#this is exactly why i just can't let station 19 go

[autobot-ratchet]

Lost Light 19-21

Lost Light 19

omg I forgot that Swerve and Misfire do a dual recap at the beginning of this issue lmAO truly a match made in heaven. So to speak lmfAO

Brainstorm trying to get through to sparkeater-Perceptor...

and now the whole gang's here, thanks for the infodump fellas lmAO

hell yeah, good on Rodimus for not letting Getaway bait him into flying off the handle

“I don't care about Getaway. I care about you.” that's fucken RIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!! He's RIGHT and he should SAY IT

honestly Anode is so valid to be terrified of scraplets, my house is unfortunately dealing with a flea outbreak and it's fucking awful lmAO and scraplets are basically if fleas could eat your flesh so yeah, valid, fuck that noise

cannot wait for Cyclonus and Roddy to kill all three of these fools

Lost Light 20

gdjfdk Nickel saying “fuck the organics” and mashing go on the experimental medicine button

Rodimus really said “Even if Cyberutopia had been real, you'll always be cringe” to Getaway and he's right

I still love that the scraplets from the holiday special are not only relevant once again but also they remember and love Whirl

it's also still unbelievably funny how quick Cyclonus kills Star Saber. “I want this to last,” he says, fucking LOL get bisected idiot

I will always be grateful that Rodimus got to call Getaway a son of a bitch, LOVE that Roddy got to bypass the censors just this once, he deserves it

“I used to think I was special! But I'm not, am I? I'm not anything, I'm just... I'm just an M.T.O. with ideas above his station.” worlds smallest violin.mp3

“He really thought we were about to kill him.” “Weren't you?” weren't YOU??? both of y'all got beef and want his ass dead, what's this “you” business this is a "we" situation lmAO

there's my boy, there's my boy with his proper colors, doing the right thing, not letting Getaway be right about him, I'm still so fuckign proud :') that's my BOY

“I'm not like him.” THAT'S FUCKING RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT HRAGHFDGHSH HOOTS AND HOLLERS AND GENERALLY MAKES A SPECTACLE OF MYSELF

so Cyclonus knows what tumblr is but he doesn't know what fan fiction is, noted lmAO he went on tumblr one time, saw a single shitpost, and decided fuck this whole website and you know what he's right

get skeletonized, idiot. Like genuinely though, after all the people he fed to these exact scraplets, getting devoured by them after they tricked him into thinking they were Primus come to save him is absolutely some form of divine justice lmAO especially after immediately squandering the second chance Rodimus gave him

ooh here we go, it's endgame time

Lost Light 21

aww I'm glad (most of) the mutineers are okay again, they didn't know all this fuck shit would happen, they didn't sign up for it, they just wanted Megatron off their ship

oh it is good to be back on the Lost Light lmfAO I missed my house

Anode and Swerve just on the ground eating dirt

“This has to unfold as foreseen.” interesting choice of words. I figured the Grand Architect was the driving force behind this plot because he made the plot himself, but this makes it sound like he is also receiving future visions much like Drift is. I'll be real I do not remember much of anything about how and why exactly this final altercation comes to pass lmAO I just remember the end result and the big reveals so I'm really trying to pay attention this time around

hell yeah Roddy, fuck their stupid made up rules, we don't gotta adhere to nothing

I'll admit I feel next to nothing about Sunder but it is very funny how he's gone from genuinely terrifying boogeyman to just some fuckin weirdo now that he can't do mnemosurgery anymore

so the Black Block Consortia is actually made up of mechs disguised as organics, meaning that Nickel's racism toward organics is completely invalidated lmfAO granted Froid isn't saying WHEN the Grand Architect took over the Black Block Consortia so maybe they killed all of Nickel's people before that. Fingers crossed that that's not the case because I think it would be really funny for her to get owned lmAO

oh so the Grand Architect physically WENT to the future instead of simply having visions about it

“In preparing to confront the future, you made it come to pass!” fuckin. Prepare, confront, repel, I get it lmfAO

lol get chainsawed idiot. Honestly I am so happy to see Pharma, even if it isn't really Pharma

I'm also happy to see Megatron again, now the whole gang truly IS here

[angelofverdum]

Station 19 6x10

Station 19 is really redeeming itself, and I'm here for it. I still don't care about other characters because I find every storyline boring or annoying, but It was a good episode.

My sweet Maya. I just love her so much, and I'm so happy for her. Because as much as I love drama and watching Danielle deliver a heartbreaking performance, funny and silly Maya is so good to watch.

Carina is such as mess right now. Why was she doing yoga while brushing her teeth? I'm pretty sure her office has a bathroom where she can wash her teeth properly.

I love they remember Carina is an OB, and she should be part of the program.

Carina: You can't storm in her with lasagna Maya

Maya: I can, so I did because I love you, and now I'm leaving.

That's exactly what I wanted to see. Just Maya being charming. I was expecting Coffee, but the lasagna was brilliant.

"You don't have to pretend you are not hurt" Oh, Maya

How much Lasagna did Carina eat? That container was half empty.

I thought she was pregnant but Bailey thought something was wrong with the lasagna too. I mean it was so bad that she threw the whole plate in the trash.

I love that Maya didn't hesitate to go back to Carina when Bailey told her something was wrong with her.

And those two last scenes were so soft and warm, please.

I loved that the door was open all the time, but Maya waited until Carina let her in.

Why was Carina still wearing her shoes in the bathroom? That's the first thing you take off when you get home.

"And now you literally poisoned me" The Little pout and cute stomp when she said, "Maya, go away" Carina is such a baby when she is sick.

Carina is upset with Maya, but her wife is outside her door, and she just loves her so much. And that little smile when Maya give her the blanket. Carina realized that is her Maya and that she is really putting the effort.

The way she looks at Maya when they are sitting on the floor.

The forehead kiss.

I'll stay in this scene until the next episode.

It's annoying how these wives have me kicking my feet and twirling my hair.

[vault81]

Jack Cooke's Travel Log: Germantown Police HQ - 19/08/2277

(prev) (next)

"Had my first encounter with those 'Super Mutant's that Big Town was talking about by what used to be an old church! Big, green and fuckin' ugly.. If I didn't know any better, I'd just say they were buffout addicts, but whatever made these ain't natural. They had the church all strung up with.. bags of flesh, barbed wire and spikes made from old steel beams, not exactly welcoming."

"I can see why those kids were having problems now.. those things soaked up bullets like a sponge, at least they're dumb as a bag of rocks, I was able to free 2 of the captives at the church.. I'm guessing the rest got turned into.. decorations.. More curiously, though, I found an old holotape! marked from 'The Keller Family' I'll have to give that a listen later, should hoof it if I want to get to this police station before dark!"

"God, those mutants have fortified the shit out of this place, same as that old church just.. more.. how many people have they brought here? more importantly, why have they brought them here? Can't see anything special about this place! Maybe they're just holding them here before moving them to some other place?"

"Ya' know.. I did promise to help those kids, and I mean to... It's just.. I really don't think I'm all that equipped to deal with these mutants, I mean I blew through all my ammo for this old rifle just clearing out a handful of those things, let alone how many are waiting in there! I think.. I'm going to have to come back when I'm better armed... It's the smart thing to do, though It really doesn't sit right with me.. I promise, though, I'll be back!"

[cyarskj1899]

Black Twitter reacts to Jack Harlow finding out Brandy and Ray J are siblings in wild Hot 97 interview

Jack Harlow might want to log off from social media for a few days and listen to some 90s R&B.

Black Twitter is not happy with Jack Harlow right now. Today (May 11), jaws were dropped when the “First Class” rapper discovered the Vocal Bible Brandy and entertainment mogul Ray J were siblings.

While visiting New York’s Hot 97 radio station, radio host Ebro Darden and crew challenged Harlow to a little game of guess that song.

As Darden cues up Brandy’s 1998 hit, “Angel in Disguise,” most figured it would be an easy win for the 24-year-old. They were wrong. Very wrong.

Darden and his co-hosts are seen nodding their heads to the tune as they give Harlow a chance to play the game.

“Oh, uh, Aaliyah?” Harlow asks.

“Nope!” the hosts yell after Harlow confuses the two very different artists.

“Stay with it, stay with it,” they urge him while giving the young rapper another shot. Some sing along while waiting for his answer.

The intro to the song is almost over and Harlow still can’t name the artist or track. One of the hosts asks, “Do you want me to give him a hint?”

“She had a TV show. She starred in a TV show,” Laura Stylez tells him.

“Tell me another hint,” Harlow says. Rosenberg chimes in with, “Her brother is the reason a lot of people are famous.”

With no response from Harlow, Ebro adds, “Her brother had an amazing sex tape.”

After several seconds go by, the “What’s Poppin” rapper asks, “Who’s Ray J’s sister?”

The hosts are shocked. While some throw their heads back with laughter, another can be heard saying, “Yo, he’s serious.” One host comes to his defense reminding listeners that Harlow is only 24.

“Brandy and Ray J are siblings?” Harlow asks as those in the room yell “Yes” in unison.

“Nobody’s ever told me that in my life,” the rapper responds.

Once Twitter got wind of the interview, they were flabbergasted. Most users seemed to feel that Harlow not recognizing the song was absurd.

“Not recognizing Brandy’s voice is why he shouldn’t be doing black music,” one person tweeted. Another added, “Brandy had one of the most recognizable voices. Ugh these generations of rappers.”

Others went a bit easier on the rapper. “Y’all are doing a LOT about Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy and Ray J. As if we don’t see young Black people ‘discover’ new things daily. Hell y’all find out Bobby Caldwell is white every three months.”

Take a look at what Black Twitter is saying about the revelation.

Not recognizing Brandy’s voice is why he shouldn’t be doing black music. — Critical Grace Theory (@Peaceful_Rule) May 11, 2022

Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy got y’all blaming Gen Z when ALL of us know her and that she’s related to Ray J… That’s a JACK HARLOW PROBLEM! — WILD ebony. (@BEYMANll) May 11, 2022

I'm furious!!! Brandy is very important to me. This is the turning point for me with Jack Harlow. 😟 — Petty Betty (@addicted2mess) May 11, 2022

jack harlow just finding out that brandy & ray j are siblings is exactly why y’all need to stop letting #them people capitalize off of our shit. — ☆ (@ALCHEMYSTlC) May 11, 2022

What’s the difference between Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy & Ray J were siblings, and Ella Mai not being able to name 3 Aretha Franklin songs? pic.twitter.com/D1QG8SXRgV — k a r y. (@itsKARY_) May 11, 2022

jack harlow is WHITE! him being 24 don't got nothing to do w him not knowing brandy and ray j are related, i'm 19 and i know that. as much as he tries to infiltrate black culture or whatever y'all can't forget that he is white at the end of the day — 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 🧙🏾‍♀️ (@theenarcissist) May 11, 2022

He wants to be performing Black music and hanging out in Black spaces, and doesn't know who Brandy is or what her voice sounds like?  Stupsee — Carolyn Hinds – Pettite Possee🇧🇧 (@CarrieCnh12) May 11, 2022

Jack Harlow is a 12 year old white boy so him not knowing who brandy is isnt crazy. But do artists not….study music??? — jennysayQuan (@notKissmequan) May 11, 2022

Y’all are doing a LOT about Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy and Ray J. As if we don’t see young Black people “discover” new things daily. Hell y’all find out Bobby Caldwell is white every three months. — Shut up already, damn! (@onlychyld) May 11, 2022

For Jack Harlow to not know Brandy is one of the whitest things ever.  This man gets to frolic like an elf with absolutely no devotion to the genre or craft. — Queer Latifah 🥭 (@TheAfrocentricI) May 11, 2022

Brandy had one of the most recognizable voices. Ugh these generations of rappers🙄 — Freakboi (@Freakboi14) May 11, 2022

first of all, how do you confuse brandy for aaliyah, that’s means he doesn’t know aaliyah songs either but this is who a lot of you simp over and let make hip hop music.. pic.twitter.com/ZW2to66OIG — chu (@chuuzus) May 11, 2022

Went from: "Wait a minute ain't that Brandy's brother?"🎶 -Lil Kim To: "Brandy is Ray J's sister?"  – Jack Harlow Ain't no way.🤦🏿‍♂️ — Dr. Will, LCSW 👑 (@WCoombsDSW) May 11, 2022

Brandy needs to drop a diss track on Jack Harlow.. we saw Queens- she can out spit him ANY DAY OF THE WEEK and ALL WKND pic.twitter.com/1VUQIZ7xG8 — p@ncho’s 🍑✍🏾📝🍓🎞🎬 🥑🍍 (@bici_IV_vente) May 11, 2022

Sent from my iPhone

[christinebloodwrittings]

Briefly Instant (Part one)

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Summary: Life is complicated, always moving and working in ways we can't comprehend. Between the bubbles and the heartache, an unfortunate encounter left a half-broken heart and a strong connection which separated this soulmates for a long time. Two sides of the story, two hearts that longed for each other painfully. One brief instant was enough to know.

Warnings for this chapter: Assault.

Next chapter->

TH Taglist: @lucky-foxface @lokisprettygirl22 @criticaltrinket

The restaurant was full of customers, you had to decorate about ten cakes per minute so that they all arrived perfect at the tables.

Your boss was of no help, his yelling made the cooks nervous, and for you it wasn’t easy to handle a pastry bag full of meringue while also being under pressure, one wrong move and the bag might rip.

“Y/LN! Hurry, those cakes are not going to be finished on their own” he yelled straight at you, ‘Come and do them yourself you son of a bitch’ you thought hurrying while also not letting him see your 'fuck off’ face, otherwise he would’ve fired you for being disrespectful.

It was clearly a bad day to play rebel. “I would like to cut off his head” muttered one of your fellow cooks, “Yeah no shit, go ahead dude” he laughed, they loved to make jokes to ease up the tension in the workplace, more than one cried due to stress each day.

But that’s how it is working in a five stars restaurant as a baker. Sadly, you have to make the same 10 pastries every single day. Just because those are the popular ones it doesn’t mean they’re the only sweets available! You were tired of acid fruits on pies, of the same thick hard meringue, the same cookie and butter based tartlets, of the same shitty lemon pie!!

Could someone request a different plate? Or maybe without alterations?

Because that’s a good one, no dairy, no sugar, no flour, UGH! Why bother in coming if you can’t eat what we serve? You were pretty sure there was a vegan gluten-free restaurant down the street, but the rich assholes think that we are their slaves.

You didn’t bothered to speak up your thought about it, everyone was tired of the same basic menu, it almost doesn’t change, and yet you all made it back to the kitchen like machines.

“Y/N, table six asked for a number 19” Chuck, the waiter came and clipped the order in your station, “No changes?” he shook his head.

Tres leches cake, you loved to make it because it’s such a challenge. The biscuit have to be moist and airy, spongy but not dripping, the meringue have to be lighter so it doesn’t hardened so fast, adding a pinch of cinnamon in the batter and on top of the cream to add flavor and a sweet pleasant smell.

You made it gladly, and took less time because you used your special fast way to do it, which is secret, and then plate it to perfection. You were so shocked when Chuck told you that the client asked for you, your boss even walked you up to the client himself, wanting to know what exactly had happened.

While sweating bad underneath your apron, your vision was blurred and kept away from the rest of the tables, it was shameful enough that you got called, that’s never good.

“Hi, something wrong with the dish sir?” your boss asked politely, the client carelessly pushed the plate toward you and pointed to a shard of glass coming out of the cake, “Are you psychopaths trying to kill us?!” the man stood up from his table, shooting glares at us and rising his voice, suddenly all eyes were on what was going on.

“This can’t be, I didn’t” you tried to defend yourself but he cut you mid-phrase, “Are you gonna call me a liar?” the man puffed his chest up, visibly towering you, “No sir, of course not, we are so ashamed of this mistake, I’ll see that she gets the proper lesson” your boss literally dragged you all the way to the kitchen and towards the staff dressing room doors, “Your apron and name tag, now! You’re fired”.

Just like that? Yes. You knew you didn’t put the glass in the cake, your co-workers knew as well, but the client made a scandal, and they couldn’t just afford that something as serious as that damage the restaurant’s image, so they fired you.

You took off your apron and name tag as he told you, the feeling of shame and incompetence lingered as needles in your chest and hands as you placed both items on his hands, “I’m sorry Y/n, I’ll write a nice review for your next job” he caressed your shoulder, attempting to reassure you before walking away. You knew he went back to the kitchen, judging by the sound of the doors and the resuming yelling.

After a deep breath you opened your locker, changed into the blue jeans and long grey T-shirt you came in the morning, and with your chest tight you walked out the building, your bag hanging on your shoulder, thank goodness it wasn’t raining, the night was clear and without stars, as is usual in the city.

"Hey baker girl, don’t look so blue, it was a shitty cake anyway” You heard the disgusting voice of the imbecile who framed you, the desire to throw punches at him flooded your mind, you fists were almost white from clutching them around the strap of your bag. However, you didn’t look back, not even when at some point you heard footsteps behind you, why you didn’t run?

What would your father have said? ‘Such a pitiful cowardly little girl’.

“Oh come on baker girl” He surprised you by putting his arm around your shoulder, his free hand caressed your stomach in a circular motion. “Let me go” you tried to push him aside, not letting him see your panic, but his grip was strong, “I did you a favor, now it’s your turn to pay for it” his breath hit the shell of your ear, and so did his tongue, the slimy muscle leaving a stripe of saliva from your neck to your ear.

“Leave me alone” You cried.

Almost immediately after that you were inside a bar, drinking your weight and rent money away, cold, alone, and feeling completely dull.

“It’s said that nothing lasts forever. Will you be my nothing?” you groaned, hearing cheesy and filthy pick up lines from the stupid group of men behind you put you in an even worse mood that the one you came in with. “I swear you are just like a snowflake: beautiful, unique and with one touch, you’ll be wet” his buddies cheered him up with applauses and wolf whistles, how disgusting.

You came down from the stool and pushed him away with a punch straight to his nose.

“You bitch!” he did hit you, but luckily he just did that, the punch put you out of balance for a second but you were able to recover, he went in for a few more punches and was satisfied once you coughed up on your knees after an accurate blow into your stomach.

“You okay miss?” the bartender asked after he took the guy away. You just nodded and once you climbed back to the stook you just slammed the bar table with more money, “Six shots of tequila, please” he took the money and with a small nod he set the small glasses in front of you, along with lemon wedges and salt.

“Perhaps you should call someone” the bartender softly spoke as you finished the drinks, “Who? My best friend lives in London, my family sucks, and I’m… alone” your head hit the wood, there was no pain though, but that was definitely something you were going to feel in the morning.

“May I be of assistance?” a sultry velvety voice spoke next to you, it sounded just as macaroon’s tasted.

“Piss off” You didn’t knew why but you hated him, although you couldn’t see him right because your hair was in the way and your vision was even worse than before.

“Perhaps I should, sadly for you, my mother taught me better” You guessed he tried to make a joke, it either wasn’t funny at all or you were too drunk to appreciate it.

Oh what an annoying gentleman! he didn’t allowed you to pay for another drink, nor have another. You felt like floating, but you realized you were in his arms, “I hope you don’t get mad at me, but you can’t possibly expect me to leave you there like this” he smelled citric and leathery, it was nice.

The next thing you saw before all the lights went dark were the streets lights passing fast across your eyes, and a warm touch on your hand.

Then you woke up, well barely. Hour heartbeat was painfully in your head, your throat felt like a desert, and you could hear your muscles screaming at each slight movement you made trying to shake off the lethargy.

Panic and adrenaline took over your body when you felt the bed move, you watched the silhouette under the sheets turn to face the other side, your head pounded even more.

You seized the movement to slip away from the bed without making any noise, quickly realizing that you were still dressed, so made a quick scan of the room to find your shoes, placed under the nightstand, took them and tippy-toed your way out of the room, carefully squinting the door.

Your phone was on the table next to the door, and so was your purse and bag, what a relief you felt when you checked and everything was there.

With the door ajar you had the absurd courage to look back at the bedroom door, the feeling of uncertainty was intertwined with your fear, an unknown person had taken you to the hotel room, with the little check-up that you had done on your body on your way to the door you calmed, whoever it was had done nothing to you, at least it seemed that way. Yet not knowing the danger you could get into if you stayed terrified you. So you left, closing the door carefully in order not to wake them up.

You put your shoes on the elevator and tried to fix your disheveled and post-drinks appearance as much as you could, luckily the morning was busy, with a very fake confidence went out the front door without having drawn too much attention, you even greeted the bellboy who was busy with a full luggage trolley.

That had been by far the scariest thing that had ever happened to you. Guilt took over your senses for a second, you weren’t the kind of girl that leaves someone on a hotel room like that, although, and given the circumstances, you felt like you did the right thing by leaving.

You were deeply grateful, after those events your intuition told you to go to the nearest hospital, the check-up that the doctor did showed no signs of rape or any out of the ordinary wounds besides the ones you already knew of, they didn’t hurt you, not even when the opportunity was perfect.

You were let out of the hospital after a gastric lavage, because of the excess of alcohol in your system, and a nap, then the doctor sent you on your way.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel room, the sheets slid down his figure, his hand touched the cold and empty side and immediately rise up from the bed, sprinting to search every single corner of the suite, only to realize you were gone.

“Where are you?".

[marias-in-pyjamas]

Eclipse: Chapter 1.1

See more from the masterlist.

Pairings:

Commanding Agent Adam du Mortain x Detective Eliana Langford x Specialist Agent Mason ; Agent Nate Sewell x Detective Ellara Kingston

Content Rating - Warnings: G - none

At Detective Kingston’s Apartment 

Ellara groans as she felt her face slowly getting wet because of the thing that is excitedly licking it. Albeit reluctant, she opened her eyes only to be greeted by the sight of her dog's nose. 

"Woof." The dog barks, making her let out yet another groan before she wraps her arms around the small of its body. Stirring from her position, she saw the clock and realized what day it was. 

14 Jan ’19 – 05:00

It's so early omg. 

But it's not like she could complain. And she is feeling pretty excited about today too. Who wouldn't, when it's the first day that you are officially your town's detective? Ellara chuckles to herself, scrambling to stand on her feet. 

She stood in front of her bedroom mirror, carrying Sol with her. She stares at herself, and oh does she look like a disaster. But it doesn't matter. She can do a lot to fix it. 

And so with Sol still perched on her arms, she walked to the kitchen starting her morning rituals with breakfast for the both of them as usual. 

Everything feels like the usual except from the rapid beating of her heart inside her chest. She doesn't even know if it's excitement, or just her nerves trying to make her reconsider all of this. Well she wouldn't, would she? She dismisses the thought by shaking her head. She proceeds to continue eating as she happily watches her dog eat with the same enthusiasm. 

A few spoonfuls and minutes later, she found herself cleaning after their mess. It was quick, as she only ever need to wash a single breakfast set. Maybe I should sleep more. 

"Woof!" Sol calls out wagging his tail and getting his owner's attention 

The woman's eyes immediately went to him and she gave him a very fond smile. A smile that is a lot more genuine than a lot of her others. She crouches down and pets the pupper, "Wanna go for a walk? What do you say, boy?" 

"Woof, woof!" 

And that was all it took for her to understand the answer.

After the walk

07:15

"I hope the walk was enough for you, baby." Ellara smiles as she detaches the leash from Sol's collar, letting him run free around the apartment again. 

Thankfully, the weather isn't hot, and the walk wasn't that much of a bother. Getting ready for work before walking Sol is probably the best decision she ever made this week. Especially with Tina's message. 

Ugh, a murder? As my first case? 

Her smile turned into a frown just thinking about it. Wayhaven is a quiet town. And it's the first murder in town ever since she was born. It shouldn't even bother her, but it does anyway. Ellara values all of her firsts, so it's only natural that she's reading too much into this. 

Her thought was cut off just as she heard a motorcycle engine start up loudly. And, when did someone own a motorcycle in this street before? 

Curious, she quickly pulled her blinds open. Peeking on her window, she saw a figure sitting on a big motorcycle. The person has their back facing her, and with a black helmet on she can't even catch a glimpse of what they look like. The motorcycle zooms away. 

It must be her new neighbor. She saw a car parked in front of the apartment yesterday. Unfortunately, she weren't able to meet her new neighbor yet. Oh well, maybe she'll knock later at night just to make sure they're settling in. With a shrug, she closed her blinds once again. 

07:30

She looks around her apartment making sure that everything is in order before she grabs a box of dog food from her kitchen. She puts plenty of it on the pet feeder she had managed to assemble. At least now, she won't feel too worried for her dog during work hours. 

The dog catches up to her, and follows her closely behind until she stepped outside the door. Sol sits on the floor inside the apartment at a close distance. She crouches on the floor to level with him and smiles. 

"Bye, boy. Be good okay? Mommy will be home before you even know it," she says, giving Sol one last kiss before she stood, locked the door, and finally left for work.

At Detective Langford’s Apartment

14 Jan ’19 – 04:15

Eliana had been staring at the ceiling for almost an hour now, her racing thoughts still not calming down. She was woken up by a nightmare earlier, but considering her line of work, it’s not really much of a surprise to her anymore. The things she’d seen in the city marked her, haunted her. But it also made her stronger, fiercer. Things normal people would easily succumb into and feel squeamish about. But still, she persevered. She continued working hard. She continued doing her job well. She continued pushing forward towards her goal – to be the youngest police captain in the history of Metropolis Police Department. And for a while, it seemed like the universe was finally on her side. Her career was advancing according to the time line she had planned for herself. But of course, as it always does, something eventually happens to prove her how wrong she is to think that the universe is on anyone’s side. Just as she was finally getting the hang of being a detective, she was reassigned out of nowhere into some backwater town: Wayhaven. A wrench in her carefully-crafted plan. A wrench in her career.

So that’s how Eliana had found herself staring at the ceiling of her new apartment in Wayhaven, wondering if she was maybe cursed from something she did from her past life. Luna – her pet puppy – was snoring beside her. Her furry companion’s head resting on the crook of her arm. Careful not to jostle her too much, Eliana turned her head towards the clock in her bedside table to look at the time. Knowing that she will not be able to sleep again anytime soon, she fully turned her body towards Luna and cuddled the puppy closer to her chest. Counting down from five to calm her nerves, she inhaled the familiar scent of the puppy and planted a soft kiss in her forehead. Luna turned sleepily towards her and licked Eliana’s nose as a response before going back to sleep again. Chuckling softly, she gently extricated herself from Luna and scratched her ears before sitting up on the side of the bed.

Going to work early is not exactly new for Eliana. So with that in mind, she pushed herself off of the bed and started her morning routine. She changed from wearing her night clothes to her sportswear before she started stretching her limbs to prepare herself for a little rigorous exercise. After a few minutes of exercising, she proceeded to place some dog food on Luna’s bowl, causing the energetic puppy to clamber off of the bed in a hurry to get to her food.

Eliana went to her kitchen to make herself some much needed coffee. Whenever asked, she always say that she prefers her coffee as dark and black as her soul. While waiting for the coffee machine to finish, she sat on the bar stool in the kitchen island and searched the internet for the directions of the police station. Bookmarking it, she prepared all the stuff she needs for work and finished drinking her coffee, which actually counts as her breakfast.

After Luna finished her breakfast, Eliana spent a few more minutes spoiling the little girl with pets before fetching the puppy’s collar and leash. With a smile on her face that only her furry companion ever witnesses, she turned toward Luna and asked, “Who wants to go for a walk?”

“Bork, bork!” Luna exclaimed while wagging her tail enthusiastically, already running towards her human.

God, she loves that puppy, even if she’s not really on good terms with the one who gave Luna to her. Fastening Luna’s leash on, the pair of them went outside to do their usual morning run, but in a different area and surroundings now.

05:30

After an hour of running, Eliana decided to walk around the neighborhood with Luna, just to acquaint herself more with her current residence. The stares of the townspeople as she and her puppy passed was something she expected. After all, she knows that it’s not usual for people to see someone from the city transferring here as she herself is not even sure why she was transferred here. But what else can I do right now except to suck it up?

Taking the other way around towards home, Eliana and Luna walked together at a leisurely pace, knowing that there’s still a long time before she needs to prepare for work.

After the walk

07:00

After arriving home, Eliana rested for a little while before finally taking a shower. Enjoying the hot shower for a few minutes, she turned it off to get dressed and get ready.

Having finally finished dressing-up for work, Eliana stared at herself on her full-body mirror. Her hazel eyes stared back at her, the only memory of her late father that she remembers. Her lean form is hidden beneath her black button-down shirt that was tucked in a tight-fitting black jeans, with her police badge holder clipped on the side of her belt. A simple gold necklace is sitting prettily on the base of her throat partnered by stud earrings of the same color, three on her right ear and two on the left. The black combat boots she’s wearing gives her an extra two inches on her height, but even without the boots, she’s already taller than some of the detectives in the city. A black leather jacket completes her whole look, helping her fight off the chill when she’s riding her motorcycle. She’s about to turn away from the mirror – seemingly satisfied by what she saw – when her eyes zoomed in on the roots of her hair. The light brown color is reappearing again, a reminder that no matter what color of hair dye she chooses and uses – underneath it all and despite everything that has happened – she’s still her mother’s daughter and having that same hair color of hers is an evidence of that.

Making a mental note to buy more hair dye in the town square, she went outside her room and secured Luna’s playpen. She double-checked that the automatic food and water dispenser is working then kissed Luna goodbye. She shouldered her bag and her black helmet and turned to leave.

Not really knowing what to expect (although she thinks that she’ll most likely be bored to death on her first day as a detective in Wayhaven), she took a deep breath and went outside her apartment, locking it behind her.

Eliana went to the parking space where she left her motorcycle. Securing her helmet on and starting the engine, she decided to first try out the coffee shop she saw near the police station as she still has plenty of time to spare. Maybe she’ll stakeout outside the station for a few minutes, just to see how busy and active it could really be, this early in the morning.

Making up her mind, Eliana drove away from the apartment block’s parking space, the roar of the engine of her motorcycle heard by the detective living next door to her’s.

[goose-books]

Ok first of all your Darkling magic post was fantastic and I can't get enough but now I MUST know...what kind of magic do the Stayer sisters have and how does it manifest??? (Also if you want to share more about Jasper's I will take it because I can't get enough of this bastard)

first of all: i apologize for the length of time between my posting of the worldbuilding post and the posting of this ask... i had almost finished writing you a response and then my computer shut down and the ask did not save! so that was a blow directly to my head! i also apologize for... the length of this!

second of all: [cups my hands and offers you this]

They say Cressida Stayer was nine years old when she turned her hair to gold. They laid her down in bed blonde, and the next morning, the waves cascading down her shoulders were solid metal, glinting harshly in the sunlight, weighing her down, creating that odd head-cocked expression she still wears now. Nine years old. Two or three years before most people develop enough magic skills to dye a single curl. Much less transfigure their hair into precious metal.

People also say Leovald Stayer’s immediate reaction was to hack it off her head and melt it down for cash. But generally they say that part a lot quieter.

— darkling, segment iv: control

so: the stayer sisters and magic.

if we charted the stayer sisters on the passive-to-active scale, it would look like this!

(left to right: ruby, cressida, and gracen.)

that said, they’re all leovald stayer’s kids, and leovald is pretty well known as one of the most magical people in dovermorry, if not in general. so he fully expected his children to have large amounts of raw magical energy as well. and they didn’t disappoint. cressida is the one well-known as a Magical Prodigy ™, but gracen and ruby are also notably powerful and notably in-control of their magic, especially for their ages! (21, 19, and 16, in descending order.) most people don’t get really, really good at controlling their magic until well into adulthood. technically you can join the guild at 17 or older, but the median age on the Mage’s Guild’s high council is, like, sixty. (when leovald is the young guy in the group, there’s an issue.)

interestingly, cressida is about two months from turning 17. but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. in descending order:

gracen’s entire thing is control. gracen stayer has a lot of power inside of her that would very much like to be outside of her, and gracen would very much like to prevent it from getting loose. she deals with this by being so hyperaware of her magic that it cannot possibly Do Things On Its Own, because she keeps it on an extremely tight leash. (this is a pretty good metaphor for how gracen deals with things in general.)

gracen... runs the stayer household. by which i mean she does everything from cleaning up after Mandatory Family Dinner to helping cressida with her calc homework to making sure ruby comes home before curfew (as not to get yelled at) to organizing leovald’s paperwork and making sure he doesn’t say something stupid on TV. gracen does most of leovald’s grunt work, actually. does she hate this? yes. but she’s also pretty sure that training the most powerful man in dovermorry into instinctively relying on her for everything is… a good long-term move, pragmatically speaking.

so gracen has a lot to do! and a lot of magic that she absolutely will not allow to build up inside of her. and she deals with this by using her magic for everything. she parcels small bits of magic out for every small task - doing the dishes, summoning a pencil from the other side of the room, making paperwork organize itself. if someone spills their drink on the carpet, gracen will draw the drink back out of the fibers, drop by drop, into the cup. by twitching one finger. understandably, this takes a lot of practiced focus and control; magic is very much something you can study and gracen very much studies it the way feral high schoolers study for the ACT. it almost doesn’t matter how active her magic is, because her magic NEVER takes any kind of natural form - she wrings out every drop in a very deliberate way. (i say almost because she can still feel it. she deliberately keeps it calm. it is harder than it looks. pretty much everything i’ve just said about gracen’s magic is a FANTASTIC metaphor for [gestures] the everything about gracen.)

and then there’s ruby, who is exactly the opposite. quelle surprise.

look, ruby is fully aware that no matter how much she practices, she is never going to be as good at controlling her magic as gracen. so she just… doesn’t. she just doesn’t! she doesn’t control it and she doesn’t use it. magic isn’t her best skill - her skillset lies in writing, in thinking, in persuading, in befriending, in provoking. why on earth would ruby magically whisk her laundry off the floor when she can just pick it up? and why would she pick it up when she can probably convince someone else to do it for her?

“but max,” you are thinking, “doesn’t her magic build up like you’ve been saying?” yes and she likes it. to be fair, she has comparatively more passive energy than her sisters; it’s easier for ruby to deal with this buildup than it would be for gracen. or for jasper, for that matter. when jasper’s magic gets to be Too Much, it’s a physical palpable thing; he gets itchy and shaky and tense and sometimes sick until he can twist off the metaphorical cap and let off some steam. for ruby, it’s more like an adrenaline rush - pounding heart, shaky limbs, heightened senses and emotions, without the risk of Making A Mess in public. she likes to let her magic build and build and build and build and then pull it back and release it into something deliberate at the very last minute. she finds this thrilling. which isn’t to say she doesn’t care! that honestly takes as much control and focus as gracen’s strategy does.

at her high school graduation, ruby “accidentally” “lost control” and set off magical fireworks over her head as she crossed the stage. loudly and vividly. leovald in the audience was so psyched he shouted. gracen would have slammed her head into the wall, except she had to comfort cressida, who reacts to loud noises like this:

as much as gracen and ruby differ in their ways of handling their magic, they’re… very similar at the core. what looks effortless is actually a lot of concentrated effort behind the scenes. and then there’s cressida, who just… does not have that.

some people (leovald) think of magic as a thing to flaunt. some people (jasper) are constantly fighting it. cressida just… does not care all that much? she just does not care. magic comes very naturally to her because it is first and foremost a way she copes with being trans and autistic in a world that is not made for her. she used to turn the lights out when rooms got too bright (and then sat back and let everyone else wonder what had happened). she’ll change fabrics to make them softer or smoother. the real story of her hair has nothing to do with gold - she was ten, not nine, and she grew her hair out to shoulder-length overnight, because she was sick of having short hair. and that was what made the rest of her family realize that maybe all that stuff about wanting to be a girl was, like… significant.

technically, yes, she is a Magical Prodigy ™! her magic settled very early and she has a LOT of it. and her magic, more than even her sisters’, is very similar to leovald’s. leovald lets his magic do WHATEVER the fuck, and the result is that he warps the world around him a LOT - fireplaces light when he walks into the room; lights flicker when he raises his voice; doors burst open in front of him even when they aren’t automatic; when his emotions are running high they affect the weather. cressida’s magic would like to be doing all of that. leovald would also like cressida’s magic to be doing all of that.

but cressida… kind of just doesn’t give a shit? she has a lot of untapped potential that she is fine with not tapping. she is perfectly content with living her life using her magic to, like, change the radio station from the backseat of the car (when you’re the youngest of three children, you NEVER get shotgun).

buuuuuut leovald is really psyched about having a freaky magical savant child. and most people see cressida - quiet, staring off into space, blank facial expression, not great at talking - and quietly assume that the magic thing is… like… all she has going for her. so she’s very much been pigeonholed into Magical Prodigy Zone, whether she likes that or not.

whoa this is a lot of text have an image

and then jasper is just… the anti-cressida. he has a thousand and one talents and gets perfect grades and charms everyone he meets and he is a walking biohazard when it comes to magic. and it drives him CRAZY, as much as he pretends not to care.

most people have their magic all figured out by the time they’re in high school. jasper is sixteen, almost seventeen, and something about it is… still just not working for him. even simple stuff (duplicating post-it notes! making flashcards shuffle themselves!) just… takes much more effort than it should. and because he hates being bad at it, he doesn’t use it, and then it builds up, and he ends up jittering like a live wire, and then if that goes too far things explode.

jasper has elected to blame his mother pretty much entirely for this, because vee has NONE of the same problems. (plenty of problems! but not related to magic.) …plus, you know. jasper’s had enough mishaps in public to know that his father ALSO blames jasper’s mother, pretty vocally, whenever he gets the chance.

on a conscious level, jasper is actually fine with having magic that just Does Not Fucking Work. because he has SO many nonmagical skills that it makes up the difference. at his boarding school, he sits atop a throne made of forged prescriptions, pay-per-page homework, and confessions of love from people who do not know him nearly enough to confess their love to him. on a subconscious level he has a whole complex about it but [gesturing] that’s a given, isn’t it

[myheartbeatskids]

So Declan loved me and we talked about science and lab babies and clones and all that. So He told me he loved me because i was the first person to really really listen and understand as opposed to being the one to teach.

And so he had understood what he was taught then developed and built upon it correctly with help from his own brain and God. And del Muerte whom helped me understand as well cause that shit was mind blowing.

So he asked me to have his soul mate. To give birth to her.

And I was pretty much dragged out and Declan ran the show after that.

I agreed but it was more like a thing where i had to focus and talk instead of fainting.

So Matt actually helped to implant because I have an upturned uterious and so things like that are painful because of the rigidity and non flexible as i need materials used while Jeremiah comforted and helped me relax.

So then essentially i was kidnapped.

Declan is part clone and part Neanderthal.

Annabelle is part clone and part Neanderthal.

So some of us from Michael Jackson's boarding school --- although I wasn't i stayed there alot on my own. So i was part of it, unofficially as i am a civilian doing military shit now. --- have clones in a laboratory. But they are miniature human size as they are kept in barbie size containers.

Since Declan was a clone Jesse gave permission to make, they said i should use a clone.

It took 5 eggs until Declan approved the child that would be created in the embryo. Del Muerte communicated to us what God said.

Most males get their soul mates at age 7. Declan was only 2 years old. So God hadnt had enough experience to program or create his perfect soulmate.

So it just so happened it was 2 years of plus 5 embryos which makes the year 7 while added together.

So when Annabelle was born Declan came to get me and her but my now ex-husband got me all fucked up and i had amnesia and all that and i remember the power struggle type issues while signing the birth certificate which is why i get child support as my ex swore bla bla bla and signed papers to those statements but I was all "Dude while he's signing let's run!" Because he pissed me off during that time and i was all no hes wrong and all... But I guess I was scared of him or his aura csused me confusion or Idk. I remember feeling sick.

So craziness. We are 16 years late. And unfortunately yet fortunately a lot of research was done and i have a lot of government apology money coming my way. Which i don't have yet.... But soon.

This is Cambria AvaLynn named after Alexis Dejoria.

Because Matt's parents were into hiding, they named him after a mat. A common object so in case of ESP feom the people they hid from they would think "welcome mat" like welcome to travel with us son named Matt. Welcome to eat at the dining table, Matt. Well, come, Matt.

So came or come because i would always want to see Matt so I would say "You came!!!" When i saw him and hug him and he would say "welcome"

And Bria after me.

Turning the x into a v (for Victory) and Lynn as in the 80s most of my friends on the military base i lived on has Lynn as their middle names. So to remind me she is a friend.

She's my child that was ectopic due to the sponges Jamie & Doug Otis found and reminded us of. But we went to the hospital because i began to hemmoragge and they were able to save her and her twin.

Then my mom killed her and he died naturally as he was in ICU TO experiment on them being raised/healed as premies temporarily as one within an incubator and the other skin to skin contact. As woman need to be comforted more, we picked Ava to bring home.

They were the first experiment with soul mates being born as twins. Both clones of my and Jeremiah and his being Ava and my being the male Andrew.

Andrew after Jesse... "And he drew" cause he was always drawing beautifully.

And the other clones were of Jesse James and Alexis.

Alexis got kidnapped by her dad and so the story goes... I did too Eventually

Jeremiah's dad helped us as the grandparent in house.

This is Declan.

He told Jeremiah "I'm not the one sitting around waiting with a pouted lip waiting for someone to do it for me. Now i found the woman and go get my kid!!"

Dude WTF I'm not having someones kid... I'm only 21!!

"Now im the man around the house and what I say goes!!! And you are going to have my kid!!"

Dude whatever. So i did dream into the lab with them but... I thought we were just playing and so i agreed and so next thing i knew there was a frozen child ready to be implanted. Thus my ability to be kidnapped so easily...

Cause when a kid is all telling you about clones and labs and shit... And you're hearing voices... that shit is insane. Literally.

So i didn't take it seriously enough.

But Declan is only 19 Now. And my kid is 16.

So it's old enough to have a romantic relationship. To avoid issues i had as a child with social services.

The plan was to have them grow up as friends but also believed it may been too dangerous....

Yet I still don't agree that it was.

However for the last 10 year's I have been working daily for my amnesia to be solved and also saving the world (of NHRA especially) at the same time.

And have earned multiple Nobel Peace Prizes which i have yet to receive.

So working on law enforcement and the military and government, about to break into the public school system and tear that up ;) as a civilian has earned me billions of dollars i have yet to receive....

But i have given away as i can and have bought businesses that I want.

As proof that the government does care about all its people's hopes and dreams they have bought them on my behalf and am gsining bank! And i shop st my own businesses too... Ironically! I been shopping at Loves for nearly a year... went into Speedway a few times now i drive an extra 5 miles just to shop there because i like it more!!

Robert, the shift manager finally told me tonight as I bought all the GIANTS for my Giant 6'7" man. And i turned the ones in Valencia County to Speedway in honor of Aaron and Paul (twins) who wanted to show the dangers of meth and the meth community as they honored me with my idea of how to end Breaking Bad with the movie reel of El Camino (the mother road) of the manner of the psychological reality of life gone wrong.

I freak Robert out... He was worried when he saw me there that I was to audit like a monster, fire everyone and work the cash register and store myself.

So tonight he saw I bought milkshakes (not available at Love's) figured it out and gave me a pack of smokes for free and blurted out why.

So i took all the giants as i always do and fucked them all up and made them better.

So i own them till i make my money back on the businesses and then they get given to who I intended it for... As I do double check they will always be worthy... If not i keep them for me because I was being good snd honest and fair the whole time.

So 360° K i own.

So i only compete with Love's whom I always promised the King's Highway to... You know him... As an old time Western Thug bitch ass womanizer player. Motorcycle Guru. Hot Rod extraordinaire. Texas loving son of a gun. Jesse James Smith! Just kidding... Just regular old ole fogie mad scientist Jesse Gregory Smith. Of West Coast Choppers. Which i own and always have as i put up the money for his business intending to always be in his life and helping him. So my apology... The only one i can ever give as i can't predict the future without help is Love. And he loves everyone and won't let Google tell.

I bought every gas station in the country as we will be switching to electric and hydro electric and non fuel and solar and hybrid autos by 2030. So the previous owners have a nice retirement and no stress. As the storage oil facilities that were shot in Saudia Arabia were actually empty. I own them.

Fossil fuels are actually the blood of dinosaurs and other dead bodies that are converted and broken down and dehydrated by plant life...

I found that out by the eternal bushes burning.. I mean growing... here on the mountain. Tumble weeds otherwise known as thyme. And we found via satellite tons of skeletons by Earth xrays under the bushes and some not as they are closer to the Earth surface. I found a wooly mammoth knuckle bone.

We moved here in 2002 and there was a patch of earth that looked like concrete by the mail boxes and we just drove over them assuming that's what it was.

They were mummified wooly mammoths. Now broken up and scattered all over the desert road.

I would not like my blood which could potentially bring me back to life wasted on a car... For someone to get to a job they hate. So no more. Not from the USA anyways.

One night I was at dinner and i said Obama needs to handle thwt South Dakota pipeline. My dad was all what is he supposed to do? All simple solutions were crap and had an argument. I said "then lie! Tell the American people they are scum! Tell them we opened the pipeline up and the pipes broke and destroyed the precious land that needs to be protected." My dad laughed and i felt kinda stupid for being so angry.

But Uncle Donald heard my point and so thats exactly what he did. Fake news? Its real.

Because he saw the change I made in the NHRA with some lies that laid very close to the truth.

You don't need to believe in reincarnation for it to happen. I didn't until about 6 months ago. But my mom's mom and my great aunt my grandma's sister ... Granny Bessie Heltons 2 daughters did. My grandma explained it to me one night when I was 18 as i had asked my Great Aunt Nita i was closer to but she didn't explain she just said "because i do" And the dictionary explaination i already knew. But my grandma traveled with me like y'all know i do And showed me.

We started in Heaven with only having one human life and having the soul figure of a human that we select. Hers was a teenage body, absolutely beautiful. With her old ass mind and experience. I told her what I wanted was to be a child. A dirty raggedy haired barefoot blonde without a care in the world, feeling smarter than I feel now... Because that is when i was happiest. When i saw i could end pain and suffering with death, when i knew life could escape heart ache, even when evil exist.

And so now on her second cat life with me, as her first caused her kidnapping by the same drug induced psycho piece of shit that arrested and molested Jesse James dog, Coco and her untimely death as I did record in Tumblr. "Sister Kitty" was kidnapped by him, hes in a special jail. He just had his pinkie finger nail and big toe nail removed as he did kidnap Mogar and slice his face and slice Kizzys leg. So in order to understand what he did he agreed to similar punishment as he did to our precious cargo...

Cargo my bitches!

Jesse: No! I only ask!

Me: who do i have to convince?

Jesse: Idk Jeremiah?

Me: Ava who is your dad?

Ava: Idk I guess not Jeremiah?? IDK!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL!? you all always told me they are both my dad's. Let me ask God. Oh! Jesse! ..... And Jeremiah

Me: your dad is your dad and dad he will always be no matter shine or high water, love will always be there for you and for me. Alexis, do you know that one?

She nods all teary..

Jesse: well did i get loves?!

Me: uhh yes ass hole! We always love you back. What do you want with a gas station with no gas? That's like having a family with out us, most especially me!

Jesse: well it got gas now!!!

Me: well gas up at your local, bring a truck. I got a lot of stuff.

Declan: you hear her? Most especially me! Me! Well, me too, you better pick me up.

Me: Jesse... You ready for Orlando?? I got a Chase bank account with the Princess Castle on the debit card... Just needs a little cash in the account.

Jesse: You Mean You Will Pay!!!

Me: i see that was not a question so that does not deserve a response. But yes. I am suppose to have a wire transfer per last night's discussions that will pay for it.

Jesse: WHOA SHIT!

Me: Jeremiah you down?

Jeremiah: to pay Miss Giant Owner?

Me: uhh I'm Miss Speedyway now. No.. Carry me through times square after some Disney World Fun!

Jeremiah: FUCK YES!! uhh yes thank you for inviting me. I will go

Matt Hagan: look look at this. Im the best friend i even got her kid named after me

Me: Matt Hagan... Looks like you're invited, The Best Friend. In or out of Disney World for the hotel.

Matt: IN!!

Me: youre definitely going you know how to do it right! Pops... You gonna stay home alone with your woman?

Pops: not if i don't have to

M3: you don't

Pops: shit! Oh yeah!

Chuck: what about Cookie!!

Me: you and bring Your comrades I need to talk to

Chuckie: oh Cookies going!

Me: I didn't know he could do the Conga.

Jesse: yes you did!

Me: no wonder it looked familiar.

[arissayoo]

Neverland -> Ateez AU

Chapter 1

Warnings: Mentions of violence, blood, cursing, dark/horror themes, fem!reader

Summary: When you woke up to the sun’s blistering heat, and white sand beneath your skin how were you expected to believe you were on Neverland, the fictional utopia of your childhood? More importantly, how were you supposed to deal with the eight boys standing over you, holding sharp knives to your throat?

>> Chapter 2

A/N: I just finished the lost boy's profiles and am very excited. Also just a warning, I suck at grammar/punctuation so, just know I tried my best 😓 (credit to gif owner)

I woke up to the feeling of the heavy heat burning my skin. I tried to sit upright while my eyes were screwed shut to block the assault of light. It was not much help since I could still see the bright sun, prompting my hand to cover my forehead.

“Stop right there.” A deep voice echoed through my ears. I snapped open my eyes, stilling all movements immediately.

Eight boys surrounded me, each holding a sharp knife close to my neck. My eyes widened and I looked up, questioning what exactly I did last night to end up in this situation. I slowly raised my hands, a million apologies running through my head.

“Who are you and why are you here?” A different voice demanded. I looked at the boy, red hair covering his forehead and falling into his eyes. My mouth opened up to speak, but what came out was nothing more than raspy mumblings. A hand shot up grabbing my throat, their hold threatening enough. I squeaked, flinching from the contact.

“Careful, you don't want to mess around with us.” A boy with blonde hair whispered, sending me a chilling smile. I could feel the blood drain from my face.

“San quit it. Even if she is working for the other side, she’s alone and obviously outnumbered.” The first one with the deep voice stood back, unfazed.

San’s hand slowly retreated from my throat, the dangerous hint of mischief still present in his eyes. Some of the boys shifted their stances, the sunlight reflecting off their blades, ready to strike at any moment. I cleared my throat before trying again.

“Uh my name is Y/L/N Y/F/N. I don’t know how I got here, seeing as I just remember going to sleep last night and waking up here in front of you all. I don’t even know where here is.” My voice was shaky and still raspy, my brain yelling at me to escape. I looked around the group of boys, scanning their faces while they all looked at each other as if they were communicating. 

“Hyung, why don't we just monitor her for a little and see if anyone comes. Then we can get rid of her.” Another boy spoke up, making my eyes bulge out once more. 

Get rid of her. Surely that meant that I was going to die, right? 

I tried to look around to see if I could identify where I was from any landmarks. I was clearly on a beach, but which one? The closest beach was at least an hour drive from my apartment. 

“Stand up and empty your pockets.” The redhead pointed his blade at me, indicating me to follow his orders. I slowly stood up, shoving my hands into the pockets of my pajama shorts. 

“Surely you can just tell me where we are and I’ll head home and leave you guys alone.” I tried to reason, but apparently not getting anywhere based on their stone-cold expressions. I pulled out my tangled headphones and a crumpled piece of paper. 

“I'll take those.” A boy with blue hair grabbed my headphones, tossing them into the ocean behind us. 

“Hey!” I complained, “Those were my favorite pair!” 

“Well too bad Wendy, can’t have you spying on us.” 

“What? Wendy?” I turned back to see San holding the crumpled piece of paper, black ink scrawled onto it. 

 < Welcome to Neverland, Wendy >

“You said your name was Y/N.” The redhead accused me, taking the paper from San’s hand. All I could do was stare at the paper, confused as to what it was doing in my pocket. 

“Why was that in my pocket?” I questioned aloud, reaching out to touch the paper. A blade was pushed further towards me, the owner clicking his tongue in disapproval. I pulled my hands back, apologizing.

“Hongjoong, we are not in any immediate danger as far as I can tell. We can take her to the lagoon if we need to get her to talk.” The blue-haired boy announced to the redhead. 

“You’re right. We should at least move her out of the open, in case she is being followed. Jongho.” Hongjoong commanded, signaling for the rest of the boys to start moving. I was still holding my hands out, a perfect opportunity for one of the boys to quickly trap both my wrists in rope. 

“Wait! I don’t understand what is happening, but it’s probably just a misunderstanding.” I tried to plead, pulling against the tightly knotted rope. The boy just huffed, taking a handkerchief from his pocket.

“It would be better if you just shut that mouth of yours.” He covered my mouth, tying the handkerchief tightly against my head. I was helpless as he dragged me along, following the other boys to their destination.

We walked through the trees for what seemed like thirty minutes before coming to an abrupt halt. I looked around for the reason we stopped, my hands shifting uncomfortably against the tight rope. 

“Yeosang, scan the area with San.” Hongjoong directed while motioning for the boy leading me to come forward. “I'll take her, Jongho.”

Hongjoong sat me down at his feet, before taking out a map from a bag. I watched, catching the words Neverland written at the top. My eyebrows furrowed at the thought of the message written on the paper from my pocket. Where the hell was I, and what was the deal with everyone here? I couldn't have gotten that far from home last night, I didn’t even drink.  

“Okay, we reached the lagoon. Judging by the time of day, the fairies should be out of their cave.” Hongjoong rolled up the map, tucking it back into his bag. 

Maybe I did drink. 

“Jongho, go trap one and bring it over.”

“Uh, Mingi, won’t that just make them mad.” Jongho scratched the back of his head.

“I’ll just go charm them.” A black-haired boy pushed forward, walking out of the trees. All the other boys were silent, watching as the other boy walked away.

They had to be crazy. I got drunk and stumbled across a group of lunatics on the beach. That had to be what happened. My luck was never the best, but I never expected it to take me here.

The black-haired boy returned shortly, a bright light coming from his hand. The rest of the boys stood up, shock apparent on their faces.

“No way, Wooyoung actually charmed a fairy.” Mingi gushed, applauding the boy.

“Yeah, uh, that didn’t work so I may have threatened to turn her into a slug.” Wooyoung shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. He brought the light over to me, revealing a tiny girl with iridescent wings. I tried to speak but the handkerchief in my mouth turned my words into nonsense mumbling noises.

“What the hell is going on?!” I practically yelled once Hongjoong removed the barrier from my mouth. The boys ignored me, instead, they were looking at the fairy who was now flying in the air.

“Y/L/N Y/F/N, age 19, born September 3, 2001. Recently graduated, and moved into an apartment in uptown Seoul. Is currently a stand-in weather reporter for a small radio station she works at. She is secretly trying to find her birth parents and reads children’s fairytales before bed.”

“Hey!” I snapped at the fairy. I didn’t even know anyone here, yet all my information and deepest secrets had just been shared amongst them.

“Guys, enough chit-chat. We have to go.” San blurted, alerting everyone to Yeosang and his presence. When did they get back?

“There are two groups of them coming from the North and South.” Yeosang looked off into the distance. “They know we are here.”

Swiftly, the group got their blades out and pulled me to my feet. They released the fairy, turning back in the other direction. My head was spinning with unanswered questions as I was once again being dragged along, this time being lead by Yeosang.

“There’s one in the bush up ahead.” Jongho voiced.

“What’s going on? What are we running from?” I hoped for a normal answer. I needed a normal answer.

“Someone decided to start the party early,” Yeosang muttered, biting his blade and grabbing the crossbow from his back. He aimed and released the arrow, causing a loud agonizing screech to sound from the bush.

“What was...” my voice trailed off as a four-legged creature fell to the ground in front of us. Its hairless, light gray skin was stretched tight, showing the basic structure of its skeleton. It resembled some type of large dog, though the skin around its face and mouth was mutilated. My eyes widened and I felt the bile rising to my throat.

Yeosang let go of me, grabbing the blade from between his teeth and cutting me free. “Since you wanted to be free so bad, here. You’ll just slow us down anyway.”

I watched the rope fall from my wrists, too shocked to register anything. I tried to say something, anything, but all that came out was quiet stutters. The sound of the boys running ahead snapped me out of my daze. I didn't know anything about this place or what creatures were on it, but I knew the key to my survival was sticking around these guys. 

“Wait!” I called, rushing to catch up. 

“What does Wendy want now?” San called back over his shoulder. 

“My name isn’t Wendy, nor do I know a Wendy. You can't just leave me alone when I still don't have any idea what is going on or where we are!” I panted, mentally making a note of how much this boy was starting to annoy me. 

A crack of thunder sounded from above. I glanced up at the cloudy sky, silently cursing my luck. I was starting to regret anytime that I complained about how bad my life was in the past. Right now, nothing compared to this. My legs burned as I ran alongside the boys, occasionally brushing up on the sharp branches of the shrubs. As the boys navigated through the thick forest, the trees seemed never-ending. We could have been lost for all I knew and I would never make it back to my apartment. 

A rustle in the trees ahead caught my attention as I kept running, ending up alongside one of the creatures. Its mouth was covered by a layer of ripped skin, a low growl coming from its throat. I screamed and pushed my legs to run faster, changing direction and breaking from the group. The dog was catching up, its teeth bared and ready to attack. I willed myself to keep running, the fear enough motivation to ignore the pounding of my heart. A strong gust of wind rattled the trees, pushing against me and slowing me down. I could feel the dog’s breath on my lower back, a large snarl echoing behind me. With one push forward, the dog jumped up, tackling me to the ground underneath its large body. It pawed at my chest, its snapping jaws just barely stopped by my arms pushing against it.

This was it. The end. 

A scream escaped my throat as I came face to face with the terrifying creature. At the same moment, a powerful surge of wind tore through the trees, shaking the ground. I covered my face, hearing a loud yelp from the beast above me before feeling the loss of its weight on my chest. Once the wind had calmed down I slowly peeled my arm from my face seeing the beast limp on the ground, its body sliced in half. I looked around for signs of anyone, finding myself alone. I turned around wordlessly, running far from the area. I couldn't even process what just happened, just thinking about how I needed to find the group and fast.

Luckily for me, I could make out their voices not too far away. I broke through the trees, finding myself back on the beach I woke up on. The boys spun around swiftly, lunging to attack. 

“Hey! It's just me.” I tried to yell, my voice was hoarse from screaming. 

“So Wendy didn't die after all,” San commented, causing my eyes to narrow in his direction. Another large crack of thunder was heard, making me consider my options. 

I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself before calmly asking, “Can I please stay with you guys? Just until I figure out how to get back home.” The boys looked amongst each other, their faces showing wary expressions. Before they could answer I interjected, “Look, you guys already proved that I’m not a threat by having that fairy tell you my life story. I just want protection from those things until I can get this sorted out.”

“Those things are Khanins, and like we need you leeching off of us,” San crossed his arms. I looked around at the other boys, their faces mirroring San’s expression.

I felt my stomach drop, realizing the reality of the situation. The wind started picking up again as raindrops fell from the sky. I watched as the boys started walking away, lowering my head to hide the forming tears. I was scared and confused, drawing a blank on how to even start to form plans to get home. It was hopeless. I sniffed back the tears, halting as a hand came into my blurry vision. Looking up at the light brown-haired boy, a single tear slid down my cheek.

“Come with us. We can’t offer much, but you'll be better protected from the rain there.” He said softly, his hand still outstretched. The rain picked up along with the wind, causing my body to shiver from the cold. Sensing my hesitation, he grabbed my hand pulling me along with him. 

We jogged through the rain, coming to a halt at the entrance of a cave. Hongjoong, who was leaned against the entrance, straightened up after seeing us. He nodded towards the brown-haired boy, handing him a towel that ended up being passed to me. 

“Uh, thanks,” I croaked out, wrapping the towel around me. 

“I’m Seonghwa by the way. You probably don't remember everyone else, I’ll introduce you to them later. First, let’s get you cleaned up and a new pair of clothes.” The boy eyed my bleeding legs, leading me further into the cave. 

[biarology]

First Scam?

Right, so I was feeling super proud of myself for successfully catching the Local bus from Ha Noi to Hai Phong. Proud because I was told to stick to tourist routes and areas. Travel Guide: Why are you going there, there's nothing for tourists there. (Excellent). After some googling I found a bus station (https://vexere.com/en-US/bus-ticket-booking-from-ha-noi-to-hai-phong-124t1271.html?date=19-02-2019#19022019-01401520) but was anxious about how exactly I find which bus, how to get a ticket, and whether the bus will actually go if there is not enough passengers (because online the site said all seats were available). The anxiety made sure I arrived with plenty of time to achieve my goal of 'Arriving to new places before dark in case I get lost'. (Failed first night in Vietnam but that's another story). The buses left every 30 minutes or so, there was a big bus station with people behind desks to purchase a ticket from and point me in the right direction.

So. Success. Got on bus. Winning at life!!

A man sat opposite me, keen to practise his english I guess. He is a park ranger and has 2 sons, his 4 year old was with him. Apparently Vietnamese has 6 tones (from my understanding thats the accents on letters). He was not religious which surprised me, I assumed most/all people would be. Like all Vietnamese I've met so far he asked me why I was traveling alone (I can't really think of a reason other than 'because'.. mostly I say because my friends and family are busy 🤣). He asked why in western culture we dont need to get married and have kids. I asked him why he needs to.

View on bus. Rice fields:

My new friend got off at an earlier stop and the bus continued to just outside of Hai Phong centre where we were put on a minibus. The minibus drove for 5 minutes or so before all the locals hopped out. Left was myself and another foreigner (Japanese maybe). With google maps open I could see the driver was heading the opposite direction to the final (my) stop. My traveller associate was no where near where he needed to be so asked to be let out. I stayed in the bus and showed him where to go. He yelled vietnamese to me and waved a 50k note in the air. Pretty sure he was supposed to go to the bus stop I had paid for but I figured I would pay him if he takes me straight to the hostel instead, as it was about 3.5 km from the station anyway. When I gave him the cash he tried to hide a big smile. I kept my Google maps open, watching our trip. Again missing the turn. He tried to drop me off to a group of Grab bikes, but I refused to get out. Fortunately one of the riders spoke english and I stress fully exclaimed this is not where we agreed. Respectfully they backed away. I continued to give directions to the driver and finally made it to the hostel according to Google maps. And out of spite I left my rubbish in the Bus (I never do that!! And do have a little bit of guilt!)

Hostel wasn't at exact location and I was so stressed I had difficultly navigating so whatsapped the hostel and they found me. While I was waiting I saw some chickens cross the road. I think to get some food 😅

Hostel is quaint and nice. I'm feeling slightly socially awkward but its looks like it will be a great experience as the hostel is also a homestay for english teacher volunteers. So I might stay a bit longer than intended 🙃 Quite a mix of nationalities - Vietnam, Brazil, Columbia, Argentinia, India, France, England.

http://www.booking.com/Share-6YsViT

Home cooked delicious vietnamese dinner is provided for an extra 20k vnd (~$1.2aud). There's 6 bunk beds but the bottom ones have curtains all around so it's a little like a blanket fort 😍 My bed is touching the one next to me (with the veil between). Its currently vacant and hopefully stays that way as I don't want to be kicking or spooning stranger in my sleep. Dreamt of hugging Ben last night 😅😖

P.S sorrynotsorrysotrasorry posts in this blog are likely not to be published in a sequential order. It's just how my brain works soz. There'll be some present/immediate past (such as this one) and hopefully some backdated 😅😬😳🤪🤓😘

Ooohh I can change fonts...

#haiphong #vietnam #backpackerlyf

19/2/19