#thank u for the ask! i figured i would include samples >:)

[birogues]

top 5 fav things to draw???

Top Fives!!!

My archangel OC, Iphigenia

2. My tiefling gunslinger, Mazikeen

3. My dark elf necromancer GMPC, Chevalla (from Legends of Laia)

4. my devil princess, Belle

5. pyrrha nikos from rwby

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Silver Lining 4

Warnings: non/dubcon, speech impediment, bullying and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: silverfox!Bucky Barnes

Summary: You have an unpleasant encounter with an older man.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

After some correspondence, you agree to an interview. It feels a bit shady but the potential employer agrees to meet in public. Conveniently, you're given the choice and there's no argument to the cafe by the bookstore with its delicious seasonal treats.

You resist the draw of the bookstore as you approach, gripping tight the folder with your printout of the sample you submitted. You enter and think of ordering but figure it might be better to focus on the task at hand. You check your phone as you felt a message buzz only a minute prior.

'In the corner, blue plaid jacket.'

Their message is straight and to the point. You can appreciate that. You lower your phone and look around, blue, blue, blue.

You see a head of silver hair above the plaid collar and near them. You hug the folder, your purse dangling from your elbow as you come to the table. You summon a greeting but it dies on your tongue before you can let it out. Oh no. Your shoulders slump as the man's blue eyes find you, they're a shade brighter than his coat.

"Oh," you let out the single syllable.

"Oh," he grunts and stands. You try not to cower as he does. "You're..."

The timbre of his voice turns your blood cold as he says your name. You cringe and nod. You sway and look through the window.

"I-if you w-want to cancel--"

"Sit," he ignores the suggestion, gesturing to the other chair as he waits.

You obey, too stunned to come up with any resistance. You sit with your back to the window, feeling the cold seeping from the glass. He lowers himself and stares at you. He's equally as speechless as his face creases. Disappointed, just like everyone else.

You push yourself straight. You told Lisa you're going to try. Even if you and this guy got off to a bad start, you've worked with many people you didn't get along with.

"James," you begin, "I-I th-think maybe we g-got to a b-bad start."

"Bucky," he corrects you and looks down at the brown leather folder in front of him, "let's just go over the script."

"U-um, okay, I--"

"Are you alright?" His eyes flick up, "you cold?"

"N-no?" You're taken aback by his concern.

"Nervous?"

You frown. Oh, he's asking about your stammer.

"J-just how I t-talk," you shrug and swallow tightly. You're not ready for this. You're stupid for even trying. "I--" you look around, no, you won't let him scare you away. You might have to put up with him but he also has to put up with you. "I'm g-gonna grab something t-to drink, is that a-alright?"

He nods and sits back. You leave your folder on the table and stand as he opens the folder, his eyes scanning the page. You hesitate before you pass him. Despite his age, he's not entirely repulsive. You imagine when he was younger, he was probably a catch. Maybe less grumpy too.

You join the line and wait your turn. You think of ordering more of the candy cane hot chocolate but opt instead for the toffee latte. Your drink pops up quickly at the pickup and you return to the table, still not ready to face this man.

You sit down again and hug the cup between your hands. You can be normal. It's not about whatever happened before, it's about money. It's about moving on. Lisa says that's most important.

"S-so, I'm open to n-notes--"

"I have a few," he says discerning as he slides a pair of glasses out of his front pocket and unfolds them. He puts them on and you try to ignore the snarky comment needling in your brain, "first of all, you make the argument that the Tiger tank is mistakenly branded as the most effective tank in the Second World War but I'd argue it is. No mistake."

"W-well, you'll see from my argu-m-ment that there i-is no b-best tank. Overall, tank w-warfare was more a l-liability. The discussion isn't w-which is best, it's merely an examination o-of t-tanks in b-battle."

"You know, I have a degree in this. Several. I've studied Tigers, Shermans, Panzers. Your script, it's well-crafted by your evaluation is off."

You blink. Your heart is once more thumping away. You look down at your cup and take a sip from the frothy top.

"I d-disagree. I d-did my research. Every tank had substantial p-pitfalls. E-even the t-tiger. M-maybe better th-than the e-end of the First W-War, b-but still a d-danger in the field. A-Again this isn't t-to say they w-weren't useful--"

"And what background do you have to make these statements? What degrees?"

"I know h-how t-to r-read," you eke out.

"Mmm, oh, you read and drinky cutesy drinks. Got it."

"I-It's coffee."

"Doesn't look like coffee. Smells like pure sugar."

You resist rolling your eyes. You look away. You don't even know if finishing your drink is worth staying. Clearly this isn't going to pan out.

"Th-thank you for meeting w-with me," you say at last, "s-sorry to waste your time."

He lifts his cup and slurps noisily. He lowers it again, the porcelain clinking, "you didn't. You've submitted the most coherent script I've received. I'll send you my notes. Fix it and we'll go from there."

"R-really?" You perk up.

"Sure, why not? I've wasted enough time trying to get this done."

Your cheeks twitch but you don't let yourself smile, "th-thanks."

"Yeah," he grits out and stretches his neck, giving a long look around the cafe. His eyes focus on the door before he faces you again and clicks his tongue, "I'm not that old."

"Wh-what?" You stutter.

"You called me an old man. I'm not." He puffs out and shakes his head, "whatever, doesn't matter."

"Okay, I t-take it back."

"You what?"

"I t-take it b-back," you repeat, "Lisa s-says it's g-good to admit w-when you're wrong a-as much as i-it is to b-be right."

He squints and takes another gulp. "Lisa?" He wonders.

"M-my therapist," you explain.

"Ah," he accepts crisply and sits forward, draining the last of his coffee. "Well," he slips the glasses off, "I'll head out. Got work to do."

You nod as he stands. He buttons up his plaid coat as he looms. You finally get the nerve to look up at him. His brows draw together and he dips his chin again.

"Bye."

The curt farewell allows no response as he twists on his heel. He's halfway to the door before you can react. You stare after him and lean over your cup. The world has a strange way of throwing you curveballs and you're not very good at hitting them.

[sugarcause]

HIHIII ok it’s 🍉 anon and I’m probably gonna be sending a lot of thirsts but could I also request hurt/comfort with kaeya, childe, zhongli, diluc and albedo? (u can choose the ones u enjoy writing the most haha) just like some angst with the reader, maybe they get injured/they’re trapped somewhere and the character has to keep them calm while they figure out what to do? like along the lines of an avalanche traps albedo and reader on opposite sides of an ice wall in a cave and the reader’s injured (thats v specific but I think abt that scenario a lot 😭)

zhongli, albedo and childe comforting you because you're injured ✉

includes: zhongli, albedo, childe precis: despite all the anxiety and pain you were in, knowing they were on the other side seemed to make every part of your fear subside. take note of: mentions of injury, mentions of blood, hurt/comfort, getting stuck in caves/tight places, avalanche, light angst reader gender: gn! voice mail: hi 🍉 anon! thank you for your req!! heheheh i love that it's specific, hope you're satisfied!

❦ zhongli

''don't panic, love.'' zhongli reassured on the other side of the cave.

it was all so overwhelming. one second, you were admiring liyue's terrain and the next, you were covered in cuts from rocks falling.

you had wandered into a small cave with zhongli trailing behind you. however, you seemed to have disturbed the position of the stole as one fell out of place and set of a train reaction, the rest following and blocking the entrance.

you were pushed back by the impact and there was no light to be seen.

''i-it's so dark...'' you spoke, shivering slightly.

''breathe,'' he said. ''are you badly hurt?''

''not really, j-just some wounds.'' you said.

''we'll get those fixed as soon as i get you out.''

as much as you were afraid, you couldn't help but believe him.

zhongli observed his surroundings, trying to figure out a way to get rid of the rocks.

while you were sitting inside, he constantly spoke to you to comfort you, reminding you he was here.

he knew if you panicked it would only worsen the situation and you were his priority.

''you'll be out quickly. just stay calm, i'm right here.''

in theory, he could use his abilities, but he feared that the rest of the cave would fall down on you, injuring you further. that was a risk he could not take.

he crouched in front of the cavern to inform you of this situation, knowing you had to get out now before it got too dire.

''love, i must go seek help. there is a way i can get you out, but the chances of you being hurt more are far too high.''

''it's alright... i... please try it.'' you said.

''are you sure? the rest of the cave could collapse on you.'' he asked worriedly.

''yes... no matter what happens, i know you'll be there.''

''if that is what you wish.''

standing up, he channeled his geo prowess to get rid of the stone in his way.

senses on alert, he ran in and grabbed you, dashing out immediately as the ceiling crashed down onto the ground.

the two of you were silent as you breathed heavily.

zhongli looked you in the eyes and leaned his forehead against yours.

''i think that's enough exploration for today. you must rest.''

you only chuckled.

❦ albedo

''don't worry dear... i'll get you out of there.'' albedo muttered, hands on the ice wall as if he were holding you.

the two of you were exploring dragonspine trying to get samples when an unexpected avalanche occurred, separating you and him on two opposite sides.

albedo seemed to have been unscathed, but your leg had been injured in the disaster.

you saw blood and it stung, but the adrenaline and your nerves helped numb the pain.

it all happened so fast, heaps of snow are rocks falling rapidly as you fell.

'''bedo... i'm scared.'' you shuddered.

''i know. but you just have to breathe, okay? i'll get some help.'' he replied.

''don't go, please.'' you whispered out.

''...alright.''

you heard shuffling on the other side as you wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to stay warm.

''you'll be okay. trust me.'' he said.

many minutes had passed as albedo tried to find ways to melt the ice, yet there was nothing nearby.

however, knowing the mountain well, he remembered the side you were on was connected to a longer path.

there would be some stone blocking his way but it would be easier than picking at the ice.

''i have to go around the cave. it'll take a bit, but it'll help me get you out. is that okay?'' he asked, wanting to make sure you would be safe.

''...i trust you.'' you answered.

and with that, he took off to the other end of the cave.

he entrance finally came into his sight as he rushed forward and assessed what he had to do.

he hastily used his geo vision to get rid of the smaller rocks in his way.

eventually, he was able to clear the way, immediately running towards your direction.

you heard his footsteps and as your turned around, you were met with his warmth.

he hugged you and held you close for a while, making sure you were right there with him.

''this will never happen again.'' he spoke, picking you up in his arms to carry you to his camp.

❦ childe

''it'll be okay, hm? just stay calm and let your prince save you.'' childe said, trying to keep the mood light but even he was worried.

he had brought you along to explore and spend time with you.

he also wanted to show off his fighting skills (typical), so he brought you to an unexplored ruin that he had heard of.

this all happened out of the blue.

after defeating an opponent, the ruin seemed to shake as it's structure had been worn down throughout the years.

childe hadn't predicted that his blows would cause a huge portion of a wall to break down and split the two of you up.

so here you were, covered in debris with blood staining your clothes from the unexpected force of the collapse.

the wall had broken into pieces and you were stuck in a dark, tight corner, only able to see a sliver of light.

''ajax... it hurts...'' you said, breathing becoming heavier.

''i'm sure it does but you have to stay strong for me ok? i'll rescue you, just wait for a bit. i'm right here.'' he comforted you.

he was looking around quickly for every means possible to help you.

he was anxious and guilty. you wouldn't have been in this position if it weren't for his carelessness.

''are you still there?'' he heard you ask in a small voice. it broke his heart.

he had to help you as soon as possible.

things were looking hopeless when he decided he couldn't leave you, even if it was to get help.

the surrounding area was quite empty and there was only one thing he could do.

''i'm going to try and carry this. as soon as you see it rise, run out as fast as you can. okay?'' he spoke.

''y-yeah.''

through sheer adrenaline, he was able to lift a piece of the ruin that would make you space for an exit.

as soon as you got out, he dropped the heavy slab and ran to embrace you, burying his face into the crook of your neck.

''i'm so glad you're safe.'' he whispered. ''i won't ever let that happen again.''

you simply nodded as he held you tighter, not planning to let you get harmed again.

getting reqs done slowly but surely and i love it

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers (February 22nd, 2021)

Hello! Here’s another collection of anon ask answers all put together in one big post.

This might be strange considering how upbeat yall are about the fandoms for your games in general, but is there any particular trope or ship you WOULDN'T want us writing/drawing/etc. in relation to your stuff? (IE, any canon you don't want us 'overwriting' or something like that?)

Of course we would want the fan content people make to not be racist, sexist, homophobic, bigoted, harmful, etc. But in terms of generally doing non-canon pairings or adding in headcanons or stuff, we really don’t mind that. People are welcome to have fun and explore their own ideas.

for the 1.2 Android update was it meant to download as a  separate app? I really want to keep my previous save files but they don't show up (also thank u for the updates I'm really excited to get back into the game!!)

We had to change the name of the file and unfortunately for some phones that meant it’s treated as a brand new game. I’m sorry your saves didn’t transfer over to the new version. You can try to look up your specific phone and see if there’s a way to access save files for games on your device and then transfer those saves over to the new build manually. It may or may not be possible.

I'm having some trouble figuring out how to get the update from Itichio without losing my save files? Is it the same game or a folder I can put in the properties? Sorry if this question is not worded well or if this isn't the avenue you'd want to take technical questions on

Are you using Android? If so, the above answer may apply to you. If you’re on PC or Mac, the save files will automatically still be included.

Hey. I really loved playing our life. It was a fun experience and I never thought I would like it this much. I do have a question, I am currently replaying the game and I am choosing choices I never chose at first. In step 2 during the road trip arc, I decided to ask Cove about what he liked to see on people. One of his response was anklets and black eyes. My MC have just happens to have black eyes. Do Cove say black eyes cuz my mc have it or it was just a coincidently programmed into the game?

He uses your eye color intentionally! If you changed your eye color he’d change what he said.

Will step 4 have 10 moments like steps 1-3? 

Step 4 is only an epilogue. It plays like the openings/endings of the earlier Steps where it’s a bunch of scenes all in a row, there aren’t any individual Moments.

hi! who was/were the artist(s) for our life? 

&

who is the artist for Our Life: Beginning and Always?

Main Sprite and CG Artist: Addrossi

Main Background Artist: Vui Huynh

Main Interface Artist: Winter Slice

Other artists who helped out can be seen in the credits of the game.

In the new ol, there are two main love interests... Would it be possible to pair them together or is that weird? 

You can’t stay single and pair them together. If we are going to add all the extra content to have a route where the two LIs get together, it’d be a full poly route where them and the MC were all dating. And that’s not a for sure option yet because it’d add a lot of extra complications. But either way, in OL the relationships all gotta be about the MC, haha.

In OL2, there will be extra LIs in form of DLCs? Like Dexter and Baxter. 

Maybe! We’ll see how it goes.

Since Cove will have 2 diff body types in s4, will the storyline and dialogs reflect this? Or all of it will be the same? Btw love the game and sorry for bad english. Hope this doesn't sound rude 😅 

Some descriptions and pieces of dialog will change, but it won’t impact the story really. And you don’t need to apologize! It’s all good.

Will you ever release the transparent sprites of the Our Life characters? 

Probably not, I’m afraid. They’ve got a lot of pieces and it’d just be kind of hard to deal with, aha.

Something I was curious about, what was your inspiration for making a game with so much customization?

Initially, the idea was just about having a romance where you actually grew up with the LI. But it was pretty stressful to try deciding how fast the relationship would progress with it taking place over such a long period of time and with no real storyline carrying it. People might not wanna play a game where the characters don’t get along as kids, but other people might not bother with a game where kids immediately liked each other. So the obvious answer came, just let the player pick themselves how it goes. From there we simply continued to add more flexibly with the MC due to the same thought process of wanting to make sure people were onboard with how their life was going.

What made you decide to change the artstyle for ol 2 so much? I of course respect all your decisions and will buy the shit out of everything related to ol 2, but i love the original style and i m honestly not a fan of the styles shown on patreon, despite me liking the painterly style in general. (I don t mind the style being changed, just that the examples shown so far all feel like there s something wrong with them.) 

We’ve always used different art styles for each of our projects. They all have distinct looks from each other. It’s just nice to do something new. I’m glad you really like how the first game looks, though. And those samples were only general concepts, rather than the exact options being decided between. We wanted to see reactions to different options. The art style we’re going with won’t be exactly like those, though I personally like all of them. I think players are gonna enjoy the style Our Life: Now & Forever when it’s revealed.

Hey! Is it ok to ask what gender ourlife2 protagonist will be and if we'll be given the same opportunity to customize an MC? Totally understand if you're keeping this under wraps for now if u don't wanna say! 

OL2 will have the same type of MC customization as OL1, but even more refined! So their gender will be up to you.

Hi! I happened upon Our Life on Steam by pure chance. It is such a great game, I am super excited about the DLC, and I just want you all to know that you are awesome! :D I have a question, and I'm sorry if it's been asked before. Do you have plans of making more games similar to Our Life, with customizable player character? The customizable player character was probably the one thing I personally have been desperate for in romance VNs. So glad there finally is one and would love to see more.

Thank you! And yep, we do have plans for more games like Our Life, most notably is another game in the franchise- Our Life: Now & Forever. We’ll also likely have other, non-OL, games with customizable MCs, though we may still have some games with set MCs in the future as well.

On the patreon dlc just curious but is it possible to play it without actually sleeping together/getting the nsfw content? I just want to spend more time with Cove 

Yeah, you can still choose not to go that far. Though the event is shorter if you pass on the 18+ stuff.

At the beginning of Step 2, did Cove end up accidentally falling asleep in your bed? Or did he fall asleep on the floor? 

He fell asleep sitting on the floor with his body/head leaning against the side of the bed.

This may seem like a weird question, but what exactly is the difference between "direct" and "relaxed" on the comfort scale?

Direct is blunter and more teasing, relaxed is lighthearted and goes with the flow.

can the MC have tattoos in step 3? 

Not in Step 3, but you can in Step 4.

how would Cove react if he visited somewhere like North Carolina in winter where it can get in the 20s(F) at night sometimes? 

He would be shocked and unprepared for what serious coldness is really like, haha. The poor beach baby would wanna go home.

Hello! I just joined the PATREON!! It’s amazing! I love your games! I have a question, approximately how much after will the nsfw be out? After or before the dlc 3 and step four? Sorry my English isn’t the best!❤️❤️❤️ 

Thanks so much! The NSFW DLC will be out after the Step 3 DLC but before Step 4. And you don’t need to apologize for that ^^.

This might be obvious but, will step 4 have dlcs? Also, where will the nsfw dlc happen? Won't bother me at all if it s in in our or his house but i do think it d be moderately funny 

Step 4 will have the Cove Wedding DLC and the Derek and Baxter romance DLCs each add a lot of new content to Step 4, though they’re also partially set in Step 2 and Step 3 respectively. The NSFW DLC happens in Cove’s room.

I keep wondering what would've happened if Mr. Holden met Lizzie first instead of the MC. I can't see that turning out well somehow lol. 

It wouldn’t have made a difference. He met the MC’s parents first and they told him about their two kids. He wanted the MC specifically to be Cove’s friend because the two were the same age.

Even though we have a way to go I'm really excited for OL 2! I was curious though, is the next main character going to be adopted again? I thought it was really clever to make the first main character adopted so when players are customizing,  they can make them look how ever they like without worrying about pesky genetics. Just wondering! 

The OL2 MC is not adopted. We wanted to go for a new dynamic. Instead their parents are their biological single mother who is partially customizable and an off-screen sperm donor father. So the mom will look generally like the MC and any other traits not from her can be assumed to come from whoever the father was.

—– —– —–

Thank you so much for all the asks ^^

FAQ   If you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

[idkthisisjustforfanfic]

U N P L A N N E D, part two

“Hi, uh, Y/N? It’s Harry.”

You shut the bathroom door behind you like you had a few days earlier. This time, at least, you knew what you were getting yourself into. 

“Hey, hi, how are you?”

“I’m good--how are you?”

You took a breath, one that might have been too obvious. “I’m good. I’m sorry to just--ramble on your voicemail. I just, you know, hadn’t heard from you.”

Did you expect to? No. Maybe. You didn’t know. You felt stupid and embarrassed that the words had tumbled out of your mouth.

“Yeah--I know, m’sorry about that. I actually, uh, got sick actually after I saw you last, so I was out of commission for a minute. Been busy but, yeah, I’d love to see you if you’re around.”

“I am, yeah, I’m around.”

Thank god--the last thing you needed was for him to let you down easy, be too nice to say that he didn’t have any interest in seeing you again. You’d prepared for that somewhat, worried that you were just another girl he’d slept with some random night, meaningless and casual. 

Maybe it was that--maybe he thought that buying you a nice dinner one night would be enough to put this in the past. A pang of guilt when you realized that might never be possible.

You didn’t wait for him to offer a time or date. “Are you around this weekend?”

“Uh, yeah, I am.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t mean this in a presumptuous way, but, do you want to come to mine? I know that’s not, like, a date--but, it can be nicer to do something quiet, sometimes.”

You knew what he meant--you knew enough from Glenne to know that if he was seen out in public with you there’d be all sorts of whispers about what it was and what it meant. You didn’t tell him, but you figured somewhere private was a better place to have the conversation you had to have.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Uh, tomorrow? Sunday?”

“Tomorrow’s good--if that works.”

“Sure,” he said. “I can text you my address. Do you want to say around seven?”

“Sure. Yeah, okay. I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah, looking forward to it, Y/N, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You hung up, wiped at the sweat that had formed on your forehead, and stared in the mirror. It wasn’t terrible. It was awkward, sure, but he didn’t say no and he didn’t seem to think you were crazy or weird or totally out of line asking to see him again. 

You composed a message to Lexi and Glenne. 

Y/N L/N (2:31pm): I’m seeing him tomorrow. 

Glenne Christiaansen (2:34pm): Thank god. I seriously felt like Jeff could tell something was up this morning. 

Y/N L/N (2:35pm): Well don’t be weird with him!

Lexi MacMillan (2:37pm): Glenne if you fuck anything up so help me god. 

Glenne Christiaansen (2:39pm): I’m not going to! I’m a bad liar so I would appreciate it if we could get this out in the open asap. 

Lexi MacMillan (2:39pm): Glenne...not really about you 🙄 

Glenne Christiaansen (2:39pm): I’m not trying to rush you, I just feel bad knowing!

Y/N L/N (2:40pm): I know. I’m telling him tomorrow. 

Y/N L/N (2:41pm): He said I could come to his house. So, we’ll see. I’ll keep you updated.

**

It wasn’t as far of a drive as you remembered. Maybe the high levels of cortisol coursing through you sped things up, or maybe it was the adrenaline of having just hung up with your mom. 

She knew something was up--she always knew. She called you in the morning and you couldn’t do it, you pretended all was fine and you told her that you were about to head to the grocery store. She didn’t really buy it but she let you go. 

And when you got in the car around 6:15 and found yourself with enough traffic on Santa Monica Boulevard, the guilt started to creep in again. So you dialed her number, put the phone on speaker, and made her promise to not freak out. 

She’d always been the type of mom who could keep a straight face--one who played it cool even when you told her you got detention or pricey parking ticket. She raised you by herself after she split with your dad, a guy who lived somewhere outside of Las Vegas with a new wife and a new daughter. 

She was quiet when you said it. A few seconds ticked by before she spoke. Are you sure? You took a test? Who’s the father?

You know my friend Glenne? You know how her boyfriend is also in the music business? 

She couldn’t believe it at first--a name she’d heard a few times on TV or even from you. She asked the inevitable: what are you going to do?

You told her you didn’t know. You swore you’d think it all through and keep her updated, talked her down and convinced her she didn’t need to drive down to LA from the sleepy town of Santa Paula, where you grew up on bicycles and with books in your small bedroom, reaching for a future that was always bigger than your small town. 

So sure, maybe you had a plan. As a kid you always thought about being an adult--the steps in the following order: college, job, husband, promotion, kids. Scattered in between there was the possibility of a pet, maybe even relocating outside of the city--a house with a pool, for sure. 

None of it included an unplanned pregnancy fathered by someone like him. It hadn’t ever crossed your mind. 

You cried a bit more after you hung up--your mom reminded you that you didn’t have to keep a brave face for her, but after all this time, you were used to it. 

So at least, when you pressed the button on the gate that somehow paged him inside, you felt a bit more confident about your ability to spit out the words without throwing up or crying. That was a win. 

“Hey--it should open now,” his voice was muffled through the speaker, the gate started to hum before it separated, revealing a white house tucked in the hills, a smooth driveway and a view of the city. 

He greeted you at the front door, a smile on his face when you lifted your sunglasses. 

“Hi,” he said. “Find your way okay?”

“Yeah,” you said, a nod. “It vaguely felt familiar, I definitely remember drunkenly looking out the windows on the ride home.”

He laughed--apparently comfortable enough to skip over the whole awkward we slept together phase. He stepped aside and held the door open, allowing you to step into the main foyer. 

That’s when it came back--laughing as you followed him up the stairs and down the hall, a drink in your hand. The view is priceless, he said. He showed you his bedroom, the twinkly lights of Los Angeles looked like snowflakes when you blurred your eyes, he joked that maybe you both drank too much. 

You sat beside him on the bed, told him about the time Glenne came to visit in college and you realized that there was someone who could put Lexi in her place. 

Before you knew it his hands were on your skin, your fingers fumbling with the button of his pants. You told him he didn’t have to, insecurity washed through you when you realized this type of event was probably usually reserved for models or actresses. Shouldn’t it be Lexi in your place? Someone taller and thinner and prettier and richer?

“I’d give you a tour,” he said, pulling you back to the present, “but you’ve already seen it.”

You held back a smile. “I remember it all from, you know, sneaking out in the middle of the night.”

“Right, very rude of you, really,” he smiled, crossed his arms over his chest. An awkward pause. “I would have reached out, but, I dunno--I guess I thought you didn’t want me to since you left.”

You opened your mouth to speak but then licked your lips. “No--I was just, I didn’t want to impose.”

“Well, you missed what would have been a delicious breakfast.”

Quiet for a second, you were glad he was playful, friendly, flirty, even. You knew you were about to kill any sort of mood there might be. 

“Listen--uh, I actually have something to tell you.”

He tilted his head to the side, a curious smile on his face, just like when you told Glenne. He watched you, dimpled cheeks, as if you were about to admit you’d been thinking about him, wishing he’d call, hoping to see him again. 

For a second you wondered if it was the right move, telling him at all. Maybe it wasn’t his problem. Maybe he’d hate you and be angry or maybe he’d think you did it on purpose, a claim to fame or a 401k cash in. Maybe you were better off navigating the waters of motherhood alone. Alternatively, maybe you took the other path. Easier for everyone, right?

But he looked too curious, too innocent, too pure. He noticed the emotion on your face, the water that had pooled in your eyes. His expression changed, furrowed brows and a twitch in his lips before you spit it out. 

“I’m pregnant.”

Again. Quiet--the typical response at this point. Something you were used to. You could see a plane in the distance, on final approach to LAX. Somewhere in the world there were people laughing and hugging and somewhere there were scenes much happier than this one. 

“Uh--I--,” he shook his head, blinked a few times, almost like he didn’t quite understand. “Because of us?”

A nod. You didn’t feel like divulging the same information about how there was no other possibility, especially to someone like him--someone who was surely much more sexually active than you were. 

“You’re sure?”

Another nod. You reached into your purse and pulled out the papers you had printed that afternoon. The results from Dr. Weston’s office. Numbers and words you didn’t really understand. “Here--I, uh, I have these.”

He blinked again, took them in his hands and looked down at them. He licked his lips and then rubbed at his neck. “What’s all this mean?”

“It’s just the test results. I did two myself, you know, the pee on a stick ones. Then a urine sample at the doctor and a blood test, too. Four positive results.”

He was quiet, the lack of noise and words seemed to spike emotion in you, more water in your eyes became tears on your cheeks. He still stared at the paper. 

A part of you wanted to turn around, leave, drive back to your house and climb into bed. Maybe then it would feel like none of this was happening. But you were frozen, feet stuck on the floor in his foyer, staring at the stubble on his chin and the necklace that hung around his neck.

A shaky breath. “I’m sorry--I was--we used a condom, I don’t know how it happened.”

He looked up at you quickly, the rawness of your voice and cracks between words seemed to grab his attention. “Will you, uh, take a test in front of me?”

That made you stop crying really quick. “W-what?” A sniffle when you wiped at your face. 

“It’s just, to be sure. I don’t--sometimes people do this to people like me, and--” 

“Are you insinuating that I’m--” you looked around, not even sure what to call it. “Making this up?”

“It’s not you--I would ask that of anyone.”

Your lips parted, you stared past his shoulder and into the living room. 

Let me give you a tour, he’d said, dimples on his cheeks when he looked down at you that night. Sat on the edge of the couch, he stood above you, handed Lexi another drink before he introduced himself. 

We’ve already met, you teased. You recounted your first meeting, jogged his memory by describing the dress you wore, the restaurant you went to. It had been six months earlier. I’m Y/N, you said. Your name brought it all back for him.

Back in the room, he shifted his weight on his feet. You thought on it for a second. You’d expected him to be shocked and surprised--even angry or disinterested would have been understandable. You didn’t, for a second, think that he might not believe you. 

It made sense, as much as you hated to admit it. You were sure that somewhere out there was a person who would make this type of thing up--news outlets covered stories like that all the time. 

But this--the upheaval of everything you’d come to know--you wished you were making it up. You weren’t someone he met in some hotel bar with something to gain. You were a friend of a friend, wrong place, wrong time. 

“Look--someone will make us do that anyway. Jeff or someone would insist that I have more proof. And I can’t just tell them I took your word for it.”

Another reminder of the distance between you. The fact that Harry drove a Tesla and you had a Honda. The fact that now they were his friends and you were the outsider--the one screwing it all up. And now your friends had to choose sides, and apparently, Jeff was already on Harry’s before he even knew about it. 

“I mean--fine, I can show you the two I already took. I’ll take another, and you can see it, if you want.” 

He nodded. “Yeah, m’sorry, that’s just probably for the best.”

He offered to drive--promised your car would be safe in his driveway until you could come back for it. So you endured the nearly forty minute drive back to your house in quasi-silence, save for the voices from the radio that didn’t break the tension. 

He asked about work, you pretended to be interested in the upcoming release of his music. But the long pauses and sideways glances made it feel like you both knew the questions were obligatory and forced and surface, a lazy attempt at ignoring the obvious.

You pointed out a spot for him to park near the sidewalk, beneath the willow tree across the street that always left pollen on your windshield. He followed you across the road, up to the front door in your snug residential neighborhood. 

“Hi,” you called into the living room, knowing that Lexi had the day off from filming. With your luck at this point, she’d probably be naked (or halfway there) in the kitchen. High as a kite or asleep on the couch. 

“Hey! How’d it--oh.”

She appeared from her bedroom, eyes wide when she took in the sight of Harry trailing behind you. You ignored the flush on his cheeks and the shy smile he threw in her direction. 

It must have hit him--Lexi knew. Lexi--who Harry had known for at least three or four years now--offered a wave in his direction and tried to play it cool. 

“Hi Lexi.”

“He wants me to pee on a stick again,” you said flatly. 

She pulled her head back, a smirk on her face when she turned to Harry. “Really?”

He let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. “Do you want to know what could happen if I believed every woman who’s ever said that to me?”

“There’s been multiple?” Lexi looked at him like he was crazy.

“Well--like, two. But they were both absolutely mental.”

You walked into the bathroom and knelt down, digging through the cabinet below the sink for another test. After you took the first you bought another box--two inside. 

You grabbed it and stood, going to shut the door. “Well, I’ll be back.”

“Wait,” he said, shoving his hands in the pocket of his pants. “Can I--uh--come in?”

Lexi’s face twisted. “You wanna watch?”

“Well, how do I know that you’re not pregnant and she’s using your, you know, sample?”

Lexi looked over at you and raised her eyebrows, some type of this is unreal look on her face. 

“Fine,” you said, defeated. “Come over here.”

He stepped into the bathroom beside you and offered an uncomfortable smile, squeezing by you when you shut the door. He sat on the edge of the bathtub and stared at his hands. You pulled down your pants, sat, and then waited. 

He looked up quickly, then back down at the floor. Then back up. “Well--are you gonna go?”

“I need a second,” you said. “I’m not used to peeing in front of strangers.”

“M’not a stranger,” he made a face as if it hurt his feelings. You weren’t about to fight with him--now didn’t seem like a good time to define the relationship. “Here,” he reached up to twist the faucet, a stream of water fell into the sink. 

That helped. You held the stick in place and capped it when you were done, placing it on the sink. You flushed and stood up as if this was all in a day’s work.

“Now we wait?”

You leaned forward to wash your hands. “Doesn’t take long--apparently I’m super pregnant.”

He let out a bit of a laugh at that, a tension breaking chuckle before he picked it up. He pushed out his lips, staring down at it as if it wasn’t as threatening as you’d always felt. 

“Plus sign,” he flipped it towards you, offering you a view. 

You nodded.

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

He was quiet, staring at the plastic in his hands before he put it back down.

“I’m sorry,” you said. “We used a condom.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to--we didn’t mean to. Aren’t you on birth control?”

You nodded. ���I was switching to a new one around then--but my doctor said it should be just as effective,” the anxiety grew with each word, the scenarios ran through your head, what you could have done differently, if you should have left right after, cursing yourself for enjoying the sex even though it resulted in this. 

“I don’t know what to do,” you said, wiping at your cheeks to hide the evidence of the tears. You hardly knew him--crying in what suddenly felt like the world’s smallest bathroom didn’t seem like a great get to know you exercise. 

He seemed alarmed by the emotion again, a look of uncertainty crossed his face. “Me neither--I mean, I’m supposed to put out this album and then go on tour and I’ve never--”

A knock on the door, Lexi pushed it open, an inquisitive look on her face. “Everything okay?”

“No,” you both spoke at the same time. 

“Oh good,” Lexi said sarcastically to him, “you’re losing your shit over it too!”

“S’not exactly the best timing, right now, Lexi.” He stepped past you on the white tile, slipping out of the bathroom and making his way for the living room. 

You followed behind him. “It’s not good timing for me either, if you were wondering!”

He turned around quickly. “I know--I didn’t mean it like that, I just--you’ve had a few days to sit with this, right? M’just finding out now so excuse the panic.”

You took a breath, watched as he paced on the carpet and ran a hand through his hair. He stopped suddenly, looked up to Lexi. 

“Does Glenne know?”

She looked over to you, your call, Harry did the same. 

“Great--so Jeff knows! Is that why he hasn’t returned my phone calls?”

“Jeff doesn’t know,” you said quickly. “She promised not to tell him until I talked to you.”

“And you believed her?! She can have quite the mouth, for fuck’s sake!”

“She didn’t say anything, relax,” Lexi tried to settle him, her voice more collected than yours had been all week. “I talked to her a while ago. She’s freaking out, too.”

He flopped down on the couch, a big sigh before he looked up at you again. “Are you--do you want to keep it?”

“I don’t know.”

He nodded, almost like he expected the answer. 

“I wanted to talk to you first.”

He nodded again, eyes still wide. “Okay.”

“Can you just breathe, with me, for a second?” You moved to sit beside him, body angled towards his so he could watch you. In and out, in and out. 

It already felt like you were ruining his life, the last thing you needed was for him to have a heart attack on your sofa. 

He settled a bit at that, another nod to reassure you that he was getting enough air. “Sorry--I just, this is big.”

“I know,” you said. “For me too.”

“Yeah.”

Lexi was still stood in the center of the room, watching the scene unfold. When you looked up at her, she tilted her head. “I was gonna order a pizza--are you guys hungry?”

**

When Harry left the house that night he promised he’d see you the next day. Not only did you need your car, but you figured it’d be easier to actually talk some things through after a good night of sleep and some time to think. 

There was a part of you that wondered if he’d actually follow through--show up at your house at 10am like he said he would. Maybe he’d catch the soonest flight back to London and change his number, barring Jeff and Glenne from ever speaking to you again. 

The pizza was a good call on Lexi’s part. It turned out that when he had some food in him, he was remarkably less anxious. See? You’ll be fine. He’s just like a toddler! Lexi teased after he left. 

She sat on your bed with you that night and just listened. First you told her about the way he looked when you first said it, the blinking and the staring and the shuffling of his feet. Then about the car ride and the radio and the way you pretended that you didn’t notice how often he tried to look over at you on the freeway. 

You had no idea where he was at--you had no idea what he was thinking or what type of person he was. He was a stranger, really, someone who sometimes happened to run in the same circle as you and someone who now had a good reason to never want to see you again. 

Lexi said she was glad that he wanted to talk again in the morning, glad that he knew and agreed that it would be best for him to tell Jeff in a few days, once the two of you had more time to talk. 

You were glad, too. 

“I think he’s here,” she peered out the window, the Saturday sun fought its way through early morning fog. 

Your phone started buzzing in your hand--a call, not a text. You answered it. “Hello?”

“Hey--s’me. I’m outside.”

“Okay,” you said. “I’ll be right out.”

“Don’t be too long,” Lexi said, watching as you reached for the denim jacket on the back of the door. “Are we still watching SNL tonight?”

“Yeah--yeah, we will.”

“Okay,” she seemed to eye you suspiciously. “Call me if he’s being a fucking asshole, okay?”

“Okay.”

She waved you out the door, watched as you climbed inside the dark black car that was parked at the end of the walkway.

“Hi--oh, hi,” the seatbelt seemed to lurch forward on it’s own, making it easier to grab hold of once you sat down. “Glenne’s doesn’t do this.”

“S’the newer model.”

Of course it was.

“Are you hungry? I know you need your car, but I figured we could grab something to eat.”

You nodded, pushing sunglasses down to cover your eyes. “Sure, yeah.”

He accelerated, the car whirred, electric, and he adjusted a few buttons in the front. “Are you feeling alright?”

“What do you mean?”

He stole another sideways glance in your direction. “Like--you’re not nauseous yet, are you?”

“Oh--” you stopped to think about it. “No. But food tastes funny--kind of metallic, almost? I don’t know if that’s related. I’m only four weeks at this point, that’s what the email from Dr. Weston said.”

“Dr. Weston?”

“My OBGYN.”

“Right. When did you see her?”

“Wednesday.”

A left turn out of your neighborhood. You’d caught him up on all of that the night before. The appointment, telling your mom--he listened with wide eyes, pizza in hand. 

“When do you go again?”

“Next week. She said we can talk about options.”

“Oh--should I, maybe, come to that?”

You hadn’t thought about that. It certainly was too early to do an ultrasound, you figured the appointment was a nice way for Dr. Weston to let you know the options for termination, if that’s what you wanted. A shift in your seat, a nervousness when you looked over at him. “If you want, yeah.”

He nodded, quiet for a little as he drove. He was heading for closer to Santa Monica, you didn’t ask where and you figured it didn’t matter. Breakfast sounded nice. 

He eventually turned into a parking lot for a small cafe--one that you heard Jeff mention in the past--with ivy running up the outside trellis that provided some patio shade from the mid-May sun. “The scones here are really good.”

You tried not to laugh. “Scones are probably the worst breakfast pastry.”

“What?” His voice went all high as if you’d said something truly offensive. He pulled out his chair and sat, a casual outfit of athletic shorts and a sweatshirt. Sunglasses--presumably for disguise.

“Yeah,” you said, a bored shrug. “Too dry. Muffins are much better.”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he looked over the menu that the hostess had dropped off, took a sip of his water before looking up at you. 

“Look, I want to just tell you I’m sorry for freaking out last night. I know this isn’t easy for you, either.”

You nodded. “It’s not ideal for either of us, I guess.”

He nodded. Fumbled with the straw wrapped between his fingers. “What are your thoughts on--” he paused, seemingly uncomfortable. “Ending it?”

You shrugged, feeling mostly disconnected from whatever bundle of cells had implanted on your uterine lining. “I don’t know--it would probably be easier.”

He watched you, an unreadable look on his face. He rubbed at his lips and nodded. “You don’t have to. That’s a big decision. I just didn’t know what your thoughts were--in general.”

“I don’t really know what they are. What are yours?”

He laughed a little. “I don’t know. I’ve never had to think much about it.”

The waitress appeared, a look of shock when he smiled up at her, the realization spread over her face before she scribbled down your orders. 

Pink on his cheeks when she left. “Sorry.”

You smiled. “I’m surprised you can be in the sunlight without people following you around.”

He rolled his eyes, let out a playful sigh. “Some days are better than others. This spot is typically safe, though.”

The waitress came back quick with coffees--you were sure to not confuse her eagerness to be near him as prompt service. 

“So--who have you told, again?”

“Just Lexi and Glenne. And my mom.”

“No one else?”

“No. Have you told anyone?”

He pushed the tiny boat of coffee creamer towards you. “No. I just went to bed last night and tried to sleep.”

Another wave of guilt. You were sure he had better things to do than stare at the ceiling thinking about abortion or full term or the possibility that something would go wrong.

“They say you’re not supposed to tell people, you know--before it’s too soon.”

“Right, what is it? Three months?”

“Yeah--twelve weeks. That’s when something is likely to happen. But, look--I get it, if you can’t do this. No matter what I end up doing, I won’t be mad if you’re not able to be around.”

The words came out more quickly than you expected, as if saying them would prevent the damage from spreading. Like a bandaid, pulled off quickly, you placed the proposition on the table. 

He made a face at that, looked down, twisted the rings on his fingers and then sighed. “I wouldn’t do that--I don’t want to.”

“Yeah, but, come on. I mean--you’re busy and this doesn’t really align with your lifestyle.”

He quirked an eyebrow, almost challenging you with a smirk. “And what do you know about my lifestyle?”

You picked up a spoon and stirred the coffee in front of you. “Well--I don’t know. I just, I don’t want you to feel like this means you’re, you know, trapped.”

He nodded, thinking. He licked his lips and pushed his mouth to one side. “I appreciate that.”

He asked where you were when you found out. You told him about the tiled floor of the bathroom at work, the way it cooled your hot skin when you were sure you’d pass out. You told him about the second test, the one you’d taken at home with Lexi, and the ice cream cone you had after you went to the doctor. 

He asked where you were from, said he’d never heard of Santa Paula. He told you that he had fun with you that night, said that he thought about calling you after you left, decided he didn’t want to scare you off. 

He drove you back to his house and pointed out the window, showing you a hiking trail nearby that he liked. He laughed when you made a joke--strapping a ten pound baby to your chest would level up any workout.

So you got your car and left, he didn’t hug you goodbye in the driveway and he said he’d call you--right after he figured out what he was going to tell his parents and his manager. You were about to the shut the door of your Honda when he jogged over to the driver’s side window. 

“When was that appointment again? With Dr. Westfield?”

“Weston,” you corrected. “Thursday, 4pm, I think.”

He nodded, his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun. “Okay--I’ll come.”

table of contents | talk to me + join the tag list

author’s note: woohooo! alright, well, there’s that!!!! so excited to share the rest with you all! 

tag list: @stepping-into-the-light @thurhomish @afterstylesmadeit @iconicharry @stylesfics-xx @harryspirate @mellamolayla @harryinsweatersandbandanas @stylesfantasy @clorenafila @mell-love @anssu-amry @yelllowgrass @bullseyeskay @littlesoldierelleora @styles217 @rachkon @c-h-e-r-r-y-y @myhat  @rosegoldbel @passionate-dreamerr @grammyforstyles @dontgiveupthedayjob @ursamajor603 @craic-head-horan @heavenspidey @talk-british-2-me-britbritharry @blackxxmagicc @winter-soldier-007 @ssllbb @wanderlustiing @jdcharliewhiskey  

[bittersweetmelxdy]

heyy, I know that u are also currently doing the christmas countdowns prompts... But if u'd wanna, how abt Lucien teaching Mc something for work or actually anything! I absolutely love your writing and I hope u are happy,because your prompts made me always rllly happy😊

hahaha.... does this show how far behind in requests I am... sorry this is late but here it is, hope you like it x

Also this may not be entirely accurate, I am doing a science degree but I haven’t grown a bacteria culture in a petri dish for a while, and the last time I can remember I was in year 10 I think (14 years old), so this is what I remember doing, so it probably isn’t proper scientific procedure.

Title: dating a scientist has some perks Pairing: Lucien x MC Words: 1,273

You had come to the Loveland Research Centre as you had a half day and you were currently waiting for Lucien to finish up the last bits of his work, so you both could go home. You were sitting on the sofa for visitors and were sneaking glances at him secretly. However, Lucien had always been an observant individual, and he smiled noticing how conspicuous you were being. 

Raising his head, he put down his papers in hand, “Do you need something?”  

“Can I ask for some advice?” you bit your lip lightly, in slight hesitation as you didn’t want to bother him whilst he was working.

“Is it for a show?” Lucien quirked an eyebrow at you, and at your nod, he pushed his chair back a little from the table and held his hand out towards you.

You swung your legs out from under you, and then gingerly stood up walking towards your boyfriend. Placing your hand lightly in his, you let out a slight yelp of surprise as Lucien used his grip on your hand to pull you into his lap as a tangle of limbs. You squirmed in his embrace, and Lucien kept his arms loosely around you, keeping you where you were but allowing you to situate yourself to be more comfortable. Once you ceased your wriggling, Lucien pressed a kiss to your temple, and then waited for you to ask him for help. You unlocked your phone, bringing up the document that was relevant to the problem you were having.  

“We’re doing a program on how scientists like yourself analyse different diseases, so that the public can become more knowledgeable on the subject. The program we’ve outlined looks like this...” Lucien smiled lightly as you explained the show and it’s structure with clarity pointing out the highlights for him to consider, and he nodded, his heart full of pride for his girl, and he gave you another kiss, this time to your cheek, as a reward.

“So, what is the problem you are facing?” Lucien didn’t beat around the bush, and directly asked you what you needed from him, as he was always happy to help when it came to you.

“I’m just curious, how do you grow those bacteria plates; you know on those clear plates?” you asked, looking up at him, your curious eyes fixed on him.

“Do you want to grow one?” Lucien asked, figuring that the best way to teach you, was probably to show you.

You nodded excitedly and you hopped up, pulling Lucien up as well with your hands around his wrists, an amused expression painted his face as he led you to one of the free labs. After helping you suit up in the appropriate PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), including your own lab coat, goggles and nitrile gloves. You giggled, feeling a little silly dressing up with the help of your boyfriend, but when he was done, you posed dramatically for him, turning this way and that to show Lucien your figure in the lab coat.

“So, how do I look?” You threw a playful wink at him.

Lucien shook his head, releasing a huff of amusement, fixing the lapels of the lab coat, “It suits you very well.” he kissed your forehead lightly.  

Like the gentleman he is, Lucien held the door open for you and then after indicating you to sit down, he gathered the various tools from different cupboards, setting them out in front of you. You immediately reached towards the petri dish to open it, but you were stopped by Lucien’s hands covering yours.

“If you open it now, you won’t do it properly. We need to keep it sterile for as long as possible for the best results.” at you nod of agreement Lucien took a lighter out of his pocket, and passed the flame across the tip of a metal scraper a few times before explaining patiently, “All the equipment is stored properly but these just endures that it is completely sterile before we start.”  

Lucien then handed it carefully to you and you held it tightly, awaiting further instructions. Lucien then carefully opened the small bottle containing a bacteria sample, and under his watchful eye you scraped a small amount onto the metal scraper, lifting it up but keeping it far from your face and close to the bench. Then you scratched the jelly in the petri dish with the bacteria sample, after Lucien lifted the lid and then he closed it tightly. He then desterilized the metal scraper using the lighter to kill the bacteria and then placed it in a tray to be further sterilised by the technicians. You found a label and a pen and wrote the date and you name carefully upon it and then stuck it down, and Lucien helped you taped the lid securely, to ensure only your bacteria sample would grow.  

“Are we done?” Lucien looked up at your question, watching you as you squinted through the clear lid at the dish, wondering why nothing was happening.

Lucien knocked his knuckle lightly on the top of your head, “It needs at least a week to grow, so be patient and next week you can come back and see it.” he then held out his hand, and you placed it on his outstretched palm, and then Lucien went to put it where they kept the other lab cultures.

The next week went by so slowly for you, you had marked the date exactly one week from the day you had grown your lab culture and as you marked off the days you couldn’t help but claim to Lucien how slowly time was passing. Lucien would only smirk and continue to tell you to be patient, punctuating his statement with a kiss to either your temple or cheek. He had noticed that you had even been visiting him a lot more often at the research centre, claiming you were only “passing by”, and he knew you were just excited to see your hard work come to fruition.

Finally... finally, a week had passed, and you were bouncing with every step as Lucien led you into the lab. He handed you the petri dish nonchalantly, and he watched with affectionate eyes as you held onto the dish like it was made of gold. Lucien crouched slightly, pushing his head next to yours, and helped you lift the dish above you head so you could see the underneath, and you gasp was everything to him. Looking to the side, he saw your eyes glittering, a trembling finger ran across the plastic surface, running over the butter yellow circles, that Lucien explained in his calming tone were the bacteria cultures you had grown. Lucien loved the fact that you were so excited to take a step into his line of work and being able to teach you even a little of the work he often partakes in, made him really happy. After you had taken plenty of pictures of the bacteria culture on your phone and posted a picture to your moments, you placed the petri dish on the bench and threw yourself at Lucien, wrapping your arms on his neck, a bright smile stretched across your face.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” you babbled into Lucien’s neck, before pulling away slightly, standing on your tip-toes, “I know you’re busy, but I’ve always wanted to learn about this.”

Lucien shook his head, lowering his forehead to rest against yours, “It’s no trouble, like I said, if you ever need any help, I want to be the first person you call.”

[judesstfrancis]

Hope you don’t mind me asking but you are well versed in horror films. What would you recommend as a good place to start for someone who is not comfortable with demons or jumpscares? (Ghosts are fine but there’s something about demons that really unsettle me for some reason) thanks!!!

I don’t mind at all!! honestly I love answering questions like these, I grew up with horror so I love helping other people figure out what they might like.

before I start, I do wanna note that jumpscares have a very broad, kinda vague definition. it really all depends on your personal sensitivity! so while some of these movies have scenes that are technically labeled as jumpscares, they may not actually read like that onscreen. a good resource I think is wheresthejump.com, and I’ll be providing links for each movie that has a profile on the website. regardless, I’ll make sure to only rec movies that I don’t consider to have blatant jumpscares and that only have minor jumpscare ratings on the site. and bc I’ll be linking you to the profiles directly, you’ll be able to decide for yourself if it’s something you want to actually consume. the profiles will both describe what the jumpscares are, how major or minor they are, and the exact time stamps they occur at. if the movie doesn’t have a profile on the website, u should ostensibly be safe!

here we go!

my personal first introduction to horror was the lost boys (1987) and I cannot recommend it enough. really classic 80s horror, vampires, extremely Gender and extremely Homosexual Subtext. a young boy and his family move to santa carla and his older brother accidentally gets turned into a vampire bc he’s trying to impress the local hot boys! he’s technically trying to impress literally the only woman his age in the movie, but look. the vampire men look Like That, he was trying to impress the local hot boys. (no profile on wheresthejump)

I also have to rec scream (1996) bc it is my absolute favorite horror film. this movie is like a really classic teen slasher but, and I’m sure u already know what I’m about to say if you’ve followed this blog for more than 24 hours, it is full of incredible twists. absolutely deconstructed the entire slasher subgenre and is the reason the Film Nerd Who Knows Everything About Horror trope was popularized. it absolutely does not take itself seriously and there’s a lot of outside references to other horror projects the director was involved in and honestly that’s what makes it genius. it thinks its a joke! it treats itself like a joke, but it’s not. also sidney prescott is like THE horror franchise frontwoman, thank u miss neve campbell (wheresthejump profile)

okay other recs that I’m hopefully gonna not talk as long about since I’m trying not to make this Super Long:

us (2019) everything jordan peele has ever done, horror wise, is a masterpiece. the man simply knows what he’s doing. this one has a family vacation gone wrong, dopplegangers, and an overall amazing narrative. (wheresthejump profile)

van helsing (2004) this may perhaps be way too cheesy to label as a horror movie but look I love it and it’s been a favorite of mine for a very long time so I’m including it. hugh jackman plays van helsing! real fun vampire hunting. (wheresthejump profile)

when a stranger calls (1979) the call is coming from inside the house! your classic babysitter horror but like. it was the Blueprint for classic babysitter horror, u know? absolutely amazing, one of my favorites. (wheresthejump profile)

the raven (2012) one of my favorite movies, even outside of horror! it’s actually labeled as a crime mystery/thriller but we all know how I feel about thrillers being horror. also it’s a serial killer so like. horror film. anyway it’s based on edgar allan poe and he has to help solve murders based on his own stories! really neat premise! (no profile on wheresthejump)

coraline (2009) technically marketed as a fantasy kid’s film but look shit is SCARY. I watched it for the first time when I was 18 and I was spooked. really cool kinda adventure-y thing where she finds a portal to an alternate universe and hangs out with her Other Family and has fun initially but then things get Weird. (no profile on wheresthejump)

don’t look under the bed (1999) this shit was apparently so scary that disney had to take it off the air for a Very Long Time after it was first released on the channel. what happens when u forget your imaginary friends? apparently boogeymen! one of my absolute favorite movies in the entire world, I was always so excited when it actually was on tv (no profile on wheresthejump)

lady in white (1988) ghosts! this one’s just really neat. narrated story about a little boy in the 60s who sees a murder and gets haunted afterwards. but like in a cool way!! he helps the ghosts it's neat (no profile on wheresthejump) (no demons)

the frighteners (1996) another favorite of mine that I just love to death. this one’s part comedy! michael j fox gets into a car accident that kills his wife and can talk to spirits after that so he makes friends with them to stage hauntings and scam people out of money by pretending to get rid of them. things get wild tho when he finds an evil ghost pretending to be the grim reaper that is actually the ghost of a serial killer from however long ago and is now marking victims to kill them later. (no profile on wheresthejump) (evil spirits but no demons, it is very clear that he is just a regular, human serial murderer turned ghost)

hope this was helpful! I tried to give a good little sample mix of some of my favorites that weren’t Too Gross and didn’t rely on just blaring loud music and shoving a scary picture in your face for no reason. overall I’d say probably creature features and slashers might be your best bet for avoiding jumpscares and demonic narratives? older movies as well will rely on jumpscares less so that’s something to keep in mind. if you’re ever unsure, make sure to use wheresthejump.com for descriptions/time stamps/ratings of jumpscares and check out doesthedogdie.com as well! doesthedogdie originated to warn about animal death in horror, but it has a wide array of phobias and potential triggers that it tracks too, so it’s good for a number of things.

also delving into horror that’s marketed for kids slaps. there’s a lot less possibility that it’s gonna be gross just for the sake of it and those usually don’t have jumpscares. they’re also a lot more creative! it’s why I added coraline and don’t look under the bed to the list, I truly just think horror that’s marketed for children is amazing bc it doesn’t have the ability to rely on tired, cheap gimmicks to get their scares. I hope this doesn’t come off as me being like patronizing or anything bc I truly am being genuine, like as a fan of the genre I just love children’s horror. I recommend that everyone checks it out bc it is absolutely unparalleled, so like definitely delve into that a little, too.

[what-the--curtains]

Braving the Elements

Chapter 20: Another Party

Part 1/2

Tw: Swearing, sex in pt2

Authors note: TWO IDIOTS IN LOVE, yes this was inspired by moulin rouge dont @ me. love u all❤️❤️

Both versions r so good they both get included!

“He really thinks he’s James Bond doesn’t he?” Wanda laughs

“He sure does, much better ass though.” you respond the other two nodding in agreement as you head into the board room for the briefing. Everyone gathers in and Tony pulls up an infographic on the main targets, who they were, how they may be contributing, and the best way to get information out of them.

“So, Nat and Sam, we want you to engage with those I’ve identified as “salespeople”, act as if you, as non-mutants, are interested in obtaining temporary powers. I’ll be with the investors, acting as though I’m hoping to get in on the ground floor. Wanda if you wouldn’t mind, pretend like you’re interested in the genetic side, say you would be willing to donate some DNA but you need to know how it’s being used and processed first. Y/N you’ll help Wanda but see if you can get to the seedier parts of their operation. Based on your dubious past and ties to Roman they may be more inclined to share any less than legal aspects with you. Everyone else you’re there to keep up appearances, don’t interfere, play along. The most important thing is that we do not reveal what we know already. Everyone needs to pick a target and latch on for the night”

“ (y/n) you get the hot one!” Wanda exclaims

“Why?” you ask, forgetting that people didn’t know about you and Bucky.

“Cause you're single and hot so it should be easy for you to seduce him.” Tony says.

“Well put Tony thanks for the objectification” you say, rolling your eyes. The guy was hot and rich, and probably full of himself, used to getting what he wanted. Getting information out of him would be a breeze.

“Fine i'll use my womanly wiles” you say making some spooky hand gestures.

You quickly look to Bucky to see if he’s appreciated your joke, but he’s avoiding your gaze. You notice his jaw is clenched and his body seems tense, you wonder what’s got him in such a mood. You go to ask him but he’s gone by the time you stand up. Shrugging you follow Wanda into Nat’s room to get ready. Sitting down on her bed you feel something poke you in the butt. Reaching under the sheet you pull out a whip.

“Oh my god do you use this on Steve?” you ask throwing it at Wanda

“Wait what??” Wanda exclaims, tossing it onto the ground in disgust and surprise.

“Shit sorry Nat!” You exclaim.

“How long!” Wanda asks. Nat goes on to explain about that night you all went out together and then again in Russia and how they’ve talked about dating but didn’t want to have it fully out in the open yet because of the press and all the paperwork that would go into it, but they were very much exclusive.

“How long have people known?”

“Well Y/N and Barnes saw us in the kitchen and he told Sam immediately. Literally the second he could, and I was going to tell Wanda and Vision tonight but” she gestures to you.

“Sorry! So what, you going steady now?” You ask giggling

“Ya, how does it feel to date someone who can get a senior discount?” Wanda riffs off of you. Nat jumps on the bed hitting you two with pillows, instigating an all-out war only calling a parlay when you realize you were all going to be late if you didn’t get dressed. Unlike last time you actually had a dress procured for you, one of the benefits of being a hero, people sent you free stuff now. Your dress was a deep forest green. The off the shoulder top was decorated in overlying fabric leaves lined with gold beading. It cinched at the waist and gently flowed out with a slit going up the right side. You wear your hair down in waves and you finish it off with a headpiece. It’s a crown made of gold branches twisted together with a few gold leaves and flowers scattered throughout.

“You look like a goddess.” Nat says, looking at you as she puts in a diamond earring. She’s in a scoop back mermaid black dress with a high neck, simple, elegant and gorgeous.

“Well you’ll fit Sam’s need for a bond girl!” you say, linking your arm in hers and heading out to meet Wanda and Vision in the lobby. Wanda’s in a satin hi-lo plum colored dress that matches Vision tie, it has a halter top, and her hair’s twisted up. Vision escorts Wanda into the venue and you and Nat go in behind them. Nat nods her head towards the bar, she’s spotted your target. You let go of her arm, straighten your dress and pull your hair forward. You make your way over to the bar, stopping next to him and pushing your hair to the side to expose your neck leaning over in an attempt to get the bartender's attention. You can feel your target staring at you.

“Hey aren’t you that mutant girl,?” he asks, you turn to look back at him, biting your lip as you do so.

“How often does that line work out for ya?” you laugh

“Rarely, but for someone as pretty as you I figured it was worth the risk.” he smirks

“Well flattery will get you everywhere, Y/N.” you say extending your hand

“Pleased to meet you, Max Van Der Bilt, what are you drinking?” he asks, kissing it.

“Whatever you’re having” you say smiling at him. He beckons to the bartender and orders two double vodka sodas. Bucky’s standing near the bar, trying to get an optimal vantage point on you. You looked beautiful, statuesque, he'd never seen anything like it. You looked like something out of a Greek tale. He wanted to tell you that, he wanted everyone to know that you had chosen him, but instead he’s stuck watching you flirt with another man. He feels his heart ache. He tried to calm himself and stop the feelings he was having, but he can’t fight against them. He reminds himself that it was all just an act, but he can’t help but fear for the worst. Why had you agreed to go for the only attractive target. Why did he suddenly feel like he was being deceived by you? Everything you did when you were alone with him, you were doing with this other guy, was this just some big game to you? He’s pulled out of his thoughts by Nat elbowing him in the ribs lightly.

“I said, god what’s got your panties in a knot?”

“Nothing.” He grunts out. Following his eyeline Nat notices he’s burning a hole in the back of your head.

“Fuck Barnes relax she’ll be fine she can handle herself. Besides what’s he gonna do to charm her to death?”

“Where’s Steve?” He asks, downing another drink.

“Oh somewhere playing his part.” She says, handing him her drink saying he looked like he needed it more.

“How are things with you two?”

“Good. It’s actually really nice to have someone amongst all the chaos, someone who gets it, ya know. Also doesn’t hurt that he’s a snack with an ass that won’t quit and superhuman stamina.” She responds.

“Alright didn’t need to hear that.” He cringes.

Nat laughs “C’mon Barnes there’s plenty of hot girls here go after one maybe you’ll finally relax.”

“Go after one? When have I ever needed to do that?” he says smiling.

“There’s the lady killer I’ve heard so much about.” She says, patting his arm and heading off towards the bar. Well, if he was supposed to keep up appearances he shouldn’t be standing alone in a corner should he. He makes his way over to a nearby group of women who had tried to approach him earlier. Apologizing for his abruptness he begins conversing with them, hoping to get a rise out of you. You’ve moved into a booth and Max is droning on about genetics, which are super interesting but not when they’re being condescendingly explained to you. I mean seriously you were a literal mutant, you’ve known the basics of genetics since middle school thanks to Charles. You tilt your head trying to get a look out into the rest of the party. You see Bucky with a group of women laughing letting them feel his metal arm up, amongst other things. You feel hurt, no let down. Why was he doing this? Did he always act this way when you weren’t around? Have you been played for a fool?

“It’s a shame you know,” Max says loudly, catching your attention once again.

“Pardon.” you respond, turning the charm back on.

“That all mutants aren’t beautiful like you then society wouldn’t be so afraid.”

You’ve never wanted to punch anyone more, but you don’t have the information you need yet so you force a laugh and gently touch his arm.

“So this genetic coding, how do you extract the gene?”

“It’s a simple process using DNA from hair, nails, teeth or bone. We don't need much, just one strand of hair is enough to create an entire dose.” He touches your hair moving it behind your shoulder.

“And where do you get your samples from?” you ask allowing your leg to cross slightly over his.

“That is classified information, but you may just get it out of me” he laughs, placing his hand on your thigh, rubbing it gently. You know you’re close to getting what you need.

“I think I may know a few ways to do that.” you smile

“Let’s dance” he says “They say private conversations are best had on the dance floor.”

[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “Ghost” Part 2

Bane’s wife is a mystery to everyone, including her husband. Ghost also happens to be The Joker’s little obsession, not that she ever pays attention to him. Maybe that’s why The King of Gotham should stop messing around: when you push too much, you might get more than you bargained for.

The Joker and his girlfriend left about 15 minutes ago; Kara was in a bad shape and you offered to drive her car back tomorrow. You have no idea how she made it to your house after the events at the club. You could tell J was fuming and for once he seemed to care about what happened to his woman: maybe it was a little wakeup call The King of Gotham needed. Hard to tell when it comes to these matters due to his spectacular personality.

One thing’s for sure though: after his arrival Kara couldn’t stop crying and Ghost knew why. The Joker’s girlfriend merely escaped assault and him giving a damn about the ordeal made her overemotional: it was the first time he showed some real interest outside the bedroom; he held her hand all the way to the car and didn’t even mind a kiss before she got in.

“You’re awfully quiet,” your husband points out. “You’ve been staring out the windows at the empty parking lot since they left. Everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah…I’m fine,” you turn only to see him signal for you.

Bane is not stupid; he can tell you’re distracted and he can guess the reason. As soon as you straddle his lap he rests his forehead on yours, choosing to dig a bit dipper without sugar coating his objective.

“Are you thinking about that day?”

You take such a strenuous breath there’s no need for a verbal confirmation.

“Wanna talk about it?”

You are aware of the meaning:  your spouse is not asking for details, he’s just bringing it up in case you want to share your feelings regarding Kara’s unfortunate experience.

You caress his bald head and sigh, prepared to describe the facts.

Bane never mentioned anything about the first time you’ve met simply because he always assumed he understood what he saw five years ago. The truth is he didn’t.

“When…when you found me…” you gulp and he distinguishes the struggle.

“Hey,” your husband whispers. “That’s not why I brought it up. You don’t have to re-live the past; I was trying to hint that if you want to discuss…”

He twists a strand of your white hair around his finger while you interrupt:

“When you found me behind the truck, that guy wasn’t trying to rape me; he was trying to kill me.”

Bane’s not wearing his mask and you can read the conflicting emotions written all over his face.

“Vee was my ex,” you continue and pause in order to gather your thoughts. “When I learned he was involved in human trafficking, I urged him to quit. The money was great and he refused so I planned to disappear and help some girls flee in the process. I was very careful yet he still perceived my intentions and when you bumped into us… he was trying to finish me so I won’t be any trouble for his boss and their line of business.”

“Shit…” HB mumbles, hating that his Ghost looks upset.

“I wasn’t defending myself from a rapist, I was fighting for my life. What do you think about that, hm?” you throw the question at him and his reply doesn’t fail:

“That whatever- his-name-was-your-ex had it coming. You can’t kill a Goddess! A man is lucky enough to encounter one and if he fucks up, then he signs up for the bitter consequences.”

A few moments of complete silence, then Bane hears his favorite words:

“I love you,” Y/N pecks the thin scars across his nose and decides to turn the gloomy night into a more accommodating situation. “We were having lots of fun when the unexpected guest barged in; we should stick to the original schedule and reprise our activity.”

“Agree,” Bane squeezes you in his strong arms tighter. “A tiny Ghost might be already in here,” he softly rubs your tummy.

“Or a handsome little brute,” you giggle and he has to underline:

“However, it doesn’t hurt to keep practicing.”

“U-hum,” you wink and he likes the smile forming on your lips, infinitely better than having his wife distressed about an incident that almost ended her existence.

*************

5 Years Ago

Bane was done loading the supplies he wanted in his truck, lingering at the spot chosen for that evening’s transaction. It was consistently a random place where everyone that wanted to buy or sell could get together and exchange merchandise; under the radar of course, since the negotiations were less than legal and the individuals present could have easily be enlisted on FBI’s most wanted list.

A lot of turmoil and movement at the campsite, but he still detected a woman’s scream; he carefully listened when it happened again. Bane circled his truck and walked between the vehicles stationed there until his heavy steps abruptly halted: there was a lady trying to get from under a limp body collapsed on top of hers, still holding the rock she used in order to defend herself.  

You crawled from under Vee and froze when you noticed Bane glaring at you. Y/N recognized the masked man: he was starting to gain a certain reputation, not that it was his purpose; he only stuck to his agenda and didn’t give a damn about anything else.

Your future spouse believed that one of the imbeciles tried to sample the merchandise and got more than he could chew; he also knew they didn’t like the girls to rebel and the price paid if they did.

That feral look in your eyes reminded him of the same fire that fueled his veins every time he attempted to get out of the accursed Pit; made him take a decision he never regretted: instead of alerting the others and score a nice bonus for cooperation, Bane gave you a choice.

“If you want to survive, come with me.”

You hesitated: was he toying with you before sounding the alarm?! The pile of muscles indifferently distanced from the scene and you got on your feet, stumbling from the aftermath of almost being assassinated by your former boyfriend. Vee was out cold and you dropped the rock by his feet, not bothering to check if he was dead.

You followed Bane to his truck and he gestured for you to hop in the back; it was difficult to fit in between the boxes yet you managed anyway. He covered everything with the tarp and advised while sealing the way out:

“Stay put!”

It was a nerve wracking couple of hours: Bane drove away immediately and you had no clue about what will occur next. Where was he taking you anyway?

**********  

He pried the door and Y/N strolled inside when she realized he was keeping it opened for her. “This is a gated, private property; we’re right outside Gotham, north of Willow Creek. You should lay low: by know they must have identified the guy and they might be searching for the responsible party.”

He was thinking you were “one of the girls” and you didn’t correct him.

“I had no clue I’ll find myself in this mess,” you skeptically brought it up. “I should go to my apartment and pack suitcases.”

“Bad idea,” the distorted voice huffed. “You should disappear, it’s safer. Those are not the type of people you want to cross!”

You nervously played with the hem of your torn dress and Bane added:

“There are clean clothes in the bedroom; you can use one of my t-shirts. I’ll bring some items your size tomorrow.”

“You’re not staying?!” you inquired, perplexed.

“Nope, I’m busy. Give yourself a tour; I’m positive you can cope with my absence.”

He saw the doubt and muttered:

“You’re not a prisoner; you can leave. Close the gates if you do. If I were you, I would linger on the premises.”

That’s all he said and left a very confused Y/N in the middle of the living room. You wished to ask why he was aiding a total stranger, but you figured it was dumb to do so: Bane seemed like the type of man that didn’t do things unless he felt like it. Period.

You curiously inspected the house, marveled that it was neat and organized: four bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, the spacious living room, another bathroom and the kitchen downstairs. The dust settled on the counters indicated the hideout wasn’t used very often; the decorations were minimal, mostly functional, basic furniture.

You were grateful when you opened the fridge and found some food that was still eatable: the precooked kind but you weren’t picky at that point. After warming up a container in the microwave, Y/N took a sit at the table; with the crazy events that spiraled out of control she didn’t have time to reflect about her current predicament.

It hit as you were munching on your ravioli: how the hell did you end up there?! A sudden, unbearable sense of isolation washed all over you, the numbness that protected you from the initial shock gradually dissipating in thin air.

You had no plan. None whatsoever.

Was it better to go with the flow until you could outline a strategy aimed to get you out of the deep whole you accidentally sunk in? Maybe…

So you did.

**************

Next morning, Bane popped at the residence as promised; at 10:12 am he discovered a hyper Y/N tidying up the kitchen: after a sleepless night and six cups of coffee, she was pretty much invincible. You were wearing one of his military print t-shirts: it was big and he was somehow amused to see you swim in the garment.

“I brought you clothes, shoes and food,” Bane grumbled and arranged boxes on the chair closer to you. “I estimated on the size.”

“Thank you,” the sincerity in your voice proved you meant it. “Thank you for helping me.”

“U-hum,” he intensely gazed at you and maybe because you weren’t in your best shape you misinterpreted his demeanor: was your savior expecting some sort of reward? Since you didn’t have much to offer at that time, Bane probably wanted sex as compensation for his services. If he would have taken what he wanted by force, you reckoned it wouldn’t have been pleasant, not with a man his size; not putting up a fight could have made it at least bearable.  

Your logic was way off though: as soon as you took your t-shirt off he came near, picked it from the floor and dressed you back himself.

“You don’t have to do that,” he emphasized and saw how embarrassed you were. “Do you know how to load guns?” Bane switched the dialogue without making it awkward.

“Not really…”

“I’ll show you; I have a project coming up and you can assist.”

“OK,” you were fast to accept as it was an easy way to repay him.

“Besides cracking someone’s skull with a rock, do you know how to defend yourself?” the interrogation continued.

”If I have to.”

“Comes in handy,” he muffled the words beyond the mask and promptly took it off so he can enjoy the coffee too.

It was the first time you saw Bane minus the breathing device; definitely not what you imagined: he was good-looking. HB had a few thin scars across his nose and a thicker one above the upper lip that added a certain flair to his wholesomeness. 

He caught you staring and misjudged:

“What?” he growled, pouring hot liquid in a mug. “Is the view not up to your standards?”

Y/N has always been a direct person, that’s why she described exactly what was in her mind:

“I was actually thinking that you’re handsome.”

One of Bane’s eyebrows went high and he huffed at the candid remark:

“Hm… … I’ve been called worse.”

You bit on your cheek and waited for him to finish his coffee in silence, but he had more to say.

“You should change your appearance; it’s safer if they’re searching around for the runaway girl that dared retaliate.”

You nodded a yes, wondering how you could accomplish such task. He wasn’t wrong: it would have evidently aided if they were indeed hunting for you.

“I know somebody,” Bane insinuated the path of action. “I can bring Zorina here and she can work her magic; the woman’s a pro.”

“Sure,” you welcomed his proposal and instantly blurred out: “I have money stashed at my apartment; it’s a hefty sum, all cash. I’ll have to retrieve it then I will be able to reimburse you for everything you’re doing for me.”

He snorted, entertained at your passionate tirade:

“Reimbursed!” Bane repeated and slammed the cup on the counter, preparing to bail. “Don’t worry about that; they might have the condo under surveillance or maybe they already raided the rooms and took your money.”

“I hope not…” you frowned, swiftly tense at his warning.

“Wait for Zorina,” the suggestion alleviated your anxiety a bit. “I’ll text her and she can be here in one hour. I am going out of town in the morning; I will return on the 27th,” he grabbed his mask from the table. “If you have an emergency, call the number I uploaded as an emergency contact,” Bane handed you a brand new cell phone.

“Will you be the one answering?” Y/N asked.

“Yes,” he confirmed and noticed how relieved you seemed at his affirmation.

Bane came back after 10 days, on the 27th as scheduled. You were outside on the porch and he stopped in his tracks when you emerged from behind the wood pillars.

“How do I look like?” you presented the new Y/N to the stunned man instead of a conventional greeting: your hair was completely white, shaved on the left side and the fresh skull tattoo inked on the exposed skin completed the ensemble quite beautifully. The dark red eyeshadow and black leather suit scored extra points with your future husband.

Bane was a straightforward person and didn’t utter words unless he meant them, yet the unpredicted reply still made you smile:

“Like a Goddess.”

*************

For the next six months you helped with whatever was necessary: it kept you busy and while you understood everything was a test, you were able to form your own opinions too.

Bane wasn’t a mindless brute: he was intelligent, outspoken and articulate; the crew didn’t question his decisions not necessarily due to his physical appearance that indicated he could level anyone to the ground with one punch, but because they respected him.

You blindly plunged into an unfamiliar environment: in the great scheme of things, your ex Vee has invariably been a pawn struggling to find his way up to the top. Weren’t you the same now? Another small piece of the puzzle trying to figure out where it belongs?  

You weren’t positive so you kept your distance from the team members and never really talk to them; Y/N only did what she was told and stayed away from social interactions. After your disappointing past experiences, one could have said you didn’t like people. Why bother?

Even Bane was probably going to send you on your way soon: he kept on coming to the house more often and your best speculation was that he was getting ready to tell you to vacate the property. Which was fair; you couldn’t rely on his hospitality forever. And for some reason it made you sad.

It was true that Bane dropped by more often: from barely visiting the hideout once a month before your arrival, he multiplied his visits to 3-4 times a week. Under the pretext of checking up on his protégé and give her assignments, of course. It had nothing to do with how much he liked seeing your face light up every time he was around.

One night you fell asleep in front of the fireplace: it was cozy to pile up blankets and watch the longs burn until they turned into ashes. You woke up around 2 in the morning and stretched, surprised to see Bane passed out on the couch a couple of feet away. You didn’t hear him sneak in and assumed he had a motive for being there: to finally tell you he wanted the residence evacuated.

You rolled over and got on your knees, carefully placing two more logs on top of the dying fire.

“Add more,” the deep tone made you jump. “It’s getting chilly.”

“Hi,” you tilted your head to look at him. “I didn’t mean to awake you,” you apologized and did as requested.

“You didn’t,” Bane rubbed his eyes, totally used with short power naps instead of dozing off for hours.

You delayed more conversation, but it had to be addressed although you dreaded the subject; maybe he was expecting you to get the hint so you gathered the courage to speak up:  

“I was debating… I should…e-hem…” you fakely coughed, “… find a new establishment…”

“Don’t you wanna stay?” he cut you off.

“I do,” you admitted, “but it’s not fair to take advantage of…”

Bane’s laughter at the statement made you halt your small presentation; it was his strategy of disguising how discouraged he was at your arbitrary idea.

“I doubt I’m the type that can be taken advantage of,” he got on his elbow and you abandoned the warmth of the fireplace in order to sit down by him on the sofa. “You don’t have to go anywhere…unless you wish to,” he gave you choices once more.

You glared at each other for a few seconds and then you demanded:

“Can you please take your mask off?”

“Why?”

“I want to kiss you.”

Bane unsnapped the leather straps without a second invitation: God knows he seldom dreamed about it without paying attention to what it truly meant.

Your lips touched and the intimacy made him slowly pull you in his arms; it seemed natural that the woman he was in love with belonged there.

“My name is Y/N,” you suddenly moaned in between kisses and Bane paused, eager to mention:

“For your own safety I suggest to never disclose it to another living soul. It’s better if you don’t exist; a ghost doesn’t have a past or present thus can never be seized.”

“I like the notion of being a Ghost,” you intertwined your fingers with his. “And you have to call me something; the rest of the world also.”

“Sounds like you got yourself a deal,” Bane grinned and instantly cautioned: “I also have to bring up to your attention that I’ve never slept with a Goddess before.”

Your mouth got close to his ear and you whispered:

“I’ve never slept with a Handsome Brute but I believe we’ll manage.”

************

Today, 1:13 am

Your cell phone keeps on vibrating on the nightstand; attempting to ignore the insufferable noise might wake up Bane: you exhausted your husband last night and he has to recharge. You’ll probably need his services by morning time so… might as well make an effort for his sake.

Great, it’s The Joker.

“Hello?” you keep your voice down.

“I was thinking,” the insomniac King of Gotham gets straight to the core of the issue without apologizing for the late call. “Next time Bane’s out of town and you don’t accompany him, I should take you out to dinner; then we can get some stuff out of our system.”

Is he for reals?!

“I have a better proposal!” you hiss, irritated. “Next time Bane’s out of town without me, you’ll take your girlfriend out to dinner and then you can get whatever you want out of your system with her!! I’ll wait for my husband and then when he comes home he’ll know how to take care of my system!! GOT IT??!!” you hang up and J is displeased at your behavior:

“How fucking rude!” he puffs, cuddling next to Kara; she’s snoozing after her misfortune. 

“Who’s that?” your spouse groans.

“Uggghh,” you snuggle to his chest, aggravated by J’s crap.

“Idiot…” HB wraps both naked bodies tighter in the fluffy cover since he guessed the name; your reaction is enough clue.

Ghost pecks his shoulder and gradually relaxes, 100% convinced of the only truth in her life: if she ends up with nothing again, as long as he’s there she will still have everything.

Part 1: diyunho(.)tumblr(.)com/post/187322128171/the-joker-x-reader-ghost-part-1

Also read: MASTERLIST

diyunho(.)tumblr(.)com/post/153664676321/joker-x-reader-masterlist

You can also follow me on AO3 and Wattpad under the same blog name: DiYunho.

[prorevenge]

Treat me bad, I get you fired

A long time ago when I was in 8th grade, my parents sent me to a private school. The thing with private schools is that they are really prestige and supposed to be the best of the best. I am a relatively smart guy so I fit in well and tried to take advantage of the good education I was given. This school had just opened and it was their 1st school year. I guess the school was a little unprepared because the science was hired 5 weeks before school started. The thing with this science teacher is that she came from a public school, which at the time was a totally different environment. When the school year started, I could notice immediately that she was different. She would let the class do what they wanted and put little effort into teaching. At a private school, talking during class is a punishable task and teacher care about you and are there to help you understand a concept. ( If I sound like a nerd here, it is because I am) Unlike others, I wanted to learn. The other thing with private schools is that 90% of the students are rich kids who don't want to be there, and the other 10% are students like me who want to learn and be successful in life. My grade was made up of 10 rich kids and 2 students who wanted to learn, Including me. The worse class I had was a science class, not because I had bad grades, but because of the teacher. She hated me. She would give lectures and not answer questions, mostly asked by me because it did not make any sense. She would get worksheets and activities online and some of these worksheets completely contradicted what she taught us. I hated her and she hated me. She would tell me to shut up and, I don't know how else to say this, make "fun" of me in front of the class to gain their approval. The other students didn't want to learn and they loved her because they could talk and not learn anything. I tried to solve the issue by asking her nicely to stop, but she didn't. I told the principal and he said he would drop by and see the class. She acted like she was the best teacher in the entire world when he was around. I soon realized that she was not going to stop, so I hatched up a plan.

I realized that if I could get her fired at the time, it would backfire as it was the middle of the school year and the administration would have kept her as they could not have contracted a new teacher. If she realized that I tried to fire her, she would try to get revenge. What I did was the best thing I could do. I went to radio shack and bought a recorder. I recorded the class talking and her doing nothing, and all the comments and the shut ups that she would make. I then also made a list of "crimes" she committed. I even went as far as to read the teachers handbook, another private school thing. I wrote down every rule she broke and how she broke it. I collected evidence for about 3 months and even prepared a little speech. Finals are at the end of the school year, and her final is one of the first I have. After I took her final, I asked to meet with her in front of the administration. I started to lay out the evidence. I read the list of rules she broke that was stated in the handbook and told how and presented evidence. I then went on to play the recordings. That is when it got fun. When the teacher saw the recorder, she froze. The look on her face was priceless. I said that I had collected some audio samples and that I wanted to play them. I got permission and started to play them. What happened next was the best moment of my entire life, even better than getting married and having a kid. I played multiple recordings of the teacher insulting me and not doing her job. Once I finished, I let the teacher defend herself. She went up and said that I was lying and that I should not play like that, etc.... When she finished, the administration looked at each other and, no joke, said in unison: "You're Fired". I was awestruck. I had managed to fire a teacher.

She had the remaining 3 days of school to pack her things and collect all the finals and grade them. The whole school watched as she left the school and went away.

I did some research later on and figured out that getting fired goes on your resume. My friend kept in contact with her daughter, who gave him constant status updates, and the last time I heard of that teacher was when my friend said she went to every school in the area, even public, and nobody would hire her. What I did will have to teach her that karma exists.

Sorry for the long post but I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

(source) story by (/u/chickenator45)

[mysamcedesmadness]

So, Let’s Just Enjoy the Time We Have

How many days did they have left together?

Henry's time as Kid Danger had been the most enjoyable when he wasn't someone's serious boyfriend. With that new responsibility, he was always mindful that he needed to come home safe, especially after Thanksgiving.

Charlotte gave him a scrapbook for Thanksgiving. He was a little bit salty about it, because he didn't know that they were giving each other stuff for Thanksgiving. While she said that they weren't, but she just wanted him to have this - what "this" was; it was something that he would always be grateful for.

She had used her research and interviewing skills to find articles and stories about Kid Danger and to ask people around Swellview, "Why are you thankful to have Kid Danger?" Their answers were quotes that she included in this scrapbook and the last page was "Why am I thankful to have Kid Danger?"

She went on to give this long detailed report of how she felt about Kid Danger and how Swellview would never have been as safe without him. She had him all choked up and he kept that thing in a lockbox and looked at it every single night since she gave it to him.

Then, they had Christmas together. She spent the morning and afternoon with her parents, but met him at the Man Cave at 4. Everybody did gift exchanges, but Henry told her that hers were at his house, so she opened what she had from the rest of their friends and gave him his gift.

He laughed and asked, "What do you think that you can even give me at this point, after what you did for my birthday and for Thanksgiving?" But, whenever he opened it, he almost started crying. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Do you think that I made an award winning gizmo for the gizmo fair and gave you the improved version so that whenever you're killin' it at Swellview U, you won't have to worry about your spelling?"

He smiled brightly and bragged as he pulled it from the box, "Hey, Guys! Charlotte made me a Pocket Dyslexicon!"

"Actually, it's called the Communiclicker, because it helps you to make things click."

Schwoz wondered, "What does it do?"

Henry began to show him, "It has a voice to text feature that pretty much never gets your words wrong. You can record and save all of your reports or whatever and send them to documents to print… or email or whatever. And she has a feature where I can write a sample onto the screen and it can even create files in my handwriting, from my voice."

"Until more people are empathetic about how difficult reading and writing can be for him, he needs a little boost," Charlotte said, humbly.

"You are always making his life easier and better," Schwoz said. Henry smiled. That much was true. Everything about her was pure and true, to him. He just wanted to give her everything.

Then, whenever they went back to his house, she confessed, "I got you something else."

"What???"

"Because that one was more functional. I wanted to also give you something nice."

"This IS nice. It's one of the nicest gifts ever."

"Yeah, but open this one," she said and gave him a small box.

Henry opened the box and there was a kinda gaudy, but he actually still loved it, pinky ring. It was white gold with November birthstones topaz and citrine, and clear crystals to look like diamonds. "I have been wanting a badass pinky ring for ages!"

"I know!" He gave her a hug and put it on, then took her hand.

Charlotte's gifts were plentiful. Henry figured he could do one good quality one and supplement it with a quantity of others. So, for her quality present, he got her this personalized surfboard, because the school she was going to was near the beach and she said that she would want to learn to surf. They were good at listening to each other. And she loved it, even if she wasn't sure if she would actually have the time to learn to surf.

He got her several articles of jewelry, a naturalista holiday gift basket, and the new Captain Man and Kid Danger talking figurines with 20 rhyming lines. "In case you miss us."

"I'm gonna be in communication with you. But, I love these. I was gonna buy them myself, but Jasper told me not to. Now I see why. Wow. In a few blinks, it'll be months from now and I'll be heading off…"

"I don't want to think about that."

And he didn't speak of it, but he certainly did think about it.

Valentine's Day was epic. Henry planned a VDay Weekend Staycation for them. He cooked, pampered and loved on her for three straight days. It was excellent. She had found the most traditionally romantic gifts that she could think of for this day, since it was really her first real one and simultaneously probably their last one for a while.

He got a huge platter of chocolate covered berries from her, a gigantic teddy bear, roses, a jumbo sized card, and she wore shirts the entire weekend that said, "Henry's Girl" on them. And Henry ate it up.

The Airbnb was in town, but he made sure that they didn't have to leave by providing everything that they needed, along with all the candles and rose petals and stuff he used to woo her for days.

Plus, he bought her a ring, too. "Is this a Pulse Promise ring?" She asked, taking it out of the box. "Henry… these cost A LOT of money…"

"I had it," he said. "Remember whenever you said that you'd rather know as soon as possible if anything ever happened to me?"

"Yeah, but that didn't mean get me a ring with your ding dang pulse attached to it!" But, as she fussed, she slipped it onto her hand. She could feel his pulse in it and she placed her hand over his heart, to feel them in tandem. "It works." She said, then sadly added, "And if God forbid something terrible happens, I'll know right away…"

"I always do my best to come back to you safely," he said. It's basically to confirm for you that I'm okay when you're too far away to really see for yourself."

"Just a couple of months…" she said.

"Shhhhh. We've got all weekend to enjoy. Don't bring it down."

.

It wasn't that he was avoiding the inevitable, but he really didn't want to dwell on it. Spring Break was litty. He and Jasper hung out while she checked out spaces near her college. She only had two days to actually chill with them, so they made the most of it without her.

For her birthday, since she hadn't allowed them to do anything last time, Henry told her that she'd BETTER BELIEVE that they were doing something this time. This time, she had a party with Jasper, Henry, Schwoz, Ray and Piper. They put her on a throne that Henry decorated, in a crown that he bought her and did a gift presentation. "This is really extra," Charlotte observed. "But I'm enjoying it."

Ray came up, patted himself down and pulled out a folded envelope, "Happy Birthday!"

She accepted it, looked at it and told him, "This is my paycheck."

"Hand delivered to you. You're welcome."

"I mean… I earned it, so it isn't a gift…"

"The gift is that I hand delivered it to you. You are welcome."

She rolled her eyes and waved him away, excited for whatever Henry's gift would be, though at this point, she was positive that they had been spending WAY MORE than they should have this close to their independence. Henry told her, "Don't freak out. Your gift isn't something that you can take with you…"

" Why would I freak ou…?"

He showed off his collarbone and revealed to her a tattoo that made her not only gasp but almost choke on her own saliva. "It's an infinity symbol with our names scripted into it." Everybody but Jasper gasped too.

Piper said, "Mom is going to kill you! I'm texting her right now!"

"I'm 18, Piper!" He reminded her, then asked Charlotte, "What do you think?"

"I think that's a serious and permanent decision!"

"That you love?" She was stunned. Ray pulled him aside before she could respond and she was glad, because that was SO overboard, in her personal opinion. She would NEVER get a boy's name tattooed on her. Not even Henry.

Ray whispered, angrily, "You put an identifying mark on Kid Danger's body???"

"I put it on MY body. My body, my rules."

"Your rules are being VERY reckless right now."

"Dude, if ever someone gets Kid Danger naked, I doubt they'd have left the mask on and if I die or something like that, I'll be dead. Chill out." He patted him on the back and returned to the Queen of the Day.

She came off of her throne and spoke quietly. "Why did you do that? Henry, have you ever once considered that this might not BE a forever thing?"

"Of course I've considered it. I consider it all the time. But, I know how I feel, what you mean to me, and who we are. Even if "this" isn't a forever thing, these are forever feelings for me. Besides, you're my best friend." She sighed. It was done now. "You hate it."

"I don't hate it, it's just… scary. Do you know how close we are to our lives and relationship changing drastically?"

"I'm not concerned about it…"

"Less than two months and our world shifts. We have no idea what the future holds."

"Okay, but that means you don't know if after you're done with school, we'll be inseparable again. So… I'm confident in my decision."

"If you like it, I love it."

"THAT is all I wanted to hear!"

But, she was right. Less than two months. How many days did they have left together?

"Not enough," he said to himself.

[momojirou-dateszine-blog]

F.A.Q

We’ve noticed that we’ve been getting many of the same questions lately, so we’ve compiled a list of answers to our most frequently asked questions! Please look through this post to see if a question you have for us has already been answered before you send in an ask. Thank you everyone for giving your love and support for this zine!

- The Mod Team

~G e n e r a l~

The most important question, what’s a zine?

 Zine is just the shorter term for fanzine where creators of all kinds (most commonly artists and writers) come together with awesome pieces and the mods compile it into a form fitting book for everyone to purchase and enjoy!

What’s to be expected?

 Since this a MomoJirou exclusive zine, we’d like you all to mainly focus on their character through your art or writing. Other characters are definitely allowed to be mentioned in your applications and zine work, as long as it doesn’t take away from the main focus of Momo and Jirou.

Who’s running this zine?

Mod Faye and Mod Al are the creators of the zine, Mod Snowey is our graphic designer, Mod Kale, Mod Addie, and Mod Eterna are still sorting out roles since they can do a little of everything. Everyone helps each other with different tasks! But we will have a mod introduction up very soon!

Is this zine for charity or for profit?

 After considering the pros and cons of each, we’ve decided that this zine is for charity only. We’ll be picking charities on a later date, so keep watch in the event we make a poll!

Will there be physical copies?

 Yes, we are having both physical and pdf copies for sale!

Will this zine have merch?

As long as we have artists who are willing to do merch, then absolutely!

Are ships allowed?

 Yes! The main focus of the zine will be Momo and Jirou’s relationship. However, other romantic ships will not be allowed for this zine, sorry. If background characters are being used in your zine piece, they can’t be in a relationship.

Will contributors receive a copy of the zine?

 Of course you all do! You guys help to create this zine so it’s only natural. And if we have enough sales, we’ll throw merch in there too. We’ll also try to get a discount or even a free zine if we have enough sales!

Is there a schedule that I can look at?

 The Mod Team is still reviewing the last bits of the schedule so there’s a rough draft of one that’ll be in the description.

~C o n t r i b u t o r s~

How many people will be accepted?

 We’re looking for 30 artists, 10 writers, 3 songwriters and 3 poets. Collaborations are also allowed, but there will be limited spots. If we get a lot of applications, there is a possibility that we will accept more contributors, so please spread this zine if you can!

Will there be guests?

 Yes! We’ll be having guests but it won’t affect applications at all! So please make sure you apply if you’re interested! We’ll be introducing them as applications are going on.

Who are the contributors?

 We are in the application process, we’ll be picking everyone and have a list out probably a month after applications close.

Is this zine completely sfw?

 Yes! The original creators, Al and Faye, are both minors.

How will contributors’ be in contact with the mods?

 We’ll be sending accepted applicants a discord link along with their acceptances. It’s not a mandatory to have a discord, as we’ll be communicating the most important updates through email, but it is heavily recommended so you can interact and discuss the zine with all the contributors.

Do you guys have a email we can communicate with?

Please contact us at zine.momojirou@gmail.com

When will apps close?

Apps will close on January 1st, 2019, CST

  ~Artists~

What’s the DPI limit?

We’d recommend that it’s >300 dpi for nice quality.   What size will the zine be?

Right now we’re somewhere in the ballpark of 8.5x11, but we may make it smaller to reduce the cost.

When we apply, are we allowed to submit pieces or comics?

Yes, we’d like to see if you are able to create a comic if you are able to in the application. Pieces are also allowed in your 2-5 samples. And any art that you guys feel would be good for your app is good enough to submit!

How do we submit our work?

It’s a requirement to send in your portfolio in through Google Drive in a folder, though you can link to a portfolio website, tumblr tag, instagram, etc. as long as it is completely dedicated to your art. Please do not put anything in that you would not want us to see.

Are watermarks allowed on the zine?

On the zine itself, we’re still figuring that out, but it’s okay for applications.

How many pages can we do for applications if we want to submit a comic?

The limit is 6 pages only.

~Writers~

What’s the word limit?

For application, there is no specific max limit for each individual piece, but the total word count of all three pieces added together must not exceed 7,000. For the zine itself, we have a word limit of 2,000.

How do we submit our work?

It’s a requirement to send in your portfolio in through Google Drive in a folder, but you can also link to an AO3 account, tumblr tag, instagram, etc. as long as it is completely dedicated to your writing. Please do not put anything in that you would not want us to see.

Are we allowed to submit excerpts?

Yes, as long as it stays within the total word limit.

If you have any questions that weren’t answered here, please do contact us through the ask box or through email!

~Songwriters~

How do we submit our work?

Please provide us with 3 web-links or submit a file to show us examples of your best pieces. If you wish to send it in a Google Drive, please ensure that your sharing settings are set such that we are able to access your work. Videos are permitted, but ONLY on Youtube/Vimeo/etc. Do NOT submit a video as a file.

Are covers allowed?

At least two of your pieces MUST be completely original. Covers are allowed, but please make sure that they are labeled as such.

Are virtual singers permitted?

The use of virtual singer software is permitted! If you are a songwriter who deals primarily with vocaloid/UTAU/etc., these types of pieces are welcomed!

~Poets~

How do we submit our work?

Please provide us with 3 web-links to show us examples of your best written pieces. If you wish to send it in a Google Drive, please ensure that your sharing settings are set such that we are able to access your work.

What kinds of poems are you looking for?

Your submission MUST include at least two first-person poems, since the poems in this zine will be written from the perspective of Momo.

What is the word count limit for poems? For simplicity’s sake, the word count is the same as the limit for writers.

If you have any questions that were not answered by this post, please don’t hesitate to send us an ask! We’d love to help in any way we can.

- The Date by Date Mod Team

[ohn1m]

The Art of Being Mino

The South Korean hip-hop star wowed critics and fans alike with his solo album ‘XX’; but is he any closer to discovering who the ‘real’ Mino is?

Mino's journey is an ongoing one and 'XX' is a chapter that marks an artistic coming-of-age on this wild ride.

Understanding Song Minho is kind of like catching lightening in a bottle; impossible to do but the idea itself is so dazzling, you need to give it a shot anyway. Tall and blonde with bleached eyebrows and sharp features, Song–better known mononymously as Mino–cuts quite the intimidating figure. He’s intelligent, polite and forthcoming on every answer and there’s an elegance to him that’s instantly appealing. There’s one little thing that proves to be more charming than any of this, however, and it comes in the form of a little note he sends on email after the interview; “Thank you for your interest!” it reads cheerfully, accompanied by a smiley emoji. “I hope we do it again when Winner’s back!” It’s simple but sweet and suddenly there’s yet another dimension to the chic, fierce rapper we’re used to seeing onscreen.

Before sitting down with Rolling Stone India for a conversation in December, the 25-year old musician’s schedule through 2018 included the release and promotion of a full LP with his band Winner, a Japan tour, a more extensive Asia tour, a series of performances across his home country South Korea, starring roles in several variety shows and a feature on YG Entertainment labelmate and his senior Seungri’s viral hit track “Where R U From.” November was busiest for him with the release of his first solo LP XX, a 12-track feast of hip-hop, tradition, emotion and culture. December finally closed with yet another single with Winner and a series of year-end performances in Korea.

While a bit of a break is warranted after the whirlwind of activity, Mino confirms he has no plans to take it easy in 2019. “Winner will release a full album this year,” he reveals cheerfully. “I cannot talk about our plan in advance, but we are preparing a surprise gift with a great musician!” The four-member K-pop band are working on their upcoming third LP and have already begun their tour schedules in full force– they’re currently on a six-city run of the United States with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

Over the past year Mino has embraced the avant-garde with ease, stepping away from his swag-heavy hip-hop image and slipping into a more elegant avatar.

As an artist, Mino is full of surprises with an evolution that’s been thrilling to map. He started his career as a rapper in South Korea’s vibrant underground hip-hop scene back in 2010 (when he was just 16) but success took a while to come along. He debuted briefly in 2011 with a group called BoM before its premature disbandment in 2013, and then finally signed with leading music label YG Entertainment as a trainee. In 2014 he got his big break after participating in TV channel Mnet’s reality-survival program Win: Who Is Next and ending up as a member of the winning Team A–which would go on to form Winner and debut that same year. He shot to fame quickly this time around, gaining attention as a solo artist after finishing as runner-up on the fourth season of South Korean hip-hop survival competition Show Me The Money in 2015. With several eyes on him, he wowed with a more bluesy, melancholic persona on Winner’s 2016 EP EXIT: E. That same year he and YG Entertainment labelmate Bobby announced a duo project titled MOBB, which showed off a completely different, swag-heavy, fun-loving attitude, but in that EP he included “Body,” a solo single that blended sex and passion with angst and regret. Winner’s discography as of late has been bright, tropical and electronic-pop and he’s able to adapt to it effortlessly as well. His career trajectory spells ‘chameleon’ and even in times of trial there’s a sense of chill around him, as though deep inside he knows everything’s going to work out.

Over the past year Mino has embraced a life of avant-garde with ease, stepping away from his swag-heavy hip-hop image and slipping into a more elegant avatar. He seems more comfortable and willing to express himself in ways outside of music. He’s always had fondness for art but now seems to revel in it, regularly posting images of artwork he’s created on Instagram, participating in media projects, exhibitions and editorials. Last year, he displayed some of his own artwork at an exhibit titled ‘Burning Planet.’ The pieces were a combination of installation art with media and performance art which explored the idea of burnouts, stress and humanity’s exhausting pace of birth, work, death. It’s morbid, futuristic and almost prophetical in its warnings about the pressure society puts on young people and quickly gained critical acclaim. Mino remains modest in the wake of all the praise, saying, “I do not know if I have had any talent when I was young, but I painted as a hobby since I was a kid. So I have become interested in art naturally. It was a very good opportunity to exhibit ‘Burning Planet’ with [eye wear brand and collaborator] Gentle Monster. It was a good time to learn and experience many things.”

It’s this artistic and emotional evolution which seems to have had the biggest hand in the creation of XX. “I wanted to give a tweak to my existing image, which I guess has been heavy with hip-hop and rap. I wanted to start afresh,” he stated at a press conference in November, according to a report by the Korea Herald. XX is an extension of his performance art–dramatic, creative with an ambiguous title to boot (he’s explained he wanted his listeners to have their own interpretations of it.)  The video for the lead single “Fiancé” features imagery around birds, dreams, fantastical landscapes and more. In addition to being involved in the entire concept, Mino also contributed to the set design–there’s a giant mural of a bluebird featured in the video which he painted himself. Several fans as well as popular YouTube channels like DKDKTV have attempted to decipher the meanings behind it and he’s thrilled to see all the various discussions. “It is one of the things I enjoy the most,” he says when I ask if he ever watches these theories. “Making parts that can be interpreted in various ways… I love watching them in various interpretations.” Could he tell us which theory got closest to deciphering his work? “I will never tell which one is correct or incorrect for more diverse guesses!” he teases.

“Fiancé” has also been appreciated for its unconventional combination of trot, a form of Korean folk music, and trap. To do this, the track samples Korean veteran singer Kim Taehee’s 1969 track “Soyanggang River Maiden” and blends it with bass-heavy, rolling trap and Mino’s drawling rap. “There was no intention to use ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ from the beginning,” Mino says. “When the song was almost 80 percent complete, [YG Entertainment CEO and music producer] Yang Hyun Suk gave me an idea of putting a part of ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ as a sample source, and it fit perfectly into the message and vibe of this song.” The haunting sample had younger fans enthralled and searching through YouTube to listen to the original track while applauding Mino for putting a limelight on Korean pop culture and history. Because in addition to the retro sound, the music video for “Fiancé” is a fever-dream blend inspired by the Korean Joseon dynasty and modern-day angst. In the clip the rapper wanders between fantasy and reality, dressed as an emperor as he searches the past, present and future for his one true love.

“I was getting to love myself, and everything [about that experience] is in this album.”

Is it possible that with younger artists like him using older genres like trot or paying homage to their history in music videos, it can help young listeners appreciate tradition a little bit more? Mino reveals that wasn’t really his intention at all. “In fact, I considered this song for older people than younger people,” he says, adding his plan was to erase misconceptions about hip-hop and ‘young’ music in the minds of older generations. “Even if the genre of hip-hop is popularized, it is still hard to catch up with higher age. So it seems like sampling of ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ was a good plan for this song.” “Fiancé” has indeed added to the buzz around rappers defying expectations and stepping into traditional musical and visual territories. Hip-hop no longer has one definition and inspiration can come from anywhere. For Mino, the ideas for “Fiance” and XX came from several fragments of art. “I have so many things inspiring me, so I do not know which one to say first,” Mino says. “Among them, some works of  (Italian painter) Piero Fornasetti, various plants–especially blue roses– and the Japanese anime Devilman were in my mind. However, it’s my inner self that affected it the most. I stayed alone in the studio every time so I could be deeply involved in my work and I looked back upon myself.”

XX as a whole has been well-received thanks to its use of complex metaphors, puns and double meanings in its lyricism, but for Mino, making this record was about finding his true self. “I got down to work in earnest in the beginning of 2018 for this album,” he says. “It contains various songs ranging from a song written two-three years ago to a song written two weeks before the album came out.” The rapper has written and composed each and every track, taking a dive into his own psyche to unleash several different sides of himself. In a video teaser right before XX‘s release, Mino explained he’d made the album by “grating [his] soul into it” and the result is an LP that is diverse, clever, saucy and undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop albums of 2018. Lyrically, he tackles everything from waiting for a lost love (“Fiancé”) to calling out obsessive fans (“Agree”) and bold eroticism (“Hope”). He gets emotional on “Alarm” and “Her,” exploring heartbreak, his relationship with his fans and self discovery. “I was getting to love myself, and everything [about that experience] is in this album,” Mino tells me. “I got a lot of thoughts and experiences from it and I am so proud of the production process.”

It’s clear from the get-go that wordplay is key; in the vicious introductory track “Trigger,” Mino uses syllables in its Korean title to play on the curse word ‘shibal,’ blazing through verses of self-praise with swagger, while on “Rocket” he drops references to art, Korean mythology and more. It’s the realest taste of what he’s truly capable of and it surprises and delights in equal measure. The impressive roster of collaborators on the record include YG Entertainment’s biggest in-house producers Choice37 and Millennium, comedian and actor Yoo Byung-jae and up-and-coming vocalist Blue.D, among others. There was one artist, however, that Mino was particularly excited to work with. “It was all fun, but working with YDG was extremely impressive,” he says proudly of his collaboration with the Korean hip-hop veteran on “Bow Wow.” “It was one of my dreams from my childhood.”

Mino at a press event for ‘XX’ in November 2018.

With XX being his first massive solo effort, Mino confesses there were hurdles along the way that he hadn’t expected. “The toughest part was familiarity,” he says, adding, “When I listened to songs hundreds of times to make a song, I always got confused. That’s the hardest thing to me.” Working alone means more pressure and he says he finds it more peaceful when he’s working with the members of Winner– Hoony, Yoon and Jinu. “When I work alone… I get sensitive because I am dissatisfied with any result. When I work with Winner, it’s really a load off my mind. Each member has their own roles, and I think we fit in nicely with each other.”

Mino’s journey has been wild, difficult, rewarding and a little messy–we’ve covered a lot of it over the course of the interview, but it still feels like we’re scratching the surface. He seems to agree; there’s a lot more he wants to consume and learn and a lot more he wants to show all his fans, old and new. “I am always thankful to fans who have supported me from the beginning and everyone who has known me since yesterday,” he says. “I will try to put a little more of my own personality and style on next album, and I also want to challenge something that no one expected.” While the search for the ‘real’ Mino continues, XX is a chapter in his story that marks a significant turn; he’s found a balance between the sexy rapper we see with Winner, the exuberant hip-hop dudebro he turns into with MOBB and the expressive poet he is as a soloist. It might not be lightening in a bottle just yet, but it’s pretty damn close.

[nerdfairyofdoom-blog]

About Me

Hey, so a thought i would give you a bit of insight on who i am since anyone who decides to check me out might have a few questions :D

-warning a bit long-

Firstly my nickname - Xoachel i am a cosplayer who loves anime, video games and comics. It’s pronounced So-Chill lol why does a white girl have a asian nickname? Well to be honest i had an amazing roommate a looooong time ago i can’t remember her last name to save my life T__T but she was an inspiration to me on how she chose to live her life so decided to honor her so i can remind myself as well to be what i want and not be pressured by those around me. Soooooo... if you ever see this, thank you for being a beautiful person both inside and out -hugs- ;w; -sigh- never told anyone about that backstory before so i’m glad i was able to get it out there since i use to be embarrassed and dismiss it like i made it up myself >.> i will eventually but before i get enough confidence to make my own path i’m ok with hiding in their shadow. -fb page for cosplays is literally Xoachel Cosplays -

How old am i.... twenty seven <.< but told i look like i’m about eighteen

sexuality.... eue wouldn’t you like to know jkjk shouldn't matter really tbh

religion.... well im a collection of different beliefs for the most part picked what i liked from each and made my own set of beliefs -shrugs- so to make it simplest i can i just say non actively practicing pagan or wiccan as i believe but don’t need a coven or to “pray/worship” or celebrate holidays... i mean i do on occasion but only when i feel the need not because i feel i have to or that it’s required i do if that makes sense ^u^ so while on that line ghosts = yes, angels = yes, demons = yes, God/gods = yes, aliens = i dun feel it but wont bash you for the slight possibility ouo-b will debate and chat about anything cause i like understanding your reasoning and choices it helps expand and grow ones mind

political views... outta site outta mind until election time xD i don’t identify with having a mindset for politics

favorite animes - Time of eve, Yona of the Dawn, Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, and many more xD im fond of most series so don’t have a set “favorite” will watch anything at least once.

fave games - so far i would have to say the old dragon quest, final fantasy series, most old system games, and the kings quest series TuT old systems and pc i had to sell of my old systems for cash a while back and can’t currently afford to buy them again nor new ones so just pc only lately <.< -sigh-

How do you spend your free time? well been busy with school and soon work so don’t get much time for things TuT but when i do i play online games as well as getting caught up on my “Line Webtoon” - free webcomic site :D go check them out -might be making a comic for there soon myself- I write as well as doodle and when i have time with my hubby we watch anime <u<

likes? PUNS, tea/coffee, herbology, baking, cosplaying, gardening, anything nerdy -hence other nickname- ,mythology, magic, music, MMA - actual fights not rigged garbage >:D , reading, dark humor, memes, DISNEY and other animations ouo-b and yes others amazing art including tattoos OuO i don’t mind saying im a art whore xD just kidding im just a art dragon i collect all the shiniez ~

dislikes? - fake people, bullies, internet trollz, <.< needles...., abuse overly controlling people, authority figures >u> hahaha who does. not much pisses me off besides people being blatantly rude to others for no reason or hating someones “OPINION” :/ seriously your opinions shouldn’t be an onion and make people cry even if its in the word =v= -bad pun humor galore sorry-

little known facts - i have a modeling page and had only one job so far was in the commercial for six flags CA, for the Dare Devil roller coaster. - I have good and bad luck combo sample situation <.< won VIP tickets to DBZ return of freeza and then find out i didn’t have a way to get to its location so sold the ticket to someone i considered a friend... he took the tickets and ran blocked me after and never paid for them =__=  - i love horror movies and games but i can’t do jump scares or overdose of blood or things with needles xD that’s my weakness... - i play DnD and i’m down to join on a roll20 campaign ouo-b can’t say i’m good but at least i’m creative

WHAT IS THIS BLOG???

it is a place for me to put my opinions on products that i tested as well as reviews on comics, manga, games. cosplays and con info and my other drivel :D so i hope this doesn’t bore you. if i have a video version it will be linked so you can listen instead of reading it for those lazy bums -raises hand- i’m guilty too at times so no shame there lol. As for my writing and teaching of magic that is on my other account “Innocent Succubus” for those who want to learn or find cool facts on things~ -yes i believe and am pagan/wiccan if you wanna call it that, i just call it being in-tune to beyond the veil - if you haven’t noticed emoji’s galore <u< feel free to ask what they mean to me though most are just different smiley faces and such lol

feel free to ask anything, speak freely and request topics and other things owo i’m open to hearing more about what others have to say on what i post.

MY APOLOGIES TO EVERYONE THIS WAS LONGER THEN I ANTICIPATED THANKS FOR THOSE WHO READ THE ENTIRE THING OMG ;w; much love no joke~

[monstersandmaw]

Crab Monster

Gorgeous post submitted by @monster-love-storiess! Thank you for this - I hope you folks enjoy it too! Unchanged by me, except for adding a ‘keep reading’...

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Hey I was the anon that asked about the crab monster and I then decided to write him a little blurb! Hope you enjoy!

Never in my entire life did I think I would ever run for my life from anything. Never did I think I would feel that intense, horrifying survival instinct kick in and send my adrenaline kicking and screaming into gear. I had seen run for their lives in TV shows and in movies and maybe during a rigorous game of dodge ball in middle school, but never like this. This was the worst feeling anyone could feel. The crippling fear, the hot fire anxiety and the scorching ache in my muscles as I pushed them farther than they have ever been pushed before.

My hushed frantic panting echoed off the damp sea cave walls as I zig zag my way around dried coral and larger than usual shells. My bare feet were badly scraped, and my beach dresses was tattered and salty. But at the moment, I could barely focus on that. I could barley focus on anything aside from putting as much distance between that monster and myself.

The events leading up to me running for my life were a little unusual and my mind reeled at the turn of events that had thrown me to where I am now. Me graduating with flying colors from Marine Biology and then receiving a grant to work on a boat alongside other gradated biologists. It started off great, a little sunburned but great as we travelled around the Caribbean. Part of it was working and taking and examining water samples and finding wildlife, but it was also a vacation of sorts as well.

 We had a captain and a first mate who were not biologist but were just in charge the boat. They were tanned and gruff, both with dark gray birds and yellow teeth.  I had never given them much thought except when I introduced myself when I got on the boat, to which they brushed me off and continue untying ropes from the dock before we set sail.

Come to think of it, the only time I had really heard them speak was when they were screaming curse words into the wind as that huge tidal wave overtook the ship.

I had shut my eyes at that moment, the water spraying everywhere and there was too much salt in my eyes to even see the wave coming, but I braced myself against the closest sturdy thing I could find, which was unfortunately the side railing. Needless to say, my grip was forced off and I was swept up into a seemingly never ending current of dense black water.

When I felt my body finally stop moving, I slowly began the process of opening my eyes. Almost admittedly, I shut them again as blazing sunlight made my vision go white. I wiggled my fingers, toes, arms and legs and found that nothing was broken, but just very soar. My lung burned and my head pounded.

I sat up, now realizing that I had been pressed into the sand of a beach, the tide that had probably dropped me off now receding past my feet and farther back. Looking around I found that I was on some kind of island with a few trees and the biggest rock formations I had ever seen. They rose up higher than any building and I could already see the network of a few caves. I glanced over my shoulder to see if I could see any  signs of life.

There were none. My heart grew heavy and blood ran cold.

I think at that point I had started crying and I curled up into a ball right there on the beach, the water still lapping at my toes and my dress dripping with salt.

It was then The blaring sun was suddenly blocked out but a  large figure looming over me.

I never actually got a good look at it, I only slowly glanced up in time to see those dangerously large crab-like pinchers and the immense size of the creature itself. The pinchers opened slowly as I stared and I realized with dread that the length of the entire pinch was longer than I was.

That leads me to now with my running for my life into one of the various caves on the island.

I don’t know how long I had been running for but I knew it hadn’t been for long enough when I tripped on an exposed barnacle and I was sent face first into the sandy floor. I tried scrambling up to make up for tripping, my fingers digging into the sand around me, trying to find my foot once more.

“Wait! Please…”

I froze, my eyes going wide at the voice.

“I won’t hurt you, please, I want to help.”

I turned and saw the creature slowly approach, claws up in the air. I yelped and scooted back as far as I could, my back against the damp cave walls, my arms hugging my knees u close to my chest.

As I sat deathly still, I could now see the creature in all its glory.

From first glance, it looked like a crab and human hybrid. The crab part of its body was huge, almost the size of a car, not including the legs. The legs themselves were long and bent upward and strong and spiked. However, hat made my heard spin was where the two little eyes were supposed to be at the top front of the base of the body, a strong human torso was instead. However, instead of a set of regular human arms, it had a lower set of what looked like longer skinnier arms that looked like its legs with more of a bent and smaller spikes and another set of on top, these ones being the huge pinchers I had seen on the beach prior to me running for my life. One claw was a little bit bigger than they other but needless to say they both looked strong and deadly.

The crab part of his body was an off-maroon color and the human part was a dark tanned with the maroon mixed in. On closer inspection, I could only assume it was a male from the strongly featured face, heavy brow line and strapping physique. His hair was a dirty blond and it was tied into a half up into a bun with a piece of rope while the rest hung around his shoulder in tousled beachy waves.

If I wasn’t terrified out of my mind, I would have found him handsome.

It then began to dawn on me that he hadn’t tried to hurt me yet, or even come close to my huddled form. His claws, which sent my heart sputtering out of control, were still held up and it took me second it was like a human being holding there hands up to show that they meant to harm.

I slowly let got of my legs and his lips twitched upward into a friendly and hopeful smile.

“How are you doing? I was worried about you. I had been watching over you on that beach for a little while and you didn’t move.”

He had a sort of Australian accent which I found to be completely adorable, despite his monstrous appearance.

I nodded slowly, and then opened my mouth to speak and found my throat to be dangerously dry. I coughed and winced and the feeling and sound it made, and his eyes got wide before he looked around and retrieved a shell from the ground. This one was a little bit bigger than my hand. He held it up to the wall next to him and I watched as he filled it with water from the down ward trickling stream.

“This is rain water that leaks down through the rocks. It is fresh, don’t worry.” He explained before delicately holding the shell down to me, his pinchers holding it gently. I slowly stood up and my eyes got wide as I realized how much he towered over me even with me standing.

I reached out, my hand brushing against the pinchers briefly and I marveled at how hard and smooth it was. I took the shell in both hands before lifting it up to my lips and taking a large sip, relishing in the feeling of fresh water running down my throat.

“Thank you.” I breathed softly and he beamed, shifting his crab legs around in the sand in mild excitement.

“How did you get here? I have never seen human boats come even close to this island before.”

I swallowed a bit more water before answering.

“I was on a boat, but we got caught by a storm and I got swept off into sea.” I bit my lip at the memory, my eyes beginning to water again and his face fell. He approached me slowly, the smaller of his pinchers cautiously reaching for my face. I sucked in a breath as he gently slid the curve of his pincher down my face, capturing a single tear that had escaped from my eye.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re safe and I won’t let anything happen to you. I have plenty of wood here for a fire signal and I can find you food to eat. Hopefully you don’t like crab legs.” I giggled through my tears at his joke and he smiled.

“Do you have a name, love?” He asked and I told him, sniffling my tears away as I stared up into his warm dark brown eyes.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Blaise.”

It was funny to me that his presence went from horrifying to comforting in a little bit of time. Even more so as he scooped me up so I was no perched in the crook of his massive arm, my legs sandwiched between his bicep and his larger pincher as sat on his shoulder and my hands gripping his broad shoulders tightly for balance. I felt and probably looked tiny compared to him.

“Let’s not waste any more time and light that fire signal and get you sent on your merry way.” He boomed and I laughed as he turned and made his way out of the cave, his movement surprising quick and graceful, even if he did walk sideways a little. I did pick up on a saddened tone in his voice though and I found myself sad that the signaling of other boats would happen so quickly.

I mean I was technically on a vacation of sorts, so why not spend a little bit of it on a tropical island with a gentle crab monster.

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Original crab monster post/headcanon ask is here if anyone’s curious about the ask that prompted them to write this and send it in!  

[yenni19]

The show goes on pt 4

Kawaki and Himawari go back inside to enjoy her birthday

Kawaki(stretching out his hand): can I have the pleasure of dancing with you miss Uzumaki?

Himawari(accepting his invitation): yes you may Kawaki...I would love dancing with you

On the other side of the room Sarada, Mistuki, Inojin, Sumire and Shikadai are sitting at a table together

Sarada: talk about a disaster

Mitsuki: Boruto never could control his temper when it came to his sister

Inojin: well now he has to put up with it...don't they look cute together dancing the waltz?

They look in thier direction and see Himawari smiling and dancing with Kawaki with a plain white shirt that was tight enough to shape out his big figure and some blue pants looking like a greaser from the fiftys

Inojin: what a sight to behold...he must of had his way with her before getting here

Sarada: Inojin that's not funny....

Mitsuki: he's not lying...I can smell his sent on her and fresh blood of a woman who just lost her virginity

The table went silent as all of them except Mitsuki turned to look at Inojin

Shikadai: your a pain in the ass when it comes to your accuracy on reading someone Inojin

Sumire: are you sure....

Mitsuki: I'm never wrong.....let's just hope they used protection and she's not pregnant

Sarada: what a way to spend a birthday....and with Kawaki of all people

Sumire: at least Himawari got to see him again...

Shikadai: yeah which means I have to reign in Boruto on a tighter leash it will be a fuckin drag since he was drunk when he heard Himawari admit she slept with Kawaki

Sarada: which means he won't remember by tomorrow the argument they just had...

Inojin: so it's best not to mention it to Boruto that his baby sister is no longer a virgin....

Sumire: let's just hope for the better.... and hope he doesn't try killing Kawaki

All five: yup what a disaster

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

On the dancefloor Kawaki is dancing with Himawari and as the music stops he bows and she returns the gesture and sit at a nearby table

Kawaki: so if your not busy tomorrow can we....

Naruto(interrupting): Kawaki it's good to see you

Kawaki(surprised): lord seventh....its good to see you

They embrace each other

Naruto: not to be rude but the birthday girl needs to have a dance with her father

Kawaki: sure it's no problem

Naruto takes Himawari to the dancefloor and they start to dance to a slow tune

Naruto: so you want tell me what's going on between you and Kawaki?

Himawari: we just saw each other today and he happens to be here on my birthday...no big deal daddy

Naruto: you are only telling half the story...knoahamaru said there was an incident between Boruto and Kawaki that he had to drag your brother out of here....mind explaining?

Himawari: he was angry because he saw Kawaki come with me as a guest to my birthday party he made a scene and konahamaru escorted him out

Naruto: your still hiding something...

Himawari: daddy please let me enjoy my birthday....the one you threw for me...can I have just that right for tonight?

Naruto: ok....but we pick up this conversation next time I see you...take care and be careful around Kawaki....happy birthday princess

The song stopped and Naruto left her to attend a matter at hand, she jumped when Kawaki appeared behind her

Kawaki(puts his hands up in surrender): sorry you must be on edge...I'm really sorry if I scared you

Himawari(turns around to hug him): just hold me and don't let go...your my peace when everything crumbles

Kawaki: ok I won't

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

One week later

It's been stressful in the Uzumaki household, besides spending time with Kawaki, Himawari is prepping for finals of her senior year at the academy.

Himawari(studying): crap I can't figure out this equation with X....I need a break

She gets up and makes a Ramen with a boiled egg and adds vegetables to the mix...she goes back upstairs to her room to study. After 15 minutes of eating, drinking, and studying she falls asleep on top of her study sheets

Himawari(waking up in her bed): how did I get here....

Boruto: you look horrible....a nice sleep isn't always a bad thing

She focuses on the nightlamp and to her surprise it's her brother sitting at her desk

Himawari: what do you want....

Boruto: just seeing if you are ok, your always tired, you burst out crying when u stress, and you haven't looked well these days

Himawari: I'm just coming down with a flu or something it's just stress.....

Boruto(hands her an appointment card): go see aunt Sakura....get a check up and make sure you are not sick...appointment is tomorrow at ten in the morning

Himawari(taking the card): ok....thank you

Boruto gets up and leaves her room, she goes the next day to her appointment

Himawari(tired): let's get this over with

She goes in at the reception desk and hands her the card the lady hands her forms to fill out. She hands the paperwork back to the nurse and waits in the waiting room.

Nurse: Uzumaki Himawari...we'll see you now

She goes in the exam room. The nurse asks for a urine sample Himawari goes to the bathroom to pee in a cup. And returnes to the exam room leaving the sample for the assistant. She waits as the Nurse comes in to see her

Nurse(looking at Himawari's chart): so can you explain what symptoms you are having miss Uzamaki

Himawari: excessive tiredness, moodswings, eating more often than usual, I believe I've gained a few pounds since my birthday

Nurse(hesitant): was it possible you might of had sexual relations without protection...

Himawari(scared): but I took an afterpill....

Nurse: well by these results....you are pregnant....congratulations....I guess

Himawari: but I made sure to take an after pill after my birthday....there's no way

Nurse: nine times out of ten the pill is at fifty percent effective after twenty four hours...if you want...

Himawari knew abortion was out of the question since her family didn't believe in killing life

Himawari: no abortion....I'll see to it that it comes full term...I just have to face the music...can you be discreet about this

Nurse: I can but you know Mrs Uchiha looks over the weekly paperwork of every patient that comes in here including first time patients

Himawari(upset): ok I understand....thank you

Disappointed she goes home and hides the results in her drawer full of sticky notes...for the rest of the afternnon she cries herself to sleep