#the people are longing for that ugly jamie art

[piovascosimo]

i guess it's time for the whole 'i don't want to live in the past' bit of damon's blur journey. zzzzzzzzz

[jamiesfootball]

🌹🌹!!!!

What if my brain continued spinning the wheels about the mess I left in that other prompt fic, and instead of letting me work on anything else I had to write more Sam-hugs? What then?

And then what if I just. released them piecemeal.

Part one here

Other small scene here

What if there was now a chapter count-?

Sam had a smile that could light up the room on the best of days, but the way he beamed when he opened the door could brighten up the whole of Britain through a long winter. Jamie’s heart flopped uselessly in his chest, unable to muster up the same back. “‘Ey, twenty-four. Not too late for you, am I?” “Not at all,” Sam reassured, and then he was stepping forward to wrap Jamie in another hug. Two Obisanya hugs in a day. Not that Jamie minded. Most of the time it was Jamie cadging for scraps, but he supposed even Sam had moments where he needed help minding the gaps where the ugly stuff bled through. A nasty voice in the back of his head reminded him that he hadn’t earned it, hadn’t even scored any goals during their last match on account of the- But he didn’t want to think about that with Sam tucked up against his chest. That could wait 'til he got home. For now, all he had to do was help Sam. When Sam pulled away, having had his fill, he clapped Jamie’s on the shoulder. Jamie bit down the yelp on his tongue. “Although you should have called,” Sam admonished, wagging his finger with an air of disappointment that was transparently fake. “Seriously. I was worried. Any longer and I would have had to call Roy.”

Jamie snorted. “Ain’t you feeling cheeky? Nah, man, traffic was a nightmare,” he lied. “Brought this for us though?”

At the offered chardonnay, Sam cooed. It was his favorite brand too - something he described as buttery, which Jamie figured meant dry and cloying. He'd made himself late by having to swing by the shops, but he was working apology on top of apology here. Besides, it was worth it to have Sam waving him inside, quickly, we have just enough time to let it chill before dinner.

Jamie stepped inside, quickly. The whole house smelled amazing. Sam had something cooking on the stove, and the aroma of it set his mouth watering. All the lights were dimmed, but the space felt bright. He had pictures everywhere, and big paintings on the wall that were probably from all those local art shows he attended, and every piece of furniture had it's own blanket thrown over it like surviving the winter was going to be a team effort. This, despite Sam keeping the place a little warmer than most people liked it in London. Nice and toasty -- Jamie didn't think twice of sliding off his coat. He slung it on the hook by the door, right next to Sam's new bomber jacket.

Then he went to slide off his shoes and his knees buckled out from under him. A shocked noise escaped as he caught himself against the side table.

"Did you say something?" asked Sam, leaning out of the kitchen with a corkscrew wielded in one hand and the bottle in the other.

"Slipped," Jamie answered.

Sam disappeared back into the kitchen. Jamie shook his head at himself.

He wasn't dehydrated. Sure, his stomach was growling all of the sudden, but it wasn't like he'd skipped his smoothie that morning. Could barely exercise until he was cleared by the physios, could he, and the handful of injuries-

Well. None of them were on his knees, were they?

Fucking weird.

The weirdness didn't end there. Soon as he sat down at the table - Sam, feeling himself an extra cheeky lad that evening, pulled his chair out for him - it slapped Jamie in the face.

He was tired.

Scratch that, he was exhausted.

Surrounded by soothing kitchen music, the smell of baked bread ("We won't tell, Coach."), and half a glass of chilled wine ("We will tell, Coach."), every scrap of tension holding him upright had suddenly vanished. All he wanted to do was lie down under the table and take a nap.

His breath hitched.

Mortified, he glanced over his shoulder, certain that Sam had heard it. A wave of dizziness crashed into him as he realised he hoped Sam had heard it. Because Sam would have something nice to say about it, wouldn't he? Sam with his endless patience for Jamie's unending string of messes and his endless tolerance until Jamie had done whatever he had done. That Sam would take one look at Jamie -- and look at the mess he'd made; no way his face was hiding anything right now -- and his head would tilt and his face would soften into something that looked like pity and he would tell Jamie something nice because Jamie needed it. He needed it more than water and protein shakes and bread and cold wine and the painkillers that wore off hours ago except he couldn't have them in the house any more.

Sam had something nice to say about everything under the sun.

More than anything right now, Jamie could use a little sun.

Instead, Sam ladled a bowl of something that smelled- fuck, delicious, and said with low hint of regret in his voice, "I think we should discuss what happened at the match."

[michaelkrentz]

Django Freeman character analysis

I have to say Django unchained is a pretty decent western and the Quentin Tarantino version is a little better in some cases than the original 1966 spaghetti western set on the US-Mexican border set after the civil war in which Django, a union soldier and rambling man, also played by Frankie Nero and his sidekick who is a mixed race prostitute, fight off Mexican revolutionaries all the while he tracks down kkk members who happen to be apart of the confederate red shirts gang. I like the Quentin Tarantino version better for the story and the original more for the gunfights. I mean let’s be honest, old westerns were way better but the Tarantino one is an exception. However I do feel that with fictional characters that it is good to definitely Have minority representation in the cast of characters for it is pretty cool when the story calls for it rather than “forced” diversity as we see in everything now and people wonder why the arts industry seriously sucks. The gripe I have with this new line of filmmaking is it is propaganda being released to force this social justice idiocy on the viewers yet it has the opposite effect like we see with all collective finger pointing as it breeds the opposite of what was intended like how we saw the more conservative stuff in films and hippies ruined society with the boomer “me” generation who needs “ to rebel man, “ and then the gen x group saw this hippy crap in filmmaking and decided to make cooler stuff like Starwars which rocks and totally get away from both forms of propaganda in the name of good story. I also disagree with the whole “need to identify with fictional character to fit in society “ group because if you really do you should honestly cut the crap and get into reading history, realize you’re not an expert on everything and actually do your part. It’s the same thing as incel culture or how the modern soy boy will apply Harry Potter to a current event over some kid who reads things on social economic problems and culture and global conflicts instead. Now with that baloney said let’s get into this fantastic character which was initially the only good race swap that ever worked due to a change in story that served the character in which the original was a John Brown abolitionist type to the vengeful slave in the latest iteration which serves a totally different universe which I will say is stupid they should of just made a different film. Also dynamite was used a lot here and that wasn’t invented till the late 1860s. I only said that to make that bother you now when you watch this cool film. LAUGH AT ME HAHAHA

A German bounty hunter by the name of King Shultz seems to be looking FOR SOMEONE OH THE FORESHADOWING. Then finds Django and absolute beast on the colt new army ball and cap as well as the Henry 45 70 long colt, is bought by the bounty hunter in an effort to locate his targeted men in which he does with the help of Django. After finding his men he then…. Offers …… to…… HELP DJANGO in finding his wife who is owned by his former slave master in MISSISSIPPI OOF . They come up with a plan after Shultz the krautinator agrees to help him and they had the objectives of earning a way to be welcomed into the owners home in an effort to save Django’s wife. This film also has some really silly things for comedic relief like the scene when the klansmen can’t see out of their peanut sack masks. I do think Jamie fox did a pretty good job on his part and I can definitely see how his role as a strong black protagonist is important for things like this did actually happen especially around 1878 when Ulysses Grant made the kkk enemies of the state and hunted them for union soldiers did not hate confederate soldiers because that is stupid, for they in real life did sometimes hunt slave owners. It’s a pretty good film and still captures that old school western style I love seen in films like A Few dollars more or Josey wales or the good, the bad, the ugly or even shows like lawman or gun smoke with James Arness. I however, to answer the question wether or not that I consider myself hero or anti hero, I’m not sure I mean I see what many people today, flooded with cancerous post modernist views, I guess I would be considered anti but that means nothing to me for I have seen what makes these peckerheads cheer. I see Django as the hero obviously but I believe he is being seen in the wrong light. He commits multiple atrocities throughout the film however, he has done it to savage slave owners and the south’s worst criminals so I do not believe he is wrong. He also tends to have a cynical nature to him thinking man is really just evil for the most part.

Django is also very vengeful for even after his buddy there, Shultz is killed by Candies bodyguard, he takes his wife’s freedom papers from his body and bids farewell to his mentor as he tracks down Candies bodyguards and slave trackers down and kills them to avenge the killing of Shultz and then eventually freeing his wife. Django is pretty influential to black audiences because of how he is represented as the hero in this story set in 1858 set a few years before the American civil war and combats klansmen and slave owners and their security as well as their slave trackers and anyone else those southern democrats had to throw at Django. Overall it was a pretty good film but I think many of these dopey liberal filmmakers took this idea too far and created hot garbage like Velma. Django was a phenomenal film and definitely one for all western fans to watch and take a liking too.

[pantoneyoongi]

secrets

title ; secrets the way i feel’s so obvious now

preview ; but if you admit then it’s real and if it’s real then it hurts.

notes ; 

part of the till the night is over drabble series. drabbles are not released in chronological order, but the masterlist is set up as chronologically as possible. :) 

title is from astrid s’s “paper thin”

word count ; 2.6k

tags ; high school!au, angst, prom, pining but like in a sad way, pls go to masterlist for more / general tags

you’ve never been the type of person to particularly despise high school. it’s not the best thing you’ve ever experienced, granted, but it gets you through the days and you’ve developed friendships with people you know you’d lay down your life for, that’s how important they are to you. 

prom, however, you could absolutely do without. 

“if you don’t ask anyone to prom,” jamie says one day, finger pointed at jungkook. “be my backup?” 

he shrugs. “sure.” 

that’s how it starts. 

prom isn’t for another five months. maybe that’s why you make the mistake of getting your hopes up, because jungkook spends the next five months making your heart trip over itself. you think it’s just you - but everyone else notices it, too. he falls asleep with his head on your shoulder in the spare time you have before classes start, snuggles in next to you insistently in study hall while you’re doing the homework that you definitely should’ve done yesterday. you shove him off your shoulder but he just laughs and comes back, murmuring “cute” at the pretend-annoyed look on your face. 

jungkook gives you every reason to believe he wants you, so you shouldn’t be surprised when he proves yet again that he doesn’t. 

“i need to find a new backup,” jamie announces, setting her books down at the cafeteria table. jungkook hasn’t arrived yet - it’s just you, jihyo, and jamie. “i’m pretty sure jungkook is gonna ask you.” 

you look up from your lunch. “what?” 

“it’s so obvious,” she plunks down into a seat at the table. “he’s been getting so close to you lately.” 

you scrunch your nose. “we’re just friends,” you dismiss her. “and i don’t like him like that, anyway. i’m over it.” 

“really?” jamie leans forward. “you really don’t like him anymore?” 

you eye her with disdain. “i’m not fourteen, jamie. i got over it.” 

you pointedly avoid jihyo’s gaze. 

“but, what if he’s into you?” jamie asks, curious. she doesn’t mean any harm by it, but your heart rate picks up unwittingly. no. no. you’re over it. the tiny crush you had on jeon jungkook from years ago is over. 

“he isn’t. but we can go as friends,” you shrug. a small, tiny part of you makes the mistake of latching on to the idea. it takes root inside you, growing every time jungkook leans in too close, or throws an arm around you. every time jungkook looks at you a little too long, and all the stories about best friends becoming more start taking on the faces of you and him. 

then he calls you at 10pm on a thursday, a little over a month before prom.

“i have an idea,” he says in lieu of greeting. you rub your eyes tiredly. 

“for?” 

“promposal. jamie likes taking pictures, right?” 

your heart sinks in your chest then and there. 

of course.

“yeah,” you manage to get out. “she does.” 

“so i have a polaroid camera,” he starts to explain, and all of the stories about best friends becoming more blur together, like watercolors mixing until they’re an ugly shade of brown and black, swirling down the drain. 

they’re wrong, about envy being the color of green. green is a pretty color, bright and festive when it wants to be, or warm and homey, like evergreens. no, envy is the color that forms when you mix all your colors together, after they’ve stopped being distinct colors but before they turn fully to black, the horrible, dysmorphous shade that splatters across your heart. 

.

.

.

one month before prom. 

you sneak a polaroid into jamie’s locker. it’s a picture of the arts room with “come find me” scrawled across the white space. yerin taped a second polaroid to the door of the arts room - a photo of the music room. “just missed me. keep searching!” 

when jamie reaches the music room, she’ll find a third polaroid of the cafeteria tucked by the piano, courtesy of jihyo. “almost there,” it’ll read. “waiting for you.” 

the rest of your friends are gathered in the cafeteria, waiting anxiously for her to show up. jamie appears with three polaroids in hand, looking mildly exasperated. jungkook snaps the photo. 

“found me,” he smiles, so charming that even jamie softens, looking around in surprise. you hold a bouquet of flowers that you pass off to jungkook, who sets down the camera and hands over the flowers to jamie. he takes a quick minute to scrawl down on the latest photo before holding it out to her. “go to prom with me?” 

jamie looks too stunned to speak, blinking confusedly at the flowers in her hands, and the set of polaroids that have now gone from three to four. she looks back up at jungkook, and you can see the happiness start to show, a delighted giggle slipping out. “jungkook, you’re insane,” she laughs, throwing her arms around him. “yeah, i’ll go to prom with you. even though you made me run around the whole damn school.”

yugyeom sneaks one last picture, jamie and jungkook wrapped around each other. only jihyo notices the way your smile temporarily falls off your face, before you’re forcing it back on. 

jamie looks happy. jamie, who worried constantly that no one would ever do something like this for her, because she was, ‘one of the boys’, or ‘not pretty enough’, or ‘not girly enough.’ but jungkook had pulled out all the stops - for a friend. 

except, jungkook has never pulled out all the stops like this for you. his friend. 

looking at the way jungkook grins at jamie, that’s when you know. 

of course.

.

.

.

you’ve never been the type of person to particularly hate high school. you generally go along with things, let your friends drag you into shenanigans you would’ve never dreamed of doing otherwise. 

but prom - prom you could definitely go without.

it’s not the fact that you hate getting dressed up, or that you can barely balance in heels. it’s not that you don’t have a date, because you do, kim yugyeom dressed handsomely by your side, his navy tie matching your dress. he’d asked you without the extravagance - “go with me?” - and you’d agreed easily. 

prom is all sorts of magical, decorations glittering around you. yugyeom is freakishly tall but even as you rest your head against his shoulder during the slow dance, you can still see over him, just a bit. 

it makes you wish yugyeom was just that little bit taller.

jamie looks gorgeous in her royal blue dress. she’d turned eyes when she entered the room. but you can’t ever take your eyes off her handsome dancing partner, jungkook’s silly tie in multiple swirls of blue that he’d proudly showed off to you earlier making it so that if you’re not careful, you might make the mistake of pretending he’s your date tonight, instead. 

it’s impossible to be mistaken when he’s laughing like that with jamie, though. 

“i’m gonna go sit down,” you tell yugyeom. “heels are killing me.” 

yugyeom doesn’t mind that you’ve stopped him in the middle of a slow dance, guiding you back to your table before disappearing to find a drink. you sit alone in the dark, wistful eyes watching jungkook and jamie in their matching shades of blue, giggling like they’ve got a secret between just the two of them. they’re pressed close together, jungkook’s hands wrapped securely around her waist. 

you want to look away, before the image is solidified in your memory. but it’s too late, you’ve already cut the wound open, jungkook’s affectionate stare something you’ll never be able to forget. 

jungkook and jamie came as friends, but you know that by the time this night is over, something will have changed. and you won’t be the only one who knows, not when the look in jamie’s eyes mirror jungkook’s. 

.

.

.

the girls are gathered in jamie’s bedroom, jamie and yerin flopped on the bed, jihyo in the chair. you lay down on the floor, peering up at the three of them. 

“i.. have something to admit,” jamie says, with a nervous breath. you all turn to her, and you get the feeling you know exactly what she’s going to say. “i wanted to tell you guys because… because it’s jungkook. and most of us have a history with him…” she trails off, glancing between you and yerin. 

yerin snorts. “you’re right,” she taps jamie’s shoulder with the back of her hand. “that’s history. don’t worry about me.” she smiles at her friend and jamie looks sheepish and giddy, using her head to nuzzle into yerin’s shoulder playfully. 

yerin’s lucky. unlike you, she’s genuinely been over jungkook for over two years now, settled comfortably into her spot as his ex-girlfriend and now-friend. they didn’t work out - not all relationships do. that’s okay. 

but then they all look at you, and all your walls come flying up. you can feel the way the air changes, how careful jamie is when she asks, “are you sure you’re okay with this, y/n?” 

you know if you’d told her any answer but “yes” that jamie would back down in an instant. that she values your friendship more than any possible relationship she might have with jungkook. you know that all you had to do was give even the slightest indication - which is why you can’t give her any room for doubt. 

“of course i’m fine with it,” you laugh. “why wouldn’t i be?” 

you don’t dare to look at jihyo. instead, you watch the grin spread across jamie’s face from cheek to cheek, relief and elation so clear in her expression. “okay,” she exhales, eyes shining. “because i think i like him. like, really like him.” she bites her lip. “it kinda seems like he likes me too.” 

how are you supposed to take that away from her? whatever your feelings may be - how could you possibly ruin this for jamie? 

.

.

.

jihyo walks home with you later that evening. you hope she doesn’t ask, that she’ll just drop it, but jihyo is too good of a friend to do that. 

“why didn’t you tell her?” 

it’s not accusatory, you know she’s just worried for you. still, you’re adamant in your denial. 

“tell her what?” 

“y/n,” jihyo fixes you with a look that says it all. but if you admit it then it’s real and if it’s real then it hurts. 

you shake your head, nonchalant. “we’re just friends,” you insist. but before you make the turn that separates you and jihyo, you quietly say, “i want her to be happy.” 

jihyo has no answer for that.

.

.

.

graduation is nothing grand for you, since most of your friends are coming with you to the in-state university. but yugyeom and jamie are both leaving, yugyeom to a university a couple states over, and jamie to one all the way across the country, where she has family. you don’t let yourself wonder what this means for her and jungkook. 

they still haven’t defined things, dancing around the lines all the way up until yugyeom’s graduation party. you don’t have the time to make it, too busy working the part-time jobs you take on to help support your family. you see the pictures later, flipping through them on social media. there’s one where jungkook has pulled jamie into his lap, and she looks like she’s mid-laugh, startled and happy. 

you feel safe in your decision not to tell her - not to tell anyone. you’ll get over it eventually; it’s just a crush. it’s not love. never mind the ache that seems to take permanent residence in your chest. 

when jungkook calls you that night you’re hardly surprised. all the pictures from the party have him next to her, or at least close by. you’re exhausted from your shift, hair still wet from a shower, but you pick up anyway. 

“hey,” he says. “i missed you today at the party.” 

couldn’t he have said we? 

“sorry i couldn’t make it,” you respond, and he hums back. you hear him flop down on his bed, back hitting the mattress. 

“jamie confessed,” he blurts, and you press your lips together. “after the party, when i was driving her home. she confessed.” 

he sounds a little wondrous, like he still can’t believe it. jungkook has never been particularly good at picking up on people’s feelings. 

“i know,” you say simply. 

“you know?” 

you laugh lightly. “jungkook, she’s one of my best friends. of course i know.” 

jungkook whines. “cut me some slack. i’m in shock. me and jamie. i never thought she’d like me.” 

you quirk your lips. “well do you like her?” 

there’s silence. enough room for your feelings to betray you, hope creeping around the corner. you try to squash it, but jungkook has no problem doing it for you instead. 

“i do. i think so.” 

“good,” you steady your voice. “was afraid i might have to kill you or something, y’know. girl code.” 

he huffs out a laugh. “no, i like her.” he sound so sure, suddenly. “i’m just… worried about the distance. after the summer, she won’t even be in the same time zone anymore.” 

you can feel yourself going on autopilot. it’s the only way to keep yourself together, dismantling all the feelings sitting in your chest. you fold them and tuck them away, out of sight. like they don’t even exist. 

“you just have to be sure,” you tell him. “if you’re sure you like her, and you’re sure you want this. then make it work. for her.” 

you can hear the hesitation in his voice, and the part of you that cares about jamie rings alarms wildly in your head. but it’s jungkook - he wouldn’t. right? he wouldn’t hurt her. he wouldn’t fuck this up. 

“yeah,” he says finally. “we’ll see.” 

.

.

.

you know jungkook too well. you’ve known him for going on seven years now, so the things he does should no longer be a shock to you. you shouldn’t be surprised that jungkook is impatient, that jungkook jumps at any possible feelings and leaps right into it, consequences and risks be damned. 

so when jamie calls you the next day, squealing and screaming that it’s official, that jungkook asked her out, that they’re dating, you think you’re stupid for not having braced yourself more. “i can’t believe it,” she whispers, excitement tangible through the phone. “he really likes me back.” 

you really, really should’ve braced yourself more. because you feel your heart break in a way it’s never done before. 

you didn’t realize that having feelings for someone could hurt this badly. you’ve never really thought about it before - always kept those feelings buried as far down as they can go, pretended they didn’t exist so you didn’t have to face them. you never thought it could all manifest in this way, with an ache so strong it physically hurts, as you slowly sink onto the ground. 

it feels like a knife twisting in your gut. it feels hard to breathe, eyebrows furrowing as you try to process - jungkook and jamie are officially dating. your mind is whirling, spinning wildly out of control, for the first time in your life you don’t have a hold on your feelings. 

you can’t believe this is happening. can’t believe your body is betraying you with a hurt this strong, because if it feels like you have your heart in the pits of your stomach and if it feels like someone’s thrown cold water over you then that means all this time you’d spent convincing yourself that you don’t like him was for nothing. but you can’t say it. you can’t. not when jamie sounds so happy - not when you’d give up the world for your friends to be happy - so you wait for jamie to hang up before you throw your phone across the room with unnecessary force, curling into a ball. 

for the first time, you cry over jeon jungkook. 

then you bury it down, one more time. 

it’s not love. it can’t be. 

you can’t be in love with jeon jungkook. 

other drabbles in the series: (don’t) stay || like she’s the only girl you’ve ever seen

series masterlist: till the night is over

[twistedmusings]

Vil Schoenheit: After RSA’S Performance

The first time he had been left speechless was because of you.

You who always knew what to say, you who always had an answer to the problem at hand.

Where were you?

A/N: What is formatting. I don’t even know.

But listen though. When did Vil get hot? I mean he has always been hot but is it now because he is sad boy? A rude boy turned sad boy? Is that why I am attracted to him now and was compelled to write this?

I don’t know but I’m in love so I’m going to run with it.

This is how Vil would react if MC looked like they were enjoying RSA’s performance.

Part 2, here!

What Vil felt couldn’t really be put into words.

His grades would say that he was one of the highest ranking students in the Language Arts for Night Raven College. Not just in regular human speech but also in fairy-dialect, animal dialect and any sort of dialect that Professor Trein would demand. Vil also excelled in prose, poetry and abstract writing.

Being left speechless was not something that was supposed to happen, not twice in a row.

The tightening of his throat would speak otherwise, as well as the sudden feeling of vertigo.

Vil could barely hear Kalim through the jovial sound of Neige’s voice, the one thing that had kept him awake for these past few weeks--no these past few years. When was the last time that he had felt so helpless? Was it when he had first met him? Neige, with his bright smile and lovable personality that made people overlook his mistakes, his very obvious mistakes. The way he wouldn’t go when it was his cue, or how Neige would forget almost every other line only to finally have the script memorized by the time it was opening night.

A children’s song.

“What even is this song! The chorus just won’t leave my head!”

He wasn’t even ready during dress rehearsal, Neige would wait until fucking opening night.

Was it dramatic to say that the whole event had haunted him? As well as the domino effect of undeserved fame that Neige had gotten afterwards?

No, to Vil, being overshadowed by this person despite all the effort that he put into each and everyone of his performances was something akin to being shot by a gun.

Over and over and over.

He had been beaten by a children’s song.

Every single commercial, every music video, every promotion and every product placement that Neige did was like a dagger carving him up from the inside out.

So when the VDC presented itself, he jumped at the chance to not just shape himself into the perfect being to defeat Neige, but to shape others to show that not only could he surpass himself but he could help others break through their own ‘ugly’ exteriors to discover their own personal beauty. And by all means he had done it, he had taken five rough and ugly rocks and turned them into polished jewels.

Polished jewels that framed the diamond he had worked so hard to turn himself into.

His grip on the audience seat loosens when something flashes through his mind.

The practices had been rather arduous, not only having to make sure that he was flawless but trying to deal with Epel’s stupid gender based ideas, Ace and Deuce’s lack of grace and even Kalim’s really really terrible singing voice. Yet something had made it even a little bit worth it.

Someone, he needed to correct himself, someone had made it a bit worth it.

The sixth potato that he had hoped to start shaping after this whole thing was over.

What could he say about you? At first glance you were truly nothing special. An uneventful, magicless person from an equally uneventful place that hadn’t even been accepted into this school but was instead made a student because of the monster next to you. You weren’t even a student, more like a glorified problem solver for the Headmaster. Ideally, Vil should have also hated your guts since you were essentially getting the same education that he had been getting when he was a first year but without any effort but there was something different about you that he had not expected.

I think you’re probably the fairest out of everyone in the school.

A small glimmer of something beautiful.

But in the end your opinion is the one that will matter to you.

You were honest. That is something that Rook had mentioned about you once he did his recon of the new manager for the VDC team. How the Ramshackle prefect really didn’t have anything to offer but that the quality that stood out the most to the hunter was your refreshing honesty.

He had modeled for crowds of adoring fans and yet he found himself pulling out his pocket mirror and fixing non-existent imperfections before talking to you. Yet even when he tried to make himself look presentable to you, you always seemed to catch him when all of his walls were down.

“You should have seen the information that I got from Riddle, Leona, and Azul. They have really gotten a reputation behind them, the Ramshackle prefect. I wonder what will happen if we keep them close~”

Vil wouldn’t admit it to anyone but there had been a brief moment that his heart skipped a beat when the news about how the VDC team would be rooming in Ramshackle. He figured it had skipped out of beat due to the horrific news that he would have to room in a dorm that had not been used for who knows how long but when he had come inside and been greeted by your smile, it was almost surreal how he had come to terms with this feeling of nervousness.

The night before the VDC had found Vil in the Ramshackle lounge, a cup of tea in his hand as he watched a video of that day’s performance. There were still minor imperfections here and there but those would be easily covered up by his own singing and movements. Epel had also improved exponentially which highly increased the probability of a successful performance and with Jami’s hypnotizing movements and Rook’s aura there was no doubt that he had this competition under his heel.

But nerves like these didn’t leave overnight.

A creak on the stairs brought him back to the present, taking a sip of his tea as he continued to look at the video.

“If you’re here to ask me about why I am awake at this hour, Rook, I would like to remind you that you insisted we review the performance in the morning which already did nothing to calm my nerves--”

"Vil-senpai?"

His head snapped up to look at you , the light of the moon masking him in shadows while illuminating you as you made your way down the staircase. He clicked his tongue and turned off his phone.

"Was I interrupting something?"

Vil shook his head, “Last minute detail check. Everything has to be perfect by tomorrow.”

You nod and walk towards him, standing next to the couch before pointing to it. Vil looked at you before looking at the seat next to him. What were you--oh. He nodded and you sat down on the other side of the love seat, both of you farther apart that he would have liked.

“Does the manager have anything they want to say to me?”

“It just gets me thinking. You have been doing this performance perfectly in my eyes. Over and over again that it makes me wonder just what you think is lacking.”

You bring your feet up to the seat, hugging your knees together as you look down at the floor, “Maybe your definition of perfect and my definition of perfect are so different.”

The Pomefiore dorm leader rolls his eyes, “Did your Heartslabyul friends put you up to this?”

“Ace and Deuce? Great Sevens no. If they did I would have rightfully ignored them and gone to bed. I’m just your manager, I’m not here to negotiate.”

“Just a manager.” Vil frowns and looks at you, “You understand that you are currently housing the Vil Schoenheit as well as six other people who happen to be under my temporary tutelage. If you and your dorm weren’t around I would have had to keep those two Heartslabyul potatoes in the Pomefiore dorm and I don’t think I could stand letting them sleep in one of our beds. Our dorm has standards, luckily yours is the most neutral place I can stand being around those two without losing sleep.”

He blinks at the snort you let out, staring as you wave your hands and apologize while trying to prevent another one from surfacing.

“That is the only straightforward compliment my dorm has received. Neutral.” you laugh again before wiping a fake tear from your eyes, “Am I allowed to take it as a compliment?”

Vil is glad for the darkness, it hid the sudden flush in his cheeks.

“Take it as you will.”

You nod and stand up, stretching and letting out a satisfied sigh when your back made a small cracking noise that had Vil clutching at his cup. Anybody else and he would have walked out of whatever conversation he was having, so why did he find that tolerable with you?

“Then let me pay it back.” you hold out your hand and for a brief moment Vil wants to take it. Clearly that was an invitation for something and it alarmed him that he didn’t mind the mystery behind it. Yet your finger pointed at the cup, Vil looking down and seeing it was empty.

Oh.

He hands it to you, doing his best to make it so that your fingers would brush in the most accidental way possible.

“In my own opinion, as well as the opinion of others, I think you are the fairest out of everyone in the school.”

The air in Vil’s lungs gets caught in his throat.

“No joke. The way you carry yourself, the effort you put into everything you are a part of. Even the potato comments are almost...endearing? Potato plants produce rather pretty flowers, right? Maybe you are just trying to get the flowers inside of us to bloom as well?”

He is staring.

He is staring and not saying anything. You had left him without speech.

“But in the end your opinion will be the one that matters most to you. I just hope that it will always be positive.” you scratch the back of your head and yawn, “I’m going to grab a glass of water and head back to bed, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Your eyes are still meeting his as a small flush adorned your cheeks, probably embarrassed by what you had just said. Or he would like to think you would be embarrassed, if this was any regular love story he would stand up and grab your wrist and keep you from running away from him before cupping your face and leaning in--

“Good night, Vil-senpai.”

"Goodnight."

You who always knew what to say, you who always had an answer to the problem at hand.

Where were you?

His eyes start looking around for your figure, hands itching and brain running slower than it ever had before. Maybe you would make it better? No, you would make it better. You would go over to him and smile before saying that the competition hadn’t even started and just because that song seemed to be moving everyone under a stupid nostalgia spell, Vil’s hardwork would shine through. Neige hadn’t taken everything from him, not just yet.

Vil feels the weight on his shoulders lessen when he looks at you only for it to double when he sees your face.

You were smiling, humming along to the silly melody as your head bobbed up and down.

Even in practice your gaze remained fixed on them, yet with Neige you seemed to feel that infectious, annoying melody and enjoying it?

“What’s wrong? You look pale.”

Had he lost you as well?

“Vil...Vil?”

The first time he had been left speechless was because of you.

“...Nothing. Don’t worry.” he turns his back to Rook, “It’s not worth seeing their performance. I will be in the waiting room.”

Vil walks away, so many thoughts clouding his head as he replays the words you had said to him.

Who the hell cared about his opinion when yours was just as important?

[showf4lls]

ʚ ― WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO!

hey y’all! so i know i’ve been gone for quite a while! i was thinking that, since it’s been so long, maybe i’ll share a little bit about what i’ve been working on! [ they’re mostly like films and longer fanfictions and things like that. also a lot of them involve OCs that i’ve come up with haha. also also, there are probably gonna be a lot of CWs, my writing tends to get kind of ugly haha ]

₊˚꒰: THINGS WE SHOULD

dynamics - ted x barnes (oc ; romantic), chuckle sammy, dream team, SBI genre - angst, fluff, hurt/comfort (kind of?) worldbuilding - hockey au, college au, barnes has trauma, LGBT+ characters content warnings - character trauma, character injury, sexual innuendos, panic attacks, emotional/mental instability, bad self-care, drug & alcohol use (weed), implied/referenced homophobia, implied/referenced transphobia(? tagging just in case), implied/referenced targeted violence, implied/referenced bullying, miscommunication, implied/referenced sexual situations, implied/referenced career-ending injury, hurt/comfort, emotional damage (/lh)

summary

after a nasty history with ice hockey, jamie barnes vowed to never set foot on the ice again. unfortunately, both his roommates are members of his university's club hockey team. one team bonding night later and barnes finds himself being roped in as a co-coach on the team by none other than charismatic ex-hockey star himself, wilbur soot. everything snowballs and barnes ends up finding himself as nothing less than the team's starting center. barnes gets in too deep with his feelings, old skeletons are hauled out of long-sealed closets, and hearts are bruised. can barnes learn how to love again in spite of his ghosts?

**i’m planning on doing spinoff pieces to give people insight into the lives of the other characters!

₊˚꒰: REBEL MORNINGS

dynamics - wilbur x alaska (oc ; romantic), SBI, implied crew boys genre - angst, fluff worldbuilding - college au, neighbor au, enemies to lovers, LGBT+ character content warnings - drug & alcohol use (weed), absent parents, financial instability, robbery, borderline alcoholism, emotional instability, meltdowns, vomit, memory loss (due to alcohol use), implied/referenced homophobia, implied/referenced transphobia, violence, physical fighting, implied/referenced drug dealing, self harmful behavior

summary

wilbur and alaska despise each other. one bad joke and an ongoing series of mailbox mixups, and their relationship is absolutely irreparable. alaska's a lazy, selfish, weed-smoking sociology major with no regard for others. he's way too loud and dramatic -- everything he does is emotionally charged! on top of that, he starts off his days at 5am with a red bull, a blunt, and punk music -- it's absolutely murdered wilbur's morning routine.

and wilbur? god. wilbur is snobby, pretentious. one of those fine art students that seems to think he's the only misunderstood person on the planet. definitely one of those brooding poe fanatic types. he makes fun of alaska's name and doesn't ask before he digs through alaska's mail to find his own. and he definitely thinks he's better than everyone else; alaska can tell by the way his neighbor holds himself, like he's the prettiest wallflower in the room.

but alaska's life takes an unforeseen downward spiral. without being too dramatic, he loses everything. and wilbur, after being asked by some mutual friends, takes pity and steps in to help. walks alaska home from a party where he's too drunk to stand up straight for more than a few seconds. after that night something changes and, a month later, alaska finds himself able to stand on his own two feet again, albeit with wobbly legs. he starts putting his life back together. it's all progress, right? even if he ends up fighting his ex like wilbur explicitly told him not to.

₊˚꒰: UNDER MY WINGS

dynamics - dream x seven (oc ; romantic), SBI, crew boys genre - angst, fluff worldbuilding - MCC au, hunger games au(?) content warnings - corrupt government, temporary character death, major character death (+ respawning mechanics), major character injury, gore, pain, residual pain, trauma, emotional abuse/manipulation, police presence, trauma, flashbacks, PTSD, panic attacks, injections & needles, alcohol & drug use (weed), dystopian society

summary

figuring that the chance he would receive an invitation was slim already, popular entertainer seven decided that he would accept, especially since he’d been the only new candidate for this season of the games. to be nominated alone was an honor, one that he figured he should take up the nox crew’s offer. the blur of events with the media, dinners, and ceremonies fly by and seven finds himself tossed headfirst into the deep end of the minecraft championships, the only event to outscale the olympics. it doesn’t take him long to form some kind of (healthy?) rivalry with the one and only dream, one of the most talented pvpers in his pool of fellow competitors. he’s excited to compete. afterall, someone has to put dream in his place.

₊˚꒰: FIND THE WORLD; series

dynamics - ranboo x barnes (oc ; platonic), allium duo, bench trio genre - angst, fluff?, hurt/comfort worldbuilding - c!dsmp, origins au (there are a lot of worldhopping mechanics involved) content warnings - implied/referenced parental death, food insecurity, near-death experiences, character trauma, dream smp events (canon events in combination with canon divergence), memory loss, manipulation, character injury, major character death, purgatory, manipulation, hurt/comfort, PTSD, healing, flashbacks, stealth characters

summary

brought together by luck as children, barnes and ranboo have a long history of worldhopping together. years of joint struggle and difficulty have brought them closer together despite their polar attitudes. joining the wrong world, ranboo and barnes find themselves trapped in the dream smp with no memory of one another, just a strong, instinctive pull to be close. something within tells them that it's wrong to be around one another; a much larger plot has been written for the both of them. a mystery, a history, a tragedy. it takes five words for ranboo to remember everything. to realize he's been forced to struggle alone. another conflict and ranboo finds himself in limbo with a boy he never thought he'd see again. in an attempt to escape fate, the two of them find themselves in a completely new world - a world of hybrids and monsters and gods and immortals. a world of impossible things.

they settle. make a life for themselves on the side of a mountain, and heal. they're supposed to be there, it seems. no one in this strange little town seems to think much of their presence. they live, fit into the roles they assume they've been given. and they do heal, even if it seems strange to everyone else. share thoughts, take care of one another, grow. when barnes realizes he doesn't fit into ranboo's story anymore, and ranboo in his, he makes a decision.

a mystery, a history, a tragedy.

₊˚꒰: BEST OF

dynamics - ranboo + sapnap duo (platonic); dream team, SBI genre - angst?, character study worldbuilding - MCC au, hunger games au content warnings - corrupt government, major character death (+ respawning mechanics), gore, pain, residual pain, trauma, emotional abuse/manipulation, police presence, trauma, flashbacks, PTSD, injections & needles, alcohol & drug use (weed), dystopian society

summary

when ranboo, a popular streamer, receives an invitation to the monthly minecraft championships, he doesn't think much of it. what's the worst that can happen? in accepting, he forms new friendships, develops skills he never thought he'd need, and discovers the inside of the apparently corrupt entertainment industry. despite creating bonds he's sure will last a lifetime, everyone outside of his championship team has it out for him; fresh blood has been known to result in an easy kill. like leading a lamb to the slaughter. does ranboo have what it takes to come out on top?

[kimberly-spirits13]

Random Characters with Creative/ Designer S/O HC:

Characters: Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Bart Allen, Conner Kent (RSS), Jamie Reyes

Damian Wayne (Fashion Design):

·      You’d started off your career when you were young

·      Your father wasn’t super supportive of everything and said that you were too young to start a business or what have you

·      So, with approval from your mother, you started one behind his back

·      He didn’t know until one day you ended up treading and going viral with a dress you made for a very famous celebrity

·      At that point he couldn’t stop you and was just impressed that you made it for months without him knowing

·      As long as you were keeping up schooling, it would fly

·      You ended up getting to travel the world and go to fashion week

·      More specifically NYFW

·      New York was the big one

·      That’s where you and Damian met

·      He was there for a business trip with Bruce and saw you at one of the shows the girls dragged him to

·      He was immediately infatuated with you and wanted to meet you

·      Thank the heavens he has sisters who wear your clothes to almost every gala

·      They got to go back stage and talk to you which led to you two exchanging numbers and the rest is history

·      When you started dating it was really hectic

·      You had a few kidnapping scares which made him want to break it off especially after you found out about the entire Robin thing

·      Heeeellllllllll no

·      You didn’t let that happen at all

·      Bruce actually commented and said that if you were that stubborn, Damian should probably keep you

·      Fashion week becomes more tiring and you also hate not being able to see Damian as much

·      He comes and visits though to make sure you don’t throw yourself out a window or something lol

·      When it’s over, you guys always take a long vacation to Lake Tahoe in a house Bruce owns on the Nevada side

·      He loves seeing your studio since it’s so organized and colorful

·      You’ve got walls of mood boards and mannequins with unfinished garments everywhere along with a massive soft couch that one of you is always sprawled out on

·      Sometimes he’ll send you pictures of pretty things he thinks you’d might like which ends up being incorporated into something

·      You taught him how to drape and make his own suit so that Alfred can have a day off

·      If anyone has a wardrobe malfunction and you’re around, you’ve got the needle and thread kit on hand at any given moment

·      Some things in the kit come in handy for picking locks too

·      He thinks it’s hilarious if you ever critique something or just call it straight ugly

·      If you’re at a gala and do it it’s even funnier

·      “Omg...”

·      “What is it beloved?”

·      “The drape and hem of that dress is the most preposterous thing I think I have ever seen. The fabric isn’t even the right material or fit for their shape. How rich are these people? And they can’t afford clothes that look decent on them?” You said giving them the famous inspecting side eye, “Also, who wears pearls with double sided sequins and fur?” “They can’t fix everything sweetie.”

·      *intense snickering from Damian*

Tim Drake (Software/ Web Designer):

·      It’s a match made in heaven

·      The two of you meet at a tech conference

·      He thought that you were such an interesting person to talk to and you had offers from places like MIT

·      You got along so well and then he found that you liked coffee like he did

·      Omg

·      He asked you out in the nerdiest way by making you decipher code on your own computer

·      You were kind of mad since you had been doing some other things for some major companies but after reading the message you determined you were fine with it

·      I mean how could you say no

·      Anyways the date when off great and eventually the media caught heavy wind of what was happening

·      You already knew about the Red Robin thing pretty quickly into the relationship though

·      Tim was a genius and you weren’t far behind

·      It was scary how similar you two were

·      From expressions and shared humor and meme taste, it was everything

·      Staying up together was another thing you did

·      Although, after some time one of you would pass out and the other would go to bed too

·      It was like a competition in sorts of who could stay up the longest but at the same time you needed him to sleep

·      The time he felt most betrayed by you was when you replaced his coffee with decaf

·      You guys just sometimes hang out in his bed tangled up in the weirdest way watching vines or weird movies

·      Totally the couple that would watch the worst rated movies just to laugh at them

·      Damian commented on it once and got a tired middle finger from you once

·      It wasn’t the classiest move however you couldn’t care less and Tim laughed his ass off

·      After that Damian seemed to respect you more

·      You guys probably have matching hoodies or something with really funny or obscure culture references

·      Clingy couple but nothing too over dramatic

Bart Allen:

·      Your designs in architecture went down in text books

·      You were famous for some really amazing builds and constructions

·      You started off by building these really insane LEGO sets or doll houses based off of designs in your notebook

·      Your mother still has the models in the attic which is kind of embarrassing when he sees it but he thinks it’s really cool

·      When he came to your time line he knew immediately who you were

·      He also totally came to you and complimented your work plus some additional hinting at what was going to happen pretty soon

·      Bart was there at the rise of your success

·      He basically was your number one fan the entire time

·      He’ll stay up with you as long as he can when you’re working

·      It’s kind of funny seeing that when you’re designing the things you went down in history for you’ll be stuck on something and he’ll just tiredly recommend what he remembers learning

·      You let him look through the designs sometimes but he understands if you don’t really feel comfortable with it

·      He also knows that in order to do all of this, you’re wicked smart

·      When the cave needed remodeling, you were the first person that they called in

·      The League was very glad that you were there and they didn’t have to pull any strings to get anyone different in

·      Plus, you knew what was needed since you were there all of the time

Kon Kent:

·      You got your start writing

·      It was the best thing that you did to relive stress

·      Once your parents saw that you were such an imaginative child, they got you in a ton of art related classes but you liked writing the most

·      Your writings had won awards before but then you wrote a book and it did amazing

·      So now, that’s what you do

·      Kon secretly actually really likes your books and met you at a book signing

·      Nerd

·      He got your number there and then you realized who he was

·      It was kind of funny cause you were both in that moment of realization like

·      Ohhhhh I know who you are.... kinda thing

·      He finds it hilarious that sometimes you’re just all over the place

·      When doing research your room isn’t terrible messy, it’s just piles and piles of notes and articles

·      You also probably have an expansive collection of literature yourself ranging from all genres

·      You don’t really like him to proof the book, however if you have an idea for something he’s all ears

·      Coffee dates to strange hole in the wall joints

·      Clark really likes you and finds your humor funny in the sense that it’s close to Bruce’s

·      Both very sarcastic and dry

·      Lex is just glad that his son found someone with an intellect

·      You don’t really like Lex though

·      That’s because you hear everything that Kon has to say about him

·      Although, without giving the man too much credit, the charade that he plays on the daily in quite impressive

·      You will never admit it however

·      Ma and Pa love you

·      So does Lois

·      You get along because of the writing

·      Sometimes Kon will just take you to some random part of the world if you need inspiration

·      “Hey wanna fly to Morocco?”

·      “Why not?”

·      You make a day trip out of it but if it’s a long one you’ll stay longer

·      Short distance he’ll fly you himself but overseas or something, he takes one of Lex’s jets

·      He likes to tease you sometimes but will take it easy during the editing phase

·      Those aren’t fun at alllll

·      You get cranky sometimes during that and he just backs off lol

·      He will make you sleep though

·      He doesn’t want you turning into Tim or anything for an extended amount of time

·      Nope

·      Not doing it

Jamie Reyes:

·      The team didn’t know anything about your job as an artist

·      You were internationally revered

·      No one knew of your job but for the boy wonder who saw the paint in your hair

·      Once the team did know however, everyone was amazed

·      You and Jamie were already dating by then though

·      He was always impressed with what you did

·      Laughed when you were covered in paint

·      He lets you paint or draw on his hand

·      You both have matching hoodies or jackets from your clothing line or merch that you painted

·      If you have a YouTube channel, he’s in some of the videos

·      Scarab notes that you have a more creative personality which Jamie responds to with a sarcastic remark

·      Your clothes are partly covered in paint

·      He’ll go to every show

·      During the Reach thing you still stayed with him

I have more parts of the Damian Wayne x reader story coming and also requests but I’m just getting into school which is my priority so that’s why I’ve been a bit more inactive. Anyways I hope you liked this one and I can’t wait to put out more 

[artpastmidnight]

OOH dawn, thursday, and april 💖

aaaaaaaaaaah jamie my beloved🥰 thank u for sending these to me! i hope you’re doing well!

Dawn: what never fails to make you smile? there are a few videos/posts that i cackle at every time i see: the twilight projector post this post roasting zemo’s pronunciation of the winter soldier’s activation words this scene in barry that @billhater giffed for me 💖 this 30second video of bill hader snort-laughing scott seiss’s retail tiktok compilation vid the rollercoaster ride passing out w/ windows startup/shutdown sounds my favorite america’s funniest videos vid where i cried laughing and, all my screenshots of people’s kind words, funny/observative tags, and letters i’ve saved over the years

Thursday: if you were a God, what would you be the God of? Anxiety, Nightmares & Over-preparedness 

April: favorite poem or quote. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”—Leo Buscaglia “All it takes is 20 SECONDS OF INSANE COURAGE and great things will happen. I Promise!” —Benjamin Mee, We Bought A Zoo “Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.” —Alan Cohen “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” —Cesar Cruz “Be the adult you needed as a child.” —Jose Bravo “When you are hugging a child, always be the last one to let go. You never know how long they need it.” —Retired Disney Princess (one of the first Snow Whites) “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou “It is not an Artist’s job to please anyone, but to bravely do the work that they are most compelled to do. It’s the public’s job to bravely seek out and appreciate the work that resonates with them.” —Steve Peters (musician) “You had to be that person to become this one.”—Rupi Kaur

i have a favorite quotes tag on this blog if you’re interested :) Thank you for asking!!!

Ask Meme: Time Edition PLEASE send me an ask :)

[c-estmabiologie]

nine terrible cups of tea (and at least one equally terrible cup of coffee) | the haunting of bly manor fic

Dani tries to master the art of making a proper cup of tea. It goes just about as well as you'd expect. (1987 - 1994)

Also on AO3!

One

“Really you could just throw a tea bag into your mug, pour some water on top, and call it a tea. But we’re better than that.”

Dani isn’t convinced but she tries her best to follow the steps as Jamie patiently describes them. She talks about making tea with the casual confidence of someone who believes that Dani can will a good cup of tea to exist. As if this isn’t the first time that she has tried to hold Dani’s hand through the process. Dani’s pretty sure it won’t be the last time either, but she tries to wield some of Jamie’s confidence as her own.

“If you want to be really proper, you can even warm the pot first with some hot water from the kettle and, you know, just dump it down the sink.”

Dani swirls the hot water around inside her teapot, feels it warm under her palms. It’s nice. Wasteful, but nice.

“What does this do?”

“No idea. Somebody probably decided that it makes the tea taste better.”

“Okay,” She drops two teabags in. One for herself, and one for the pot, according to Jamie who’s not leaving tea totally up to chance and Dani’s efforts; her arm is soft and cool against Dani’s as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder at their kitchen counter, each with their own pot of steeping tea.

“Now here’s where you might make a mortal enemy of a Brit: adding milk to your cup before or after the tea.”

“Does it have to have milk?” Dani asks, thinking Aren’t there people who drink their black tea black, like coffee? That’s a thing, right?

Dani can feel Jamie twitching a smirk beside her without having to look.

“It has milk if you’re making English tea.”

She remembers the looks she got from Hannah and Owen and even the children whenever she’d made an attempt at tea. She can’t remember when she’d added the milk. Jamie, for sure, must be exaggerating the offense.

"But which one’s the right way?”

“Hmm? Oh, I don’t really care as long as it’s the right amount of milk.” Dani realizes that Jamie’s already gone ahead and poured her own cup without her, milk and all, and she’s missed it. She pours her own tea and splashes in milk until its colour matches the tea in Jamie’s cup.

They look the same to Dani.

“Alright,” Jamie says, “let’s have a taste shall we?”

They taste the same to Dani, but Jamie’s brow furrows just a little as she takes the cup away from her lips. And then she starts laughing.

“Okay, how is that possible? We did the exact same thing!” Dani takes another sip from her own cup to prove her point. It tastes fine! It’s tea!

“I really have no idea, Dani,” Jamie’s still laughing. “You’re just shite at making tea.”

Two

Jamie's been trying to relax with a book in the bedroom when she hears the beeping coming from another room. Just three little beeps, then nothing. A minute later, the three beeps chirp through her focus again.

When it happens a third time, she finally puts down the book to shout.

“What is that?”

“What’s what?” comes Dani’s reply from across the apartment. Then the beeps make themselves known once more.

Then: “Oh. It’s the microwave. I got distracted.”

Owen had bought them a microwave as a housewarming gift. It was a convection microwave, he’d told them proudly, which apparently made it special because you could microwave your food on a metal tray if you wanted. The idea was that they could warm up their takeaway faster, or cook frozen dinners (Owen’s very generous way of chiding them for both being awful cooks). Jamie hated it. It was big and ugly and had faux-wood paneling on the side. She’d rather stick to making burned stews on the stovetop.

Dani appears in the doorway with a mug in each hand. She holds out one mug to Jamie.

“I made you tea.”

“What, in the microwave?”

Dani shrugs and sips from her mug.

“No.”

“It’s fine—”

“Absolutely not.”

Three

It’s a quiet-ish day at The Leafling and, to be honest, Dani is sort of enjoying the peace of arranging flower displays and curling ribbons. The sun is warm through the windows.

Jamie is laid up in bed with some sort of cold. She’s being a surprisingly big baby about it, too, Dani is surprised to realize. Her wife doesn’t like it when she can’t be useful.

Speaking of certain wives who shouldn’t be up, Dani can hear steps coming down the stairwell that connects the shop to their apartment. The shop’s back door pushes open a moment later and Jamie appears with jacket on and her curls stuff up into a hat. She’s pale and her nose is pink and tender-looking around the nostrils.

“What are you doing down here?” Dani demands in her most teacherly voice, but Jamie clearly has plans to go out, not back upstairs.

Jamie’s voice is raspy and hoarse.

“I need to go out to the shops and get some more milk. Ours is off.”

“I had some in my cereal this morning and it was fine.”

Jamie coughs into her collar.

“The date on it’s fine. But I add it to my tea and it’s curdled.”

“Oh.” Dani’d left the tea steeping for her before she’d come downstairs.

Then: “It’s probably the lemon doing that. In your tea, I mean.”

“There’s lemon in my tea?”

Dani nods. “There’s honey in it, too. It’s supposed to help with your sore throat.’

Jamie sighs, then sniffles, then seems to deflate a little.

“I’m gonna be honest: it sounds absolutely disgusting.”

But Dani insists that she at least give it a try (without milk), that it will make her feel better (it does, a little, admittedly), and that, who knows, she might like it (she does not).

Four

Summer heat hits hard, and The Leafling doesn’t have air conditioning. The ceiling fans do nothing more than push hot air around the shop. The plants slump in their pots (which annoys Jamie), and fat houseflies keep finding their way indoors, only to bang themselves relentlessly against the windows until they fall dead on the sills (which annoys Dani). Everything is slightly damp with sweat or condensation.

“This is something my ex-almost mother-in-law used to make,” Dani says, stirring the ice around in the pitcher with a wooden spoon.

“You know there’s probably a less complicated way to say ‘ex-almost mother-in-law’.” Jamie says. Her hair is sticking to her neck, and her gardening gloves feel like they’re being peeled off of her skin as she takes them off.

“She used to make it for my, you know, Eddie and me in the summer when we were kids,” Dani hesitated. “I don’t know. It just always reminds me of the best parts of summer.”

But when she looks up Jamie has a glass and is holding it against her cheek.

“You know,” she says, “I do know what iced tea is. It’s not exactly a foreign concept.”

Jamie is thoughtful as she drinks the tea slowly.

“So,” she says finally. “This is what makes Poppins think of summer.

“It’s kind of a funny taste isn’t it? Cold tea on purpose.”

Jamie gets up and pulls Dani into a hug that’s nice, but not altogether pleasant — their skin clings together and comes apart audibly in the heat and they both smell very strongly of themselves.

“Thank you for sharing it with me,” Jamie says into her shoulder.

“I’m going to go upstairs and put the kettle on.”

Five

“What is it?”

The gift sits on their kitchen counter, out of place and mysterious with its glass-and-stainless steel modernity next to their wooden cutting boards, cluttered and kind of oily spicy jars, and that obnoxious faux-wood panelled microwave.

“Owen says it’s a French press. He was really excited about some Danish company. Said it’s apparently great for beginners.”

Jamie makes a note to herself to somehow ask Owen to stop giving them gifts for their kitchen.

“I didn’t think Owen drank coffee.”

Dani looks thoughtful, “I don’t think he does.”

Owen’s gift doesn’t come with instructions, and neither one of them wants to ring Owen up to ask for help. Dani takes charge, grinding the coffee beans (which Owen had also generously provided) in the spice grinder… and then washing out the grinder and starting again when Jamie points out that the fresh grounds reek of coriander.

They aren’t sure if they’re supposed to give it all a stir once the water’s been added. Or when to press the plunger. Or how long it’s supposed to sit. Their first attempt produces faintly coffee-flavoured water. Their second, a grainy, chewable mess.

The French press gets relegated to a high shelf above the stove, behind a fern. Eventually it will pinch-hit as a flower pot and Dani will love how the glass reveals the root systems buried in the soil.  

Six

“This tea tastes weird.”

It’s Dani who says it.

Jamie looks up from the arrangement she’s been working on. It’s wedding season and The Leafling has been swamped with orders for bouquets and table arrangements. Jamie’s been going back and forth on this particular order all week with a bride who seems unhappy no matter how precisely she tries to follow the bride’s vision. Frankly, it’s been pissing her off (the last time she’d come in and rejected Jamie’s work, Dani had sensibly stepped in to take over the conversation before Jamie could get their shop shut down for punching a customer).

“Are you sure you didn’t accidentally drink vase water?”

She picks up her own cup and takes a sip. The milk must have been added too soon and seized up the brewing. The tea tastes like nothing. Dani is watching her.

“Yeah, this is pretty bad.”

Dani says nothing.

“Oh shut up. I’m allowed to have off days, too, you know.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Dani says, but she’s smiling.

Seven

Jamie somehow manages to drink vase water.

Neither of them can explain how it got into her tea cup or where her actual tea had gone.

Eight

“Hey.”

The word is spoken into Jamie’s hairline and followed with a kiss. She smiles, half-awake, and reaches to pull Dani to her so she can kiss her properly. Her hand jostles a tray and something makes a precarious, jangling sound.

“What’s this?” she rubs at her eyes. It’s still mostly dark in the room.

“You’re up early.”

Dani’s at the side of their bed with a serving tray. She’s barefoot, still in her pyjamas and, from what Jamie can tell, still pretty sleepy herself.

"What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion.” Dani places the tray on the bed and climbs in next to Jamie slowly, careful not to tip anything on the tray.

"I just thought it would be nice to have the morning together. I bought scones.” Dani warps her voice around the word in a way that is definitely not the American pronunciation, but just as definitely not a passable approximation of Jamie’s accent. As Dani hopes it would, it makes Jamie smile.

“I see that. Scones.”

“Mm-hmm. And biscuits,” Dani never could manage that one without the secret sort of laugh that says that the Rich Tea biscuit that she’s picking up off a plate will only ever be a cookie to her.

It’s all lovely. The biscuits, the morning, Dani: lovely.

And then, of course, there is the matter of the tea.

A few problems that meet Jamie immediately as she takes a tentative sip. First, it’s cold. Second, even with what looks like an alright amount of milk (Jamie notes that Dani’s been getting better on this front)...it’s bracingly bitter.

She bravely takes another sip to avoid spoiling the otherwise perfectly cozy moment. Something solid dislodges itself from the bottom of her cup and hits her wetly on the nose. Jamie can’t help but splutter a little, and the thing plops back into the cup. It’s the tea bag.

“Uh, Dani?” Jamie realizes that she’s poking a bruise a little here, and Dani looks so happy next to her, breaking off pieces of scone with her fingers.

“How long was the tea left sitting?”

Dani’s brow furrows.

“I’m not sure how early you wake up these days,” she says. “I may have made it… a while ago. Is it okay?”

Jamie gently places the cup back onto the tray.

“It’s just a little on the cool side, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Dani tests the side of her cup with the back of my hand, as if to memorize what a little on the cool side means to Jamie.  

“I can just warm it up in the microw—”

“ No. Let’s just enjoy our morning.”

Nine

“Does anyone who drinks this stuff actually enjoy it?”

They’re in bed, limb flung loosely over limb. On the TV screen, a woman sits tensely under a tree while another sticks her bare arm right into a beehive. Bees swarm up her sleeves and into her undone braid.

“I think it’s pretty nice,” Dani says, “It’s peppermint. It’s supposed to be relaxing.”

Jamie curls up against Dani’s chest. She cradles her cup between them, more for its warmth than for any interest in drinking it.

“It tastes like hot toothpaste.”

On the screen, the bee charmer has returned with a mason jar full of honey. She invites the other woman to have a taste.

“Do you think they’re gonna get together?” Dani says. Jamie considers the scene for a few seconds.

“Yeah. But it’s a little weird to go after your dead brother’s fiancée like that isn’t it?”

Her own mug empty on the bedside table, Dani picks up Jamie’s abandoned tea. It’s still warm and it’s left a warm spot on the blankets between them.

“I guess it’s a little weird. I still want them to get together.”

Jamie makes a sound that might be agreement, but her eyes are drifting closed.

She’ll fall asleep before the movie’s over. Dani will fill her in on the details she’s missed over breakfast, before they have to return the tape to the video store.

Ten

“It’s so nice to have someone cook for me for a change,” Owen says, pleasantly. It’s not often that he’s been able to come around to their place over the years (and lately it’s become even less often).

“You’ve always done so much for us,” Dani calls from the kitchen. Something clatters loudly into the sink. “We just want to return the favour.”

Owen glances at Jamie, who confirms with a nod that it was, of course, Dani who had had such a thoughtful idea.

“I’m just nervous to serve dinner to the accomplished chef and restaurateur Owen Sharma,” Jamie says. “I’ll have you know that if it were my idea, I’d have just gotten takeaway and arranged it artfully onto plates. Real plates, of course. Nothing but the best for our Owen.”

Dani comes in then with a tray and busies herself with setting up the table. Jamie clears away the half-melted candles and clutter to make room.

“I thought we could have some tea before dinner.”

The hesitation that hangs in the air is palpable mist off a pond.

Owen clears his throat and politely reaches for a cup.

“Did you make it, Dani?”

“She’s been practicing,” Jamie says, drawing one knee up to her chest and reaching over to get a cup for herself.

“She says I’m not allowed to be a judge anymore. Says I’m biased against her, but really my tastebuds are probably shot. So, you are her lucky new victim.”

They toast to friendships and loves that are never truly lost and gamely drink Dani’s latest attempt at a proper cup of tea.

“You know what,” Owen says after a moment. “It’s not that bad.”

“Really?”

“You hear that, Poppins?” Jamie says, with another half toast of her cup. “You did it.”

“Really?” Dani says again. She takes her own sip, searching the taste for what might have made this brew remarkable. It just tastes like tea to her.

“It’s good?”

Owen and Jamie both make non-committal sounds, but neither do they abandon their drinks.

“It’s not the most amazing tea I’ve ever had,” Jamie admits. “But it’s absolutely, absolutely a decent cup of tea.”

“You know what?” Dani says, “I’ll take it.”

[beerecordings]

oh my gosh i got inspired by this beautiful piece (okay wait never mind i can’t get it to link to the art for some reason? but i just reblogged it a minute ago and it’s a music box with Jamie in it. i will try to link it again later) by @scootidedoop and now i want to talk about a music box JJ

Marvin or Anti trapped him in the little music box for months using a spell. when you wound the box up, music would play and JJ’s little five inch body would dance

he couldn’t move of his own accord but he was still conscious, so he retreated to his head and pretended he was acting or carving pumpkins or running a puppet show. to this day he can space out really, really hard, dissociating from everything, something not coming back to reality for long hours or days

he can’t vocalize but he always hears his music in his head and thinks of it as a part of himself. he can play it on the violin. it is very sad and there’s something a little not right about it, something a little disturbed - it can give you shivers or make you cry. Jameson rarely plays it for anyone. usually he keeps it in his head unless he’s really sad

he’s very scared of boxes and small spaces now. he used to be a good swing dancer and ballerino but he hates it now and doesn’t even like to watch over people dance.

he’s a quiet person in every sense of the world and for a long time after getting free he just retreats to his room and sits quietly, rocking himself, listening to his music in his head

he keeps himself neat as a doll whenever he can, but sometimes he has breakdowns and purposefully lets himself look sloppy and ugly and messy so he doesn’t have to pretend to be anybody’s little dancer

nervous next to tall people, wishes he was bigger, still has nightmares about somebody being able to pick up and crush his little wooden body

sometimes when he’s afraid he just goes stiff as a board and can’t move even if he wanted to, stuck in a dancing pose

never cries, though. he just stopped emoting like that because the little puppet body couldn’t do it. sometimes he struggles to do things like smile and frown and even just move his eyes too.

tiny bit out of his mind but honestly impressive how well he keeps it together. he could have lost his mind entirely, frozen for that long

he used to sit on Anti’s desk or get shoved in his backpack. Anti liked for him to see the horrible things he did and for the other egos to see the curse that had been placed on their little brother

after they got him back, it took them several days to remove the curse, and JJ was just sitting there on the coffee table, tiny and motionless, dancing when they wound him up, frozen stiff as they tried to comfort him and cried for him and held him. Henrik thought this was all so insane he nearly smashed him to bring his brothers out of what seemed like a hysterical attempt at insisting JJ was alive. afterwards he was really guilty and became uncharacteristically over-protective of Jay

he had a really hard time coming back to reality but he’s unspeakably relieved to be human again and he’s very touchy-feely now because he missed things like being hugged and touched and being able to show your love to people. he loves comforting things like big warm clothes and good food and people to hold onto

quiet, shy, thoughtful and sweet young guy, but he’s been through so much that he hardly signs at all anymore and sometimes the grief and the hurt rolling off him is so big and painful even his brothers struggle to offer any comfort. he’s just very resigned and seems to expect that one day he’ll be back in that little music box again, spinning and spinning while his music plays and plays, wound up for everybody’s entertainment.

[baroquebucky]

chemistry

part 1

A/N: okay so this is the first real part of my new series :D let me know what you guys think <3 it’s kinda slow but i promise it’ll get better !!!! also i know there’s like not much about the schools programs in the movie but just imagine that they have a vet program lmao thank u :-)

You shuffled around your backpack looking for your dialectical journal, quickly scribbling your name on it and handing it to your AP lang teacher with a smile as she collected them.

“i hope you enjoy midtown tech ms. Parks” she smiled at you and you gave her a soft thank you as the bell rang. You gathered your things and swung your backpack over your shoulder, heading to the area sami had pointed for you to wait for her earlier that morning.

As you looked over the sea of people you saw the unfamiliar yet familiar curly brown hair you had set your eyes on earlier, you glanced at his face and quickly checked him out as he walked through the halls, weaving through the many teens talking and crowding the halls. Before you could fall head over heels for the stranger you saw sami walking quickly your way, eager to see what you had thought so far.

“i mean yeah it’s pretty good so far, nothing much has happened” you smiled biting into your pizza, half paying attention to what your friend was saying and half glancing to see if the curly stranger had A lunch too.

“okay either you’re thinking about something much more important or suddenly you think my analysis of parks and rec is boring” sami spoke, looking at you with such seriousness you let out a small laugh.

“you know i love your episode by episode review sam” you smiled, sipping your water and hoping to avoid the subject of a crush with sami, because once she envisioned a pair of people together, not even the national guard could stop her.

“I know you do, so why weren’t you paying attention to it” she spoke, quirking her eyebrow out as you leaned your head back and groaned at her persistence. “I just saw this cute boy and i just can’t get him off my mind it’s nothing” you shrugged, shoving a spoonful of your fruit cup in your mouth.

“oh my god y/n finally i can get some work done!” She shouted causing you to choke at her sudden outburst. You swapped the fruit quickly and began coughing, immediately downing water and starting to laugh.

“jesus christ sami i almost choked calm down” you laughed as she pulled her phone out and went to Instagram. “What’s his name?” She asked not even looking up at you and you rolled your eyes.

“I don’t know i just saw him for like three seconds before you blocked my view of him” you smirked at her, knowing he dreams of playing matchmaker were gone. “I’ll find him, what kind of hair did he have? What was he wearing?” She asked quickly.

“uh curly hair, brown curly hair and brown eyes, a grey jacket i think” you shrugged finishing your lunch before throwing it away and sitting back down. Sami groaned as you gave her your vague answers. “I’ll find him” she mumbled as you both walked out of the cafeteria.

You looked at your wrinkled paper, searching the halls for your 4th period, art. You found the art room after taking two wrong turns and having to walk the entirety of the second floor because you were too scared to turn around.

“For your first art project of the year i want you guys to draw or paint a place you like, it can be your home, a safe space or just somewhere in the world” the teacher spoke, explaining the project that would ease you into the year.

As the bell rang once more you headed to an outside building for your small animal management class, then you headed back inside for your pre calculus class. You sighed walking through the halls, pulling out your wrinkled schedule once more and walking downstrairs again to look for your AP chemistry class.

You scanned the walls for the matching room number and you were met with your new chemistry teacher as you approached the door.

“hi what’s your name?” She smiled at you holding out a clipboard. “Y/N parks” you smiled at her, fiddling with your lanyard. “Ah yes, go ahead and sit wherever you’d like, i don’t have a seating chart yet” you thanked her and took a seat near the middle of the class.

You watched as more kids pounded into the room, your eyes searching for Sami, you were giddy just thinking about having a class with her. You smiled widely as she walked into the room, taking a seat beside you.

You were so engrossed in your conversation you didn’t see the boy with the brown curls walk in. The teacher closed the door and smiled at the class, welcoming you all and giving you a syllabus. That’s when you saw him.

Four columns over and two seats ahead of you, sat the cute boy with the curly hair you had been thinking of all day. “That’s him!” You whispered to sami as you unsubtly pointed in the boys direction as you took out an empty spiral notebook. “Oh my god that’s peter parker! You have a crush on him?” Sami laughed a little and you blushed.

“I mean look at him he’s so cute! And he must be smart, i mean AP chem isn’t for everyone” you smiled, wanting to get sami off your case. She only shrugged and put the syllabus you handed her into her binder. As the class ended you and sami both walked out, heading to your final class which you had together as well, orchestra.

It didn’t take you long to realize that peter and his friend, Ned, were walking behind you two, talking about something in Star Wars. “sami hes behind us holy shit” you whispered, smiling widely at your friend, following her to the orchestra room.

“Oh yeah i forgot to mention he’s in band!” She scoffed, mumbling under her breath a little. “hey bands not so bad! they’re pretty good and guard is amazing” You huffed, furrowing your eyebrows and pushing your friend slightly.

“look just because you almost did color guard your freshman year doesn’t mean you have to defend marching band” she laughed as you rolled your eyes.

“it’s fun okay!” You defended yourself laughing at her mock annoyance of you.

As you walked down the strairs you noticed how peter and Ned took the elevator down, you shrugged it off and continued your way into the orchestra room. You told the teacher you played bass, she quickly assigned an instrument for school and one to take home and got you the music you were missing.

The final bell of the day rang and you packed your stuff up. Getting ready to call your best friend back home and tell her all that had happened today.

You and sami walked out of school, waving bye to her as she entered her moms car. “You sure you don’t want a ride?” She asked for the fifth time and you laughed.

“Yes I’m sure, I’ll take the train I’ll be fine” you smiled and said goodbye one last time, hopping on the train and quickly finding a seat, texting your best friends back home of today’s events.

-

“Ned she was so pretty! Like oh my god, her hair! and during class she said ‘that’s him!’ Oh my god she’s so cute” peter spoke to his best friend, an extra bounce in his step as they made their way to the train station.

“you know it’s unfair you use your senses to find out who likes you but you call it cheating when i want you to see if the girl from 5th period likes me, or that girl in the tuba section!” Ned scoffed throwing his hands up as peter ugly laughed softly.

“listen dude, i just think i might have a real shot with her, i just have to find a way to talk to her you know?” Peter spoke, hopping on the train with his friend, ending the conversation about girls and starting the one about building the new LEGO set he got over the weekend.

As he got down from the train with Ned it didn’t take him long to spot you, his heart racing a little faster as he saw you talking on the phone, a smile on your face.

“wait Ned shut up!” Peter spoke quickly, rushing to move closer to you. He focused his senses to hear your voice amongst the crowded train station.

“i mean yeah it’s pretty nice here, i have to take the train so that’s pretty fun, also there’s this really cute guy i saw, i have chemistry with him- no dumbass the class” you laughed.

Peters heart rate sped up as he heard you talking, were you talking about him? I mean that one football player was sitting next to him, maybe you were pointing at him. He focused once more to see if maybe, just maybe you would drop another hint.

“- yeah no way bro, i think he does sports” you spoke, going up the stairs. Peters small smile fell from his face and Ned watched intently.

“what did she say?” He quickly asked, peter sighed. “I think she was talking about charles, she said she thought he did sports, we both know I’m not the sport type” peter spoke, clutching the strap of his backpack tightly as the two headed to his apartment.

Ned put his hand reassuringly on peter shoulder, “dont man, I’m sure if it’s meant to be, fate will pull you two together” he smiled and peter looked at him.

“dude that was so wise” he smiled, Ned only winked at him in return, causing both of them to burst out laughing.

-

The next day came quickly for you, and before you knew it you were walking into AP chemistry again, heart racing as you anticipated the new seating chart.

“please for the love of any higher force put me next to the cute peter kid” you whispered, taking the seat you sat in the day before. Sami soon walked in with a smirk on her face, that immediately set off alarms in your mind.

“oh god what did you do” you spoke worried.

“oh no not me, fate” she winked before turning to face the front, peter rushing in as the bell rang and taking a seat.

“okay as you know we will have a seating chart so if you will all please line up,” Ms. Patrick spoke, naming off kids, it wasn’t until 9 kids in that you realized he was going alphabetically.

“Mr. Parker you’ll be behind Jamie” she spoke, peter stumbled as he made his way to the seat and you smiled softly at his awkwardness.

“Ms. Parks you’ll be next to peter” the teacher spoke, continuing to name out the list. You however, cough as you choke on your spit, walking to your seat with a flushed face, not wanting to look at the boy next to you.

You quickly gulped down your water, not wanting attention drawn to yourself, even though yesterday you would’ve pounced on the boy sitting next to you.

“are- are you okay?” He whispered, causing your face to turn a deeper red.

“me? Yeah I’m fine I’m really good why?” You spoke quickly, fiddling with your pencil as the teacher gave instructions on how to set the notebook up.

“you just look really nervous, don’t worry, i don’t bite” he smiled at you and you felt your heart skip a beat, Jesus his smile is so cute.

You returned his smile and quickly looked down at your notebook, cutting the small slips of paper and gluing then into the first page.

“okay write your names on the front of the notebook and then I’ll hand out your homework” the teacher spoke, handing out sharpies.

You looked at peter, seeing how his brow furrowed just a bit when he was taking notes. He glanced up and you quickly looked forward, heart racing at the thought of him knowing you snuck glances at him.

“y/n?” He asked and you looked at him quickly, face slightly red, scared he had caught you staring. “the sharpie” he spoke and you laughed, facepalming yourself mentally.

“oh yeah- uh thanks” you spoke clearing your throat, then you realized, your front cover is black.

“where the hell do i write my name” you whispered, looking to see if there was another colored sharpie.

“you can- you could write it on the inside” peter spoke, leaning over to flip your notebook cover. He smiled brightly at you and you returned it.

“oh yeah, duh, you’re smart” you smiled, chuckling softly as you write your name before handing the sharpie to the girl infront of you.

Peter watched as you wrote your name down, falling in love with the way you wrote your name, how would it look if you wrote his name down? He smiled at the way you looked taking notes, thinking the way you bit your bottom lip slightly made you look cute.

Peter blushed when he felt your eyes on him, he knew exactly how fast your heart rate became when he looked up and you thought he had caught you. Technically, he knew so you were caught, but you didn’t know that, and the way you smiled at him when he wasn’t looking made him swear he wouldn’t let you know he knew.

Suddenly, AP chemistry became your favorite class, and not because of the subject.

Peter realized that AP chemistry was all he looked forward to, because the pretty girl somehow ended up next to him. And then he smiled at himself as he swung through the streets of Queens, maybe it was fate.

part 2

[ficclique]

Fic Clique hosts choices for our top fics of the decade - as featured in our Minisode from Jan 3rd. 

Brenna’s choices: 

Honorable Mentions: 

Worldwide Lonesome by loindexter (BTS) 

2018, 39k, Yoongi/Jin 

The biggest gut-punch I’ve ever felt from a character confession. The Jin of this fic has stuck with me every day since reading it. This fic examines sexuality in a way that made me feel seen & I love that.

Timeshare by Astolat (HP) 

2016, 14k, Draco/Harry 

This is sort of a stand-in for all of astolat’s drarry fic, which as a bundle are one of my top fics for the decade. They are fics that feel like instant-classics and the variety of characterizations, stories and tropes helped establish astolat as perhaps my all time favorite fic author. Timeshare won out above the others because it’s one of the fics that helped us decide to do this podcast! Thank you Timeshare! 

Top 5 picks: 

The Student Prince, by Fayjay (Merlin)

2010, 145k, Merlin/Arthur

A fic that has defined fanfiction for me. Perhaps the fic that first convinced me to love fanfiction. Something I keep coming back to and have reread numerous times. Funny, heartfelt, just different enough from the canon versions of characters. Perhaps the only University AU I will ever fully love. 

The Love Song of the North American Douchebag, by Gyzym (Star Trek RPF)

2013, 25k, Chris/Zach

If you want to hear me (and my lovely co-hosts) discuss this fic in depth, then I recommend listening to Episode 6! However, one of our listeners also submitted this as a top fic of the decade, so I’m going to add what the lovely Scout said: 

“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, I HOPE I CAN SWEAR. I'm not even in this fandom. The world building is just THAT good. It's one of my highlights *because* of its power to draw me in as a standalone. So much fucking talent in the transformative work community. The banter, characterization, sardonic-ness of this – international impact baby!”

Not Easily Conquered (series), by dropdeaddream & whatarefears (MCU)

2015, 117k, Steve/Bucky 

An incredibly, precise, gut-wrenching trilogy. Each part is astounding both together and apart. A devastating exploration of love and dedication. One of those fics that created a Fandom Moment. I sobbed through the entirety of part 2 when I first read it. Womb to tomb, sweetheart. 

Azoth by zeitgeistic (HP)

2013, 88k, Draco/Harry 

A stunning exploration of magic beyond JKR’s universe. A timeless coming together of two characters. A frankly genius use of a plot device (and something as simple as a school project) to foster an incredibly touching and meaningful relationship, one in which they are not able to find what they need to complete their task until they find what they need in each other.  ALCHEMY BABY! 

Honeysuckle Arch by junkshopdisco (1d) 

2015, 46k, Niall/Harry 

Perhaps the most I’ve ever related to a character in fic. The Niall of this fic lives in my heart, and I feel like reading him helps me understand myself, and everytime I come back to it I understand him better too. It’s a touching portrayal of a character coming to terms with their sexuality in a way that feels completely grounded and who is surrounded by characters who love them, even if they don’t always know how to show it. 

Nicole’s choices: 

Honorable Mentions: 

Protostellar by ninamondays 

bts, 64k, pub 2019, Namjoon/Jungkook & Taehyung/Jimin

Space, cryogenics, fate, reincarnation, class struggles, revolution, climate change, character death. Having hope is punk rock. Processing grief is a slow and ugly process. [deep breath] Have I ever felt so profoundly touched by a fic while I was reading it?

the other thing by cornfields 

hockey rpf, 16k, pub 2015, Jamie/Tyler

An absolutely unflinching look at personal accountability and internalized homophobia. What happens when your self-hatred has collateral damage? It’s about healing but it’ll fucking hurt first. Bleached out vibes. Makes texas feel very big, and the world feel very, very small. A story I’d only trust a fic author to tell.

Top 5 picks: 

Murmuration by fringecity (indiachick) 

bts, 167k, pub 2018, Yoongi/Jimin/Taehyung

Film noir/murder mystery meets gritty sci fi and superpowers. Everyone is morally gray. You Will sob about Kim Taehyung. A masterclass in plot. Felt like a trilogy all wrapped tightly into one fic. A kaleidoscope. An unfurling. This fic mesmerizes.

The River and the Deep Green Bend by liquidmeasure 

1d, 70k, pub 2016, Harry/Niall

Dark tower au, but only technically. Makes me want to believe in the multiverse. An arid western, a sideways coming of age story, an elegy. The first time I’ve ever cried because an ending was perfect.

the undiscovered country by indigostohelit

hamlet, 56k, pub 2014, Hamlet/Horatio

What else can I say about this fic. What else can I Fucking say.

(note: we discuss this fic at length during episode 5) 

All Things Shining by Askance and standbyme

spn, 142k, pub 2013, Dean/Castiel & Sam/ofc

A story about miracles. Literary as hell, with long luxuriant scenes that never drag. Masterful characterization. The thing I wanted from spn fic—connection, plot, and a fic that not only can handle the lore of the show, but is willing to expand upon it.

Who Painted the Moon Black by throughthedark

1d, 95k, pub 2013, Louis/Harry

Hunger games crossover. Doesn’t just use the other fandom for setting, but entirely inhabits it. I had to stop partway through my reread because I knew I’d have nightmares, but this fic never stops hoping. Trauma is not an ending. This fic is certain of that the whole way through.

Reid’s Choices: 

Honorable Mentions: 

songs from the ash, by explosivesky, 2017

Critical Role, Percy/Vex, Keyleth/Vax, 54k, WIP (sort of)

rockstar/movie star AU 

A fantastic example of how fic can just standalone as really good original fiction. A lovingly rendered, devastating and beautifully crafted portrait of four broken people doing their best to navigate through their lives and around one another. 

delta, by sharpa, 2019

BTS, rapline ot3, 60k

What happens when you’re a public figure who gets unwillingly outed, and two people you used to love reach out to offer you sanctuary? You make Reid cry, that’s what. 

Top 5 picks: 

Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl, 2013

Harry Potter, drarry, 60k

Immediately post war, bond

It represents a lot of what I was looking for when I started really getting into Drarry fic, which was an exploration of what canon wouldn’t give me. My favorite Drarry fics have always been the ones that let them dig into their shared trauma, and while this fic isn’t the heaviest one I’ve read, I think the fact that it’s set literally hours after the Battle of Hogwarts ends lends itself well to that concept. I couldn’t have a list of the decade without a Drarry fic, tbh.

The Great Sealand Takeover, by whalehuntingboyfriends, 2015

Roosterteeth/Achievement Hunter RPF, ot6 (gavin, michael, ray, geoff, ryan, jack), 365k

FAHC

When I think about fics that set the standard for a fandom, this is one of the first ones that comes to mind. This fic means a lot to me because it was my introduction to RPF, and in addition to its intricate plot and fandom-constructed lore, also was a take on poly relationships and found families in a way I had never experienced before, with themes of belonging and a love that transcends typical convention.

The Twice-Told Tale by arysteia, 2012

Marvel, steve/tony, 15k

This fic hits a sweet spot for me where it does have some of that 2012 tower-fic nostalgia, but I also think it holds up well in terms of what I (and fandom) find so fascinating about Tony, which is all this grief and trauma that he struggles so hard to process, and the way puts himself at the center of attention to obfuscate the fact that he keeps everyone at a long arm’s length.

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, by Shoshanah-ben-hohim, 2015

Hockey, Sid/Geno, Canon Divergent, 77k

& the whole series, including There is a Field, I’ll Meet You There, Alex Galchenyuk/Olli Maata, 131k

When I think about this fic I want to scream from every rooftop I’ve ever been on “please read this fic”. The way it weaves together details to provide a level of grounding and realism in what sounds like the most absurd concept for a fic just floors me. The empathy and compassion and fear in this fic just gets at the most tender parts of my heart, and the fact that it’s ostensibly a ship fic, and yet Sid and Geno spend nearly the entire fic with no communication, but instead are just holding on to the innate truth that they know about one another to get them through this crazy endeavour they’re on elevates the entire fic for me.

what comes after, by poppyseedheart, 2018

Roosterteeth/Achievement Hunter RPF, mavinseg (gavin, meg, michael, lindsay), 36k

Dystopia/Spy AU

When I first read this fic, I finished it and I put it down and then I spent a few days feeling like I was just sort of wandering around in a haze because every single thought was consumed by this fic. In addition to its impeccable worldbuilding and the tone work that it does with its setting, I don’t know that I had ever resonated so deeply with fic characters before. Reading this felt like someone had pried my ribcage open one by one and revealed the softest, most tender parts of me and then went “I’m going to write something that targets this.” This fic is an ode to loss and love, to mourning something that you once had and then hesitantly and clumsily opening yourself up to building something new, and recognizing that, impossibly, that new thing you built can somehow be better than what you had before. 

And I felt all of these things, I felt like my world had just been shattered by this new author I discovered… and then, somehow, I became her friend. Then through Nic I met Brenna, and now when I think about this fic I not only love it for being a work of art, but also for being representative of the thing that brought me to two of the most important people in my life, and that to me will always make it my favorite fic I’ve ever read.

[adgiggles]

It's not just other people we need to forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn't do. All the things we should have done.

- Mitch Albom

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. - C.S. Lewis

Behind every beautiful thing, there's some kind of pain. - Bob Dylan

Being brave enough to be alone frees you up to invite people into your life because you want them and not because you need them. - Mandy Hale

Every time the heart breaks it is shaping into the heart it’s going to become. It’s up to you if it is going to be art or just a stone, sculptor. - Lidia Longorio

You keep storing up all that anger and grief. Eventually it spills over. Or you drown in it. - Leigh Bardugo

To whom do I owe the biggest apology? No one's been crueller than I've been to me. - Alanis Morissette

I forgot that you existed and I thought that it would kill me, but it didn't. And it was so nice, so peaceful and quiet, I forgot that you existed. It isn't love, it isn't hate, it's just indifference. - Taylor Swift

Getting over a painful expereince is much like crossing the monkey bars.

You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. - C.C. Lewis

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. - Joss Whedon

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before - more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle. - Charles Dickens

If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment. - Henry David Thoreau

If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. - Paulo Coelho

Well, I've been afraid of changing cause I've built my life around you. But time makes you bolder even children get older. And I'm getting older, too. - Stevie Nicks

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

- Aristotle

I still remember the person I once was and I really miss me. - Michael Faudet

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. - Maya Angelou

God whispered, "You endured a lot. For that I am truly sorry, but grateful. I needed you to struggle to help so many. Through that process you would grow into who you have now become. Didn't you know that I gave all my struggles to my favorite children? One only needs to look at the struggles given to your older brother Jesus to know how important you have been to me. - Shannon L. Alder

My scars remind me that I did indeed survive my deepest wounds. That in itself is an accomplishment. And they bring to mind something else, too. They remind me that the damage life has inflicted on me has, in many places, left me stronger and more resilient. What hurt me in the past has actually made me better equipped to face the present. - Steve Goodier

And here you are living despite it all. - Rupi Kaur

And gradually his memory slipped a little, as memories do, even those with so much love attached to them; as if there is an unconscious healing process within the mind which mends up in spite of our desperate determination never to forget. - Colleen McCullough

Closure happens right after you accept that letting go and moving on is more important than projecting a fantasy of how the relationship could have been. - Sylvester McHutt

Perhaps someday I’ll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow. - Sylvia Plath

It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here. - James Baldwin

It won't be like this forever.

One day, someone's going to want your voice as the soundtrack to the rest of their life.

- Maxwell Diawuoh

…at some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is. - Elizabeth Gilbert

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. - Frida Kahlo

I was infatuated once with a foolish, besotted affection, that clung to him in spite of his unworthiness, but it is fairly gone now - wholly crushed and withered away; and he has none but himself and his vices to thank for it.

- Anne Brontë

Sometimes you have to lose all you have to find out who you truly are. - Roy T. Bennett

And when at last you find someone to whom you feel you can pour out your soul, you stop in shock at the words you utter - they are so rusty, so ugly, so meaningless and feeble from being kept in the small cramped dark inside you so long. - Sylvia Plath

What brings us to tears, will lead us to grace. Our pain is never wasted. - Bob Goff

And so I wait. I wait for time to heal the pain and raise me to me feet once again - so that I can start a new path, my own path, the one that will make me whole again. - Jack Canfield

You don't need another human being to make your life complete. But let's be honest, having your wounds kissed by someone who doesn't see them as disasters in your soul, but cracks to put their love into, is the most calming thing in this world. - Emery Allen

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about those who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it. - Paulo Coelho

The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. - Maya Angelou

But pain's like water. It finds a way to push through any seal. There's no way to stop it. Sometimes you have to let yourself sink inside of it before you can learn how to swim to the surface. - Katie Kacvinsky

Even when muddy your wings sparkle bright wonders that heal broken worlds. - Aberjhani

It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here. - James Baldwin

Listen to God with a broken heart. He is not only the doctor who mends it, but also the father who wipes away the tears. ― Criss Jami

I think that little by little I'll be able to solve my problems and survive. - Frida Kahlo

We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it to the full. - Marcel Proust

The human heart has a way of making itself large again even after it's been broken into a million pieces. - Robert James Waller

Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either,

for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.

- Louise Erdrich

'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.' No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster. - Dalai Lama XIV

No one around me knows who I am, what I'm on, who I've hurt and where they've gone. I know that I've done some wrong but I'm trying to make it right. - Halsey

The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. - Ernest Hemingway

It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end. - Robin Sharma

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. - Socrates

We have to be whole people to find whole love. - Cheryl Strayed

Everybody’s damaged. It’s just a question of how badly, and whether you’re healing or still bleeding. - Angela N. Blount

[thecandescence]

Because I can’t stop thinking about it

Rocketman thoughts:

Right away, with with that sparkly orange devil costume, I am obsessed. Right away, I AM OBSESSED WITH TARON EGERTON’S FACE. And that score, that swell of music that is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? Goosebumps. Honestly.

The Bitch Is Back? BITCH IT’S A MUSICAL HOLY SHIT IT FEELS LIKE AN AMAZING STAGE PRODUCTION.

His home life was mostly so loveless. Except for his sweet grandmother. It all made me so sad. When are you going to hug me? PLEASE SOMEONE LOVE THIS CHILD PLEASE.

Saturday Night’s Alright YEAH IT IS (the transition from boy to man is so clever, and this version of the song absolutely bops)

That first kiss. Oh, Elton. Taron’s FACE. 

I won’t talk about all the songs because this would be so fucking long but BERNIE AND ELTON AND TARON AND JAMIE AND OMG. Best male friendship I’ve ever seen on screen. That scene, that Your Song scene. Has anyone ever looked as soft and lovely as Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin when he’s mouthing some of the words, and looking shyly at the floor, then with BIG OLD HEART EYES when Elton is singing to him? And that megawatt smile? Stunning. (oh and the attempt at a kiss before this, the way Bernie handles it - SO GOOD. SO NON TOXIC.)

Crocdile Rock. CROCODILE ROCK. The Troubadour. The hissy fit before the show. The floating. That kick into overdrive at the end of the song? They went HARD. RICHARD FUCKING MADDEN MAKING HIS FIRST ONSCREEN APPEARANCE AS JOHN REID.

Oh, Tiny Dancer. Let’s talk more about Taron’s face, shall we? He holds sadness in a way I can’t really explain. It makes me want to hug him. I mean, he also is so damn cute, and he’s got them thighs. 

Richard Madden. Listen, I know that John Reid was fucking awful. (And Elton too could be awful, the man himself has talked about it in interviews for years.) But Richard Madden in that suit and with that hair and that accent and I just, I swear I blacked out for a minute. TAKE ME TO THE PILOT OF YOUR SOUL. Those boys have got some chemistry. I loved that it was filmed a lot like any standard sex scene in a movie. It was extraordinary in it’s ordinary nature other than the fact that I may have held my breath through the whole thing. I too would like for Richard Madden to bite at my lips.

Kiki Dee knew what was up, and I loved that. RICHARD MADDEN NODDED HIS DAMN HEAD and I may have blacked out again.

Okay here, in the first viewing, is where I realized that every song was chosen to propel the movie forward. Like, it wasn’t random at all. Every song is part of the story. 

It’s like trying to drink whiskey, oooohhhhhhhh from a bottle of wiiiiine. The costumes in this scene killed me. Slayed me dead.

Elton yelling at Bernie to write the songs and IMMEDIATELY regretting it and saying sorry. Again, TARON AND HIS FACE. 

Oh and before I forget - that scene with his father. I fucking felt that in my soul. 

I am not a big fan of either the movie Tommy or The Who, but I love this version of Pinball Wizard by Taron. Also, I’m kind of obsessed with Taron’s voice. And his face. Elton is spiraling out of control, and this song and the cinematography is really fitting

Listen, the Rocketman sequence is stunningly beautiful. Poetic. Art. Every single thing about it. The music swells, and he is lifted up to be stripped down and redressed to go back on stage with that smile. I just can’t even. The first time I watched, it took my breath away.

Uhh, this is where I tell you how much I really like seeing Taron Egerton in black sequins. 

The way Jamie Bell sings Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It’s angry, and haunting. And there’s that swell of music again. And there’s Taron’s broken voice with the follow up. And with that pain all over his face. And that swell of music again. And when he hits that note. And then we’re back in that orange suit with the sparkles and the ears. 

And this is where I realized that Elton had been stripping away bits of the costume as the story was told, until he was in a robe, and then in his own clothes to confront his demons, his past, his people. I cried with the grandmother. I SOBBED with Bernie. I was damn near UGLY CRYING with young Elton. And the hug. 

You’re my brother. 

I’m Still Standing.

And me, I’m obsessed. Thanks for listening. 

[smilingformoney]

America’s Most Eligible Diamond Scene: Go After Mackenzie

You and Natalie rush after Mackenzie and find her pacing the hotel lobby. She eyes you warily as you approach… You: Are you okay? Natalie: Yeah, if I knew you’d react this badly to seeing me, I never would’ve signed onto the show… Mackenzie: Nat, I’m always happy to see you, okay? And I always will be. Mackenzie: But I didn’t want you to get wrapped up in the craziness on this show. Seeing you there just… set me off. You’re above all this. You: She’ll only be here for one night, Mackenzie. What’s the big deal? Mackenzie: The big deal is that they went behind my back to bring her here! Like she’s just some prop… Natalie’s brow furrows. She stares at Mackenzie, seemingly at a loss. Natalie: I’m here because I want to be. Nobody tricked me, or forced me. This is my organisation too, Mackenzie. Natalie: Of course I’d want to be here to support my friends. And you. Mackenzie: Nat, do you have any idea what I’ve been through just being on the show? Having the cameras follow my every move last season? Mackenzie: Being judged and mocked by people I don’t even know? It got ugly. And I still can’t get some of those comments out of my mind… You: Mackenzie… Mackenzie: But that’s what I signed up for. I… I just don’t want them to do the same to you.

You: Mackenzie… -I get where you’re coming from.

You: Carson crossed a line bringing Natalie into this. Especially since he didn’t even tell you until the Date began… Natalie: I bet he did this just to throw me off. And he probably didn’t even clear it with the producers first-- Natalie: You’re totally being paranoid! And I’d appreciate it if you both considered what I want.

-You should listen to Natalie.

Natalie: Thanks, Jamie. I know what I signed up for! You: Besides, her appearance could be a good thing. Not just for the youth center, but for your game too. Mackenzie: My game? You: Having your sister here shows America that you’re all about family, and that both of you are passionate about the cause.

Mackenzie: I don’t know… Natalie: This is my choice, okay? You just need to chill out and have fun for a change! Mackenzie: But I’m not on this show to have fun! Natalie: You’re impossible. Jamie, can you talk some sense into her?

You: You want my honest opinion?

-It would do her some good to relax for once.

Mackenzie: I can’t relax until I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. I’m here to do good by other people. Natalie shakes her head, frowning. Natalie: Stop being a martyr. You can still think of other people even if you take some time for yourself. Mackenzie: It’s not that simple. Natalie: Then explain it to me.

-You’re missing Mackenzie’s point, Natalie.

Natalie: Yeah? How? Mackenzie: I’m just trying to look out for you. You: In more ways than one. You can’t blame her for still being focused on why she joined the show last season, Natalie. Natalie: But how can I understand if I don’t know why she came here in the first place? She turns to Mackenzie. Natalie: You’ve never given me a straight answer, no matter how many times I asked. You: Wait… She doesn’t know, Mackenzie?

Mackenzie: I… She trails off, crossing her arms defensively. You: Come on, Mackenzie. She deserves to know the truth. Mackenzie +1 Mackenzie: You’re right… Mackenzie: Nat, I auditioned for AME because of the prize money. Because I saw that brochure for that art college you applied to-- Natalie: You did? Mackenzie: I knew that we didn’t have the money to pay for it. But I wanted you to go after your dreams… And this was the only way to make that happen. Natalie: Mackenzie… I can’t even tell you how grateful I am that you’d do this for me… Natalie: But you don’t need to save me every single time. I would’ve found a way-- Mackenzie: I don’t doubt that, Nat. Even if I don’t always show it, I want you to know that I’d do anything for you. Natalie: I knew that from the day we met. Mackenzie: …You did? Natalie: Clear as day. I remember walking into that room and meeting you and Dad for the first time. I remember your smile… You looked like the big sister I always wanted. Natalie: That first night after I move in, I couldn’t sleep, I was so afraid of the dark. But you sat with me and wrapped me in your pink blanket… You: That sounds like Mackenzie. Natalie: You hugged me, and told me everything would be okay. And it was so much more than okay. Mackenzie: You remember all of that? Natalie: Of course, Mackenzie… I’d never forget the moment I found my home. Mackenzie’s eyes are bright with unshed tears. You: Natalie knows what she’s doing here. You can trust that, Mackenzie. Natalie: You totally can. I don’t care about the cameras, or what people might say. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the people I love…

You: It sounds like…

-You’re both here for the same reason. Mackenzie +1

You: To help other people. Mackenzie: You’re right… Natalie: Looks like you’ve been a good influence, sis.

-You two really care about each other. Mackenzie +1

Natalie: ‘Course! I couldn’t imagine it any other way. Mackenzie: And I couldn’t ask for a better sister.

Natalie wraps Mackenzie in a hug. You see her shudder, overcome with emotion, before tightly hugging Natalie back. Natalie: Love you, sis. Mackenzie: I love you too, kid. After a long moment, Mackenzie looks at you. Mackenzie +1 Mackenzie: Thanks for coming after me, Jamie. I really needed this.

You: … -Hug Mackenzie.

You: I’m here for you any time. You open your arms to her, and Mackenzie sinks into your embrace. Mackenzie: I know it.

-Call for a group hug!

You: You got room over there for one more? Mackenzie: You and your group hugs… But she leans into you as you join the huddle.

As you pull away from the hug, Natalie looks between you and Mackenzie with a knowing smile. Natalie: I’m glad my sister found someone special here. She deserves to be happy. You: Yeah, she does. Mackenzie: Okay, you guys are turning me into a big sap. Mackenzie +1 Mackenzie: But for what it’s worth… I’m glad I have Jamie too. Mackenzie takes a deep breath, looking in the direction of the ballroom. Mackenzie: I guess we should get back in there. You: Yeah, we can’t be late for the prom. Natalie: Race ya to the dance floor! You and Mackenzie laugh, then quickly head after her…

When you return, Mackenzie steps up beside Carson. Mackenzie: I just wanted to apologise for what happened a few minutes ago. She looks over at you and Natalie with a sweet smile. Natalie nods at her, willing her to continue. Mackenzie: I may have had a little too much of a ‘protective big sister’ reaction to seeing Natalie here. You: You’re just doing your job, Mackenzie.

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Comic Series to Read (Pt1)

+ZOMBILLENIUM by Arthur de Pins

Francis von Bloodt, a vampire and good family man, operates the one-of-a-kind theme park Zombiellenium. But this unique amusement park doesn't just hire anyone: mere mortals need not apply--only genuine werewolves, vampires, zombies, and other citizens from the undead community are employed. A stunningly beautiful, fully painted graphic novel, this work presents a wryly humorous and lighthearted take on the traditional horror genre. 

It’s hilarious, fun and ridiculously fascinating at times. Lotta jokes, love it. Need Vol 4 so damn bad, cmon man it’s been YEARS (also there’s a movie now but i haven’t seen it yet)

.

+ Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

This is fascinating, but quite dark; the story is pretty complex and the art is amazing. 

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+A Distant Soil by Colleen Doran

A teen brother and sister, Jason and Liana, are confined to a mental hospital where they are the subject of secret government experiments. They escape their prison only to be pursued by supernatural forces, strange alien people, and creatures with unique powers. Separated and kidnapped by two different factions of warring worlds, they learn they are the children of a race of powerful and ageless psychic beings. The brother and sister are then used by both factions of these alien forces to unknowingly battle against one another.

I’ve never actually had the chance to read Volume 1, I got Volume 2 from a bookfest and loved it; it was a little hard to gather details without the beginning of the tale but it was enthralling none the less. Some nsfw, and dark themes.

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+HORIZON by Brandon Thomas, Jason Howard, Juan Gedeon & Martin Frank

Zhia Malen thought she'd fought her very last war, until she learned her planet was targeted for occupation...by a desperate world called Earth. The people of Earth will be told that her arrival on our planet means invasion. These are lies. This is retaliation. Skybound's newest original series will show you that survival isn't just a human instinct...

Initially a little difficult to understand what is happening, the story launches into a mission of life and death without bothering to fill in the backstory; you discern as you go. Very interesting. Significant violence, gore/body horror, torture perpetuated by, and against, protagonists. 

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+THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critically thermonuclear floor-fillers Young Avengers and Phonogram reunite to start a new, ongoing, superhero fantasy with a beautiful, oversized issue. Welcome to The Wicked + The Divine, where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you're immortal, doesn't mean you're going to live forever.

This really is one of my favourites, the story, the art, the colours, the way it weaves myth and modern society is insane and enticing. Not to sound like a desperate fan but I would sell at least four of you to Satan for the newest volume to be released early... [LGBPTA+, poc characters and protags, drug use, nsfw, nudity, sex, violence, manipulation, various phobias and cruelties, etc.]

.

+BITCH PLANET by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Valentine De Landro, Robert Wilson & Taki Soma

In a future just a few years down the road in the wrong direction, a woman's failure to comply with her patriarchal overlords will result in exile to the meanest penal planet in the galaxy. When the newest crop of fresh femmes arrive, can they work together to stay alive or will hidden agendas, crooked guards, and the deadliest sport on (or off!) Earth take them to their maker?

Imagine a world where the Republicans put men on top and women were just supposed to be mindless, bubbly, weight-conscious, subservient creatures... hard to, isn’t it? Where looking ugly is a crime. Basically, the patriarchy is so oppressive having your own thoughts and being a woman can get you tossed to Bitch Planet for insubordination... 

Long blurb, because it’s such a fucking fascinating story of women rising up and taking back power; poc and lgbpta+ characters, complex women’s stories, and a world so horrifying you can’t believe it could exist.  [Lgbpta+, poc protags and supports, violence, misogyny, nudity, sex scenes, and I must point out that there is a rape-related story, but the book warns you before the chapter, and you can skip the whole thing, and not lose much but a backstory. The writers are very sensitive to how distressing even partially-graphic scenes can be to readers. And always check the ‘ad pages’ for hidden messages!]

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+ORCHID by Tom Morello

When the seas rose, genetic codes were smashed. Human settlements are ringed by a dense wilderness from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful that overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortress-like cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves. Delve into the first chapter of "Orchid," the tale of a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her.

There are strong themes of rape, cannibalism and slavery, so it’s not for everyone. Imagine a world where the entire earth turned against humanity, the rich took the only dry land and forced the poor to live in the muck beneath; all animals want to kill them. The Cannibal Barges that hit land bring only death and destruction...

If you are strong or beautiful, you become a slave for the rich. If you are poor and female, you are made a Valk (prostitute), PROPERTY tattooed across your chest and KNOW YOUR PLACE burned into your arm. Orchid, a Valk, is thrown into a world of turmoil when a rebel crashes into her home, rescues her brother and is sold into slavery with her. Setting off a chain of events that is almost unbelievable. (3 Volumes in total, hard to get ahold of, but online too.)