#we all did first names except for my coworker who was a para at the school during the day she still went by her last name. naturally

[britneyshakespeare]

funny thing happened when i was subbing fourth grade technology today. a boy raised his hand when i introduced myself as miss (last name) and said "there used to be someone who looked JUST like you who worked at after care a few years ago."

"that was me >:)"

and he was like... honestly *____*-facing

[eccedentesiiasta-blog]

drinking to suppress devotion - a (shitty) simbar fanfic

Requested: i think the fuck not. no one ever asks for my bullshit yet here i stand. whaddup

Word Count: 3k-ish???? maybe???

Note: idgaf about the soy luna 9 book spoilers, i’m just gonna leave this out here. take this as a 3x21 headcanon. you’re welcome

Summary: After an awkward encounter on the Jam & Roller where a certain drink was offered, Simón goes back to the loft and is left with mixed feelings... which he later mixes with tequila. 

Warnings: An obvious Ed Sheeran reference on the title, Marvel vs. DC discourse, angst, fluff and an unexpected plot twist.

He should be sleeping by now.

The loft is completely dark. Pedro, Nico and Matteo are carelessly snoring the night away. But Simón is wide awake: staring at the ceiling, still processing the events from the past few days.

He closes his eyelids and his heart flutters at the memory of them singing while looking at each other, lyrics flowing out of their tongues like bottled up emotions. Or hugging her in the locker room, her pleads for him to not leave her alone tightening his arms around her.

It seems unreal how things went downhill in a matter of hours.

He replays Ja-Jazmín’s “Bembar” video one last time, and the audio just plays back to a supercut of moments engraved on his brain that seem to crumble whatever feeling resides on his chest for her right now, as easy as a piece of paper does: Benicio and Ámbar on stage, them skating together for what he thought was the first time and how they complemented each other so easily.

He goes to take a sip out of his bottle before he realizes that it’s empty. He drops it on the rug and it rolls away from him.

He should be sleeping by now… but instead, he’s trying to drown his feelings for Ámbar in tequila (and failing terribly, by the way).

He was lucky he found a cab at… 3:13 AM, according to his cellphone.

��The code to the gate is my birthday. It’s the only thing my grandpa wouldn’t forget.” Luna had indicated in an opportunity.

When the code was in, the gate opened with a loud mechanic noise and he went past it, guitar on his back. Simón uselessly shushed the engine, and waited for the door to close before he made his way through the garden.

All of the windows were closed. She probably was asleep. He would have to serenade her awake.

Not that he minded, though.

Ámbar couldn’t sleep that night either. Her head was buried into her pillow, trying to suppress the loud memory replaying in her head.

“Ambar- I saw you dancing with Simon. I thought you were over what you guys had but… I guess I was wrong.”

“No, you weren’t. I have nothing to do with Simón anymore.”

“Nothing that you wanna admit…”

The blonde leaned forward, brushed hair out of her face and huffed loudly, resigned to the fact that it would bother her until she did something about it.

“Ámbar, I’ve told you a million times to take over your feelings! Do you wanna be your old self again? ...Be careful Ámbar. Don’t you go and fall in love with him all over again.”

“Emilia- I’ll never fall in love again.”

“I wish I believed you.”

She did, too.

Esto es amor o es una señal para escaparle al miedo

No puedo evitar mi estupidez

Este no soy yo, oh

That was Simón. A raspy version of his voice singing along to messy chords- but it was Simón, give or take. Was Luna seriously listening to music out loud at 3 AM? She was so going to get it…

She turned on the lights and got up the bed, walking fast to the door before a specific yell stopped her:

“Bonita!”

Shit.

She traced her steps back, looked down the window and her mouth fell open at the sight:

Simón was on the garden, his signature guitar hanging on his torso as he yelled:

“Bonita! This song is for you!”

No digas nada

Solo toma tu tiempo

Un tiempo de amor

Ya no preguntes más

Y cierra los ojos

Sentir es mejor

What the hell did he think he was doing? She had to do something.

Quizás sea el momento de tomar un tiempo…

“Simón!”

“Yes, bonita?”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You’re going to wake my grandfather!”

“I don’t care. You hear me? I don’t care! The world is going to hear how much I love you!”

“Simón! I mean it. Keep. Your voice. Down.”

“You look beautiful under the moonlight, Ámbar Smith.”

Heat rose up to her cheeks, and she looked away to think properly of a comeback: “…and you’re drunk, Simón Álvarez.”

“Only drunk in love, bonita.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ugh- don’t move. I’ll be down in a second.”

Looking like a gothic queen, her black marabou night robe-clad figure quickly sneaked her way down the stairs, rushing to the main door. As soon as it was open, she stuck her head out.

“Simón!” She called him in a whisper, and he turned his head. “Get in! It’s cold out there.”

He rushed to the door and got inside. “You, Ámbar, are an angel.”

“Yeah, yeah- just get in, will you?”

Being quicker than his clouded mind, he tripped on his own two feet and she had to catch him.

“Careful! I could get in serious trouble if my granddad finds out I’m sneaking you in like this.”

Simón frowned. “I thought you didn’t care about your grandfather.”

She swung Simón’s arm over her shoulders and helped him walk. “I actually do, it’s just that… he thinks I’m not ‘in line with this family’ because I’m not like Luna. But I couldn’t be like her. I couldn’t be like anyone, actually. I can only be me.”

Simón was getting heavier by the minute. No, no, no, no, no, no. No way. He couldn’t fall asleep. “Simón!”

His eyes flew open. “AH! What?”

“Don’t fall asleep!”

“Sorry. It’s just that I’m so tired and your hair smells so nice, I just…-”

She huffed. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

They made it to the stairwell. “Left foot, then right foot. Okay?”

“Yeah.” But he had zero balance whatsoever, so as soon as he tried he found himself on the verge of falling face down on the steps.

He was lucky he had Ámbar. “Forget it. Just hold on tight to me and try to lift your feet.”

“Good idea.”

They spent a good 5 minutes going up a 30-step stairwell.

“I need you to be super quiet now because someone could definitely hear us in this hallway. Now, let’s get your shoes off.”

Ámbar squatted down and undid his laces.

“Lift one foot,” she instructed, and he held tight to her shoulder as he lifted his right foot. She took his shoe off to reveal an Spiderman logo on the sole of his sock. “Really? Spiderman?”

“What about it? I love everything Marvel.”

“Everything? Are you sure about that?”

“Of course!” He raised his voice to accentuate his confidence, and Ámbar shushed him. “Sorry.”

“Just lift your other foot.”

“Why are you so-? Wait a minute. Are you a DC fan?”

“I’m not saying anything. Now, lift your other foot.”

Simón did as she said. “You didn’t answer.”

Ámbar huffed as she took the other shoe off and stood up. “Yes, I am a DC fan.”

“Why?”

She started walking alongside Simón towards her room. “I know that DC may not have the best movies… but it sure has the best TV series out of both universes. And I like more characters from DC than I do from Marvel.”

“Which ones do you like?”

“...I like Harley Quinn.”

“Oh, my God… How did I ever date such a snob?”

They both got in and she locked the door. “I’m not a snob!”

“Oh, really? Prove it.”

She threw herself onto the bed and sighed. “It’s not that I necessarily like Harley Quinn, I just think it’s a realistic and well-developed character. Just think about it: she was a brilliant woman who fell in love with a criminal. Love is blind and unexpected, so I respect it. It’s not that I support the dynamic between her and the Joker, though, even before she actually became Harley Quinn. A character I actually support though, is Poison Ivy. She was mistreated by her coworker and she took revenge. Also, she is hot as fuck and she is in a relationship with Harley in the comics, so…-”

“Why is that you are so into villains?”

“Are you kidding? Without villains, there would be no plot!”

“Okay, fair enough…- but, isn’t there any good guy you like?”

Ámbar thought it through, pursing her lips. “Well… I like Flash.”

“Really? Why not Superman or, you know, Batman?”

“Flash is humble. He is funny, and good, and decent. I think that if Superman didn’t feel the need to prove himself to others, I would rather like him.”

Simón was in awe. “What do we really know about Ámbar Smith? She has a soft spot for good guys.”

Ámbar’s smile fainted and turned into a frown in less than a second. “I am not soft.”

“Yes, you are.”

She crossed her arms as she leaned forward to sit up on her bed. “No, I am not!”

“You are!”

“Shut up, Simón!” Ámbar yelled in annoyance as she threw a pillow at Simón’s head.

“Ouch! That actually hurt, Ámbar. You could have cracked my skull with that pillow you threw just now.” He whined, and the blonde had to stifle a laugh.

She tried to keep a straight face as she insisted: “I believed I told you to shut up.”

“And I believe I just made you smile.”

Was she so obvious? “This is not a smile! Don’t you see? This is my disgust face, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Simón giggled between cute little hiccups. “Right. Whatever. Let’s say I believe you.”

“Believe me? It’s the truth, Simón. It’s not a matter of perspective. You just saw it happen.”

Simón’s laughter became dry. “Ámbar…”

“What?” She let out in a harsh tone. That tone she used for everyone except for her friends. No, scratch that- except for Simón. But this time was different.

This time he was on her room, asking her about fiction and calling her names he didn’t mean, laughing like a fucking dork. It just reassured what Emilia had said the night of the party, and that bothered her. She couldn’t fall in love again. All that love did for her was break and end.

Her ears tuned in to the sound of his voice. “Why…” he cleared his throat to say this in the most hurtful tone he could use, “…why did you bring me back to your room?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean- you could’ve called a cab, or snuck me in to Luna’s room,” Simón got off the chair and walked around the room, “so… why are you taking care of me?”

Because I care about you was the only answer she couldn’t go wrong with, but her feelings were at stake. “B-because…”

“Because of what, Ámbar?”

Ámbar musted up courage and got up to answer this time. “…Because you left me no choice! Simón, you literally just sang a window serenade to me. I knew you wouldn’t leave me alone until I gave you the attention you wanted from me.”

Simón blinked, offended. “Attention?”

“Yes, attention.”

“I think I’m not the only one seeking attention over here.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I don’t know, let’s find out. What do you think I’m saying?”

“I think you’re saying I’m an attention seeker.”

“Yes!”

“Then you’re an idiot!”

“Why? Ámbar, you’ve been acting so weird lately. With your dark outfits, and your pretentious attitude towards everyone, and even this room makeover you’ve put up- just to fit in your new group of friends!”

She shook her head, wearing a cynic smirk on her face even when each reproach was landing like an arrow on her heart. “You really have no idea, do you Simón?”

“Why? What could you possibly say to prove me wrong?”

“Simón, I did this because of you! I did this… because of the Roller guys! Simón, I had changed! And they still didn’t see it. Only you did.”

Simón suddenly felt himself sober up with her words: “…and that used to be enough for me. But then I lost you, and I had no one left. The Sliders gave me an opportunity, no matter who I was or what I had done in the past. It was a new slate for me, and I needed it.”

“If you call breaking Juliana’s Crystal Skate with Benicio a new slate.”

“At least Benicio stuck up for me when I needed him to!”

“You are aware that’s not going to last for long, right? I have told you a million times that Benicio is the most cheating, treacherous, fake, backstabbing asshole I’ve ever met! Plus, you’ve only known Emilia for so long and you think she’s your friend?”

“I have told you a million times I don’t care what you have to say!” Except she did, and that made it harder to lie to him when she said: “Emilia, unlike you, was there when I needed her. Simón, I couldn’t move on if you were going to be there reminding me of all that I’d done wrong. I had to get away from you. You were bad for me!”

Simón held his hand in the air, cutting her speech as she walked up to her. “Hold on a second- bad for you?”

Ámbar came closer as well. “Yes! Bad for me!”

Simón’s eyes became foggy with tears as he let out broken sounds: “Then how come Luna and all of the Roller guys think I’ll be the one in danger if I get too close to you?”

He really knew how to be her ultimate weakness.

The ambient seemed to shift with the lingering question.

“Simón…” Ámbar cupped his face just as he had done just the day before and she felt him relax under her touch. He trusted her, and he couldn’t conceal that. “Only you and I know what we both feel.”

Simón felt dizzy. Not buzzed, or funny. He felt dizzy from her scent, from their tempting closeness, from her eyes staring into his.

“Ámbar…” he licked his lips as he stole a glance at hers.

Her answer was barely a graceful whisper at this point. “Yes, Simón?”

“I-I… fuck it- I’m just going to ask you.”

Ámbar grabbed his hands and straightened her posture. “Just say it.”

“Yeah- sure, I’m just going to say it.”

Simón felt uneasy with what the words he was about to say would risk. It felt as if his heart was on his throat. Eventually, he opened his mouth and there was no going back.

Except, it wasn’t his heart that was on his throat.

It was puke.

It landed everywhere: on Ámbar’s nightgown, on the carpet… and even on his socks.

Ámbar didn’t know what to do. She quickly took off her robe, rushing him to the bathroom.

After a final “I’m never going to drink again”, Simón had been done puking. She had been cautious enough to scape a grounding, so after changing into an old pink night-robe, she dragged an inflatable mattress to Luna’s room where he could fall asleep in on his tired-out state. She came to realize Luna was a heavy sleeper.

Simón’s phone vibrated on his pocket, and she realized: the guys were probably worried about him. He had gone out in the middle of the night, and it had been maybe 2 hours since that. They had to work early that day at the Jam & Roller.

When she checked his phone, the messages from the “Roller Band” group chat proved further her theory:

Pedro: Simón, where are you?

Nico: Simón????

Matteo: Chill out guys, maybe he went out to buy something

Pedro: Oh, really? What would he buy, then?

Matteo: How the fuck am I supposed to know?

Nico: Guys, don’t fight. Maybe he felt sick and went to buy an aspirin or some shit like that

Pedro: Maybe I would chill if he actually answered

Matteo: Simón

Matteo: Simón

Matteo: SIMÓN FOR FUCK’S SAKE

Pedro: SIMÓN BLINK TWICE IF YOU’RE READING THIS

Nico: Pedro, you’re communicating with him via text.

Ámbar didn’t know what to do as the texts kept popping up on the screen. She quickly thought of something:

Simón: I’m alive. Sorry. Luna had a panic attack about a nightmare she had, so I stayed over to help her sleep. She just fell asleep, but I’m going to spend the rest of the night here just in case.

Nico: You mean, morning

Simón: Wdym?

Pedro: Simón, it’s 5:24 am.

Fuck.

Simón: Right

Simón: Sorry. I’m just so tired I can’t even read anymore

Nico: It’s okay. I’ll cover your morning shift, but you have to be here by 1 pm. Got it?

Simón: Yes. Thank you so much Nico, you are a lifesaver

Nico: It’s nothing.

Matteo: Simón

Simón: What?

Matteo: Why is there an empty bottle of tequila on the living room?

She bit her lip as she thought of an excuse.

Simón: SHIT! I forgot

Simón: I was going to take out the trash and I placed it on plain sight so I wouldn’t forget it

Simón: Sorry guys

Pedro: It’s fine, Simón. I was going to take out the trash before we left in the morning anyways

Simón: Thanks, Pedro

She carefully put his phone back on his pocket and sighed in satisfaction of her own doing.

While tip-toeing back to her room, she ran into her grandfather.

“Ámbar? What did I tell you? You have to sleep early! What are you doing awake?”

Ámbar was taken by surprise, and a beat passed as she thought of an excuse. “I feel sick, grandpa.”

“You do?” Ámbar nodded and Alfredo took her into his arms. “What is it?”

“I don’t know, but I threw up half an hour ago.”

“Oh, Ámbar… come on: let’s get you to bed. I’m going to give you medicine and you’re going to have some rest. I can’t let you go to Uni like this.”

She feigned worry. “But, grandpa, I have to go!”

“Not a chance, Ámbar. It’s for your own good. You’ll spend the day in.”

Downside was, she would have to confront Gary about her absence on that day’s Red Sharks practice.

Good thing was, her grandfather actually loved her. And being taken care of didn’t sound so bad.

[aparecium-hq]

Welcome to Aparecium, Christie! You have been accepted for Lily Potter with Aisha Dee as the faceclaim. Thanking for being willing to make the switch! We love the clear personality of your app. It’s evident you have a strong idea of who Lily is, even if she’s still struggling with that herself. We’re excited to have you! Check out the new member checklist, and jump right in.

Character Basics

Birthday (Age): 12th May 2008 (19) Gender (Pronouns): Cis female, she/her Sexuality: Lily herself has no idea. Sure, back at Hogwarts, she’d had crushes on boys, had gone through a stage her mother had, with no small dose of amusement, dubbed her ‘boy crazy’ phase, but she’d never really had a boyfriend. It wasn’t that no one had asked her out, but rather that somehow, as soon as any boy seemed to reciprocate her feelings, Lily found herself losing interest; she doesn’t know if that means she isn’t interested in boys or if she just hadn’t been interested in those boys in particular. Meanwhile, she’s not too sure how she feels about girls either. She has girl friends, she loves her girl friends, and if they tend to be very touchy and affectionate, well, girls just do that. It’s the warmth that spreads inside her every time they hug or hold hands that makes Lily question herself, though; is it just the happiness that comes from friendship or is it potentially something romantic? She has no idea. Blood Status: Halfblood Hogwarts House/School: Hufflepuff Occupation: Artist Faceclaim: Anya Chalotra Any requested changes? Nope!

Biography:

At home, Lily is spoiled rotten. Toys, attention, affection, you name it, she has it. She’s Mommy’s favourite, Daddy’s princess, the baby of the family, and Lily revels in it all, adores the feeling of being adored; it’s not just a good childhood, it’s the best childhood. Stupidly, naively, she thinks school will be like that too. She wants to grow up, she wants to join James and Albus in Hogwarts, she wants and she wants, and up to this point, everything Lily Luna Potter wants she’s gotten. But growing up, it turns out it’s not all that.

In school, no one asks her what she wants, they just try to tell her instead, how she should act (“Hufflepuffs are supposed to represent patience and kindness”), who she is (“The Boy Who Lived’s youngest, Ginny Potter’s daughter, Luna Lovegood’s namesake, James and Albus’ sister”) and when Lily pushes back, they call her hot-headed and rude. It pushes her off-kilter; she’s not used to people assuming the worst of her. But Hogwarts isn’t home, and her classmates aren’t her parents, and Lily Potter isn’t universally adored.

She has to work hard for everything, from people’s love to her grades, and it’s new, but she doesn’t exactly mind. It’s refreshing, almost, to have the chance to be perceived as someone other than the Potters’ little princess and to be able to create a new image for herself. But while she doesn’t mind hard work, she does mind the press sticking their noses where they don’t belong; it’s hard enough to navigate puberty as it is and it’s even harder with eyes on her at all times, just waiting for her to mess up. Honestly, screw the press. Lily vows not to mess up, if only just to spite them.

Except. That’s easier said than done. Teenagehood is marked by lapses of judgement, by mistakes to learn from, and Lily is no exception. It’s not as though she’s committed any Azkaban-worthy crimes or anything, but there are things she’d rather keep to herself, you know? So what if she may have crossed a line or two while playing a prank on a girl she saw talking to the guy she liked? She knows it was wrong, she apologised, but how is that news-worthy? Wix play pranks on each other all the time, she knows; uncle George’s told her stories. But none of her peers end up making headlines like HARRY POTTER’S DAUGHTER FACING EXPULSION OVER A RUTHLESS “PRANK”. Which isn’t even true, by the way, she was never about to be expelled, but do those dementors care about the truth? No, of course not. They only care about their stories.

She misses one of James’ games, they speculate he doesn’t want her there. She mentions that Muggles would probably not be too accepting of magic, they paint her as some prejudiced asshole. She has a bit too much to drink, they question the way her parents raised her – and about this one, in particular, she personally tracked down the author of the article to tell them to their face precisely what she thought of their “reporting”. No matter what she does, though, it seems that there are people who don’t agree and Lily just can’t figure it out.

But she wants to. By Merlin, she wants to. She wants to stop being “controversial”, she wants to make her parents proud, she wants people to stop acting like she’s embarrassing her family. Again, she wants and still, no one seems to care that she does. But by now, Lily’s grown used to hard work and her determination has never been under question, either; she knows she can change the narrative if she just keeps pushing, but the question now is, is there even a point? Maybe it’s okay to let people have their misconceptions and spread their rumours; as long as Lily and her loved ones know the truth, does it matter? She’s not sure.

Character Questionnaire

Answer at least three of the following questions about your character. This could be in character or a third period explanation.

How does your character feel about their family? She loves her family, there’s never been a question of that in her mind, which only makes it all the harder whenever she catches herself wishing she’d been born in a different one. It makes her feel terrible, even just considering it, because her parents are wonderful, and so are her brothers and cousins, and she does really love them all! But the expectations that come with being a Potter are a bit much and she could definitely go without them. She hates the feeling of all that attention on her (which is ironic, really, because she’d loved attention as a child) and while she would never actually want to trade her family, it’s hard not to consider what-ifs.

What does your character value in a friendship? Hard work. Perhaps it’s the Hufflepuff in her, but Lily knows without a shadow of a doubt that friendships take work. She’s seen people drift apart, turn from practically siblings to strangers, all because they give up and let it happen, and she tells herself that would never be her. But she and Hugo aren’t as close as they used to be, and for some reason, no matter how hard she tries, it’s like there’s a gap between them she can’t close. That’s okay, though; she’s not planning on giving up on Hugo anytime soon. If someone can figure it out, it’s the two of them.

How would a stranger who has just met your character describe them? Does this stranger have access to newspapers and online sites? Because if so, Lily doesn’t even want to begin to imagine what they might think of her. The thing is, the media seems so determined to push this narrative of her being a wild child and Lily is so angry at them for doing it that it kind of ends up working. She’s snappy with reporters, she pretends she doesn’t care what they think, she speaks her mind and she does it loudly, just to spite all those journalists who try to put her in a box and silence her.

That’s not her, though. That’s not Lily. Or rather, it is, but it’s who’s she’s become rather than who she is at her core. So if a stranger carrying all those preconceptions of her was to meet her, they would probably be surprised first and foremost. “She seemed a bit… shy? Only at first, though, then eventually she just became really chill and easygoing. Yeah, no, she’s actually really cool.”

What magical skill or talent is your character most proud of? Her Charms work. She’s always had a knack for Charms (though not for much else, as the tabloids love to remind everyone ever since her NEWTs results came out) and incorporating it in her job was a child’s game. She doesn’t only do enchanted portraits, of course – she has enough eyes following her as it is. But whenever wix come to her requesting magical portraits, it feels good to have full confidence that she can perform all the right charms with her eyes closed. Not literally, obviously, although… it would make for a fun experiment. She’d have to see about getting Lydia on-board and giving it a go.

Para Sample

Please include at least 3 paragraphs to showcase your writing style.

She slams the newspaper down on Raphael’s desk and the feeling she gets as she does isn’t as much of a déjà-vu as it is reminiscent of a habit with how often she’s found herself in the exact same situation. It does nothing to lessen her irritation; they’re not taking her seriously, any of them. Oh, here she comes again, they probably say when they see her march in. Just send her off to complain to Selwyn again.

She’s sick and tired of being written off as a daily annoyance and, unfortunately for Raphael, it seems his coworkers have decided he’s her scapegoat. Lily stifles a bristle, just barely; if he wants to blame anyone he better blame them.

“Harry Potter’s youngest celebrates nineteenth birthday with a wild night in town,” she quotes, not even needing to look at the damn headline, having already memorised the whole thing. Her tone manages to remain even, somehow, but as she goes on to continue, she can feel her annoyance increasing by the second and it becomes audible in her voice too. “Since when did the Prophet turn into a gossip rag? Who even- who even cares what I do for my birthday, it’s my birthday! And I have a name, by the way, and it’s not Harry Potter’s anything. It’s Lily. Lily Luna, hi, nice to meet you. Except it’s not really.”

She’s launched into a whole rant now, hands on her hips and all, and she would usually feel bad for not letting him get a word in, but hey, they weren’t concerned with hearing her when they printed out this thing, why should she be the bigger person? She lets it all out, going through all the points on her mental list of things wrong with the blasted article, and finally, when she feels satisfied, she looks at him expectantly.

Then the prick has the nerve to say, “Is that all?” and Lily has to wonder what sort of headline the Prophet will come up with if she hexes one of their journalists right here, right now.

[ohmypreciousgirl]

My Very Gay To Read List

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Loved this book so much: Know Not Why (Know Not Why) by Hannah Johnson 

Howie gets a job at Artie Kraft's Arts 'N Crafts hoping to score with his lady coworkers. After all, girls love a sensitive guy, and what's more sensitive than dedicating your life to selling yarn and ... stuff? (Okay, so maybe it'd be a good idea to actually learn what one sells at an arts 'n crafts store.) But things don't go exactly according to plan. Coworker #1 is Cora: tiny, much-pierced, and way too fierce to screw with in any sense. Coworker #2 is Kristy: blonde, bubbly, unattainable perfection. And Coworker #3 is, well, Arthur. It goes without saying that he’s not an option. Right?

… Right?

Yeah, Howie’s life just got straight up confusing.

Pun intended.

How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a confection from David Levithan that is sure to appeal to fans of Boy Meets Boy. Here are 18 stories, all about love, and about all kinds of love. From the aching for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love, to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion that at some point has turned every one of us inside out and upside down. What is love? With this original story collection David Levithan proves that love is a many splendored thing, a varied, complicated, addictive, wonderful thing.

Strong Signal by Megan Erickson

I was counting down the months until the end of my deployment. My days were spent working on military vehicles, and I spent my nights playing video games that would distract me until I could leave Staff Sergeant Garrett Reid behind.

That was when I met him: Kai Bannon, a fellow gamer with a famous stream channel.

I never expected to become fixated on someone who'd initially been a rival. And I'd never expected someone who oozed charm to notice me—a guy known for his brutal honesty and scowl. I hadn't planned for our online friendship to turn into something that kept me up at night—hours of chatting evolving into filthy webcam sessions.

But it did. And now I can't stop thinking about him. In my mind, our real life meeting is perfect. We kiss, we fall into bed, and it's love at first sight.

Except, like most things in my life, it doesn't go as planned.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

Liked this book: Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Growing up, however, has only made him realize how inescapable his identity as a man is.

But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hook—and the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.

Lucas e Nicolas by Gabriel Spits

Lucas é um adolescente como qualquer outro: seu corpo cheio de hormônios o enche de desejos e sua cabeça de dúvidas. Na escola, Lucas é considerado um ‘loser’: tímido, péssimo nos esportes e muito inteligente, alvo constante de chacota dos alunos mais ‘populares’ e completamente inábil na arte da conquista amorosa. Mas, no caso de Lucas, algo mais o deixa vulnerável ao assédio dos colegas: ele é gay. E isso faz toda a diferença, principalmente em um ambiente conservador como na pequena cidade do interior paulista onde vive. 

A tanto sofrimento, soma-se uma novidade: recém-chegado da capital São Paulo, Nicolas é tudo o que ele não é: bonito, forte e popular. E é, talvez, justamente por isso, ou por algum outro motivo que ele não consegue identificar, que Lucas se apaixona pelo seu oposto – ou pelo seu complemento? Como lidar com isso? Pode-se considerar “Lucas e Nicolas”, lançamento do Fábrica231, um livro necessário. Com habilidade, o autor traça um perfil honesto de Lucas, um menino desprotegido e solitário em suas dúvidas e questionamentos acerca de sua orientação sexual. Sem interlocutores que possam ouvi-lo e orientá-lo, resta-lhe o sentimento de vergonha, deslocamento e medo. Afinal, o mundo parece não perdoar quem é diferente. Por conta disso, sofre toda sorte de agressões, verbais e físicas, numa homofobia que é negada conscientemente por seus perpetradores, mas muito presente na vida diária. 

Na impossibilidade de poder expressar seu afeto, Lucas corre para o abrigo da internet, onde faz um amigo, Matheus, gay assumido, mas que nunca viu ao vivo. Matheus é seu confidente e representa aquele jovem homossexual que tem orgulho de ser quem é. Assume seu caráter único e vive com intensidade toda uma cultura gay que se reflete em músicas, filmes e num linguajar muito peculiar. Ao desabafar sobre Nicolas, ele descobre com Matheus uma informação crucial sobre seu objeto de desejo. Nicolas é o típico aluno popular, forte, bonito e atlético. Mas, por trás de tanta fortaleza, esconde-se uma personalidade frágil, um menino com uma família desajustada, que o obriga a amadurecer cedo. Ele vem da capital para o interior, mas tem dificuldade de se adaptar. Sente saudades dos amigos de São Paulo, e de um em especial. Péssimo nos estudos, ele é obrigado a ter aulas particulares com o CDF do colégio: Lucas. E agora? 

How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J.C. Lillis

Eighteen-year-old Castaway Planet fans Brandon and Abel hate bad fan fiction—especially when it pairs their number-one TV crushes of all time, dashing space captain Cadmus and dapper android Sim. As co-runners of the Internet’s third most popular Castaway Planet vlog, they love to spar with the “Cadsim” fangirls who think Cadmus will melt Sim’s mechanical heart by the Season 5 finale. This summer, Brandon and Abel have a mission: hit the road in an RV to follow the traveling Castaway Planet convention, interview the actors and showrunner, and uncover proof that a legit Cadsim romance will NEVER, EVER HAPPEN.

A Brandon and Abel romance: also not happening. Brandon’s sick of his struggle to make “gay and Catholic” compute, so it’s safer to love a TV android. Plus Abel���s got a hot new boyfriend with a phoenix tattoo, and how can Brandon compete with that? But when mysterious messages about them start popping up in the fan community, they make a shocking discovery that slowly forces their real feelings to the surface. Before they get to the last Castaway Planet convention, Brandon’s going to find out the truth: can a mechanical heart be reprogrammed, or will his first shot at love be a full system failure?

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth. Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: choice. Zeus calls Hades "lord" of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the goddess of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian destiny. But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds love, and herself.

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaeger. At least it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each other, but how will others react to their developing relationship? This moving love story between two girls is a worthy successor to Nancy Garden's classic young adult coming out novel, Annie on My Mind. With her characteristic humor and breezy style, Peters has captured the compelling emotions of young love.

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

This groundbreaking book is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. This book is so truthful and honest, it has been banned from many school libraries and even publicly burned in Kansas City.

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Him (Him #1) by Sarina Bowen

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend... and a big one to learn about himself.

Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane

"I am not beautiful..."

Knife's entire existence has been as twisted as his flesh and his face. The only thing beautiful in his life is his sister. When Gwennie is obliged to turn a suitor down because she fears to leave her brother to the brutality of their village, Knife is desperate for anything to ensure her happiness.

Her suitor's cousin offers him a way out, but it won't be easy. Aerie-Smith has been cursed to walk upright in the form of a beast, and his beloved village suffers from the same spell. Aerie-Smith offers Gwen a trousseau and some hope, if only Knife will keep him company on his island for the span of a year and perform one "regrettable task" at year's end.

Knife is unprepared for the form the island's curse takes on his own misshapen body. In one moment of magic, he is given the body of his dreams—and he discovers that where flesh meets spirit and appearance meet reality, sometimes the only place to find truth is in the darkness of a lover's arms.

Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner #1) by Lynn Flewelling

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept separate but equal.

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Deathless (Leningrad Diptych #1) by Catherynne M. Valente

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century. Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

Every Day (Every Day #1) by David Levithan

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.

There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

[squaredancing-weston]

para || Braine: A New Path, 1/04/2017

Tagging: @mr-blainderson and @squaredancing-weston

Time: Wednesday Morning, 4 January 2017

Setting: Boarding Facility (and trails), Harrod, OH

Summary:  Brody and Blaine both need to get away from Lima’s crazy, so Brody takes Blaine to learn the basics of horseback riding.

Part 1

Brody had texted Blaine the directions the night before, assuming his coworker probably was going to wake up at a normal hour. Brody himself hadn't slept much at all-- he just couldn't seem to keep his mind quiet long enough to get anything worthwhile-- and so he ended up at the barn ridiculously early a lot these last few days. The beauty of owning a horse really: between mucking, grooming, and basic maintenance, there was no shortage of work even before exercise. At this rate he wouldn't need to pay anything for upkeep this year. However, he already had one friend assuming the worst about him and didn't need another, so he simply told Blaine he'd be at the barn at 8, so if he wanted to come up and dress warm the older teacher would be more than happy to show him the ropes of riding. A day without drama would be a well-deserved break at this point, honestly.

Blaine jolted awake as his alarm went off, at first incredibly confused as to why it went off in the first place. He sat up slowly, bringing a hand to his throbbing head. He knew for a fact that he didn't drink that much the night before; maybe it was the reason why he drank that was causing the problems? Watching his friend almost self-destruct last night sucked, but when he first got the message from Marley that she was on her way to get him, he relaxed a little, but he was still on edge. So he grabbed a bottle of wine and drank. And evidently more than he intended. So there he sat in bed the next morning, intently staring at his phone, trying to figure out why the alarm went off. Suddenly it all came back to him. He cursed, effectively scaring Bing, who he promptly apologized to with a quick pat to the head and a promise of belly rubs later in the day. He quickly ran into the kitchen to put on some coffee and pour some dog food for Bing, before running back to his bedroom. He put on his long johns and then layered his jeans, a long sleeved shirt and another button down on top. He had promised the other man his cowboy best, had he not? Not to mention that he could already feel the chill from outside coming through. A short time later, he was walking out the door with his travel mug of coffee in hand and a sad pup yelping after him. Blaine had confidence he'd be okay, but it was still hard to just walk away.

 Blaine made his appearance at the barn shortly after 8:30. On his drive, he had decided that it was probably best /not/ to bring up everything with Marley and Sebastian unless Brody did, though he really didn't expect that to happen. Brody didn't know that Blaine knew some details, and while he believed that Brody and he were pretty good friends, he wasn't sure if they were /that/ close. So he decided he would shelve it for now. He hopped out of his car and walked towards the barn, seeing a figure working inside. He perked himself up as much as he could, his small hangover still doing wonders to his personality and called out to him. "Hey, John Wayne, how's it hanging?"

Eight o'clock had come and gone, and while Brody hadn't made it seem specific, he didn't want to wait too long to get started. Blaine tended to be the more reliable of the people he knew, but he did have a new puppy, and things came up. So After giving Delilah a thorough brushing, he went to grab his extra gear out of his trucki to finish getting ready. He was already wearing thermals beneath his jeans and long-sleeved shirt, so he added a fleece vest and, after a thought, went ahead and grabbed his chaps. He didn't know if the weather was going to get rough, but they didn't do any harm. He'd started saddling his own horse up, his second cup of coffee steaming beside him, when he heard Blaine call out and turned around. Brody chuckled at the greeting. "If I had any gift for impressions, I'd give some variation of a Howdy Partner," he replied, leaving the mare and walking to give Blaine a friendly pat on the arm. "Glad you could make it out. I always forget that not everyone is willing to leave their bed so early during vacation. I swear, I've had people stay over that I've left the house, given Dee here a full work-out, come back, and they were still in bed." Not that Brody had really minded; especially recently, he'd kind of liked being able to come home to have someone to flop back into bed with, and Marley liked to cuddle-- so had Bas, funny enough. But he wasn't here to think about either of them, except, "Totally unrelated subject, but these--" he gestured to his chaps "--are actually completely utilitarian, so if we could lay off any innuendo, that'd be great." Normally he didn't mind the jokes, but really, after last night, he'd thought enough about Sebastian to last him a while. "Anyways, where are my manners? Why don't we get you acquainted?" the older teacher said, gesturing toward the two horses that were lazing beneath layers of blankets and saddles at the edge of the barn, obviously in no rush to walk out further into the cold. He patted the brown one, who nudged him affectionately in return, "Blaine, this is Delilah, and she will be your mount today. You be nice to her, and she'll treat you just fine." Brody nodded his head to invite the younger man closer, guiding his hand toward the mare's muzzle.

Blaine just smiled and shrugged, "I suppose I'll forgive you, any attempt at 'There's a snake in my boot!' will get you all sorts of brownie points." Blaine nodded, giving Brody his own pat to the back in response. "I'm glad I could too. I actually did mean to get here earlier, but when I woke up it took me so long to remember why I was awake, and then I wanted to set Bing up, and basically everything just took a lot longer than I had inticipated." He paused for a moment then continued. "Well that doesn't sound like too bad of a deal; if nothing else you get to feel like the productive one." Blaine was surprised at the request, as he realized where the thought probably came from, but he covered it with a smirk. "I'll take your word for it, but be warned that I may take time to observe anyway," he dead panned, trying to stifle his laugh.

Blaine: Blaine followed him inside the barn towards the horses and smiled as he watched Brody interact with them. There was just something about seeing someone so at home in an environment that gave you a cozy feeling. He let Brody guide his hand, but even so, he was cautious when he initially made contact with the horse. He had never been around horses before, but they always seemed like they deserved the utmost respect. Blaine smiled as he softly stroked her muzzle. "Hey there, Delilah," he said, fully intending the reference, "I'm Blaine. I promise to be a perfect gentleman."

Brody laughed. "Personally I'm more partial to 'I'm Woody. Howdy, howdy, howdy,'" he admitted, flapping his hand comically in reference. "I mean, I can understand how that wasn't really on par, but how do you beat a shark in a cowboy hat?" He nodded in understanding. "Honestly, I should have pushed this back-- Dee probably wouldn't have minded for the air to warm up a bit. But I like the open space." He wanted to say he liked being alone, but considering he was about to go riding with Blaine, that might give off the wrong impression. "But the pup's good?" he followed up, smirking at the younger man. "You managed to avoid his thrall and leave the house?" He gave a laugh. "Yeah, that's a good point. Although I worry sometimes that they'll wake up before I get back and think I snuck out on them in my own house. Which I did, but not for the same reason." At Blaine's warning response, Brody managed a half-smile and a shrug. "I suppose as long as you're aware I'm not trying to make trouble," he replied. Blaine definitely took well to the horses: cautious, but eager. Which was good, because the worst thing to be around a horse was nervous, in Brody's opinion. Not that he intended to tell the newcomer, but they could get jumpy if they thought there was a reason to be, so it was always best to be confident. Of course he made use of the lyric, but Brody just smiled. Like he'd said, by the time he'd picked her up she was already named, so now he just dealt with it. Better than the Samson refererences, anyways. "Aw, I don't think she doubts that for a second," he assured the other man, reaching into his vest pocket and pulling out a sugar cube to hand to Blaine before Dee caught wind of it. "These are given out sparingly, but since she's yours this morning, no harm in winning her over early." He grinned. Brody finished saddling up the horses-- he'd borrowed one from the stable owners to take out with them, and gave Blaine a quick rundown on how to lead a horse on foot. "Hopefully we won't have to do it much besides here," he explained as they trudged out to the trails. "But with the weather like it's been, you never know." As they reached an open space, Brody slowed up and began to help Blaine into the saddle, explaining the basics of posture and equipment. "She's got an easy temperament, so she'll go where you lead her," he told Blaine as he watched Blaine take Dee for a test walk. "Just take it easy, keep your grip loose, and hold on with your knees so you don't fall off."

Blaine laughed with him and nodded his head. "I will accept that as a substitute to an actual Woody impression, so no worries," he said through his giggling. Blaine nodded, pointing to his car. "I can always come back some other time if you think that would be better." Though he wasn't sure that would be any time soon. According to the radar, the temperature was actually supposed to be dropping over the next couple of days. He looked out over the open area beside the barn and nodded, which made him think twice about his suggestion. "Yeah, I can see that. It looks like a good way to clear your head if you needed it," he said, sounding nonchalant, but throwing in a subtle, suggestive nudge in his tone. He glanced back over to Brody, nodding. "Yeah, he's good. It took him all of 2 hours to get settled in. It's like he's been living there for months instead of days." Blaine smirked and nodded. "Yes, I managed to avoid the puppy eyes of doom to get here." Blaine just chuckled at his friend. "I don't imagine most people thinking that you would try to skip out on them by abandoning your own home." He grinned and shrugged. "Trouble is the furthest thing away from my mind. I know how to control myself."

Blaine looked down at his hand as Brody placed the sugar cube in his hand. With a small smile, he extended his hand to the horse to see if she'd take it, which she did. He giggled as her mouth sucked up the cube and continued to lick his hand for a moment, makings sure to get every last bit. After she was finished, he dropped that hand, bringing his other up to pet her head and scratch softly behind the ear. Blaine watched Brody intently as he saddled the horses, subconsciously running a soft hand through Delilah's mane. He was just amazed at the ease and quickness that the other man performed the task. He listened as Brody explained everything, taking the reins in his hand and following the other's lead. He nodded in understanding, feeling relatively at ease in the role of leading the horse. When it came time to actually climbing on board, he was a bit more hesitant; he didn't want to embarrass himself by falling, but there was also something unnerving about having control over such a powerful animal and that control would come once he was on the saddle. However, with a little help from Brody, he found himself sitting comfortably (though he knew that probably wouldn't last long) and he felt himself relaxing a little bit more. He followed Brody's instructions, loosening his grip on the reigns and tightening his knees just slightly, which did wonders to make him feel more secure. Once he was sure he was fine, he nodded to Brody. "Okay, I think I'm g-" He was interrupted by Delilah taking a step that he wasn't expecting. He let out a shaky laugh and patted her neck. "Okay, Delilah, I'll give you that one. But give a guy some warning next time."

Brody flashed a grin, glad to just be part of something easy and friendly. At least he didn't have to worry about misinterpretation with Blaine-- the younger teacher didn't really seem to have that sort of nuance to him, honestly, which Brody really needed a break from anyways. "Good to know." When Blaine gestured to his vehicle, the older man shook his head. "No, no-- I jut meant not everyone is ready to be awake this early. But both of us are up--" he gestured to himself and the horse "--so if you are too, then there's no problem at all." He nodded along with the younger man's reply, inhaling the brisk air, "Yeah, I guess that whole communing with nature, or the Beast, or whatever, right?" he added. God knew he needed to get the crazy of Lima out of his head, not that Blaine seemed to be aware of Brody's part in it. He was probably dealing with his own drama, being sucked up into Marley and Bas' inability to cope with their shit. It was infuriating, and as awful as it was to just pass it off to poor Blaine, Brody just didn't have the stomach for it right now. But hearing about Bing did make him laugh, "So he pretty much owns the place now?" he ribbed. "He's a little thing, right? Maybe once you get the hang of this you can bring him up and he can ride in a saddlebag." He laughed in amusement at his own idea-- it wasn't unusual for horse owners to bring up their dogs really; they just weren't normally the size of a large rat. "No, I guess they wouldn't," he agreed with a casual shrug. He'd kind of grown to appreciate his and Sebastian's arrangement of leaving him in bed while Brody left the house. It had been comfortable, thinking of it more as a morning routine and less as Bas sneaking out like some sort of tramp. But he wasn't here to think about that stuff. "Well that makes one of us," Brody teased, nudging the other man in the arm with a grin. Dee definitely was excited for the treat-- Brody grew up around horses, and his mother taught equine nutrition, so he wasn't as apt to hand out food without reason. However there was something to be said for food-bonding: it was quick, for one thing, and everyone liked to feed animals. Plus it gave Blaine the confidence to come closer still, pulling his hand through the horse's mane and assuring the girl. Blaine took to instructions well, thank goodness-- Brody admitted to himself he wasn't that great of a teacher, even though he was an excellent rider himself. But they made it out to the trail and after a little effort the younger man managed to scramble into the saddle. His knees tucked in, and his grip was loose-- it looked okay from the ground. When Delilah jostled him backwards, spooking Blaine, Brody couldn't help but laugh. "Whoops. Don't worry: if that's the worse she does, you're in good shape." He pulled forward the borrowed horse and fluidly swung his leg up and over, settling himself onto the saddle and playing with the reins to get a feeling for his new mount's head. "I think we're good," he announced, glancing over at Blaine. "You ready?" Blaine had implied he had a time limit, and he was a beginner, so Brody obviously wasn't going to take them out on the trail he'd found the other day. He didn't even choose the trails that Lucy usually rode, since Quinn's daughter had been doing this for a few years, even at eleven. Instead he turned at the path that would take them on a wide path, keeping his borrowed ride alongside and yet a little ahead of Dee and Blaine, a nice slow pace along the dirt. "So besides your new dog, how did the holiday end up treating you?" he asked conversationally. He felt a little guilty, but he didn't remember much about Blaine's vacation.

Blaine smiled and nodded in understanding, holding his almost empty travel mug up. "Well, in that case, I'm up. So we should be good." He watched Brody, taking a deep breath of his own and actually enjoying the brisk air that filled his lungs. Blaine nodded, smiling slightly. "I guess it would be all of the above in this situation? It's been a while since I connected with either. I'm hoping it's my cup of tea, to be honest." It's not so much that he minded being involved; if his involvement meant that this whole thing between all three of them would be over sooner, he'd take it. But with Sebastian acting like a child, Brody taking the quiet, brooding route, and Marley going into something of a mope, it was proving to not only be difficult to do so, but it was exhausting him. He chuckled along with Brody, nodding his head. "Unfortunately. He learned his way around the place pretty quickly." Blaine nodded again, bringing his hand up to help demonstrate the sizes. "Right now, he's no bigger than a good sized guinea pig. But he's also pretty young; only 10 weeks or so. By the time he's fully grown, he'll be about ye high," he said, leaning down and putting his hand level with his knee. "I think it's the poodle aspect." He chuckled, imaging a still small Bing poking out of a bag on the side of the horse. "You got me, that would be adorable." His eyes widened, as did his smile at Brody's teasing. "Wow, and I thought Seb was the only one I had to worry about."

 Blaine shot him an embarrassed smile and nodded, relaxing again in the seat to get ready to start moving. He watched his friend start his horse carefully, following his movements and smiling smugly to himself when Dee started moving forward. Though he wasn't sure if it was because he actually did something correctly or if she was just naturally following the other pair. It took him a moment to get used to the movements and how his body moved when the horse did. But after a few minutes, he felt comfortable. He looked at Brody with a small smile. "It wasn't too bad to me. It was pretty quiet. Well, for the most part, obviously. But I played a show at Acoustix on Christmas Eve, since my family told me they weren't going to be able to come back to Christmas. But it kind of reminded me what music was to me, so it's encouraged me to dive back in a little bit." He was just rambling at this point, still in wonder at the fact that he was actually riding a horse.

Brody flashed a grin at the cup. "Trust me, I'm right there with you-- I've already had my second." Granted, his was more a result of lack of sleep than having trouble waking up, but saying it this way didn't invite awkward questions. He laughed as Blaine mentioned a lack of nature in his life. "Well, then, this is as good a place to start as any. Trust me, everyone likes a horse. It's genetic programming." Literally, Brody thought sometimes-- every time he mentioned having a horse, everyone was eager to start riding. He was never sure if it was just a conversation piece or people were genuinely that eager to ride something. "//Un//fortunately? Are you sure it was a good idea to leave him alone then? I'd hate for you to get back and have your place be covered in down as punishment for leaving him behind." Brody tilted his head in surprise as Blaine moved his hand down to his knee to show how big Bing was going to get-- he was just so used to little dogs by now, he guessed, he figured everyone was getting them. "Really? Well, I guess we could get you a very large one," he chuckled. "True, although you're lucky he's not going for the standard size right? Otherwise you'd end up with a bit of a monster." Brody chuckled, "Hey, always happy to offer potential pet bonding ideas. You know, with my vast dog-owning experience," he added with an ironic laugh. The older man could honestly barely remember the last time he owned a dog-- it had definitely been a family pet, that was for sure. Brody's features froze for a split second at the mention of Sebastian's name, but he quickly recovered and laughed in reply. Of course Blaine would have experience with Bas' antics-- it wasn't like the pompous peacock was shy with his personality, and considering how much back and forth they'd gotten into, it would be stupid for Brody to not expect the guy to be a basis of comparison for his own shenanigans. "Now come on; I like to think I'm a little better behaved than //that//," he responded with a smirk. Most trail riding wasn't really brain-surgery, and they were on a beginner's route, so Blaine picked it up easily, Brody was glad to see. He would have hated to prove that he was a sucky instructor by getting his friend thrown on his first time out. Brody raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You did? Man, I'm sorry I missed that one-- ironically the night I wasn't out." He nodded with interest, encouraging the man on, "I'm sorry you didn't get to see your family over the holiday-- that's rough. But it sounds like your set went over well-- what did you sing?" He looked over at Blaine as he explained his plans and smiled. "So, something you're thinking of pursuing for yourself? Not just teaching?" he pressed, giving a quiet laugh. "I admit, I still think about getting back into dance sometimes, especially around this time of year. If I wasn't such an old man, I might actually consider the idea seriously. But I mean, definitely let me know when you're going to be playing again-- I'm a really good performer enthusiast. Got my big foam finger and everything." He glanced past Blaine, nodding into the brush, "Deer," he pointed out matter-of-factly, making sure Blaine actually got the chance to see the nature he was coming out for. For Brody, it felt like kind of a Bambi moment, every time he came across one in winter, because he wondered how smart the animals could be, if, with all the noise he ended up making, they were just standing there staring. But Brody wasn't a hunter-- in fact, he was a shit shot all around-- so it wasn't like he was going to have to watch the thing die anytime soon.

"Oh, don't get me paranoid, I'm sure he'll be fine and forgiving," Blaine replied, but he was a little unsure himself. But, there had to come a day when the pup would have to deal with his owner leaving, but he hoped today would ease Bings mind by assuring him that he'd always come back. Blaine nodded. "He won't be the biggest dog out there by any means, but he'll be a bit bigger than your average toy breed." He laughed with a small shrug. "I was aiming for the perfect cuddle size and by golly I think I found it." He settled back into a smile. "So you've never had a pet before? In the dog, cat or hamster region?" Blaine noticed the quick hitch in Brody's actions, having momentarily forgotten about he entire situation. He shot Brody an apologetic smile, trying to hide his guilt before he grinned and sauntered ahead of him. "I guess you'll just have to prove it."

Blaine smiled kindly and shrugged. "It's okay, it's not like I really advertised it or anything. It was pretty last minute and I have a some pull with Ted, the owner, so I got the stage for the night." He scoffed and shook his head. "If this wasn't the third Christmas it's happened, I'd probably be more upset. My family and I...were not exactly what you'd call close." Between his brother's undying aspirations for acting, his father's undying bitterness about Blaine's orientation, and his mothers undying need to follow his father blindly, there just wasn't a lot of space left for family bonding activities. He found his smile again, though, as he thought about his performance that night. "It was your basic Christmas set, I guess. All the classics; Winter Wonderland, Let it Snow, Baby, It's Cold Outside, where I got a lovely volunteer to help with the duet on that one. And I ended on Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. It was a good night. I hadn't had a night like that in ages." Blaine looked off in the distance thoughtfully. "I mean, teaching's great and it is a passion of mine. But music's always been my number one. It's the thing that tethered me when all I wanted was to fly away. I don't know if it's something I'll pursue as a career or anything, but it is something I want to pay more attention to." Blaine smirked. "Brody, I know we all joke about you being an old man, but you seem far from being incapable of pursuing it if you really wanted to." He nodded, shooting the other a shy grin. "I will, for sure, though I'd prefer it if you left the foam finger at home." He perked up and followed Brody's finger, eyes lighting up as he saw the deer. It wasn't like he hadn't seen a deer before, but the atmosphere was different this time that it felt like a real treat. "Wow," he muttered under his breath, looking around to see if there were more.