#yeah Not Good for me and here I am eating sushi and ordering ice cream at home while

[leahcee]

.

[ryanwantsapetrabbit]

first chapter of my new jamilton fic on ao3 titled “pathetically in like.”

[chapter one—]

alexander hamilton.

a college junior and unfortunately a starbucks barista.

he stood in front of the oven, waiting for the pastries to finish so he could take them out. the timer beeped and alexander bent down to open the over, using his hand with an over mitten over it to take the tray out. he stared down at the danishes and yawned, sitting them down on the counter to begin filling them with cream cheese.

as alex was filling up the treats someone tapped his shoulder, he looked behind him to see john lauren’s had just gotten into work. “good morning.” john said, taking the piping bag from alexander’s hands and beginning to fill the treats for him. “you tired?”

“yes and adam’s banned me from drinking the coffee while on the clock.” alex grumbled, wiping at the sleep in his eyes.

“well adam’s isn’t here, is he?”

“well no but—“

“then drink a damn cold brew.” john smiled lightly, pointing to the machine brewing fresh coffee. “i’ll finish these danishes but please go do something to get energy, lafayette doesn’t come in until 2.”

“john... if you’re in here and i’m also in here, who’s working the counter?”

“shit.”

alexander rushed to the front, seeing only a line of two people and sighing in relief. “hello, welcome to starbucks! what can i get for you?”

“what do you recommend james, i’ve heard this place has incredible fruity drinks.” the tall man said softly to the boy next to him, a shorter boy with dark skin and short hair. his eyes were gentle and sweet but his face was puffy, a tissue in his hand to conceal his coughs.

“i’ll just have a black coffee?” james responded, quickly pulling his debit card out and handing it to alexander. “thomas will order whatever.”

“so what name do you guys want on the cups?” alexander asks, looking down at the screen and tapping their orders in. “i can do separate orders if that’s better for you two?”

“yeah, that sounds about right.” james said, looking up at thomas and waiting for him to order. “thomas, we haven’t got all day dear.”

“dear?” alexander mimicked, meaning for it come out in a curious way. “you two are adorable together.”

“we’re not together, pet names are james love language.” thomas explains, still staring up at the menu but then giving a passing glance down at alexander. “but i’ll have a...? honey almond milk cold brew and a cheese danish”

“lucky for you we just took those out the oven, what size can i get that in for you guys?”

“large?” james said, looking at thomas with a bit of concern. “he’ll take a large too, even though he’s not really supposed to have so much caffeine.”

“he acts just like my mother.” thomas chuckles, “you know how moms are?”

“my mothers dead.” alex mumbled, “and it’s venti, not large.” he handed james back his card then walked away and began their orders, watching as the two men walked away embarrassed and stood at the waiting center for their beverages.

✿

alexander sat inside the sushi restaurant while on his hour long break, twisting the chop sticks and picking up the sushi. he dipped it into the soy sauce before bringing it up to his mouth and indulging, a soft moan left his body at the satisfying taste and he took a sip of water after the food.

he felt a soft tap on his shoulder and he turned his head, “oh, it’s you?” alexander said softly. it was the man from starbucks earlier, “iced caramel latte right?”

“it’s thomas but i wanted to apologize for earlier with the mother thing, i didn’t really know how to respond so i never said anything but i am truly sorry for your loss.”

“it’s fine dear.” alexander mocked james from before, “i was messing with you.”

“so your mother’s not dead?”

“no, she is but i’m not devastated. she died when i was ten so i’ve had plenty of time to grieve, your friend isn’t with you?” alexander mentioned, looking around to see if james was near.

“oh yeah, he had to get back home to his fiancée.” thomas made sure to exaggerate the fiancé word, making it clear to alex that they weren’t dating. “she’s pregnant and not feeling very well.”

“i hope she gets better, what’re you doing here?” alexander asked, “stalking me?”

“oh no, i’m just getting lunch between classes.”

“cheese danishes and tuna? a great mix for the stomach, i’m sure.” thomas chuckles and takes a seat at alexander’s table. “oh i totally don’t mind.”

“great because i wasn’t leaving.”

“asshole.” alexander mumbled, picking up another piece of sushi but struggling and watching it wobble between the wooden sticks. thomas grabbed the sushi that alex was trying to pick up with a fork and shoved it into his mouth, “screw you.” alexander shoved at thomas’s shoulder.

“california rolls and a job at starbucks, how basic could you be darling?”

“i’m not basic, i just like simple things.” alexander whined, picking up another sushi roll and sipping it into the soy sauce before shoving it into his mouth before it could fall to the floor.

“cute.”

alex finished chewing before quickly swallowing the fish, “i’m not cute, i’m in distress.”

“well then let me help you?” thomas grabbed an extra set of chop sticks and twisted the sticks around the sushi perfectly. he dipped it into the sauce before waving it in front of alex’s mouth, waiting for him to open. when alexander opened his mouth, thomas brought his hand up to his jaw and held it while placing the sushi in it. alex closed his mouth and began chewing, a slight blush spreading across his face as thomas mumbled a soft “good boy.” it’s almost like an instinct, the soft reassurance from jefferson’s end and the grumbles of fake annoyance from hamilton.

“want me to order you something?” alexander asked with a full mouth, clenching his eyes shut as he forcefully swallowed.

“no thanks, i’d rather watch you eat and pick off your plate to annoy you.”

“jackass.”

“i know.” thomas smirked, stealing another sushi off alexander’s plate.

[whathappenedtomyweekend]

It’s Just A Spark Ch. 7 - Maybe Definitely

Hiccup sighed and threw a glance at the clock, mindlessly clicking around in his opened document. 22:35.

He'd been trying to finish up his report for more than half an hour, which was significantly exheeding his usual set time of fifteen minutes.

"You're still here?" a voice behind him intoned and Hiccup turned around to see Snotlout enter the room and place his helmet on the desk next to his.

"Yeah," Hiccup mumbled, feeling the effect of his extra strong tea earlier wear off slowly but surely. "I wanted to finish today's report. Which I did. And then I thought, I still haven't written the report for yesterday."

"Woah, what's up with Mr Too-fast-for-deadlines?" his cousin asked, looking sincerely surprised. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he repeated, dragging a hand through his hair. "Just … busy."

"Ooh, right, your girlfriend."

Hiccup's head shot up, glaring. Snotlout shrugged.

"Gobber told me. Well, technically, your dad told me. But Gobber told him so basically it was him who told me."

"Doesn't anything regarding my personal life stay personal? And she's … she's not my girlfriend."

"You showed up to her workplace with lasagna you made specifically for her because it's her favourite food, Hiccup. That is such a boyfriend-thing to do. Though I guess it's very you. Most people wouldn't bother."

"How did you even-"

"Hey, don't blame me for being your cousin! Things get around, okay? My dad was out getting coffee, saw you, told your dad who told him that-"

"Alright, alright," Hiccup interrupted him, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I get it. Note to self, never tell Dad anything concerning Astrid again if I want it to stay between us."

Snotlout laughed and good-naturedly nudged his cousin's arm.

"Come on, Hic, I don't mean any harm. Neither does he, you know that. He's just excited for you."

Hiccup sighed. "I know."

"I'm too, by the way," Snotlout mumbled. "It's kind of really cool seeing you this happy."

The auburn-hair man stopped and finally smiled at his cousin. "Thanks, Snotlout."

Snotlout sniffed, trying to shake off his earlier sentiment. "Yeah, whatever. Just go to sleep before I knock you out myself."

Hiccup grinned and got up. "You sound just like Gobber."

"Shut up."

He laughed.

The doorbell was ringing, making Astrid jump. She rarely had any visitors at a time like this. Maybe it was just Ruff who had forgot her keys again, needing a place to crash.

She opened the door.

It wasn't Rachel.

Hiccup.

Hiccup, his forest-green eyes dark and his hair messy as if he'd run his hands through it countless of times.

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped and took a step closer.

"Hiccup, what-"

She was silenced by his lips suddenly crashing down on hers. Astrid stumbled back, shock fading as his hands cupped her face, hers suddenly tangled in his hair, pulling him down to her.

They stumbled into her flat, her back hitting the wall of her hallway with a low 'Thud'.

All she felt was his calloused fingers on her skin, leaving invisible imprints, his lips - oh, God - almost desperately pressing to hers.

"What took you so long," she gasped into the kiss and fisted her hands into the material of his shirt, pulling him closer still.

His breath was hot against her skin. He smelled of toothpaste, making her smile against his lips. Hiccup pulled away, frowning shortly.

"I don't," he kissed her again, gently this time. "Know."

Her hands wrapped around his neck as he continued working his lips against hers, chasing sparks down her skin. He was pressing her against the wall, not an inch left between their bodies as she lightly pushed her tongue into his mouth. Hiccup groaned and let his hands wander to her waist. Ever so slowly he brushed her tongue against hers, making her knees weak.

"Hiccup," she gasped against his lips, tightening her grip around his shoulders -

Astrid opened her eyes, her racing heart the only sound in her dark bedroom.

Heat crawled up to her face as she realised what had happened.

"Oh, God," she groaned, hiding her burning face in her hands. "Oh my god …"

It had been a dream. Of course it had been a dream. Hiccup wouldn't just barge in like that and start kissing her, he'd … he'd … oh, what did it matter what he'd do, when she was the one dreaming about it! Not only dream but also enjoy the idea of it …

"God, what is wrong with me?" she mumbled into the emptiness of her room, almost swearing she could have tasted the toothpaste from his mouth.

Alright. So it had been a couple of days since she'd last saw him, so what? So what that she couldn't walk past that café anymore without thinking about Hiccup drenched in sunlight? So what that he'd held her hand on the table and hadn't let go even as his friend had asked for their orders? So what that she hard trouble keeping him out of her mind and found herself craving his company? That didn't say anything.

Astrid sat in darkness and realised that there was no turning back now.

"…shit."

He'd been tired all day and now he was in bed and couldn't sleep. Typical.

Hiccup groaned and turned around to face the wall, careful as to not disturb Toothless who had curled up around his legs - well, leg and a half.

It had been days, and yet he couldn't stop thinking about their visit to the café.

Astrid had introduced herself to Fishlegs as his date - which was true, they were dating.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Snot's words were still ringing in his ears.

'That's a very boyfriend-thing to do.'

They were only dating.

He wanted to be more to her, still. He wanted to keep doing these things simply because it made her smile. He wanted to make her happy.

Hiccup closed his eyes, trying not to think about how he'd give up eating anything else than ice cream for his lunch breaks if it meant he got to see her laugh at him with cream on his chin.

Hiccup awoke by the sound of his phone ringing.

Groggily he reached for it and slurred, "'llo?"

"Hiccup?"

He immediately sobered up and sat up. "Astrid, hi, Astrid, hey … Astrid."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just, uh … just woke up."

He started fumbling for the bottle of water somewhere next to his bed.

Astrid gasped on the other line. "Go back to sleep! I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. Really. I should've gotten up anyway." He smiled.

"Oh, okay. Listen, I was just wondering if - you have time somewhen this week, maybe on Friday?"

It had been three days since he'd last seen her.

He didn't really miss her per se. It's just that he'd sometime like to have company, hers to be specific. He simply didn't like her absence at times. His heart jumped as he realised that this was quite literally the definition of missing someone.

He didn't even pretened to think about it and quickly said, "Yes! Friday. Friday's … yeah."

She chuckled and after a small pause softly said, "I've missed you."

His heart skipped a beat.

"You too," he rasped out. "It's weird to think it's only been a couple of days, huh."

She laughed lightly. "Yeah. I think I set a new record for not setting my stove on fire."

He hummed. "We should celebrate that on Friday."

He imagined her lean in and smirk. "Define 'celebrate'."

"You want the oxford-version or mine?"

Astrid laughed. "Come on."

"Alright, so, I was thinking you, me, non-frozen food …"

"You had me at 'celebrate'. We could cook together."

He grinned and peeled himself out of his covers. "Not sure if I'm willing to take that risk."

"Says the fireman with asthma," she retorted dryly and Hiccup laughed.

"On the other hand, I've missed Toothless too," she grinned audibly. "So I'm coming over."

Hiccup chuckled and quickly strapped his prosthesis back on.

"Okay, so same as last time? Or earlier, if you want."

He could hear her grin. "Someone seems to be keen on spending time with me."

The answer came easy to him in full sincerity as he softly replied, "I am."

She paused. Maybe she'd be blushing. God, she was endearing.

"I'll be earlier then."

Hiccup grinned and strode through his room towards the drawer. "Okay. Any ideas on what we'll make?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "How about something you like?"

'I like you,' he thought but kept his mouth shut, pulling out a fresh pair of socks and screwed his eyes shut at the thought.

"How about sushi?" he managed instead. "It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it and practically impossible to burn."

"Oh, yes! Sushi's great, let's do that. And, um, if you want we could get the ingredients together? You know, so there's no room for any misunderstandings."

Hiccup felt his face heat up. Going Grocery-shopping together. Another thing people who were "just" dating didn't usually do.

"Y-yeah," he croaked. "Let's. I'll, uh. See you on Friday, then."

"Great, see you!" Astrid grinned audibly. "Just don't get into any danger until then."

He chuckled. "I'll be careful. Bye."

She bid her goodbye and hung up, leaving a still slightly flustered Hiccup standing in silence, mismatching socks in his other hand.

He stared down at the screen where her contact was still opened.

He'd taken the picture of her during their second date. She was grinning freely at the camera, her eyes sparkling in the low light of his living room, her freckles looking like faint paint splatters on her fair skin.

His useless heard sped up at the memory.

Slowly he set the phone down, let the socks fall and slumped back onto his bed, fisting his hands in his hair.

She was magnetizing.

And he was utterly, hopelessly captivated by her.

[yetremains]

“...”

“Well damn, alright.” Yang downed the rest of her tea quickly, before gasping for a breath as she shoved her cup away.

“Lightning round, lets go!”

chocolate: when was your first kiss?

“It was in my young teen years, 15 I think. I’d been dating that individual for a couple weeks before they abruptly decided to kiss me then and there. We’d been dancing around the subject for a while. It wasn’t spicy or romantic, merely spur of the moment. Was sweet though. The year after that we had broke up and remained friends for a while until we lost contact.”

french vanilla: how old are you?

“You shouldn’t ask someone their age when they been through shit. Too god damn old is the best answer if you must know. I’m older than 28, trust me. Don’t let looks fool you. But hey, I’m getting even older come December 25th!”

cotton candy: three places you want to travel to?

“Do places long gone count? Can I say Home? Nah probably not. So three places let’s see... Japan, China, Romania. The actual places not whatever anything makes them out to be.”

strawberry: a language you wish you could speak?

“I know a damn lot of languages actually. Sometimes it’s hard to think of the right words to say because of this, knowing so many. It’s one reason I’m so odd with my way of speaking. However, I would not mind learning some dead languages. If that doesn’t count, then... Persian?”

coffee: favorite cosmetic brands?

“Ah hell. I mean, I’m not much of a cosmetic expert here. I work with whatever I really need for a music show or for just every day. I could say L’Oreal because I’m worth it joke but that seems in bad taste. If I was using cosmetics just for the enjoyment or to look special, I just try and get whatever works for me.”

mint chocolate chip: indoors or outdoors?

“Answered this one~!”

cookie dough: do you play any instruments?

“Plenty. I’ve decided to learn a few different ones so I can mix together my own music needs of demands arise for it. But I really enjoy stringed instruments or wind instruments. I carry a small harmonica or Ryūteki in my packs.”

rocky road: favorite songs at the moment?

“Not easy to give an answer for, I’ve got a really broad taste. But I’m thinking something with a heavier beat at the moment-”

butter pecan: favorite songs for life?

“Oh come on this makes it harder. As I said, broad taste. I can find enjoyment in many kinds of music and lyrics. Can’t exactly answer a favorite song for life here.”

cheesecake: what’s your zodiac sign?

“Which zodiac are we talking here? There are a lot out there. But the first one into my head is Capricorn. I am on the 25th of December.”

toasted coconut: the beach or the pool?

“As nice as the ocean can be, fuck the ocean. I’ll enjoy the coast line just fine but you won’t catch me swimming that far out in it. There is damn good reason why I don’t like the ocean much anymore. I’ll relax in a pool or a lake or river, thank you.”

chocolate chip: what’s your most popular post?

“Good question. I’ve made a few social media posts that exploded. But that’s probably not fair considering the music I do. I think my most popular is from years ago when I spray painted a statue of a certain someone to look like a baboon.”

bubblegum: books or movies?

“Both! Why choose? I enjoy both quite a bit. and besides, Books can always be there no matter what. And can hold so much valuable information depending what you are reading.”

pistachio: manga or anime?

“... Both again? But I prefer novels. This is more a guilty pleasure.”

salted caramel: favorite movies?

“I can’t remember the last movie I watched, if I’m honest, let alone a favorite movie.”

birthday cake: favorite books?

“Hmmm. Hard one. I enjoy the collected works of Edgar Allen Poe? There is Shōgun. The Mark of Zorro, Sherlock Holmes, Bram Stoker Dracula... There’s several.”

moose tracks: favorites for manga?

“Not exactly applicable, I don’t remember the name of any I like when I was young.”

orange sherbet: favorites for anime?

“The same as above. Wow I am old... I should really get in touch with these things again.”

peanut butter: favorite academic subject?

“Hah, I loved science and history. A damn lot really. I’ve used both to really help my self along and it’s come in handy. My need for knowledge had me spend a lot of time researching.”

black raspberry: do you have any pets?

“I’ve not had any pets since I was a rookie. Never had the time to truly care for one, and now with a hectic life, I’m not gonna do that to an animal.”

mango: when and why did you start your blog?

“Suppose just to exist and have something to do between pit stops.”

mocha: ideal weather conditions?

“It is torn between two for me. A nice warm day, clear, maybe with a gentle breeze. Some clouds above, and calm. That’s the ideal outing day... But, I suppose due to my birthday, I can enjoy a soft snow coming down,some snow on the ground, watching through a window with tea in hand while bundled up and warm. Much prefer clear day though.”

black cherry: four words that describe you?

“Now that’s just not fair. Let me think... Loyal, Determined, Caring, Protective.”

neapolitan: things that stress you out?

“Being reminded of my failings and those I’ve lost... the people I’ve hurt... Thinking about friends I wish I was closer too but too fearful to be that close. Hm. I can also be stressed out by far too much stimulation for my brain at once that it can spin my gears way too quickly.”

raspberry truffle: favorite kind of music?

“Again, broad tastes. But depending on my mood or feelings, it changes what my favorite kind of music can be. But I will always enjoy something gentle and calming.”

chocolate marshmallow: favorite brands of candy?

“I’ve always been partial to chocolates, or cream items.”

toffee: a card game that you’re good at?

“Ever hear of a game called Egyptian Rat Race? Also known as Egyptian Rat Screw, dunno why of course. I learned this game when I was a kid. 52 card deck, deal to each player until the deck is entirely used and everyone has a pile face down. Starting to the left of the dealer players pull the top card off their pile and place it face-up in the middle. If the card played is a number card, the next player puts down a card, too. This continues around the table until somebody puts down a face card or an Ace. When a face card or an ace is played, the next person in the sequence must play another face card or an ace in order for play to continue.If the next person in the sequence does not play a face card or an ace within their allotted chance, the person who played the last face card or an ace wins the round and the whole pile goes to them. The winner begins the next round of play.“

lemon custard: do you eat breakfast?

“Uh... Admittedly not often. With my metabolism problem I absolutely should, considering the demanding needs. I just can’t always bring my self to do so, the will for it isn’t there. I do snack though.”

dark chocolate: turn ons?

“Ooohh boy... Now this one has me turning a bit red here. I mean there is biting and tight holds, the usual stuff. But... I’m not gonna list a lot here, a turn on can be blindfolding me if I trust my partner enough.”

fudge: turn offs?

“Being an asshole, for one.”

peach: how do you relax?

“A nice cup of tea, maybe some soft music, and let my mind unwind a little. That’s if I’m alone. Otherwise a gentle conversation with a friend about small things... Once upon a time long ago I would have said long hugs or cuddling. Not an option these days.”

praline: a popular book you haven’t read yet?

“I’ve not read The Golden Compass, that has been on my to do list.”

superman: do you like sweaters?

“Weird how this one is with sweaters... but yeah I can enjoy sweaters in the right weather. They can be soft and warm, comfy. Great for cold days.”

cherry: do you drink tea or coffee?

“I drink both actually. But if I have the option for a good tea I’m going to take it without hesitation. Yet the spark of energy from Coffee can’t be denied.”

dulce de leche: an instrument you wish you could play?

“Without a doubt, Taisho-goto. Have you seen one of those? It’s so intricate and amazing, and can sound wonderful. It can be used to play all sorts of things. Fascinates me that the item was half inspired by a typewriter.”

blackberry: have you ever laughed so hard you cried?

“Oh a few times actually. It’s been a good long while now since I’ve gone that far, but it’s come close. But once upon a time this has happened!”

ginger: a new feature you wish tumblr could have?

“To Become A Functioning Website.”

blueberry lemon: favorite blogs?

“Now that’s just kissing and telling...” (( I’d also have to tag and dont wanna spam. ))

almond: favorite mean girls quote?

“Oddly specific, but... Variations of ‘One time she punched me in the face. It was awesome.’. “

butterscotch: what color are your nails right now?

“Uh, natural and colorless? I’ve not painted my nails in a while.”

cinnamon: have you ever been confessed to?

“I have yes.”

blue moon: have you ever had a crush on someone?

“Again, yes. We’re not gonna go into this can of worms.”

cappuccino crunch: do you take naps?

“Sometimes. There comes the occasion when one does get exhausted and needs a damn nap.”

mint: the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

“Get way too flustered and accidentally admit I liked someone.”

brownie batter: do you like sushi?

“Completely! You say we’re going to get Sushi and you have my full attention.”

key lime: where do you want to be right now?

“Home unfortunately.”

red velvet: do you wear prescription glasses?

“Nope! I’m thankful for that, but one day I have no doubt that’s going to change.”

green tea: favorite flavors of ice cream?

“Mochi green tea, chocolate chip mint, red bean, Strawberry shortcake... Gelato raspberry or orange cream.”

[peiches]

“And now I’m looking at you...”

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Summary: Getting ready to celebrate an anniversary things don’t really go as planned for you and Peter.

Warnings: Minor cussing?

Words: 3.7k+

A/N: 1 year + later, soz :(, I finally got the courage to post the second part to this, Part 1: Forgotten Anniversary. I hope you guys enjoy! I’m working on part 3/ it’s finished but I just don’t know if I’ll post it or not lmao. But nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy? And if ya’ll do make sure to give it a little heart!

Part 2: Words Unsaid

“I heard yelling so I just came to see what happened?”

You groaned as you ran your hands through your hair looking around at all the clothes thrown on your bed. “I don't know what to do.”

Tony chuckled and walked up behind you to see the mess that was your room. “Well you just ditched Pepper and I to go on a date with Spiderling so—“

Rolling your eyes at that statement you turned around to face him. “I know that, I mean what am I going to wear! I just did my make-up and I look okay, I guess, and my hair won’t stay down!” You yelled as you flattened your hair down.

Frowning at that Tony placed a hand under your chin so you could look up at him. “Well your face is fine, I mean I helped make it, and your hair well just a little frizzy, which we can put something on it right? And now for what you're going to wear…” He hummed letting go of your face and looked at the clothes scattered all over your bed, finally leaning over and grabbing at something.

You looked at him quizzically. “What are you getting?”

“Where is he even taking you, bug?” Tony asked as he picked up clothes and hung them in front of you.

“Why do you ask?” You questioned crossing your arms against your chest.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “So I can take Pepper there too and make it a double date.” He laughed as you glared at him. “I’m kidding, I just don't want you to clash with the decor.”

The comment he made got your shoulders to relax a little and a small smile tugged at the end of your lips.  “Well if you must know we’re going to go eat sushi.”

“Oh well isn’t raw fish romantic?” He smiled as he kept picking up dresses and tossing them aside.

“I know!” You practically yelled clapping your hands together not picking up his teasing tone.

It went on like this for a couple of minutes; you standing there as your dad picked up dresses with you finally getting the courage to argue why you couldn’t wear certain things. When his eyes settled on a red skater dress at the bottom of the pile he grabbed it and handed it to you.

“Here wear this,” he said exasperated, “also don’t forget to take a coat just in case.” He nodded towards the grey coat that was hanging on the back of your wingback chair. You looked at the dress stunned, finally picking up the little details that would go perfect with it.

“How did you do that? At first it was just a normal dress and now it’s a five month anniversary dress.” You ran off towards the bathroom connected to your room to get ready.

Tony sat down on the edge of your bed and picked up a picture of you sitting on his shoulders as you fed him ice cream. His lip quirked up remembering that day. He set it back down and his eyes trailed to a photo-booth picture of you and Peter, just making silly faces at the camera until the last one was one of you two almost kissing.

“You’re really excited about this aren’t you bug?” He shouted, keeping his eyes on the pictures beside your bed.

There was shuffling coming from the bathroom as you answered back. “Yeah, I mean I know it’s just five months but it’s like I’ve never been with someone that long.”

There was the sound of heels clicking on the floor as you walked towards the doorway that connected the bathroom and your bedroom, “Okay so how do I look?”

Tony looked up at you, a grin plastering his face, “You look beautiful, bug.”

You smiled back and walked towards the wingback chair to sit and put on your shoes. “Thank you, now I’ll just have to get some lipstick to match.”

“Mr. Stark, Peter Parker is here.” Friday said over head.

Grabbing your coat, you sped towards the door tripping over your own feet. “I think that’s for me, thank you Friday!”

&&.

Peter was waiting near the sofa talking softly to Pepper, while Morgan napped on the other side of the couch. He heard you before he saw you because Tony was yelling after you to be careful and to put on your coat. He looked over when he saw Pepper roll her eyes and laugh at the image behind him. Tony was trying to put your coat on for you like when you were little as you were trying to fix your shoes. Finally realizing that Peter was staring, you swatted your dad’s hands away and smiled up at Peter as a blush crept over your face.

“Wow, you look, a-amazing.” Peter stuttered as he fumbled to grab your hand.

Looking down to hide the pink crawling over your face you mumbled, “Thank you, Peter.”

You both stood there for a few moments as Pepper stood up and walked towards Tony. He was attempting to not snicker at the sight in front of him, he gave the teens a few moments until he cleared his throat shaking both of you out of the trance.

Peter looked at your dad with wide eyes, “M-Mr. Stark, how are you this evening? I'm sorry I had to take her, it’s just that, w-well you know,” he said as he fixed the collar of his shirt.

Tony raised his hands to quiet him down.“It’s fine kid, just as long as you don’t keep her out too late, I still want to eat ice-cream with her when she comes home.”

“Me too,” you all heard Morgan mumble as she started getting up.

Peter cleared his throat and gave a sharp nod, “I’ll have her back by 10 sir.”

You rolled your eyes and started walking towards the couch to give Morgan a kiss on the cheek before dragging Peter towards the elevator, “I’ll be home at 11 dad.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and followed you, “Peter said 10, so you’ll be back by 10.”

“I’ll make it 11 in the morning.” You fought back as you stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take you to the main floor.

“Ohhhhh,” Morgan said attempting to hide a giggle with her hand.

He stopped the elevator door from closing and stared you down but you didn’t back out. You were your fathers daughter after all, he finally sighed and agreed, “11 is fine.”

You smirked and pressed the button to close the elevator door. “Thank you, I’ll be back later, bye daddy, bye Pepper, love you Morgana.” You and Peter waved as the doors started closing in front of you.

“Have fun!” Pepper shouted back.

&&.

Pepper kept waving until the doors completely shut. She turned to Tony and smacked his chest, looking up at him. “I didn’t think you would actually let her go.”

Tony shrugged, picked up Morgan from the couch and walked to the kitchen so he could see the menu that they were ordering from, “She’s excited and I don’t like seeing her with a frown on her face.”

Pepper saw that he was nervously tapping his fingers on the kitchen counter, not even reading the menu just staring at it, as Morgan looked and pointed at the pictures. Pepper walked behind him and reached over to grab his hand, “At least it’s with someone you know and trust, for obvious reasons,” She whispered to him.

He sighed turning around to look at Pepper, “Yeah at least it is with someone nice.”

“Too nice?” Pepper questioned with a smirk on her face.

Tony groaned and rested his head on her shoulder, “Don’t push because I will actually go after them and sit two tables behind them,” he mumbled.

“Can we?” Morgan said excitedly looking at her mom.

Pepper threw her head back and laughed at him, “She’d hate you.” Turning to Morgan she kissed the top of her head, “Don’t think so little one we have to stay here and protect daddy.”

Tony shook his head smiling and sat down the kitchen counter with his youngest daughter on his lap. “She grew up to fast huh? Why did time go by so fast?” He sighed as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand.

“Stop, I don't need to see you cry. Plus you still have one small child.” Pepper said as she starting dialing the number to the restaurant that they were ordering from.

He hummed as he grabbed the menu again to look it over, “Do you think it’s too late to convince Steve to follow them?”

Pepper mouthed no and threw a dish towel at him as he grabbed his phone.

&&.

Peter took you to a small sushi restaurant that was near Central Park. You were sat at a small table near the window, with a candle lit in the middle of it. The waiter was clearing away the plates as you thanked him and Peter ordered dessert. “Everything was so good.” You sighed and smiled at him.

He was cleaning the edge of his mouth with a napkin and looked up at you, “Really, how was the gyoza?”

“Great.”

He leaned into the table, looking at you with a serious expression. “How about the fish appetizer thing? Was it too much?”

“Just much enough.”

His eyes lit up at that comment, “Really?”

You giggled and reached over to grab his hand. “Peter, everything was perfect even the soda was good. I don't know but the soda here is far superior to the soda anywhere else.”

Peter leaned back onto his chair and gave you a smug grin. “Okay, at what point did you start making fun of me?”

“I would never make fun of you. Especially not after you ordered 4 different types of sushi for me because I couldn't decide.” You said smiling at him.

You saw him relax at that comment and leaned forward to grab your hand again. “Well you shouldn't have to decide, I think you deserve and should have anything you want.”

He started drawing circles on the back of your hand, making you sigh at his touch. “I’m just going to say it, I’m a big fan of the five month anniversary.”

“Yeah?”

You nodded, “Yup. I think there should be t-shirts and a parade.”

“I think we can work on the parade.” He replies squeezing your hand.

“You did all of this for me. Peter we could have just gone to get sandwiches, something simple.” You said shaking your head, grinning.

He scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out, “You can’t make me feel bad for spoiling you, plus we should do something special right? You don’t celebrate five months with sandwiches. Plus it’s not even over yet.”

He waggled his eyebrows, you were about to question him when a waiter came up with your dessert. “Here is some mochi ice cream, a slice of chocolate cake, and two spoons.”

“Thank you.” You both said smiling up to the waiter.

When the plate settled in between both of you, Peter handed you a spoon, “We both have to try it at the same time. Ready? Dig in.”

Both of you took big spoonfuls of the mochi and chocolate cake, and practically moaned at the taste of it, “Okay so if the date were going completely wrong, this would definitely save it, right?” Peter said around a mouthful of dessert.

Dragging the plate closer to you so he wouldn’t be able to reach, “I’m not giving you anymore at all.”

He laughed and put his spoon down, “So after we finish this, because Mr. Stark would kill me if I give you too much ice cream since this is his thing with you. We move onto phase two of the anniversary evening.”

You quirked an eyebrow at him and slid the plate back towards him, “Phase two. Sounds very official, are there space suits involved?”

“With matching helmets,” he smirked.

“Very impressive,” you nodded slightly as he leaned forward to kiss your cheek.

&&.

You really didn’t know what you were expecting as you and Peter walked hand in hand towards the docks. The sun was setting and the salty breeze was making you shiver. You were so focused on what Peter was saying that you didn’t even realize that he had stopped walking. He spun around on the balls of his feet, raising both hands gesturing to a small white boat with leather seats and fairy lights strung around it. “So there are no space suits, but I asked your dad if I could use one of his boats.”

“And he let you?” You asked, stunned at the image in front of you.

Peter stepped on the wooden platform and then promptly helped you down taking your hand, he led you both towards the boat.

“Yes but I couldn't choose one that was too comfortable or one that had a room with a bed.” He said blushing.

You rolled your eyes knowing that your dad would have definitely questioned Peter about everything, giggling to yourself. “Of course he did.”

Walking around the boat taking the heels that you had worn off, “Do you even know how to steer this thing?” You asked a little nervous as you touched the steering wheel of the boat.

“‘Course I do.” Peter answered a little too quickly for your liking, his voice cracking a little. You raised your eyebrow and looked at him questioning his response. “Okay so, I might have programmed Karen with the help of your dad and do test runs on it but it works!” He said raising his hands up in defense sitting down on the seat behind the steering wheel.

You laughed at that and sat down next to him, “Okay so a boat ride in the evening with all of New York lit up with my favorite boy. I wouldn't mind being here forever, Captain.” You said, leaning in and intertwining your fingers with his.

He turned on the boat and brought up your hand to his lips to kiss your knuckles, “Well let’s go then.”

&&.

He stopped in what felt like the middle of the ocean, you guys were far enough to where you could only hear the city noises faintly. He took the pillows that were on the seats and set them down on the floor of the boat so you both could sit down.

“Are you cold?” He asked, noticing that you were getting closer and trying to snuggle up against him.

“Just a little.” You said looking up at him.

“Well I’m glad I brought a blanket and—“ he let it drawl out as he walked towards the seats that were behind the steering wheel, lifting up the bottom of it he pulled out a blanket and a wicker basket.

“A basket?” You questioned as he came back and sat down next to you, setting the basket down in front of you.

Peter sighed and chuckled, he pulled the basket towards you, “Maybe take a look in the basket?”

Opening up the lid to the basket you saw a bottle of what looked like champagne nestled beside two champagne flutes and a clear container that had chocolate covered strawberries. You looked up at him and raised a single eyebrow,  “Chocolate strawberries and two champagne flutes?”

“It’s apple cider and if you keep digging a bit I also brought a portable dvd player.”

He handed you the blanket as he set up the dvd player in front of you both and opened the bottle of apple cider. He poured the cider into the champagne flutes as you popped open the container with the strawberries. You wrapped the blanket around you both and finally settled comfortably on the pillows.

“There we go.” Peter said as the movie started to play, wrapping his arm around you making you snuggle in closer to him.

The movie played but after a while you looked up at the stars that were shining bright above both of you. “You’re so nice for bringing me here.” You whispered at him. “And you brought pillows and a blanket, and champagne flutes.”

He looked at you giving you a lopsided smile, “I’m glad you’re impressed by the champagne flutes, I worked hard to get those.”

You smacked him on the chest because of his teasing and gestured at the boat. “I’m more impressed with you getting to use a boat with my dad’s blessing.”

He hummed at your statement and took a look around until his eyes settled back on you. “Me too, but he said complete safety so here we are.”

You giggled and rested your head in the crook of his neck. You looked at the city in front of you watching the lights of the buildings flicker.

“I love the lights, I never knew New York could be this pretty.” You said as you kept looking forward.

“You’re pretty,” he said as he gave you a smile that made the corner of his eyes crinkle.

“You’re really cheesy you know that?” You said as you turned your head to look at him.

He laughed at that and hugged you closer to him. “Yeah well, you're the only one who gets to see this.”

He leaned back on the pillows and pulled you with him until he was laying down and your head was resting on his chest. The movie was completely forgotten as you both laid there looking at the stars. The only noises that you could hear were the soft waves of the water that were crashing into the boat and the soft hum of the movie that was playing.

“It’s one of those moments right now,” you whispered breaking the peaceful silence that was enveloping you two.

“What moments?” He asked as he lazily drew circles on your back.

You pressed yourself against him wrapping the blanket tighter around you. “One of those moments where everything is so perfect and great that you almost feel nothing will be this good again.”

“So basically I’m making you sad?” He asked as he pulled you in closer to him.

“Yup.”

He chuckled and pressed a kiss on the top of your head, “You’re very weird.”

“And you’re perfect.” You muttered pressing your face into his chest.

You stayed there for a few moments cuddled together, with him trailing his fingers up and down your spine while your arms were wrapped around him.

“Little love?” He whispered so low that you barely heard him.

“Yeah?” You asked as you raised you head to look up at him.

Both of you were looking at each other as you broke into a grin. You opened your mouth to say something but he stopped you as he blurted out 3 words that you didn’t know you were ready to hear.

“I love you.” He said.

You didn’t answer, you were just staring at him your grin fading away with the ticking seconds that passed.

“Sweets?” He asked again as he propped himself up on his elbows.

“Yeah?”

He looked at you his brow furrowing, “Did you hear me?”

“Uh huh.” You replied meekly.

He frowned as he raised himself up to sit down. “Well, aren't you going to say something?”

Sitting up next to him you wrapped the blanket tighter around you, “I’m cold.” You muttered mostly to yourself looking down.

He scooted away from you and wrapped his arms around himself to block the cold, “Is that it?”

You snapped your head up, “No, it’s just… I’m surprised is all and I didn’t expect, I just don’t.”

Peter flinched at the that, finally standing up and walking to the edge of the boat, “You don’t love me,” he said exasperated.

“No I just have to process it and think about—“ you tried again, walking up to Peter.

“Think about what?” He spat when he turned around, not looking at you.

You tugged the strands of your hair behind your ear. “Well, saying I love you is a big step, and it's a really difficult thing,” you stammered.

He tugged at the collar of his shirt, pacing up and down, “Well I just did it.”

“And you did such a good job.”

He stopped at that and finally looked at you, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m sorry it just came as a surprise. I mean the dinner and the boat ride and the champagne flutes, and I just need a moment,” you said sitting down and wrapped the blanket tighter around you.

“Will you stop about the champagne flutes?” He snapped, making you flinch. “And this is not something you think about, you either feel it or you don’t.”

You could feel the tears prickling at the corners of your eyes, “Please don’t be mad,” you whispered.

“Why? Because I say I love you and you want to think about it? I'm sorry, like I am such an idiot. I don’t even know what I was thinking.” He finally settled down behind the steering wheel of the boat.

You walked up behind him and rested your hands on his shoulders tentatively, “Peter. Please it’s not that easy for me. Saying I love you means a lot and I’ve never…”

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, “Just forget it okay? I’ll bring the boat back and take you home.”

You sat next to him but it felt like you were a hundred miles apart. “Peter, tonight was amazing. It was perfect. Please just let me—“ you tried again.

He turned on the boat and shifted it into gear, “Whatever it doesn’t matter, all right?”

“Peter…”

&&.

“Why don’t we just keep ordering dinner in? That wasn’t bad at all.” Tony asked, as he was helping Pepper clean up the dishes.

Pepper sighed and reached up towards the cabinets to put dishes away, “Because this isn’t healthy, we couldn’t do this everyday.”

Tony scoffed and threw a dish towel over his shoulder, “And why the hell not? We eat ice cream everyday.”

Pepper smiled up at Tony as she wrapped her arms around his waist, “I’ve been meaning to tell you, that you two need to stop doing that.”

Before Tony could argue, he heard the elevator ding.

“Y/N!” Morgan shouted from the living room, catching both her parents attention.

Him and Pepper exchanged confused looks before he finally shouted. “Bug? Is that you?”

“Y-yeah…” you stuttered back an answer as you tried to hurry past the kitchen to the stairs.

“He actually got you back before, I’m impressed.” Tony hummed, starting to get the bowls of ice-cream out.

Pepper was about to argue with him, when she noticed that you were standing at the bottom of the stairs clutching the hand rail. “Hey bug, what’s wrong?”

“We broke up.”

Thanks for reading! 3rd part coming soon?

[chrisevansbabymama]

Daddy Hair Care - Chapter 4.1

Chapter 3

Chapter 4.1 - American Boy:

It was 9:51pm when Kayla looked up as the semi-sheer curtains on her booth were drawn open and Chris hovered above her. She locked her iPhone screen, the gadget that had served as a good distraction and company as she waited for him and Lauren. Keith and Tiffany had opted out.

After sending Chris off to his press event, Lauren retreated back to her suite a few doors down to nap, whilst Kayla went back home. She could have napped, but she used the hour to get ready for the dinner. It may or may not have had something to do with making an effort for Chris. She consulted her best friends’ Amanda and Michelle’s help, who co-signed that she should look “casually sexy,” like she wasn’t even trying to make an effort. So she settled for a no make-up, make-up look but with a bold lip. Her lips were her favourite feature. Then she wore high-waisted mom jeans that accentuated her butt (another one of her favourite features), completed with a roll-neck and satin heels.

But Chris had turned up on his own and still wearing the four-digit expensive suit from the event. He looked just as dreamy as he did when he left his suite earlier.

“Hey,” she greeted, taking him in as he slid in the booth opposite her.

His cologne wafted the small space. She breathed him in.

“Hey London,” he said and slid off his coat.

“Hollywood,” she shot back before chuckling at her nickname, “You haven’t called me that in a while,”

“I forgot I even used to call you that,” he smiled and then eyed her drink. “Have you guys ordered - where’s Lauren?”

“I thought she was coming with you?” Kayla explained, only to be met with his perplexed expression. “She told me she was running late and was going to

wait for you to come back to the hotel to change, and then you’d come together,”

“No,” he said slowly, recalling his conversation with her earlier. “I spoke to her when I was leaving the event just twenty minutes ago and she said she was already here with you,”

Even more confused by the mismatching narrative, Chris chewed on his bottom lip, deep in contemplation. This wasn’t like Lauren to lie. But she had said she was tired and wanted to spend the evening and all weekend in bed, before she came up with the plan to go out for dinner.

Kayla noticed his face change as if he suddenly had an epiphany; he shook his head in disbelief.

“What?”

“Seb,” he muttered, concluding quickly.

Kayla’s eyebrows knit together, now just as confused as he was.

“I bet she’s with him,” Chris said confidently with a nod.

But that didn’t make sense to Kayla; why wouldn’t Lauren tell Chris the truth if that was the case? And why did she lie to her and insist that she was coming out for dinner? But she shook her head, dismissing the thought. They were not best friends, so Lauren didn’t owe her an explanation about her private life; Chris perhaps, not her. And she supposed it made sense that she was lying if she was sneaking around with Seb.

But Kayla immediately had her own epiphany; that she was going to be spending the evening alone with Chris. She suddenly felt sick. Of course she’d been in his company, alone, on multiple occasions when Lauren had slipped out of the dressing room or his hotel suite to return his loaned suits, or grab a coffee.

But never like this, never in an intimate setting where she wasn’t working and had that to distract her. All of a sudden being up close to his face on a daily basis wasn’t as intimidating as this scenerio. She actually felt bad for Chris. He was the one getting the short end of the stick and now stuck with her, she bet he probably preferred to be in his suite with room service instead of this.

“Shall we call her?”

“Hmm, maybe not,” Chris replied quickly. “Probably best to leave her to it,”

“I’m sorry,”

“For what?”

“You’re stuck with me,” she shrugged, she lowered her posture. “Rain check? We can rearrange it for another time with everyone else?”

He paused, scrutinising her concernedly, “Why? You tired? I mean, I’m hungry and I could really eat so I’d prefer not to turn this down,”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you kidding? I’ve been looking forward to this since we talked about it at the hotel,” Chris reached for the menu. “You scared of being alone with me without your crutch, Lauren?”

“Oh shut up,” she huffed, her posture straightened back up without much thought.

“Just me and you London,”

And just like that, she felt normal around him again.

“How was the event?” she finally asked to break the silence as he studied the menu.

He sighed and gave her a look, that although she wasn’t Lauren - who was an expert at reading him, she understood this look: just…don’t.

“That bad?”

“I just hate those events, I knew no one. Y’just kinda stand around and mingle with a champagne in hand and pop a canapé here and there, and keep smiling for the cameras. It was a recipe for an anxiety attack,” he rolled his eyes. “I couldn’t wait to leave, at least I had this to look forward to,”

Had been looking forward to this as much as she had? Was he counting down the minutes, like she had been too?

“And as usual, every journalist was asking me about my Cap diet,” he rolled his eyes. “That’s all they know to talk about,”

“Like you’re some piece of meat,” Kayla offered to lighten up the mood, after noticing how distressed he was getting.

And it worked, he was startled at first but then a grin marked his features, letting her know that he was okay with the sparring. But that precipitated the nerves again for her; she could handle him, but usually that had been with Lauren in the audience. On her own, she felt cornered like he would see through her jokes.

“Like some piece of meat,” he echoed and then his voice went up an octave as he feigned pain in a playful voice. “I am more than my looks, I’m someone’s son and I’m a daddy,”

A daddy...she mused.

Kayla looked down to hide the smile threatening to light up her features. She needed to get out of her own head if she was going to survive this evening with him. As that realisation hit her again, coming to her in waves, her heart

thudded and she glanced at her phone. If only she could tell her friends that she was now out alone with him. But there was no way she could pick up the gadget surreptitiously and not only because it was rude, but her palms were a sweaty mess.

“I’m going to treat myself tonight, London. I’m going all out, what’s the greasiest option here?” he gave her a determined look. “Let’s give them a different variation of Cap’s body and see what they will ask me,”

“I’d recommend the tempura options if you really want to suck it to them, otherwise there’s not much grease here,” Kayla pointed out, receiving a child-like groan from the man across the table.

He grumbled, scanning the menu quickly to confirm that nothing else on there was going to satiate his appetite. The second he left the press event he had decided that it was going to be a cheat night; but he wasn’t going to find his pleasure in a sushi restaurant.  

“Wanna go somewhere else?”

“Oh no, it’s fine. I’ve already made you wait all this time-“

“It’s okay. I would love a proper meal too, since someone’s made me wait this long to eat,”

“Sorry,” Chris said sheepishly, catching the playful shot at him for making her wait.

“C��mon Hollywood,” she wiggled her eyebrows. “I know a place,”

________

“This is everything I didn’t even know I needed,” Chris groaned with a mouthful of food.

It was a short while later when the two found themselves tucked away in the back of a darkly lit unassuming Lower East Side eatery. As her go-to for comfort food, Kayla thought it was ideal spot for Chris hide away. The sushi restaurant scene was almost too similar to the crowd he had left at the magazine party; dressed up, well-heeled, mini dresses and cleavage, suits and perfume drenched guests everywhere, with sake on the drinks menu.

Despite being overdressed for this crowd, they felt more relaxed. At the eatery, there were distressed jeans, sneakers, thick layered outfits to combat the cold, and drinks on the menu with names like Freaky Friday and OMG! They Killed Henny. Chris was tickled and he’d giggled at the names for longer than they warranted.  But Kayla didn’t mind, she appreciated his sense of humour and that he didn’t take things too seriously.

“I could so eat this every day,” she told him wearing a look of adoration; happy to be eating at long last.

“I’m impressed, London. The concept always seemed bizarre to me, but this is golden,” he reached for syrup and drizzled it all over his waffles until they were swimming in the saccharine liquid.

Kayla felt all giddy at impressing Chris. She loved their little sparring matches and quips, but when he was complimentary, it gave her confidence that he took her seriously. She wasn’t just there for some comic relief.

“Is this really your first time trying chicken and waffles or are you trying to be cute?”

“Believe me, it is and I’m not proud of it,”

“Wow, I’m disappointed Evans,” she meant it.

“I don’t get out much, and I’m not allowed to eat this stuff,”

“You sound like a kid! Surely you have cheat days?”

“Usually it’s pizza, nachos, ice cream and beer. I’m a creature of habit,” he shrugged, shoving his face with another bite. “A simple guy,”

“I just thought chicken and waffles was simple? Isn’t it the most basic combo -the American equivalent to fish and chips?” she commented. “I bet you don’t cook. Do you cook?”

“Do I cook? Of course I cook,” he gave her a ridiculous look.

“Hey,” she looked at him pointedly. “I could have asked you what your Cap diet consists of,”

He deadpanned, “Yeah, touché,”

“Okay, so what do you cook, what’s your knockout meal? I gotta warn you, my standards are low,”

“I can knock a tagine out the park…pesto eggs…I make mean pesto eggs,”

“I don’t believe it,”

He shrugged, “Not really fair if I can’t prove myself without a kitchen,”

“True,”

“What’s your ‘knockout’ meal?”

“I make a good pad thai, and I bake a lot too,”

“I don’t believe it,” he mocked her with a lopsided grin. “Prove it,”

“Unlike some people,” she coughed a ‘you’ under her breath. “Some of us are normal and don’t live in hotels, so I actually can prove it,”

He looked at her, shocked at the low blow. She flinched at the expression, realising how insensitive she came across.

“Chris, I’m so sorry, that was so insensitive,”

“It was,” he pointed a look at her, but the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth put her at ease; he hadn’t taken offence. “You owe me, now you have to cook for me,”

Caught off-guard by his flirty remark, she became shy; imagining the domesticity of his proposal. It was something that had always occupied her imagines and thoughts on a few too many occasions.

Chris blushed. It was almost visible, his face had turned a soft pink hue as he also imagined it: watching her taking charge of the kitchen to cook for him. He was certain that she was a good cook. Lucky for him, the dim lighting had obscured just how bashful he was.

“I’ll help you, of course, because otherwise that’s just sexist of me to demand you to cook for me,” he corrected.

Everyone inch of Kayla’s feminist inhibition wanted to say ‘damn right,’ but the sexiness of this entire scenerio crippled her.

Patriarchy 1 - 0 Kayla.

“You seem very convinced that it’s going to happen,”

“Speaking it into existence,” he imitated her mantra with a wink that she didn’t know what to do with.

So really if she played her cards right, she could have Chris Evans in her home? And cook for him?

“We’ll see,” she said casually, but deep inside she was screaming.

“Don’t you feel sorry for me? I eat out of take out boxes, or room service. I miss a good home-cooked meal,”

“That hardly seems like a nightmare,”

“You’re lucky I’m not travelling for the Infinity War press tour. I’d love to take you with me and see how you survive out of your territory,”

To him it was a careless and empty threat, but to Kayla, she hung onto the fact that he had even considered her as an option.

“You’re just showing off because New York is your territory,” he continued.

“Hardly! London’s my territory,” she laughed at how worked up he was getting. “So what’s brought you out tonight if eating out isn’t your favourite thing to do? You’re usually one to hide away indoors?”

“Seb’s been bothering me to get out more and ‘put myself out there’ to start dating again, I kinda ignored him until my ma said the exact same thing,” he sat back. “Which clearly means that I have a boring life. If I’m not with Mya or Dodger, I’m either napping or working,”

“So your tactic to live a carefree life is to hide at the very back of a hidden restaurant, stuff your face with waffles drenched in syrup?”

“It’s a good start, baby steps,” he considered, before they both started laughing.

Kayla considered what he meant by ‘putting himself out there,’ had he been reserving himself all along? She wondered how long he’d take to make a move on her if he liked her. Then she felt ridiculous for even thinking it possible, Chris was clearly the type that made a move if he liked someone. Judging by his lifestyle and age; being a dad and all, with a career going for him, he didn’t seem like the type to waste time. He had that sexy and mature ‘I know what I want and I get what I want’ aura about him.

So why hadn’t he made his move, if he liked her as much as Lauren proposed?

“As the singles on Team Chris Evans, me and you should make a pact,” he lifted his glass and nodded at hers. She mirrored him.  “From now on, we are going to make time and put ourselves out there,”

It wasn’t a secret that she was single, but she’d never had a conversation with him for him to know that she was. Something about the way he made that assumption bothered her. Was she that unappealing that it was obvious she was single?

She didn’t call him out on his (albeit correct) assumption though, she clinked her glass against his as he made a toast to being single ‘but ready to mingle.’ Really, the playing field wasn’t levelled; if he wanted, he could be in a relationship tomorrow. He had a queue of women around the world ready to say yes to him.

But she smiled and pretended it was okay, like she knew to.

Like she always did.

Like she always had to.

Chris downed the last of his beverage and sat back again, satisfied. A food coma was imminent, so he stifled a yawn and stretched. Even then, it was a sight for Kayla, it wasn’t even the way his muscles contracted and wrestled with his dress shirt. He just looked so soft and needy. In need of a cuddle, she concluded. The man could just breathe and that was enough for her to lose her senses.

“Long day,” Kayla said sympathetically.

“Man, you have no idea,”

“Let’s get the check,”

“I don’t wanna go home, well, back to the hotel. I’ll just sleep,” he frowned.

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

He looked at her incredulously, “No! It’s a Friday night, putting myself out there and being carefree, remember?”

Kayla thought, “Okay, you can walk me home, that’ll kill sometime,”

“It’s cold,”

“Hence why we’re walking, it’ll keep us warm. I live five minutes from here,”

“That’s not really how the science works,” he stated. She gave him a blank look. He groaned, “A car is better and warm, there is heating,”

“This is so Hollywood of you, Evans. I doubt you’ll meet the woman of your dreams when you’re tucked away in the back of an Uber. Put yourself out there,” she pepped him. “What if you get cold? Carefree, remember?”

What if the woman of my dreams is already there with me? Chris smiled, failing to hide it; Kayla thought her pep-talk was resonating with him.

Chris resigned, “This is so London of you. You’re used to your crappy weather, you can shoulder the cold,”

“You’re so Hollywood, I’m in heels and I’m not complaining,” she pierced her eyes at him. “But you’re all, ‘I’m Chris, I’m from LA where it’s always hot, and I don’t walk anywhere because I have personal chauffeurs-“

“Fine, we are going to walk,” he said determined to show how normal he was.

“Before we go,” she bit her bottom lip nervously, realising he wasn’t putting up a fight anymore. “I kinda lied, it’s more like a fifteen minute walk,”

“Okay, if I’m bearing the cold to get you home, you’re cooking for me next time. I mean that,”

“Deal, and relax, it’s not even that cold,”

Chapter 4.2

_________

Disclaimer: Gif Not My Own

Tags:  @mississippifangirl​ @thinemineours @tessathedragon @thottio​ @caninoona @eratotalles @allonszassbutt @thinemineours @dreamingwithmendes @void-imaginations​ @daybreak96​ @l-auteuse​ @cliffordasparagus @bumber-car-s @lvlyab @melaninmarvel @milkymil-k

[lynseymoon]

ok, since so many people liked my last one, here's another (slightly longer/more personal) nez story. this is probably my favorite (just because it's so quintessentially nez), but i've only ever told it to a couple people. anyway, it's a fun one:

so back in 2011 (i had to actually check my emails, which i still have saved)-- nez emails me randomly to tell me he's going to be out my way. i immediately start freaking out (this is when i was still somewhat in starstruck mode), and send him a message back, asking if he'd like to get together. i hear nothing until a few days later, when he messages me FROM A LOCAL SUSHI BAR, and asks if i wanted to come meet him RIGHT NOW. i was working at a coffee shop at the time, and i literally dropped my apron and ran out the door to go home and change before heading out. i can't believe they didn't fire me-- but who could blame me??

anyway, i get to the sushi bar, and they're closing up, so he suggests going back to the restaurant in his hotel to have ice cream instead. ok, sure. so, we get into my car, and between me and my terrible sense of direction, and him, an out-of-towner, we have no idea how to get there. he starts trying to tell his gps where to go, but it can't understand his accent. he keeps trying, yelling the name of the hotel at his phone with his drawl, all the while the two of us are getting more hysterical every time it says "i'm sorry, i didn't get that". eventually he gives up and types it in. then, instead of letting the gps voice guide me, he decides to just look at his phone and randomly shout "TURN HERE" at me, whenever i needed to turn. naturally, 24-year-old me was totally not stressed about this at all. nope. cool as a cucumber.

ANYWAY, we make it to the restaurant alive, and sit down. we talk videoranch and music stuff for a bit, while nez carefully arranges the silverware into different shapes and patterns-- as one does. eventually, the waitress approaches, and i order a scoop of ice cream. nez, on the other hand, goes all 5 easy pieces. the following conversation takes place between nez and the waitress:

"do you have ice cream sundaes?"

"no, sorry, we don't"

"but you have ice cream, right?"

"right"

"and fudge sauce?"

"i believe we do"

"what about nuts?"

"um..."

"cherries?"

"i..."

"i would really love an ice cream sundae."

"i'll see what i can do"

and with that, she walked off, probably wondering who the heck this guy thought he was, to be making such a bizarre special request. still, she was very accommodating, and handled it surprisingly well!

not long after that exchange, our treats arrive, and y'all, nez's childlike excitement when they brought over that dessert was unforgettable. he looked like he was just given an award for best person to ever order a nonexistent sundae. we continue chatting as we dig in, but nez starts to get this confused look on his face as he eats.

"i don't think this is a sundae."

"no?" i ask, wondering what kind of ingredients the kitchen had to cobble together to make a 'sundae'. he takes another couple of bites.

"lynsey, this is a brownie!"

"it is?"

"it's a brownie with ice cream on it. taste that and tell me it's not a brownie with ice cream on it."

i taste it.

"yeah, that is a brownie with ice cream on it"

"how do they think that qualifies as a sundae??"

"well, to be fair, they probably made it just for you, maybe it was the best they could do on short notice"

"well then i guess i should be grateful! it is good."

we laugh about The Sundae Incident, and finish up, sitting to chat a while longer. back then, nez and his team were about to do a huge overhaul on vr3d, and he wanted my input on a few things. it felt validating to know that he valued my opinion on these matters, and to see that he cared about the future of vr. it was nice to have him as a friend. he was very easy to talk to.

on my way home, i realized that i never once asked him for a photo, or anything else weird that i might've asked him for in a different situation. by this time, we'd "known" each other for several years, but i had never met him in person. that night, he wasn't 'Mike Nesmith', or my boss, he was just nez, my friend, and we were having ice cream. it's still one of my favorite memories to this day, and i am really grateful that i got to have that experience.

[magmasliveblogs]

1.12

aaaaaaaaaaand im back with the 14th chapter! irl stuff is semi dealt with so i have time for the three updates! to recap: last chapter was an interlude, where we discovered erin was summoned as part of some ritual to summon heroes. only one group was actually summoned to the ritual site, with the rest being summoned across the world. to recap the last actual chapter, erin saved pisces from execution by withdrawing her testimony of him being a [necromancer] 

Erin woke up. Generally this was an ordeal. Today however, it was fairly easy. Because the real ordeal would come later.

Such as right after breakfast. Erin stared glumly at the three shriveled blue fruits on her plate. She bit the first experimentally and chewed. And chewed. And chewed.

“Rubbery.”

It was incredibly difficult to chew the fruits. The skin on these ones were so tough to bite into, it did remind Erin of eating rubber. Not that she’d ever done that since she was a baby.

Plus, they’d lost their delicious juices and tasted—well, flat. There was no sweetness left in them, and they were quite, quite unappetizing when you put all these qualities together. But Erin ate them, mainly because she had nothing left to eat.

“I’m in trouble. Yup, yup.”

It wasn’t that she was out of blue fruits. There were plenty—well, some—still ready to be harvested from the orchard. But they, like all food, were in limited supply. Besides, the issue wasn’t that. It was her guests.

“Who’d want to eat blue fruits all day? Raise your hand if that sounds like fun.”

Erin didn’t raise her hand. Granted, they were tasty and made a good fruit drink, but when you got down to it, they were still just fruits.

“And I want food. Real food. Not fruit. I want bread! I want pasta! I want pizza and soda and salad and ice cream—actually forget the ice cream. I need meat. Or fish that doesn’t bite back! I want sushi, cheeseburgers and fries, toast, waffles…cereal…”

Erin pressed her hands to her rumbling stomach and tried not to cry.

“Even instant ramen would be nice. Is that too much to ask?”

It was. She knew that. But just thinking about the food made her tear up a bit. She could handle Goblins. She could deal with rude Necromancers and fight off evil rock-crabs. She could even handle giant fish that tried to nibble on her when she took a bath. But she wanted food.

“Plus, I need to feed my guests.”

Erin nodded. The math was simple. No food = no guests = no money = starvation. But the little flaw in the equation was that in order to get the food, she’d need to spend the money. And she had no way of doing that.

“Unless I go to the city.” 

finally! we are going to the city! its been so long since she initially noticed it! 

Now, that was a thought. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thought, but it was the only option she had available. The city. Erin went to the window. Relc had shown her where it was…

“There.”

Erin stared at the small buildings in the distance. It looked far. But then, everything looked far around here. And the city would have things. Like food. And clothing. And toothbrushes. Still, Erin didn’t want to go.

“It’s far. But I have to go. Maybe? Yes…no. No? Yes. I need food. And I need to feed my guests. It’s my duty as an innkeeper.”

She paused and thought about that last statement. Erin collapsed into a chair and cradled her head in her hands.

“Am I an innkeeper? Is that what this world is doing to me?”

Maybe. It was probably the [Innkeeper] class.

“Soon I’ll grow a huge beer belly and start hauling around kegs of ale. That’s what innkeepers do, right?”

She didn’t actually know. It wasn’t as if she’d ever paid that much attention to medieval history, at least the parts that were actually history.

“They never mentioned innkeepers in the legend of King Arthur. Or did they?”

There was no Google to help her so Erin abandoned that train of thought. Really, she was distracting herself. The problem she was facing was simple.

“To go to the city or not, that is the question. Actually, there’s no question. I need to go to the city. I need to go…shopping.”

Shopping. It would be a lot more appealing if she wasn’t trying to buy things to survive. But it had to be done. She knew it.

Still. Erin really, really didn’t like that idea. She liked people, she really did. But she had a negative reaction to A: leaving her safe inn, and B: travelling to a far off city probably full of giant lizards and insects that walked on two feet.

erin. its the difference between being uncomfortable and being dead. i know that being alive is much better than being dead 

Glumly, she stared at the three sticky blue fruit cores on her plate. She walked outside and threw them as far as she could. The juices left her hands feeling unpleasantly sticky, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.

“Guess I’ve gotta go to the stream. Who knew washing your hands was so much work?”

Erin grumbled as she wiped her hand on her jeans. Then she paused. And looked down.

Her jeans were blue. The blue fruit juice was blue. But against all odds, the blue stain still showed up quite visibly on her clothing. Or rather, the blue fruit stains. And they weren’t just on her pants.

Erin’s shirt was a nice, commercial t-shirt with a lovely company logo on the front and back. Really, she wasn’t that attached to it, but it was perfect to wear when she was just staying at home. It wasn’t her choice of clothing.

…Which was good, because Erin would have cried if she’d inflicted the same damage on a t-shirt she really liked. She gazed down at the blue stains covering her shirt. She poked at the rips and cuts on the sleeves and the burn marks on one side. She lifted the shirt, sniffed once, and gagged.

For the first time Erin felt at her hair. She raised a hand and smelled her breath. She thought about the last time she’d brushed her teeth, taken a bath, or even used soap. Then she tried to shut down her mind.

“Well, that settles that. I’m off to the city.”

good that we are finally going, but i do find it kinda funny that its her hygiene thats the last straw 

Erin walked through the grass. She wished there was a nice road to follow, but for some reason no one bothered to pave a road through the empty wilderness. Come to that, she wondered again why anyone would build an inn in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe there used to be more people in the area. Or maybe there was just an idiot who thought he was breaking into an untapped market. Either way, Erin was grateful for the inn.

“But why does it have to be so far away from anything?”

Erin walked down the slope. At least there was that. The inn was located on an incline. Not a steep hill, but a really long slope that gradually went down the more she walked. It was nice, until Erin looked back and realized she’d be climbing up all that way again soon.

“Wow. That’s a big hill.”

She stared for a while and kept walking. Relc and Klbkch had called the journey to the city a walk of about twenty minutes.

“They lied to me.”

Or maybe they just walked really fast. Erin could actually see the city Klbkch had called Liscor in the distance. It was still small, but given how close it seemed now compared to before and multiplying her velocity by her legs and given energy divided by her willingness to keep walking…

“Thirty minutes. No; probably an hour. Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Erin sighed. But exercise was good for her, right? It built character. Or something.

perhaps the guards have movement/speed related skills? or are they just taller/have longer strides 

“So, what do I need?”

She took a quick inventory check. Her coins were securely packed into the bottom of one pocket. They were heavy. She had her clothes on, which was important, and she looked like…well, like a homeless person. But she had money. So what should she buy with it?

“Um. Clothing. Right. And soap. And a toothbrush, if they have toothbrushes. And toothpaste…which they probably don’t have. But something. And I need food obviously, soap, towels, laundry deter—more soap, and a comb.”

Erin walked a few more feet.

“And a sword. I need a sword. And a shield? And armor? And uh, anti-Goblin spray? Oh, and books! Tons of books. Maps, history books…can I read any of that? Well, Relc and Klbkch speak English. So that’s weird too. And I need bandages, a sewing needle, someone to teach me how to sew…”

Erin felt at her pocket. The coins jingled. She wished there were more to jingle.

“And I need to rob a bank.”

Okay. Erin retraced her thoughts.

“What’s essential?”

She counted off on her fingers.

“Clothing. Food. Toothbrush. Soap. And a lamp.”

She snapped her fingers.

“Right. A lamp! And a sword.”

She felt at her pocket.

“…Just the lamp.”

you are not rich erin, you cant afford a sword and all that stuff.  

Flat grass, flat grass, all I see is flat grass.”

Erin sang as she walked. She wasn’t sure if there was a tune, but at least the singing kept her company.

“Horses eat grass, but I’ll pass, so I’ll go to the city fast. Or I’ll die of starvation! And once I’m there I’ll eat ten pears and—hey, is that a Goblin?”

Erin turned her head suddenly and the small head ducked down. She squinted. Yes, that was definitely a Goblin. It was hiding up on a small hill to her left, but she knew it was still there. Watching her.

Well. She was being followed. Erin wasn’t sure what to make of that. She looked around and two more heads disappeared as their owners dove for cover. They didn’t look like they were trying to ambush her, just follow her.

“Hm.”

Erin bent down and searched the grass. Eventually she found what she was looking for. She waited until one of the Goblins decided she’d forgotten about them and poked his head up again. Then she turned and shouted.

“Shoo!”

Erin hurled the rock. It missed the Goblin’s head. And the hill. But the green midget took the hint and disappeared in an instant. Erin sighed to herself.

“Great. They’re like cockroaches. Evil, giant, green cockroaches. With teeth. And sharp knives. And red eyes.”

She wondered what she should do. Then she thought about what she could actually do.

Erin kept walking.

The city kept getting larger the further she walked. She felt at some point it should stop getting bigger, but soon the buildings loomed in her vision. They were no skyscrapers, but they were taller than she felt medieval buildings should be. But the city was still far away. So she walked.

And she was being watched. Multiple pairs of eyes stared at the young woman as she walked through the grass. They watched her for signs of weakness, for things that could be exploited. She was watched. Occasionally she turned around and threw a stone.

goblins! goblins are watching! 

When Erin got to the city gates she stared up for a while.

“That’s a big wall.”

It was a big understatement. The wall was high. And that was high even by wall standards. It was nearly forty feet tall, which Erin had no way of knowing was perfectly normal for a wall. She had no way of knowing it was forty feet tall either. She just thought it was big.

But what was unusual about this particular wall, and what Erin did notice was the way the gate was constructed. It was no iron grating of a portcullis with handy holes to shoot and poke at enemies, but two solid metal doors. Erin wondered why, as the gates looked solid and hard to budge. They were, and for a reason. But she didn’t find out that reason until much later.

hmm, large plains, solid doors, everything is built on hills. does this area flood often? 

Erin approached the gate. There wasn’t really anyone else going through at the moment, so she felt very alone and small as she walked up to them. She stopped when she saw the guard.

He was big. He was armored. He was also a Drake, and he had yellow scales rather than green ones. Pale yellow, so Erin was reminded of popcorn. He also had a curved sword, and so it was with trepidation that she approached.

“…Hi.”

The Drake flicked his eyes down towards Erin and then resumed looking off into the distance. He was holding a spear at his side and a metal buckler on his left arm. Since he wasn’t using either to bash her to death, Erin considered this to be a good first start.

“Um. Nice weather, isn’t it?”

Again, the guard glanced at her. Again, he didn’t respond.

“…Right. It’s just that I’m new here. And I’m Human. Nice to meet you. My name is Erin. I uh, know another guy who works with you. Relc? And Klb…Klb…the insect guy? So yeah. They know me. I’m no threat. And uh, I saw some Goblins running around a while back. They’re not here right now, but I felt you should know.”

The Drake sighed audibly. And loudly.

just, ugh. i would normally skip this interaction because i dont like awkward scenes like this, but its very short 

“Go on in, Human. Anyone can enter the city.”

“Right. Thanks. Uh, have a nice day!”

Erin smiled. He didn’t smile back.

“I’ll just be going. Now.”

She walked past the guard. As she walked through the iron gates she heard him mutter under his breath.

“Humans.”

see? 

Erin’s smile froze a bit on her face but she kept walking as if she’d heard nothing. Everyone was grumpy when they had to stand and deal with obnoxious tourists. And besides, he was just a guard. She walked through the imposing gates into the city. And then she had to stop.

Because she had entered Liscor. A city of the fiery Drakes, built with the help of the industrious Antinium. Home to the prideful Gnolls and the occasional Beastkin, not to be confused with one another. Visited by many races, home to countless more. And now entering—

One human.

oo gnolls! that means dog/hyena people, yes? also beast kin! this probably mean other animal people. 

also, this is the end of the chapter! will erin experience a good bit of racism? is there a reason humans arent that common in the area? are these plains flood plains? 

see you on the next post! ive got to eat so after that i shall post the next two chapters 

[catrectorauthor]

The Immersion Tactic: Because we can’t stop telling people how to write

The writing process. You know, that thing that people want to tell you how to do properly. I’ve got some opinions. 

First and foremost, I'm no gatekeeper. I'm not here to tell you what is or isn't allowed, or what disqualifies you from the title of "serious author". I don't believe in cookie-cutter methods or elitism. I do believe in offering up information to others to do as they please with it, in order to help other writers find their way out of the dark woods that can be the writing process.

So. Let’s begin. As indicated by the title, my process has been immersion. Now wait, I'm not talking moving to France to bury yourself in croissants and macaroons. I'm talking diving in so deep that you're living your work during the majority of your free time. I'm talking about absorbing ideas and information while you're not actively working on your project, whether by watching a movie to study dialogue or by listening to a deeply moving love song to get in touch with your MC’s feelings. Writing is exhausting. Sometimes you need a break. But you can also choose to use your downtime in ways that benefit the work. 

If this seems an interesting theory, read on. It's worked for me, but it won't work for everyone. Maybe you'll steal a single item and leave the rest where it lies. I'm not here to judge; I'm here to build you up. Let me know if anything works for you. Here we go:

Sit in windows, on balconies, in gardens, at cafes, and on buses, and just stare into the abyss: You know when you lie down to sleep and then an amazing idea comes to you, and it's such inconvenient timing? It's not coincidence. You've finally stopped moving and thinking long enough to let ideas flow. Actively make time for this type of creativity by being idle. Leverage the still moments in your day to daydream about your story, even if you've completely zoned out at lunch and your whole table thinks you’re dead. 

Make a playlist: I have two playlists. I have one without English lyrics, so that I can tune out the world and focus on my task, and one with English lyrics. The second is a tool I use to immerse myself in my scenes and characters. I listen to it in the shower, on the bus, and while I'm doing the dishes. It forces me to remember the scene or character it references, and usually drives my motivation to write. Use this to keep your characters sitting on your shoulders at all times. 

Play video games: Yeah you heard me. While working on this project, I played God of War 4, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Northgard, Jotun, and a handful of other Norse/Viking themed games. They’ll never provide you with pure fact, but I learned to ask questions about the information they provided, to look up things they presented me with, and to study the contents for details I could use, like mood or setting. I didn't even know about Valravn until I play Hellblade, so I have no regrets. But don't be stupid. Horror games are perfect for brainstorming horror stories, dystopian  games for distopian worlds, etc. But I'm not dumb eh. You have no excuses to play Call of Duty if you're writing an Italian romance.

Watch TV: This depends on your subject matter. For me, I only watched Vikings. The takeaway is the same as playing games. Watch the thing, ask questions, look for facts. Study the content while you’re unwinding with ice cream and a bag of chips. Learn to identify tropes, try to guess where plots will twist and how, and then use those lessons to avoid being predictable. TV and movies are also the kings of dialogue, so pay attention. I learned a lot from watching Buffy on repeat, and recommend it to anyone.

Research with books: If you're not reading as research, you’ve missed a critical part of the reading books things. However, research isn't limited to looking up which era the T-Rex lived in. Read to study style, nuance, and flow. I started rereading the Kingkiller Chronicles because I wanted to learn from Rothfuss' writing style. No don’t argue with me. That man is a God.  

Make a Pinterest Board (or 20): How do you research ancient clothing, jewelry, and building types when your budget won't let you fly to Iceland for a month? Fucking Pinterest. Members of pagan communities who craft and wear period clothing have saved my life. Photo references of people, places, and things are key to any piece of research. Pin the shit out of things and then reference them for the rest of your days.  Go to a museum: Writing a book that takes place in ancient Egypt? Go get face to face with some mummies. Learn what you can while getting some air for once, and use the opportunity to talk out some of your ideas with your museum buddy. This applies to anything. Scout out cafes for scenes you're writing, go to fantasy festivals to drink mead and make offerings to Gods, check out a botanical garden and take notes, whatever floats your literary boat. Your body will thank you for leaving the house, and you won’t forget the experience. 

Go to writing meetings and don't actually write: Commiserating about the process might have been the only thing that kept me from crawling under a rock. Can't fix that plot hole? That's okay, these people know how you feel. Stuck on a section? They have some suggestions for you. Looking for research books? Somehow they have the perfect title for you. Sometimes you need a stiff drink and a chat to get back to work. (But for christ sake, don't be that guy who talks through work time. If everyone is feeling like chatting, fine. That's a group decision. Don’t be the asshat that distracts everyone else.)

Scribble down side stories: Sometimes something doesn’t fit the plot, but fits the world. It doesn't mean you shouldn't write it. It may help flesh out your current story. Keep a side folder for these and have fun writing them when you can't stand your story anymore. Cook and eat the food from your world: Good in the kitchen? Try making that exquisite meal you wrote into chapter 12. Remind yourself what sushi tastes like before you have to describe what it tastes like. Really want to go the extra mile? Learn to fish, make a fire and cook it yourself. IMMERSION. Sketch: If you have a talent for art, draw your characters. Draw their outfits, their jewelry, their pets. I did this a bit, but it turns out I'm out of practice and was more apt to throw the pencil through the window. Either way, it will help you visualize outfits, hairstyles, and will let you watch a fucking movie while you do it. Actually write the damn book: Naturally this is the most important part. You can’t get around it. You have to put in the time. I've done all of the above, but I've also stuck in hundreds and hundreds of hours of writing for this one story. And it can be hard to do the writing, I know that. But that’s what you’re here for, so when you’re done with the creative outlet, channel it into the writing. 

Now I hear the skeptics. These are all just distractions, you could just be writing! Listen, no one is saying don’t write. And you may be the type who can just sit and write, but not everyone is, and certainly not 24/7. All brains work differently. The conversation also conveniently ignores minds that function in other ways. Perhaps someone on the autism spectrum has another process than someone with synesthesia, or someone who’s neurotypical.  

Follow the path that takes you to the story. That path has more twists for some people than others. Put in the work, and do it how you need to do it. If you're worried about procrastinating because of all these side quests, give yourself guidelines and boundaries. Set yourself achievable goals that will bring you back to the work.

I’ve tried to have fun with my creative process, because that suits who I am, but it doesn’t make me less serious about the work I’m doing. Ask the people who haven’t seen me in a year if I’m committed to the work. The story will be written. It will be published come Hel or high water. I’m just doing it my way. 

TLDR; Don't let other people tell you how to be fucking creative.

[silver-ninja-of-the-tides]

Silver and Gold 4--Not Just a Tournament

Chapter 3--Together Again?

Summary

Fractured once, then fractured again. Four of the heroes of Ninjago have hung up their ninja gear and vainly started anew. And they’ve convinced themselves that they’re not going back.

But as Lloyd and Janet try to piece their team back together, a mysterious invitation to a massive tournament tells them that Zane is alive.

Bonds will be tested. Suspicions of everything they know and don’t know will arise. It all goes down at the Tournament of Elements.

(First chapter)

Kai’s POV

“There’s only one Master Chen’s, Ninjago’s number one noodle house!”

I looked up at the moving sign with hands on my hips. I better not regret going in here.

Walking inside, the color scheme strangely reminded me of an ice cream shop. Booths were lined up next to a conveyor belt filled with several different kinds of dishes. The carnival-esque music continued through the speakers inside, and lanterns hung from the ceiling. To top everything off, the place was practically full here.

“Kai! Back here!” Lloyd called, waving me down.

I walked over to him only to find him not without company. “Jay? Cole? Des?”

Cole faced the conveyor belt with disgust. “Ha. You too?”

“Spike,” Des snapped, leaning back with arms crossed.

“The runt tricked us all, and I can’t believe you went along with him!” Jay spat.

“You’ll thank us later,” Janet replied.

I was about to reach for a plate of sushi when Lloyd gently stopped my hand.

“We talk first, then eat,” he stated.

Reluctantly I sat down after Janet moved her chair.

“Ugh, trust me. Do you what kind of restraint I’ve had to have staring at all this noodle goodness?” Cole questioned with irritation. “You’re late!”

“Only you, Cole,” Des muttered, earning a kick from Janet.

“Heh. Got that right,” Jay agreed. “Ow!” The smell of smoke briefly filled the air as Janet threateningly raised her eyebrows.

“Make it quick,” I droned.

“I know without Zane things have been different but . . . we have to move on,” Lloyd explained. “The reason we brought you all here is because . . . maybeee we should add someone new to our team.”

Des slammed her fist on the extra table as she said, “Are you kidding me?!”

“A new Ninja?” I asked.

“Are you crazy?!” Jay barked.

“Come on! Zane’s irreplaceable!” Cole argued.

“Just listen,” Janet said, exasperated.

“I care for him, too, but now it’s time to care about this team,” Lloyd tried to persuade.

“Maybe without Zane, there is no team,” I retorted. Both tables instantly went silent. If he’s not here, then there’s no point in having a team.

“Hoh, don’t look now, but we’ve got trouble,” Jay said lowly.

I turned to see a group of what looked to be bikers shoving aside people ordering food. With one look from the leader, the cashier hastily handed them all the money in the cash register. But they still wanted more.

My temper threatened to break, and I vainly put my focus on the table.

But with the old man out of money, the thugs slammed him into the conveyor belt.

Cole looked over his shoulder. “All right. Now they’re our problem.”

The six of us got up and marched right over to them.

“Excuse me. It’s not polite to touch someone else’s food.”

“I’d listen to him if I were you,” I cautioned. “He’s no fun to be around when he’s hangry.”

A thug with a mohawk attempted to punch him only for Cole to easily catch it with chopsticks. He teased the guy, and this time Cole caught a kick. He avoided another punch before stuffing his chopsticks into the guy’s mouth. Now it’s my turn.

I hopped onto a spot by the conveyor belt, and the belt sped up moments later. Using my surroundings, I kicked dish after dish at the thugs’ faces.

“All right, I admit it. We make a good team.”

"Told you you'd thank us later," Janet said.

Both Cole and I worked together to occupy the trio, and he managed to catch a piece of food in mid-air before popping it into his mouth.

“You haven’t changed, have you, Cole?” Des teased as he caught a shrimp.

“Everything’s better on a full stomach!” he commented contently.

Mohawk managed to punch a plate away before Cole could grab another bite.

“Hey! I was gonna eat that!” He tossed the guy onto the belt as I was marvelously dealing with the other two.

I kicked Purple Hat back just in time to have White Hat tumble into him. And that makes three.

With the job done, I flipped back to my exact spot, sneaking in a wink at Des. Even though I got an eye roll, I still got a smile out of her.

“How can you walk away from this?” Lloyd asked.

A mother smacked the downed thugs with a plate before they tumbled over the edge. But right before they left, Mohawk raised his eyebrows challengingly.

“Did he just . . . ?” Janet started.

“Oh he did,” Des answered.

“Let’s get ‘em, guys!” Cole exclaimed.

We followed them out the back, but there was nothing but a dumpster and scattered boxes.

“Where did they go?” I asked.

“They must’ve hit the roofs,” Des spat.

I glanced up to a slanted roof, but candlelight instantly stole my attention away.

The six of us went to investigate a poster overlooking a table with two candles and a plate of fortune cookies, incense acting as a “nice touch.”

“What’s this?” Lloyd asked.

“It’s Zane . . .” I managed to get out.

“What does it say?” Cole asked.

Lloyd stepped forward to gently pull the poster from the dagger. “It says . . . he’s alive.”

The rest of us gasped.

“How is that even . . .” Des started.

“I don’t think those thugs were delivering a message to the noodle house,” I concluded. “I think they were delivering a message to us.”

Janet’s POV

“Woah what do mean it says ‘he’s alive’?” Jay asked.

“Hey I’m just telling you what it says,” Lloyd justified.

“Why would those thugs lead us here?” Kai asked. Asking the big questions, aren’t we?

“Y’know, this has to be some cruel joke,” Cole argued. “And I’m not laughing.”

“Neither am I,” Des said, her voice laced with suspicion.

“Look! I think this was meant for us, too,” Lloyd said. He gestured to the plate of confections.

Jay took one. “Fortune cookies? Very peculiar.”

“Should we?”

“We could just open them,” I suggested.

“I’m not eating one,” Des said.

Without hesitation, Cole ate his cookie in one bite.

“But he is.”

“Uh, you do realize there’s a fortune inside, right?” Kai asked.

“Ohhh so that’s why they’re called that,” Cole said after swallowing.

“Listen to this. ‘Master Chen has personally invited you to participate in his Tournament of Elements,’ ” Lloyd read.

“Wait a minute! Are you saying that Mr. Chen, the same guy filling my belly with delicious goodness, is actually Master Chen?”

“Wait there’s more,” Des said.

“ ‘Secrecy is of the utmost importance,’ ” Kai continued. “ ‘Tell no one or suffer the consequences.’ ”

“Aaaand there’s the red flag,” I said.

“ ‘If you ever want to see your friend again, meet on the pier at midnight and leave your weapons behind,’ ” Jay read.

“And red flag number two.”

As if to prove my point, Jay’s note literally poofed away, followed by mine, Kai’s, Des’s, and Lloyd’s. Then all of us turned to Cole.

He yelped with a hop but still managed to burp. “Ahhh. At least I know I was invited.”

We all burst into laughter. See, this is the team we’ve always been. And it’s staying like that whether destiny likes it or not.

“This is really suspicious,” I commented.

“You don’t think . . .” Lloyd trailed off.

“It could be a trap, a lie to lure us in,” Kai finished.

“Yeah but what if it’s not?” Jay argued. “What if Zane’s alive?”

We all gave each other looks.

“ ‘The Tournament of Elements . . .’ ” Lloyd read. “I’m starting to think this ‘Master Chen’ makes more than noodles.”

“We need to take this opportunity,” Des concluded.

“And you can forget bringing in a new Ninja, Lloyd. Let’s go see about an old one,” Kai said.

Lloyd’s POV

All right. The others have probably headed out by now. I don’t wanna be late when our ride is there. Unless there really isn’t a ride to go on . . .

I was about to grab a sword when I stopped.

“Leave your weapons behind.”  We’ll be fine. And besides, at least we have our powers, right?

Knocking was heard on my door before Dad slid it open. “I was just on my way to help Nya and Wu restore the Bounty. Even Ryan and Blake are pitching in. Along with Emma, of course. Would you like to join? Guess you could say it’s all hands on deck.” Very funny, Dad.

“Uhhh sorry, the guys and I are going fishing. Janet and Des are coming, too. Team building exercise.”

“Hmm. Good to hear the team’s back together.” Wow. He actually bought it. But I wonder . . .

“Dad, our elemental power—are there others out there with powers like us?”

There was a flash of skepticism in his eyes. “Why would you ask?”

“No reason. Eh it was just on my mind.” I grabbed my bag to head out. “See ya. Early bird catches the worm!"

Something’s going on in my dad’s head, but whatever it is, it can wait. I have a tournament to get to.

From the pier, a horn was blown twice, and I could spot the others already over there, each in a different version of their suits. We’re gonna seem pretty out of place here.

Jay scoffed. “I told you we shouldn’t have worn them!”

“We’ll be fine,” Janet said, sporting her black suit.

“The Tournament of Elements,” Kai said. “You think all of them have powers like us?”

“When I asked my dad about it, he got really suspicious,” I said, “like there’s something he’s keeping from me.”

“He probably is,” Des commented, wearing her first silver suit.

“The fortune cookie said tell no one or else there’d be consequences,” Cole stated.

“Relax. We’re cool,” I reassured.

Through the fog, we could see a steamboat arriving at the pier. After it slowed to a halt, a plank was placed down. With hands held behind him, a man whose hair was tied back stepped onto the dock to greet us and the other competitors. Everyone then began to move single file.

“We don’t know yet if this is a trap. Wherever they take us we have to stick together.”

“Watch your step, madam,” the man up ahead cautioned. A girl with an orange hood looked over her shoulder at us, and Kai couldn’t help himself from melting at her smile. He even sighed!

“We can’t let anything distract us. You hear me, Kai?”

“Huh? Uh y-yeah, uh got it. Whatever you said,” he replied, still smitten. From the corner of my eye Des was narrowing her eyes at him. This isn’t going to go well.

“Master Chen will be charmed to see you’ve accepted his offer,” the man greeted. His tone wasn’t what you’d call sly, but something . . . else. “A Master of Spinjitzu shall fare favorably in his tournament.”

“Hey, we’re not here to fight,” Jay corrected. “We’re here to save a friend.”

“Mmm don’t be so petty, Master Jay.” He then pulled out a hidden pair of Jay’s nunchucks. “Everyone here has something to fight for.”

“Chopsticks. I’m a big eater, heh heh.”

The man then tossed the nunchucks into the water with an almost challenging gleam in his eyes. With his hand, he gestured for us to board with a smile.

[Janet's side of the mental communication will be in bold quotations. Same thing goes for Lloyd in Janet's POV.]

"No turning back now."

I know. But we’re in this together.

“Lloyd, wait!”

I turned to see my dad walking after me.

“If you get on that boat, you may never return!”

“What are you doing here, Dad?”

“Master Chen is a dangerous man who should never be trusted! Whatever he promised you do not believe him.”

“Lord Garmadon,” the man welcomed. “It’s been a while.”

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?"

Probably.

(First chapter) (Next chapter) (Previous chapter)

[misskieshakate]

The Stars And The Sea As My Witness

@shancefluffweek day 2: Sea/Stars 

 Oh gosh I hope you guys like this one. Happy second day of the Shance week everybody!

Shiro thought that Lance was acting strange. ‘Not the pretend we’re mermaids and not wear pants for the whole day’ kind of strange- although seeing Lance’s perky bottom in tight boxer shorts was amusing- but it’s Lance 'pulling out chairs for him’ kind of strange. 

Shiro appreciated the gesture, really he did, but Lance was beginning to freak him out. It started this morning when Lance was the first to wake up. Normally, Shiro was the first one to wake up, make coffee, and have his morning jog. But this morning, Shiro was greeted with the smell of brewed coffee. Lance waited for him in their kitchen, a mug of coffee ready and a muffin for him to eat along the way.

Shiro thought it was sweet for Lance to forego his eight hours of beauty sleep just to make him coffee in the morning. And then things went even weirder as the day progressed.

Lance made him breakfast, showered with him, even picked his clothes! Shiro gave him a questioning look as Lance straightened his tie, “You’re being unusually sweet today. Is something going on?”

“What? Is there something wrong with fixing my boyfriend some breakfast before he leaves for work? Have awesome shower sex? Pick the perfect clothes for our date at the beach tonight?” There was a gleam on Lance’s eyes that Shiro can’t seem to put a finger on it.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with it at all. It just seems so perfect,” Shiro placed his hands at Lance’s waist and pulled his boyfriend closer, “you’re perfect.”

“Aww, you flatter me, babe.” Lance swiped invisible dust on Shiro’s blazer and pecked at the corner of his lips. “Don’t forget our date night at the pier, ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. What’s the occasion anyway? It’s not our anniversary. It’s not my birthday nor yours. Did you have a promotion? Did that asshole from HR finally got fired?”

“No, I just want us to have an amazing night. After all that hassle with the merger and me almost getting fired, don’t you think we deserve a romantic dinner?” Lance handed him a bento box, the red one that they bought as a pair when they visited Shiro’s parents in Japan a few months ago.

He made him lunch, another weird thing Lance did this morning.

“I guess. Thanks for lunch, babe.” Shiro leaned down to kiss at Lance’s puffed out hair. 

“You’re welcome. Love you!”

“Love you too!” Shiro replied as he walked out the door.

“I’m telling you man,“ Shiro swirled in his chair, “Lance is acting weird.” 

“What made you think that?“ Keith, his best friend and brother, replied but not looking up from his screen.

“He made me breakfast. He made me this adorable lunch that I don’t want to eat because it’s so cute but at the same time it’s so delicious. I mean look at it! He made panda sushi!“

“Didn’t you like pandas?“ Keith said, still typing away.

“I LOVE pandas.“ Shiro picked up a sushi roll and ate it whole. “It’s the most exquisite thing!“

“So? He made you lunch and is acting sweet. Isn’t that a good thing?“ Keith finally took his eyes off his monitor to slide his way towards Shiro. He was going to pick up a sushi roll but Shiro’s prosthetic hand swatted him away.

“Hey!“

“No sharing! Get your own boyfriend to cook you lunch!“

“Excuse me, you’re the one who hogs Hunk’s leftovers when I bring them in the office. I swear if he cooks one of his meatloaf I am never giving you some.“

“I can live with that. Plus, Lance can always sweet talk his way to Hunk’s heart better than you.“

“True that.“ Keith went back to his desk and continued typing, leaving Shiro alone with his thoughts. Why is he acting sweet? Did he do something wrong? Did he forgot a birthday? Is he really boring that Lance needed to step up to make things interesting again? What-

“Agh, you are thinking way too loud!“

“What? I’m minding my own business.“ 

“I am saying this because I care and maybe because I want you to shut up both in mouth and in mind. There are two explanations on why he’s acting this way. Number one, he really, really loves you. That’s it. He loves you and he wants to show you he loves you. Number two, which is highly unlikely, he wants to break up with you.“

“What?“ Shiro almost dropped the panda sushi.

“It’s called the honey before the hatchet, big brother. He eases you gently, whispering sweet nothings in your ear, then he brings down the hatchet and breaks up with you.“

“That’s preposterous. Why the hell would he break up with me? We’ve been perfectly happy ever since we moved in together.“

“Really Shiro? Were you two really happy for the past months? Think about it. Think deep, try to remember all of the things that happened recently. Were they all happy thoughts?“

Shiro sat there, dumbfounded. His bento box laid on the open as he thought of the past few months. Sure he became distant when the merger was assigned to him. He came home late, sometimes snapping at Lance when he was whining about office gossip at his job. He ignored some of Lance’s calls when he was staying over night at the office… 

Oh no.

Keith smirked as silence finally filled the room.

From: Lance

Hey babe! Excited for the dinner tonight!!! Remember 7 at that seafood place at the pier, don’t be late. Oh, I also picked up your outfit for tonight. You’re going to look so dapper I can’t wait! xoxo

From: Lance

You here yet?

From: Lance

Oh I see you!

Shiro looked up and saw Lance approaching him. Shiro’s jaw dropped at the sight of his boyfriend.

Lance was wearing a black, perfectly fitting, three piece suit. His dark coat hugged his slim figure like a glove. His pants clung to his mile long legs as he made his way towards Shiro’s direction. 

His caramel skin was flawless as usual, but there was a tint of pink to them that made his heart melt. His hair was gelled back, giving him a slick kind of look. And his eyes, oh god his eyes, were shining bright and blue when their eyes met.

Shiro’s heart was beating so hard against his chest, like a prisoner pounding at the door, begging to be set free. He planned on sneaking in, searching for signs that Lance was going to break up with him when Lance found him hiding behind the shrubbery. Shiro was afraid to face the ugly truth that maybe Lance was going to break up with him, so terrified with the thought of losing this happiness that made everyday special in their own Lance way. He guessed that fear translated to his eyes because lance was giving him this worried look.

“Shiro, are you ok?“ Lance wound their fingers together, the warmth of his hands always a steadying presence.

“Yeah,“ he cleared his throat, “yeah, I’m fine. Where do we sit?“

“Follow me, my love.“ Lance placed his hand on the small of Shiro’s back and led him to the farthest table in the restaurant.

The restaurant was a bungalow type of place where there were no actual walls, only railings and posts that held the sturdy roof up. Twinkling lights hang on the edges of the roof and sheer curtains were draped over the railings, acting as a buffer against insects and sand. Because their table was at the far end of the restaurant, they were much closer to the sea. The soft music was silenced by the gentle lap of the waves against the sand

It was the perfect place for a break up, Shiro thought miserably. No one can hear him cry.

“May I take your order, sir?“ A waiter came by and also lit the candles in the candelabra. 

“Yes. I’m having the lobster pasta carbonara, and my boyfriend here is having the seared salmon.“

“Wine?“

“Red please.“

“Champagne for me.“ Shiro said automatically. Wine wasn’t really his favorite.

“Any additional orders?“

“We’ll call for you when we need any more.“ Lance smiled at the waiter.

“Of course, sir. Your meal will be served shortly.“ The waiter promptly walked away, leaving the two in the intimate light of the candles.

Shiro thought of scenarios in his head, all bad ones, but kept being sidetracked everytme he glanced at Lance. Because of the candle light, Lance’s usual sharp features were softened to a point that he looked like a painting, angelic even. His skin looked warm and soft to the touch that his fingers ached to touch them. His blue eyes was hypnotizing against the yellows and the orange of the flame. And his small smile made his heart flutter like a teenage boy.

Shiro felt a pang at his chest whenever he thought of breaking up with this loving, caring, and generously kind person. 

“Shiro,“ Lance found Shiro’s hand on the table and held it tight, “I know you said you were fine, but you don’t fine to me. Is everything ok? Is something bothering you?“

“No,“ Shiro returned Lance’s grip, “everything’s fine, just work stuff.“

Shiro couldn’t bare the worried look on Lance’s face. He forced himself to not think of breaking up or Lance dumping him because he was an insensitive boyfriend who didn’t show up when Lance needed him the most. No, he was going to enjoy this dinner with the person he loves even if the said person will leave him at the end of it. He will give him a night he will remember, and show him that no matter what happens, he will still whole heartedly love him.

“The dinner was delicious, don’t you think?” Lance and Shiro were walking barefoot at the edge of the shore, the sand and waves lapping at their feet. They left their shoes on one of the rocks near the restaurant. 

“That ice cream cake was delightful.” Shiro slung his coat around his shoulder and tightened his hold on Lance’s waist.

“It was, wasn’t it? I bet Hunk can do it better.” Lance had his hand in his pocket while the other was tucked in in Shiro’s back pocket.

“The chef didn’t think so. He looked so offended when you asked for the recipe, remember?”

“Nah, he’s just afraid Hunk’s cake will beat him to the ground.” Lance laughed when he felt Shiro jump against him. “Relax, Shiro, it’s probably just seaweed.”

Shiro rolled his eyes at him. The dinner was wonderful, so wonderful that the nagging feeling of something worse to come almost disappeared.

Almost.

The silence that followed brought back Shiro’s worries. The steady sound of the waves and the soft lilting music from the restaurant was overruled by the deafening screams of his anxieties.

They both stopped at a clearing.

“Hey.“

“Hey.“

“No, you first,“ Shiro offered. It was only right for Lance to be the one bringing down the hatchet. Shiro shifted so he was facing Lance, ready to take the pain that was coming his way.

“Nah, you’re the one who said it first.“

“We said it at the same time.“

“But mine’s much suited for a finale speech.“

“Ok, I’ll go first.“ Shiro took a deep breath. Here goes nothing… “I know I’ve been a crappy boyfriend lately.”

“What?” 

“I neglected you when you needed me, I ignored you when you call me late at night asking where I am or have I eaten yet.”

“Shiro.“

 “I come home late and I just sleep on the bed and gone by the morning.”

“Shiro, wait-“

 “I know I’ve been horrible lately, and I don’t blame you if-”

“SHIRO what are you talking about?“

Shiro was thankful it was dark because he was pretty sure there were tears flowing down his cheeks. “I’m talking about-” Shiro pulled at his hair in frustration. “Isn’t this what you wanted? For us to break up because I’ve been horrible to you-”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Lance took hold of Shiro’s hands and gripped it tight.

“Isn’t this the honey before the hatchet? First you act nice to me then you break up with me?”

“Wha- Who told you about those things?” Lance tried to sound calm and collected, but dee down he was shaking.

“Keith. When I asked him why you were acting strange, he told me about it.” Shiro sniffed, “i don’t blame you though. I understand. With the way I acted, I’d break up with me too.”

“Fuckin Keith.” Lance seethed, “I told him to distract you, to give you something that will take your mind off things, not let you boil with thoughts of breaking up!” Now it was lance’s turn to pull at his hair.

“I don’t understand?” Shiro wiped at his tears. 

Lance sighed, visibly calming himself down with deep breaths.

“Takashi Shirogane,” he said, “you are the man of my dreams, who I truly care for and love and am not breaking up wiith. I have had boyfriends and girlfriends before, but no one comes as close as the way you make me feel. You make me feel like I hang the moon and the stars. You make me feel so damn special that sometimes I have to pinch myself to remember that this is true, that I have someone who loves me so much that he was willing to give up his favorite sweat shirt.”

Tears continued to flow but for a different reason. Is Lance doing what Shiro thinks he’s doing?

“You make me so happy with just a smile or a laugh. You don’t know how ecstatic I am to see you everyday, to wake up next to you. To be the first and last person I see everyday. When you make me breakfast and pick me up after work. When you kiss me, make love to me. Shiro I love you. I love you with every fibre of my being. I love you with everything I have and all I can offer.”

Lance’s voice wavered, but he only gripped Shiro’s hands tighter.

“With the stars and the sea as my witness,” Lance did what Shiro refused but hoped he’d do, he bent down on one knee. “I promise to always be by your side. To listen to you, to love you no matter what. I will do my best to support you with every endeavor, to be the constant that you can always count on. You are my happiness, my dream, my love. I offer you my heart and my soul, Takashi Shirogane.”

Lance lifted a small velvet box off his coat pocket and opened it in front of Shiro. 

Shiro gasped. His knees finally gave out under him and his arms flew to wrap around Lance’s shoulders. “Yes!”

“Shiro, I haven’t asked the question yet.” Lance laughed, the tension leaving his shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” He stood up, his hands shaking against his cheeks. Shiro sniffed, his smile permanently pasted on his face it seems.

“Takashi-“

“Yes!“

“Dammit Shiro, let me ask the bloody question!“ Lance chuckled through his tears.

“Sorry. Continue.“

“Takashi Shirogane-“

Shiro opened his mouth.

“If you interrupt me again, so help me god, I won’t put a ring on it.“

Shiro closed his mouth immediately, excitement coursing through his body.

“Takashi Shirogane, will you marry me?“

“YES!“ Shiro tackled him to the sand, the waves effectively soaking through their suits. His arms were around Lance, hugging him tight. They were both laughing and spitting out the salty sea water that were on their mouths. “yes, yes, a million times yes!“ Shiro whispered against Lance’s ear. 

“Give me your hand then. I don’t want the ring to be lost in the waves.“ Lance took hold of Shiro’s hand and placed the ring on his finger. “A perfect fit.“

“I love you Lance McClain.“ Shiro laid his forehead against his. They were both sitting on the sand, the water soaking them, but both didn’t care. 

“I love you Takashi Shirogane.“ Lance leaned back and turned to the direction of the restaurant, “HE SAID YES!” he shouted.

Various cheers from the crowd erupted, Shiro was sure he heard Keith cheer the loudest.

Shiro grabbed Lance by the collar and kissed him. Shiro didn’t know if the salt he tasted were of sea water or their tears, he found out didn’t mind at all.

So what do you think? Was this fluffy enough? Did this made up for the fact that I was late for the first day? :D

[oldfashionedswiftcurse]

Alwyn vs. Swift Pt. 5

Taylor returned home early the next morning and found her father frantically on the phone. She slipped in through the front door and overheard his conversation.

           “I swear to God, Susan, if this is some sick game,” he began, but the voice on the other line interrupted him.

           Taylor froze. There was no way he was talking to her mother. Her father swore that when her mother walked out on them ten years ago, that was the last bit of contact he had with his wife. However, Taylor realized that like always, her father had lied to her.

           “We had a deal. I moved her closer to you, but not so you could reach out to her. When you left, it nearly destroyed her. I won’t pick up the pieces when you break her heart again.”

           So it was really her mother, and from what Taylor gathered, her father thought that she had run away to meet up with her mother. As if that would really happen. The only way Taylor would travel to find her mother would be to curse and yell at her for abandoning them. She listened closely, hoping her father would slip up and mention where her mother was currently living.

           “Just stay away from Taylor. And let me know if you hear from her,” he said angrily, hanging up.

           Taylor gave him a few moments to compose himself before she entered the kitchen.

           “Morning, Dad,” she said casually, waiting to hear his outburst.

           “Taylor Alison Swift, where the hell were you? And why didn’t you call me back?! You’re grounded.”

           She could tell this form of parenting was new to him. Her dad hardly realized anything different about her, so she stopped telling him her concerns, fears, and dreams.

           “Why does it matter, Dad? You’re never here when I do come home. Maybe I got tired of coming home to an empty house,” she muttered, and she saw his eyes darken in regret.

           “Sweetheart…”

           “Forget it, Dad. I’m going to my room,” she stated and turned to leave.

           Taylor had managed to sneak her father’s cell phone off of the kitchen island. Texting the number listed as “Susan,” Taylor impulsively asked her mother to meet. The number responded immediately with an address in Munich. Looks like her mother isn’t really that close. From what Taylor could tell, Munich would certainly be a day’s trip on train, but she was willing to do it. She was angry with her father for keeping this from her and her mother for nearly everything else. She agreed to meet at the Munich address on Saturday afternoon, two days from today. If she left class early on Friday afternoon, Taylor knew she make it to Munich by midnight. She would rent a hotel room, find some food, and meet her mother the next day.

           When she arrived at school, Taylor immediately raced to Rebecca, asking if she wanted to visit Germany with her this weekend.

           “Germany?” Rebecca questioned. “That sounds oddly fun, but I’ve got a date with Mark.”

           Taylor told her best friend about her intricate plan, and Rebecca was shocked.

           “You know what? I can cancel on him. This is so much more important. Shit, your mother…I can’t believe this.”

           Taylor paused.

           “No,” she began, “this is my problem. Go and enjoy your date. I’ll be fine.”

           “Like hell you will. You think I’m going to let you, an American, travel to another European country all by yourself?”

           At that moment, Joe appeared, hands in his pocket.

           “Becks, do you mind if I talk to Taylor alone?”

           “Sure,” Rebecca stated, turning to leave. “You might as well just take Joe. He knows his way around Europe, just ask our nannies.”

           Taylor chuckled, but grew silent as Rebecca walked away.

           “Hey,” Joe muttered, smiling slightly. “Look, about last night…”

           “You don’t need to apologize, Joe,” she said, shaking it off.

           “I do. I was drunk and idiotic, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

           “You didn’t,” she admitted honestly. “You were entertaining, for sure.”

           “Oh no,” he said, placing his palm over his forehead in embarrassment, “I hope I didn’t ruin my chances with you.”

           “Well…”

           “Anything. I’ll do anything.”

           “Come with me to Germany this weekend,” she stated, and he lifted his eyebrows in confusion.

           “Aren’t you supposed to be punishing me? A trip alone with you to another country doesn’t seem like much of a punishment.”

           “Well, it will be because you’ll be falling in love with me all over the world, and I still won’t give in to your flirtation,” she teased, and he chuckled.

           “You’re finally getting the hang of this whole teasing thing, love.”

           “So will you come with me?”

           “Just say when. I pegged you as more of a Paris girl, but to each his own, I suppose. Note to self, leggy blondes prefer the German countryside over the Parisian city.”

           She rolled her eyes, but when she returned home, she packed a backpack for their trip. The next morning, Taylor went to class like normal, but she left a half hour early. When she stumbled into the hallway, she found a beaming Joe waiting by the door. Because it was growing colder, he was wearing a denim jacket, black jeans, and Converse, as well as a black beanie covering his blonde hair.

           “Ready for our adventure, love?” He whispered, handing her a Euro train pass.

           She nodded, grinning back at him.

           “Remind me why you’re so excited to see a woman who left you and your dad,” he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

           “I’m not excited, per se. I just want to see her and tell her what a huge mistake she made. I deserved to have a mother who constantly loved me, not one who left just because things got too tough.”

           “Beautiful and candid. You just keep surprising me.”

           They left campus together and the second they got to the train station, Joe heard Taylor’s stomach grumble in hunger.

           “What’ll it be then? Sandwiches? Sushi?”

           Taylor eyed him slowly.

           “I can just wait to eat on the train.”

           His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

           “Silly me, I just assumed the nasty sound coming from your stomach actually meant something.”

           “Joe, I’m too nervous to eat. This is my mom, okay? This could be perfect, and she’ll finally realize how much she hurt me and my dad. Or this could go very badly, and she’ll admit she never loved me and doesn’t feel bad for hurting us.”

           Joe chuckled, but grew serious when she saw how stressed she was.

           “Taylor, your mum made a huge mistake, and it quite possibly ruined every good thing in her life. She probably doesn’t understand what it means to truly love someone, and she probably never will. That, however, does not mean that you need to carry the weight of your mother’s blunder. Now please choose a place for us to eat before my stomach starts a band with yours.”

           She tried not to smile, but eventually, she couldn’t help herself.

           “Fine, sandwiches for now. I’ll see how I’m feeling in an hour. My appetite is very particular. I have to eat as often as possible and as much as possible.”

           He chuckled.

           “Did you just make a joke? Remind me to never deprive you of food. And always remember that when you chose not to eat, I was the one who kept convincing you to eat.”

           Their train finally arrived, and they got comfortable in their seats. The train ride was nearly eight hours nonstop, so Taylor took two seats opposite Joe and sprawled her legs over the seats. After sleeping for a little bit, they sat next to each other and rotated songs from their playlists. Joe nearly blushed when he realized that Taylor had one of his band’s original songs on her playlist. While listening to their music, Taylor fell asleep again, resting his cheek against Joe’s shoulder. Joe left their seats to pick up some food and returned just when Taylor was waking up again.

           “I got you some Pepsi and a BLT,” he whispered, resting the food against the seat.

           “How’d you know what I like? You took a pretty big gamble.”

           “That first night after the show, when we were moving from pub to pub, you kept talking about how hungry you were and then you kept mumbling ‘BLT.’ I am a gambler, but I never take unnecessary risks.”

           “How could you possibly remember that?” She teased, straightening her unkempt hair.

           “Well, that’s when I realize that I was attracted to you. I couldn’t help remembering. I wanted to know everything about you then.”

           “And now?” She asked.

           “Now I’m afraid we know too much about each other.”

           “Well, you’re on an eight hour train ride to another country with me to meet a woman I haven’t seen in about ten years. So yeah, I think we’ve definitely crossed that line.”

           “Can I ask you something?”

           Taylor was hesitant, but nodded. These kinds of questions always scared her.

           “Why didn’t you invite Martin? It seemed like you guys were getting pretty serious at the party and…”

           His words trailed off.

           “Martin is a great guy. I’m not sure. I just didn’t feel comfortable telling him about my mom. I just…didn’t want to ruin his perfect life, I guess. We don’t even know each other that well.”

           “Hmm.”

           “What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked nervously.

           “Just an observation. Does that mean you feel comfortable around me?” He said seriously.

           Taylor didn’t know what to do when he wasn’t joking.

           “I do, as much as it kills me to say. I probably feel the most comfortable with you…but your drunken confessions may have helped that happen.”

           “Oh no,” he said, a slight rosy blush appearing on his cheeks, “you’ll never let me live that down.”

           “Never.”

           The train came to a stop, and Taylor and Joe exited. They found their hotel, booked two nights stay, and proceeded to look for food. It was nearly eleven at night, and after stopping by a late night fast food place, they got to their hotel. Joe allowed Taylor to shower first, and he turned the TV on. He ordered in for ice-cream, so by the time Taylor got out of the shower, it was waiting. She slipped it into the fridge while she waited for Joe to finish showering. She laid a towel on the bed when she heard the shower shut off, and Joe was grinning. Taking the spot next to her, they began digging into their rocky road pint.

           “This makes up for having your drool all over my t-shirt today,” he mumbled in between spoonfuls.

           “Oh, you little baby,” she teased, “I had to deal with your drunk self for an entire night. I thought you’d puke all over me.”

           “Luckily, the only kind of vomiting I did was straight from my heart.”

           “Your corny lines are getting old, Alwyn.”

           “Luckily, my body is maintaining its youthful glow.”

           “I don’t know,” Taylor began, giggling. “I’m spotting a few wrinkles right there.”

           She ran a finger along his cheek, smearing ice-cream along his face. Joe’s face wrinkled in disgust, but he reacted quickly. With his ice-cream still in his mouth, he leaned over Taylor and deposited the melted ice-cream onto her neck. Taylor screamed at the coldness of it and pushed Joe away, resting a dirty hand along his white t-shirt. He jumped off the bed, examining his filthy t-shirt, and scolded her.

           “Miss Swift, you’ve gotten me all mucked up,” he said as she tried to control her giggles.

           Using the towel that they held the ice-cream on, Taylor wiped the remains of the ice-cream from her neck and tossed him the towel. He threw the towel to the ground and lifted up his t-shirt. Lifting it over his head, Joe stripped down until Taylor had a near perfect view of his golden chest. He had some chest hair, but it was enough for Taylor to find extremely attractive. She watched him as he looked in his bag for another shirt, all the while hoping he couldn’t see her blushing cheeks. When he replaced his chest with a new t-shirt, he grinned at her.

           “You know that feeling where someone’s stare could burn through your skin? I’m burning, love.”

           She definitely felt her cheeks redden.

           “I wasn’t…”

           “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. But just know that now you can’t keep using the excuse that we don’t have sexual chemistry. It’s near palpable, and it’s radiating off of you.”

           “Shut up,” she teased, throwing a pillow at him.

           He ducked quickly, chuckling to himself. He slipped into the other bed, turning to face Taylor. Taylor began thinking about tomorrow.

           “I know you’re nervous about what might happen,” Joe whispered, “but just know that no matter what, you’ll always have Becks and me in your corner.”

           “Thanks, I really needed that.”

           “Good night, love.”

           “Good night, Joe.”

[asianpopscenarios]

Renjun || Boyfriend Scenario

Sorry for the wait ;-;

low-key restarted this like five times…

isn't Renjun so cute in that gif like dsxcvhjuy wait I shouldn't cheat on Jeno

Today the dreamies had a break, after all their promotions and practices, they had a nice long day to themselves. Of course most of them slept and relaxed all day, but a certain cute red headed moomin lover had other plans.

Today as his off day Renjun had made plans with his girlfriend. He was gonna take her out for a small walk and get some food. He also had planned to take her to their favorite place, a bench in the middle of flowers. Why? you may ask, well he felt that the place was so special. Especially since he took his beautiful princess there for a date. Renjun had been wanting to give her this beautiful charm bracelet. It was their 3 month anniversary the other day, and Renjun wanted to make it up to his girlfriend. The charm bracelet had  little charms one with their ship name, one for their anniversary date, and a small heart.

It was almost 3pm and Renjun was meant to meet y/n at the park. He ran out of his room, not without taking the charm bracelet with him. He walked out to the living room to see all the boys playing video games. They all stopped and stared at Renjun. “Where you going hyung, I thought you were gonna play with us.” Chenle asked him, while holding a controller in one hand and chips in the other. “Sorry Chenle, I have something important to do today, maybe next time” just as Renjun said that he received a message. Renjun looks at his phone to see his girlfriend had messaged him. ‘Where are you? You're usually never late’ Renjun then looked at the time, I’m late I have to go now. With that Renjun ran out of the dorms, not without screaming a quick good bye to the boys.”He’s gonna go see his girlfriend, remember he bought that bracelet for her, that reminds me I have to go text my girlfriend.” Jeno told the boys as they went back to playing their games.

Renjun ran to the park he was meeting y/n at, he didn’t want to be there later then he already was. Once he got to the park Renjun looked around for his girlfriend. Spotting y/n sitting down on a bench by an ice cream stand, Renjun walked over to her. Renjun got behind her and put his hands over her eyes. “Guess who?” Renjun whispered into her ear. “Hmm I guess... a handsome boy that I call my boyfriend.” Renjun dropped his hands. “You guessed correctly and your price is a kiss from that handsome boyfriend of yours.” with that Renjun gave y/n a kiss on the cheek. “Come on let’s enjoy our day princess” y/n blushed at the name, even after 3 months she couldn’t get used to the pet names.

Y/n and Renjun walked around the park, joking around and having a fun time. Renjun took y/n’s hand and took her towards the swings, y/n sat down in one, Renjun being the best boyfriend went to push her. “Renjun, I missed you a lot these past few weeks” y/n said as she enjoyed the wind on her face as Renjun pushed her. “I missed you too princess, but here I am enjoying a beautiful date with you.” y/n blushed at Renjun’s words. After a few minuets Renjun’s stomach started growling. Y/n started laughing while Renjun felt a blush coming up. All that Renjun could think of was how cute y/n’s laugh was, he just wanted to hear it all day long. “We should probably get something to eat before you die of starvation.” y/n giggled at her words while Renjun just looked away with his very noticeable blush. “Yeah we should... what do you want to get.” With those words y/n and Renjun where heading towards a sushi place.

Renjun and y/n made it to the sushi place, just in time before it got packed. They went to go sit down at a table, y/n looked at all the different options. Renjun couldn’t help but stare at her, she was so beautiful. The way her eyes shined when she spotted something she liked, the way her lips made a small pout, the way her nose scrunched up. Renjun just loved everything about his girlfriend. After a while y/n looked up to see Renjun staring at her, y/n started blushing. “Renjun are you ready to order” Renjun got out of her trance. “hmm... oh yeah I'm ready.” Renjun called one of the waiters over to order. After ordering, Renjun remembered about the charm bracelet, he started panicking, what if he lost it?? He looked in his pockets and with relief he still had it, after a small talk and eating, the two left the restaurant.

“y/n I have one last place I want to take you.” Renjun looked at her waiting for a reaction. She just looked at him and nodded, with that Renjun grabbed her hand and let her to the special place. Once they got there y/n looked at Renjun wondering why they came here. Renjun just told her to sit down on the bench, he started to feel nervous, ‘will she like it?’ With a final sigh Renjun got close to her and took out the charm bracelet. “I know we couldn't celebrate our 3 month anniversary together, so I decided that getting you this personalized charm bracelet would be a nice gift.” Renjun gave y/n the bracelet, he hoped that she loved it. “It’s okay if it isn't the best gift, I should’ve gotten you something more nicer.” y/n looked at the bracelet and smiled, it was perfect she wouldn’t have asked for anything more. “Renjun it’s perfect, I love it, it still would’ve been fine if you didn’t get me anything, but thank you Renjun.” y/n gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you loved it princess” Both Renjun and y/n were blushing, this was a very special moment for both.

*Flash* “Jeno!!!! I told you to take the flash off!”. “I’m sorry, stop hitting my arm, I just wanted to capture this moment for him.” Renjun and y/n looked over at the bushes to see Jeno and his girlfriend spying on the two. “We should just go while they're distracted.” Renjun whispered to y/n as he grabbed her hand and left.

[officialcolumbiauniversity]

Columbia “Off”-Campus Eateries

Being in New York means that Columbians never run out of food options. Literally never. That being said, Columbia kids have got the restriction (or privilege, depending on how you look at it) of being in the Morningside bubble with restaurants nearby that are so convenient, it’s hard to convince us to go out into the city to eat more adventurously.

So brought to you here is as cumulative of a list of Columbia restaurants as I dare post at once. Besides the obvious factor of quality of food, I’ll try to include affordability, aesthetic, distance/convenience, and popularity (both among Columbia kids and the general public; that is to say, sheer crowdedness) in the list below. Take these with a grain of salt if you want: obviously nothing beats going there yourself. But if you’re in a rush, or if you don’t want to wait an hour just to ask me in person at the end of one of my tours, this post is for you.

ON AMSTERDAM AVENUE

Strokos

This is always the first place that comes to mind for me. Located right across the street from John Jay (right on Frat Row), Strokos is great for any of your take-away food needs or even brunch (many a hungover morning has been spent in Strokos, reviving myself with their omelette platter). Their aesthetic is actually very brunchy, with ample sitting space and a nice couloir of two-person (really just one-person) seating for if you just want to study alone. Lots of options, and their homemade lemonade it great. They stopped selling sushi, though. Don’t know when/if they’ll start again.

Expense: 4/5, where a 5/5 indicates most affordable.

Aesthetic: 3/5. The back couloir is cute; I Instagrammed a pic of a donut there.

Convenience: 5/5. The closest place to John Jay, and one of the closest to main campus.

Popularity: 1/5. I have literally never seen another Columbia soul here, and no one ever seems to know it exists. I would give this a zero if it weren’t for the fact that no, Strokos isn’t bankrupt, so yes, people go there. Seems to be pretty popular among the general NYC crowd, actually.

Food: 4/5. For the price, it’s really good food, and a lot of it.

Overall: 4/5. One of my favorite places around campus.

Friedman’s

This brunch place is small but kind of upscale, so come here alone for a treat-yourself brunch or take a date here for a literal candle-lit dinner. Very cozy, and certainly Instagrammable, but I get the feeling that dressing up is an unspoken rule here. It is, therefore, hopefully expected that this is one of the pricier places around campus. The wait (for food, but also sometimes for seats) can also be kind of long. If you’re willing to put up with this, though, the food is truly exceptionally good.

Expense: 1/5. The most expensive place I, personally, frequent around campus.

Aesthetic: 4/5.

Convenience: 4/5, it’s on like 118th or something. A nice and non-bothersome walk, but a walk nonetheless.

Popularity: 3/5. It’s moderately popular among Columbia kids, but the size of Friedman’s prevents you from seeing people you know there too often.

Food: 4/5. Again, for the price, it’s really good. Could be better, but so can everything.

Overall: 3/5. It’s a good place to go for food, but not something that college kids are going to be making a habit out of. Unless you’re stacked (which, ok yeah, most of us are. I’m not, unfortunately).

Hamilton Deli

HamDel’s pretty well known around campus for being super convenient for take-away food as well. It’s almost exactly like Strokos but with fewer options and no sit-down place; it’s literally your quintessential deli. I honestly cannot believe that people go to HamDel when Strokos is right there. But that’s a personal opinion for ya.

Expense: 3/5. Moderately expensive. I really have no idea how to elaborate.

Aesthetic: 1/5. Not ugly, per se, but it’s not meant to be a place people spend time in, and you can tell.

Convenience: 5/5, because I’m guessing the main reason people come here is because it’s so close to main campus, on 116th. (Again, Strokos is right there though.)

Popularity: 4/5. Columbia kids like to mention this place all the time, and the crowd in the store is almost always fully Columbian.

Food: 4/5. Better than some of the other food you could find around here for more money.

Overall: 2/5. I might be biased because I’m a sucker for Strokos, but honestly if you visit the two you can see that they’re exactly the same. But Strokos is better. I don’t plan to ever step foot in HamDel again, tbh.

Insomnia Cookies

If you’ve never heard of Insomnia, you are either very unfortunate or very lucky. Unfortunate because you’ve never had any of these morsels of heaven, or lucky because you have therefore never been up late enough to require such a godsend. Insomnia is known nationwide for being the college staple in terms of cookie supply (ice cream sandwiches too, but they’re known for their cookies), and Columbia University is blessed with one of their stores between 111th and 110th. To those of you who are familiar with Insomnia, I can affirm that ours is reliable and upholds Insomnia’s nationally recognized standards. Yes, you can have Insomnia delivered, but I have found that the walk to 111th is a welcome break from late night studying.

Expense: 4/5, absolutely worth it, unless it’s 1:30 PM and you’re just in the mood for a single cookie, in which case go somewhere else. Insomnia’s a special occasion. (Not actually, but you get my drift.)

Aesthetic: 5/5. The cookies always look great, the brand itself means it’s always Instagrammable, and the store is pretty cute, too.

Convenience: 3/5. It’s one of the farther places on this list, but definitely worth it (and honestly, the distance is almost negligible most of the time).

Popularity: 5/5. Everyone knows about it. I don’t know if many people are in the store during the day, but then again I only ever go when normal people sleep. You catching why it’s called “Insomnia”?

Food: 5/5.

Overall: 4/5. It’s only missing one point because it’s not really “food,” so if you’re looking for a meal, this isn’t it. It’s a pretty niche place.

Hungarian Pastry Shop

A staple cafe around here. I can’t say their coffee is great, but it’s not bad, and pretty cheap. A crowded place most of the time. Their flourless chocolate cake slices are legendary. I only got coffee twice from here, and I wasn’t a fan. It’s right next to Insomnia. Fun fact: they only take cash, no card.

Expense: 4/5. Oren’s might be cheaper. And better.

Aesthetic: 3/5.

Convenience: 3/5. It’s got wifi, but the cash-only thing blows.

Popularity: 5/5. Among Columbians, also a big one. It’s got inconvenient traffic hours.

Food: 4/5. I haven’t tried anything other than the flourless chocolate cake so i’m not gonna give this a 5 but what I had was pretty good.

Overall: 2/5. It’s got some inconveniences but good reason to be so popular. If you’re visiting campus, stop by here and bother some students (make sure they’re not cramming some Lit Hum reading in first!) and ask them how they like Columbia.

Artopolis

This cafe/bakery holds a soft spot in my heart as one of the first “off-campus” eateries that I ever stepped foot in, when I visited Columbia for the first time. Right across from Strokos, Artopolis is an extremely cute shop, with a sit-down section if you’re staying to order. Their crepes are legendary, and very cute to boot. The wait can be extremely long, in my experience, either due to forgetful waiters or some interesting method of cooking idk.

Expense: 2/5. Pretty expensive tbh.

Aesthetic: 5/5. I have the cutest snap of one of my friends here on Valentine’s Day. Also, being greeted with a lineup of macarons never hurt.

Convenience: 5/5. See Strokos. They also have wifi!

Popularity: 3/5. This seems to be a place for the bougie hipsters, or hipster bougies. I have seen people that I not only know but am friends with here, and people do certainly know about it, but just like Friedman’s, its size regulates how many people you see here at once.

Food: 3/5. Their food is certainly good, but for that quality of food you could probably find better prices.

Overall: 3/5. Not one of those places I’d frequent, or many people would, tbh. Although that might change if I only remembered that they don’t card for mimosas during brunch (or any drinks, I don’t think).

ON BROADWAY AVENUE

Sweetgreen, Chipotle, Joe’s, Five Guys, Starbucks, McDonalds, and allll the halal/food trucks

We obviously have the usuals, between 1 and 5 blocks north and south of campus on Broadway. It is, after all, New York. But if your first instinct is to head to something familiar, a big city might not be the best place to spend four years, buddy. (PS: God, whom I do not believe in, has blessed us with a motherfucking Shake Shack on 116th in time for next year.)

Nussbaum & Wu Bagels

Nussbaum & Wu (called Nuss or Nussbaum, usually, for short--someone tried to write a Spectator article about how shortening the name like that is problematic, but my response to that will have to be in another post for length’s sake) is a bakery that’s famous for its black-and-white cookies, invented by Wu himself. Most sophomores come here for breakfast, for the main reason that a sophomore residence hall is located directly above it. Their coffee is not bad, if a bit strong. Come here to fit the aesthetic and read the paper at 9 AM, if you can find somewhere to sit.

Expense: 3/5. It’s only a bitch to pay if you order the lox. Don’t order the lox.

Aesthetic: 4/5. Nice marble theme going on, paired with the cookies.

Convenience: 5/5, especially for anyone living in that res hall.

Popularity: 5/5. Almost always very crowded.

Food: 4/5. Honestly it’s great. Or maybe I was just hungry. Again, the coffee is pretty average.

Overall: 2/5. I’m not a huge fan of this place, and as a first-timer it can be a bit confusing to navigate (pro tip: order at the far end of the counter, pay at the door). It’s convenience, however, cannot be overstated.

Community Food & Juice

Community’s a restaurant, essentially. It’s got a very brunchy aesthetic, but I would argue it’s even more bougie than Friedman’s. It’s also incredibly expensive, and I’ve had nothing but bad experiences here, so I don’t recommend this place. I once ordered half an avocado that cost me six bucks, and when it arrived, it was grey.

Expense: 1/5.

Aesthetic: 2/5. Exceptionally average.

Convenience: 3/5. Not too far from campus.

Popularity: 3/5. I can’t imagine Columbia kids come here often, given the prices, but some of the wealthy kids here come for no other reason than to flex. And by flex I mean prove they can afford it.

Food: 3/5. For the price, you could find better food.

Overall: 1/5. Again, I might have just had a lot of bad experiences with Community, but I think objectively it’s still not a great place to go. Save yourself the trouble and head to Friedman’s for me.

Famiglia

This is a chain, like Starbucks and Sweetgreen, but people don’t seem to know about it as much. It is literally a pizzeria and has the pizzeria vibe. Its hours are also very conducive to late-night snacking.

Expense: 4/5. Not dirt cheap, but very affordable.

Aesthetic: 4/5. I love Famiglia’s aesthetic. It’s also very clean, despite its vibe.

Convenience: 4/5. I can’t tell you off the top of my head what street it’s on, but I pass it all the time, and it makes for a nice midnight run. I actually literally ran there once, with my friend, at midnight, to pick up pizza for our floor. Cute Columbia experiences, amiright?

Popularity: 3/5. It’s relatively popular, both among Columbians and among the general public, but for some reason it’s usually not busy at all.

Food: 3/5. Average grade only because the pizza here pleases some people, and it just isn’t my style. I prefer Koronet’s.

Overall: 3/5. I’m rather indifferent to this place, if you couldn’t tell by my writing. I think it’s a cute place and I do highly recommend it and most people love it, but I personally don’t really seek out what they offer. I know it’s very reliable, but for such a niche restaurant, I’d pick somewhere else first.

Koronet’s

Koronet’s (pronounced “Cornets”) is open until like 3 AM or something so they see a lot of drunk people stumbling in. And who can blame them: Koronet’s is king of comfort food. Their massive slices of pizza are of just the right thickness for me, even if I can’t finish one myself. I love everything about Koronet’s, but it’s really a place to be at past nightfall, if only for the aesthetic. There’s nothing quite like sitting at the booth at midnight, working on a slice with your friend, with everyone else ordering and chatting and walking by. That’s a rarity though, because there isn’t a whole lot of sitting space. Otherwise, Koronet’s is a great place for pizza.

Expense: 4/5. It’s not too expensive.

Aesthetic: 4/5. There’s a very specific aesthetic to Koronet’s, and you’d better have a really good reason if you’re going to go at any other time (don’t worry, hunger’s a good enough reason).

Convenience: 4/5. It’s right next to Mel’s and Westside Market. Obviously it’s not too much of an inconvenience to drunk freshmen in heels.

Popularity: 4/5. You know, I’m not sure if anyone frequents Koronet’s past freshman year. 

Food: 5/5. 

Overall: 4/5. It holds up under high pizzeria standards, and I’ve got fond memories attached to the place.

Dig Inn

Finishing my Broadway list is Dig Inn, which is also a chain restaurant but also deserved its own mention. It’s like Sweetgreen, which is like Chipotle for those of you unfamiliar with both, in that you build your own bowl down the line. Dig Inn is my fave among the three because you can get an assortment of hot and cold sides, and you can just get half an avo if you want (in case you can’t tell, I fucking love avocados). They prepare that avo really well, too. Sorry. (Pro tip: ask for all three: salt, pepper, and olive oil.)

Expense: 3/5. It’s a fair price, if a bit expensive. (The half avo costs $1.50).

Aesthetic: 4/5. The Dig Inn near Columbia has a very interesting aesthetic: white walls, crumbling columns, wood chairs and seats. All in all I’m a huge fan; it’s very clean, and people look cute eating together. Update: the columns were a temporary thing, lmao. But it did look interesting. Now it just looks more put together.

Convenience: 4/5. It’s right on Broadway, but can be easy to miss for first-timers. Have someone point it out or take you there.

Popularity: 5/5. Pretty common to see someone walk into an evening lecture with Dig Inn in hand here, or schedule a quick dinner date there. Often there isn’t a whole lot of room to sit.

Food: 4/5. Sometimes the vegetables don’t all taste too good, but the tofu is surprisingly tasty for white people, and the mac and cheese is killer. And again, avos.

Overall: 4/5. I’m not docking a point because anything’s wrong, but because it’s just not ~stellar~. I frequent Dig Inn, Strokos, and Friedman’s the most, if that gives you an idea of how much I love Dig Inn.

A New Addition: Junzi Kitchen!

Junzi is an Asian fusion restaurant on, what? 113th? I think? that is essentially the Asian version of Chipotle. With a green sign outside that has random Chinese words on it, it’s hard to miss. They offer incredible flavors, and while it does take trial and error to find the right combination of flavors for you, once you do it’s honestly some of the best food around campus. The price is right alongside Sweetgreen’s and Dig Inn’s, and honestly with a bit of self-control you could easily make one portion two meals. It’s a good amount of food. They’ve also got cute candies for dessert that are sometimes stale tbh.

Expense: 3/5. See Dig Inn.

Aesthetic: 3/5. Moderately cute, and very clean feeling.

Convenience: 4/5. It’s right next to Dig Inn, well, like, on the same block.

Popularity: 3/5. Never too crowded, but since its opening this summer it’s been a huge hit.

Food: 5/5, I personally think it’s a good amount, and it honestly does taste really good.

Overall: 4/5. Not a bad place, and good for them that they’re so successful so quickly!

BARS AROUND CAMPUS

I thought bars deserved a different category because 1. people have got different motives in going to these, and 2. I’m much less familiar with the Columbia bars, mostly because I never go to them. I usually get liquor for free just by showing up to a pregame or frat party since Columbia rich people are pretty lax in their regulation of alcohol, and also bars are just not my style. However I’ve been to Suite several times, oddly enough, so we’ll start out with that one.

Suite

Suite is the local gay bar that I first ended up in thanks to Accent dragging Wisconsin and I there. It’s a great place for doing your own thing with a couple of friends, or finding a one night stand. They also have drag shows every Friday and Saturday nights. The place is very lively, with little room to dance but plenty of people dancing anyways.

Expense: 2/5. I ended up paying $18 for a drink, which had 2-3 shots of whiskey. That’s crazy for 2 shots, okay for 3. The whiskey was good though, so I didn’t give it a 1.

Aesthetic: 3/5. I liked the aesthetic in the end, but some people can find it offputting. The lights are rather dim, the music is pretty loud, and it can be hard to carry on a conversation. But that also means you get nice and close with the people you are trying to talk to.

Convenience: 4/5. It’s like a block past 1020. It got a 4 because it’s the farthest, but I don’t think any place on this whole list really deserves a 5 because Columbians are spoiled in that everything we need is close by.

Popularity: 3/5. Among Columbians I don’t think it’s too popular, but it does get pretty crowded.

Food/Drinks: 3/5. The whiskey was awfully good. I saw a few of the drinks they offer, and it’s the standard Absolut, etc. Idk if it’s worth the money. They don’t offer food here.

Overall: 3/5. I don’t think this place is ideal for a lot of people’s weekly hangouts, but it’s certainly fun to come, and the vibe is great.

1020

One of our three “campus bars.” 1020 (pronounced “ten-twenty,” not “one oh two oh” or “a thousand twenty” like the pre-frosh you are) is nice because there are hours that it doesn’t card, although I can’t remember for the life of me when those are. As someone who 1. doesn’t go out much, 2. goes to frats when I do, and 3. only ends up at 1020 (or other bars) when I’m too drunk to protest, I can’t say I remember a whole lot about 1020.

Expense: N/A. Can’t remember.

Aesthetic: 2/5. Nothing notable, and always awfully crowded.

Convenience: 3/5. Not too bad, closer than Suite.

Popularity: 5/5. All the Columbia bars are super popular all the time.

Food/Drinks: 3/5. I like their g&t’s. I don’t know if they even serve food here.

Overall: 2/5. Super average but fulfills all the needs of a college campus bar.

The Heights

Another one of Columbia’s main bars. It’s located on Broadway with Mel’s, and it’s called The Heights because it’s upstairs, and looks out over the street. It’s a pretty small place, tbh, but they’re known for their bomb frozen margs.

Expense: N/A. Can’t remember.

Aesthetic: 2/5. A lil better than 1020 but it’s too small to be significantly better in any way, and the “view” is a horrible one.

Convenience: 3/5, it’s on Broadway but again not more noticeable in convenience than 1020.

Popularity: 4/5. For a campus bar, it’s less populated. Probably because you have to climb all those damn stairs while drunk, and go back down them more drunk.

Food/Drinks: 4/5. Their frozen margs really are that good, and they do serve food here but I’ve never gotten anything.

Overall: 3/5. I’m pretty apathetic to this place.

Mel’s

Rounding out the big three Columbia bar’s is Mel’s, which is technically called “Mel’s Burger Bar” and does serve real food. (I mean, technically so does The Heights, but no one cares). I’ve heard their milkshakes are to die for, and they offer spiked milkshakes as well. Gotta get me one of those.

Expense: 1/5. Holy shit the money on this place sneaks up on you. 

Aesthetic: 4/5. It’s a nice, spacious restaurant, and it does have that restaurant feel. It has that iconic “Mel’s” lights sign in the back, and that has appeared on many an Instagram feed. I do really like this place.

Convenience: 3/5. It’s just in front of Koronet’s. Which explains why Koronet’s gets so many late-night drunk customers.

Popularity: 5/5. Yeah it’s a Columbia fave. And because it’s a restaurant, people aren’t scared away from stopping by during the day.

Food/Drinks: 5/5. Listen up. The milkshakes are incredible, the spiked milkshakes are incredible, their loaded nachos could be like 4 meals, but their mac and cheese. Ohhhhhh shit.

That shit is so tight 

If you were to take everything you’ve ever heard about good mac and cheese, and imagine every good quality all together in the same serving, and cooked by Remy from Ratatouille, and freshly cooked just for you

and then just imagine it a lil bit better than that

that’s exactly what the mac and cheese at Mel’s tastes like. That mac and cheese has every single person at Columbia on their knees, a complete slut for whomever Mel’s chooses. I would absolutely suck dick every day of my life to ensure I could keep eating Mel’s mac and cheese. Honestly their power is severely underestimated. If they were to ever stop serving their mac and cheese there would be literal riots for days. There would be at least 14 different Spec articles about it, we’d most definitely hold some sort of a funeral service, and counseling would be staffed and ringing 24/7. 

Overall: 4/5. It’s p good.

All three bars are frequented for their own reasons, and if you’re looking for the Columbia bar scene, there’s nowhere else to look but in these three. Suite isn’t really included because it’s a gay bar, which people think you need to be gay to go to. I do recommend coming here for a very accurate depiction of Columbia nightlife, but fair warning: they all card.

OTHER

These gems are not technically on either Broadway or Amsterdam Avenues, so they’ve got their own list. Check these places out if you’re looking to impress someone, or you just really want to go all out on food.

Pisticci

I really want to visit this place. I’ve heard it’s the best Italian food around, although it’s kind of out of the way, between Broadway and Claremont around 123rd. Supposed to be a really nice place to eat.

Symposium

Hidden almost underground amongst frat after frat on 113th, Symposium is easy to miss. It’s a Greek restaurant, one that I first visited due to my Lit Hum teacher, who made it a class field trip because we were reading Symposium by Plato. Hardly anyone (from Columbia) ever goes here, so if you make your face show up more than once, and within a fortnight, the owner/main server (I’m not positive of his title) will probably recognize you. That being said, the place definitely has regulars, the classic “generic pub” dynamic. The whole place is Instagrammable, with the welcome change of no other people in your feed having already Instagrammed it. Symposium is by far my favorite restaurant that I’ve been to in New York.

Expense: 3/5, because the prices are respectable but the food more than makes up for it.

Aesthetic: 5/5. With dim lights, cute booths, vines and intriguing art on the walls, Symposium has it all.

Convenience: 4/5. It’s just kinda hard to access by car; chances are, there won’t be parking space on the street and you’ll have to park around the block. Not a huge problem though.

Popularity: 1/5. Similarly to Strokos, almost no one from Columbia knows about this place or cares enough to visit it more than once.

Food: 5/5. Absolutely impeccable. With a light taste of lemon on everything, the food is drool-worthy. Anything from their simple spinach rice to their stuffed grape leaves (dolmadakia) is cooked to the highest level of cuisine. If you visit here, be sure to order the flaming cheese as an appetizer (along with the dolmadakia)! It is literally on fire, making for a truly unique eating experience.

Overall: Quite rightly so, Symposium is the only restaurant on my list to get a perfect score of 5/5.

[glossierap]

70 QUESTIONS

tagged by @satansonyeondan thanks a lot! ♡

1. do you have a good relationship with your parents? actually yes but i hate so many aspects of their thinking (especially my fathers he’s the worst). but since i try not to aruge with them about those things it’s fine

2. who did you last say “i love you” to? i don’t remember

3. do you regret anything? having so little experienced in my life? wether it’s relationships, partys or anything just not living my life to the fullest i guess

4. are you insecure? about certain things yes

5. what’s your relationship status? single

6. how do you want to die? peacefully and without any regrets left

7. what did you last eat? it says “milk chocolate with puffed rice” on it idk

8. played any sports? i played volleyball for like 3 months but that’s it

9. do you bite your nails? i did a lot as a child (to the point where my father put my hand into the toilet to make me stop - didn’t help tho) but now since i have gel/acrylic nails i don’t

10. when was your last physical fight? a few months ago? with my sister but just a light one nothing too serious

11. do you like someone? no i don’t think so

12. have you ever stayed up 48 hours? i think the most i stayed up was 35 hrs so no

13. do you hate anyone at the moment? no

14. do you miss someone? not really i just kinda miss hangig out with my friends

15. have any pets? no

16. how exactly are you feeling at the moment? tired but i don’t wanna sleep yet also some kind of excitement but idk where it comes from

17. ever made out in the bathroom? nope

18. are you scared of spiders? no

19. would you go back in time if you were given the chance? if it’s like back in ancient times or around 1700 -1900 hell yes but also only if i can return whenever i want

20. where was the last place you snogged someone? i had to google what that means and if it’s what google said it is it was 5-6 years ago in a bed

21. what are your plans for this weekend? i’m bleaching and dying my hair and also maybe going shopping at my workplace with my mother and sisters

22. do you want to have kids? how many? not really

23. do you have piercings? how many? 2 lobes, 2 upper lobes and i wanna get a tragus and a helix but that’s it

24. what is/are/were your best subject(s)? english, german and at some point i was kinda good at biology

25. do you miss anyone from your past? no

26. what are you craving right now? ice cream an i’m gonna get some after i finish this

27. have you ever broken someone’s heart? i don’t think so

28. have you ever been cheated on? can’t get cheated on if you’ve never been in a relationship

29. have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? am I the only person on this planet who hasn’t been in a relationship yet… these questions aren’t made for me lmao - copying this one from allie lol

30. what’s irritating you right now? nothing i think

31. does somebody love you? i hope so but idk for sure lmao

32. what is your favourite color? pastels are my shit but also black

33. do you have trust issues? hell yeah i’m rarely opening up to someone in rl

34. who/what was your last dream about? i have no idea

35. who was the last person you cried in front of? probably my parents when they make me so angry i can’t do anything but cry. but that’s VERY rare i usually never ever cry in front of others

36. do you give out second chances too easily? i don’t think there’ve been occasions where i’d have to so idk

37. is it easier to forgive or forget? neither but i think it is harder to forget

38. is this year the best year of your life? nothing much has happened as of now so no

39. how old were you when you had your first kiss? 14, it was my first and last kiss to this day

40. have you ever walked outside completely naked? noo??

51. favourite food? sushi, pizza, stews are hella nice too, many many diff asian dishes too

52. do you believe everything happens for a reason? kinda yeah

53. what is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? i was probably either on tumblr (or twt or insta)

54. is cheating ever okay? no never

55. are you mean? no i can’t be mean (on purpose) i’m feeling/i’d feel so bad afterwards

56. how many people have you fist fought? does pulling each others hair at 10 count? otherwise none

57. do you believe in true love? i don’t believe in one true love but that one can have feelings of true love towards a person

58. favourite weather? i like rainy, chill but not too cold days, sunny days with a clear sky and a little cool breeze and i also love thunderstorms with a lot of rain, flashes and thunder at night, and i also LOVE fog

59. do you like the snow? it’s more like mud here after 10 minutes but i like watching it snow when i’m home

60. do you wanna get married? i’m not aiming for it but i’m also not aginst getting married

61. is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? i like babe better tbh smth about the word baby bugs me - also copying this one

62. what makes you happy? music, learning more about the things i’m interested in, my fave weather (fog, it makes me so happy whe it’s foggy, receiving the things i ordered lol, tv shows, when i get friends/family into the things i like/ i recommended them

63. would you change your name?   i, when i was a stupid kid, wanted to change my name to Selina because of Selina Shirin Müller from Freche Mädchen, but now no my name is pretty rare and i used to hate that but i’m fine with it now

64. would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? yeah considering it was 5-6 years ago it’d be petty awkward now

65. your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? idc what sex but if someone i don’t like in that way would like me i’d tell them and hope they understand. i’d never start a relationship with someone i don’t like just because that person likes me, it has to be mutual

66. do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? i don’t have any male friends

67. who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? probably someone at work

68. who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? one of my colleagues at work but i also kinda consider her a friend

69. do you believe in soulmates? somehow yes, but like in a friendship way. someone who thinks like you do, feels the same, has the same thoughts, someone you don’t necesary have to talk to about something to understand them. that’s what a soulmate is be for me, nothing romantic

70. is there anyone you would die for? some members of my family maybe. tbh i have no idea because sometimes i’m thinking “they’re precious to me” but other times i think i’m not so attached to them? i don’t have such a strong bonding with people i guess, which is kinda sad

i’m tagging @beaniebangtan @r4ch3lb @k-popastrology @honeypanda @seventeens-noona @yoongissoftgf @yehet-is-not-my-style @shupahmin @hobisoo (just tagging some of my mutuals, hope u okay with that)

[scarletpan-moved]

All the ice cream asks? ❤️

Ice Cream Ask MemeCompleted

chocolate: when was your first kiss?

Middle School, 7th grade I think. 

french vanilla: how old are you?

20 (Nothing special about 20, its the null year) 

cotton candy: three places you want to travel to?

Michigan (the middle of bum fuck nowhere) Canada (!!!!!) California probably? Or Tokyo? PAX East? 

strawberry: a language you wish you could speak?

Japanese. Or any language, but that one would be really cool

coffee: favorite cosmetic brands?

Hmm... ELF is actually good, and cheap. I also like NARS, and Too Faced

mint chocolate chip: indoors or outdoors?

Indoors, typically. Too many bugs and UV rays and heat outside. 

cookie dough: do you play any instruments?

I wish dude, I have zero talent

rocky road: favorite songs at the moment?

Unapologetic Bitch - Madonna I’m Not A Vampire - Falling In Reverse Diablo - Simon Curtis Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran Stutter - My Darkest Days

butter pecan: favorite songs for life?

Vanilla Twilight - Owl City Psycho - MuseBubblegum Bitch - Mariba and the DiamondsYou Call Me A Bitch - Halestorm Emperor's New Clothes - P!ATD

cheesecake: what's your zodiac sign?

Capricorn

toasted coconut: the beach or the pool?

The pool if I’m looking to swim, I love the beach though

chocolate chip: what's your most popular post?

Of all time? An ask meme I made a while back on another blog. Over here? One of my Assa/ssinat//ion Cl//assro//om edits.

bubblegum: books or movies?

Books are usually better written than movies. 

pistachio: manga or anime?

Anime just because I love to see the manga come to life, hear the voices.

salted caramel: favorite movies?

The Princess Bride, Tangled, and Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Sharknado will always have a fond spot in my heart, too. 

birthday cake: favorite books?

Artemis Fowl (series), Ink Heart (series), and Harry Potter (series)

moose tracks: favorites for manga?

Missions of Love, Frui/ts Ba//sket, My Girlfriend is a Geek, and The Demon Ororon

orange sherbet: favorites for anime?

Frui//ts B//aske/t, Assass//inati//on C//lassr//oom, Kuro/shi//tsuji, No G//ame N/o Lif//e, and Oura//n High Sch//ool, Host C//lub

peanut butter: favorite academic subject?

Only counting actual academics here, English. Adding in ‘the arts’, then art or photography.

black raspberry: do you have any pets?

Yes, two kitties ♥

mango: when and why did you start your blog?

November 2012, because I was bored honestly. I ran out of apps to refresh. 

mocha: ideal weather conditions?

Cool, cloudy, maybe drizzling but no thunder. 

black cherry: four words that describe you?

Sleepy, empathetic, hesitant, passionate 

neapolitan: things that stress you out?

Drama, hate, discourse, and other people’s anger

raspberry truffle: favorite kind of music?

I listen to most musics, but I guess pop punk and/or pop country. 

chocolate marshmallow: favorite brands of candy?

I don’t have favorite brands honestly?? I love Ferrero Rocher and I’m pretty sure that’s a brand?? And Lindt???

toffee: a card game that you're good at?

Go fish. Fuck anything but go fish. No one would ever play cards with me so I suuuuuuck

lemon custard: do you eat breakfast?

lol? When I have time, but I rarely have time. 

dark chocolate: turn ons?

Ohhh dark chocolate you beast. Biting, possessive behavior, being restrained, light choking, having marks left behind, praise, and being dominated / ordered around. 

fudge: turn offs?

Lack of communication, and bad smells. 

peach: how do you relax?

I lay in bed and listen to music, drowning out the world and letting myself float off into whatever between dimension my brain goes to. 

praline: a popular book you haven't read yet?

Hm... I don’t know what’s popular right now, but I haven’t read Six Of Crows and I know a few people who like it?

superman: do you like sweaters?

YES sweaters are my jam dude, they’re so comfy and soft and make me feel safe.

cherry: do you drink tea or coffee?

Both, but more coffee than tea, I need the caffeine. 

dulce de leche: an instrument you wish you could play?

Guitar. Or piano. I want talent, dude.

blackberry: have you ever laughed so hard you cried?

Oh yeah, typically on skype calls with Rayne, or when hanging out with Kota and her mama, but for sure. 

ginger: a new feature you wish tumblr could have?

A tagging system that didn’t put everything that mentioned a word in the tags??? How about we fix what we got. 

blueberry lemon: favorite blogs?

On this blog, @little-mx-rayne, markired, @jiminy-krispies, @kotafrost, and enecoo

almond: favorite mean girls quote?

“There are two kinds of evil people in this world. Those who do evil stuff and those who see evil stuff being done and don’t try to stop it.”

butterscotch: what color are your nails right now?

Nail-colored... My hands shake too much to paint them myself.

cinnamon: have you ever been confessed to?

I’m assuming you mean when it comes to having a crush and stuff? Yes, back in middle / early high school. It was... awkward. Any other time its happened because I was like ehhhh hi I like you and they were like !!!!

blue moon: have you ever had a crush on someone?

Oh hell yeah. And usually confessed. Some worked out (obviously), some not so much, but that’s life, yo.

cappuccino crunch: do you take naps?

I live for naps.

mint: the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?

One time at church camp I was looking for my friends in the cafeteria and backed into another person’s tray and their drink spilled down my shirt and soaked my jeans, in front of everyone.

brownie batter: do you like sushi?

Certain types, I’m picky, but yes.

key lime: where do you want to be right now?

In bed, but in bed in with @little-mx-rayne an @lukeriolc

red velvet: do you wear prescription glasses?

Yep, and I’m blind without them. 

green tea: favorite flavors of ice cream?

Cookies and cream, hands down. I’m a sucker for vanilla too.