#when i streamed it people kept saying “oh [this line] is missing” throughout all 3 seasons and i personally recognized s4 lines were missin

[spacedlexi]

trying to abide by the arbitrary rules ive set for myself

[stellocchia]

Okay, now that I have a bit of time it’s time to analize that disaster of a custody battle stream, also known as Tommy and Wilbur visiting Las Nevadas!

As always this is gonna be quite long so I’ll put everything under the cut and remember that I’ll only be talking about the characters. Also for the dialogues the colors are: Quackity, Tommy and Wilbur

One thing that I would like to point out before we get into it is that c!Tommy is pretty much spiraling throughout this stream (he dissociates and shows his suicidal tendencies more clearly) so it’s good to keep this in mind when analizing his actions and words. 

First of all here’s Wilbur’s pov of it: Wilbur's POV

And here’s Tommy’s: Tommy's POV

I’ll be using both for this.

One thing that is immediately interesting to notice is that, despite supposedly living with Phil we mostly see Wilbur around L’Manhole.

“Have you been sewing? Knitting? That can be a dangerous sport if done too quickly” (just wanted to point out the tailor!Tommy bit)

So first of all is the confirmation that the stone never had a use beyond keeping Tommy occupied back when Wilbur asked for it. The task of gathering the stone could also have been a test on Wilbur’s part to test Tommy’s obedience considering that it was a tedious and apparently sensless task that most people would not have taken on.

Afterwards we have an interesting little bit where Wilbur demonstrates that he is still extremely knowledgable when it comes to tnt, knowing which blocks are more resistent to it and even being able to deduce that the ufo was blown up from the inside (something he’ll lie about later). 

“Someone’s a little copycat. Hey tommy someone’s a little copycat~” (in reference to what happened to Purpled’s ufo. This could be interpreted as derogatory we’ll have to see if Wilbur appreciates someone imitating his work)

Quackity’s book is then introduced, though at first Wilbur is very vague about it’s contents before straight up lying about them (saying that it said: “My dearest friend Wilbur, I’ve really missed seeing you, come to project Nevadas your best friend Quackity”), here’s the actual contents of it:

It is possible that he didn’t mention the actual content to Tommy because he was afraid Tommy would have kept him from meeting Quackity if he knew that he seemingly agreed with Wilbur’s ideology, though this is just a theory. 

Another interesting thing is that Wilbur keeps referring to Ghostbur’s resurrection site as his “tombstone” despite Tommy having already told him last time that he didn’t get one. Perhaps this is a show of Wilbur’s own fear of being forgotten or of having been inconsequential to the bigger narrative (his continued search for the confirmation that he did have a big impact would seem to point to this).

“Will, I’m accustomed to people lying to me. Just tell me: will the book, whatever is in there, bring us more primes?” (this is an interesting way for Tommy to let Wilbur know that he knows he’s lying while still trying to keep the conversation more light herted)

On their way to Las Nevadas there is an interesting instance of Wilbur standing still near a creeper instead of trying to protect himself so that Tommy has to intervene (similar instances happen multiple times throughout the stream) which could be a portrayal of his self-destructive tendencies and kinda mirrors Tommy's behaviour in exile. 

“Every person we’ve spoken to aside from say, I don’t know, Jack Manifold. Every person aside from Jack Manifold has taken a bit of a disliking to me. Oh and Phil, Phil was lovely too, and you actually! Come to think of it the 3 people I care about most, Jack Manifold, you and Phil, have been the nicest to me”

There are a few things I wanna say here: first of all there is one manipulation tactic that consists of making yourself out to be the victim in a certain situation in order to gain pity, sympathy or evoke compassion in the other and that’s what Wilbur has been doing both in this stream and in the past when mentioning that people hate him despite every single person he met (aside from Tommy himself) actually being rather kind and accomodating. This does probably come from Wilbur’s own self-hatred and his view of himself as a villain but, once again, I would like to remind you that manipulation is still manipulation even if you believe in what you’re saying. 

The second point I wanted to talk about briefly was the line about only caring about the 3 people he mentioned. Aside from how truthful he is about all 3 of them (I’m sorry but I have a hard time believing that he cares deeply for Jack Manifold when he didn’t even used to remember who he was) he also later mentions that there are other people he would like to see, basically it’s like the L’Manburg situation: just because Wilbur says he doesn’t care about something it doesn’t mean that it’s true.

“They told me it was like a small little town where Big Q sells funny potions and liquids from his van” (so from Tommy’s understanding Las Nevadas was a mix between the drug van and og L’Manburg. I wonder if we’ll find out who gave him this idea)

Little note about Wilbur throwing Linda (Tommy’s prized shovel) away twice during this stream almost casually.

“Tommy stand back. Tommy stand back” (Wilbur interposing himself between Tommy and a situation that might be dangerous, I’ll talk about this a bit later but keep it in mind)

“I’ll tell you what: it’s nice to see you out of that stupid vice president shirt. You know I never thought you were fit for that vice president thing anyway, I think that this is- this is- what- what are you like the concierge of this area? Like the cleaner?” “This is so nice!” “I don’t know what to call it Wilbur all I know is that this is my place. This is mine. I own this place”

It is interesting to note that Wilbur apparently did not think too highly of Quackity, immediately assuming he must be and employee rather then having a leading position, he even expresses that he didn’t think Quackity was fit to even be vice president. It’s also interesting to point out that Tommy gets immediately uncomfortable with where the conversation is going and splits off from the two to explore while also being extra obnoxious in an attempt to split up the fight he knew to be coming (he is always rather perceptive), to which Quackity responds only with amusement (actually humouring Tommy), while Wilbur simply ignores it for the time being. 

“If I’d known there was a place I could align myself to as quickly as this I would have done it sooner” (could be both a search for community as well as him generally prefering being aligned to a country as he comments later on that he’s not a fan of anarchy by mentioning that him and Phil don’t see eye to eye on this)

This is when Wilbur brings up Quackity’s book for the second time mentioning that he assumed it was an invite to joing Quackity in Las Nevadas, which turns out it wasn’t. 

“So that’s the invitation to work alongside you I assume, I- I accept. I accept. I’d love to come in” “Big Q I also wanted... can I move into the big- the big penis?” “*laugh* No Tommy. Wilbur, Wilbur” “Yeah?” “No? No?” “That was... that was not an invitation I’m sorry Wilbur” *Wilbur checks the book again* “That’s not an invitation. Wilbur, Wilbur, my nation will not be subject to your... unpredictability, alright? Thank you so much for coming, thank you so much for visiting Wilbur but, uhm... I don’t need any- I don’t need any extra members right now” 

So taking this conversation a bit at a time: Quackity is the first person since Wilbur has come back (aside from Tommy, but Tommy’s opinion really doesn’t matter to Wilbur) who hasn’t tried to accomodate him. He set his own rules and stuck by them not willing to budge on it at all. Also it is interesting to note that Quackity so far doesn’t seem to be interested in letting Tommy join either, only changing his demeanour later after Tommy calls Wilbur out on his lying. This change of mind could both be tied to a crack he noticed in Tommy’s loyalty to Wilbur as well as done to spite Wilbur himself. Or both really. 

“[Las Nevadas] It’s like one of those visions you have after being in the mines for several hours” (Tommy mentioning having hallucinations once again)

“No... no, you’ve got it all wrong. You’ve got it all wrong man. Okay okay, maybe, maybe I was unprdictable in the past” “But it’s really nice...” “But I’ve turned over a new leaf Quackity! I don’t lie anymore, I don’t- I don’t, you know, I don’t deceive, I know nothing about tnt anymore. I’ve forgotten everything I knew about tnt, it’s ridiculous I-” “*snicker* Ok- mmm, well... Will, well” “Is he lying Tommy?”

Also here we have a clearer example of Wilbur lying and deceiving right after asserting that he doesn’t do it anymore (he deceived Tommy on the book and lied about his knowledge on tnt) together with Tommy calling him out on it.

“This is the best place on the server! This is like heaven! Paradise!” “Quackity we can stay, right?” “You seem to like it a lot Tommy” 

Immediately afterwards there’s where Quackity seems to change his mind about letting Tommy stay while also ignoring Wilbur in the process. Again we really don’t have any definitive indication for the reason why he changes his mind, it could be because he saw how much Tommy liked it here as much as it could be to spite Wilbur. Any conclusion for either is pure speculation.

“Quackity look at me, look at me in the eyes. I. Am. Your. Servant. I am at your service. I have run countries, I’ve won elections, I’ve done everything that you will need in a leadership role, Quackity. Even not in leadership! I can- I can be, you know, assistent to president”

Another less known form of manipulation. Wilbur wants power within this new country so he offers to cover a more “subservient” position to have Quackity let his guard down so that he can achieve his role. 

“Will this is so cool!” “Tommy SHUT UP!” “Hey! What a fu- hey what a fuck?!” (a bit of Wilbur’s “affable” persona slipping away paired up with Tommy immediately noticing that that was not okay and calling Wilbur out on it)

“Wilbur listen to me: I saw what you did to L’Manburg and I’m not letting Las Nevadas have the same fate as L’Manburg. I appreciate Tommy here, I appreciate you checking this place out Wilbur but, I don’t need your services, I don’t need your presence, you’re very unpredictable” (Quackity once more standing his ground and repeating that he does not trust Wilbur in the slightest and also reaffirming that he does want Tommy there instead)

It’s interesting to notice that all throughout this exchange, while Tommy was off exploring Quackity was the one often paying attention to him while Wilbur ignored him the whole time before snapping.

“So we’re not allowed?” “Tommy, I need to talk to you Tommy” “Am I allowed? Or is it just Will?” “Well, I’d love to discuss it with you” (Quackity is the first person that actually directly addressed Tommy while ignoring Wilbur since Wilbur’s resurrection and that’s quite interesting. It could be that perhaps he noticed that Wilbur seems to consider Tommy almost like an extension of himself and that he tried to drive a wedge into that)

The next few minutes are spent with Wilbur trying to find out exactly where the confines of Las Nevadas are.

“Tommy come with me. Tommy at my side please” (addressing him like a soldier again)

There is a back and forth between Wilbur and Quackity where Quackity tries to deflect Wilbur’s question about his ownership of the adiacent forest multiple times, but Wilbur does end up finding out that it’s not Quackity’s land. (Wilbur also has a throwaway comment about that forest being Paradise in response to Tommy calling Las Nevadas that which Tommy disagrees on).

“What’s the point in capitalism without healthy competition?” (Wilbur announcing he wants to create a country next to Quackity’s)

“Wait, where are you going?” “Just over here Tommy. Stay by my side, by my side” (once again an emphasis on wanting Tommy nearby, which isn’t new)

“You know what Wilbur? You’re right: capitalism strives on competition and I’m ready for all the competition you can bring me” (Wilbur is positively giddy at this declaration, which makes me think that he does truly see this competition mostly as a game)

“Will I don’t want to start a country, I very much like that country there” *Tommy points at Las Nevadas* “With the stone-” “Tommy we- we’ll discuss this in a minute” “No...” “No no no, Tommy seems to have some concerns about building a country from the ground up” (Tommy under) “Listen, listen, guys, guys, I was over there” (Quackity over) “So how about you take Tommy’s opinion into consideration? For once, for once in your life since you’ve never done so before” (Tommy under) “Can we please listen to me? You [Quackity] are not lis- you’re not lis- you’re actually speaking over me”

This is the first one of many conversations this stream where the fight has moved from the power pissing context Wilbur and Quackity had going on to Tommy. It’s also where they starting weaponizing him more and more (his traumas as well as the other’s treatment of him) while each trying to prove that they’re better for him then the other. Of course this isn’t actually about Tommy, it’s about power once again. Quackity has undeniably noticed by now how Wilbur treats Tommy (aka as an extension of himself) together with being pissed that Wilbur challenged him on his own territory (challenging Las Nevadas which is Quackity’s most prized possession) so he decided to repay him in kind. 

From here on out Tommy seems to spiral more, standing up for himself less, looking more and more uncomfortable (especially when the other two start bringing up his traumatic experiences) and slipping back into dissociation and self-loathing behaviour.

“You showed great interest for my country Tommy and I would like to speak to you about that” “Yes” “Wilbur I don’t think you’ll hold Tommy down and make him join your country” “I have utter fate that Tommy will make the right decision” (both of them starting to put pressure on him, subtly influencing him with their wording) 

Tommy and Quackity have a chat together alone (though Wilbur is listening in). 

First thing that happens is Quackity bringing up the hotel which Wilbur implies later was done maliciously, though we don’t know if Quackity knew that the ownership of it didn’t go back to Tommy once he came back to life.

Afterwards Tommy asks Quackity about his scar. 

“If I’m gonna speak to you I want you to be honest with me, ‘cause I’ve spent quite a lot of time with people who just bullshit me, they lie to me and I’m not doing that anymore” (this is one of Tommy’s 2 priorities in life right now. What he wants can be boiled down to honesty and safety)

Quackity does explain honestly what happened, though the information that they spent their time hunting down Techno while Tommy was in exile instead of trying to help him does understandably upset Tommy quite a bit. (Also Wilbur finally makes himself a sword).

“But if this [butcher army] was while I was in exile you’re meaning to tell me that you put in all of the effort to kill Techno instead of helping me?” (...) “You know I needed help and no one came to see me” (this set back his mentality regarding exile quite a bit I’d guess. The anger is more then understandable)

Quackity doesn’t deny the accusations but he does deflect a bit saying that they can talk about it another time and that he is not Tommy’s enemy to which Tommy agrees.

“How would you like to run the official food business of Las Nevadas” (this is Quackity’s big offer for Tommy)

(Wilbur putting pressure on Tommy in the meantime)

After this Wilbur intervenes directly inquiring on wether or not they were done. Quackity tries to get in a last minute sale pitch to Tommy who is getting quite overwhelmed and asks for some time to think (which he is now given by Quackity, but not later by Wilbur)

Wilbur also expresses worry for Tommy’s safety while they’re coming back, though how sincere it is it’s unknown (I think it's at least partially sincere worry, but I doubt that's all there is to it). That said I want to say that multiple times in this stream Wilbur has seemingly shown to be protective of Tommy when it comes to Quackity, often almost treating him as if he was incapable of defending himself (as if he couldn’t 1v2 the two of them easily). For example here, even though Tommy said that he can take care of himself Wilbur immediately responds out loud with an: “okay I’m coming” and bringing out his sword.

“Listen Tommy I heard what he was saying to you man and you don’t seriously believe that do you?” (keeping the question very open so that Tommy can interject his own doubts. Also Quackity technically didn’t lie once to Tommy and, while there was a bit of deflection on his part so far he hasn’t been all that manipulative if I’m being honest)

Wilbur proceeds to tell Tommy that if he stays with Quackity he’ll be nothing more then a caterer (strongly implying that that’s not something he wants) and Tommy chimes in saying that that’s not for him.

“Listen Tommy I’m not gonna stop you but, I’ll be honest with you man, you’re all I’ve got” (set up for the guilt tripping later as well as once again putting himself in the position of the victim so that Tommy won’t leave him. Also he denies that Jack and Phil count as well because the first is too busy and he doesn’t agree with the political views of the latter)

“I wanna make a place where we can be safe for once. Tommy it’s been so long since we felt safe and man you deserve it. You’ve been through so much, you’ve done so much, Tommy you’ve changed the world! And all you’ve got to show for it is some scars and some trauma. Tommy you deserve this safety and this sanctuary and that’s why I wanna make it with you and you won’t get it over there”

Now this should sound familiar to quite a few people, mostly because it’s pretty similar to the tactic that Quackity himself uses. First identify the victim’s vulnerabilities and their desires (Tommy only wants 2 things and only one is connected to physical places so safety it is). Second relate to the victims experiences repeating that they do deserve to get what they so desperately want (check back Quackity’s conversation with Fundy if you want to see that done really well). And lastly emphasise that you’re the only one who can give them what they want.

“You know what has substance Tommy? Family. Blood” (what sparked back the canon sbi discourse)

“I haven’t- I don’t wanna make my mind now ‘cause it’s- it feels like-” “Tommy you need to make your mind now” (putting a ton of pressure onto Tommy, enough that Tommy is reminded of his time in prison)

“Tommy I love a challenge” (considering the context and the fact that this is in response to Tommy hesitating on who to join this is most definitely about him. Wilbur definitely still considers this, at least partially, part of his and Quackity’s game)

“If you pick Las Nevadas what am I gonna do? Man, what am I gonna do? I’d never hurt you. I’d never want anything bad for you Tommy” (mixing in a bit of guilt tripping with a bit of lies. Now, it’s probably not a lie that he wouldn’t want something bad for Tommy, but the thing about never hurting him? I mean, this stream is a proof of the cotrary)

“You can go with whatever you want, but just know what you’d do to me” (once again painting himself as the victim while guilt tripping Tommy)

“I put a lot of things to the side that I shouldn’t of. I prioritized the wrong things, I put revenge over humanity. I guess all I’m seeking right now is someone who’ll be honest with me and a place where I can feel safe”

Here it is, we got Tommy’s desire spelled out by him. This is what makes him so vulnerable to Wilbur’s manipulation, the fact that Wilbur knows how to pretend that he can offer this. Also the first part of this is another recognition of how unhealthy his mindset was while he was with Technoblade, which makes him saying that he betrayed Techno and feels guilty about that afterwards even more sad because he recognizes that being with Techno was not good for him but still bashes himself over leaving him even if he really didn’t have any other choice if he wanted to stay true to himself. It’s quite tragic and it’s once more a show of his self-loathing. 

“This can be a safe place for them [Techno and Tubbo]” (Wilbur is using the informations Tommy provided him in a moment of open vulnerability to manipulate him further)

Tommy then agrees to stay with Wilbur though he seems far from enthusiastic about it. He seems to believe Wilbur when he says he's gonna make a safe space for him and the people he cares about, but also seems hesitant to fully trust him.

“Big Q is gonna wish he never fucked with me” (still in regard to challenging Wilbur’s perceived ownership of Tommy)

The stream is far from over though. After that conversation between Wilbur and Tommy they start to build a stone penis over the lake and Wilbur and Quackity get in a very heated argument that leaves Tommy incredibly uncomfortable. The whole conversation consists in Wilbur and Quackity shouting at each other about things the other has done to Tommy (all traumatic for him) while Tommy makes himself smaller and shuts down. First Qauckity accuses Wilbur of emotionally manipulating Tommy (which is true), then Wilbur accuses Quackity of using the hotel against Tommy (which wasn’t actually true) and they keep going like that. 

“The one thing [the hotel] Tommy’s tried to do was a failure” (way to undermine achievements like putting Dream behind bars there... however to be exact this is a manipulation tactic known as “shaming” which consists in undermining the victim’s worth to foster feelings of inadequacy which makes them more vulnerable. It’s a tactic Wilbur has used quite often since Pogtopia)

“Great job Wilbur of doing to Tomminnit what you’ve done your entire fucking life” (Quackity does sound actually upset) 

“Don’t try to compare me to you Wilbur, me and you are not the same” (this does align to Quackity’s desire to not live in other people shadows any longer)

“Hey hey hey hey, don’t come near Tommy, don’t come near Tommy” “Will, Will, hey hey, let me speak! This is about me so let me speak! I don’t know I-” “I just don’t want him to hurt you. I just don’t want him to hurt you” “I can fend for myself. You weren’t here for a long time. I thought, I thought you [Wilbur] were gonna make me feel a little bit safer, let me tell you now either of you-” “Fellas fellas” “No shut the fuck up! I didn’t feel- that didn’t make me feel- that was weird, I didn’t- don’t do that either of you” 

Now this is both Wilbur once again babying Tommy and treating him as if he’s not capable of taking care of himself (it could be done out of sincere care, but that doesn’t make it any less patronizing) and Tommy actually standing up for himself. Tommy made himself as little as possible during their confrontation and didn’t utter a word and now he finally got a bit of confidence back to say that he didn’t like that and both of them still tried to interrupt him. And Wilbur immediately went to say that he won’t do it again, but Quackity will as if he didn’t listen to a word Tommy just said. That said after that Quackity does apologize to Tommy specifically (though how sincere that was is debatable and Wilbur also accepts the apology as well even if it wasn’t directed at him) and invites the both of them to have a tour of Las Nevadas. Tommy wanted to refuse the tour because he was already visibly overwhelmed, but Wilbur ignores him and proceeds to accept anyway. 

“Quackity I wanna say from here on, as much as we may have our disagreements here man I- we gotta leave Tommy out of this” (they don’t)

“Tommy I’ll take it back, I’m fine with you working here and still being, you know, as long as you still hang out with me and don’t leave me on my own I have no problems with you working here man” (except they both already put an incredible amount of pressure on him and Will in partucular already made him feel guilty for even considering sort of leaving him)

“At the end of the day it’s okay Tommy, you make your own decisions, but let me keep showing you around the TommyInnit res- uh, I mean the restourant” (very sneaky there Quackity. Naming things creates attachment btw) 

Btw, Quackity and Wilbur are still very tense, but they both put their differences aside in a split second to get Tommy away from the strip club, which honestly is just funny. Also once again Wilbur goes before Tommy inside the casino in case it’s dangerous.

They then gamble for a bit and Tommy bets Linda away and looses it. They then go up in the white tower. 

“This would be such a good point to just jump off and just end it. Woah” “no no no Tommy get down!” “Tommy get down from the rail” (casual reminder that Tommy is still extremely suicidal, though at least this time there was someone there to get him down)

Quackity and Wilbur have a small conversation while Tommy is still checking out the view which mostly consist in Quackity trying to find out more about the Revival Book (while feigning complete ignorance about it). 

Meanwhile while dissociating Tommy puts down some water to the side of the tower and then jumps in it while taking it away (therefore technically jumipng off, but not dying because his fall was slowed down). Quackity notices and immediately panics, while Wilbur places some water down for him so he can get back up. 

“Tommy come here, I’ve got you, I’ve always got you” (both helping and emphasizing his wish for Tommy to depend on him as much as he does on Tommy)

After that they talk for a while and Quackity brings up the conversation that he had with Wilbur which is the moment Wilbur realizes that the “You were right” in the book was referring to the pre-Pogtopia him. Also Wilbur talks about the things he’s lost (years of his life and people are the two things he mentioned). 

“There’s lots of people I wish I could see. Like I wish I could just tell them ‘I’m alive’ and apologize and also thank them” (I do think he’s sincere, but it does make me a bit sad that Tommy was not in the list of people who deserved an apology in Wilbur’s mind)

After that Quackity seems to take an interest in Wilbur’s plans specifically, but, before he can investigate further, Tommy gives him his own answer and declines his offer of manning the restaurant saying that that life is not for him, it’s too relaxed (Wilbur's reaction to it is also worth notice). 

“I don’t wanna run a food stand. Wilbur gets things done” (sorry to Tommy here, but, genuinely, when’s the last time Wilbur got something done without Dream’s or Tommy’s help?)

After this they get back on the topic of the Revive Book and Wilbur reveals that Dream is the one who brought him back. He also admits that he wants to thank Dream for saving him and describes him as his “hero” again. Quackity himself reveals that he has been visiting Dream.

“Oh who cares about Ghostbur?” “Don’t fucking say- don’t- he killed Ghostbur” (once again Tommy should not be here for this conversation considering how triggering the subject is for him)

“I can’t believe- you’re like a misinformed parent, you’re just wrong” (Tommy both pointing out that Wilbur is wrong and admitting that that’s due to a lack of information)

“The prison is not just this thing, this dandelion. No no no, the prison-” “How are you back then Tommy? If you died” “Dream killed me to prove a point. That he- (continues under) he’s omnipotent, he’s got this God complex” “Quackity I need to get in there”

Once again not letting Tommy speak even if Wilbur himself asked the question, though this time it may be because if he listened to Tommy’s story and his experience with Dream he would realize that there are some incongruences between the version of Dream he created in his mind and the real Dream. Between his hero and Tommy’s abuser who beat him to death to prove a point. This split in his mind in how he views Dream was already evident in the last stream with him fip flopping between wanting him dead or not. 

“Tommy, Tommy, I’m not gonna talk shit about them [Sam] without their presence here alright?” (Quackity being protective of his own business patners)

Also Tommy manages to deduce on his own what Quackity has been doing to Dream, though he gets to the conclusion with the wrong clues. Either way after finding out how to visit the prison Wilbur leaves in a hurry telling Tommy to go with him as well.

“I’m a big boy Tommy, I’m a big boy, I’ll be fine” “Wilbur I’m a big man, but I was not fine” (Tommy tries to explain Dream’s danger to Wilbur by making himself vulnerable again, but it doesn’t work as Wilbur doesn’t listen)

Afterwards Wilbur tells Tommy that he is going to the prison and ignores any of Tommy’s concerns on the matter.

“Tommy listen, I didn’t wanna spring things on you because I’m really trying not to be a shit person to you Tommy, right? I’m really really trying. And it’s easy, it’s easy not to be a shit person to you, right? Because we got people like Quackity over there who are just- you know he said it best I’m not gonna talk shit about him behind his back"

If he’s not trying to be a sh*t person to Tommy he is failing miserably. Truly this whole stream he either ignored him, talked over him, talked about incredibly triggering stuff in front of him or tried manipulating him. This was all their interactions summarized. Pettiness aside though, he still badmouths Quackity by handing Tommy the book and telling him that Quackity agreed with the “old Wilbur” (not specifying that he is referring to pre-Pogtopia Wilbur and that he himself still agrees with the “old him”) to villainize him. He also acts like Tommy is being unreasonable for not wanting him to go, despite having died there and having seen Ghostbur die there. Wilbur does say that he won’t go if Tommy really doesn’t want him to, but he leaves telling him they’ll talk about it again right after Tommy tells him this: 

“I don’t think you should do that, he’s more powerful then you think you are”

Left on his own Tommy reminisces of when he went to the prison looking for closure as well. He then borrows an ender chest from Quackity for his and Wilbur’s little stone shack and then goes to the middle of the lake to listen to cat. 

[k-writer1998]

Black, White, Grey (???)

Having Bang Chan as your best friend is great cause he’s literally the best but not so much when you’ve had a crush on him for a majority of the friendship.

Angst/fluff???

w.c: 2.1k

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3

A/N: I tried to make it happier, I really did 😭 but with how I set this up this is the best I could do 😅 Hope you like this last part guys 😊

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      After landing in Incheon airport, my manager notified me that I would be getting a few weeks off to relax after enduring the intense schedules while in LA. The boys and I kept missing each other during my stay in the States so it’s been ages since we last caught up. Luckily my manager informed me that Stray Kids would be at the company building practicing and working in the studio for most of tomorrow as he gave me a knowing smile. Returning the smile, I couldn’t contain the excitement of meeting up with them and getting reacquainted with their rowdiness. The next day I made my way into the JYP building, being careful to not run into any of the boys in case anyone wanted to make an impromptu drink run or something. Once I reached their dance studio I peeked into the room through the small window on the door and caught sight of everyone minus my best friend. Slowly turning the handle, I popped in and my ears were bombarded with excited yells that echo throughout the room. With a laugh I went up to the boys, hugging and greeting all the members in turn.

“What the hell! When did you get back?” Felix exclaimed.

“I landed yesterday and wanted to surprise you guys. I missed you all,” I cooed.

“Disgusting,” Minho joked before adding, “Did you see Chan-hyung yet?”

“Not yet, I stopped by here first. I’m guessing he’s in the studio?”

“You should know better than us,” Hyunjin teased.

“But you’re the ones who are with him all the time so in this instance you guys know better.”

      I laughed and joked with the boys a bit more before heading out to catch my workaholic best friend. When I finally stood in front of the studio door, I lightly knocked, sticking in my head with a bright smile on my face, before entering the studio.

“Surprise! Guess who’s back?”

“What the heck?” He laughed as he got up and pulled me into a hug.

“I got in yesterday and my manager told me I could find Stray Kids at the company today if you were wondering how I knew where to find you.”

“What? You didn’t use your best friend telepathy?”

“Shut up,” I laugh.

      We pulled apart as I took a seat in one of the grey leather arm chairs and he reclaimed his desk chair. Giving him a proper once over, like always nothing had really changed with him except for the fact that the dark brown hair I left him with was now blonde. I shook my head as I reached to touch his hair, rolling his fringe between my fingers before I gave him a look.

“Really? Blonde again Christopher? This is why your fans say you’re going to go bald,” I teased.

“Whatever, I like it okay?” He laughed before adding, “It was so hard to catch you over there! How was LA?”

      I dove into my life in LA over the past six months, I didn’t do much else except for work so they were mostly just on-set stories. He updated me on how life has been on his side, telling weird anecdotes about the other members and what not until I heard something that shocked my ears.

“Oh yeah and about four months after you left Eunhye and I decided to end things…”

“What?! And you didn’t think to TELL ME?! How’d it happen? I thought… does it still hurt?” 

“It was just that she thought she could take on the idol life but down the road she couldn’t handle the burdens of it anymore. I mean in the beginning it did hurt but I don’t blame her. This career is my choice so I couldn’t ask her to make that sacrifice for me,” he gave me a reassuring smile.

      A pout formed on my lips, Chan was going through something and I wasn’t able to be there for him… some best friend I was. I stood up and brought Chan into a hug as a small sorry fell from my lips, my hand mindlessly playing with his hair. A chuckle escaped his lips as his arms wrapped around my waist. He moved his legs apart and pulled me closer, resting his head on me. Damn my stupid reflexes. Here it is again, the lines blurring together once more and making the grey area that was our friendship. I shouldn’t let the lines blur again, I needed them not to but I can’t stop the sweet kiss of the devil. Not after I’ve come to crave its taste every time it’s taken from me. I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard his voice drift up to my ears.

“What are you sorry for?”

“I wasn’t there when you were hurting…”

“Neither was I, all the times you were.”

      My hand froze in his hair before I let out a soft breath. I have to remember he knows now… He pulled his head away and slid back a bit to look at my face clearly. I gave him a soft smile which he returned as his eyes softened at me as he held one of my hands in his own, lightly swinging it.

“It’s in the past so it’s fine. I’m better now and you seem happier too… are you happier?”

“I am happier than when I first left that’s for sure,” I chuckle.

“That’s good. I missed you.”

“Well I missed you too best friend.”

      A sad attempt at drawing a line between the black and white that was slowly bleeding together again, but a desperate one at that. My eyes scanned over Chan’s face more closely, drinking in every aspect of his face even though they were already engraved in my memory. Our eyes connected and it caused my eyebrows to furrow together, he was hiding something.

“There’s no more secrets anymore… right?”

“Well there’s one, but I’m not sure about it. I don’t know how you’ll feel when you hear it…”

“Okay you’re kind of freaking me out. Did something bad happen?”

“No nothing like that. I just… came to a realization.”

“Which is…”

“I- I like you… more than friends…”

      I immediately pulled my hand away as my eyes widened at the boy sitting in front of me. My eyes scanned his face as I tried to control my breathing, control the panic… My eyes couldn’t focus as they darted about the room until they caught Chan’s subtle movement. He slowly got up and tried to take a step closer so as to not spook me but I took a frantic step back.

“No Chan. you aren’t serious. I think you’re just confused because I’ve been away for so long,” I gave a shaky laugh as I shook my head in disbelief.

“I’m serious. My head’s been clearer then it's been in a long time actually and you know I don’t say these words lightly.”

“Five years… five years of getting my heart broken over and over again. Three years of wishing to have you, and two years of learning to accept the fact that it just won’t happen... I’ve spent a large part of our friendship seeing the love in your eyes for various girls that aren’t me. I would recognize that look in a heartbeat but I don’t see it in your eyes.”

“You said that if there was a chance for an “us” you would have caught it… but maybe neither of us caught it because we were comfortable in our grey area. Once we started separating things into black and white things got clearer and maybe neither of us liked it.”

“But there have been other girls and you never had this thought before! What’s different about this time?”

“You weren’t here anymore is what was different. For six years if we weren’t seeing each other we were face-timing, calling, or texting. We never had a chance to really be alone for that long. And when it finally happened I realized that I don’t like not having you here.”

“But that isn’t love Chan!” I screamed, running a frustrated hand through my hair, “I love you. You are the first person I think about when I wake up and the last I think about before I go to bed. Even if I’m not thinking about you, you somehow slip into my mind. If anything happens: good, bad, scary, interesting, funny; you are the first person I want to tell!”

“But that is how I feel-”

“No. It’s different,” I cut as tears started to stream down my face. My voice came out broken and weak just like how I felt, “Why are you doing this to me…” 

      This is the most my heart has hurt in the past six years of our friendship. I should be ecstatic hearing this but years of doubts and fears and just telling myself that this would never happen… I can’t trust this. It’s too good to be true and if I did accept this and things didn’t work I wouldn’t know how to live anymore so I’m not letting myself get to that point. Chan reached out to try and pull me into him but I stepped out of his reach as I wiped the tears from my face. Although it didn’t do much when new ones streaked down my cheeks in their place.

“I would never do that to you, I mean it when I say that I like you.”

“I don’t trust what you are feeling right now, I can’t. I’m sorry.”

      I needed to get out of there, the room suddenly felt too small for the two people currently standing in it. As I tried to pull the door open, Chan’s hand came from behind me to close it once again. He held his hand there and I felt his gaze burning down on me as I shakily pulled at the door a few times to no avail. I turned to lean my back against the door in defeat, I was trapped between it and Chan anyways. There was nowhere to run anymore.

“You don’t have to accept my feeling but what’s going on in that head of yours? I don’t want things to get weird again, I think I did enough of that for the both of us,” he tried to joke.

      I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the door, taking a breath to center myself before I started to speak. I wanted to give him the same light-hearted tone back but my heart was too heavy under this turmoil that I couldn’t muster anything more than a tired sigh. As I looked him in the eye he realized I wouldn’t run anymore so he dropped his arm and gave me a bit of space which I was thankful for.

“Chan you know that I like you and that’s the problem. I don’t trust that your head isn’t messing with your heart right now telling you you like me because you don’t want to hurt me. I’m not having it blow up in my face after you figure out that you had it wrong. I just can’t handle the repercussions if that happens.”

“How can I convince you that this is real? Everything about this, about us, just feels right and I feel like I haven’t been more sure of anything else in my life.”

“I don’t know Chan… but right now I just can’t trust this… I need to protect my own heart.”

“I was a fool for not realizing it sooner and putting you through all that heartache but it's too late to regret it now. I’ll prove to you that I’m serious, even if I have to take the first step and every other step until you realize that my feelings are real.” 

      He smiled down at me and I never knew a smile could hold so much unspoken emotion. There was something cocky behind the usual warmth and I had a feeling that whatever Chan had planned to “prove” himself, it’s going to be a whole new storm more unpredictable than the grey areas in our friendship. There was fire burning in his gaze as it held mine captive, and for a split second I thought I saw the look in his eye that I so desperately wanted to be directed towards me one day. Even though I didn’t trust this, the fact that he could possibly like me back sent the butterflies into a frenzy as a single thought popped into my mind. Can I actually have hope in this dream I thought was dead?

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Weekend 3, the Lost Weekend

As I went back to re-read my blog I noticed I had cut off my WHOLE weekend of 4/17!!  This is my 20 mile walk from the Emeryville Marina to the Richmond Marina and back via the Bay Trail along the water & Hwy 80.  So let me try to reenact my journey!

The theme of this hike was “Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart, you just gotta poke around” - Once again I tip my hat to the great Jerry Garcia.  Not sure if you all figured it out, but I love Jerry.  I came to the Bay Area to follow the Grateful Dead’s music and I never left.  

This particular hike was absolutely beautiful.  I wish it wasn’t so I can mix this blog up, but sorry folks, you live in a beautiful area.  Even along a dirty highway, there are things of beauty all around you.  Take for example this hike, wildflowers everywhere.  Even popping out of the sidewalk.  I'm reminded of Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park...”Life refuses to be contained...it just finds a way”.  And sure enough, Sunflowers out of the sidewalk!

Since I was next to a highway, I went with headphones this time around.  One of my positives during this pandemic is my rekindled love for music radio stations.  I love listening to a radio station and I definitely have my favorite DJ’s. My personal favorites this past year were:  WWOZ - a local New Orleans station; KCSM - a Bay Area jazz station and KXT - out of Dallas, TX.  These stations literally kept me sane during the lockdowns.  I highly recommend them, especially if you’re cooking, doing chores or working in the garden. 

This particular morning I went with WWOZ.  And what a good decision that was.  Ron Phillips was spinning his favorite Saturday morning tunes and I was going down the road feeling BAD (as in good)!  Irma Thomas, Anders Osborne, The Subdudes and a little known singer/songwriter out of New Orleans, Chris Smithers.  If you get overwhelmed and about to burst...stream Chris Smithers “Let it Go”.  So funny.   Anders Osborne is a name my friends have been trying to get me into for a long time.  And I’m a bozo, definitely missed the boat on this one!  From his new album, try this song:  Welcome to Earth.  

Ok, so I digress!  Back to the walk.  In one of my last posts, I mentioned the people I meet.  Well this am was a doozy!  As I was grooving to the sweet sounds of the Crescent City I was approached by a group of ladies.  They had a question for me:  What’s more important in a relationship:  Love or Economics?  My first response was “Wow, you ladies don’t mess around for a Saturday morning!  Going deep on me”.  But, because I’m me, I had an answer. Now usually I would have said Love, Love, Love.  Hands down right?  But they caught me at a weird time.  I have been obsessively thinking of a comment I overheard from another group of ladies while doing my Diablo hike.  One of them had commented “I have no desire to marry just for love.  Forget that, I need to be economically stable”.  My reaction was pity for this poor girl.  I literally felt sorry for her.  The more I thought about it (obsessively for two weeks) I came to realize, she didn’t necessarily say she wasn’t going to work, she just wanted someone with their shit together and would contribute to their family being comfortable.  What’s wrong with that?  Is being comfortable taboo now?  So when my Bay Trail friends asked me, that’s how I answered.  Love was great but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable, isn’t that love after all?  I obviously made one of the women very happy.  She loved it.  The other two nodded and smiled, they were on Love’s side.  So we said our goodbyes and I felt like I had gotten a weight off my shoulders.  As I was walking away though...I asked myself...But didn’t YOU marry for love?  And sure enough, I did.  Bob & I didn’t have a pot to piss in.  And while we’re not the Rockefeller's, we’re comfortable enough for us.  I love him dearly and love has to be the basis that you build your financial future upon.  If you don’t have that, it get’s ugly when $$ is involved.  The best part of this moment was that song “Welcome to Earth” was playing as I was coming to this realization and the last line is literally “Love is always the answer”.  The Universe works in mysterious ways!  But, where were the ladies...I wanted to change my answer??!!  No where to be found.  Man, I blew it.  I would now obsessively think about this for the next 20 miles. Told you I was a bozo. 

By this time I had reached The Albany bulb.  A Bay Area gem to the north of Golden Gate Fields.  There’s a great beach and then it jets out into a peninsula which is covered with art installations all over.  I’ll talk more about that later, since I came back on Sunday to finish my 25 miles. This morning though I watched a group of swimmers about to enter the freezing bay waters, no wet suit mind you!  CRAZY and No Thank You!  Brrr.   Next Stop, Point Isabel, dog heaven.  A large open spaced off-leach dog park.  I go there all the time.  If you have a dog, you should take them.  They will love you even more than they already do. 

Now past Point Isabel is where the trail gets interesting.  You start to wander away from the highway and are now among the prettiest beaches and marshes. It’s an interesting view of the Bay Bridge and you can no longer see the Golden Gate Bridge as you veer north of it.  You now start to come upon single family homes along the trail.  You’re instantly reminded of Cape Cod.  A ocean view from Richmond, CA.  The best part is once you see this neighborhood you know you’re close to the marina.  And sure enough, I turned the bend and there in front of me was the Ford Assembly plant, my 1/2 way point.  But, it’s a very cruel joke.  You see the plant across the opening of the marina, it’s literally right there!!  Then the realization hits you in order to get to it you need to go around the WHOLE marina.  And as you continue to walk and go around another bend, the sidewalk gets longer and longer and longer.  The Richmond Marina is HUGE. Lovely though.  Large green spaces with people doing yoga;  a ladies bootcamp class along the water; boats coming and going from the marina and two pretty cute restaurants also along the water.  

I finally made it to the Ford Assembly Plant and now Richmond Ferry Terminal.  The assembly plant hosts seasonal events, we’ve been to the women’s roller derby ones.  Nothing like watching tough chicks bully each other on roller skates.  Then there are a few businesses strewn throughout the building.  Dolls Kill, which I believe is a clothing business for those on the freakier side of the spectrum.  And Mountain Hardware!  Quality clothing for the outdoorsy types.  I should have gone in and gotten a windbreaker.  The wind was pretty brutal.  

The best part was of course the Rosie The Riveter museum.  A museum dedicated to the women that left the kids at home and joined the workforce to help build ships during WWII.  This whole area was built for the war effort.  Richmond grew from 25,000 to over 100,000 within three years!!!  Can you imagine?  How does any town build the infrastructure needed to maintain that population?  Grocery stores?  Clothing? Schools?  Highly recommended.  It’s a suggested donation, so don’t be cheap, donate.  You won’t be disappointed.  I once brought Charlotte and a couple of her Girl Scout troop there to meet a real life “Rosie”.  She told the girls her story and it was of course about LOVE!  The trials and tribulations of her and her partner as he was fighting in the war and she was here making the ships that would keep him safe.  Man, where were those 3 ladies!!  

The way back was pretty much the same. I made it!  Now onto Sunday, 4/18. The Albany Bulb!  A Bay Area gem.  Bob & I have been coming here for years.  Way back when it was a landfill full of broken concrete slabs and rebar.  Some artist types took it upon themselves to start living there.  They kept the concrete slabs and rebar and started to make installations out of them.  Giant sized figures;  rows of wooden paintings; mazes and one guy even built a concrete castle along the water facing the Golden Gate Bridge.  Best real estate in the Bay.  They exemplified the phrase “one mans trash is another man’s treasure”.  Of course the stuffed shirts got wind and kicked them out.  But gave the stuffed shirts an idea...Hey, why not make a park out of this dirty unused lot?  Duh.  So before you harass your kid for taking art classes, remember it’s usually the artists who push the rest of society in the right direction.  

It’s also a great place to bird watch and now the wildflowers are a blooming, so it’s quite serene.  If you’re looking for some inspiration, this is the place for you.  

So my posts/weeks are a bit out of order.  Oh well!  It’s my blog and I’ll create chaos if I want to!  

I’ll end on this note:  Love is ALWAYS the answer. 

So sponsor me (hehehe):  https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert/Donate

[gaiyofanfiction]

The Stray District - Chapter 10 (Final)

Stray Kids Gang!Au

Lee Know x Reader

Drama

A/N: YAY WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE LAST CHAPTER! I really am so thankful for all the positive feedback on this story. Thank you for all your support. Please come back to check on the sequal! <3 ~Yosei

I also wanted to give a shout out to @kunsequence @mujabbcco and @visualkeybusby for helping me edit throughout this book. Thank you so much, I couldn’t do it without any of you! <3

Warnings: PG13. Violence, Torture and Seductive Themes (Nothing sexual that crosses a line for underage idols.)

Disclaimer: This is pure fiction. All artists named in this fic are given a fake personality by me. This does not in any means reflect on the individual idol or groups. To my knowledge, they are all sweet, amazing people that wouldn’t hurt a fly.

~~~

It's said that when a moment of great significance in your life occurs, time tends to slow down. That's how it felt, anyway, when you watched with horror as your bodyguard and best friend crumpled to the ground in front of you. Time slowed down to the point where it felt like everything stopped.

“FELIX!”

Your knees buckle and you fall to the ground, crawling over to the unmoving boy. You pull his head into your lap, brushing his hair out of his face. Tears well up in your eyes, a full blown panic attack building up inside of you.

“Felix, no! Please Felix, please wake up!”

You gently shake his shoulders, desperately trying to wake up the boy you call family, your tears spilling down your flushed face. However, no matter how hard you shake him, he continues in his slumber. You once again hear the click of the gun in Taeyong's hands, but nothing comes out. You realize that the bullet that took Felix was the last one.

Something inside you snapped. Your eyes no long held anything but hatred, a low growl building deep in your throat. You slowly look up at Taeyong, the boy who shot your Felix, a cold, icy look making him swallow the lump in his throat. You gently lay Felix back onto the floor and stand up. Suddenly, you lunge at Taeyong, all your current pain forgotten. You knock him to the ground and straddle his body and deck him in the face. That's when all the humanity inside you left and was replaced with nothing but pure animal instinct. One punch after another, you land on that pretty face of his. He does his best to fight you off, but it's to no avail as he was still delirious from his previous fight with your and Lee Know's members.

“You. Fucking. Piece. Of. Shit. I'll kill you, do you hear me?! I'LL KILL YOU!” You scream into his face, landing punch after punch, tears streaming down your cheeks.

After about 5 seconds you feel hands grab onto your wrists, stopping you from beating the boy into the ground. “Y/N, stop! You need to stop!” It was Lee Know's voice, his hands who held your wrists.

“He killed Felix! He needs to pay! HE DESERVES THE SAME FATE!” You scream, not taking your bloodshot eyes off the NCT leader underneath you.

“Please, stop!” He whirls you around to face him and immediately his heart shatters. He sees your face bright red with anger, sweat dripping down your forehead, breath short and fast, you were seething with nothing but pure anger. But the thing that made him wince was the tears that kept coming and coming, the tears that were like a river down your flushed cheeks. He could see nothing but pure pain and terror flashing in your eyes. For as long as he's known you, he's never seen or even heard of you breaking down like this. The strong, independent, fierce leader of District 9, the girl he fell madly in love with, was completely falling apart right in front of him. And he didn't know what to do.

He pulled your trembling body into his, hugging you so tightly, no matter what you do, you can't escape. “I know he deserves it. But if you kill him and the cops find out, you'll be arrested. We wouldn't be able to buy them off this time, your blood and DNA are all over.” He lowers his voice into a whisper. “Please, stop. I can't lose you.”

With those words, your entire body freezes and then let's go. You wrap your arms tightly around the Stray Kids leader, your choked back sobs now coming freely. He pulls you off of Taeyong and into his lap, letting you feel every emotion that's inside you while you're safe in his arms.

“Boss!” Lee Know hears Changbin's voice. “Hey, he's still breathing!”

Your head snaps up to look at Changbin, who was bent over Felix, his ear to the boy's lips. Woojin runs over to Changbin and Felix, kneeling down to find the boy's pulse. Once he did, his gaze finds yours, a slight look of relief filling his eyes.

“He’s still alive. For now. But his pulse is very faint, he needs to see a doctor right away.”

You gasp a little and try to wiggle out of Lee Know's hold but a sharp pain in your shoulder and thigh causes you to hiss in pain. Lee Know shifts his arms so he's carrying you and stands up. Changbin follows suit, gently picking up unconscious Felix.

“Please, be careful with him.” You half whimper, eyes focused on Changbin and Felix.

Changbin looks at you, his eyes softening. “I promise I will.” He’s not one to show emotion but admires how much you care about your members.

“He won't let anything happen to Felix, hon. I can promise you that.” Lee Know kisses you on the cheek, making you blush. Once again, you glance at your bodyguard, worry circulating through your mind.

~~~

Hyunjin had called a friend of his who is a doctor on the way back home. By the time the 10 of you make it back to District 9’s hideout, Doctor Jinyoung and Youngjae had arrived just in time. Hyunjin had explained the situation to them over the phone, so they were prepared by the time you arrived.

As soon as everyone enters the hideout, Hyunjin, I.N, Seungmin, Chan and Han collapse onto the couch, exhausted from everything that had went down. Lee Know helps you inside, being careful of possibly hurting you again, while Woojin helps Changbin with Felix.

“Felix's room is down the hall. Second door on the left. If you could lay him down in there and the doctors could take a look at him.” You squeak out, your voice hoarse and weak. Changbin nods and follows Woojin to Felix's room.

You turn to Dr. Jinyoung and Youngjae. “Please, I don't know how bad the wound is, but please help him. He's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without him.” Tears once again well up in your eyes, Lee Know giving your shoulder a squeeze in reassurance.

Dr. Jinyoung nods and gives you a soft smile. “We will do everything we can. It'll be a while, however, til we can stabilize him. But we won't leave here til we've exhausted every option to save him.”

You smile weakly and nod, thanking the two doctors. Dr. Youngjae looks down at your cut thighs and back up to your bruised neck. “Miss, you're also going to need medical attention.”

You shake your head, your voice turning slightly more authoritative. “I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse. Just right now I need you two to focus on Felix.”

Dr. Youngjae looks uncertain but nods anyway. The two of them follow Woojin and Changbin. The two gang members returned shortly, the door to Felix's room closed shut while the doctors work.

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “At least it's all over. We're all safe.”

“For now. But NCT is still out there and they don't forgive easily. We still need to be on our guard.” Woojin points out. You nod, agreeing to his statement.

The room is quiet for a moment, making you suddenly very aware of your current state. You clear your throat. “Well, I will be going to my room to patch myself up.” You eye the boys around the room. “I wish to not be disturbed. No one is to walk in without permission, understood?”

They nod in agreement. You turn to walk away when Lee Know speaks up. “I'm coming to help.”

“Did you not hear what I said? I don't want to be disturbed!”

He waves a dismissive hand before taking yours and dragging you down the hall. “Yeah yeah. I'm coming anyway.”

You scoff, but your face turns bright red at his actions. Seungmin chuckles behind you. “Only he can make her so flustered.”

“Shut up!” You take your shoe off and throw it at the Drug Lord but miss as you are being tugged into your room. Lee Know shuts the door behind him and seats you onto the bed.

“You don't have to be in here, you know. I can take care of myself.” You cross your arms.

He raises an eyebrow, “is that right? How is your neck? And your thighs? Oh and the brand on the back of your shoulder after you had to antagonize the psycho children?” You pout, choosing to keep your mouth shut. He rolls his eyes. “Where's your first aid kit?”

You sigh and nod to the bathroom behind him, giving up this pointless fight. Lee Know walks into the bathroom and is back a second later with the large first aid kit. For the next few minutes, the gang leader cleans your cuts, both of you silent. You can't help but stare down at his beautiful, concentrated face. The corners of your mouth twitch into a smile.

“I knew I was handsome, Y/N, but I didn't know you liked me that much.” He raises his eyes, a smirk playing at his lips.

You let out a squeak and suddenly look anywhere else but him, making him chuckle. Another minute has passed before you open your mouth. “Did you mean what you said, about me being your girlfriend?”

Lee Know nods, “of course. I wouldn't say anything of the sort unless I meant it, my dear.”

“How did you just assume I'd be okay with it?” Your eyes narrow slightly.

“Because you can't resist me, my love.” He winks at you, causing your face to once again turn beat red.

“If you like me so much, why did you always mess with me and why did you kidnap me?”

He chuckles, “well, one, you're fun as hell to mess with. You're one of the only gang leaders who can keep up with me. Two, I really did want all of District 9 to myself.” He shrugs matter of factly.

You laugh slightly and run a hand through your hair, watching him finish bandaging up your legs. “So, what do we do now? Now that we're together, it would be stupid to be rivals again.”

Lee Know stands up, handling both of your hands in his. “Well, I can move in. But wherever I go, so do my boys. So. You now have 5 new roommates, yaaaaay!”

You groan and fall back onto your bed. “Where am I going to put all of you? I only have enough rooms for my boys and I.”

Lee Know crawls onto the bed, hovering over you. He let's a finger slowly flitter against your cheek, staring lovingly at you. “I'm sure they don't mind the couch or the floors. They've had it much worse before. We should probably look for a new place soon anyway, since NCT is still out there and they know where both of our hideouts are. Chan can help I.N with a new security system, so we wouldn't have to worry.”

You nod and mumble, “okay.” Your breath hitching. “But I'm still calling you Minho.” You don't take your eyes off the gorgeous man hovering over you.

Lee Know slowly lowers himself down til he's laying right on top of you. His lips gently brushes yours. “Fine. But you're the only one who can.” A smirk plays at his lips as he captures yours with his. The kiss was hungry and possessive. The makeout session lasts for a long time, the two of you stopping once in awhile to catch your breaths. He's been waiting for this moment for a long time, he'll be damned if anyone takes it away from him.

However, like the world is working against him, you suddenly both hear the door to your room open. “Y/N? Boss?”

You both turn your heads to see Changbin with his hand on the door knob. You groan, “okay, so your boys don't knock either?!”

“Ugh. I swear to god, this better be important!” Lee Know's voice raises, causing Changbin to slightly flinch.

“It's Felix. He's awake.”

The two of you snap to attention upon hearing the news. Your heart pounds as you run out of the room and into Felix's. As soon as you enter, your greeted with a half smiling Felix.

“Hey, Boss.”

Tears well up in your eyes as you pounce on the injured boy. He groans out in pain but doesn't care. He wraps his good arm around your trembling body and pulls you in for a tight hug. The rest of the boys file in after you, relieved to see Felix is alive and awake.

“Hey, hey. It's alright. I'm fine.” He rubs your back gently.

“What do you mean, it's alright?!” You snap softly at the boy, pulling away slightly. You give him a chastising look. “Lee Felix, how dare you get shot and almost die for me! I'm so mad at you right now!”

He rolls his eyes. “Y/N, that's my job. I swore I would protect you with my life and I stand by that promise.”

“Except you're not supposed to die! You're Felix! You're the strongest, fastest body guard in the world! Nothing can happen to you!”

“Hey! What about me?!” Changbin complains.

“Shut up, Changbin.” you wave your hand dismissively.

Everyone laughs at your antics, making Changbin pout. Lee Know pats him on the head. “Awe, don't worry Binnie. You're still my favorite bodyguard.” Changbin swats his hand away with a frown.

You hear a throat clear, making the group of you turn your heads. Dr. Jinyoung smiles awkwardly. “I just wanted to explain that we were able to retrieve the bullet it had lodged itself in his left shoulder. He'll be okay but he will have limited to no use in his left arm for awhile. If he wishes to heal properly, he needs to be resting as much as he can.”

You nod understandably. You send the two doctors a small smile. “Thank you.” They bow their heads and take their leave.

Once they're gone, the boys mingle among themselves. You turn to Lee Know. “We should explain the situation at hand.”

He nods, suddenly snapping his fingers, accompanied by a sharp whistle. Immediately the room goes silent, all eyes on the two of you. “Alright, since it's pretty clear a few things have changed within the dynamic of our two groups, we've come to a mutual decision.”

“We've decided that Stray Kids are going to move in with us.” The boys all groan, mumbling protests under their breath. Your expression turns dark, your voice low and menacing. “I know I didn't just hear back talk out of any of you. Stray Kids will be moving in with District 9. We will ALL learn to get along or there will be severe consequences. Have I made myself clear?”

The boys swallow the lumps in their throats, nodding vigorously in agreement. After making sure they truly listened to you, you snap back into a cute smile. “Good!”

Chan leans closer to I.N, “damn, she's scary.” I.N nods, eye wide.

“So, Han, Chan, Changbin and Hyunjin. You four have the freedom to choose where you'd like to sleep. Anywhere is fine.”

“Oh, I call dibs sleeping with Y/N!” Han excitedly jumps up and down, waving his hands.

You roll your eyes. “Hell no you don't.”

“Awe but you said I get to choose!”

“Han, knock it off. You won't be allowed to go anywhere near her room.” Lee Know growls. “I'll be the one sleeping in there.”

Han groans and pouts. Seungmin pats the boy on the head. “Hey, do you wanna go check out my lab?”

Han raises a brow in curiosity. “You have a lab here? Can we blow something up?”

Seungmin shrugs. “Yeah, sure.”

Han lights up, a smile back on his face. “Sweet! Let's go!” Seungmin leads Han out of the room and into the basement where he keeps all his supplies.

“Do you guys at least have a gun range so I can practice?” Hyunjin sighs, slightly upset he has to leave behind his range at home.

Woojin chuckles and pulls out his weapon, twirling it in his fingers. “Yes, we do. I also just got in the new Cold Steel 80PGTK Gi Tanto set, if you’re interested.”

Hyunjin let's out a small gasp, “no fucking way! Those are so hard to find in this District!” Hyunjin excitedly follows Woojin out of the door, eager to see the set of knives.

Lee Know turns to you and grabs your hands, a smile slipping onto his lips. “That seemed easier than I thought. Maybe this will work after all.”

You smile back, placing a kiss to the back of his hand. “I'm really glad. I was nervous for a bit there.”

I.N and Chan stand there, awkwardly watching this weird and cute exchange between the two of you. I.N leans over to chan. “Hey, do you want to go hack into the U.S air base system and change all the missile launch codes?”

Chan blinks. “Yes. Yes I do.” He follows I.N out of the door to cause some trouble.

That leaves You, Lee Know, Felix and Changbin standing in the room together. Changbin plops down on one of the comfy chairs in Felix's room, leaning back. “I want to stay here.”

“What? Hell no! Go sleep on the couch.” Felix glares at the bodyguard.

You turn your own glare onto your own bodyguard. “Felix, play nice. Changbin was the one who discovered you weren't dead yet and carried your unconscious ass back here.”

Felix's face turns a bright red. “Oh. O-Okay then. Fine, stay here or whatever.” You notice the blush on his face and giggle to yourself.

Lee know leans into you, his voice almost a whisper. “Looks like everything is fine now. Shall we go to bed? I know we are both exhausted and could use some sleep.”

You groan at the sudden heaviness you feel in your limbs. “Yes, god, please.” Out of nowhere, Lee Know sweeps you off your feet and carries you bridal style into your room, kicking the door shut with his foot.

That night, all 10 of you had gotten the best sleep you've had in awhile, happy that everything worked out in the end.

~~

A groan is echoed in the large, metal room. Jaemin blinks as his consciousness comes to. He goes to hold his head in his hands but his arms won't budge. He looks behind him to see him, Haechan and Jisung tied together.

“What the fu- how did we end up like this?”

He thinks hard for a moment when suddenly a vision of Lee Know punching him in the face flashes through his mind. He instantly growls, pissed he let that happen. Suddenly the door to the room busts open to reveal a bruised and battered Renjun, Jeno, Mark, Chenle and Lucas.

“What the fuck happened in here?!” Lucas’ eyes widen.

“Well what the fuck happened to you five?” Haechan's voice speaks up in response, signaling him having woken up.

“Fucking Stray Kids and District 9, is what happened. Surprised the hell out of us.” Mark mumbles, rubbing his head.

“They are so ficking dead for this.” Jisung growls. He had also finally woken up.

Mark and Jeno go to untie Haechan, Jisung and Jaemin from their binds. Renjun kneels down onto the floor where a body lay. “Goddamn, they beat the hell out of Taeyong.” He checks his pulse to make sure he was still alive. It's very faint, but it's there.

Renjun lets out a low growl, his anger raising. “Oh, they are so not getting away with this. Those fuckers don't know who they messed with. Not only beating the hell out of all of us, but taking what rightfully belongs to me.” A smirk spreads across his face. “This isn't over, not by a long shot. We will take District 9 and their Lovey Leader Y/N along with it.”

~~~

<prev|

[Masterlist]

[dumbchickwrites]

the end of the rainbow 🌈 — part 6

Pairings: Sam Wilson x OC! Iris Fury

Warnings: mentions of smut, plot within the plot ~ a subplot, if you will.

Words: 2257.

Summary: Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Iris Fury, daughter of Nick Fury, is called by her father to assist the Avengers while agent Romanoff recovers from a few wounds. A certain Falcon catches her eye. Follow Iris and Sam as they take a walk on the rainbow and eventually find out what hides at the end of that beautiful path.

A/N: sorry, no keep reading tag since I’m on mobile. no, I haven’t forgotten about your requests! they’re coming, I promise! also, I got carried away lol, this part and the next will pretty much be an Avengers movie🤷🏾‍♀️

Please comment and reblog if you enjoy! <3

***

One last time, she thought, staring at her reflection in the mirror. One last time then she'd tell him the truth, and it will be over.

Sam wanted to have that romantic dinner tonight, since it was Iris' actual birthday. She couldn't say no to him when he asked her on their first official date. Not when he looked at her, smile bright and eyes soft with adoration. So she said yes.

He was already waiting for her at his flat in the city. He'd left the compound in the early afternoon to get everything ready up there. Now it was almost time for Iris to join him.

A car was waiting for her outside. It would drive her there on autopilot then come back to the compound. She made her way down the stairs discreetly, careful not to step into a member of the team. She couldn't handle their disapproving gazes anymore.

New York City, as always, was buzzing with lights and excitement as the car made its way through the packed streets. Iris found herself growing more and more nervous as the car approached the red dot on the map. How should she tell him? When? How would he react? Or maybe she should just... leave?

A sigh fell off her lips as she laid her head back on the headrest.

She never should have agreed to come back to the US in the first place. Now she had a lover on one side of the Atlantic ocean, and a family on the other. Selfish and cruel. That was what she was. Not sparing a thought to the people she hurt.

"You have arrived to your destination."

The voice snapped Iris out of her thoughts. Her eyes scanned her surroundings before she allowed herself to step out of the grey car. She stepped into the building, her heels clinking on the floor. The receptionist greeted her, a polite smile on his face. After introducing herself and telling him why she was here, he kindly directed her to Sam's apartment.

Sam was certain he'd never been this nervous in his entire life. Not even during the first flight test with the EXO-7 wings. His apartment was filled with mouth-watering smells from the food he'd prepared - a three course meal for his girl. He had an arrangement of blue irises and red roses on the the table, soft music was playing in the background, setting a romantic atmosphere along with a few candles.

The sound of the doorbell resonated in the home, and his heart fell to the bottom of his stomach. On his way to the door, he stopped in front of the mirror to check his reflection one last time.

Breath got caught in his throat as he opened the door. A simple navy blue flared dress and heeled sandals was all she wore. Her hair was pinned in her regular sleek bun while small silver hoops adorned her ears.

"Hey," she flashed her a smile, and Sam realized he'd been staring at her for way too long.

"Hey, come in," he stepped aside, not taking his eyes off her as she walked in the apartment.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is this too much? I didn't know what to wear because you said casual but at the same time it's our first date and—"

"Baby," Sam cut her rambling with an amused smirk. "You look amazing. You always do. Now come give me a kiss."

Her body moved on its own, attracted to Sam's as if it was a magnet, pulling her towards his warm, loving embrace.

Iris' eyes started to sting as she walked further into the flat, seeing how much effort Sam had put into the evening. She really didn't deserve him.

"You like it?" Sam's hand came to rest on her hip.

"Sam... I love it. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, baby girl," he whispered before giving her another sweet kiss.

Bottle of red wine was uncorked and poured into glasses. Iris, quite the connoisseur, marvelled at Sam's choice. Sheepishly, he admitted that he went around asking the team about some of Iris' favourite things to make the night as good as possible — including her favourite wine which according to Tony was any vintage French red with sweet undertones.

First glasses of wine down, hunger made stronger by drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, they soon settled around the table. As the city went about its usual frenzy outside the large glass windows, Sam brought the first course to the dining table, an entrée worthy of a Michelin star restaurant.

"Are you sure you never went to a culinary school somewhere?" Iris mused, tastebuds raving in her mouth.

"Just like to watch a lot of cooking shows," he smiled.

"This tastes fantastic. And with the wine, ugh! You blew my mind, Wilson."

Main course, then dessert. All while talking and talking, as if they never grew tired of each other's voice and mimics and stories. Gulps of wine, second bottle uncorked, melted chocolate and notes of berries from the wine mixed together to form an elixir, an aphrodisiac, like being around each other wasn't already enough for their bodies to turn into lava. More talking, until it was time to clean up.

Bare feet on the wooden floor, heels discarded in a corner of the room for her, soft padding of socks for him, they waltzed around the room, plates and cutlery clinking as they loaded the dishwasher.

Then the familiar, world famous guitar air filled the room, the notes soft and resonating throughout their entire bodies.

"Dance with me," Sam said.

So Iris put her hand in his, abandoning her half full, half empty glass of wine on the table, right next to the irises and roses, and danced with him.

"Wise men say only fools rushhhh iiin..."

"You are a terrible singer," Iris giggled in the crook of his neck.

"My cooking makes up for it."

"It sure does, Sammy. It sure does."

They let the music surround them, guide their movements as they swung around, hands caressing each other's body, fingers drawing intricate shapes and paterns over their clothes, lips leaving feathery kisses over necks and jaws, trying to find a way to transfer the intimacy of the moment.

For I can't help

Falling in love with you

"I love you, Iris."

Like a river flows

Surely to the sea

Darling so it goes

She sucked in a sharp breath as if she'd been hit — burned. But it had to be the most pleasant burn ever.

Some things

Are meant to be

"You don't have to say it back," Sam murmured. "I wanted to tell you."

"I— I love you too, Sam," she said, tears already streaming down her face.

Not stopping their swaying, Sam pulled back just enough to allow him to take Iris' face in his hands. That's when she noticed that the song still hadn't stopped — or rather, had started over.

"You planned this," she scoffed through her tears, rolling her eyes.

"Damn right I did."

With his thumbs, he wiped away her tears  then took his time admiring her. Every detail of her face and entire being.

Elvis kept singing, and they kept swaying.

*

Emergency mission. Get your asses back to the compound.

The lovely message which pulled both Iris and Sam out of their post coital slumber and forced them to go back to the Avengers headquarters as quick as possible.

Once they arrived, they only had time to make their respective protein shakes as breakfast before Director Fury called them in the conference space. Everyone else was already sat, waiting for Nick to speak up.

"I need you guys sharp on this one. We got the info a few days ago but there was a piece of intel missing from the brief, which I needed to give you guys the green light."

Nick pressed a button and an image appeared on the large touchscreen. Shock took place on some faces, pain on others.

"Oh my God."

"She's alive?!"

"Where is she?"

"For those of you who don't know, this is my second child, and Iris' twin sister."

Eyes still slightly wide, they all stared at Iris' identical twin. They had the same features. While Iris' face was free of scars, Dahlia had a large scar across the face, from the tail of her right eyebrow through the right corner of her mouth, ending at the chin.

"Steve," Iris called.

The super soldier snapped out of his thoughts, tearing his gaze off his ex-lover's face.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fine."

"Dahlia —"

"What is it with you and flowers?" Wanda asked, genuinely curious.

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose, already annoyed by the wave of questions that was about to submerge him.

"That would be a question for their mother, a question that I, too, would like an answer to."

"Oh, dad, please! You called us Nicky and Nicolette, so I think you can save your rant on names for later," Iris rolled her eyes.

"Wait," Sam interrupted Nick just as he opened his mouth to speak. "I gotta ask, which one's Nicolette?"

Iris narrowed her eyes at him.

"That would be our dear Iris," Tony said.

A stiffled laugh came from the back of the room where Bucky sat, pinching his nose to contain his giggles. Iris raised a brow.

"What you laughing at Buchanan?"

Bucky snapped his mouth shut in a thin line.

"This is a matter of worldwide security, so I'm gonna need you to stop behaving like goddamn children," Nick scolded, giving a pointed look to his daughter. "Dahlia is a compromised former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She'd joined the ranks of HYDRA long before S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. She's a traitor, that is why you've never heard of her."

"I've seen her before," Wanda's voice was almost a whisper. "With Strucker, during our... experiments."

"But... we saw her in her cell in the Raft. Then she died of a seizure," Natasha said matter-of-factly.

"She escaped a few months ago."

"Told you I should've brought her to Asgard," Thor mumbled.

"A few months ago?!" Iris repeated in disbelief. "Dad, why didn't you say anything?"

"She was invisible to our radars until now. With what remained of the Insight protocols and Stark's tech, we were able to find her only a few days ago."

"Tony, you knew about this?" Steve, who still hadn't said anything until that moment, turned to Tony, lines creasing in his forehead.

"Sorry, Cap. Fury made me swear not to say anything."

"Dad... What's the mission?"

"Dahlia was seen at a facility located on the border between Ukraine and Russia," as Nick spoke, images appeared on the touchscreen next to him. "Packages were sent from this facility to Iraq and Syria. We have reasons to believe that weapons are curated in this facility, using the remains of the Ultron disaster and sent to the Middle East."

"But it's been years since Ultron happened," Clint chipped in. "How could she possibly still have access to Stark tech?"

"Veronica," Bruce blurted. "Veronica and the other satellites. What if she's using Veronica and the drones from the satellites we don't use anymore to create weapons?"

"But how?" Rhodey asked.

"Dahlia's access to all those things was revoked after she got in the Raft, but what if she's using Iris? The older satellites don't require a retinal scan to work, but they do have the same voice."

"Jesus Christ," Iris burried her face in her hands. "Dad. What's the mission?"

"Destroy Dahlia's facility, locate the weapons in the Middle East, get rid of them... Neutralise Dahlia Fury."

"Dad—"

"Two teams. Colonel Rhodes, Barton, Maximoff, Barnes and Romanoff as air support in the Middle East. The rest, in the Ukraine. We don't know how many men exactly but based on our sightings, more than Strucker had in Sokovia. You leave tonight."

Steve immediately walked out of the room, hands balled up in fists, jaw and shoulders tense. The rest of the team did the same, one by one.

"What's his deal?" Sam asked Iris in a hushed tone.

"Him and my sister... They were together. Their relationship was as serious as could be. We never knew what happened to Dahlia, you know? Maybe she was brainwashed, kind of like Bucky, but she still knows who we are... When she was sent to the Raft, Steve was inconsolable, first he hurt her, then he lost her..."

"What? The—" Sam gestured across his face. "He did that to her?"

Iris nodded. "He didn't mean to. The shield bounced off someone and she was in the way. He was furious with himself."

"How about you, baby?" he squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

"To be honest, my dad and I never believed she'd died. Something was off in her death certificate, but we still grieved and moved on, you know," she sighed. "I've got to check on my dad, okay? I'll talk to you later."

She gave him a peck on the lips before strolling down the hall to find Nick.

Iris felt like a building had fallen on top of her. Her heart was already troubled, tugging on two different sides, and now her twin sister, who was supposed to be nothing but ashes in the Atlantic ocean, was a terrorist and very much alive.

In her hand, her phone started to ring, the screen lighting up to display a photo of her fiancé holding their daughter, both smiling at the camera.

***

Tags: @wakanda-inspired

[peteparkersgirl]

Dancing With A Stranger

This is my first Peter Parker x Reader piece. I’d really love your feedback! Should I write a part two? Also the reader and Peter are in University.

Y/N sighed, leaning herself back against the edge of the doorframe, a plastic red cup in hand, her eyes gazing out along the picturesque back garden. The sky was a stunning pink and orange colour, the colours mixing into one as the sun lowered in the sky.

The music was loud, the vibrations pulsing through her body and vibrating her chest. She was surrounded by an energetic group of young people, most of them enjoying themselves, some a little too much.

Y/N scoffed and rolled her eyes, watching from the corner of her eye as Dylan, a stuck up jock from the football team held a girl in his arms and pushed her up against the kitchen table, practically ready to bounce on her as his lips captured hers.

Y/N was only here at this party because her best friend Rachel begged her to go.

“Oh please Y/N! I’m begging you! Carter is going to be there and he said he’d love to see me there and then winked at me! I can’t go on my own!”

“You won’t be on your own because you’ll ditch me and hang out with Carter for most of the night! I’m really not feeling up for it...I’ve got exams coming up, I need to finish this huge assignment for my Media module..” You sighed, running a stressed hand through your hair. “You won’t even miss me..”

“Oh Come on Y/N! When you’re 90 years old, what are you going to remember? That media assignment or that fantastic party you enjoyed yourself at?” Rachel huffed, pushing her hands on her hips, tilting her head at you with a raised eyebrow.

You narrowed your eyes at her, tucking your lip underneath your teeth. “Fine! But I’m only staying until you hook up with Carter and then I’m gone..”

“Good! Because you need to get your mind off of that stupid Peter Parker guy..”

To be quite honest, Y/N really didn’t want to be here. Party’s weren’t her scene and now that Rachel had hooked up with Carter, she really should be going, but the alcohol was really starting to ease out the pain that she was feeling on the inside.

Unknown to everyone here, this was a really tough week for Y/N. Apart from the stress of college exams and assignments, Y/N’s heart was shattered.

Peter Parker had made a total mess of Y/N L/N.

Peter Parker was the Captain of the football team in RiverValley University. Not only was he an exceptional star football player but he was also incredibly handsome. His eyes were brown chocolate pools, his chestnut brown hair was always quiffed back and he was also extremely toned and always kept himself fit by training with the football team 3-4 times a week and even going to the gym at the same time.

Peter was also known to be a real flirt. He was a real ladies man. He knew exactly what to say to have the girls falling at his feet. Not that he needed to say anything, since all the girls were already swooning at the sight of him.

Y/N was only aware of Peter Parker through going to the football games for her journalism course; but of course she heard what girls said about him.

“He’s honestly the best snog I’ve ever had.”

“I can’t believe Peter Parker never called me back! The cheeky bastard was gone by the time I woke up!”

“Did you hear he slept with Lucinda’s best friend literally the night they broke up?”

“He’s such a dick, all he does is get in your pants and then breaks your heart!”

She couldn’t deny it though, Peter Parker was fit. There was something very intriguing about him, she had to admit..maybe it was his dark chocolate brown eyes..or maybe his biceps that he would alway flex throughout the game..or maybe it was the fact that he was the star team player on the football team that really..there was just something about Peter Parker that she just liked..she couldn’t help herself. He was charming, he was sweet, and from what she heard through some of guys in the library, he was also quite intelligent.

He was the guy girls wanted to sleep with and he was the guy that all guys on campus wanted to be.

Taking a seat on the bleachers Y/N slipped out her camera along with her colorful spotted notebook. The buzz among the crowd was pretty unreal. Students had beers in one hand, a bag of chips in the other, a lot of the guys had red painted stripes across their cheeks, while some guys had even gone as far as to paint the university logo across their chests in support of the soccer team.

Y/N had to admit, she was feeling nervous herself This was a big game, the final of the season.

Glancing down at her notebook she started to jot down notes about the atmosphere, the crowd, which key players would be taking part in the game, suddenly the sunlight was blocked by a tall figure, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion, she glanced up at the brown eyed boy, a confident smirk plastered across his face.

“Hey, you’re Y/N L/N, right?” He smirked, taking a seat beside her. Y/N turned to face him, raising an eyebrow.

“Why do you ask?” She hummed, her eyes drifting up and down at his appearance.

“Well aren’t you a pretty sight for sore eyes..” he grinned, his biceps flexing as he combed a hand through his hair, his eyes drifting up and down her appearance.

Y/N’s long hair/color drifting down her shoulders into loose ringlet curls, her face glowing and being illuminated from the setting sun. Peter was truly in awe at the beauty in from him.

Y/N scoffed slightly, folding her arms across her chest. “What a line.” She laughed, her smile illuminating her features.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready with the others?” She nodded down the field, watching the other football players doing jumping squats, jogging on the spot and stretching out their muscles for the big game.

“Don’t worry about me sweetheart..I’ll be fine..As a matter of fact, you write for the university paper, right?” Peter smiled, pointing down at the last issues university paper on her lap. “Put this in your notebook, I’m going to win the game and I’ll score the winning goal just for you..and when I do..you’ll let me take you out..”

Y/N could feel the glare of envious girls starring into the back of her head. She could feel her cheeks starting to heat up ever so slightly.

“Come on..if you say no I’ll lose the game..you don’t want that do you?” He sighed, widening his eyes to look like puppy dog eyes as his fingers grazed her cheek bone before gently pushing back Y/N’s hair behind your ear.

“Where’s all of this coming from Parker? You don’t even know me..” Y/N laughed, feeling herself melt underneath his warm touch.

“I always see you at my games..I see you around campus..and I’ve read your articles in the paper..You just really..You just really intrigue me L/N..I’ve heard some pretty cool things about you..” Peter hummed, his thumb dragging down across Y/N’s cheekbone, drawing small circles across her skin.

Y/N could hear the envious whispers of the girls surrounding her, wishing they were the ones being swooned over.

“Oh really? Like what?” She laughed, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Well for one I know you write for the university paper..you write exceptional articles about yours truly..” he grinned confidently as he motioned to himself, “I’ve heard that you’re ambitious ..passionate...” He spoke, his tone of voice soft and low, his fingers grazing from her cheek bone, down to her shoulder, his fingers slowly drawing down her arm and to her hand, grabbing hold of it.

“Hmm..It doesn’t sound like you’ve heard too much about me...Mhmm..I don’t know Parker..I’ve heard things about you too..” Y/N whispered, her eyes glazing over Peters features.

Peter chuckled deeply, a playful grin on his face. “Enlighten me.“

“Well..I’ve heard that you’re an insensitive jerk who just likes to sleep with anything that breathes..” Y/N answered, a questioning smile on her lips.

Peter chuckled, his chest vibrating as he did so, a mischievous look painted across his features.

“But you see..” Peter smirked, cupping Y/N’s chin between his thumb and index finger. “You can’t say those things are true because like you said..I barely know you and you barely know me..so why don’t you just say yes and we can get to know each other?”

Y/N nervously tucked her lip underneath her teeth, she could feel her heart accelerating from the charming words dripping from Peters tongue.

What harm could it do? Y/N is a big girl, she can look after yourself.

“Only if you win the game Parker.” Y/N smiled, her cheeks glowing pink as Peter took hold of both her hands, pressing his lips against the back of them.

From that moment onwards, Y/N was hooked. She discovered that Peter wasn’t that much of an ‘insensitive jerk’ that the girls on campus said he was.

Peter was Peter. He had this cool, confident character that he would play out to be on campus, but behind closed doors, Peter was different.

He was Y/N’s Peter. He was caring, passionate, gentle, loving. When Peter was around Y/N, he was his true self.

From that night of the football match, Peter and Y/N were hooked on one other. They would meet after class, they’d meet during lunch breaks, Y/N would meet Peter after practice. Y/N couldn’t believe that she used to listen to those petty rumors. Peter was amazing. In fact, he was perfect.

Lately though, their relationship started to show some cracks. Peter started showing up late to dates to eventually not showing up at all. Sometimes he seemed to be even more interested in his phone than her. Thing always seemed to come up and in between the pair that their relationship was now like what the pair were in the beginning; strangers.

“I can’t do this anymore Pete..you’re barely here anymore, you never answer my calls or texts..when we are out you just disappear and leave me on my own..things have been different between us..I think we need a break from whatever this is that we have..” Y/N cried, her voice strained, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“No..No Y/N please..” Peter frowned, his eyes beginning to water as his face shaded white with shock.

“I’m sorry..” Y/N sobbed, her heart shattering into pieces as she ran out of Peters dorm room, running out of the building and back to her own dorm room.

Leaving behind her broken heart in the hands of a broken hearted Peter Parker.

And that’s how Y/N ended up here at this party, a red cup in hand filled with a mixture of different kinds of alcohol, her eyes brimming with the tears at the thought of Peter Parker.

Rachel hooked up with Carter about forty five minutes ago but Y/N just couldn’t seem to leave. She needed this. She didn’t know just how badly she needed this party to loosen her up, to take her mind off of everyone and everything, especially him.

Suddenly Y/N was drawn from her train of thought when a pair of cool finger tips grazed over her skin, jolting her back to reality.

Y/N turned to face the notorious Flash, her eyes rolling at the sight of him.

Flash was another key player on the football team. Although he was an excellent player, he was a real asshole. Y/N seen him around campus a lot of the time, a different girl always by his side every day and a new girl after every practice at the end of the day. Y/N also witnessed him being ignorant and rude to a lot of the nice guys here on campus, beating them up for money, beating them up for even just glancing at him. Y/N wasn’t really his biggest fan.

“What are you doing on your own pretty girl?” Flash smirked, his hand landing on Y/N’s waist.

“Getting another drink.” Y/N replied curtly, a tight smile on her face as she released herself from his grip, walking over to the drinks table.

“Come on Y/N, don’t be like that. Come dance with me..” Flash hummed, pulling hold of Y/N’s hand and dragging her into the makeshift dance floor.

“No Flash, I really don’t want to..” Y/N sighed, pulling back from Flash’s grip and tipsily falling back into another body that caught her before she fell to the floor.

“Oh gosh...I’m really so sorry..” Y/N gasped, her body turning to face the person she fell back into.

Y/N felt the world stand still and stop. She could feel her breath caught in her throat and her heart rate increasing.

“Peter..”

[serahsanguine]

The Experience of London Film and Comic Con

I will be writing this a blog typestyle. Starting from the beginning of the day and ending up with the journey home. All spelling mistakes are my own and probably has punctuation missing.  I am hoping by writing this it helps sink in or so I have a documented record of what happened for a future purpose. (also I was asked) so the morning was a very early start 3 o'clock wow lol. the train from Derby to London was pleasant either if the steward/stewardess was sick there no freshments/ drinks on the journey there.   so when I arrived at St Pancras international finding which tube was slightly stressful as I get so confused by maps, it's unreal. but I asked for help and they were lovely, telling me where to go and it helped so much as I was a nervous wreck (The first time of many throughout the day)   when I finally arrived at Paddington station, around 8 the beautiful Mags @Magdalena357569 helped me out and find the bus route to Olympia which in its self-was a nice journey going past the Winston Churchill pub with some beautiful flowers on and around the building but I did wonder how they kept them all so vibrate with this heat wave we have experienced. arriving at Olympia was fun even though me and mags had no clue where we were going we arrived near the gold passes entrance and were told to wait there to be moved around to gate H, it was sunny and warm I honestly thought I was going to burn because of that's what I do in the sun.   anyways that was an s shape zigzag thing which took a good half hour before we were moved to gate H. when we actually got into the Olympia who would have guessed more queuing, we picked up our diamond passes which were by the first letter of Surname (There should have been signs!) so we had to queue twice.  when we finally got our David Duchovny Diamond pass we got our day passes scanned and more Zig-Zaging through at least this time it was moving well for a time anyway kept stopping every known and again but never mind. that took another 30 minutes to get through before we actually got into the venue. once in the venue the was a quate little coffee shop over to your right where we met half the hang of ladies that we were going with. once accomplished we no cat Caroline Poole @CarolineRPoole Sam @medicaldoctxr Elaine myself and mags and Elaine's dad  (Who is amazing by the way with a great sense of humor) we went to find David Duchovny signature place and oh boy was that fun. The Olympia if you have never been, is huge and I mean huge the maps available are very misleading. so we worked our way upstairs to find where most of the signatures were being held and guess what no DD so we asked a steward who hadn't a clue so we walked around like lost puppies not having a clue where to go. We walked through to where the photo were being held still no DD we kept asking steward's who hadn't a clue so, in the end, we got very very lost and hot and sweaty.  (There should have been a map to tell you where everything was just saying!. I was told there were maps but I never found them)   after about an hour of looking, (and a Very angry me) we finally found DD signature stand (Finally) we had lost some of our group oops lol. anyway, we were waiting for the queue to get that (Now me sam and Elaine) where I was able to get a copy of Miss subways (OMFG I finally got a copy) the line for the autographs wasn't that long. The actually autograph what a buzz first off I was so nervous, shaking everything but wow what an experience, David talked to me like we actually had a conversation he asked who was the signature so I said, Sarah and he asked with an h now I must have pronounced the h weird because he pronounced h differently to me obviously him in an American accent and me in a British accent or something like that. (later sam told me its because he couldn't get over it was with an h lol) but I was like yes it Sara with an H and we laughed about it.   let me tell you it was a surreal experience actually talking to the man that is your idol. for as long time. he was so nice and his voice was slightly deeper then I was expecting but soothing at the same time. and he was very pleasing to the eye if I don't say so myself.   Then I waited for Sam you had an amazing Brick Photo and he was stunned that it was his dog and he signed it to Samantha from Brick - David Duchovny and omg was she happy we got out of the enclosed both and she was having a meltdown in true sam style. we waited for Elaine and then had to sit down and calm down from our adrenaline rush (one of many).   once we had finally calmed down I needed to go outside. And wouldn't you know it? Me and Sam got lost again (They Need to sell Damn Maps just saying) so we finally got the exit and got stamped and were told we could come back in the same door (Yes i believed the lie)  so we finished up outside to find out we could not go back through the door we came out off and had to go back around to the start gate H bagged searched and stamp recognised with had to do the damn zig-zag thing again (oh the joy) luckily lot fewer people so only took us about 10 mins. we meet back up with Elaine and her dad we got the message that our friend and not so stalked dd on video which was so funny because he didn't realize (some bodyguards they were) so it was becoming near the time for photos (We got lost again) once the photo booth were found we had more queuing and more panicking and more adrenaline pumping through our systems.  and more zig-zag snake things (a regular occurrence) me and Sam were so excited and nervous but it was so fun. I got asked several occasions where I got my bag from and if it was for sale I am sorry guys I did it my self. one in the photo booth square we gave our bags to the photo people and waited for our time to have a photo taken. I was talking to Sam about I would just be happy with a hug all I wanted and then it was my turn.  when he spotted me he was like it Sarah with an h I was like yes it is. he asked how I was, I said I was great and asked him how he was. And we had our photo taken. His arm (Those arms are to die for) around my shoulders (i'm small) has hand touched my X-file tattoo (which at the time i didn't realize) and I put my head on his pectoral muscle/shoulder/neck area it was so warm and amazing (True Fan fic style) when finished I said by and went and waited for Sam and got my photo and bag and left the photo booth area. he was wearing dark jeans grey top black trainers with orange laces. (Wow damn he was hot)   So me and Sam (we lost Elaine)  talked about what happened and he remembered her because of the Brick photo and she tripped on his shoe (only sam) and she doesn't like her photo but in my opinion, she looks amazing. we live streamed (which can be found somewhere on my twitter profile.) to try and calm down and breath and because I promised I would we eventually found Elaine and her Dad and a hotdog stand yay. by this time we realized we had 4 hours to kill (WOW). food eat time to find an exit for some fresh air. we got lost again and if it wasn't for Elaine's dad we would have been lost a long time, we went past some of the best cosplay I have ever seen. I even found the TARDIS which for me as a Doctor Who fan was amazing, there were Daleks and everything including Cybermen cosplay. once done with our outside actives and back in we went in the search for merchandise and we found @underthefloorborads stall with @chimera work and yes i bought one and omg it amazing I also found a pop store with Fox Fricking Mulder (very rare indeed) and I found another beautiful poster for the X-Files and I even got an MSR pillow (no blankets I really want a blanket)  that killed about an hour - two hours looking for everything and getting lost so many times and a damn sight lof of walked we found somewhere to sit down and just rest.   so after this, me and Sam went to the talk and were in the third row I cam to know the Deadpool, Orville, the x-files trailers by heart waiting for David to appear on the screen. and wow what a talk it was so many good questions asked like Gillian question, would he work on other project directing, writing. what genre of work he finds scary or hard. different ways his name been pronounced, and if he had any European work coming up, Insta questions I have one complaint tbh and it's not David's fault but where the talk was placed was horrible and the sound of the questions plus the sound of David was not very clear. so basically the speakers were terrible. but all in all I got some good photo and David made me laugh and he's swearing is so funny and erotic he honestly so nice and sweet and one amazing person in general. I have meet so many people off twitter that was amazing to finally meet people that I have talked to over social media was surreal and amazing. so all together it was a long and exciting day meeting David was a dream come true. he nice and amazing. just an amazing all around person. the con its self-was amazing some amazing stalls. some amazing people met, amazing items being sold and very exciting and fulfilling journey. home-bound well I got my very first uber like that its self is an x-file especially after seeing David it gave me season 10 flashback.  that was nice and pleasant and quite cheap tbh. so i arrived at Paddington subway and had an anxiety attack (joy not) all sorts of stuff going through my head about missing train etc. but once arrived at St Pancras International I seemed to half calmed my self down I was 45 mins early for my train. so I waited and waited and finally got on the train home. I had a table all to myself I'm a lucky girl like that and it kind of hit me but I'm still not fully there even today writing this. i heard one of his song on Spotify and cried because i had actually met him (i think it was tiredness it had been a long day. I got home about home at 10 pm.   so that's

me recall of yesterday thanks for reading. any question just ask me on twitter or tumblr.        

[vvlin91]

Stage Patalliro -Stardust Project- Super Long Ass Review Pt.3 (end)

I’m finally getting to the actual play!

Here, with as little spoiler as possible, I'd briefly cover the show in general, the use of props, how they dealt with multiple injuries and what to keep in mind when you watch the online stream/DVD.

Pt.1 What makes Patalliro so special compared to other 2.5D productions?

Pt.2 It’s because of love - oh jealousy♪ - the BanMara perspective

The live audience, if inside the theater early enough, will be able to hear Patalliro, Bancoran and Maraich read out the preshow announcements, telling you to switch off your phones and stuff. They all use their distinct IC voices so it was really fun, and Sanaich would end his part with a soft moan. Just a sexy, sweet "Ahh~❤".

This play is titled "Stardust Porject" but it covers more than just that. It's actually based on the Stardust Project arc, "Fly me to the moon", that chapter where Maraich fake betrayed MI6 but was actually helping Bancoran and a few more tiny things from other chapters. It's actually quite ingenious to put the Stardust arc and Robby's story together because they are both space-themed. And they intertwined the 2 arcs together very elegantly it really doesn't feel in any way uncanon.

One pressing question many people had before the 2nd play was how it'd deal with the Maraich/Bjorn paradox. As we know from the 1st play, Maraich's encounter with Bancoran was completely different from the manga. Instead of having Maraich meet Bancoran in a masquerade, the writer put together stories from several pre-Maraich chapters, basically merging other pretty boy characters into one Maraich (I covered the reasoning behind this change in Pt.2). And that included giving Bjorn's story to Maraich by letting Maraich be the person to make love with Bancoran in the rose garden instead.

So where does Bjorn fall in the 2nd play? The writer simply compressed Bjorn's romance with Bancoran to a brief flashback with as little detail as possible. So Bjorn only showed up on stage when Bancoran was explaining their past to Maraich. There was little specifics to it and therefore does not contradict with what happened in the 1st play. Interestingly, they also paid tribute to Maraich's actual first appearance in the manga by letting Andresen show up to strangle Bancoran in a masquerade. The context is totally different of course but it's just a nice touch for manga fans who knew what they did with the story.

One thing Stage Patalliro is well-known for is its songs. I've seen many 2.5D musicals (at least I think I do lol) but to be absolutely honest, a lot of the songs are just mediocre. Even in a production as spectacular as Kuromyu, there are still songs I sometimes skip on the playlist. But Stage Patalliro's music is so insanely catchy it could easily beat 95% of the 2.5D musicals I have seen and it doesn't even call itself a musical! Also, all the original songs (not the cock robin song or other folk songs) are written by Director Kobayashi Kensaku himself! He has such an incredible grasp of the 70s-80s pop music style that I can well remember my dad asking me why Maraich's solo "That Man" from the 1st play sounded so familiar despite having never heard of it. The songs in the 2nd play are just as catchy if not more so. There are a couple songs that are taken directly from the 1st play, such as the Hana to Yume tribute song and the ending theme. The music is the same but they changed the lyrics to suit the new play. Overall, the music is just superbly awesome, I honestly cannot think of another play that's as karaoke-friendly as Stage Patalliro.

Besides reusing some of the music, they also made the 3 main characters enter the stage in pretty much the exact same fashion as the 1st play. Patalliro entered as he shattered his fake, beautified public image, Bancoran hopped on stage chasing away rascals with his killer eyebeam, and Maraich bursts onto stage with a hurried "Excuse me~!". Same formula, same taste but oh boy how sweet.

(In case anyone is confused this is from 2018)

Another beloved feature of Stage Patalliro is its use of intentionally "cheap" props, such as the famous "Cockroach Run" boards and Bancoran's actual laser pointer representing his eyebeams that were both used since 2016. One of the most outstanding examples in Stardust Project would be the tiny helicopter Andresen held on a long rope (as if he was flying down from it).

Also these plushies, used in a song that recaps what happened in the last play.

The use of such simple, almost idiotic props is both hilarious and such a nice tribute to the manga's retro style.

This year, Stage Patalliro suffered 2 injuries along the way. The first one was from dancer Sato Ginpei before the play even started touring. He surprisingly didn't leave the show, but instead just played "a guy in a wheelchair" throughout. Although they ended up missing one person in a lot of the dance numbers, they also added a few new jokes that were specific to the fact that he was in a wheelchair.

And then there's Yoshimoto Kouki, whose injury was probably too serious for him to even travel from Tokyo to Osaka. He ended up missing the entire Osaka tour. In 100% Patalliro style, they wrote on the official website saying there will be a "replacement" for his role without actually doing so. Kouki's character Tamanegi No.17 was not himself an indispensable character. There aren't any lines that MUST come out of his mouth. So his lines can easily be said by the other 4 Tamanegi boys. But even so, they refused to wipe away the existence of No.17. Even if Kouki cannot be here in person, they will make sure that the audience KNOW that he is supposed to be here with the rest of them.

At the start of every performance in Osaka, Director Kobayashi would come on stage in person to explain Kouki's situation and apologize. He said they made changes to the show that could give the impression that "No.17 is still here". And so what they did was that during the Tamanegi pheromone corner, where all of them have to perform their very own skits, the other 4 boys would just talk to air as if No.17 was present. "Hey, No.17, it's your turn." "No.17, good job!" even adding splashing sound effects to indicate No.17 entering the Jacuzzi. When they leave the stage all sitting inside the Jacuzzi, they will hold up a helmet to caress it while lovingly calling, "Oh, No.17..."

In the ending song, when all the Tamanegi boys would dance in a row arm in arm, Aoki Jin would extend an arm to his left to indicate that's where Kouki would be standing had he been there. During curtain call, they also encouraged the audience to buy Kouki's bromide set "so you know what he looks like". So even though the Osaka audience did not see Kouki there in person, it was impossible to not remember him.

(No.17′s invisible presence in their finale photo)

Lucky for us, they did the recording before Kouki got injured, which means fans can still enjoy his performance in this play by purchasing the DVD and/or online stream!

In a way Stage Patalliro has always felt like a strange family to me. A group of adventurers got together to attempt the implausible, and their crazy experiment ended up a huge success. That’s why they kept even the same ensemble team. Basically everyone who’s already here STAYS, only new people in, but nobody goes away. If you are in a wheelchair, we will let you play a guy in a wheelchair. If you can't even be here on stage, we will STILL make sure that you ARE ON STAGE. It's the kind of creativity and freedom that is uniquely enjoyed by a play like Patalliro.

Lastly, things you will not see in the online stream/DVD version. I write this list to remind you that plays evolve, accidents happen and what you can't see on the screen doesn't mean it never happened:

BanMara kiss: they did not kiss until they started their Osaka tour, the recording was done in Tokyo. Also missing would be Patalliro’s long disgusted scream after he saw them kiss with his own eyes lol

Bancoran's "Maraich" pink happi: he only started wearing it on March 23rd, the recording was done on March 21st.

Maraich's middle finger: at the start of their lovers' quarrel song, Sanaich would always give Tsunecoran the middle finger, but on recording day, he gave a thumbs-down instead.

Maraich's final reminder that he is pregnant: there are 2 definite places during the play where Maraich would exhibit morning sickness, and he would sometimes do it a 3rd time during the ending song. But he didn't do so on recording day.

Bancoran holding Maraich in both arms: in the couple's final showdown with Andresen, Bancoran would use his body to shield Maraich from Andresen's knife. Maraich would always hold on tightly to Bancoran with both arms, and Bancoran would have one arm on Maraich and another on the handrail. On both Tokyo and Osaka finale, Bancoran let go of the handrail and held Maraich against his chest with both arms. Recording day was neither of those days so he still had one hand on the handrail.

There are a couple other instances that might be better explained with gifs so I might as well save them for later posts. But then I also drew this for your reference: 

That's pretty much all I have to say about the play for now. Please remember to pre-order the DVD! I will update on online streams if they become available (hopefully on DMM). If you have other questions, feel free to message me here or on https://curiouscat.me/vvlin91

[filosofablogger]

Good morning, folks and welcome to … Monday.

So, how was your weekend?  Mind was spent in utter chaos.  I should have taken pictures of my house during the building of the desk.  We bought Miss Goose a new desk from Amazon and it arrived last Thursday.  Now, I could have had them assemble it for an extra $150, but … nah … we can put it together.  How hard can it be, after all?  Probably take 2-3 hours, right?  WRONG!  Six hours on Saturday just to put the desk part together, then about another 5 hours on Sunday to put the hutch together and hoist it atop of it.  Solid wood.  Heavy — 193 pounds worth of heavy.  Meanwhile, all the crappola she had in her old desk was scattered throughout the house and I damn near broke bones more than once trying to get to the washing machine, and at one point it was an obstacle course just to get to the bathroom!  I have bruises and a back that seems not to want to bend, but it is complete now and she is quite happy, so … I told her it has to last her past my death, ‘cause I am never going through this again!  Should have just spend the $150 for the professional installation.  Here’s a look at the finished product …

Today is a special Jolly Monday, for our young friend Benjamin is on school break and will be joining us!  So, grab a snack and lets find a few smiles before we have to head off to our various jobs, shall we?

                                     Larry’s bacon

Matchmaker, Matchmaker …

Jeff Gebhart of Prairie Village, Kansas, is looking for a girlfriend.  Jeff told a local television station, KCTV, that he is tired of the ‘traditional’ methods and also of online dating, so he’s come up with a whole new approach.  Gebhart debuted his own dating site last Sunday, exclusively dedicated to finding himself a new partner, and he’ll give $25,000 to anyone who sends the perfect match his way. He’ll also sweeten the pot by donating $25,000 to a no-kill dog shelter or charity.  He seems a bit desperate to me, but Jeff says …

“I don’t need a person to ‘complete’ me, but I’m looking for a person with qualities that will allow us to complement each other.”

Sounds simple, right?  But wait … there are rules.  The person Gebhart is matched up with must date him and him alone for a year before the matchmaker will be paid, and even then, he/she will be paid in installments of five $5,000 payments over a five-year stretch. If Gebhart and the gal split before the final payment, the matchmaker gets only what he or she has earned to that point. There’s also an online quiz that applicants will need to take to see if their personalities sync with his.  So what, exactly is he looking for?  Someone who is …

“… fun, easy to spend time with … confident, driven … and has a zest for life. The main objective of this is to find the right girl for me, wherever she is.”

Okaaaay … well, good luck, Jeff!

Mickey D’s?

This is what the inside of your average McDonald’s restaurant looks like …Plastic tables and chairs, nothing special … just your average kid-friendly fast food joint.  But, if you happen to be in Rome, Italy, or more specifically the Roma Termini, and have a craving for a Big Mac, this is what you’ll see …

What is it, you ask?  It is a small section of the Servian Wall that was unearthed during the construction of the station’s underground shopping mall, and was thus integrated into the dining area of McDonald’s.

The Servian Wall was constructed around the city of Rome during the 4th century B.C. The outline of the wall possibly dates back to the times of King Servius Tullius, for which it garnered its namesake. The wall stood for generations as the first line of defense against the Gauls and Carthaginians. By the early Imperial age, the wall became unnecessary as the Roman army grew in number and power. Eventually, it was superseded by the Aurelian Wall constructed by Emperor Aurelian in 275.

Definitely not the atmosphere you expect to see while munching on your chicken nuggets, eh?

Whose playlist???

Now, you all know how much I love critters, right?  But even I, the ultimate critter lover, find this just a bit over the top.  The Swedish audio-streaming company Spotify recently announced that it has made playlists and a podcast for dogs to listen to in their owners’ absence.  Why, you ask?  Apparently, it found in a survey that 74% of pet-owners play music for their pets to listen to for company when they are away from home, with 42% of owners saying their pets have a favorite type of music.  A quarter of pet owners said they have even seen their pets dancing to music.

So, what kind of music does Spotify think dogs like to hear?  The podcast features soothing music, “dog-directed praise”, stories, and messages of affirmation and reassurance narrated by actors to alleviate stress for dogs who are home alone.  Meanwhile, the playlists aimed at pets offer tracks selected by algorithms to match pets’ characteristics such as energetic or slow.

Okay, then, but … what about cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, birds and other pets?  Won’t they feel left out?  Oh wait!!!

In another article, I found that the company says that if you have a pet rabbit, Spotify may not be able to fulfill her musical needs right now. For now, it can only musically accommodate dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, and iguanas!

Take heart all you iguana families out there … they haven’t forgotten you after all!!!

Tartan sheep …

Get a load of these Tartan sheep found in the Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre in Scotland!

 If you’re wondering about these unique animals, the sign here explains it …

Who knew???  Well … actually … they are spray painted to look like that.  But don’t worry … this is a special, non-toxic spray paint, the same that is used to number them during lambing season, and is perfectly harmless.  It was the idea of the owner of the Wildlife Centre, Maxine Scott, when she first purchased the park ten years ago.

The park had already had a tradition of creating painted sheep, so she kept up this tongue-in-cheek practice. The sheep in these photos are April and Daisy. Of all the tourists that come by, it is the Americans that seem to enjoy the joke the most. She tells people that the Tartan Sheep change color often and encourages people to come back to see her ewes again.

Now, are you ready for some ‘toons, courtesy of Phil’s Phun?

While I was mooching around over at Phil’s, I came across this video and it is just so much fun that I had to share it.  It’s a group of guys that have formed a friendship over the years of waiting for their wives shopping at Target!  If you are in the mood for a few laughs, you really must see this!

Well, if it’s Jolly Monday, then it must be time for a cute animal video, mustn’t it? I bet you never thought of these guys as being fun pets, but just watch …

Okay, folks, the clock is ticking and we’ve all got work to do.  I have to clean up the mess from the weekend’s construction project, so … Oh, by the way, before I forget … today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, so … let’s all try to do something nice, no matter how small, for someone.  Buy a stranger a cup of coffee, take a neighbor’s trash out, or whatever opportunity presents itself, okay?  And smile … share those smiles … bring one to somebody else’s face today, okay?  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

Jolly Monday At Last!!! Good morning, folks and welcome to … Monday.So, how was your weekend?  Mind was spent in utter chaos. 

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 2 - NJD - Goals for Everyone!

Undefeated. Let’s just say that as many times as possible before we inevitably can’t anymore. If this team plays well these first couple weeks not only could it be good for the long run to get a good start but, there are some very telling challenges coming up. We’ll get to last night’s opponent, a very well upgraded Devils team in spite of what the score says, but tomorrow we take a jaunt down to Columbus to face a Blue Jackets squad that isn’t what it was last year. Next week proper we got the two divisional rivals Buffalo maybe fighting for wildcard spots with later this season: Montreal and Florida. The Sabres hammered the Habs last season but I’m not certain that will happen again. Florida absolutely had our number and the addition of Coach Q and more competent goaltending is a little frightening. Then Dallas visits before the annual October California road trip. There is a lot of off time in early November because of the Global Series in Sweden so if October looks good we’ll have a lot of time to sit on it. If we’re all being honest, we need some time to just feel good about this team. The Devils are an interesting club to consider this season. Some folks have them winning the Met while others have them missing the playoffs by dozens of points. It’s weird in a league that stresses parody so much that such a wide chasm can exist between predictions but here we are. I’m going to err on the higher side after the first couple games they’ve put up. A 2-0 drubbing of Columbus followed by a shootout loss to Winnipeg that looked like a rout the other way for most of the game. Those examples are here to say what we just saw last night was a little explicable. It’s a bit of tale of two games in that this would’ve been a night to remember no matter the outcome.

Fifteen of the Sabres Twenty plus former Captains participated in a pregame ceremony that was touched off by Rick Jeanneret coming out to get a standing ovation. There was emotion before the puck even dropped. The crowd went crazy for the 50th Anniversary jerseys when they appeared on the jumbotron and booed when the Devils came out. It was bordering on a religious experience already and then… *breathes out nostalgically* …then this current Buffalo Sabres teams put together the fourth, fifth and sixth straight periods of complete, full-effort team hockey. Before we get to the four-course meal that was this game, I think it’s important to say the reason we have to get legitimately excited about this club right now is that we’re seeing levels of effort and consistency through two games that were few and far between in past seasons. A lot of people were talking about how bad a Coach Phil Housley must have been to not get this level of play out of mostly the same the roster last season. I see the reasoning there but all that blame you’re sending that way, turn it into credit and send it Ralph Krueger’s way. We joked about how this new coach talked a big, group buy-in rhetoric in the preseason that was supposed to pay dividends beyond the mere culture this culture that we’ve gotten so used to with the Buffalo Bills. But the tight, fast, everyone playing-together jargon we kept hearing is now unfolding right in front of us. If this guy gets Marco Scandella, Vladimir Sobotka and dare I say it… Rasmus Ristolainen to not be statistical black holes then he’s the miracle worker we’ve been waiting for. Only time will tell after all, we’re two games into an 82-game season. Wow though. Just wow, what a game I got to be at.

This game was incredible from almost the very start. Will Butcher got called for holding on Jack Eichel and to that I say: Will, you could’ve been Sabre and gotten to hold Jack legally, but there you are going to the Sin Bin for it! On the ensuing powerplay the puck found it’s way to Eichel beside the net and instead of shooting point blank the current Captain threw it out to Victor Olofsson who winds up for maybe a half second and then shoots it through the woods into the net. That goal was special. I don’t know if Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood even saw it. That will become a theme tonight by the way. The Sabres goalie, Carter Hutton, has now had two great games and I want to give him huge props for holding the fort again last night, but he only needed to make 18 saves to win this after facing a total of 20 shots. He’s seen far busier nights. The whole game I’m trying to figure out if the Sabres defense is good now or is the Devils offense just so bad? I mean the Devils have Hall, Hischier, Simmons, Zajac and Hughes so they should be a threat, but Marco Scandella had the best 5 on 5 corsi of every person wearing skates in this game. Like… what is going on? If I wasn’t at the game with people yelling all around me I would have thought I ate something strange and was on some kind of groovy hallucinogenic trip. Well the good kept coming and after another holding call against the Devils Jack Eichel cleaned up a Jeff Skinner rebound on the powerplay. Blackwood couldn’t control it deep in his own crease and there it was 2-0 Sabres at 17:26 of the first. For what a fun start it was, you go to the intermission with the most dangerous lead in hockey thinking this game is still very much a game. By the end of the next period it would become a rout.

Before most of the enthusiastic crowd was back to their seats Kyle Palmieri scored a one timer off a Taylor Hall assist to cut the lead in half. Now I don’t know why but this game featured bone-rattling hits. The kind of thunder dome stuff that gets a crowd going. Jake McCabe was landing them left and right. This is generous for me to say because the shots were lopsided in favor of the home team throughout this game, but this was the only time the Devils could’ve taken control of this game. A goal to tie it early in the second and this would’ve been an entirely different game. Even at the 2-1 score line the crowd was a factor in this game. There were sporadic Bills cheers and totally spontaneous Let’s Go Buffalo chants. This little tyke rarely-sitting next to me was losing his mind and he was something of a barometer of the fans overall. Every time the puck got knocked out of the defensive zone there was deafening cheers. It felt like a playoff game and I’ve only been to Amerks playoff games and those have all turned to shite lately. This game did not. It was electric in there. Want to know how good the Sabres were doing? Kyle Okposo and the retread third line that we decried at the end of Training Camp were hemming the Devils in their zone! What!? Kyle Okposo redirected a shot originating from Rasmus Dahlin at the blueline and we’re up 3-1. Unreal. It only got better. Jeff Skinner, streaming into the zone with Marcus Johansson and *checks notes* Vladimir Sobotka, gets a cross-ice pass and shoots in short side. 4-1 Buffalo.

We all feared the guy we just signed for eight years to big money wouldn’t score until November with that Vladdy anchor on his line; but no, on only his tenth shot of the young season he sinks one and we get to see that beautiful smile again. The second period was a total shooting gallery, but one non-scoring play this period made a girl sitting a few seats down from me screech in a way you normally only hear in comedy clubs. Jack Eichel skates through red-jersey defenders moving the puck all around and dekes the ever-living daylights out of Nico Hischier. The poor kid fell on his ass like they were playing street basketball or something. The crowd went wild for the rest of the shift. In this environment, the Devils gave us another powerplay opportunity! You’ll need to watch the replay on this one. A clinic in Captaining unfolded as Eichel dribbles the puck in the right circle looking for someone and makes the kind of meaningful eye contact with Victor Olofsson on the other side that can only mean one thing: go to the goal. Eichel passes it through not one, not two, not even three but four Devils defenders to Victor who bounces it off of either Reinhart’s skate in front or Blackwood’s pads and recollects his own rebound. Not a second later Olofsson takes another shot and buries it. Correction, Reinhart passed it back to him. It’s as if this goal was going to happen one way or another. That made it… *pauses for dramatic effect* FIVE to ONE Sabres. Gee, I felt greedy.

I could talk for hours about how completely new the Sabres powerplay looks through two games this season, but the score was now 5-1 and I still have more goals to get to. In most games I’d call that box score a rout, but this game gets chippy. Remember I told you Jake McCabe was leveling hits left and right? He landed one in the middle of the game here on Taylor Hall that immediately unleashed pandemonium. I need to use every meaning of that word here because the crowd went wild and rose to their feet while some “extracurricular activities” if you will unfolded on the ice. It took a couple minutes to sort out the penalties, but McCabe knew what he did and went down the tunnel bopping fist bumps like he just won a WWE title. What resulted was three minors and two majors and a 23-year-old building struggling to keep the noise in. The Devils didn’t get the lift they needed from that fight. Not from that fight, not from running McCabe, not from running Hutton. The third period begins, and we get Travis Zajac goal to make 5-2 but… here’s the reason this article is so long again: the Sabres still had more goals to score. Sam Reinhart gets the puck way out by himself in the left circle and shot it bar down. I know Blackwood was trying to catch it with his glove over his head, but it was already in and it just looked like the poor kid was begging for mercy. “Please oh please don’t keep shooting at me!” 6-2! I’m feeling greedy now! The crowd is now doing that chant where they count the goals and ask for another. I am not swearing in disbelief now for no other reason than the child sitting next to me. I just didn’t know what to do with myself. My teams don’t score this many goals. We’ve seen probably a dozen breakaways in these first two games and no goals off of any of them. That changed when Sam Reinhart challenges PK Subban in his own defensive zone and poke checks the puck free. Subban can’t get to Reinhart and falls down briefly. Reino just takes off and goes five-hole on Blackwood. He puts his hands in the air like, yeah, just pay me now. Can we just pay him now? At this rate he’s going to score 5.2 million goals and Terry is going to have to drill a new well just to pay for it. 7-2 Sabres is the final outcome of this home opener.

There is so much to take away from this game that I’ll probably be referencing it for a couple weeks. Our New Look Sabres reply guy tweet of the game is actually a tweet not a reply. It comes from The Charging Buffalo’s Joe Marino who points out “the Sabres haven’t won the first three games of the season since the 08-09 season”, exclaiming Monday is huge. This recap is getting a little long and I’ve got a Bills game to go watch so I will agree wholeheartedly and invite you to look forward to Monday night’s away game in Columbus. I for one cannot wait. This team has got me in hook, line and sinker. Like, share and comment on this blog; at this rate we may have some fun this season and fun is best when it’s shared. I hope we can share in the fun together here. Who knows what these guys can accomplish if this is the level of play we see out of them in even half of the remaining eighty games ahead. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. Rasmus Ristolainen: actually good! I’m looking at you Winnipeg, that blueline ain’t looking so hot!

[swampgallows]

why do you like garrosh so much pt. 2

to expand a little bit (okay a lot) on anon’s question (which, again, I could do until i typed the skin off my fingers), i will EMBARRASSINGLY ADMIT that i have a 40k+ word ffffaaaannn fiiiiccctiioonnn ive been writing for almost a year now that delves into a lot of my ~headcanon~ and self-indulgence regarding garrosh and his character. i began writing it in the first place to try to identify what my feelings were about him, just stream of consciousness as most of my writing goes. but it got longer and longer, and i tried to make it in reference to a second person, to an amorphous “you”. from there it became a reader-insert story for cathartic garbage (or catharbage as i endearingly refer to it) with about ten different notepad docs dedicated to it and its many drafts. one of these docs is a series of notes to further attempt to analyze my own thinking. the contents are below. es muy largo (over 2k words, plus a 500 word chatlog).

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I had begun playing World of Warcraft in late 2005 and quit in early 2009, just before the release of The Secrets of Ulduar/the Argent Tournament (Patch 3.1.0, released April 2009). Most of my playtime occurred while I was in high school, and upon my first year of college/university I felt I needed to close that chapter of my life and move on.

I kept zero tabs on the goings-on of WoW or those who still played. Something about dragons, goblins, canon pandaren. I was slaving my way through college, mental illness, and abusive relationships (if I had to grade my quality of Self during this time, I’d say it was hovering around the low-C, high-D range).

In September of 2014, I started a new job, had long finished college, and escaped my abusers. Inevitably I returned to Azeroth, and thus a new chapter of my life began.

The culture shock was jarring, to say the least.

Not only was I flooded with a deluge of high school memories, obsolete items (hunter ammo, anyone?), and a friends list like a graveyard (some names legitimately of the deceased), I had to play catch-up for two and a half expansions and five solid years' worth of content. I jumped haphazardly throughout the zones, surveying the damage from the Cataclysm (atop my flying mount!), exploring old raids, and leveling my then-capped 80 main to 90 in preparation for the new Draenor. 

Polar Bear Syndrome took hold in the form of Garrosh Hellscream. He was everywhere and nowhere all at once, name-dropped constantly but tangibly elusive, yet I didn't for the life of me piece together who that was (no thanks to that atrocious, beady-eyed Cataclysm model). Apparently he was the new Warchief ("where is Thrall?!" became a growing concern) but it took a skim through WoWWiki to realize this warmongering bigot was, apparently, the same Overlord of the Warsong Offensive in Borean Tundra that I recalled from many years ago; the "same Garrosh that spent half his life crying into a campfire in Outland", quoth WoWhead user TGFseb15.

I spent over a year trying to digest this character shift. On top of everything else, due to some sleep aids I was trying out at the time, the “Polar Bear” sightings of Garrosh extended into my dreams. I did hours of reading and research, questions becoming insurmountable rather than answered. How did this happen? Why was he like this? Why is he showing up in my dreams? Of course, all this racking of my brain resulted in more dreams, more conundrums. 

In October 2016 I began writing this story in lieu of being able to talk to the man (orc?) himself and ask, "Dude, WTF happened?". In attempting to reconcile my feelings, I had to sacrifice my wishful thinking for who and what the <Son of Hellscream> from all those years ago had become, and accept what had drawn me to him initially: his instability and his depression.  

Garrosh's core character, from all that I can gather, is that he is unstable and miserable. From start to finish, Garrosh is miserable. It is the only way I can imagine the descent of a fearful, suicidal orphan into the fully hardened numbness and apathy and hatred of a genocidal sociopath.

However, I am not attempting to garner any sympathy for Warchief Hellscream (or even the Overlord Hellscream of the Wrath era). My wish fulfillment and "head canon" extends only as far as my attempts to rationalize the myriad conflicting storylines Garrosh was subject to throughout the years and unify them into one semi-coherent character. 

I love that Garrosh was canonically chronically ill as a child (I was too); I love that he was (is?) mentally ill (I was/am too); I love that Garrosh is one of the major canon explorations of the less-than-glorious ramifications of war on an individual level, as memorable to me as the quest for Mankrik's wife. 

When I first played through Burning Crusade ten years ago, I thought his presence was an Easter egg, a callback to those who had played through Warcraft 3 and remember Grom’s sacrifice to ask themselves, “What about those who remember life before the demon blood? Is Grom truly a hero, or is he simply repaying a debt?” (As many a comedian have put it, there is applause for recovery; there is no applause for never having been an addict.)

And to have Grommash’s son, of all potential critics, take the brunt of that, was a bold and interesting consideration. On top of everything it reconnected Thrall to his family: his true name, his biological grandmother, and his “nephew” Garrosh (although by all accounts Garrosh cannot possibly be younger than Thrall). But it also introduced a kind of storyline that I hadn’t seen previously in WoW: we didn’t get a quest to lead Garrosh from the village and make his death look like an accident; we didn’t challenge him for leadership; we didn’t stage a coup; we didn’t even accept the role of Mag’hari chieftain when he offered it to us (unlike our veneration in Ogri’la). Everyone asked you to simply do what Garrosh, “The Impotent Leader”, could not. He was incompetent, but he was protected. He, like everyone else in his village, is doing his best to survive in spite of his affliction, be it physical or mental destitution.

I remember thinking he was Geyah’s son/grandson until the reveal that Garad was her husband, and Durotan her son. Yet from her quest text she had so much faith in Garrosh that I was convinced they were related, especially because he had no faith in himself.

There are three pieces of quest text that have stuck out to me and remain lodged in my brain over the years, paraphrased as follows:

• “Curse you, and curse your ancestors! Only blood can cool my rage, so if that is your wish then... Throw yourself into the heart of the Skullsplitters in the east. [...] May he tear off your limbs and leave you to rot and be eaten by carrion.” — Speaking with Gan’zulah, a defunct quest part of the Saving Yenniku questline • “If you are ever captured by Legion, tell them ‘Xar il romath da tidesbi.’ They will kill you instantly for insulting their god, sparing you intolerable torture or worse.” — Commander To’arch, Hellfire Peninsula [I once posted this line in a creepypasta thread on /x/ circa 2007 lmao] • “Everyone is proud. Proud that we may live to see another winter. But beyond that, what is there? Maybe you should lead this clan, [Arete]. Maybe then I will be allowed to die when the Greatmother passes. Allowed to finally erase the shame of my family name. I long for such peace.” — The Inconsolable Chieftain, [now] penultimate quest in the Garadar questline

You see where I'm going with this.

The only other quest I can think of that stirred such morbid anguish in me comparable to Garrosh’s was the starting quest in Tirisfal Glades where you collect duskbat wings/pelts to stitch into blankets for Gretchen Dedmar, who is succumbing to the chill of Mindlessness/reverting to Scourge. Until WotLK, the motif of “hopelessness” was not one I had personally seen much of in WoW, despite playing a Forsaken. There were sad, sentimental moments. But moments of failure, of bleak resignation, were few and far between. And the most that I did find were in reference to the Scourge or major events that had already occurred (Stratholme, the Sundering, etc.). 

Garrosh and Mankrik’s problems were domestic; pedestrian, almost, like gathering the cactus apples in Razor Hill or disrupting the love triangle of trolls at Swamprat Post. Most of all, they were personal. Mankrik wanted his wife to come home safe. Garrosh does not want to turn out like his father. Mankrik must defend his home from angry quilboar and marauding centaur. Garrosh must defend his village from invading ogres while resisting the urge to off himself for the sake of his people.

And, again, because I main a Forsaken, my WotLK starting zone was Howling Fjord (this is also what I played in the LK beta). I must have done the Borean Tundra quests in a blur because I have no memory of them from that time period, other than Kalu’ak dailies, DEHTA quests, and Saurfang and Garrosh’s conversation in the foyer of Warsong Hold. [Note: I have very little memory of 2009-2010 for other reasons. Reasons much like The Inconsolable Chieftain. And by that I mean suicidal depression. HAHA.] Other than that, I gave Garrosh little to no concern during my few months of WotLK. I saw that Blizzard had carried Garrosh over from the portal to Azeroth to assist in Northrend, and I took it in the same type of stride as “Oh, how nice of them to include this Easter egg for the players. The orc we saved followed Thrall into Azeroth." I had also, apparently, missed the mak’gora.

But it's not as if I had forgotten about Garrosh; I did work my way to becoming exalted with the Mag'har during Burning Crusade to earn a talbuk, and I spent countless hours outside Garadar fishing up and cooking poached bluefish for my raiding boyfriend at the time. “Trading kandi with ogres” was how I referred to grinding obsidian warbeads for rep. And every time I went past the campfire to Warden Bullrok to turn them in, I would /hug Garrosh (and stick around for the Thrall event, should it have been ongoing). 

And Garrosh did not forget about me, either. 

Do not think that I have forgotten what you did for my people in Nagrand, [Arete]. Hellscream never forgets. For that I am indebted to you and it is why I give you this chance now: run. Leave this place and never look back. Return to your home and say a prayer for the dying. (x)

Garrosh apparently talked a lot of big game in WotLK, but I did not bear any witness to it before quitting. I had barely made it into Sholazar Basin and did not touch Icecrown, the Storm Peaks, or Wintergrasp. So the way I interpreted this opening statement from Hellscream was him admitting to me, his friend, someone that he knew he could trust, who knew him as he was before, that he was afraid. After all of Thrall’s encouragement, and Garrosh getting the confidence to leave his village and give himself to the Horde, feeling his namesake redeemed, feeling a future was possible, Garrosh was still terrified. “You got roped up in my business once before, and I am thankful it worked out for the both of us. But I got myself into this mess and I cannot have you bail me out again.” He took a leap in a rogue moment of assurance and then, upon settling back into his depressive median, steps back and thinks, “I have made a terrible mistake.” (>when youre feeling good and make plans >when those plans actually arrive and you have to be social)

This is further heightened by Garrosh’s response to the player if they have not completed the quest chain:

A hero of the Horde, eh? <Garrosh sniffs at the air around you.> Fear... <Garrosh spits.> You won't last long. (x)

He himself is most definitely afraid. But he does not trust you, so this is how he tells you. He accuses you. He affirms this aloud, for himself, passing the blame to you. Anyone would fear standing at the Lich King’s doorstep, most certainly an orc who has known starvation and disease and death and shame, but also blue skies and white clouds and bright sunshine.

The red of Durotar was dismal enough. The gray endless death is even more difficult to bear.

And so, this is the mindset and place where my story begins: after Burning Crusade, after the first mak’gora with Thrall, after the summit in the comics, after clawing their way through the kvaldir and erecting Warsong Hold, but before Garrosh and Saurfang’s conversation, and before the rest of the Horde reinforcements (the players) arrive. I wanted to capture that tenuous period of Garrosh’s ego boost having only barely thrust him out of his dysthymic doldrums, still wrestling with his twenty-plus years of self-resentment, still trying neurotypicality (for lack of a better word) on for size like a garment in need of tailoring. Garrosh yearns to run with the pack but is a coyote among wolves.

This is the Garrosh I knew and remembered. So when I came back to Azeroth... well, you know the rest.

==============

Valkosk - 01/17/2017 It was Garrosh first command experience where he was trying to prove himself amongst his war seasoned clan that he had the brutal edge needed to command the Warsong or Blizzard's writing team didn't think about over arching storyline for their individual heroes. Might be that second one. Keelhaul - 01/17/2017 All he did in Warsong Hold was turtle. He literally brags about it. Arete - 8:52 PM

Keelhaul - 2:43 PM Boreal Tundra Garrosh to player: "I hate you. I'm ignoring everybody who wants to help/needs our help. Later, I'll send you on a suicide mission." Borean Tundra Saurfang to player: "Ignore Garrosh, he's being a bitch again. Here is how you can help us, and also there are others you can probably help in the other room. Later, I'll go behind Garrosh's back to save you from death." Saurfang is the true hero of the Warsong Offensive. Seriously, every quest in that zone comes down to "we need to clean up Garrosh's mess" or "Garrosh is refusing to do anything productive, so we need to go help _ ourselves."

SOURCE? cause garry told ME to go home & pray for my family because he loves me

Keelhaul - 9:05 PM [links the Foolish Endeavors quest dialogue]

Arete - 9:13 PM wtf is a flenser is varidus an elite? is that why you say he sends you to your death alone? or do other npcs call it a suicide mission? i gotta get my characters up to 70 so i can play through the wotlk campaigns again its been almost 10 years since i did saurfang is such a good dad omg

Keelhaul - 9:17 PM You deliver him intelligence some of the Forsaken spies died to deliver, basically saying that a Necrolord is found and such-and-such place. They ask Garrosh for help, he says "I'm just going to send you." The one Forsaken agent spying on him is stunned to learn that you're the only one coming to help, so he moreorless just assumes you're both going to die. The fight begins, and it's immediately obvious that you can't win. The boss stuns both of you, tells an assistant to take you away. The assistant reveals himself as Saurfang, and then basically carries you for the whole fight.

Arete - 9:18 PM damn saurfang is such a fuckin bro garry trusts me because i am strong

Keelhaul - 9:20 PM He's a tool to everyone who didn't see him as a bitch in Nagrand. :stuck_out_tongue:

Arete - 9:21 PM fuckin yikes!!! he was a lil bitch but i was too some of us were beginning our descents into mental illness alongside Garrosh <Son of Hellscream> in Garadar :sob: i mean there's no denying he's a piece of shit idiot post-wotlk he's an incorrigible racist asshole in pandaria it really sucked fo rme to find a character i identified with 10 years prior had been taken down the route he was i had quit wow before the release of ulduar & came back in WoD because i heard there would be new models. i knew nothing about the new xpac storyline or anything that had transpired past black temple so IMAGInE MY SURPRISE WHEn A CHARACTER I THOUGHT WAS JUST An EASTER EGG FOR OnE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE QUESTLInES In ALL OF TBC IS REVEALED TO LITERALLY BE A GEnOCIDAL FASCIST DICTATOR "hey things worked out well for hellscream!!! maybe, despite my depression, things can work out for me too!" 'HAHA nOOOOO BITCH' its just so sad, like what a shame :frowning: im still tryna cope

[end log]

[asianadjacent]

What’s the worst that could happen?

At the age of 14, I was told by a lovely lady named Maggie that “if you don’t ask, you don’t receive.” That line stuck with me throughout my teens, where I selfishly pushed boundaries further and further (and further) with my parents. 

I’m not sure how they put up with me but I’m glad they did. (Shout out to my moms and dad!)

Somewhere along the way, I grew up a wee bit, became more considerate of others and tried to help people out whenever I was able to. This doesn’t mean that I couldn’t be an asshole, which I definitely still was am at times.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped asking the questions that I was afraid of being rejected from. This definitely includes asking members of the opposite gender out.

As I attempt to learn how to be single again after continuously swapping significant others since 2009, recent events have made me realise that I need to just nut up and ask because what’s the worst that could happen?

This is a retelling of three random encounters that led me to this realisation. 

Encounter 1 - The Shop Assistant

It was a sunny Saturday. My flatmate Pearl and I decided to head out, walk around and soak in the sun - even though I was slightly hungover. Despite my state, I was in one of those really ridiculously confident good moods. We ended up walking into Fenwick, a uber fancy department store for the really rich. 

I was generally being an annoying goofball, trying on big hats and head scarves in the women’s section. There was a particular head dress type item which confused me. I didn’t know what it was, or why it costs £275. 

In comes The Shop Assistant.

She had flowing blonde hair with semi-curls at the bottom and a really pretty smile. There I was, having a conversation with her about how to wear this thing, who typically buys this thing and whether if she thought I could pull this thing off. 

Somehow, she’s buying into the drivel I’m spouting and was actually laughing. She also had a really pretty laugh.

I didn’t think much of the conversation at the time so we left. Half an hour later, I thought to myself, “Fuck, I should’ve asked her out, why didn’t I ask her out? FUCK.” 

At this point, I’m frantically trying to justify to myself why I didn’t just ask her out. So I brought The Shop Assistant up to Pearl, asking about her opinion on how to tell whether a person in a service role (e.g., bartender, server or The Shop Assistant) is being nice because it’s their job, or if they actually find you to be funny, witty and charming.

My lovely flatmate said that she agreed that it is their job to be nice to people so I exclaimed with relief, “Yes! I can now not regret not asking her out.”

Pearl then turns to me and said, “…But you were definitely vibing with her and I thought you should’ve just asked her out.”

Oh fuck. I really do have great timing in life.

Encounter 2 - The Girl From The Underground

The time is 7pm on a working day and I’m on my way home from Paddington on the Bakerloo Underground line. I’ve got my headphones in and my book out - the two most common social barriers Londoners use to prevent any type of interaction with anyone on public transport because god forbid actually having to talk to another human being.

I was reading The Sellout by Paul Beatty, a satire about race relations in America. It’s a pretty difficult read because it contains a lot of cultural references innate to Americans. However, it's still a pretty funny book nonetheless. As I was reading, there was a particular line that ticked my funny bone enough for me to laugh out loud.

Opposite me sat a woman, who heard my obnoxious laugh through her headphones and gave me a WTF look. She was wearing #activewear on the tube so I was completely defensive and absolutely judging her for judging me. In typicaly wit, I gave her this gorgeous dreamboat look back in riposte.

Somehow, we ended up taking out our headphones and had an actual conversation about the book, the plot and what I found funny about it. This then led to a chat about where she was headed.

She revealed that she was headed to the gym, so I immediately rescind my previous judgement. Instead, I found that I no longer hated her and realised that she had a very disarming smile and really pretty brown eyes.

Before I knew it and recognised that it was a golden opportunity to ask her out, we arrived at her destination and she reached out her hand, introduced herself as Sara (Pronounced SAR-AH not SIAR-UH) and we bid each other farewell.

There are three reasons why I didn't take my chance while the iron was red hot. Firstly, I was stunned that I had an engaging discussion with a stranger on the tube. Secondly, it just didn't occur to me to ask for her number. Thirdly, WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T I ASK FOR HER NUMBER?! There goes another missed opportunity to ask. Fuck my life.

This happened about two weeks ago so whenever I take that route now at a similar time, I still keep an eye out for Sara - with my headphones in and book out of course. (THIS IS NOT AT ALL CREEPY.)

Encounter 3 - The One At The Bar

This was the most recent of encounters. It was a casual Friday out with Aaron and after a few beers, we ended up at Northcote Records, a bar near me that was playing live music.

The band, Superspokes, were throwing out some great covers and the place was packed but not too packed. I mean, they had the crowd eating out of their palm with bangers like Teenage Dirtbag, sprinkled in with some Oasis hits, some Tay-Tay (my fave), Blink 182 and others.

There we were, standing in the middle of the dance floor near the stage just enjoying the music. We started talking to these two girls who were standing next to us, Martina and Erin.

Martina was nice, seemed fun and kept laughing at things I was saying so I must’ve been funny apparently.

On the other hand, there’s no delicate way to put how terrible her friend was. Erin was just a straight up bitch. I’m not saying this to be mean but she was literally the worst. 

As an example of how resolutely awful she was as a person, when we were introducing ourselves, her immediate reaction to my name was, “Did you just say JY? I’m not calling you that, it’s just confusing. Why can’t you have a normal name like James or something?”

Casual racism and white entitlement aside, I grinned it off and took it in stride to see where the vibes will take me with Martina. We talked for a bit more and I wasn’t pushy because Aaron and I were genuinely appreciating the music. Plus at this point, Aaron had given up on trying to talk to the worst person ever Erin because she had a stick up there somewhere.

Midnight came and we were calling it a night so before I headed off, I decided to ask her out. The following conversation ensued.

Me: Hey we’re heading off but do you wanna grab dinner some time? Martina: Ummm, like in a group? Me: No. Like a dinner, date, me, you. You know, that kinda thing.

In hindsight, maybe dinner was a bit strong. *shrugs*

Martina: *Looks at Erin* *Looks at me* *Looks at the worst Erin* *Looks at me* Me: You do know that you CAN say no and I won’t be horrifically offended right? Martina: OHH. No thanks then! Me: Alright then. Have a good night! 

With my drunken heart in tatters, I kissed her cheek, turned around and walked away with tears streaming down my face as I walk to McDonald's for a six pack McNuggets box and a double cheeseburger.

After going through all three experiences, I’ve come to the conclusion to never ever ask for anything because you might get crushed, chewed up and spat out into the icy frozen depths of rejection.

That being said, if you’re reading this Sara, my number is 07492 616 621 and let's do drinks sometime? (AGAIN, THIS IS NOT CREEPY AT ALL.)

[stubblesandwich]

The Princess and the Apple Tree - Part Three

Author Note:  Thank you all for bearing with me and being so patient in awaiting this last part, the conclusion of our tale. I can't say thank you enough for all those who have left comments and messaged me directly about this story. I never expected it would be so enjoyed, and it warms my heart. I hope I've done well by you all in the end.

Thanks to my girl @bleebug for looking over this for me and squeeing in all the right parts. I'm also incredibly thankful to my dear friend @sunbeamsandmoonrays, who made a lovely graphic based on the first chapter of this story. (If anyone felt compelled to do any type of artwork based on this tale, I'd die of happiness, so please tag me if you do!) Thanks for reading!  Summary:  Princess Emma knows no better place than the expansive garden that was built for her as a small child. When a young thief dares to scale the garden’s walls, Emma finds herself befriending Killian Jones, a boy who lives in her kingdom. Over time, they become inseparable, and as they grow, so does their love for one another–until the day Killian mysteriously disappears, and Emma finds herself strangely drawn to an apple tree that appears in her garden. A Lieutenant Duckling-inspired fairy tale, inspired by an A.A. Milne story with the same title.

Words: 3,700+

Chapters on A03: (1) / (2) / (3)

Chapters on Tumblr: (1) / (2) 

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Throughout time, there had been much speculation about True Love—whether it existed, firstly, and secondly, in a more secretive debate, whether it held power. Most kingdoms were not built upon love's promises, as few royals married for affection when arranged marriages and business mergers were generally much more beneficial. Those who did marry for love, royal and commoner alike, always wondered whether their love met the standard for what could be considered True love.

With some couples, for better or for worse, it was self-evident.

King David and his Queen, Snow, were one such couple. Their love was one of which sonnets were written, and ballads sung in the streets. Their kingdom thrived, its denizens secure in the knowledge of their rulers' hearts. For when one ruled in love, the whole kingdom felt it.

Much speculation had also been made through the centuries about what came of True Love. A child born of it, rarer still than True Love, itself, was said to possess power all its own, the lightest and purest form of magic.

Of course, this was speculation derived from mages, sorcerers, and other magic-wielding folk who had the experience and knowledge to even entertain such thoughts. Most people gave little thought to True Love and absolutely no thought to what extra power one such couple's children could potentially possess, and life went on as usual.

In truth, True Love was a magic all its own, and the power it created when it brought forth new life was insurmountable.

Unbeknownst to her, Princess Emma possessed such power. It lay in recess, a subtle hum of strength beneath her skin, a fire behind her eyes. It was why her garden flourished beneath her touch, thriving far better in her care than any of the palace gardeners had ever seen before.

As the ax struck again, Emma's heart seized. The basket slipped from her hand, her breakfast spilling out onto the grass as she took off, racing along the main path, toward the center of the garden—toward her apple tree.

Her father stood before it, ax in hand. King David, not hearing her approach, raised his ax to take another swing at the tree, which already bore a deep, irreparable gash. Emma slammed into him, nearly knocking the king to the ground. With a ferocity that made her father gape in shock, she reached for the ax and began to wrestle it out of his hands.

The king, momentarily flabbergasted, soon found his voice. “Emma,” he said, all the authority of a ruler threading his tone, “This is for your own good.”

The look that flitted across her face was enough to break his heart, but he held fast.

Emma paused and stared up at her father. Her face bore an expression of utter disbelief, which quickly morphed into a stubborn anger.

“No,” she said, firmly.

For a long while, neither spoke a word. A tense silence spread out between them.

Emma was the first to move. She stepped back, away from him, moving to stand in front of the apple tree. The king's face fell, his stern expression melting. He watched his daughter as she pressed her back to the tree, holding out her arms as if to shield it, leaning into the gash he had created with the ax.

King David heaved a sigh, eventually letting the ax drop heavily to the grass. The moment remained strained, each at a loss for words, completely unable to understand the other. Emma continued to look at her father, questioning everything she had ever known him to be, and the king watched his daughter with mounting worry.

As soon as the ax fell and Emma knew her tree was out of danger, she turned toward it. Gingerly, she reached out and touched the gash the blade had left. It was deep, nearly reaching the middle of the trunk. Had she been a minute later, the tree surely would have been felled.

Tears sprang to her eyes, spilling immediately. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered once, and then again, until the words became the only ones she knew how to say. Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against its trunk, utterly and completely heartbroken. The gash was below eye level, nearly lining up with her chest. She could feel the tree quivering weakly beneath her, but broken as it was, it still held her weight faithfully as she leaned against it.  

Suddenly, the bark beneath Emma's palm began to glow faintly, turning white beneath her hand. Slowly, the trunk began to heal, knitting back together beneath her touch.

The king's jaw dropped in amazement. Never had he seen such magic. The trunk of the apple tree was completely healed. Had he not cut into it himself, he never would have known an ax had been taken to it.

The princess stood completely still, pressed against the trunk of the tree.

“There,” she whispered softly. “All better.”

In a sweet gesture beseeching forgiveness, she pressed her lips to the tree's bark, over the scarred knot of wood where the ax had first sunk into its trunk.

Abruptly, there was a quick burst of colorful light and a force that knocked Emma backward. She landed hard on her back, the breath driven from her lungs in a rush of air. Her father cried out, starting toward her, but he stopped as the tree began to tremble, its branches thrashing violently above their heads.

The apple tree's branches shrank back, pulling themselves out of Emma's view, and she was left staring up at the clouds.

Dazed, she pushed herself up slowly with one elbow, lungs still aching from the force of her landing.

“Emma?” came a low, quiet voice that made her freeze.

Emma's blood ran cold, as if she had heard the whisper of a ghost. She scrambled into a sitting position, eyes nearly bugging out of her head.

Killian Jones stood a few feet in front of her her, dressed in his naval officer's uniform. He looked about as dumbfounded as she felt. His mouth had gone slack as he stared at her with widened eyes.

The tree was gone, seemingly vanished into thin air, and in its place stood her childhood friend.

A sob hitched in her throat, and without so much as another thought, she was running for him, launching herself into his arms.

As shocked as he seemed, Killian caught her easily enough, raising her up above his head as he threw his head back with a loud laugh. Her skirts twirled as he spun her once, before he brought her down to the ground gently and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He barked out a quick laugh, grinning at her wildly as he pulled back, and suddenly Emma's heart was soaring.

She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him to her as if her life depended on it. Killian laughed again, a deep, hearty bellow of mirth that she had missed so dearly. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her to him with no intent to ever let her go.

Emma's eyes were streaming a continuous flow of happy, unbelieving tears. “You--” she started, her words lost in a shaky, incredulous laugh. “You were--”

“I'm here,” he assured her, voice hitching, “I'm right here. I've always been here.”

They clung to each other, desperate to be near one another after all the time they had spent apart. Emma was the more desperate of the two, and she kept pulling back to touch his face, making sure he was really there.

She began kissing him, over and over, pecking his face with affectionate little kisses, as if he was going to disappear again at any moment. Killian slipped his fingers beneath her chin, guiding her mouth to his, to capture her lips in a kiss.

The king, who was standing to the side as the horrible realization dawned over him that he had somehow nearly cut a human being in half with his ax, turned away as the two began to kiss, his cheeks dusted in blush. When the moment began to grow more heated between the two, the king cleared his throat loudly, and Emma and Killian separated with a start.

Frantically, Emma reached for Killian's hand, grasping it firmly in hers.

“Oh, papa,” she said, “I'm sorry, this... This is Killian.”

Killian, slightly breathless from their kissing, blushed fiercely and leaned forward in a short bow.

The king still could not manage to wipe the shock from his face. Then, without warning, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them in a few long strides, and pulled them both into a tight embrace.

“Gods,” he whispered hoarsely, “I nearly killed you.” Tears sprang into his eyes, and when he pulled away, he clapped Killian once on the shoulder. “How on earth did you--”

“The Dark One,” Killian answered gravely. The king's eyes went wide and Emma gasped softly at his side. “I was waiting here to see Emma, and he cursed me so I could never be with her again.”

King David nodded tersely. He put his hand on Killian's shoulder again, squeezing it gently. “My boy,” he said, “I am so sorry. Emma,” he turned to her, “Please, forgive me. Please.”

Emma stared at him for a moment before her eyes flitted back to Killian. She hesitated, then gave a short nod. “You helped me find him again, papa.”

King David released the breath he had been holding with a huff of relief. His gaze shot back and forth between the two of them. “If I had any idea, I...” he trailed off, unable to voice what he had almost done. “We were so concerned for you, Emma. We couldn't get you to leave that tree,” His eyes shot to Killian, who offered up a weak smile. “We were worried for your safety. I didn't know what else to do. I thought if the tree was gone, you might come back to us.”

Emma released a shaky breath as she squeezed Killian's hand tighter at her side. The thought of what had nearly happened to him still made her want to faint. She shook her head once. “It doesn't matter. Not anymore, now that Killian's come back to me.”

King David smiled gently, and his heart swelled with pride at his daughter's grace. “You knew,” he said quietly. “Somehow, you knew it was him, didn't you? That's why you hardly left that tree.”

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but no words came to her. She hadn't known the apple tree was Killian—not really. How could she have known?

“I don't know,” she finally managed to offer. “I just felt drawn to it—to him. I was so worried, every day, because no one seemed to have any idea where Killian had gone. But, my tree...” She trailed off, and turned her gaze again to Killian, who was looking at her with nothing shy of adoration. “My tree gave me strength.”

The King nodded. “And that was... That was True Love's kiss that changed you back,” he murmured. “The same magic that awoke Snow—your mother—from her glass coffin.”

Emma gave a slight blush and nodded. Killian's jaw dropped slightly, and he stared at Emma with widened eyes, as if he had been missing that piece of the puzzle until that very moment. David chuckled.

“I'm going to go tell your mother,” he said, and his eyes flit between Emma and Killian, lingering an uncomfortable amount of time on the latter, until Killian began to shift on his feet nervously. “I'll give you two some time alone,” David continued, “And then we shall have a feast to celebrate.”

David winked at his daughter, who beamed back at him. With that, the king left. The heavy wooden doors to the castle swung back into place with a heavy clang, and the two  were finally alone.

They turned to one another slowly, almost shyly. Emma squeezed Killian's hand, and he responded by pulling her closer, letting his other hand rest lightly on her hip. In their reunion, all propriety had been discarded. The appropriate distance for a princess and an unofficial, commoner suitor was disregarded, each anchored to reality by the other's touch.

Tears welled in her eyes again, and her lower lip began to quiver. “Killian Jones,” she whispered, and he leaned his forehead into hers in response, “I have missed you so much.”

His nose swept over hers, and he bent forward to take her lips in another kiss. It was sweet, laced in tenderness, and for a moment, the two were lost in the slow dance of the other's lips against theirs. Killian brought his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, and she gave a hum of appreciation.

Despite the tenderness of their kiss, they were breathless when they finally parted. Killian reached up to brush a wayward strand of her hair from off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. Emma smiled adoringly at him, the two of them swaying just slightly as she leaned into him. “Could you hear me?” she asked him. “When I was telling you all those stories?”

“Aye,” he said, nodding. “I was hanging on every word, love. It was your voice in my head that kept me sane.”

She smiled at that, until the smile faltered abruptly and her lower lip began to quiver once more. “I should have known,” she whispered, voice breaking halfway through, “I should have known it was you.” Killian shook his head vehemently. He took her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth, and kissed it.

“All this time,” she went on, “And you were right here, in my garden. I thought you were dead! Killian, I thought you were dead.” She was crying openly now, weeping over the time with him she had lost, her heart cursing the Dark One and all he had stolen from her.

“Hey,” Killian whispered, pulling her out of her wayward thoughts and back to his side, “Emma, my love, please. Don't do this to yourself.” He brushed his lips over hers, tasting the salt of her tears. “You didn't know. Darling, you didn't know. You couldn't have known.”

Emma nodded, but they both knew she didn't believe his words. Killian watched her for a moment, mulling a thought, until he gave a quick nod and, taking her hand, led her to their bench. “Come,” he said, “Sit with me awhile.”

He sat first, pulling her hand gently, until she came to sit beside him. Her head immediately found his shoulder, leaning into it wearily.

They sat quietly for a few moments, each simply enjoying the other's company. The garden was quiet, as it was most afternoons. Now and again, a bird would call out a short melody from among the hedges.

Emma sniffled now and again from beside him. Killian was playing with a strand of her hair, flipping its end absentmindedly between his thumb and forefinger. “Let me tell you a story,” he said. “There once was a young lad, poor in circumstance. One day, his eyes happened upon the most beautiful princess in all the land. She was gracious and kind, which only made her all the more beautiful to the boy. Every day, as he worked, he would think of her, and the hours would race by. At night, he dreamed of her. She had taken him as her own, heart and soul, without ever having met him.

“One day, as luck would have it, the boy and the princess did come to meet. The boy was enchanted with the garden she often visited, drawn by its magic. But, nothing would prepare him for the enchantment of the princess, herself. She was more beautiful up close and proved herself to be even kinder than the stories told of her in the village. Just as simply as that, the boy knew he loved her, that he never wanted to be parted from her.

“The boy came to know the princess, and even came to call her his friend. She was the north star by which he had come to guide himself, calling him back day after day. She had captured his heart completely.”

Killian paused then, peering down at Emma. Her head still rested on his shoulder, and her eyes were closed, as she sat lulled by the deep timbre of his voice. “Shall I go on, love?” Killian asked, grinning down at her. “I will warn you, though, the next part gets a bit dicey, but I promise the tale ends happily.”

Emma pulled her head from him and looked up, the smile she wore threatening to split her face in two. “Killian Jones,” she said slowly, “Will you marry me?”

+++

They wed in the garden on a cloudless afternoon. The ceremony was small, minuscule compared to most royal affairs, but for them and to them, it was perfect.

Killian had asked his brother, Liam, to preside over the ceremony. The elder Jones brother had scarcely known a prouder moment in his life.

Killian wore his naval officer's uniform proudly. For her part, Emma wore a long, white gown with elegant, flowing sleeves. It was modeled after the styles the women of Camelot wore, but it fit Emma perfectly, and when Killian lay eyes on her, his smile outshone the sun.

Their vows were simple as they held hands, each promising themselves to the other, knowing even the darkest magic in the kingdom could not part them. In the privacy of an empty garden, they had each said all they needed to say to prove the depth of their love for each other, and that was enough. In front of  a small, albeit eager crowd, the young couple was almost shy, much more reserved with their affection.

(King David, for one, was glad for this.)

As the ceremony ended, the well-wishers came up afterward to congratulate the young couple and offer their blessings. The queen managed to pull her daughter discreetly off to the side, and wiped the tears from her own eyes before she tugged Emma into an embrace.

After a few moments, the queen pulled away and kissed her daughter's forehead, smiling gently at her. “I'm sorry,” she said quietly, “For ever pushing anything upon you but this. You deserve this. You deserve each other. To marry for love is--” She paused, and tears shone in her eyes again, even as her smile held. “A precious thing,” she finished, and Emma had to blink back tears of her own.  

“Thank you, mother,” Emma said. Queen Snow nodded and took her daughter's hand, squeezing it gently. The king came to them then, offering his wife his arm. She took it demurely, and after issuing a sweet kiss to his daughter's brow, the king escorted his queen back to the castle to help organize the feast.

Killian was talking with his brother when Emma rejoined him. “Your highness,” Liam said, offering a smile and a slight bow at the princess' approach. “Though, I suppose now I should be offering Prince Killian here the same treatment.” Killian put his hand on his brother's shoulder, preemptively halting what he anticipated to be a jesting bow.

“No,” Killian said, laughing despite the blush that tinged his ears pink. “Please don't.”

Liam shot Emma a wink. “In all seriousness,” he continued, “It is truly an honor to have you as part of my family, Emma. I can scarcely think of anyone more deserving of my little brother's devotion.” Ignoring a scoff from Killian, he continued, “It was my great privilege to marry you both today.” Emma smiled gratefully and she opened her arms to pull Liam into an embrace. “Thank you, Liam,” she said, issuing a quick kiss to his cheek as she pulled away. “For everything.”

Liam nodded and clapped his brother on the shoulder once before pulling him into an embrace of their own. Assuring them he would see them both at the reception, he took his leave, and finally, Emma and her husband were left alone.

Killian took her hand in his, brought it delicately to his mouth, and pressed his lips to her knuckles. “Sit with me, love?” Emma nodded, and he led her to their bench.

As strange as it was, Emma had grown accustomed to the shade of the apple tree covering her bench, and when they sat, she had to turn deliberately from the strong light of the sun.

Killian put his arm around her, letting his hand rest at her waist. He leaned in to kiss her temple, pausing to whisper into her ear, “I love you, Emma.”

Emma gave a little hum and turned to look at him. “And I you.”

“You look stunning.”

“And you look--”

Killian gave a half-shrug and smirked at her. “I know.”

Emma snorted quietly, rolling her eyes at him. “I was going to say dashing.”

A genuine smile overtook his features, and it only expired from his face when he leaned in to kiss her again. Emma found his other hand and laced their fingers together as she brought it to rest in her lap.

They were quiet for a few minutes, each reflecting, lost in their own thoughts. As she leaned into him, Emma was struck suddenly with the realization that the same steadfast peace she had felt with her apple tree she felt now with Killian. Only it was different now, and much better. He was here, he was safe, and he had married her.

+++

The celebration in the kingdom lasted an entire week. If the Dark One had gotten wind of his victim's triumphant return to human form, he gave no sign. Emma and Killian each grappled for many years with the idea of seeking revenge for the turmoil he had wrought between them. But, it was a fruitless endeavor, one that would needlessly endanger the entire kingdom. Stories of the Dark One's infamous deeds were cropping up farther and farther away from their land. For the time being, they were safe.

King David and Queen Snow ruled for many years, and the kingdom continued to flourish beneath their reign. When the time came, Emma was a righteous queen, fierce and gentle all at once. Killian was the rock by which she steadied herself, and his deft mind was matched by no other kingdom's rulers.

And when darkness began to creep upon their doorstep, they were ready, hand-in-hand, together.

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Tagging a few people who might be interested 

@queen-mabs-revenge @caprelloidea @flslp87 @laschatzi @ms-babs-gordon @lenfaz @ripplestitchskein@brooke-to-broch @justanotherwannabeclassic @couldnthandleit@trueromantic1 @phiralovesloki @completeshippertrash @cherrywolf713 @galadriel26

@captain–kitten @thejollypirate @seastarved @captainswanismyendgame @the-lady-swan@cinnamonduckling @sunbeamsandmoonrays @nothingimpossibleonlyimprobable @gusenitsaa@kat2609 @captainswanslay @imhookedonaswan@ohmykilly @weplaydumbb @optomisticgirl@killianisacupcake@briannachick42  @thegladelf  @j-philly-b@thisisevenharderthannamingablog @flipperbrain @nfbagelperson @thegladelf @galadriel26 @welllpthisishappening @the-reason-to-sail-home @blowmiakisscolin @littlebabeswan @ahsagitarius @dreadpirateemma @hisemma @a-faekindagirl @itsalostgirlthing @mrandmrsswan @32variations @onceuponaswans @melsbels @once-a-sailor-always-a-dreamer @i-spilled-my-smoothie @oye-genesis @unfolded73fics

[omgnsfwisnsfw-blog]

5: Nice Catch!

The housekeeper had drawn the short straw on Sunday morning. It was 10am and thus time for the occupants of these motel rooms to vacate. She went through the motions as she pushed her cart of cleaning chemicals, rags, and motel room necessities (including a spice candle she liked to light to drive away any of the more pungent odors) down the row. Her ‘gold’ name tag that read Mary glimmered in the sunlight. Something out of the ordinary made her pause the music streaming from her cellphone. Room 126’s door was completely open. The sturdy door’s bronze chain clattered against it in the gentle breeze. She apprehensively peeked inside. The room was as if no one had been in here at all. It was a total reset. The bed was neatly made. No wet towels on the floor. No suspicious tissues in the trash bin. Just nothing out of normal. Except that wasn’t totally true. She observed that the right hand side night stand drawer was open and its previous contents were missing. John’s favorite shoes hit the pavement - one in front of the other - and very carefully inside the solid white line that separated him from thousands of pounds of steel repeatedly passing him. His blue gym bag swung too and fro from his side in rhythm to his steps. It had been three days since he had turned over the vehicle into the hands of Mike Maguire. She had told him that there was a motel about two miles from her shop and offered to call him a ride. He had declined in a polite fashion, left her his phone number, and departed on foot. He disappeared into the darkness and perhaps Mike wondered if she was suffering from a fever. From there, he went inwards. The book with no cover ended up being rather trite. A love story with very little love at all. He would have probably guessed that the cover was illustrated to show a man with long luxurious blonde locks and chiseled bare chest. Perhaps on a horse. There was a lot of allusions to animals in there - rutting like animals, it said. John closed the book and tossed it back into his bag with little thought. On the second day of seclusion, someone who represented his employer, the mustached man, insisted that they were onto something. The previous session had netted over two million views and a whirlwind of positivity - ultimately they clamored for more. In the text message, he provided credentials for an official account and that he should just go live every once in a while and tell the world what he was thinking about. John didn’t understand why anyone would care but he wasn’t about to argue at this point. Nothing came to him that day but on the third day, his mind opened up with something to share. The shop’s sign was now just in view as he pressed the little F icon and then the button to go ‘live’. The picture from the phone’s camera jumped up and down as held it front of his face at arm’s length. “Good morning all.” A semi-truck whizzed past him - a little close for comfort. He danced sideways off of the pavement all while trying to maintain the shot. “Maybe this isn’t very safe to do. Anyway, I am on my way to see you all and I wanted to make more of an effort to share myself.” John stepped back onto the pavement and continued walking towards the shop. He had contemplated what just to say. John was listening to them. So far they said the same thing and as always it was a total character assassination. John had built the garden for that very purpose and as much as he liked to visit — there was only one way in. “Combat sports are no doubt fueled by aggression and so it is no surprise that the overwhelming traits are anger and hatred for one’s fellow man. So I am sorry that a warrior feels the way that he does. I hope that he finds peace in his soul. What he said was meant to provoke a response. And so I ask everyone I am sharing this with now, what should I say? Should I dispute what he said? Should I jump to the defense of the other man in this equation?” John shook his head. “There really isn’t the need. There is only one thing I need to convince him of. He needs to ask himself what truly will be the intrinsic entertainment value of what could happen that night? Will the boredom seep through his body as both of his carotid arteries are compressed? What will his mind consider enjoyable as it goes through cerebral ischemia? And through that would he learn a great lesson: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” The corner of his mouth turned up into a brief smirk before returning to his normal … almost blank expression. “Today and what it is — well that is not lost on me and I don’t want to waste any more of your time so I will leave you with this: A deer cannot eat hay. I found that interesting.” John turned off the live feed and pocketed his phone. He quickly crossed the road and entered the parking lot of the auto body shop. He observed that the only car in the front lot was a loud yellow sports car. It had white fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror. He had received a voicemail yesterday afternoon about the completion of a repair but hadn’t felt like communicating with anyone that day. He pulled on the handle of the shop door and surprisingly it opened. He hadn’t noticed the other day the loud chime that was omitted throughout the shop when the door was opened and faintly he could hear the same noise echoing throughout the attached garage. He set his gym bag on the red plastic chair and waited patiently with his hands in his jeans pockets. A voice cut through the silence, “Ay, we’re not open today. This an emergency?” John thought about that for a moment and posed in a raised but still calm tone, “What really constitutes an emergency?” “Oh, it’s you…” A few moments passed. He could hear metal clanking and finally the owner of the shop entered the shop floor. She was not in uniform and instead wore the same baseball cap, a green and white jersey with the number 3 on it, a pair of oil-stained baggy jeans, and a pair of work boots. How come you’re just comin’ in now? Messaged you yesterday.” “Your door was open.” “Yeah, that was my bad. Forgot to lock it after me.” “I can come back tomorrow. I didn’t realize what day it was until a little while ago,” for John, time seemed to blur and it was difficult to understand that other people kept different schedules than him. “Nah, you’re fine. Just wasn’t expectin’ much of a rush today, so I took the opportunity to just catch up on some stuff around here.” John looked at her with a blank expression perhaps not understanding the ebb and flow of small talk, “I read a book this morning. I never really liked it before but his last message certainly was inspiring. He said to spread the good news to everyone and everywhere.” The woman looked at him in a confused manner before smiling at him and then to the area where she kept all of the completed work orders. She looked back up at John as she found the clear folder with the order and keys, “Anywho. Your car’s all shipshape an’ seaworthy. Was about three hours work, so… seventy-five for the rim repair, same for a new tire, and ninety per hour for yours truly… I’ll call it an even four hundred. Just try to be more careful in the future, yeah? That coulda been a heckuva lot worse. Could’ve wrecked your axle, not to mention your whole suspension.” John reached into the envelope and dumped the remaining contents of it onto the counter: 12 one dollar bills, 1 quarter, and three pennies. John looked at the funds and then back up at Mike. He guessed that the rest of his bonus had gone towards the motel room, “That’s, uh, what I have.” “Well, I take credit, you know. You got a Visa? MasterCard? Anything like that?” John held up one finger to Mike and then retrieved his wallet. He held it open. On the forefront, it contained only his recently issued New Mexico driver’s license. He slipped his fingers under the clear holder and retrieved a credit card. “This card has credit for a free meal at Shoney’s. They burnt my toast last week. I think it’s only good for the one in Fort Myers.” “Hmm,” She tapped her chin, a slightly wry smile slowly crossed her lips, “What were you doin’ out there?” “Well, having breakfast.” “At Shoney’s, yeah. But what else? Sure you didn’t go all the way down there just for toast an’ jam with Shoney Bear.” “Oh, I started a new job. I haven’t officially got paid yet and I don’t know if I’m very good at it. They gave me that envelope a few days ago in Atlanta but I think they were handing them out to everyone.” That wry smile grew just a bit bigger, a spark of recognition flashing in her eyes. “You, um, mind tellin’ me what that new job is? Just outta curiosity.” “I fight people…” John said that quietly, “ … I have to be in Pittsburgh next. I’m a little early, sure, but I don’t mind,” at this point he started to talk himself as if the orange-haired woman was not there,“and they said I should open a bank account but I’m not sure that I would like that very much. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist. How can I trust 0s and 1s?” “I thought so,” that wry smile turned into a bit of a warmer one, a kind smile that seemed both clashing and complementary to the woman’s rough exterior, “I think I know who you are. Saw you on the internet. That video was freakin’ great. And… heh. I used to fight people too. We got that much in common.” He pointed at the picture above her. “So that’s you?” She gave a big fat grin. “Yep.” “Cool,” John looked at the bill nervously, “So I don’t have any way to pay this but I signed a piece of paper and they have to give me more if I show up I think. I know this sounds lame but can I get an IOU?”he reached into the wallet and lifted out a pair of tickets stamped ‘Monday Night Brawl’ where the money would be, “oh, they gave me these. I don’t know why I got these because I’m going to be working there. Maybe if you show up I can pay you after its over.” “Sweet! Okay, Mister Bishop Church, you got yourself a deal. But you better not try an’ welch on me. I got a punch that can lay out guys bigger than YOU,” she grinned playfully. He slid the tickets over the counter. She grabbed them, looked at them intently, and slipped them in her back pocket. “Your ride’s around back. I’ll go unlock the gate for ya.” She fished out the keys from the clear folder and tossed the keys to John. He snatched them out of the air with one hand. “Nice catch!” He grabbed his gym bag from the chair and slung it over his shoulder. And once again, John followed Mike out.

[humanintereststory]

5: Nice Catch!

The housekeeper had drawn the short straw on Sunday morning. It was 10am and thus time for the occupants of these motel rooms to vacate. She went through the motions as she pushed her cart of cleaning chemicals, rags, and motel room necessities (including a spice candle she liked to light to drive away any of the more pungent odors) down the row. Her ‘gold’ name tag that read Mary glimmered in the sunlight. Something out of the ordinary made her pause the music streaming from her cellphone. Room 126’s door was completely open. The sturdy door’s bronze chain clattered against it in the gentle breeze. She apprehensively peeked inside. The room was as if no one had been in here at all. It was a total reset. The bed was neatly made. No wet towels on the floor. No suspicious tissues in the trash bin. Just nothing out of normal. Except that wasn’t totally true. She observed that the right hand side night stand drawer was open and its previous contents were missing. John’s favorite shoes hit the pavement - one in front of the other - and very carefully inside the solid white line that separated him from thousands of pounds of steel repeatedly passing him. His blue gym bag swung too and fro from his side in rhythm to his steps. It had been three days since he had turned over the vehicle into the hands of Mike Maguire. She had told him that there was a motel about two miles from her shop and offered to call him a ride. He had declined in a polite fashion, left her his phone number, and departed on foot. He disappeared into the darkness and perhaps Mike wondered if she was suffering from a fever. From there, he went inwards. The book with no cover ended up being rather trite. A love story with very little love at all. He would have probably guessed that the cover was illustrated to show a man with long luxurious blonde locks and chiseled bare chest. Perhaps on a horse. There was a lot of allusions to animals in there - rutting like animals, it said. John closed the book and tossed it back into his bag with little thought. On the second day of seclusion, someone who represented his employer, the mustached man, insisted that they were onto something. The previous session had netted over two million views and a whirlwind of positivity - ultimately they clamored for more. In the text message, he provided credentials for an official account and that he should just go live every once in a while and tell the world what he was thinking about. John didn’t understand why anyone would care but he wasn’t about to argue at this point. Nothing came to him that day but on the third day, his mind opened up with something to share. The shop’s sign was now just in view as he pressed the little F icon and then the button to go ‘live’. The picture from the phone’s camera jumped up and down as held it front of his face at arm’s length. “Good morning all.” A semi-truck whizzed past him - a little close for comfort. He danced sideways off of the pavement all while trying to maintain the shot. “Maybe this isn’t very safe to do. Anyway, I am on my way to see you all and I wanted to make more of an effort to share myself.” John stepped back onto the pavement and continued walking towards the shop. He had contemplated what just to say. John was listening to them. So far they said the same thing and as always it was a total character assassination. John had built the garden for that very purpose and as much as he liked to visit — there was only one way in. “Combat sports are no doubt fueled by aggression and so it is no surprise that the overwhelming traits are anger and hatred for one’s fellow man. So I am sorry that a warrior feels the way that he does. I hope that he finds peace in his soul. What he said was meant to provoke a response. And so I ask everyone I am sharing this with now, what should I say? Should I dispute what he said? Should I jump to the defense of the other man in this equation?” John shook his head. “There really isn’t the need. There is only one thing I need to convince him of. He needs to ask himself what truly will be the intrinsic entertainment value of what could happen that night? Will the boredom seep through his body as both of his carotid arteries are compressed? What will his mind consider enjoyable as it goes through cerebral ischemia? And through that would he learn a great lesson: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” The corner of his mouth turned up into a brief smirk before returning to his normal … almost blank expression. “Today and what it is — well that is not lost on me and I don’t want to waste any more of your time so I will leave you with this: A deer cannot eat hay. I found that interesting.” John turned off the live feed and pocketed his phone. He quickly crossed the road and entered the parking lot of the auto body shop. He observed that the only car in the front lot was a loud yellow sports car. It had white fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror. He had received a voicemail yesterday afternoon about the completion of a repair but hadn’t felt like communicating with anyone that day. He pulled on the handle of the shop door and surprisingly it opened. He hadn’t noticed the other day the loud chime that was omitted throughout the shop when the door was opened and faintly he could hear the same noise echoing throughout the attached garage. He set his gym bag on the red plastic chair and waited patiently with his hands in his jeans pockets. A voice cut through the silence, “Ay, we’re not open today. This an emergency?” John thought about that for a moment and posed in a raised but still calm tone, “What really constitutes an emergency?” “Oh, it’s you…” A few moments passed. He could hear metal clanking and finally the owner of the shop entered the shop floor. She was not in uniform and instead wore the same baseball cap, a green and white jersey with the number 3 on it, a pair of oil-stained baggy jeans, and a pair of work boots. How come you’re just comin’ in now? Messaged you yesterday.” “Your door was open.” “Yeah, that was my bad. Forgot to lock it after me.” “I can come back tomorrow. I didn’t realize what day it was until a little while ago,” for John, time seemed to blur and it was difficult to understand that other people kept different schedules than him. “Nah, you’re fine. Just wasn’t expectin’ much of a rush today, so I took the opportunity to just catch up on some stuff around here.” John looked at her with a blank expression perhaps not understanding the ebb and flow of small talk, “I read a book this morning. I never really liked it before but his last message certainly was inspiring. He said to spread the good news to everyone and everywhere.” The woman looked at him in a confused manner before smiling at him and then to the area where she kept all of the completed work orders. She looked back up at John as she found the clear folder with the order and keys, “Anywho. Your car’s all shipshape an’ seaworthy. Was about three hours work, so… seventy-five for the rim repair, same for a new tire, and ninety per hour for yours truly… I’ll call it an even four hundred. Just try to be more careful in the future, yeah? That coulda been a heckuva lot worse. Could’ve wrecked your axle, not to mention your whole suspension.” John reached into the envelope and dumped the remaining contents of it onto the counter: 12 one dollar bills, 1 quarter, and three pennies. John looked at the funds and then back up at Mike. He guessed that the rest of his bonus had gone towards the motel room, “That’s, uh, what I have.” “Well, I take credit, you know. You got a Visa? MasterCard? Anything like that?” John held up one finger to Mike and then retrieved his wallet. He held it open. On the forefront, it contained only his recently issued New Mexico driver’s license. He slipped his fingers under the clear holder and retrieved a credit card. “This card has credit for a free meal at Shoney’s. They burnt my toast last week. I think it’s only good for the one in Fort Myers.” “Hmm,” She tapped her chin, a slightly wry smile slowly crossed her lips, “What were you doin’ out there?” “Well, having breakfast.” “At Shoney’s, yeah. But what else? Sure you didn’t go all the way down there just for toast an’ jam with Shoney Bear.” “Oh, I started a new job. I haven’t officially got paid yet and I don’t know if I’m very good at it. They gave me that envelope a few days ago in Atlanta but I think they were handing them out to everyone.” That wry smile grew just a bit bigger, a spark of recognition flashing in her eyes. “You, um, mind tellin’ me what that new job is? Just outta curiosity.” “I fight people…” John said that quietly, “ … I have to be in Pittsburgh next. I’m a little early, sure, but I don’t mind,” at this point he started to talk himself as if the orange-haired woman was not there,“and they said I should open a bank account but I’m not sure that I would like that very much. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist. How can I trust 0s and 1s?” “I thought so,” that wry smile turned into a bit of a warmer one, a kind smile that seemed both clashing and complementary to the woman’s rough exterior, “I think I know who you are. Saw you on the internet. That video was freakin’ great. And… heh. I used to fight people too. We got that much in common.” He pointed at the picture above her. “So that’s you?” She gave a big fat grin. “Yep.” “Cool,” John looked at the bill nervously, “So I don’t have any way to pay this but I signed a piece of paper and they have to give me more if I show up I think. I know this sounds lame but can I get an IOU?”he reached into the wallet and lifted out a pair of tickets stamped ‘Monday Night Brawl’ where the money would be, “oh, they gave me these. I don’t know why I got these because I’m going to be working there. Maybe if you show up I can pay you after its over.” “Sweet! Okay, Mister Bishop Church, you got yourself a deal. But you better not try an’ welch on me. I got a punch that can lay out guys bigger than YOU,” she grinned playfully. He slid the tickets over the counter. She grabbed them, looked at them intently, and slipped them in her back pocket. “Your ride’s around back. I’ll go unlock the gate for ya.” She fished out the keys from the clear folder and tossed the keys to John. He snatched them out of the air with one hand. “Nice catch!” He grabbed his gym bag from the chair and slung it over his shoulder. And once again, John followed Mike out.