith the Fearless! What say – “

“Beat it Rasmus. What the fuck. Invest in deodorant.”

“Huh?”

“Hey, sorry about him.”

“Wha…what the…who was – “

“God, that’s just Rasmus. Theater majors, you know? Sorry, I’m a theater major too, but at least I have some restraint. We did A Christmas Carol last semester and Rasmus still hasn’t let go of his character and wears the costume all the time. What a creep, right?”

“Ohhhhh…okay that….that kinda makes sense…”

“What’s your name?”

“Hi, uh, Rebecca. Rebecca Beckett.”

“Rebecca Beckett. Becky Beckett! That’s cute! I like it. You wanna get some pizza?”

    Though Brainia U’s pool was roofless and unprotected from the year-round winter weather, some students didn’t mind a bracing dip. It was practically the only exercise that Faith would tolerate.

“Hey, you know, I was thinking about what you said, and…you’re full of shit.”

“…you were actually listening to me? Do you even know my name?”

“So, like, I want the opposite of whatever fucked up situation my parents have. That’s what I’ve always been looking for. But everyone’s so like, boring? Like, I’m looking for some spice.”

“You know, heat? Energy? Something interesting?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to get it.”

“Listen, I’m really not interested in whatever it is you’ve got going on. I was just making an observation. I’m in my capstone for Psychology, and you just seemed like you had a pretty obvious blind spot as far as emotional intelligence goes….sorry I got involved. Bye.”

*grumble*

“….what the fuck does he know…”

   Life continues to be a blur of eat-sleep-study-repeat until graduation day. And, the penguin is here.

Pengu: “How much longer must we wrestle with disrespectful treatment, brother?! HM?!”

Snowman: *agrees snowily*

With occasional other happenings.

“…I think that was Wade’s new girlfriend.

…

Um, wow.”

“Maybe that dick-idiot with the slicked-back red hair was kind of saying something...”

“Am I looking in the right places for a boyfriend? What am I even looking for?”

  And for once, Faith could not distract herself from her issues with cooking.

“Bettina! Are we out of my lentil tofu? The hell? Where is the rice I made on Tuesday?”

“Oh…yeah Temps was over to study with me for our history exam. I think he ate it.”

While on a trip to the store…

…while Faith stocks up on nutritional yeast and noodles…

…who does Bettina run into, but her beloved!

“Sebby!”

“Hi angel. Why are you out late?”

“Oh, the fridge was bare. How are you?”

“Babe, listen I’ve been thinking…”

“Ooh! Lower, there, thank you…”

“Babe, I’d like to do some more advanced magic.”

“Oh, would you now?

…

You still need to work on the firefly charm. 5 fireflies is not exactly multitudinous. You’re really supposed to –”

“That’s kid stuff! I want to do more!”

“Oh yeah, like what? Love spells? Stop time? Making things out of thin air? You know that’s Evil magic.”

“Not like thaaaat….exactly…”

“Bettina…”

“What! I just love it, okay? I feel powerful. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do, you know? I just want to like, do some extra credit, to get to the next level.”

“Ha! There’s no need to rush. Magic is a life-long practice. Why are you trying to jump ahead?”

“Ugh, like, because! Please?!”

“Bettina, first, I don’t even study that myself. Second, your mother is not going to approve of me – “

“Oh my god, what does she even know! She – “

“She does know Bettina, that’s the thing. Romantic couples are not supposed to be partners in magic. She’s not going to approve of me, and she’s certainly not going to approve of any magic from you that isn’t above-board and Good.”

“We’re a romantic couple then? You like like me?”

“Shut up, haha. But you should really cushion the news for her. I’m serious. It’s not recommended that romantic couples partner in magic, as many have a tendency to break up. Statistically.”

“We are not going to break up.”

“I didn’t say that. I just said that statistically, it’s likely. We are adults. We have to be realistic.”

“Mhm! I love when you talk to me about stats. It’s romantic.”

“There’s always other things we can do together…things that use a different kind of magic…”

Ever needing ‘material’ for his YA novel, Remy manages to get his roommates to wander campus with him. 

  “…a chosen one arc? No….no, perhaps a soulmate thing, where they are BOTH the chosen ones…”

Seb and Temps are still thick as thieves. Tempe appreciates Seb’s analytical mind and sense of responsibility.

Someone must be the ‘dad’ of the group. If Wade and Tempe are the unsupervised toddlers.

*hurk*

“So, a Long Island Iced Tea doesn’t - *hurk*- have any tea in it at all?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know! Maybe you didn’t get it strong enough. Oh! I’ll order a double, and then maybe that’s how you would notice the tea flavor?”

“…Remy, let’s get these guys some carbs.”

*hurk* “But I ate some popcorn! I found it on the ground!”

“Seb, it looked fine! 5 second rule, yeah?”

“…yeah, food is a good idea.”

            Time for a change of scenery – pizza!

The beloved dad of the group isn’t exactly good at loosening up. But he tries.

The campus’s pizza place is a popular spot.

Faith likes it here too.

“What’s up virgins!”

Not deterred by his less-than-stellar previous interactions with girls, Remy keeps at it.

“I am going to go talk to that blond girl eating pizza.”

“Okay. You have something specific as an opener? Or do you know her at all?”

“No, but I got this. Trust me.”

Things start of innocuous enough…

“Oh my god! Hey! I was going to wear that same outfit tonight!”

“Ha? Ha!”

…and goes downhill very quickly.

“…no way could the epistolary nature of the book be captured in film, even if – “

“What?! So, you’re saying that the scene where he’s on the ship with the sirens, even if it was a dream – “

“Oh puh-lease, ‘even if it was a dream’ – what else would it be? A flashback?! A cheesy flashback with a misty cut?”

Remy gaze hasn’t left his navel long enough to realize that not everyone’s is on his wavelength.

“Hmph…maybe this isn’t the hangout for a…sapiosexual…like myself.”

“Less evolved girls just don’t ‘get’ me.”

At least Remy has his brother.

Also, if further proof was needed that Tempe has weird taste in girls…here is Becky Beckett, a cool girl who jokes about being pickpocketed and *winks* - but Tempe thinks she’s yucko.

Available girls could practically fall from the sky, and it’s like Tempe would not even notice.

Back at the boy’s house…

        “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH – oh, hi Robin…”

“Hi Sebastian!”

Robin the Streaker takes the opportunity to feel the breeze beneath her buttocks. And pay Wade a visit!

“Robin, in this cold and snowy world we live in…”

“… you could be the sunshine of my life.”

“Hahaha, Wade! Oh, you’re too sweet.”

With encouragement, Robin is able to put some clothes on. And Wade gets to know her better!

Wade discovers that she’s an extra social super playful extrovert!

Highly skilled…

And a Leo too – which makes a LOT of sense.

“I’ve never met anyone like you Wade! You’ve got a sick snowball throw, and a nice booty.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Robin! Want to go make a snowman?”

“Yeah!”

Awwwww.

Robin’s streaking has inspired at least one other person at Brainia U to pursue some new…freedoms of expression.

Yeah, yeah (I like it when the beat goes da na da na) (Baby, make my booty go da na da na) (Girl, I know I wanna show da na da na) baby That schlong sch-schlong, schlong, schlong I said I like the way, uh (baby, when the beat goes da na da na) Uh (baby, make my booty go da na da na) Baby (girl, I know I wanna show da na da na) (That schlong sch-schlong schlong, schlong) listen -

“Naked guy. Can I. Help you?”

“Jeez Red, you’re a tough crowd!”

“Well, you’re going to have to do better than waving your hog around if you want to impress me.”

 And that’s it for part 1! Part 2 coming soon!

[beezusweezus]

Cool beetle facts pls I need

I have never been so excited to reply to something!!!!

Thank you for asking me to infodump about these awesome little creatures! :D

tw bugs and pictures of bugs and long post

First off, like what the hell is a beetle anyway? Aren't they just shiny bugs?

Well yeah... but what separates beetles is their hardened outer wings or elytra. The are distinctly divided down the middle, so all beetles have wings that do not overlap.

A well known beetle is the ladybug! Or ladybird, or coccinellid. Beetles go through a complete metamorphosis, where their larval stages are often very different from their adult forms. This means that they hatch into larvae and then pupate once where they change all at once. (from top left, clockwise, adults mating, larvae, adult laying eggs, pupa)

These eyltra are what gives beetles their distinct shapes and colors. Although they cannot fly with their elytra, they must warm up their wings before they can fly and thus raise their elytra outward.

Diving beetles can use their elytra to store air underwater!

Then there's the funny little click beetle... they throw themselves away from danger and make a loud click sound. They also do this casually when they've just fallen on their backs.

BUH-YUH-YOING(spring sound effect)

Most of the bright colors like blue, green, and shimmering reds and yellows are examples of one of my favorite topics... Structural Color!

They are not ACTUALLY shimmering beautiful colors, as they lack pigmentation, the structure of the scales that form their elytra are shaped in a way that causes us to see those beautiful iridescent shades. The material of their wings reflects certain wavelengths of light back to us, which is why they can seem to shift colors.

Notice how the colors of this beetle seem to change in the camera angle? SHINY PRETTY OOOHAHHHH

all weevils are beetles and usually massive crop pests. But they have this really fun shape to them! Beetles eat decaying plant and animal matter, waste, fungi, and other insects. They're like nature's little roombas!

Many species that are predacious are considered to be pest controllers of more damaging species like how ladybugs eat aphids!

Some wood boring beetles have such long lifespans that they can pop out of already made furniture!

Beetles adopt bright colors to warn off predators, and many can spray or emit acidic or toxic chemicals to help them. But unless you're a BIRD don't be alarmed! Even if they make sounds, beetles are not dangerous. They don't bite (rare exceptions), they don't spread disease, and they aren't parasitic to people. They may damage crops, but so does any species left unchecked.

Beetles come in an incredible array of shapes and colors and some are effective mimics of wasps and bees! They also act as pollinators for many flowering plants. Many adopt a mimic of a more fearsome insect to ward off predators.

I may be very partial to the bumblebee scarab beetle <3

The order of beetles is Coleoptera, meaning shield wing. The name beetle, means little biter, although most species are harmless to humans.

Beetles are the most successful order of animals all over earth. The number of beetle species counts for nearly 40% of all insect species, and 25% of all animal species. THAT'S A LOT. Consider, there are a lot of fish...

See this crazy scary guy! Those horns are used for mating battles between males, this is a hercules beetle. In the picture I've blown up his face and you can see that he really isn't that scary after all!

The hercules beetle is on record as the longest beetle found! at 18.1 cm

I hope you liked these beetle facts! I have plenty more where that came from and I'm also always interested in learning. I am learning about beetles because I wanted to get over my fear of bugs, and I hope I can show that insects are incredible creatures that bring beauty to the world!

<3 BEE

[greaterbayarea]

Through Reading, Dongguan Builds Bridges Connecting the World

Global Relay of 23 Cities Celebrates, "Fragrance of Books Dongguan · World Walk and Read+" Public Reading Festival Unfolds

Dongguan, April 23, 2024 — Today marks the 29th "World Book Day" and coincides with the National Public Library Service Promotion Week. The grand opening of the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan · World Walk and Read+" public reading festival was held at the 423-meter tall Min Ying·Guo Mao Center in Dongguan. This event, jointly hosted by the Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, the Municipal Culture, Radio, Film, Tourism and Sports Bureau, the Dongguan "Hundreds, Thousands, Millions Project" Command Office, and the Dongcheng Sub-district Office, simultaneously kicked off over 500 activities related to World Book Day, aiming to create an atmosphere of "universal sharing, full coverage, industry integration, and multi-media broadcasting."

This reading festival, themed "Fragrance of Books Dongguan · World Walk and Read+," uniquely featured the "4·23 City Reading Relay." This innovative "Advocacy + Walk and Read" format issued a heartfelt invitation to read to cities worldwide under the name of Dongguan. Special guests including Dongguan’s overseas Chinese, students studying abroad, employees of Dongguan-based enterprises overseas, and representatives from sister cities and partner cities, collaborated with partners from 23 cities around the globe to engage in synchronized reading activities, pushing the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand onto a broader international stage.

Internationally, friendly cities like Baesa in Spain, Paksé in Laos, and Holon in Israel actively participated. By using reading as a common language, these cities bridged geographical and cultural divides, radiating positive energy through reading. Furthermore, cities such as Tumxuk in Xinjiang and Tongren in Guizhou, which Dongguan supports, also joined, showcasing Dongguan’s open and inclusive city image to the nation and the world.

Several renowned personalities with deep ties to Dongguan also participated in the event. Among them, Lun Zhiqing, a descendant of the famous book collector Lun Ming, issued a reading call from Beijing. Zhao Heng, daughter of the famed translator Yang Yi and contributor to "Easy Read," shared her connection with the bookish charm of Dongguan city. Chen Bei’er, a popular TV host from Hong Kong's TVB, energetically promoted the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand. Chen Jiayi, a young violinist and representative of overseas students who won the 10th China Music Golden Bell Awards, played a beautiful melody on her violin in Austria, echoing the elegant chapter of "Fragrance of Books Dongguan." Other overseas Chinese such as Lee Yuh Ping, founding chairman of the Chinese Librarians Association Asia-Pacific Branch in Singapore, and Zhong Yayi in Fiji, supported and promoted the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand through their actions and words. Employees of Kuaiyi Elevator in Dubai showcased the strength and cultural charm of Dongguan manufacturing through their reading and sharing activities.

Distinguished guests such as Wang Weihua, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Songshan Lake Materials Lab, and Zhao Gansen, a National May 1st Labor Medalist and well-known professor at South China Normal University's School of Computer Science, among others, cheered on the "World Book Day" event series. The launch ceremony was graced by Wang Yuguang, professor and doctoral supervisor from the Department of Information Management at Peking University, and Liu Zhimeng, a European Academy of Natural Sciences academician and professor at Dongguan University of Technology, who shared their reading insights with attendees, affirming the efforts of Dongguan in recent years in building the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand.

Through such events, Dongguan not only demonstrates its cultural openness and inclusiveness to the world but also communicates the positive message of promoting cultural exchange and knowledge sharing through reading. Dongguan’s efforts and achievements undoubtedly set a new standard for global cultural exchange, showcasing the city’s growing significance on the global cultural map.

[shixen]

The Movie

Okay mugen backstory

Delinquents vs. Actual yakuzas vs. Some Big Bang wannabes vs. Also maybe the amamiya brothers

Smoky is fireproof, fitting on account of his name I guess

Japanese yell a lot. Very high pitched. Lots of vocal fry. Cant be good for the throat

Step into the Mighty Warriors Funk Jungle why don't you?

Oh shit I was joking about big bang but they're actually performing on stage

Its not very good

They got a girl so the clockwork orange rascals can't hurt them

A cop just literally tickled cobra

Why is Lala so clean? Not a realistic portrayal of homelessness

There is another Amamiya brother? A secret one, I don't even know anything about the 2 that already exist

Dan wants to work at tetsus bathhouse

The fact that a Japanese version of house of pain plays everytime we see Oya high is objectively hilarious

Is hyuga drunk? What does he do all day

Anti-gangster law. Just the one.

Iemura family is sucks

Kohaku's no good very bad life

"Donnnnnn sshhhhow yuh facccce againnn"

Gold cutlery is tacky

But the English is wild

Dad is angry with the kids

This motherfucker in a full-ass fur coat

All these dudes are like "punch off! Look tough" meanwhile a bunch of people are legit dead

Cobra really will just let anyone manhandle him, excessive baby girl energy

Smokey is not here to play, also extremely baby girl with his fluffy hooded jacket

This bitch brought a whole sabre to a punch off. Extremely cheating

Its an Amamiya! Here to save smokey from his extremely bloody anime mom cough

"I won't forget your face" thats gay brutha

Japanese, now English, now Korean, now mandarin, no wait back to English, syke Japanese all the way

"Aaaahhhhh BiKeu!" Relatable dude, Masaki is my fave Amamiya so far

The flow is wack as shit, like embarassing

This uncle has commitment issues

Take smokey to a fucking hospital bro, dudes not well

Run more fucking pathetically Lala for gods sake

That was the smoothest fucking snatch and grab I've ever seen

Yamato is going to cry again I can sense it on the air

Kohaku needs a therapist

I have no idea what the bleached bitch's name is but he has one of the most korean faces I've ever seen

Uncles name is tsukumo. Good to know

Why the fuck is smokey sleeping on his back

His recently cut open back

WHO IS THE THIRD AMAMIYA. I ONLY JUST MET THE FIRST 2

Noboru has prepared a presentation for us all with sick graphics and everything

We aren't even half way through the movie at this point

Naomi has started crying so you know damn well Yamato is also crying, he never sleeps on an opportunity to shed a few tears with the homies

Cobra has hairspray in now so you know its serious

"I'm prepared to die for this" bro how old are any of you???

Who let chiharu have his own motorbike, he's like 12 years old

Murayama graduated? Good for you girly

Best fucking believe Jump Around is playing

Where did they get trucks from?

Rocky looks like if Willy Wonka was blatantly evil

Hyuga you're gonna die if you sit like that. What if they need to break?

Quick movie note break cause I'm eating a sandwich and I didn't realise what an insane amount of lettuce I put in it like what's wrong with me on a fundamental level?

Rocky who the fuck shows up to a gang War in a white fur coat? Dry cleaning cant help you if you make choices like this

Daddy had the budget for camera rigs I see

Rocky don't call Yamato a baka in such a low voice, im gonna fall in love with your cringe ass

Where did all these grown men willing to fight children come from

Oh shit its the Amamiya brothers I GUESS

Daruma gang is straight up killing people. And they're correct about it

Just 2 dudes with styled hair and leather jackets having a fun time punching each other

Cobra really said "I don't know any English, and I don't care to" respectable sentiment

Tsukumo talk some sense into your boy

Oh shit I forgot that tsukumo actually got straight up hit by a car

Its crying hours again. It always is with these boys

Who fuck was it that hit them with the car?

AND WHO IS THE THIRD AMAMIYA

Your friend just woke up from a coma  better punch the shit out of him

Pulling hair now are we boys

There's always a koren shit-stirring from the back

And his dress shirt is covered in rhinestones

Hell yeah cobra punch Kohaku in the face. He pulled your hair.

Cobra be flying

Slightly too far that time Cobra but thats okay baby girl

Cobra stronk

His baby-girlness is intensifying

Damn cobra is always getting choked though

Screaming makes the punch stronger

Yep more crying time

Yamato weeping like a child. Checks out

Get it together Yamato, not every movie has to end with you crying for 20 minutes

Okay everyone is crying now

Maybe a hug and some group therapy??

Screaming on your knees under a shower of sparks? Yas queen slayyyy the drama of it all

Where did rocky get a cigar from?

Murayama can sense babygirl energy, its like a gaydar, like calls to like

WHO WAS DRIVING THE CAR

WHO IS THE THIRD AMAMIYA

WHAT THE FUUUUUCK

Tsukumo for sure needs a hospital

I am watching every HiGH&LoW movie back to back and simply allowing my brain to drip out of my ears

Its how I want to go out

I am taking notes for introspection though, to report my findings

[bippiti]

𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐱𝐭

↳ req yuh

↳ pairing none

↳ wc 245

↳ cw mentions of food

↳ an i couldn't get this idea out of my head so here ig hdkhdkhkjhdkhd

#navi

fc @_juuuuuuun_s on insta

name(s) and stage name sato daehyun; raphael sato; raphael

dob and pob october 28th 2001; portland, or

ethnicity + languages spoken half french(m) half japanese(f); fluent in fr, jp, eng n kr

roles rapper, dancer, visual, songwriter

height 186cm; 6'1

personality

- his mbti is isfp nd enneagram is 6w5

- he's nickname is koala bc he can be very clingy and can fall asleep almost anywhere

- he can be quite blunt, and tends not to sugarcoat things

-he's pretty patient and is known as the mom member

stage presence he tends to have a more sensual stage presence rather than sexy or cute

personal style he gravitates towards androgynous fashion and likes experimenting with different styles, he's known for wearing clothes he designed

hobbies designing clothes, writing lyrics, practicing korean, sleeping, reading, dancing, n baking

other stuff

-he was born and raised in portland, but decided to move to korea when he was 16 to become an idol

-used to do ballet, he started taking classes when he was 6

- he loves baking, and has vlives where he bakes stuff for the members and interviews them

- he can be quite loud, and is known to occasionally sing french opera for moa

- he has complete heterochromia (one eye is blue and the other is brown)

- he has 2 younger sisters riva and reve, they're twins and 4 years younger than him

- he also has an older brother, alderic who is 5 years older than him

© chandinii 2021, don’t copy, reupload, or modify my writing in any way without my consent.

[parkers-gal]

ag! reader on her sweetener/tun tour with Tom in the Front row and She’s constantly interacting with him and talking/ holding hands stuff

Thank u!!!!

hope you like this ;) here’s a pic of the stage for reference (for my non-ari familiars) <3

wc | 1.3k

see u soon

｡☆✼★━━ requests are closed ━━★✼☆｡

“Ladies and gentlemen,” You smile, adjusting the microphone that’s attached to your head. You glance down towards the front of the mosh pit where Tom is located, and you smile a little wider. “And Tom,” you add on quietly, sparking hundreds of screams and cheers. “Welcome to the Sweetener World Tour.”

As the first Act of the tour goes on, you sing your heart out during “bad idea” and “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored.” As you head backstage for an outfit change and a short interlude, you’re heading back up a bit earlier than usual, having rushed into your next costume so you could interact with the crowd a little more. No doubt, in less than two minutes, your band will be ready to start again, but for now, you enjoy the cheers of excitement that get louder the closer you get towards the front of the stage.

“Hi, everyone!” You say softly, sweetly, giggling into your microphone. You successfully make it to the end of the stage, pausing to gauge the crowd’s reaction and truly take in the sight before you. It’s beautiful, really. “Thank you all for coming. How’re we all doing tonight? We having fun?”

Screams of assurement go around and it’s enough to spark another giggle out of you. You lock eyes with Tom, and almost subconsciously, you walk over to the left side of the stage where he’s at the barrier, by a staircase that leads to the center of the mosh pit. There’s a platform in the middle of the pit where you will eventually perform later in the night, and Tom’s in practically one of the best seats in the entire stadium.

Realizing the space that’s set between the stage and the crowd, you decide to sit on the edge with your legs dangling down off the platform. The security guard moves to your side, watching your safety. You smile at him, reaching for Tom’s hand. He sports a blush, hand connecting with yours and interlacing your fingers.

“Hi, baby,” You say into the microphone. Murmured “aw’s” and cheers go around again. “Everyone say ‘hi’ to my baby, Tom.”

Tom scrunches his face up in that cute fashion, and you chuckle again, admiring his adorableness. Your fans comply, sending their greetings towards Tom, whose blush has grown a cosmic amount.

You pull the microphone away from your face for a brief moment, sending questions towards the Brit’s way. “You’re alright? Need anything? Water?”

He shakes his head with a gentle smile, body against the metal barrier that separates the two of you. “I’m alright. How’re you, Ms. Pop Star?”

You giggle again, this one making it through the speakers and echoing in the large venue. “‘M good.”

Glancing behind you, you realize you still have some time before you’re due on stage again, to sing, that is. Standing up, you send Tom a kiss, one he pretends to catch & pocket. The action catches the eye of a few people — and their cell phones. It’s on twitter in less than a minute.

“Oh-em-gee,” You smile, “We should take a selfie. Should we take a selfie?” You look to your front rowers, who nod enthusiastically, and you grab your cell phone from the crew member that conveniently brought it up for you. “Okay, okay, everyone smile.” You hold the phone up, with you in frame, and you snap a selfie of the entire stadium.

You spin around, walking back over to Tom and capturing a few pictures and videos with him, some of which happen to make it onto your Instagram story. Walking to the center of the stage, you hold your phone up, ready to record.

“Okay, I’m gonna take a video of you all. My sweet, babies, my lovely fans. Everyone get ready to scream.” You’re about to record when you stop, “Wait, should we scream something? Like a lyric?” You laugh into the microphone, a bit indecisive. “I’m a lost cause, honest to god.” You giggle again, something that makes Tom’s smile widen. You walk back over to him.

“Tommy? What should we say? Simultaneously, that is.”

He hums, and you scoot closer to the edge, shoving the pink microphone towards his lips. He chuckles and the microphone catches it, sending it through the speakers. You giggle again.

“Maybe… god is a woman?”

“Ooo,” you bring the mic back, sending Tom another kiss before standing upright. “What do we think? Is that aesthetic enough?”

After a few beats of supportive cheering, you hold up your phone again. “Everyone say ‘god is a woman’ on three, ready? One… two… three!”

It’s a magnificent sight, what you get. The joint voices of your fans goes through your ears, sending shivers up your spines and tingles down your arms. Goosebumps rise on your arm while you end the recording. “Honest to god… honest to god knock me out. That was the coolest fucking thing ever.”

The crowd laughs, something you can hear clearly, and when you turn around, you realize your band is back and ready for action.

“Back to the show, babies,” You frown enthusiastically before running towards Scotty, your choreographer. You hand him your phone while the intro to “R.E.M.” begins.

“Love you, Tommy,” You slip out.

This song is to be done on the floor, alone while the backdrops and digital designs take over and stun the crowd to a high level of impression.

All the while, you’re singing while making eye contact with your London boy. Tom’s silently singing along — a rare occasion for him to sing in public where anyone can record him and upload it.

“Last night,” you sing, “When I was asleep… boy I met you, yuh.” You chuckle, cutely, into the mic again. When the lyric pops up, you can’t help but smirk. “Excuse me, Tom.” You replace the ‘uhm’ with your sweet boyfriend’s name, turning the mic towards the audience for them to finish the lyrics.

The night goes on like that. During “NASA,” you gather, with your dancers, around the edge of the looped stage, holding hands with the fans. When you perform “everytime” on the platform in the center of the pit, you grab Tom’s hand while passing the small set of stairs he’s located by. You do it every time, making sure to at least get a sliver of his fingers. It makes his heart giddy, fills his stomach with butterflies, and makes his eyes love the sight of you even more.

“Before we end tonight,” You pant into the mic, having just performed a song & dance right before the ending act — thank u, next. “I just wanna say, thank you so much for coming, for being here, for supporting me, for listening to my music and being here. Especially thank you to Tom,” You turn to him with your lip jutted out a bit, smiling through an exhale. “For being my number one supporter for all the days and, hopefully, the many more to come. I hope you enjoy this last one,” You smile. “We’ll be right back for ‘thank u, next.’” You smile again, nodding and waving.

You catch sight of Tom, who’s looking at you with such a loving expression that you can’t help yourself. Your feet move before your brain can protest, and you’re running towards the stairs, leaning over the railing just a bit. You’re on the third step, pulling Tom in for a kiss you couldn’t wait for. Slightly, you can sense people are recording, and you smile into the kiss. Tom has to stop himself from moaning aloud.

“See you soon,” you whisper before running off with your backup dancers, finding your way backstage for one final time this night.

[spacedvance]

It seemed Takashi was always getting some kind of call about Percy. Often, it was never a bad thing. Usually, Percy wanted a second opinion or an actual friend to chat with. Despite knowing each other for years, it felt like he was always kept at an arm’s length. Other times Takashi felt like he was just something to be used and then tossed aside. Those times were so different from the usual calls. Lately, though, that feeling seemed to always linger. “Heyyy, ‘ashi!” Percy’s voice rang out on the other end of the phone, which made the man in question roll his eyes. “Hello, Percy.” He responded nonetheless, shifting to prop it onto his shoulder as he resumed fixing himself lunch. “What is it today?” At the greeting, the famed actor’s mouth shot off, speaking a mile a minute about some brand new project they were going to help produce.

That’s just how it had become. No, “How’s my favorite gayboy doing today?” or “How’s the cat?” Nothing. In the good days, he’d just show up, invite himself in with snacks and they’d talk for hours. That was when Percy was really getting over Marie and starting to put his foot down. He’d stopped traveling out of fear, stopped funneling money for her to leave them alone. Takashi was never more proud.

Then, Percy stopped connecting. Stopped texting as much. They were always so busy all of a sudden. Always had a script to write or a band to appear in. Takashi didn’t stop his support. He made sure to visit for any public appearances or plays that they did, buy any music they produced (their classical pieces were his favorite), anything to keep that form of closeness that the pair once had. 

Weeks passed and it just fell into routine. He’d carve time out of his job for the latest play that he was doing, find the latest album that they recorded, whatever it was that had Percy’s name on it. It just felt empty and hollow, no matter what Takashi listened to or watched, too. There was something about what Percy made that didn’t seem quite as meaningful. Something about them wasn’t as energetic; the scientist could feel it. But then, his suspicions were proven one night.

It was a later show than Takashi would have preferred, but it was the only time he could get before it was over and done with. Percy was one of the supporting cast, but he still wanted to show, even if comedy was one that he never quite enjoyed. Regardless, they performed splendidly, his mass amounts of talent shining through in spite of a lackluster script -which was a surefire way to know that Percy wasn’t a part of the editing. That thought felt so bittersweet, as he knew how much he would’ve wanted to at least edit a draft or two…Then again, it meant less on his plate, which lightened the idea a little. As the show was letting out, Takshi waited, avoiding the touchiness of the main crowd. It was then that he saw a different group waiting near the edge of the stage. A few cast members were chatting with them, all in character. One started to say their goodbyes as they stood, swaying before they caught themself. ‘Percy…’ Takashi thought to himself, watching his friend struggle to escape backstage, ‘What are you doing to yourself?’

He couldn’t sleep that night after watching that. Too many bad memories ran through his head. Arguments, really. Things that never should have been handled so horribly.

“Takashi, I don’t care what the hell you do,” Percy growled, glaring at the taller male, “Just don’t fuck with me or my work.” In response, Takashi huffed, struggling to keep his calm. “That was not the intention. I had no idea he was your manager!” An awfully dry laugh sounded from the actor, who crossed their arms. “Yuh-huh. Sure.” They pushed a finger into his chest, pressing with every harsh word that came out of their mouth. “Now you do. Since you broke his fucking heart I’m struggling with finding work!” That statement made Takashi’s blood boil as he smacked Percy’s hand away. “Listen here you spoiled, heartless brat,” he spat, looming over his friend, “you do not get to dictate the emotions of others.” 

The point was made. He knew he should have stopped, but he kept going, saying things he never ever wanted to say to them out loud. “I want your greed to devour you alive so you are forced to beg everyone that you have bothered with your insignificant existence for help that you will never receive.” Seeing that kind of pained expression in their eyes should have made him stop. There was so much anger that just built up for so long and Takashi continued to erupt. “I want you to understand pain. I want you to know what it means to truly lose someone. Max is not a character on stage, or some side character! You cannot just apply your own rules to everyone!” With every word, Takashi stepped forward, forcing Percy to step backward. Their back hit the scientist’s door, and their hand flew to the doorknob. They looked so scared and so hurt. He had never seen that look on his face when they weren’t acting. But, it was just suddenly washed away. That expression was shoved out of the way as Percy stood up straighter, leaning toward the other male. A tell that they were about to put on a show. “Really?” His voice started, dripping with venom. “Watch me.”

Remembering the slam of the door will always make his blood run cold. They did make up after that. It took a while, but they did. Nothing was said about the words mentioned, other than genuine apologies. Maxwell, after being Percy’s sole manager for so long and the only employee for the young actor, managed to get an assistant after that. But then, things continued as normal.

[peachmusesa]

tenacityreturns asked: they're watching hsm with their boyfriends, but even though it's the Japanese voiceover, some people! are not paying attention! getcha head in the game just started playing and kagami nods to the TV. "practise looks like this at seirin, don't it, niji?" aomine looks at the screen, says "yuh, we can tell," and just like that, kagami is single again!

shuuzou tends to have cold feet --  so does tatsuya, but that doesn’t stop him from putting his cold feet on his boyfriend ( his boyfriend !!! who knew !!!! who knew that tatsuya liked him back and never said anything. shuuzou will have FISTS to meet with them !!! ) and so , despite the fact that HSM is on, he’s busy sticking his feet onto his boyfriend, and getting them swatted away. still ! if kagami wanted him to pay attention to their favorite movie , he shouldn’t have brought the boyfriends around.  shuu hears his name, and looks up from where he was making eyes at tatsuya, and blinks. “ yeah, cuz you don’t usua--- hey! ” that’s his team, aomine. attention falls off of tatsuya, who pouts , and arm reaches for couch cushion to grab to throw it across the room to the bean-bag chair that aomine has claimed since day one to hit him squarely in the face. “ you have something to say about how i run my practices ?  if i remember correctly, you use to have to do them as well. would you like that to happen again? that wakamatsu kid does talk to me you know. considering that he basically hero worships me just for being your previous captain, i’m sure i can pass along some techniques. maybe go help him out for a week or two. ” a threat if shuu’s ever said a kind one.  tatsuya grabs shuu’s feet, thumb pressing into curve of ankle as he begins to massage, “ i think, ” he begins , “ that maybe this was a bad movie to choose. trust me, i’ve heard taiga’s and shuu’s singing and only one of them is any good. ” a stage whisper to aomine, “ and it’s definitely not taiga’s. ”

[darling-of-dark]

Rock, Relationships, and Roses

Hey y’all I just wanted to thank  you so much for reading this fic it’s only my second fic ever so please be kind! Also this is a crack fic and attempt attempt at my dry humor and I didn’t edit it because I was so excited to post it so I hope u enjoy!

~Chapter one~

“Ms.archoron, are you paying any attention at all?”

Feyre's head flew up as Mr. Cran dropped a text book next to her head, “sorry, i had-” “My class is not for sleeping ,its for learning now back to the revolutionary war…”

Feyre once again drowned out the sound of mr. cran as she stared at the clock 6 more hours till the show she thought it had been months of envious waiting to see if nesta had got the job for being the photographer for the city paper. Last night they had gotten the call and three free backstage passes for the show.

As soon as the bell rang, Eeyre was out of the class and running down the hall out the doors and to the bus stop. When feyre got home nesta was in the living room sleeping on the couch drool running down out of her mouth

“Up up up up we're going to be late! And if we're late we won't have time to talk to them”

With a loud grown nesta had gotten off the couch. Nesta had heard of the job through clare who interns for the velaris times and she only recognised the name from the giant poster in Feyre’s bedroom wingspan apparently they were a big rock group, witch was not nestas cup of tea she preferred classical music and melodies but definitely not screamo, feyre played it so loud it hurt her ears and almost got them evicted from the dingy downtown two bedroom apartment that there father had left them with three years ago, that and 50,000 dollars in debt. Sense then nesta had been working three jobs so Elain and feyre could go to school full time.

“Look what i picked up on my detore to school this morning” feyre said as she pulled out a necklace from the side pocket

“Where the hell did you get that, oh gods feyre what have i told you about stealing?” nesta said as she looked on the price

“this costs more than our heating bill”

“Oh come on nes if its chain it's free rain, plus the alarm was so easy to get off its like they were asking for it to be stolen” when nesta gave her the “look” she shoved it in nestas hand

“It is for you by the way , don't worry I took the earrings and the bracelet is for Elain” Feyre said, pushing her hair back to reveal the matching earring. Nesta could admit it was a beautiful gold chain with a seated red swarovski crystal

“Uh know to wear to the best night of our lives to night!”

“Well thank you yuh damn klepto”

~~~

“What the hell” rhys said as he was awoken by a crash from the dressing room next door, he got off the couch and banged on the door

“Shut the fuck up i was trying to sleep”

“Uh sorry we’ll try to keep it down a little more” Cassian said as Rhys rolled his eyes when he heard a girl laughing from the other side of the door. rhys walked back over to his room and sat back on the couch , he knew he wasn't going to sleep there was no point in even trying insomnia was a pain in the ass and definitely not a friend of his , it kept him awake at night he tried every vitamin and medication but it only ever lasted a few days and left him with night terrors that woke everyone on the tour bus.it was no use 1 to 2 hours was a average night for him. The band had been touring for one year and was almost done , of course until the next tour it was a never ending hell that had been happening for the past 5 years since their debut album.

“Excuse me mr.moon sir?” rhys heard from the outside of the door

“Yes?”

“ sound check is in 15”

“Yeah yeah whatever” rhys said in an aggravated tone. It was three hours till the show and already there were people lined down the streets of velaris to see them perform and if rhys was being honest it was the only thing keeping him going , at first it was a dream all the money, partying and girls but now it wasn't enough he was sick and tired of it all.

~~~

“ come on we have to be there early” feyre said just as elaine was finishing up her makeup

“Okay ,okay I'm coming” elain said walking down the hall “how do I look?” Elain knew grayson was going to be there he bought tickets 10 months ago for him and Elain but his friend ended up wanting to go with him instead and she was so happy to surprise him since he couldn't get uhhuh ticket

“So hot I love it, ” Feyre said. Elain was dressed in a black tee from the band tee that had a cut at the cleavage and dark jeans with boots, defity far from her usual pink and flower apparel all the time.

Nesta stepped out of her room with a black cardigan white tank crop top and leggings with a camera bag slung over her shoulder

“That's what you're wearing to a rock concert? You look like a pta mom on the go” feyre said as she walked toward the door

“ oh shut up its for work, you to are the ones going for fun”

“Your never going to get a boyfriend looking like that”

“Yeah definitely no boys for me tonight”

When the city bus dropped them off they still had to walk three block because of the blocked roads and then to find there way to the back door that was hounded by mass amounts of fan girls they had to pry there why throh to get to the door when they got in nesta started snapping pictures of everything from people to the equipment she had major competition for the best photos. Feyre was losing her mind Elain would've put money on it that she had never seen feyre this happy. Elain couldn't have cared less that she was backstage; she really wanted to find Grayson so she wandered off to the floor seats to do just that well Feyre was looking around and Nesta was taking as many photos as possible.

Nesta found her way over to the snack table and picked up a chocolate covered strawberry and took a bite

“Well it seems i went looking for a snack and found a whole meal” nesta jumped as she heard this she quickly turned around and was met with a smirking 6’4 man

“Im sorry what ?”

“I definitely haven't seen you around before are you an intern?”

“No i'm with the news paper velaris times” nesta said as she picked up the camera in her hand

“Well, miss newspaper lady, do you have a name ?”

“Nesta , and do you snack table boy?” the man looked slightly confused but said

“Cass , it's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to accompany me to my bed tonight nesta ?”nesta raised her eyebrows in confusion

“ Wow, how charming does that usually work for you? Asking a random girl to sleeping with you”

“Yes actually”

“To bad it doesn't work on me”

“How about dinner after the show?”

“Dinner? The show ends at 1 am”

“ how about dinner tomorrow night?”

“ I can’t and I don’t want to go to dinner with someone who just wants to get into my pants”

“ your loss then sweetheart” nesta watched cass walked away toward the dressing rooms and wondered what the hell just happened

~~~

It was five minutes before show time when Rhys could hear the crowd chanting over and over again “we want wingspan, we want wingspan, we want wingspan” it was a never ending chant.

As rhys walked out on the black stage he grabbed his bass guitar and walked toward the mic as cassian walked toward his drum set and az to his guitar, the music started and strobe lights started moving, it was always the same rhys thought until his eyes landed on a girl in the front of the mosh pit, seeing all the people jumping around till his eyes were stuck on a guy who pushed over a girl and she fell straight to the ground hitting her head on the concrete floor passing out .



[trueclors]

(   kim   seokwoo   ,   cis   man   )   have   you   seen   choi   minho   ?   i   heard   he   is   a   volunteer   at   the   nightowl   animal   shelter   .   they’re   twenty   -   four   years   old   and   they’ve   been   living   in   san   verto   for   one   year   .   they   tend   to   be   charming   and   flamboyant   ,   but   rumor   has   it   they   can   also   be   melodramatic   and   condescending   .

well   ig   it   is   time   for   everyone   to   meet   the   ultimate   hoe..   minho   <3   no   fr   i   swear   he’s   a   good   person   deep   down!!   also   give   me   all   the   plots   cause   yuh   i   need   them   ,   see   yall   in   the   dms   >:)

。*◞  basic stats

full name: choi minho

nicknames: n/a

age: twenty four

hometown: seoul

current location: san verto

ethnicity: korean

gender: cis man

pronouns: he/him

orientation: bisexual

occupation: dance instructor/volunteer

languages spoken: korean, english

。*◞  aesthetics

strands   of   hair   covering   designer   headbands   ,   ornate   ruby   rings   and   fingers   effortlessly   plugging   in   airpods   to   avoid   conversation

。*◞  biography

born   on   the   12th   of   february   in   seoul   ,   south   korea   ,   choi   minho   is   the   elder   son   of   kim   heejin,   a   nurse   working   countless   hours   at   a   local   hospital   and   choi   yejun,   a   school   teacher   .   his   childhood   years   are   uneventful   and   though   he’s   not   extremely   popular   at   school   ,   minho   isn’t   an   outcast   either   .   he   is   more   like   that   mysterious   ,   consciously   itroverted   kid   that   doesn’t   want   to   be   involved   in   anything   that   could   potentially   distract   him   from   his   goals   .   problem   is   ,   he   has   no   goals   ,   nothing   to   be   passionate   about   and   school   is   definitely   not   an   environment   he   has   ambitions   for   .   at   just   4   years   old   and   laying   on   his   living   room’s   sofa   ,   idly   staring   at   the   tv   screen   is   when   he   is   introduced   to   hip   hop   .   immediately   drawn   in   ,   a   young   minho   asks   his   parents   to   sign   him   up   for   dancing   lessons   at   a   nearby   studio   ,   where   the   youngest   class   consists   of   kids   bigger   and   older   than   him   ,   but   he   doesn’t   care   .

fast   foward   to   his   16th   birthday   ,   now   fully   in   love   with   the   way   dancing   makes   him   feel   ,   when   he   learns   that   scouters   from   an   incredibly   successful   american   agency   are   in   seoul   for   limited   auditions   .   he   takes   the   chance   ,   without   saying   a   single   word   to   his   parents   ,   and   is   the   only   one   out   of   thousands   to   succesfully   pass   and   now   comes   the   tough   part   ,   breaking   the   news   .   even   if   his   parents   expect   that   their   son   wants   to   pursue   dancing   ,   they’re   infurtiated   due   to   the   fact   that   he   now   has   to   drop   out   of   school   and   move   to   new   york   .   however   ,   the   turbulence   in   his   relationship   with   them   doesn’t   last   too   long   ,   mostly   because   they   see   very   clearly   that   he   won’t   back   down   .

a   new   beginning   starts   and   parting   from   his   parents   at   such   a   young   age   seems   hardly   bearable   ,   but   chasing   his   dream   fuels   a   fire   in   him   that   will   not   allow   any   feelings   of   emptiness   to   slip   through   the   cracks   .   minho   trains   restlessly   for   3   years   ,   at   19   years   old   ,   he   starts   getting   his   first   gigs   as   a   backup   dancer   and   quickly   works   his   way   up   to   the   top   .   he   seems   unstoppable   ;   collaborating   with   other   artists   ,   starring   in   music   videos   ,   choreographing   for   the   biggest   stars   you   could   possibly   imagine   and   even   getting   his   own   solo   stage   to   perform   at   wembley   ,   award   shows   like   the   grammys   ,   vmas   ,   etc   .

just   when   it   looks   as   if   he’s   about   to   reach   his   full   potential   ,   comes   the   accident   .   minho   is   backstage   preparing   to   perform   an   opening   routine   at   the   bbmas   ,   the   crowd   is   chanting   his   name   ,   he   goes   on   stage   and   during   the   final   handstand   ,   he   trips   .   the   pain   on   his   lower   back   and   right   leg   is   tremendous   ,   yet   he   pulls   through   it   .   what   he   cannot   come   to   terms   with   is   making   a   mistake   that   could   potentially   destroy   his   entire   career   .   maybe   if   he   had   slept   one   hour   less   ,   he   could’ve   practiced   more   ,   perhaps   he   just   isn’t   good   enough   and   this   is   a   sign   that   this   route   is   not   for   him   .   all   these   thoughts   cloud   his   mind   on   the   way   to   the   hospital   ,   awaiting   for   a   final   verdict   on   his   injurties   .

he   walks   on   crutches   for   3   whole   months   and   spends   countless   hours   in   therapy   sessions   to   get   himself   back   in   shape   ,   but   he’s   too   humilated   to   step   into   the   limelight   once   again   .   though   minho   hasn’t   lost   his   confidence   ,   the   fear   of   history   repeating   itself   is   eminent   enough   for   him   to   shy   away   from   his   previous   lifestyle   .   after   a   year   of   supposedly   processing   what   his   next   move   should   be   ,   he   makes   the   decision   to   isolate   himself   by   moving   to   san   verto   and   opening   his   own   dance   studio   ,   a   path   that   seems   much   safer   for   his   future   .   

his   popularity   continues   to   grow   through   social   media   ,   his   previous   performances   and   most   recently   ,   an   appearance   as   a   judge   on   so   you   think   you   can   dance   .   business   is   booming   ,   but   the   spark   he   once   had   in   him   has   faded   and   though   he   knows   how   much   he   misses   the   stage   ,   he   won’t   admit   and   face   his   fears   .   the   one   good   thing   his   new   profession   has   brought   to   light   is   the   fact   that   minho   has   never   had   time   for   himself   ever   since   he   first   started   dancing   .   he   is   now   beginning   to   live   his   life   more   freely   and   so   is   conflicted   ,   stuck   between   a   dream   career   and   the   real   life   he   never   got   to   experience   .

in   an   attempt   to   distract   himself   from   all   the   thoughts   clouding   his   mind   ,   he   spends   most   of   his   free   time   volunteering   at   the   nightowl   animal   shelter   .   most   likely   doesn’t   share   the   giving   side   of   him   with   many   and   if   ever   caught   red   handed   ,   he   can   and   will   pretend   he’s   not   there   to   help   out   .

。*◞  character

minho   is   competitive   ,   disciplined   ,   passionate   about   what   he   loves   ,   stubborn   ,   charismatic   ,   he   can   be   callous   with   a   hard   exterior   ,   sensitive   and   vulnerable   only   when   he’s   alone   ,   there’s   a   condescending   vibe   to   him   that’s   been   built   up   to   his   ambition   and   cockiness   ,   but   can   be   an   absolute   lovebug   if   and   when   he   wants   (   for   extremely   limited   audience   )   .   his   focus   has   never   really   been   in   relationships   ,   due   to   the   hunger   he   had   for   what   once   was   a   bright   career   ,   but   you   would   not   call   him   inexperienced   wink   .   can   turn   from   min-no   to   min-hoe   real   quick   ,   but   is   probably   the   type   to   never   text   back   or   ghost   you   after   a   week   or   two   .

some   random   facts   about   him   are   that   he   has   a   habit   of   biting   his   lips   .   loves   velvet   jackets   ,   but   the   touch   of   velvet   mentally   irritates   him   so   much   .   he   turns   on   all   fans   and   the   a   /   c   ,   then   covers   himself   with   a   blanket   .   if   you   reach   down   his   pockets   ,   you’ll   probably   find   lip   chap   ,   kinesio   tape   and   airpods   .   

he   has   a   peanut   allergy   and   a   barely   noticeable   limp   on   weak   days   .   mostly   wears   designer   clothes   even   when   dressed   in   sweats   from   top   to   bottom   .   the   rest   of   the   styling   consists   of   headbands   ,   ornate   rings   ,   mostly   silver   earrings   and   berets   when   he’s   feeling   them   .   he   has   a   small   seashell   tattoo   on   his   right   side   and   a   scar   across   the   front   of   his   leg   due   to   surgery   .   

picked   up   smoking   after   quitting   his   career   as   a   professional   dancer   .   doesn’t   drink   an   awful   lot   ,   but   can   go   stupid   and   go   crazy   at   parties   .   and   last   but   not   least   ,   the   relationship   he   has   with   his   parents   is   pretty   stereotypical   ,   because   he’s   learned   to   dismiss   any   feelings   of   loneliness   by   spending   a   couple   of   hours   alone   at   the   studio   .

@foolsstarters​

[kalboykiyay]

At Ease

So, I wrote this as a birthday present to myself. I don’t remember half of what I typed and as per usual, I didn’t check for grammar or spelling errors. I’m pretty sure that this fic falls into the Sharp Cheddar Gang because I refuse to give up my romance.

A couple of things to mention, as with all of the pre-Warriors fics, I must mention that this takes place before Cowboy gets his Stetson (Jeez, I should probably organise these fics chronologically, huh?) and I headcanon his pre-Cowboy name to be Harris. Also, the character Adelay doesn’t speak, so she communicates mostly in ASL, and I’ve done my best to italicise her dialogue. though, I hope you enjoy this and constructive criticism is appreciated.

If there was one thing Harris knew about A.J., it was how easily she flustered whenever she was uncomfortable, or startled, or embarrassed, and that didn’t take much. Adelay gave her a light-hearted hug last week, and her face immediately turned bright red. Of all of the members of their friend group, she seemed most comfortable with Adelay, having known her in middle school, but there wasn’t much difference in how she acted toward her overall. He couldn’t tell if she despised affection or if she just didn’t like being touched. She was nice enough to everyone, but it was obvious she still felt outta place within the group, despite them all having been friends for the better part of a year at this point. 

So, it came as a surprise to him when she agreed to go to the festival they were having at the beach that Saturday.

“I have nothing to do on Saturday, so sure why not? I’d love to go. Of course, I would have to ask Nikola, but I’m sure he’d be alright with it.” She was distracted by something, so she didn’t catch his surprised expression.

“Alright. Cool. We’re all meeting up at Juka’s house that afternoon. Do you know how to get there?”

“Yep. It’s on the way to my house actually.” She grabbed her bag off the table. “I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah, see you then.” He said, watching her walk out the door, suppressing his urge to smile. 

 -----

“You sure she’s actually gonna show? I’m still surprised she actually agreed to comin’ today.” Noah said as he flopped down on the couch and put his feet up, before opening up a bag of chips.

“I hope she wouldn’t bail. She doesn’t seem the type,” Harris said. “It seems like she might at least let someone know unless it was an emergency or she couldn’t reach them.”

“I’m pretty sure she would say something,” Juka said walking back into the room. “Noah, get your feet off the couch!”

Noah moved his feet back onto the floor. “Alright, don’t kill me,” 

There was a knock at the door which Juka went to answer. Noah put his feet back up out of spite. “You get my feet of the stupid couch.” He mumbled under his breath, causing him and Harris to burst out laughing. 

He put them back down when she started walking back, A.J. and Adelay in tow. “We can leave in a moment, I just realised that I don’t have any flowers, I’m gonna grab some,” She said before turning back to Noah. “Don’t put your feet back on my couch.”

“Juke, I’m hurt that you think I would do such a thing! You’ve got nothing to worry about!” 

“Yuh huh.” She headed upstairs and the moment she was gone, he put his feet back up for a moment, causing A.J. to laugh slightly. 

“You’re gonna get yourself into some serious trouble!” She told him. 

 “Nah, she don’t mean it. She don’t care as much as she acts like.”

“I get the feeling she’ll kill you just because she can,” Adelay signed, “I mean, she’ll say it’s because your feet are on the couch, but this stems deeper than that.”

Noah was about to reply when Juka walked back in the room. “Let’s go, children.”

“Yes, Mom.” Adelay got up off the floor immediately. “Finally, we can leave since Juka started moving her ass.” 

“Hey, I saw that!” Juka called out as Adelay went outside, the rest of the group following.

-----

The walk to the beach went by quickly; everyone making conversation on the way. 

“Hey, A.J. You ever been here before?” Noah asked her.

“To the beach?”

“To the festival.”

“Eh... Nikola used to take me when I was younger, but I haven’t been in years.”

“Any real reason?” 

“He works a lot these days, so we don’t go much anymore. Plus, I rarely have time to go, because of my schedule.” She shrugged. “This is the first time I’ve been able to go in years. Do you all go a lot?” 

“My parents usually take me and Harris, or sometimes his dad will take us, but my parents are out of town, and I think his dad is workin’,” Juka explained, to which Harris nodded.

The beach was pretty crowded, so they knew that the lines to get food would be very long. There were people and tents everywhere, if there were any more people, someone could easily get lost in the crowd. “It’s way more crowded than it usually is… I think there was half this amount last year and the year before.” Harris looked around at the crowd, “You can barely see the sand anywhere.”

“Yeah, it’s almost annoying. Though I did hear a lot of the other kids at school mention that they were going, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s just a bunch of high school kids here... I want some caramel corn. Anybody willing to walk over to the stand that sells it with me?” Adelay queried, moving out of the way of an oncoming group of kids. 

“Yeah sure, I’ll go.” Harris said.

“Do you think they’ll sell kettle corn?” A.J. asked, her voice quiet, though it was likely because it was already so loud at the beach.

He thought for a moment. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t. Come on. Juka? Noah? You two comin’?” He asked, looking back at the pair.

“No thanks. Be careful not to get lost!” Juka told them.

“I’m gonna hang back too,” Noah agreed as the three walked off to find the stand.

The three made their way through the crowd, not seeing the popcorn stand anywhere. “You sure it’s this way, Elle?” Harris questioned with a raised brow. “I can’t see over anybody.” 

Adelay gave him a shrug in response.

“Did you see it, A.J.?” Harris turned to look at her, or at least turned to look at where she was before. “A.J.?” He looked around him but she was nowhere to be found, “Oh, shit. Elle, we lost A.J.!” 

Adelay looked at him before looking around. "That's not good. Come on." 

The two walked through the crowd, Adelay grabbing his hand so that they wouldn't get separated. They searched everywhere, behind the tents, near the stage the band was using, and around the restrooms. Their clothes and faces were covered in sweat. Adelay said she needed to go to the restroom anyhow, so  Harris waited for her.

Harris found himself getting frustrated with the ordeal. Anything could've happened to her. We didn't even notice she was gone. What if she got trampled by the crowd or something?" He pushed that thought from his mind. He wasn't fond of the idea that she had gotten herself hurt, or any of the people he cared about getting hurt for that matter. Then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to it, and sure enough, it was a smaller person wearing a maroon Cordovan hat.

"A.J.!" He tried waving to get her attention. A.J. turned around upon hearing her name, trying to navigate the crowd. When she turned, Harris let out a sigh of relief. Once she got closer, it was apparent that she had found the popcorn stand, carrying two bags of kettle corn and one bag of caramel corn.

"Where did you guys go? I told you where the stand was! It wasn't-" Before she could finish her sentence, Harris gave her a tight hug, almost without thinking. She froze, shocked for a moment before trying her best to hug him back. The back of his head touched her face and she knew her face would start turning red any moment. Despite this she felt comfortable in the embrace in a way she couldn’t put into words if she tried. The pair released each other; her face now slightly reddened, though it was more prominent on the cheek that his head had touched. Adelay walked out a moment later.

“A.J.! Where were you? You know how worried we were about you?”

 A.J. simply handed the caramel corn to her. "I bought you this."

"How much did this cost?" Adelay wondered, looking at the bag.

"Don't worry about it. Consider it a gift." A.J. smiled.

"What's the second bag for?" Harris asked.

"This is for Nikola. He loves kettle corn a lot. The first bag is for everyone here, so you're welcome to have some."

The three returned to the table; Juka and Noah not noticing them return. “Damn, how long was that line?” Noah looked at them with a confused expression. 

“It wasn’t that long, surprisingly, not that these two would have any idea,” A.J. said with an amused look. “They got lost. I bought three bags of popcorn, because if you buy two, they give  you a third one for half the price, so I got one for Nik!” She said holding up her bags with a bright smile.

“I specifically told you all not to get lost!” Juka gave them a look. 

“We didn’t get lost. We lost A.J.!” Harris responded. 

“Well, I wasn’t lost. I actually found what we were looking for.” She looked at him, shaking her bags to prove her point.

Juka chuckled softly. “Yeah, alright. Let’s hurry up and see if we can’t get a good spot. I kinda actually want to go watch them perform.” She stood up. ”Can I have some of that caramel corn?” 

Adelay opened her bag and allowed Juka to take a small handful out. The group then headed over to the area where the band was performing as the evening sky set in. Noah kept stopping to buy snacks along the way.

“This thing comes around once a year, and I like festival snacks, so I’m buying everything and you can’t stop me.” he said, stuffing another candy box into his backpack. There’s something missing though…” He looked around before he found the tent he was looking for, “Oooh… Hey, I’ll catch up with ya later, bye!” 

“Wh- Noah?!” Juka called after him. “Only this kid! I get the feeling he needs to be supervised.”  

“Nah, he’ll be fine! Let’s go.” Harris turned back to the area where the band would be performing, the other three following behind.

They stood watching the band perform an upbeat song, everyone around moving their feet or waving their hands and generally having a good time. Even A.J. seemed to be getting into it, her hand on her hat to keep it from falling off as she danced with Adelay she shook the bags of kettle corn with the other. 

Juka and Harris laughed at her energy. Harris leaned over to her, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that’s a totally different person from the person who showed up with us. Maybe we still haven’t found her yet.” 

“Maybe, her voice does seem a bit deeper than earlier!” Juka shot back as Noah walked up with an ice cream cone. “Found you and it was definitely worth it to go back. I have ice cream.”

Juka looked at him incredulously, “You found an ice cream stand and didn’t say anything? Take me to it! Please.”

Noah feigned annoyance. “Alright alright! Harris, you comin’?”

“Yeah, I’m down for some ice cream.”

“Elle! A.J.! You guys want to go get some ice cream?” The two in question turned to the trio.

Adelay’s face lit up. “Yes, always!” She ran up to the others in anticipation.

“No, thanks! I’ll watch the band and save our spot!” A.J replied, turning back to watch the band. 

“Alright, let’s move!” The other three laughed and started walking.

Harris looked back at A.J. briefly. She stood watching the performance, her right hand hanging onto her bags of kettle corn  “On second thought… I should stay… We probably shouldn’t leave anybody by themselves, right?”

“Oh, good point. I’ll bring you back a cone, You want chocolate-vanilla swirl, right?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Noah!” He said as he made his way back to where they’d left A.J. She’d been so busy watching the band, she hadn’t noticed that he’d come back. “Hey!”

She looked mildly surprised at his return, but she didn’t seem upset by it. “I thought you went with the others to get ice cream.”

“I changed my mind. Noah’s getting me some. I didn’t want to leave you by yourself.”

“I mean you could’ve. I wouldn’t have cared much.” She said, fixing her glasses.

“I’m assumin’ you don’t want the company then?”

“It’s not about that. The company is nice, and I’m grateful that I have it. I’m just used to not having it, so I’ve grown accustomed to not complaining about it, and I learned not to ask for it. It’s easiest to distance myself rather than constantly needing company.” She tilted her head slightly, as if in thought.

Harris didn’t have a response for that, but he didn’t like the empty feeling it gave him. He couldn’t imagine not being able to hang out with his friends, or just refusing to ask people to hang out. He couldn’t count how many times he’d call Juka to ask her to come over when they were younger, but for him to just not spend time with her... It sounded… lonely. He thought about what he could say next, then he found what he thought was the best response, but it could just as easily be the worst one if the implication upset her. “Well, I can’t speak for the others because they’re usually pretty busy, but I wouldn’t mind if you called me up to go have fun sometimes.”

She looked at him for the first time in their conversation, a bit taken aback. “I’d be on board with that.” Despite her initial expression, Harris didn’t miss the way her face lit up afterward. She looked back at the band.

Harris noticed it then. She wasn’t flushing. In fact, her face was pale as ever, not even showing any signs that she could be the least bit uneasy.

‘Well, I don’t only turn red when I’m flustered or uncomfortable. I have sensitive skin, it turns red at anything touching it. Plus, I’m fairly pale, so naturally I’m more prone to getting red skin pretty easily.” He must’ve had a confused expression because she clarified. “You said that aloud.” To which he gave a hum of satisfaction. Thinking about it, when they stopped hugging earlier, her face was slightly redder on one side than the other. He hadn’t paid much mind to it though.

“Not sure why I’d be flustered though. I don’t feel uncomfortable around you. If anything, I feel more comfortable with you and Adelay than most people. You’re easy to talk to and your naturally relaxed and cheerful demeanour makes you a fun person to be around. It’s relaxing; it’s like… letting go of tension I didn’t know I had.” 

Harris turned away from her, feeling his own face start to heat up. He didn’t know what he expected her to say, but he certainly knew that it wasn’t that. He couldn’t come up with a response, but A.J. didn’t seem to mind and he was grateful that she didn’t notice his face turning red, or maybe she just didn’t care. After his face returned to normal he looked at the band again, enjoying the comfortable silence that listening to the music brought. He felt a slight warmth near his right hand, looking down and noticing that A.J.’s hand was close to his own. He couldn’t tell if she moved her hand closer on purpose or not, but he didn’t know if he wanted to question it. He grabbed her hand gently, causing her to look down at it, before interlocking their fingers in response and looking back up at the band. He’d taken her hand before, but it was different this time and both of them were aware of it. For all they knew, it could’ve been a reaction for the moment and they’d never speak of it again. Of course, neither of them wanted that to be the case.

-----

Juka, Noah, and Adelay were finally heading back to where Harris and A.J. were. “Man, everyone wants ice right now. Do people really eat ice cream at night?” Noah asked, taking a lick from his cone.

Juka looked at him, dumbfounded. “Noah, is that an actual question?”

“Yeah, why?”

Juka and Adelay shared a look. Trying to keep from bursting into laughter and just as Juka was about to explain, Noah realised.

“Oh, wait! That’s a stupid question! And now I don’t even remember what I was trying to ask!” He sighed as the two girls covered their mouths with their hands. “Anyways! I hope they’re doing okay.”

“I’m sure, they’re fine. I don’t think they’d get into too much-” Juka looked over, noticing where they were standing, immediately noticing their interlocked hands. “Trouble…” Noah and Adelay followed her gaze. 

“Huh. I wouldn’t have picked up on that.” Noah said, walking towards them. “Harris, I got your ice cream! Be careful, it started melting on the way here, sorry.” 

Harris and A.J. turned around; Harris taking the ice cream cone with a grateful smile.

Adelay walked up soon after, the four immediately making conversation.

Juka hung back a bit, shaking her head in amusement. “Lookin’ back, I really shoulda seen this comin’.” she laughed before joining the group.