#you show up to a party wearing the same shirt as someone else. heh. and its so embarrassing

[catboygirljoker]

as an example of my beef with the kh wiki:

"citation needed" well sometimes when you play a video game and you watch a cutscene you can see information with your eyeballs and you can listen to the words characters say and connect them to the things that are being shown on screen and you can think about them in your brain and look at it and think about it and then you can know things about the game youre playing

[lightvsdark18]

Voicelines responses (Riddle)

You are a strange one. The others fear me, but you aren't fazed in the least. Not that I'm rebuking you for it, mind you.

Well, I'm not a magic user, so there's nothing you can threat me with. Yeah, you have your collar, but it's more an annoyance than something to freak out about unlike everyone else.

Open your mouth wider when you speak.

*Confused* No.

Shall I do a loop-the-loop?

If it wouldn't make you sick.

Would you show us an example?

Ask someone else.

Let nothing distract you.

Tell that to Ace and Deuce.

Whispering is forbidden.

No it isn't.

Should I teach you?

... No, I got it. I think.

School Uniform

Is there anything more important than studying for us students?

... Mental health.

I make it a rule to iron my shirt every morning.

That's dedication.

I will not allow anyone to wear their uniform in a sloppy manner.

Tell that to Leona.

The interior design of Ramshackle Dorm's lounge is strange. Is that your taste in décor?

... The place is abandoned. Do you really think I did this on purposely?

Do you need something from me? Quit staring and speak.

I was just staring into space, don't have to be rude about it.

Are you at loose ends? Then you should read up on the Queen of Hearts' rules.

How is that going to help me?

P.E. Uniform

A true mage excels in magic over fitness. Certainly you'd agree?

I guess.

When I came here, I bought a slightly larger uniform assuming that I would grow taller, but...

Give it time, you're still young.

We're practicing croquet at Heartslabyul. Come watch if it piques your interest.

I want to know how you play croquet with hedgehogs and flamingos.

If no other sport interests you, why not try the Equestrian Club? You'll find that I'm a very patient teacher.

Hmm, I'm interested in riding a horse, but not enough to join a club on it. Sorry.

Did Ace invite you to watch the basketball game as well? Would you like to go together?

Sure.

Labwear

Apparently, those two freshmen from my dorm have angered Professor Crewel again. Will they never learn?

I heard Grim knocked over something important and had to replace it. That cat never learns either.

Cater is quite skilled at astrology. It may seem like an occult discipline, but I hear it is rooted in statistics. Is he more scientific than I gave him credit for?

... Yes. Studying the stars and the patterns in said stars takes a lot of knowledge to see that.

I may study potionology, but don't expect much from my cooking. I am trying to improve, at least.

Same. My cooking is blend.

Ceremonial Robes

Oh, it's you. It is difficult to tell people apart when everyone wears these robes.

Heh. If only we have our hoods down.

Wearing this reminds me of that uproar during this year's orientation. You know what will happen if you pull something like that again, right?

Um, what exactly did I do? I was literally just standing there and trying to wrap my head around the whole situation. Grim is the person you should threaten, not me.

You have the same set of robes, don't you? Do you ever get tired of staring?

I'm a daydreamer, you know this already.

You must do as the professors say. They are the very pillars of this academy.

An academy I was forced to be in.

If you have your hands full with Grim, you may come to me for help. I have a lovely collar for him.

Bruh.

Dorm Uniform

Always respond, "Yes Housewarden!" Do you understand?

But you're not my housewarden.

Halt. Even if you're in a hurry, you mustn't run in the hallways. Putting the Queen's laws aside, it is simply bad manners.

Do I look like I care? Also, I'm chasing Grim. You would understand.

Today is our unbirthday party. You may participate as well, providing it is not your birthday.

I'll see if I have anything nice to wear.

You're welcome in Heartslabyul as long as you follow the Queen's rules.

("I'm not following her rules.")

I assume anyone who expresses discontent with my ways is prepared to lose their head. Well?

... I shouldn't insult a child.

These high heels are modeled after the Queen's, I'll have you know. To be clear, that is the ONLY reason the heels are so high.

*Smug brow raise*

Suitor Suit

I can't fathom why the bride would want to marry someone she just met. How could you fall in love that fast?

The heart can sometimes know what it wants right away. But the princess isn't doing this out of love, it's more desperation to be a married woman.

My perfect partner? Well, they would certainly need to be punctual... Wait, how did we get on this topic?!

You're wearing a suit and proposing to someone, it's kind of obvious why I brought the question up.

Rook told me one must profess their love every day to their beloved. That doesn't sound easy...

That sounds too much.

What is it? You're staring.

You look very handsome.

The bride's idea of a perfect prince relies far too much on appearance, if you ask me. It's what's on the inside that matters most.

Exactly. Someone could look gorgeous, but be a big jerk. You got to pick someone you connect with.

Hedgehog couples and flamingo couples both get along swimmingly. It's a wonderful thing.

There's hedgehog and flamingo couples? That's so cute.

Dressing up like this reminds me of the parties I used to attend with my parents. The cakes always looked so appetizing...

I bet.

I know how to behave in formal situations. Would you like me to teach you how to carry yourself?

I think I can figure it out. Thanks for the offer.

Halloween

Now that you've set foot in our domain, I expect you to follow our rules.

*Turns and walks out jokingly*

It can get lonely being a skeleton. You'll join us, won't you?

As long as I get tea and sweets, then yes.

Heartslabyul had a pirate theme last year. I'd never acted so uncouth before. It was most distressing.

Do you have any pictures? I want to see your pirate costume.

Ortho came up to me and said, "Trick or treat." I gave him some candy I had on hand, though now I'm wondering if he can even eat it…

He's probably using it to prevent getting tricked, or is giving it all to his brother.

What? You don't have any candy for me? Good thing I came up with a trick to play ahead of time. I hope you're ready…

Bring it on.

Jade has a keen interest in Halloween traditions on land. It was a bit awkward when he started coming to me with questions every break period. And in September, no less…

Heh. He was very excited it seems.

I'm afraid I don't have any treats to share. *sigh* So what trickery do you have in mind?

Silly string.

Do you have any experience with social dances?

No, I haven't been to really any social gatherings.

[raineydays411]

The best of friends

Peter Parker x Stark! reader

A/n: Hello! So this time the reader is going to be black! If y’all wanna like...request for a reader to be an ethnicity or race you can, I’ll do my best to write for it 💕

Summary: Peter Parker is your best friend. In fact he’s one of your only friends. So it’s needless to say things get a little complicated when you fall in love with him and he’s in love with another girl. 

Warning ⚠️: Oblivious Peter, sad reader, love triangles

This fic was inspired by @cherrytholland and their silence series, YALL need to check it out!

You never had many friends. It’s alway been that way, ever since you remembered. 

Being a Stark meant that you were constantly in danger, especially after your dad became Iron Man. So you were homeschooled. It was pretty easy, ever since the Avengers moved in, Bruce and Tony took turns teaching you everything you needed to know. So there was no need for you to go to school.

But you were lonely. Yes, you were surrounded by the team, but they were all so much older than you. Wanda and Pietro were the only ones closest to your age not only were they still way older than you, they hated your dad for a long time so there was a small tension there. 

You spent time with your dad, hell he was your best friend, but a girl can only spend so much time with her father. Bruce was too scared to hang out with you. Steve treated you like a toddler. Sam and Bucky were fun to be with but then Steve will join and then they all act as if you’re a baby. Natasha is great to go to for advice but she rarely had time to talk with you, Clint was a whole father. And Thor, he was hardly on earth. 

That's when Peter Parker came into your life. He was the first person on the team who was your age. You and he quickly became friends, bonding over your shared interests in Star Wars and being the youngest in the Avengers HQ. 

When you first met him, you were really shy. As said before, you rarely had the chance to talk to anyone your age. If you did, it was most likely the child of another business owner at some fancy party. So becoming friends with Peter was definitely an experience. You remember the day you two became friends.

**Flashback**

You really weren’t expecting to meet Peter. Hell, you didn’t even know that he was supposed to be coming over. So,when you walked into the common room, wearing someone else’s tee shirt and a bonnet, you were shocked to see a boy next to your dad staring at you.

“Oh, Y/n! I may have forgotten to mention I was showing Peter around...” Tony said as he noticed you were sort of unprepared for a visitor.

“ yeah that would have been good to know” you say glaring at your father.

“Well then, Peter this is my daughter Y/n, Y/n this is Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man”

“H-hi! It’s nice to meet you!” Peter stuttered as he put out his hand. You smiled shyly as you took it

“It’s nice to meet you too” you said quietly, taking your hand back and looking at the floor. An awkward silence fell upon you three. Then Tony cleared his throat

“I’m gonna ignore that little awkward thing. Y/n!” He looks at you with a gleam in his eye, “Maybe you can show the kid around, it would be nice if you knew someone your age.”

“DAD!” You shout, embarrassed he basically set you up on a play date, “ I talk people my own age!”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes, “ Talking to those Gothamites during galas doesn’t count.”

“We follow each other on Instagram!”

“Wow, that’s the pinnacle of friendship.” Tony replied sarcastically, “ show the kid around.” 

You sigh as you turn to Peter, who was standing a few feet away awkwardly listening to you and your dad squabble.

“ Alright web head, let’s go”

He looks at Tony, slightly fearful. But Tony only smiles and says, “ Aw a nickname, see Peter she does like you.” Then walks away, leaving you two alone.

Flashback ends ****

Who knew that from that awkward interaction, a beautiful friendship would blossom??

From then on, you and Peter were practically attached by the hip. Every day after patrol, Peter would come over and hang out with you. Whether you’re watching movies, playing video games, or cranking the other Avengers, you and Peter could always be found together. He truly became your one best friend.

Until it became more.

The light hugs he’d give you when he first saw you started to linger, you both sat closer when you were watching movies (practically cuddling), he’d fall asleep on you lap when you stroked his hair.

All this but you both still held on to the notion that you just friends. Well, Peter did.

You were really unexperienced when it came to stuff like this.  This was the first time you ever had a friend, let alone have a crush. It was easier for you to ignore these intimate moments and cling onto the idea that it was just platonic. And you did, up until your dad had the wonderful idea to invite Peters class on a tour of the Tower.

At first you really didn’t have an opinion.

If anything, you were indifferent to the idea of your home being swarmed by teenagers. It didn’t help that Steve convinced your dad that you should be present during the tour. Claiming that “ it’d be good for her to meet more kids her age instead of just Peter.”

Honestly, you had other friends! They just lived in a different city and you rarely talked.

But there you were, standing beside Bucky as your dad went on about the compound and all the nerdy science stuff. You weren’t really paying attention, you had some AirPods in. It wasn’t until Bucky nudged you when you realized that your dad was calling you.

“ Come on up kiddo” he said giving you that Dad™️ stare.

You grin at him, then glare at Bucky as he snickers into his shoulder. You make your way up to where your dad is in the front of the crowd.

“ What am I supposed to be doing” you whisper to your dad. He rolls his eyes and whispers back “ Introduction and answer some questions”

You gulp, you were always good at public speaking . You were a Stark, of course you were. But introducing yourself to your fathers business partners and introducing yourself to your peers was two different things. You eyed the crowd trying to find Peter, you found him next to a chubby boy with an awestruck look on his face and a rather pretty girl who looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here. When you made eye contact with him, he smiled and threw you a thumbs up.

That simple gesture give you all the confidence you needed to introduce yourself

“ Hi, I’m Y/n Stark. I’m seventeen years old and I live here with my dad and the team. Obviously” you say, a slight smile on your face. “ I guess I have to answer questions. But I’m not sure cause I wasn’t paying attention”

The group laughs and a few hands raise, the questions are basic “ what’s it like living with avengers?” “ Where do you go to school?” “Are you single?” Etc etc. After answering, the rest of the team introduced themselves and then split the kids into groups for the tour. You looked for the group Peter was in, finally finding him in Sam and Bucky group. You sneak away from your fathers side and skip up behind the duo. You watch them bicker over where to take their group.

“ What about the gym ?” You say, startling the two men.

“Jesus!!” “Shit!!”

You laugh, watching them dramatically clench their chest. “You’d think as highly trained soldiers you’d be more aware of your surroundings.”

“ haha.” Sam says, “ just for that you’re not allowed to be part of our group”

“ I’ll just find a way to sneak in.” You say with a grin. They roll their eyes and lead the group to the gym. You stay in place as you wait for Peter to walk by. As he does you saddle up next to him.

“Hey web slinger” you whisper in his ear. He jumps at your voice.

“Y/n??!” His voice cracks, “ don’t do that!!”

“Aw come on Pete!” You laugh, “ don’t be such a wuss!”

Then the boy next to him turns, The awestruck look back on his face

“ Your..your Y/n Stark ” he says wide eyed. You smile shyly as you turn to him, remembering where you were.

“ hi, you must be Ned. Peters told me a lot about you” you say in a low voice.

“ Peter talks to you about me” he says in a surprised voice.

“Yeah! It’s really awesome to finally meet you.” 

“ Are you two coming?” Another voice chimes in. You turn to see the pretty girl with a bored expression.

“ Oh, hey” she says noticing you, “ I’m Michelle Jones, but just call me MJ”

“Y/n Stark” you say with a smile. She nods at you and then turns to Peter and Ned.

“ Come on you two, Liz is asking where you are”

“ Liz is asking about me??” Peter says, his face turning red, “ what did she say? Did she mention my name?!”

You watch him in confusion. He never acted like this except when Natasha called him handsome that one time. Then again, if Natasha called you pretty you’d freak out as well.

MJ rolls her eyes and ignored his questions, “ So you live here?” She asks you. Her question startled you as you weren’t expecting to be talked to.

“ Ye-yeah. I’ve been with my dad since I was about two.” You stuttered.

“That’s cool!! What about your mom?” Ned asks.

You smile sadly, “ I don’t know, she’s not around much.” Sensing your sadness, Peter wrapped in arm around you.

“ Cone on guys, quit it with the questions.”

Ned looks at you apologetic and Mj looks away. Then a pretty girl walks up to your group.

“ There you are. Come on you guys, you’re not supposed to split from the group.”

Peter pulls his arm back immediately at her presence. His eyes glaze over as he looks at her with a gaze you can only describe as dreamy.

“He-hey!! Sorry Liz, guess we lost track of time..heh” He rubs the back of his neck as his face turns red. His body tensed up in anxiety but at the same time is slouched. He has a goofy grin that you’ve never ever seen before.

Seeing Peter act so differently around this girl made you feel weird. Your hands were sweaty and your chest filled with anxiety. You felt cold and hit at the same time. There was a sick feeling in your stomach.

“Are you okay?” Mj asked looking at you in concerned.

You were frowning. Ned looked at you with wide eyes “ I’m sorry about mentioning your mom! I really didn’t mean to upset you.” 

You turn to him and smile at his concern for you. “ Don’t worry about it, you didn’t know” you frown again looking at Peter walking with Liz, “ Soo, who’s that?”

“ Oh that’s Liz Allen. Peters been in love with her since like freshman year”

Your heart drops and that sick feelings return. “ Oh really?”

“Yeah, I am surprised you don’t know who that is Peter hasn’t stopped yapping about hersince freshman year.” MJ says rolling her eyes.

“ Peters never mentioned her. Just Ned and you.” You say. MJ hums at that.

“ Thats funny, Peter doesn’t talk about his internship too much. we didn’t even know you two were friends until today.”

Well, if you weren’t hurt before, now you were in absolute pain.

“Oh..really?” You ask, “ it’s probably because I hardly leave the HQ. Peter is the first friend I have here in the city.” You tried to reason, but you didn’t even convince yourself.

Ned and MJ look at you in shock, but before they can say anything Peter comes back to the group.

“ Hey guys! Liz just agreed to hangout with us this weekend!” He says to Ned and MJ, his back turned to you. You’re shocked because you were supposed to go shopping with Peter this weekend.

“ Since when were we hanging out this weekend??”  Mj asks confused with the sudden plans.

“ well...Liz was supposed to go shopping with her friends but they have plans this weekend, and she was really bummed out about it so I said she can hang out with us...” he says quickly.

“ but I thought we were going shopping..” you finally say. Peter jumps and looks at you as if he’s realizing you were there.

“ Oh crap! Y/n I’m so sorry! I completely got caught up with everything!” He apologizes, “ Hey! Why don’t you come with us! You can get to know Ned and MJ some more, and Mr. Stark and Cap will get off your back about talking to people your age”

“ That sound fun!” Ned exclaimed

“ I guess I have nothing better to do” Mj says

You want to decline at first, upset that he forgot about the plans he made with you and you didn’t really want to see him flirt with Liz. But he was looking at you with those brown eyes you love, so you couldn’t say no.

“ sure, I can’t wait..”

You smile weakly. Already dreading the upcoming weekend.

[hen-of-letters]

@spnprideweek day one: flags

This little ficlet for #spnprideweek is brought to you by my big, non-binary bisexual love for this beautiful fandom, and my desire to fix that moment in 'Baby' when Cas indulges Dean by saying "werepire", but Dean doesn't hear him and Cas doesn't know. It ended up getting a bit long, so there's more under the cut or over on AO3. Thanks!

Dean's at Pride, and feeling a rising level of discomfort.

It's not the fact that he's wearing eyeliner in public for the first time in his forty-two years. Hell, he'd been wanting to do that ever since he was a kid, dreaming of being a rock star. The covers of music magazines in gas station racks had been windows on a world free from the brutally narrow definition of what his Dad meant when he told him to "be a man". Gradually, though, he'd learned what is gloriously apparent today under the hot June sun: that there are as many ways of being a man as there are men.

It's not because the sleeveless white t-shirt he's wearing is somewhat snug. (The heat had made him shed his pink, purple and blue plaid shirt - the one he'd worn today because Claire always called it his 'bi flannel' - and tie it around his waist.) He and Cas are both wearing a little of their contentment on their waistlines these days, and he believes Cas when he says that he adores his body because he means it when he says the same to Cas.

It's not the big, heart-shaped sticker slapped on his chest, which is striped in the colours of the bisexual pride flag in a way that's much less subtle than the flannel. Dean's always known that he wasn't only into chicks, but putting a name to it is new. Dean's had jobs and Dean's had roles, but having an identity had always seemed like a luxury well beyond Dean's means. Now he's not constantly running for his life, though, he has the breathing room to figure himself out. And he's good with this part of himself. More than good.

It's not the two flags that are padding the pockets of his jeans. One, he'd bought for Cas: it's striped in pale pink, pale blue and white. Earlier, he'd gone with Cas when he'd met up with some friends he'd met online (having managed to get past all the cats this time). The ex-angel had found that discussing their experiences of being trans had helped him feel happy in the body that had become his own. Dean could only feel immense gratitude for the way Cas' face had lit up afterwards when he'd talked about how he was creating himself, becoming himself, and embracing the human condition of change.

Dean hopes that the gift of the trans pride flag will show Cas that Dean understands and loves him, and the same is true for the other flag, which he'd picked up for Jack. It's yellow, white, purple and black. Dean had had to do a little research when Jack had used the term non-binary - it's amazing how the world can move on while you're living in an underground bunker. He'd kept on researching, too, after he'd learned the basics. Maybe he was still figuring himself out. Maybe there was more to discover about himself, and wasn't that fantastic?

Jack is wandering around somewhere with Claire and Kaia. Jody and Donna are here, too, with Alex and Patience. Adam and Michael have probably partied their way through fifty international pride parades by now, but they should be meeting up with everyone else later. Sam and Eileen are not far away. Eileen was the one who's slapped the bi pride sticker on Dean's chest - with unnecessary force, if you asked Dean. She'd grinned at him, showed off the identical sticker on her own chest, and said, with a suitably cheesy wink, "we need to stick together". He remembered the moment he'd nervously asked her the sign for 'bisexual', and when she'd shown him - the letter signs for 'b' and 'i' - she'd added, "me too," and Dean had scooped her up into a crushing hug.His love for his family is endless, and them all being here is definitely not why he's uncomfortable.

And it's not the body glitter freckling his cheeks and his shoulders with gold, although his feelings might change by the time he tries to remove it tonight. He'd been gilded with it when he'd been dancing up a storm with a group of drag queens. They'd admired his eyeliner - a deep brown shot through with gold along his upper lashes - but winked and said it was "a little subtle for Pride". As soon as Dean had seen the tube of glitter, he'd yelled "hell yes!" and even managed to hold still long enough to be coated in the stuff before moving his body to the beat again. Although he's sure his feet will be aching later, so far his favourite cowboy boots are not the source of his discomfort.

It's not the bright pink feather boa, either, which he'd acquired from the same source as the glitter, when he'd been sent off with a kiss to the cheek and the words "be bold, honey!" He'd expected the boa to tickle or irritate, but for some bizarre reason the sensation of feathers around his shoulders and the back of his neck feels incredibly comforting and reassuring. He feels warm and safe and oh. Oh.

As that particular realisation sweeps over him, Dean tightens his hold on Cas. He's standing behind him with his right hand on Cas' hip, and his left arm is up over his shoulder and wrapped around his chest. His hand is splayed out, at once putting his silver wedding band on display and somehow attempting to conceal Cas from the eyes of his many admirers (and, well, good luck with that. Cas is incredibly beefy these days).

Which brings us to the source of Dean's discomfort; to the thing that's deepening the furrow in his brow and the dimples beside his pursed lips: namely, the sheer number of guys hitting on Cas.

It's not like Dean can blame them. Cas' muscular frame is wrapped in black jeans and a tight black t-shirt bearing the Led Zeppelin 1975 tour logo. The short sleeves show off the floral tattoos trailing down his left arm. Cas is wearing a rainbow-coloured enamel belt buckle and, because he's determined to be the death of Dean, black cowboy boots. Before they'd left, Dean hadn't been able to resist grabbing a black kohl pencil and smudging a little along Cas' upper and lower lashes. And, okay, maybe Cas' wide-eyed bewilderment every time he's flirted with is vaguely amusing. But when Dean is right here? Not cool.

Right on cue, here's another one. From over his husband's shoulder, Dean levels his very best glare at the guy. It's a look that can stop a demon dead in its tracks. A vampire would tremble. A werewolf would wet itself. But one young gay guy with a few drinks in him? Totally unaffected. Like the others, he's all smiles and understanding when Cas politely, if awkwardly, waves him away. (Literally. With a final dorky little wave goodbye.)

Dean realises that he's moved his right arm around Cas' waist, so now Dean is wrapped around Cas like some kind of koala/octopus hybrid. An octoala? A koctopus? Definitely koctopus. Heh.

Dean snorts at the thought, which is somewhat unfortunate, given that his face is right next to Cas' ear. Cas flinches and turns his head around to fix him in a squinty glare.

"Koctopus?" Dean says, apologetically.

Cas narrows his eyes further and tilts his head to the side.

"Um, the way I was wrapped around you. I was like a cross between a koala and an octopus."

Dean nudges Cas. "So what does that make me? C'mon, you know you wanna say it."

Cas just tilts his head a bit further to the side, either in confusion or outright despair. Dean has untangled himself from Cas and stepped back, and looks down at the ground, suddenly self-conscious.

Dean feels Cas' hand on his shoulder, and then it smooths over his back, finding the back of his neck underneath the boa. Whatever his shape, Cas' touch has the exact same effect on Dean. He looks up into the impossibly blue eyes of his husband.

"You're a very glittery," Cas begins, softly, "and very beautiful," one corner of his mouth lifts, and then he purses his lips together, trying to hold back the smile, "koctopus."

The corners of his eyes are crinkled. He's not amused by the joke, Dean knows, just absurdly pleased to be saying something he knows will make Dean happy. Of course Dean knows that Cas loves him, knows the whole cosmic-realm-crossing magnitude of it, but in little moments like this, he's floored by it. Dean can't help his sudden exhale or the massive grin that breaks across his face. He wraps his husband up in hug that they hold for a good long moment, before Dean leans back to kiss Cas.

No one had ever explained to Dean how difficult it is to kiss someone when you can't stop smiling. He'd never had that problem before Cas, but now it's practically a daily occurrence. It's a menace because kissing Cas is one of Dean's favourite pastimes. Now, they trade little pecks between wide, toothy grins, until passion takes over and the kisses become heavier.

It takes someone wolf-whistling for them to part, and then they're back to grinning and staring into each others' eyes, until Dean spots something on Cas' face. And something else. And something else. In fact, there's something all over Cas, and that something is gold glitter. It's on his face, his hands, his Zeppelin shirt, and even in his hair. Dean runs his fingers through the unruly curls - Cas has been wearing his hair longer lately - in an attempt to shake it out, but only deposits more glitter into Cas' locks.

"Oops," Dean says, "I kinda glitter bombed you there. It's all over your shirt, too. Sorry, Sunshine."

He doesn't sound terribly sorry.

"This is your shirt, Dean."

"Aw, man."

He does sound a little sorry now, but his future laundry woes are forgotten when Cas presses another kiss to his pouting lips. They're forgotten again when something across the crowd catches Dean's eye.

"Oooh," Dean exclaims as he drags Cas towards the stall he's spotted.

It's selling cowboy hats in every configuration of colour imaginable, and Dean is practically jumping on the spot excitement. Cas looks his husband up and down, slowly.

"You think your outfit's lacking accessories?" he deadpans.

"Yup," is Dean's gleeful reply, "and so's yours."

Cas' groan is lost to the noise of the crowd and the beat of the music, so no-one will ever know if it was one of protest or defeat. He does, in fact, end up wearing a black cowboy hat with a rainbow band, so if it was protest then it was highly ineffective. Dean's has a pink crown, purple band and blue brim, and he's carrying another black one with a band in the non-binary flag colours for Jack. Cas admits that Jack's going to love it.

"Damn, this is awesome," Dean says as they head back to meet up with the rest of their family.

Walking hand in hand with Cas, Dean's thoughts wander. Dean could kick his younger self for every time he'd called someone gay or a girl as a way of saying they were weak. Because all he can see in the people around him is strength. He grins again, giddy with the atmosphere of defiant joy. All around him is everything he'd spent his life fighting to protect: freedom, family, and love. Holding his husband's hand a little tighter, he's grateful that in the end he gets to have both: freedom and peace.

[yoyogiboysareclueless]

Halloween Party with Gunzo

This is for @blubsamo. It’s a Halloween Event character side quest that hasn’t been made yet. I thought one for Gunzo would be nice.

At Shinjuku’s Halloween Party:

You arrive dressed as a mummy. You scan the crowd for someone who invited you here. Grabbing a glass of punch you search around the crowd.

Flashback:

You wake up from Lil’ Salomon poking you with his hoof.

“Master wake up.” He whined.

“What do you want?” You asked annoyed.

“You have a message.” Sal replied. You felt your hand twitch in annoyance. “Also, today is the Halloween Party.” You flop your face on your pillow and groan.

“Shit, that’s today. I forgot.” Your words come out a little muffled. You roll over and sigh. “What’s the message?”

“It’s from someone who goes to Yoyogi Academy.” Sal said.

“Ashigara?” You question.

“Nope.” Sal shook his head. “That rugby guy that we ran into on Valentine’s day.”

“Gunzo?” You look at Sal with surprise. “What does he want?”

“Apparently he wants to meet up with you.” Sal said.

“When?” You ask.

“10.” Sal responded. You glance at your clock. “Damn, only 20 minutes from now.” You think. You get out of the bed and head to the bathroom to get ready.

9 minutes after: (Still in Flashback)

Putting on your shirt you walk out of the bathroom. Looking for your coat you walk around your room.

“You’re sure off in a hurry.” Shiro joked.

“Yeah, I’m meeting up with Gunzo. He wanted to meet with me.” You say grabbing your coat and phone.

“Well don’t…” Shiro words didn’t reach you as you closed the door. You race down the step and head out the door breaking into a light run.

At Yoyogi:(Flashback)

You make it to the school with 2 minutes to spare.

“Man, I cut it close.” You say as you glance at your watch. You sit down on a bench sighing. “I wonder what Gunzo wants?” You think.

“Hey, (reader).” You hear. Looking around you spot a boy dressed in a red uniform waving at you.

“Hey Gunzo.” You smile at the man coming at you.

“Sorry, I was dragged into a practice. I couldn’t say no.” Gunzo says, rubbing the back of his neck. A goofy grin was plastered on his face.

“It’s fine.” You say. “So, what’d you want to see me for?”

“Oh...that..” He turned red and his smile faded. “Um…” He shuffled his feet and put his two index fingers together. “Would you...would you like to go to the Halloween party with me?” His face couldn’t hide his embarrassment even when he stared at the ground.

“I was already planning on going.” You say.

“Oh.” Gunzo’s face was bright red.

“God, I feel bad for him. He had the courage to ask me at least.” You think.

“Um, I was going to go but, I wasn’t going to go if I couldn’t get someone to come with me.” You lie partially to the rugby player. “Since you did ask, I’ll go with you.”

“Really?” Gunzo looked up. His eyes showed a slight glimmer of hope. You nodded. “Th...thanks.” He flashed a small smile.

“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d go to a Halloween party.” You tell him.

“Some of the others are going and I don’t want to be left out.” Gunzo paused. “Or made fun of.”

“Ah.” You say.

“Plus, I don’t want to be labeled as a scardy cat.” He had a slight bitter tone in his voice.

“Why would you..? Oh. I see now.” You say after you remember that Gunzo is afraid of ghosts. “So, what are you going as?” You ask.

“I don’t really know.” He replied. “Something that wouldn’t scare me to wear.” His eyes showed a small hint of pain.

“How about Frankenstien?” You suggest. “It doesn’t require much and it’s not scary at all.”

“Really?” Gunzo’s eyes were filled with light again.

“Yeah.” You say. “All you have to do is go shirtless, maybe some ripped shorts and a little makeup.”

“Shirt...shirtless?” Gunzo’s face lit up bright red. “I...I mean, I’m okay going shirtless to practice and stuff, but those are people I know...and…”

“It’s fine. No one will really look at what you look like anyway.” You cut him off. “So, don’t worry about it too much.” He sighed and nodded. Legion who was listening the entire time gave Gunzo a thumbs up. “Looks like Legion approves.” You let out a small laugh.

Out of Flashback:

You spot a man with short reddish-brown spiked hair over by an ursine dressed like a baseball player. You make your way over to the two people you spotted weaving in and out of smaller groups as you make your advances.

“Gunzo.” You say. The man jumps a little. “Hey sorry I didn’t see you right away.” You apologize.

“It’s fine.” Gunzo smiled. You notice that Gunzo actually came shirtless. His chest and torso covered with grey and green make-up and black lines to represent stitches. His black shorts were torn and ripped in various places and part of his boxers showed in some of the holes. His face had a single line of stitching running diagonally across his cheek. Legion was also covered with stitches. The lines were uneven and a little wonky at some points.

“You aren’t going to even say, ‘hello’ to me.” The ursine complained.

“Hi Ashigara.” You smile.

“Do you like my costume?” Ashigara beamed as he flaunted his baseball outfit. His large stomach stuck out a little and his pants looked a little tight.

“Yeah, it looks good.” You say as you try not to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Ashigara narrowed his eyes.

“Well, if you bend over, you’ll definitely get a home run.” You chuckle. Gunzo let out a small laugh when he noticed your joke.

“Kyuma said that this was the biggest they had.” Ashigara complained. “You’re so mean like the rest.”

“Sorry, I just couldn’t help but slide into that one.” You joke. Gunzo laughed harder. Ashigara had a scornful look then let out a laugh.

“Yeah, you definitely did.” Ashigara smiled. “Now, I’m going to stuff my face at the buffet table.” 

“So,” you turn to Gunzo. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “Thanks for the jokes, it made me feel a little better.”

“You look really good.” You say.

“Thanks.” He blushed. “So do you.”

“I just put this together quickly.” You say rubbing the back of your neck. The two of you stand in an awkward silence not really knowing what to say to one another. Then Legion tugs on your bandaged leg.

“Legion, don’t you’ll make (reader) trip.” Gunzo said.

“You treat them like kids.” You laugh a little.

“Yeah, they can be a handful.” Gunzo smiled. “But, I know they mean good.” Then he got a weird look on his face. “I mean...what am I talking about heh heh…” Legion pushed Gunzo closer to you. “What are you guys doing? Stop!” You let a small laugh out at the rugby boy and his familiar’s actions. By the time Legion stopped, Gunzo’s face was a couple of inches away from yours. “Ahh...” His face was bright red.

“I guess that’s what Legion wanted.” You say as your face slowly starts to match Gunzo’s.

“I...I…” Gunzo goes silent. His eyes avoid yours. You place a bandage hand on his chest. “I like you, a lot, (reader).” He finally said.

“I like you too, Gunzo.” You smile at him. You feel everyone else in the room has disappeared to where only you and Gunzo are left.

“This is the first time that I’ve gone to one of these.” Gunzo let out a small laugh.

“Same.” You say. “My class rep had to explain what Halloween was to me.” Gunzo nodded. “But, I’m glad that you actually came.” You say. You place your lips on his cheek. His face turned red again and put his hand up to where you kissed.

“What was that for?” He asked.

“For coming here.” You grin. “You’re very brave in doing so.”

“Stop.” He laughed. “Your flattery is worse than Tanka’s.” You laugh at his comment. “But, thanks for the confidence boost.” He puts his hands on your arms. “It’s like you were cheering me on from the sidelines.”

“Maybe I was.” The two of you grew closer and closer. He moved the last inch and placed his lips on yours. His lips felt soft and warm and it contained so much passion that you took a small step back. Your lips disconnected from his.

“Sorry I…” Gunzo looked down at the ground.

“It was fine.” You smile. “I enjoyed it.” He looked up at you with a flushed face then looked down. You noticed his bright red face.

“AYE, WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?” You two hear a booming voice. You are about to look around but, you land face first into a large stomach. “You two better not be getting along without me.”

“We promise Ashigara.” Gunzo and you say.

After the Party:

“Thanks for coming.” You tell Gunzo again.

“It’s not a problem. Not anymore, now that I know that it isn’t super scary here. Plus, you’ll be there.” He added the last part softly.

“I’ll be waiting for next year.” You say. “Maybe you could go as a vampire?”

“I hope I can see you before next year.” Gunzo’s face grew a little pale.

“Of course.” You laugh.

“ASHIGARA, COME ON BEFORE I LEAVE YOUR ASS HERE!” Gunzo yelled at his ursine friend.

“Wait, before you go.” You grab his arm. The shadow silhouettes coming from the two of you on the ground become one as the sunlight slowly fades.

[kbstories]

Axiomatic

ax·i·om·at·ic (adj.)

Self-evident; unquestionable.

The best part of battle is the afterparty.

(Or: Remember that banquet Luffy promised? This is it.)

Tags: Established Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Partying

Set in Wano. Spoilers for all of Wano. Read Chapter 2 here.

***

“What do you think?”

Lipstick glides over thin lips, the wax malleable and smooth as it leaves a coat of rusty red in its wake. Killer makes sure it’s perfectly even before he glances elsewhere. In the mirror, Kidd’s face is all scowled impatience.

One last run-down – eyeliner, mascara, lipstick: done, done and done – then Killer grabs the mask waiting for him. “Alright, let me see.”

Their eyes meet and Killer sighs. Metal over skin-and-bone, Kidd’s arms are crossed; his shaved brows push together further. As if Killer doesn’t indulge his every whim by the regular.

“I’m looking. Show me again.”

Kidd grumbles, “Watch.” He opens his arms, reveals an unbuttoned shirt tucked into his favorite patterned pants, glinting gold over black under a double-belted cinch at the waist. So far, so very Kidd.

No, the point of discussion is the frankly massive coat slung across his neck: Nice soft-looking suede on the outside and glossy-grey fur on the inside, it hugs Kidd’s shoulders in all the right places to then cascade down his back in a display of near-ridiculous opulence.

Extravagant, over-the-top, flashy. It’s hard to tell which type of animal had to die for this. There must be a lot less of ‘em now, with this monstrosity in the world.

Kidd is swiveling it back and forth with critical glances to the mirror, the coat wooshing with the motions. Killer takes in the fluid glide of fur over Kidd’s exposed chest, the contrast of impeccable couture against jagged scars. Loses himself for a moment or two imagining how it would feel like to run his hands over both.

An appreciative hum. In Killer’s educated opinion, Kidd looks damn near sinful.

“Yeah?”, Kidd asks and Killer nods. “Yeah. Heh, told ya the detour’s worth it.”

Perhaps it was, although sifting through Onigashima’s treasury whilst bleeding all over heaps of shiny expensive everything might’ve been a case of skewed priorities. There’s no need to talk about what-could-have-beens, though – they’re here, they’re rich and they’re long overdue at Strawhat’s banquet.

Killer’s practically done, tight jeans under a shirt that’s done up to the third button and left to flare open otherwise. It’s not his old favorite (that one stopped fitting him a good year ago) but similar enough, patterned in geometric black-and-white shapes. Definitely one of his fancier ones, not that anyone will care one way or the other where they’re going.

It’s… been a while since it’s been anyone other than them and their crew. Pirates are pirates, allied or no; Killer eyes the scythes neatly stored next to the bed.

Kidd is touching up his lips one last time, the same shade as Killer’s. “Bring ‘em. That Roronoa guy keeps throwing you weird looks and I’m not allowed to kill him.”

Yet goes implied. Killer isn’t wearing his mask and so he doesn’t roll his eyes. “He’s got every reason to”, he reminds his captain, focusing on the heavy clasps of his weapons to keep the memories at bay. The red mark on his chest stings, stuck in the limbo between a healing wound and a fresh scar for a few days still.

A testament to his failure that Killer won’t hide. If Zoro hadn’t stopped him that day his hands would be stained with blood that cannot be washed off, not entirely.

Kidd’s eyes are on him, dark. “I don’t care.”

Resentful as always. Killer reaches for him, digs his fingers into the fluffy lining of that coat and oh, the fur is as soft as it looks. “I do, though.” A firm tug, one Kidd follows until Killer can kiss him, careful not to smudge anything.

“No killing of allies today, ‘kay? We just came back from a war. The crew’s tired. I’m tired.”

“Mh” is all Kidd has to say to that, a grumpy huff against Killer’s lips more than anything. Kidd does give him a proper kiss, however, and Killer knows he won this one.

All he can ask of Kidd is to try, anyways – with two equally hot-headed captains and a whole host of morons around to rile him up, there’s bound to be blood eventually. The trick is to make sure everyone’s drunk enough not to take it too personally.

A pinch to his ass tells Killer he was caught scheming. Kidd smirks, tells him, “We’re getting wasted tonight”, all triumphant like it’s the best idea he’s had all week, and Killer doesn’t miss the emphasis on we.

“Two Emperors down! Strawhat better bring the good stuff tonight or this alliance is over.”

Killer groans, “Kidd”, but he’s smiling, too. Before he can be called out on it, Killer shoves his mask into Kidd’s hands, metal clanking against metal. “Make yourself useful. We’re late.”

Kidd’s laugh is more of a cackle than anything else – “Yes, darling”, said in that sarcastic lilt Killer knows all too well – yet Kidd complies. His hands, organic or otherwise, handle the mask they’ve built with care and precision. Soon, Killer’s vision is narrowed down to dots, the audio filter of his helmet kicking in soon after.

Killer rolls his neck and hums, satisfied. “Ready?”

Kidd throws a final look at himself in the mirror, grinning into the collar of his new coat.

“Hell yeah. Let’s go.”

*

The banquet is a sprawling, messy affair that swallows the entirety of the ramshackle village the Strawhats picked as their home in Wano Country.

From the moment the Kidd Pirates get there they are surrounded. Wherever Killer's eyes roam there are knots of people drinking, eating, laughing and crying, sometimes simultaneously – there, at the heart of it all where the crowd is thickest, burns the largest bonfire Killer has seen in a while, perhaps ever. Smiling faces all around and for once, it doesn’t make Killer’s stomach drop because they’re genuine.

Survivors of SMILE just like him, caught in the rush of real emotions for the first time in who knows how long. Killer has a pretty good idea how that feels like.

Next to him, Kidd is so tense he’s stalking, gaze intense, oozing Haki to keep people away; Wire’s hand is clenched to bloodlessness around his trident while Heat exhales a bit of smoke with every breath and yeah, Killer gets it. Can’t help it himself, either, scythes kept close to his sides to make sure they’re there.

The thing is: They don’t do these kinds of things. Parties, yes, many and often but not like this. Killer can count on one hand the amounts of times the population of any island was actually happy to see them, much less willing to send them off with one big feast.

Actually, he wouldn’t need to count at all because it’s simply never happened. Even filtered by his mask it’s… a lot to take in at once.

The entire damn country is here, it seems, all breathing a collective sigh of relief so monumental the air itself carries their joy. For all that the Kidd Pirates were in this for revenge and glory, Killer can’t deny it’s rewarding to see a nation so ravaged by an Emperor’s greed do whatever they want for the first time in decades.

Finally, a few familiar faces start popping up. Some of the samurai greet them with nods of their heads, overly formal like the people from Wano tend to be; here and there they spot the distinctly branded yukata the members of Trafalgar’s crew are wearing and, rarer but all the more noticeable, those animal people Strawhat dragged along from somewhere.

Minks? Or something? Killer is inclined to say it doesn’t matter if they didn’t have the habit to jump on them out of fucking nowhere. Looking for bone-crushing hugs and wet-nosed kisses, of all things, and– Oh no, he did not sign up for this.

Much less for whatever that group of cat minks are gearing up to, staring at the holes in his mask with eyes nearly swallowed by black, round pupils. Killer is absolutely, solidly convinced he doesn’t even want to know what that’s all about.

“Captain.”

And yeah, his tone is a little more alarmed than he truly means it to be. It gets Kidd’s attention, though – himself having fought off a dog mink enamored with his metal arm not too long ago – and he barks a laugh even when he ramps up his presence to an almost stifling degree.

“C’mon, I feel Strawhat up ahead.”

To nobody’s surprise, they find him smack dab in the middle of everything. Strawhat and his crew are lounging around the bonfire, there’s no other way to describe it: All broad smiles and flushed faces amidst the chaos, completely in their element, and it’s hard to tell if it’s the closeness to the bonfire or the vaguely impressive amounts of empty bottles lying around already. They’re certainly boisterous enough for it to be the latter, even Jinbei.

And no, Killer hasn’t quite processed that turn of events yet. The strangeness of seeing someone of that caliber wheeze into his mug with laughter as his (new?) captain takes a disturbingly big bite out of an even bigger chunk of meat is… not helping things, in that regard.

What a bunch of weirdos. In the safety of his mask, Killer allows himself a small smile.

From here the flames seem to reach for the sky, tinged in warm pinks and oranges by the sinking sun and there, very faintly, Killer can make out the first stars. He can’t remember ever seeing them, not with the factories running over night as well.

“Spikey!!”

Ah. Killer’s head turns with Kidd’s and it’s a good thing, too, because there’s a stretched arm coming for his captain – Kidd bites out, “Nope, no, Strawhat”, red eyes going wide – and Killer manages to side-step it in the last possible second. One, twice it wraps around Kidd, fancy coat and all, and then the rubber recoils.

“Killer!”

Oh my, Killer thinks mildly as he watches him go. Behind him, half their crew is flabbergasted and the other half is in stitches. “Captain’s gonna be in such a mood”, Heat says to Wire, and it just sends them into another fit of chuckles.

For Killer, finding a drink becomes his top priority. So much for keeping things peaceful.

>>Chapter 2.

[janaikam]

Hi hi, I’m back with another commission for @multibug​ through the @mlbforblm​ drive. The drive still has 16 more days left and you can commission me or other  artists/writers/content creators! All your money is going towards a good cause!

I hope you enjoy this very interesting fic!

Summary:  Ladybug catches Alya and Chat sneaking around one night. What on earth are her kitty and best friend up to?

Chat Noir glanced around the empty street nervously. A nearby light flickered, struggling to stay lit. He hoped that it would stay lit, otherwise the street would be bathed in darkness. His night vision would help him see, but it definitely wouldn’t help the person he was meeting.

Why did they have to meet in the middle of the night? Why not a bit before dawn? At least then the sun could start lighting things up.

The sudden screech of bike brakes caused Chat to jump up almost a foot in the air. Quickly looking around, Chat let out a sigh of relief once he saw who it was.

“Are you scared, Chat Noir?” Alya said, walking into view.

“N-n,” Chat cleared his throat. “No, I’m not scared. I’m just worried someone might catch us. ‘Cause you know we’re supposed to keep this on the down-low.”

Alya rolled her eyes, taking a step closer to Chat, leaving hardly any space between them. He could feel Alya’s breath and how it was coming out in quick little bursts, which probably meant she biked out here pretty quickly. Made sense since she technically is supposed to be home asleep at this hour.

“We’re not doing anything bad. Besides no one comes on this side of town anyway, so we won’t be caught,” Alya whispered.

Times like these, he hated his super senses. Alya smelled like cinnamon, and it was driving him crazy. Maybe if he thought about something else he could push the overpowering scent of cinnamon away.

Chat gulped. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right!” Alya pushed a yellowish envelope into Chat’s arms. “I need you to get these things for me, okay?” Chat nodded. “Good, I’ll see you Saturday at 23.”

Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, Alya turned back towards her bike.

Chat watched as Alya disappeared into the darkness before leaping onto a nearby building. He couldn’t wait until Saturday.

                                                            XXX

Ladybug stood shocked from her position on a roof not far from where Alya and Chat had been standing. She had just been doing a midnight patrol in the area, when she happened to spot Chat. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, she hadn’t gotten the chance to swing down to him before Alya appeared. Which begged the question what exactly were Chat and Alya doing, meeting up this late at night?

Were Chat and Alya secretly dating?

No, that’s impossible! There had to be some other explanation for what Ladybug had just witnessed. Right?

It’s not like two people can’t kiss if they aren’t dating. Yeah. Yeah.

Besides Alya was dating Nino and Chat was dating that girl…who could totally be Alya.

Oh no. This couldn’t end well. Because if what she thought was happening is actually happening then that means her best friend-NO!!!

Nope. No. Nuh-uh. Not gonna consider that.

For all she knew, this was just a meeting to set up for an interview or something that Chat was doing for Alya. Yeah, that had to be it.

She totally wasn’t going to try and figure out where they were meeting Saturday…

Well, it wouldn’t hurt anyone right? It would give Ladybug peace of mind, and that’s what really mattered.

                                                            XXX

Despite their desire to sneak around, Chat and Alya were pretty easy to find.

So her tracker may have helped her, but it’s Chat’s own fault for not turning it off. He could have easily decided to wear a disguise like that stupid banana suit. Actually that might’ve drawn a lot more attention to them...

Okay so it didn’t really matter how she found them, but it did matter where she found them.

Le Palais du Fromage.

A fancy restaurant that Marinette had dreamed of going to ever since they opened 5 years ago. Getting a reservation there was practically impossible unless you were someone important.

She had always imagined herself there tasting all their different cheese platters and getting stuff on just entrees, yet leaving just enough room for dessert. Especially the one that included camembert. Gosh, she loved camembert.

Shaking away the thoughts of camembert, Ladybug watched as Chat and Alya walked up to the door. It was odd to her because the restaurant closed every day at 22:00 sharp. It was also pretty clear to her just looking at the restaurant. All of the outside chairs had been placed leaning against the table. The inside lights had been turned off save for a few in the back. Probably just the kitchen light or something.

Alya was wearing a fancy red dress that seemed to hug her perfectly in all the right ways, while Chat had somehow put on a suit over his costume. She had to admit they looked very snazzy.

When they reached the door, Chat knocked three times, and the door opened. The pair rushed inside, and the door slammed shut behind them.

Ladybug’s jaw dropped.

How on earth did they get a reservation when the restaurant is closed??? What were they even doing that warranted them going to a fancy restaurant late at night?

Purrhaps to have a secret midnight date.

Nope. Not happening on her watch. She was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.

Getting up, Ladybug swung down to the front of the restaurant and knocked on the door.

Initially, no one came to the door, though she could hear the silent whispers of people arguing. Likely arguing about whether to answer the door or not.

Knocking again, the whispers stopped, and this time someone answered the door. The young man that answered the door had blonde hair that had been gelled back so it didn’t get in his face. He had on a dark red vest paired with a black dress shirt and pants.

His sea-blue eyes grew to the size of saucers once he realized it was Ladybug at the door.

“L-ladybug! Wh-uh what brings you by at this hour?” The doorman glanced at something behind him. What? Ladybug couldn’t tell from her position.

“I was just patrolling nearby and noticed the lights were on. Wanted to make sure everything was okay because I know you guys normally close at-I MEAN! You’re normally closed at this time.” Ladybug let out a little laugh, slightly embarrassed she almost painted herself as a restaurant stalker.

“Everything is good here! Heh, a few of us are just, uh…” The man in front of her looked back again, panicked. “We’re, uh, just doing some inventory! Yeah, inventory! That’s what we’re doing late at night. Totally not suspicious at all. Heh.”

If Ladybug didn’t know any better, she’d say they were running some kind of underground mafia business here or maybe even a secret butterfly cave. But she knew he was likely just hiding the fact that Chat Noir was there for some reason.

“If you don’t mind, I would love to check and make sure everything is okay?” Ladybug blinked innocently.

“Umm...yeah. Let me just check with the manager for a quick second.”

Ladybug heard a soft groan from behind the doorman, but she ignored it in favor of smiling.

“Thank you so much! It shouldn’t take long, I just want to make sure the citizens of Paris are all safe!”

Safe from my wrath that is.

                                                            XXX

“And here is our private dining room. You can hold about 100 people here. Perfect for birthday parties and the like,” the manager, Mr. Colby Jacques, informed Chat and Alya.

Chat had to admit that the dining room looked amazing. There was an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which reflected the light through thousands of little diamonds. The walls were covered in stunning paintings of famous chefs from around the world. On one end there was a window with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower.

“Wow,” Alya breathed, looking around.

“This is perfect!” Chat exclaimed, slowly spinning around and taking in the beauty of the room.

Ladybug would love this.

Mr. Jacques smiled at the two teens’ reactions. “Yes, this dining room is very popular among our guests. If you will follow me-”

“Sir!” One of the waiters, who had stayed behind to help, ran up to the trio.

“What is it, Jean Pierre? We have very important guests.” Mr. Jacques looked very irritated at his employee’s interruption. Chat guessed that if he and Alya weren’t standing right next to him, the poor man would’ve been fired on the spot.

“U-uh, umm,” the waiter fumbled, nerves clearly overtaking him.

“Out with it boy!”

The sudden outburst from the store owner surprised Chat and Alya, causing them both to jump a little.

Mr. Jacques noticed them jump and immediately straightened and fixed his tie. “My apologies, I did not mean to shout. It’s just we don’t want the kitchen staff to be waiting all night. What is it, Jean Pierre?”

Years of high society training told Chat that the kitchen staff being held back was the least of Mr. Jacques’ worries. He was obviously more concerned about the Chat and Alya’s business here at the restaurant, and he was just trying to save face.

Maybe this wasn’t the purrfect place after all.

One glance at Alya and he knew she was thinking along the same lines as him.

“Uh, Ladybug is at the door, and um, she wants to come in and, um, make sure everything is okay.” Jean Pierre got out softly.

Oh. Oh, this was bad. Ladybug being here could ruin the whole surprise.

Alya shared his worried look, but it seemed that Mr. Jacques did not. In fact, it appeared that he forgot the whole reason why the pair needed to come after hours.

“Did you tell her we were closed?”

Jean Pierre nodded frantically. “Yes, yes. Philipe told her, but she’s insisting to come in and check the place out.”

One of Mr. Jacques’ eyes twitched in frustration. “I will go deal with this. Please show our guests to the kitchen, and don’t mess this up.”

The last part was whispered to Jean Pierre, but with his super-hearing, Chat was able to hear it clearly. Yeah, they weren’t going to pick this place for the surprise.

But if Mr. Jacques couldn’t keep Ladybug away then there would be no surprise anymore. He could only hope that the pretentious manager could hold back Paris’ (and quite possibly the world’s) greatest superhero.

Yeah, there probably wasn’t going to be a surprise anymore.

                                                            XXX

Ladybug tapped her foot impatiently. It had already been about 10 minutes since the doorman said he was going to get his boss, but no one had come out yet.

They were likely stalling to find someplace to hide Chat and Alya. Maybe she should knock again.

As Ladybug went to knock on the door, it opened, revealing an older balding man. Unfortunately, she was unable to stop her hand from hitting him in the face.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” Ladybug brought her hands to her mouth, hoping that she didn’t accidentally break the man’s nose with her super-strength.

The man groaned, holding his nose for a second, but then removed his hand. A strained smile graced his features as he pushed past the likely growing pain in his nose.

Even though she had just hit him in the face, she just got an unpleasant vibe from him. Maybe it was just her feeling weird that he’s helping Chat and Alya sneak around, but this dude did not pass the vibe check.

“I-it’s alright, Ladybug. Unhhh…What brings you by at this hour?” The manager’s nasally voice, perhaps caused by her accidental punch, further added to his rancid vibes.

“I’m just here checking in on you guys. I was just worried that such a fancy restaurant like yours staying open this late was strange. I know most restaurants like yours pride themselves on closing quickly, so I was just a little concerned and wanted to check and make sure everyone is okay.” Ladybug smiled sweetly, moving a little closer to the door.

“I thank you for your concern Ladybug, but everyone here is just fine. We’re just doing some unexpected cleaning in the kitchen. One of our busboys accidentally spilled a few buckets of dirty plates. Truly a big mess that has kept us behind. We’re all uninjured, just cleaning up the mess,” the manager explained. Ladybug couldn’t help but notice as his nose grew darker and more purple-ish.

“I thought you all were doing inventory? At least, that’s what your doorman said.”

The manager froze as he realized his mistake. “Ah...yes we are also doing some inventory. That’s why there are a few of us here. But trust me everything is under control. I hope you have a good night, and thank you again for your concern.”

The manager, who she realized she never got the name of, tried to quickly close the door, but Ladybug moved her foot right between the door and the frame. It hurt just a bit, but she was grateful her suit protected her from most of the pain.

“With all due respect sir, I frankly don’t believe you. You can either let me in peacefully, or I will call in some back-up to help let me in.” Ladybug glared at the manager, and she could see him slowly realizing that he couldn’t win this battle.

Sighing, the manager opened the door back up for Ladybug. “Right this way.”

Ladybug grinned as she walked proudly through the doors.

“Oh, you might want to get some ice for that nose. I guess I still don’t know my strength.”

                                                            XXX

After maybe 10, the manager, who she learned was Mr. Colby Jacques, had only shown her the three main dining rooms with no signs of any workers that should have been there. The only worker she had seen was the one who ran to get Colby an ice pack.

“Uh, Colby, where are the other workers? I thought you said there were a few of you who stayed behind?” Ladybug asked, looking around. She was mostly looking for potential hiding spots for Chat and Alya, but so far she had not seen any possible spots.

“Oh, they’re all in the kit- I mean they must have gone home if they’re not around here. After all, no point in staying at work if you’re already done. So that means there’s no need for you to check on them!”

Colby immediately tried to turn Ladybug back in the direction of the front of the restaurant, but Ladybug had already picked up on his slip-up. They’re probably hiding in the kitchen.

“Oh, but you wouldn’t mind me checking out the kitchen, would you? Just to be sure no one else is here.”

Beads of sweat appeared on Colby’s face despite the fact there was an ice pack on his nose. “I-I guess that should be fine.”

“Purrfect!”

Ladybug allowed Colby to guide her to the kitchen doors where it was very obvious there were people in the kitchen.

“Oh, wow, I guess there are some people still here.” Mr. Jacques, sweating, had yet to let up, and she was pretty sure if he took off his blazer that there would be sweat stains on his shirt.

“Good thing we decided to check here then.”

Colby grimaced, or maybe he smiled she couldn’t really tell, as he pushed open the door to the kitchen.

The first thing Ladybug noticed upon entering the room was Chat and Alya, sharing what looked like and oreo cheesecake. They each had their own fork, and their arms were linked as they both ate their pieces of cheesecake. A group of kitchen staff stood around them watching them for their reactions.

“Aha! I caught you two!” Ladybug exclaimed, pointing at the two. Both of them turned and stared eyes-wide at Ladybug, clearly not expecting her outburst.

“L-ladybug! What are you doing here? At this clearly closed restaurant?” Chat asked nervously.

“I should be asking you the same thing, Chat. What are you doing here? After hours? Dressed fancy? With Alya Cesaire?” Ladybug crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

Alya and her kitty shared nervous looks as if they were trying to figure out what to tell her.

“Alya and I are madly in love!” Chat declared, pulling Alya closer.

“I can’t believe it!” even if the thought had passed through Ladybug’s mind multiple times during the past few days. “Alya, I am ashamed. I thought as the Ladyblogger you would be a good example of what citizens should be like. Dating both my kitty and another man. Dishonor on you. Dishonor on your cow. Dishonor-”

“We’re not dating!” Alya interrupted, pulling herself away from a starry-eyed Chat. “We’re not dating! And I could certainly never cheat on Nino. He knows I’m here. With Chat.”

Ladybug frowned. “Oh, but then what are you doing here if you’re not on a date?”

Alya gave Chat a look. “Do you want to tell her? Or should I?”

“No, I will.” Chat sighed, pulling himself out of whatever daze he had been in. “We’re here because we were planning a surprise birthday party for you. Surprise!”

“But I never told you when my birthday is.” Ladybug furrowed her brow.

“True, but you did tell me that you’re a Leo, so I figured sometime during Leo season would work,” Chat explained, shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay, if that’s the case then why were you guys just eating the cheesecake like that?” There were just so many questions and things that didn’t add up. She needed to know before her brain exploded.

“Because someone saw it in a movie and wanted to try,” Alya said while tilting her head towards Chat.

“I thought it’d be cute!” Chat defended.

“Okay okay. Why isn’t Nino helping out?”

“He is but we were only allowed two people to come to the restaurant.”

“That-that makes perfect sense. I guess I’m just curious then, but what was in the envelope you gave Chat the other night?”

Chat and Alya blinked, surprised.

Chat brought his hand up to scratch behind his head. “Wow, I didn’t know you knew about that, but uh it was just a list of party things to get. Ya know for the party.”

“Oh. I-I guess that’s all I was confused about. I guess all of this was just one big misunderstanding?” Ladybug softly laughed.

“Yeah, though we probably didn’t help matters,” Chat moved over to Ladybug and wrapped his arm around her.

“Yeah,” Alya agreed. “It’s kinda funny cause I really couldn’t see us together at all.”

“Oh totally, we’d be too chaotic to actually get any dating done. It wouldn’t work out.”

“Yeah…” All three agreed simultaneously.

[tales-from-the-can]

New Year's Dump

As the new year approaches, this would be the perfect time to share a story of a New Year's Eve when I was out celebrating at a local dive that is no longer in existence. But served as the perfect setting for me and the massive shit that I had to take. I had been holding it in directly for this purpose, for over a day and a half. The wait of it was really growing on me when I showed up in the early hours of the evening before the late night crowd arrived to bring in the new year. The venue was a little out of the way bar with a small dance floor, pool table, and back patio. This particular little saloon was known for being the type of place where guys not only hooked up, but often was where the action actually happened. There where blow jobs, hand jobs, and indecent exposure every weekend and Tuesdays because that was the night of their 2 for 1 specials. Until I arrived, there hadn't been any public poopers. The restrooms where just like little stalls with toilet and sink. There was a men's room, and a unisex room. No urinals at the time. The little men's room was at the back wall with a divider in front of it creating this little hallway with the bathroom door to the right. The door would open to a little room the size of a broom closet, with a toilet on the left and sink on the right. The door had it's own lock on the knob. The entire place was decked out for New Year's, complete with streamers, party poppers, little party horns, and hats that spelled Happy New Year of course. I grabbed me a hat and ordered the first round. As the evening wore on into night, more men started to show up (many in their leather fetish outfits ready for a night of dancing and decadence) . As is always the case my body was opening up for what I anticipated I would be doing as soon as the time was right. I clenched my butt, to remember it was not time yet. I was wanting it to get busy and crowded, which I new it would be as we started getting closer to midnight. I did make an early trip to the men's room not only to pee, but to make sure the toilet seat was up so it didn't get pissed on before it was time for me to sit on it. Around 10:30 or so I made an appoint to get a good buzz going to seem like in my drunk state easy to forget little things like locking the door to the bathroom. (Heh,heh,heh.) The men's room was in constant use. There wasn't a line or anything that big, but someone was always opening the door to walk in frequently, and locking the door behind them. When someone else went to use it, they would turn the knob without knocking, and if it was locked they'd use the unisex bathroom instead. I knew it was going to be perfect when I saw that no body knocked on the door. I knew what would happen if the door wasn't locked when someone was in there. I was sweating with anticipation. Soon midnight rolled around and we counted down, then cheered when it hit. There was Champagne served to everyone there including me, and that's when I decided it was time. I had a bottle of beer, had just finished off my Champagne, and as soon as I knew the men's room was vacant, I made my way through the crowd, (who where already getting frisky with each other, as well as checking me out.) to that door as quickly as possible, wearing my party hat, holding my party blower in one hand, my bottle of Corona in the other. I went into the phone booth sized bathroom, and locked the door behind me, but only temporarily, so I could put the seat back down into place, get my pants and underwear down, and sat my sexy butt on to the old fashoned, perfectly rounded, nicely clean seat pulling up my shirt to better expose my thighs and hips. I could hear the massive crowd that flooded the outside of the door throughout the saloon. As I could feel the pressure building, I relaxed then clenched my cheeks to hold my log in place. Then I reached out to the lock on the doorknob, and with a smile of anticipation turned the lock to unlock the door. I grabbed my beer from the base of the sink, held my party blower in my other hand, and waited holding my loaf until I knew for sure that coming to use the bathroom. In about a minute or two, I heard some one approach. As soon as I knew they where about to open the door, I relaxed my sphincter and tried to conceal my anticipation and took a swing of my beer. Just then the knob turned and the door opened. I immediately lowered the beer, then blew on the party blower, and drunkenly blurted out "Happy New Year!" as my poop pushed it's head out my bare bottom, now feeling like a cork in my ass. The man standing there had a thick mustache, and was wearing his finest leather ware. His eyes got really big and his mouth made an o shape. "Oh, I am so sorry. " he said. "That's Okay ", I said "I'm to drunk to care." He then shut the door. It was such a rush, that I continued to clench and relax my hold on that poo, and this time pushed the door open just a little bit. This way I knew that anyone else on the other side of the would think that it wasn't occupied because they would see the door slightly ajar, implying vacancy. A few minutes later, another man opened the door. Much older this time, wearing glasses, with a grayish white beard. I repeated the same steps as before wishing him a happy New Year. He raised his eyebrows at me, then shut the door. As I continued to concentrate on this massive shit I was taking, the evening moved on with men opening the door on me to use the bathroom, and find me sitting on the toilet, in my New Year's party hat, blowing my party blower wishing them a happy new year. Some of the guys would shut the door immediately apologetically, while others would close the door slowly while locking their eyes on me as the door was being shut. One guy said oops, when he opened the door and saw me and closed the door, only to open it up to look in again the moment he closed it, and then did it again and again until he had done it five times. After I finished, I locked the door so I could wipe. I had finished my beer and threw the bottle into the little waist basket. I stood up, pulled my pants up, washed my hands, flushed, and walked out into the party. I felt multiple eyes on me as I walked up to the bar to order another drink. The bar tender told me I didn't need to pay for it because someone already paid for it for me. As I drank my last beer of the night, one of the guys who opened the door on me, smiled and winked at me. For a moment I thought maybe he bought me the drink, only to find two other guys who opened the door smiling at me, so I wasn't sure anymore. The hour of 1AM rolled around, there was a circle jerk going on in the back room where the pool table was, and I was ready to head home. I told the bartender to thank the guy who bought me the drink wishing him a happy new year, then headed out. I haven't had an experience as incredible since, even though I tried. Busy nights like tonight, especially after midnight is the best time, if you want to be caught in the act. Fetish clubs and bars are the best places to do it as long as you try to make it look accidental. Using the hat and party blower, offered an extra gimmick making it more outstanding, and for future reference, would make an excellent photo opp.

[ad-n-kay]

Prince Charming is Not my Type

Chapter One- Sweetheart

Tuesday- January 2, 20XX.

Nova Hazel Marquez

   I stood by my locker, taking out my math book, with my two best friends at my side. Marley, the school hipi, to my left and Luca, the school's star quarterback, to my right. We are a 'strange bunch' as everyone says. Me, Nova Hazel Marquez, being the school tomboy. The halls were packed and loud, as it always is every morning. Filled with teens bickering about parties, boy drama, and Prom that's coming up. Conversations floating around about who's going to be there and with whom. The main people on everyone's lips, the three musketeers, as they call themselves... I roll my eyes thinking about Emma, the school mean girl, cheerleader and how she could try and steal the heart of one of our school's musketeers. As she tries to do every year before Prom.

   Think of the devils and they may come, the hall grew silent as the schools three bad boys entered the hallway. All students moved to make them a path through the crowded hall. I turned back to my locker; the three musketeers walked down the hall behind me, musketeer number three being Parker Davis. Tall broad shoulder brunette with the lightest blue eyes you could imagine. Number two being Coal Micheals, slim but buff, smiling blondy with brown eyes. Probably the worlds biggest player. And of course number one, mister heart-throb of the school Logan MacKellin. Tan, tall, muscular, black wavy haired, hazel golden eyed hunk who believe it or not doesn't date! All of them wearing their signature black ripped jeans, white t-shirt, and black leather jacket. Classic bad boy look.

   A gasp came from Marley and I turned to see what shocked her, even though I didn't care nor want to know. What I saw even shocked me. There, in front of the three bad boys, stood a tall dark red haired girl who held a schedule in her hands. Must be new here. By the look on the bad boys' faces, you could tell she wasn't having a pleasant conversation with the three. Coal looked pissed, Logan looked amused and Parker looked shy, strange, that's not like him. You see, Parker and I used to be close, he was once a part of the "strange bunch," then he started to hang with his other friends, the musketeers, more than us, so naturally, I know him pretty well.

   At this point, Coal was as red as a tomato and speechless. Logan was holding his knees laughing and trying to catch his breath. And Mr. Shy was looking anywhere, but at the new girl walking away, with a slight blush on his face. All I heard from their conversation was something about "ducklings," strange, why would that piss Mr. Bad Boy off so much, crack the other up and make the last blush?

   I shook my head as they began to walk. Saying bye to Luca and Marley, I grabbed my bag and started to head to class. With me being my stupid, clumbsy self, I bumped into someone. OHHHHH!!! That's a muscular stomach and chest! I thought. Without looking up I mumbled sorry and started to walk again, but was stopped dead in my tracks because of two things. One was Coal, he sounded irritated, with a huff he said "Everyones getting in our way today, aren't they?" Damn that sounded bitter. And two, there was a hand around my wrist, stopping me from walking further.

   I looked up and saw Logan, the owner of the hand along with the muscular chest and stomach. I frowned and furrowed my eyebrows at him.

   "Yes?" I questioned "Can I walk without you grabbing me?"

   "Sorry Nova, you were going to run into Parker if I didn't stop you," he said back.

   WOW! WOW! WHAT?

   He knows my name? How?

   What the fuck? We've like, never talked, ever!

   Wow, Mr. Heart throb knows my name.

   "Awe, sweetheart, don't look so confused and worried. I just don't want you bumping into anyone else, try not to watch your feet so much," he smirked at me.

   I looked dumbly at him.

   Sweetheart? What?

   "Head to class, Nova, you're going to be late," he said with a bright smile.

   "Uh, yeah, thanks Logan," it came out as more of a question than an answer.

   "No problem, love," he said.

   And with that I headed to bio. Parker trailing behind me, him as well, looking confused. Parker catches up to me,"Sweetheart? Love?," he questioned. "You know, I didn't even know he knew my name, and what's up with the pet names?" I asked him. He shrugged, "I'm not sure, I've never heard him use pet names with anyone." Weird. Oh well.

   "So... Mr.Shy, you like the new girl," I asked.

   He just blushed and shook his head. I chuckle at his childishness and then we walk into Bio. We both sat at the same lab table, but with a space in between us.

   "So, how did Logan learn my name?" I asked him.

   "I'm not sure, but you do know that we have gone to school with him since primary school, right?" he said.

   "We have!?" I questioned, "how did I not notice him tell high school?"

   He laughed and shrugged again, "I don't know, Via, you're not the most observant," he said.

   "HEY!," I growled then smacked his arm. He just laughed and got his notebook out.

   "It is kind of strange though," he said.

   "What?," I asked.

   "That he knows your name," he answered.

   "How?," I mumbled confused.

   "Well, you see he doesn't learn the names of the girls in this town, or at all, actually," he said.

   "Why not?" okay, now I'm really confused.

   But before I could get an answer, Parker looked towards the door and blushed, completely going silent. When I looked I saw the new girl walking in. Yeah he definitely likes her. The new girl looks around searching for a seat. Goody the only open one is next to Parker! The new girl noticed and headed our way, she sits and turns towards me and in a thick scottish accent ,"Hello, my name is Ricolette Amethyst MacCormack. And you are?" "Do we really have to do the middle name thing?" I asked. ̈"That's a bit too formal for me." She chuckles, "heh, nice. I already like you. So, what's your name?" she asked. "Not into the formal stuff are you," I chuckled, "by the way, I'm Nova Marquez." Ricolette went on to explain why she doesn't like things that are formal, but quited down as the teacher walked in. I noticed Parker not writing and bouncing his leg anxiously. Nervous that the new girl sat next to you,are we? It's okay little Parky, I doubt Ricy will bite. Oh I'm calling her that from now on.

~~~~~

   "What's wrong Parky, forgot how to write?" I teased with a big smirk on my face.

   Next to me, Ricy began to laugh, quite loudly and then apologized for interrupting class.

   "Yeah, we're definitely going to be good friends," she whispered to me. I smiled at that. I really hope, there's no one else at this school other than her and I that is willing to stand up to the Musketeers, so I hope we end up being good friends. It would be fun to torture the bad boys with her.

   Before I knew it, we had finished our class work and class had come to an end. I guess it's off to english for me.

.....

   Second period seemed to end before it began. And then I had to head to Spanish class. As I walked I had a weird feeling that everyone was watching me, but also like someone was following me.

   Oh well.

   "Hola Nova," my spanish teacher greeted me as I walked to the door.

   "Hola Logan," she said looking past me.

   My neck snapped to look behind me, and sure enough Mr. Heartthrob was right behind me, just looking at me.

   Since when did Mr. Heartthrob have spanish with me? I thought, deciding it would be fine to say it out loud.

   "Since when did you have spanish with me?" obviously not calling him Mr. Heartthrob, don't want to boost his ego, now do we?

   "Awe, you break my heart, Nova. We have been in the same spanish classes since freshman year and you're just now noticing me? I'm hurt," he said mocking fake pain, with a hand on his beautiful, muscular chest.

   Wow, beautiful, muscular chest? What? I think I need to stop staying up till 1am reading, I think I'm going delusional.

   "Oh whatever Mr. Ego," I said to him, walking into the class.

   "Awe, now you're walking away from me, you pain me, sweetheart," he said with and obvious smirk playing in his voice.

   Again with the pet names? Parker said he doesn't use pet names! Let alone, learn a girl's name.

   "What's up with all the pet names, Mr. Bad boy?" I questioned.

   "Tsk, tsk, love, don't question me, it might end up bad. And if anything, I should be asking what your infatuation is with calling me Mr. Blank. You got a naughty kink I should know about, pumpkin?" he smirked.

   THIS PRICK!!! What the fuck?! Wait, Pumpkin? Another one?

   "UGH!!! Fuck you, prick!" I said irritated.

   "Anytime, darling," he smirked.

   Does he always smirk so much? Is that just his face? God he's irritating, oh but so hot!!! Yeah I definitely need sleep.

   I growl in frustration and walk further into the class, past him, taking a random seat in the back of the class, just ready for this class to be over already. To my despise, he walked in and took the seat next to me.

   How fucking lovely!!! Note my sarcasm.

  I turned to him smirking," Obsessed with me, are you?" I teased.

  Might as well piss him off so he stops talking to me.

  "Always, pumpkin," he smirks.

  Oh he so didn't.

  "Isn't there someone else you can go and bug? And not me?" I asked, clearly getting annoyed.

  "Sorry, sweetheart, but class has already started, plus I have to get you back for running into me this morning, don't you think it's only fair?" he teased.

  "Oh that's so not fair, I didn't see you, I was looking down," I grumbled.

  "Yeah, but you still ran into me, love. You really need to stop watching your feet, so much, when you walk," he smiled.

  Wow! His smile is mesmerizing! Okay, Nova, stop swooning!

  "And what do you suppose I look at instead?" I questioned.

  "Well Nova, you could always look at me," he smirked again.

  This cocky prick!

  "And why would I want to do that?" I said, trying not to chuckle at the look on his face, sadly the surprise was gone quicker than it showed up.

  "Because I'm undeniably sexy," he smirked.

  "I beg to differ, I'd rather look at Parker," I smirked, knowing I was getting to him. His face flashed with an emotion I couldn't recognize, but it left, again quicker then it showed up.

  Strange...

  "You pain me, princess," he chuckled.

  God, he's just adding to the list of pet names!!!

  " I do that a lot, don't I?" I asked.

  "Yeah, especially since..." he couldn't finish his sentence because our spanish teacher shushed us and began to speak.

  Since what?! What was he going to say! Oh lord help me.

  "Hola clase," she said enthusiastically.

  "Hola senora Mason," the class mumbled. And of course, I stopped listening after that.

  What was he going to say? What the hell? Have I changed? Wait he didn't even know me before today. God I'm confused.

  When senora Mason asked what the date was, in spanish I heard Logan grown next to me.

  Don't like spanish, do we Mr. Heartthrob?

  I bumped Logan. "Don't really like spanish?" I asked and the class answers senora Mason, saying "Es la dos de enero."

  "It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it's annoying to learn things you already know," he whispered to me.

  "Already know?"

  "Yeah, I'm fluent in spanish, took this class for credit," he chuckles.

  WHAT THE HELL?! Mr. Heartthrob is hot and smart?! Score!!! Okay, stop that, Nova, stop right now.

  "Awe, sweetheart, you're looking confused again," he chuckled.

  "Who knew Mr. Heartthrob was smart?" I mumbled under my breath hoping he wouldn't hear.

  "Not many people, love," he smirked.

  Ahhhhh shit!!!

  "Don't tell people I'm smart, and I wont tell people that you called me Mr. Heartthrob," he chuckled.

  THIS PRICK!!!

  "Ugh, you're irritating!" I growled.

  "Deal or no deal?" he asked, sticking his hand out for me to shake.

  "Ugh, deal!," I grumbled, taking his hand.

  We shook, but he didn't let go of my hand yet. Instead, he looked down at it, looking straight at my thin silver ring with a slight greenish blue design, made to look like leaves.

  He began to twirl it around my finger. It always was on my right ring finger. My mother gave it to me for my 15th birthday. Two days before I got in "the accident."

  Under the ring sat a scar. It was less than 5cm, but just big enough to notice.

  He stopped playing with my ring, looking at the scar that hide under it's thin band.

  "Where'd you get that?" he questioned, looking up, staring straight into my eyes.

  Oh god, his eyes are beautiful, they are a lovely golden, green. They always shine so bright.

  "The ring or the scar?" I asked quietly.

  "Both," he smiled, a real smile, not a smirk, but a smile.

  "The ring from my mom when I turned 15 and the scar is from an accident two days after," I smiled back.

  He hummed in understanding. Playing with my ring a little more, but dropped my hand when we had the worksheet handed to us.

 What the hell was that about?

  We were both silent the rest of the period, just working on the class work. The bell rang a few minutes after I had finished my work. I got up and began to pack up my stuff.

  "So, where are we going?" Logan asked.

  "What do you mean?" I questioned.

  "Where are we going, sweetheart? I'm going to walk you to your next class," he chuckled.

  "Oh, I have a free period next," I laughed.

  "Good, I don't want to be lonely. I got free too, where should we go, love?" he smiled, that breathtaking smile.

  "You want to hang out with me?" I said confused.

  "Of course I do, Via," he said flirtatiously.

  Strange, only Parker calls me that.

  "Hmmm, I guess we could go get food or something. I'm starving, I didn't eat breakfast today," I chuckled.

  "Food it is!!!" he exclaimed happily, grabbing my hand and dragging me to the parking lot towards a beautiful dark blue, 1975 stepside chevy.

  I was too busy gawking at his truck to realize he'd got in.

  "Are you coming, sweetheart, or are you just going to keep drooling over my beautiful truck?" he smirked.

  I glared at him and got in the passenger's seat.

  "You like Baby?" he asked.

  "I'm guessing Baby is your truck, so yes," I smiled.

  He chuckled and started the truck.

  We didn't drive too far, just down the street to Mary's Drive and Dine. It's a popular place for us high school students to hang out at during lunch, free periods and after school. We also have after parties here after football games.

  I honestly, rarely go here. I just don't enjoy how crowded it gets. It makes me uncomfortable, but because it was during the free period, the diner was pretty much empty.

  I smiled when I realized it wasn't crowded.

  Thank gosh!

  "Smiling causes you to be happy to be alone with me?" Logan smirked.

  "Technically, we're not alone, there's the cooks, the cashier, the waitresses and that couple in the back," I smirked back.

  "Is that so, sweetheart? We can always go back to my place to be alone," he said, more serious than I was comfortable with.

  "I'm going to regret going with you, aren't I?" I mumbled under my breath and shook my head, causing him to chuckle.

More on Wattpad. Prince Charming is not my Type- adn_kay

All rights reserved for the story ideas, characters, plot, and any written parts

[eldritchsurveys]

804.

1. When was the last time you swam in a pool? >> The last time I was in a pool was probably over 5 years ago, at Easton Mountain. I’m not fond of the way pool water smells. 2. Do you like to party? >> I like gatherings, and get-togethers, and barbecues, and casual social events at someone’s house with food and booze and games. I don’t really care for anything more hectic than that. 3. If your ex suddenly kissed you right now, what would you do? >> --- 4. Are you a virgin? >> No. 5. What are your parents views on your relationships? >> There could never be a relationship that my father would have approved of.

6. If you ran into your current boyfriend/crush in 10 years, would you marry them? >> --- 7. Is your best friend dating anyone? >> --- 8. Describe the shirt you’re wearing? >> It’s black and has the design from the Endless Night Vampire Ball of 2019 on it. 9. Do people who wear Hollister and Abrerbrombie every day bother you? >> Why would that bother me? 10. Could you go out in public without wearing make-up? >> Of course, I do it all the time. 11. What is one feature that you don’t like? >> --- 12. Would people describe you as happy? >> I don’t know how people would describe me. It’s not like I make a habit of asking, and most people don’t make a habit of volunteering that information out of the blue. 13. Are you single? >> No. 14. Does it bother you that pretty much every survey you take asks if you’re single? >> Eh, whatever. For some reason, romantic relationships are of the most pressing importance to a lot of people, and I’ve gotten used to it. 15. Do you have Tumblr? >> Heh. Wouldn’t you like to know.

16. What about Xanga? >> Damn.... RIP. 17. Have you ever babysat before? >> Nope. 18. Is there a teacher who you absolutely hate? >> Well, no, I’m not even in school. 19. Ever shopped at Sephora? >> Yeah, many times. 20. If your current boyfriend/crush suddenly moved away, what would you do? >> The thing about having a spouse whomst you live with is that this kind of thing is way less likely to happen. 21. Do you have any university plans? >> No. 22. If your best friend revealed she was a homosexual, what would you do? >> --- 23. What are your views on sex? >> I don’t have “views” on sex. That’s such a broad question, lmao... 24. Do sexual questions bother you? >> Nah. 25. Would you rather have sex with your boyfriend or break up? >> Wh.................. 26. Have you ever dreamed about your wedding? >> Nah, I was never much into the idea of having a wedding. And then I had one, so you know. Life is like that. 27. Does it bother you when people TYpe 1yk dis’? >> I haven’t seen anyone type like that in almost a decade. The world has moved on. 28. Do you delete pictures of you and your exes off of Facebook? >> --- 29. Would you ever date a friends Ex? >> This is one of those situations that I just can’t at all imagine myself navigating. 30. What’s the last book you read? >> The last book I finished was The King in Yellow. That’s going to be my answer for a while, because the book I’m (re-)reading right now is fucking long. 31. Ready for 10 simple questions? >> Nope. 32. What is your last name? >> Hmm. 33. What grade are you in? >> I’m not in a grade. 34. What school do you go to? >> --- 35. Summer, Fall, Winter or Spring? >> Spring. 36. Favorite Color? >> Gold. 37. Are your parents together? >> No. 38. Any siblings? >> Not worth mention. 39. Favorite subject? >> I don’t have a favourite subject.

40. Least favorite subject? >> Or a least favourite subject. 41. Favorite song? >> People who can choose one favourite song are cryptids. 42. Okay. Simple questions are over. Happy? >> Hopefully I can stop giving such simple answers, too. 43. How many friends do you have on Facebook? >> Thirteen. 44. Ever been requested by some old guy from another country? >> Nope. 45. Have you ever googled yourself? >> Yeah. It’d be a lot harder to google myself now, because I have a fictional character’s name. 46. Have a Formspring? >> Well, no, considering that site is defunct. 47. You’re offered free tickets to a Justin Bieber concert. What do you do? >> Tell whoever it is to give the tickets to someone else? I’m completely uninterested in Justin Bieber. 48. Would you rather spend the day at an amusement park or a water park? >> Amusement park, if I must. 49. Been to Disney world? >> No. 50. If someone posts their status “9 Inches :(” do you know what they mean? >> No. 51. Ever had a boyfriend? >> Yes.

52. Ever had a huge crush on someone who still doesn’t know? >> I don’t know, maybe. 53. Have you done something in the last week that you regret? >> No. 54. Ever drank alcohol? >> Certainly. 55. Know anyone who’s currently doing drugs? >> Sure. 56. Ever watched The Hills? >> No. 57. What about Jersey Shore? >> No. 58. Ever called someone a slut? >> Not seriously. I’ve said it in a joking way to friends who appreciate that sort of banter. 59. What do you think of short shorts? >> I don’t want to wear them. 60. Does it bother you if people swear around you? >> Of course not. 61. Have you ever gotten an A in a subject? >> Yes. 62. What about a B? >> Argh..... yes to all. NEXT 63. And a C? 64. How about a D? 65. Ever skived? >> I don’t know what that is. 66. Would you consider yourself popular and outcast or somewhere in the middle? >> These dynamics don’t really apply to adult life... well, not in my experience. Maybe if I had a more structured social life? 67. Are most of your friends older or younger than you? >> --- 68. Ever been stabbed in the back by a close friend? >> Nah. 69. Do you think it’s immature when people laugh at the number 69? >> I don’t make any judgements about it. 70. Ever watched porn? >> Yep. 71. How many laws do you think you’ve broken in the past month? >> I don’t think I’ve broken any, considering I barely even go outside except to take walks. 72. Do you wake up with an alarm clock? >> No. 73. Do you prefer Wednesdays or Thursdays? >> All days of the week are pretty much interchangeable to me. 74. If your school had a Glee Club would you join? >> --- 75. Ever performed in a talent show? >> Probably. I don’t remember. 76. Have you ever cried in public? >> Yeah. I used to be homeless in a metropolis, privacy wasn’t something I had access to. Guess that might be part of why I’m so big on it now. 77. Do you have a favorite between your Mom and your Dad? >> --- 78. Would you audition for a reality talent competition? >> Fuck no. 79. How many celebrity crushes have you had? >> *shrug* 80. How many non-celebrity crushes have you had? >> *shrug* 81. Name 5 male celebrities who you think are attractive. >> Matthew McConaughey, Peter Mensah, Jeremy Irons, Denzel Washington, Oscar Isaac. 82. Name 5 female celebrities who you think are attractive. >> Sandra Oh, Aisha Hinds, Normani Kordei, Gillian Anderson, Helen Mirren. 83. Ever been compared to a celebrity? >> Yeah, a couple of times. 84. Have any embarrassing pictures on Facebook? >> I only have one photo of myself on facebook. 85. Do you think spending £20 on Lip Gloss is a waste of money? >> It’s not a waste of money for whoever buys it. That person just wouldn’t be me, I have no interest in lip gloss. 86. Are you opinionated? >> Not especially. 87. Do you have a favorite store? >> Nope. 88. Would you ever wear Flare Jeans? >> I did when I was younger, but I doubt I’d be into them now. 89. Do you own jeans that aren’t skinny? >> No. I can’t really fit into any jeans that aren’t stretchy (and the stretchy ones are usually skinny jeans). 90. Have you ever worn the same outfit twice in one week? >> Many times. 91. What’s the longest period of time you’ve been away from school? >> A couple of months, when I was in the psych ward. 92. Do you google abbreviations you don’t understand? >> Yeah. I google almost anything I don’t understand, unless I just have zero interest in understanding. 93. Does it bother you when people have cats as their profile picture? >> Why... would that bother me... 94. Own a pair of converse? >> Nope. I can’t wear any shoe without arch support. 95. Is there a teacher at your school who has obvious favorites? >> --- 96. If yes, are you one of them? >> --- 97. Do you text in class? >> --- 98. What brand of jeans do you wear the most? >> The only pairs of jeans I have are from Old Navy. 99. At what point do you think sizes are “Plus Sized?” >> I don’t know what sizes are plus-sized and I’m not interested in finding out right now. 100. Do you want to lose weight? >> Yes. 101. Ever seen a therapist? >> Yes. 102. Ever watched porn? >> This is a repeat question and I would delete it if the questions weren’t numbered. 103. Ever purposely ignored a text? >> Yeah. 104. A facebook message? >> Yeah. 105. A poke? >> God, when did they finally get rid of those? I haven’t heard about pokes in years. 106. A friend request? >> Yeah. 107. Would you say you read into things too much? >> I don’t know if I read into things too much or not. 108. Is your best friend more likely to be the one suggesting something stupid or refusing to do something stupid? >> --- 109. Do you have a “fun friend?” (A friend who you have tons of fun with but you never really have deep conversations?) >> No. 110. Ever been called a bully? >> No. 111. Ever purposely hurt yourself? >> Many times. 112. Ever gone to church? >> Many times. I think I’ve gotten the gist of it by now. 113. Would you call either of your parents screw ups? >> One of them was certainly a screw-up in caring for their child... 114. If you turned out exactly like your mom would you be pleased? >> Absolutely not, considering that’s the parent I was talking about in the previous question. 115. What do you want to do with your life? >> I don’t have any specific goals for my life. I’m pretty content just living it.

116. Let me guess… You have brown hair? >> Yeah. 117. Already know what you’re being for Halloween? >> I don’t know if I’m ever going to get to dress up for Halloween. We’ll see. 118. Do you still go Trick or Treating? >> I’ve never been and I am way too old for it now. 119. Ever liked someone WAY older than you? >> Like 80% of the celebrities I named in those two questions about attractive celebrities are way older than me. 120. Does it bother you when people have really loud conversations on the bus? >> Only when I don’t have my headphones with me, which is... just about never. I know I have sensory issues, so I come prepared. 121. When you have sunglasses on, do you stare at people? >> Fuck no. 122. Ever had a credit card denied? >> Yeah. 123. What’s the last movie you watched? >> The Lovebirds. 124. Last TV Show? >> Patriot Act. 125. You see your Ex making out with one of your friends. What do you do? >> I can’t imagine this being bothersome to me. Or even significant, honestly. 126. Ever been called a whore? >> No. 127. Are you american? >> Yeah. 128. Ever made yourself throw up? >> Yeah. 129. Have you ever kissed someone who wasn’t your boyfriend? >> Yeah. 130. Are you Cute or Gross? >> What...??? 131. Does it bother you when people say “LOOK HOW MUCH YOU’VE GROWN!”? >> It would bother me if that was a situation I’d ever find myself in. 132. Can you say intelligent things around the guy you like? >> --- 133. Ever had the lead in a play? >> Nope. 134. What about a solo in a concert? >> Nope. 135. What kind of a student are you? >> I’m not a student. 136. Worst subject? >> --- 137. Best subject? >> --- 138. Ever had a crush on a teacher? >> Something like that. 139. Would it bother you if you found out that your mother was pregnant? >> --- 140. How late do you sleep in? >> 9a seems to be my limit. 141. Do you edit your profile pictures before posting them? >> --- 142. Be 100% honest. Do you have any friends who are uglier than you? >> This is so fucking rude. 143. Do you believe in love? >> Yawn. 144. Would you consider yourself a good student? >> --- 145. Does it bother you when Surveys ask “Did you like this survey?” >> Not really, I usually just delete that question because, like... the survey-maker is definitely not going to see it, so what’s the point. 146. Salty, Sweet, Sour or Spicy? >> Salty + sweet, spicy + sweet, spicy + salty, or any of them alone except for sweet. 147. Are you going into High School this year? >> Fuck no lmao 148. What about Junior High? >> Double fuck no lmao 149. What is one thing someone could say to you right now that would make you cry? >> I don’t know, man. That’s usually contextual, anyway. 150. Where did you find this note? >> I got this survey from another survey-taker on tumblr. 151. Last question. How many unread messages are in your phone? >> Zero.

[undertalefan715]

Doing one of the ask lists for Joyce. :3 @createsy-muffin

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

Never held hands...

2. Are you outgoing or shy?

Umm.. it kinda depends sometimes.

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

Nobody rn.

4. Are you easy to get along with?

I think so.

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

Well, one: I’m never gonna get drunk. two: I don’t think anyone would give a shit if I was drunk tbh.

6. What kind of people are you attracted to?

Oh, Idk! lots.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

God I hope so..

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

Umm.. you Joyce. heheh.. :3

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

It depends on the person I’m talking too.

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

Probably Spoony.

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

“Jeez..”

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

Oof.. Idk it’s hard for me to choose songs. ‘cause there’s always alot. :’) 

Well um.. Never and 151 Rum from J.I.D, Chris Cornell’s cover of Billie Jean, Chum from Earl Sweatshirt, Hellboy from Trippie Redd, and Pink Maggit from Deftones.

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

Omg yes yessss- (my hair is made to be pet and played with)

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

Yeah. heh.

15. What good thing happened this summer?

(it’s not summer yet)

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

Ooo, yes. (I love to think aliens exist somewhere)

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

Nope.

19. Do you like bubble baths?

Yeah, they’re pretty nice and relaxing.

20. Do you like your neighbors?

Fuck no. ugh.

21. What are you bad habits?

I really don’t know.

22. Where would you like to travel?

Japan. one day.

23. Do you have trust issues?

At times. very very rarely though.

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

Playing guitar. :> (or taking a bath)

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

My eyebrows, or my mustache. (mostly my eyebrows)

26. What do you do when you wake up?

Nothing. :/

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

Idc. but I do wish I was a bit darker.

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

Spoony and Joyce.

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

...No. I could only wish though.

30. Do you ever want to get married?

Eh.. depends.

31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail?

Oh yeah. hahah.

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?

Oh, I really don’t know actually. but one of those celebrities would be Jason Momoa, ‘cause godDAMN he is fine. >u>

33. Spell your name with your chin.

.,I,KRF (omfg hah)

34. Do you play sports? What sports?

Nah.

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

Oh definitely TV. if I lived without music, I’d probably die. lol.

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

I don’t think so. no.

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

“Awkward silence..?” then I laugh.

38. Describe your dream girl/guy?

Strong, cute and adorable, beautiful and pretty, sweet and caring, affectionate and loving, very cuddly and understanding, kinda feminine, funny... heh.

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

Ingles. (a small local store over here in NC. Idk if some of y’all are familiar with it)

40. What do you want to do after high school?

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

Yes.

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?

Concentrating, or really upset/depressed.

43. Do you smile at strangers?

Yeah, sometimes. :3

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

Ooo! outer space definitely! :00

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Nothing. (or my mom lol)

46. What are you paranoid about?

Pretty much everything.

47. Have you ever been high?

No.

48. Have you ever been drunk?

Nope.

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

Uhm.. not necessarily. 

50. What was the color of the last hoodie you wore?

Idk.. black? (everything I wear is black lol)

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

Sometimes. not often.

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

I wish I wasn’t so depressed all the time...

53. Favorite makeup brand?

I don’t do makeup.

54. Favorite store?

Guitar Center. (lol..)

55. Favorite blog?

Idk.. I have lots of faves on here. ;-;

56. Favorite color?

Black and red. (so edgy)

57. Favorite food? 

Doesn’t really matter but, probably pizza tbh.

58. Last thing you ate?

Salisbury Steak and Macaroni.

59. First thing you ate this morning?

Idk. cereal?

60. Ever won a competition? For what?

Idk, I don’t really compete.

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

Idk. and if I did, it was probably for something completely ridiculous I didn’t do, or didn’t mean to do.

62. Been arrested? For what?

Nope. (again, am gud boyo)

63. Ever been in love? 

Yeah...

65. Are you hungry right now?

Nah.

66. Do you like your Tumblr friends more than your real friends?

Hell yeah! (I don’t even have any friends I know irl)

67. Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter of course. (the fuck is Facebook)

68. Twitter or Tumblr?

Uhm.. Tumblr.

69. Are you watching TV right now?

Bob the Builder. (don’t judge me) (also 69 heheheheheheh)

70. Names of your best friends? 

Orion, Joyce, Rivers, Sam.

71. Craving something? What?

Nah.

72. What color are your towels?

Umm.. beige and a.. dry-ish looking pink.

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?

About 4 or 5.

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

Sometimes. :’3

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?

Oof, alot. :’)

75. Favorite animal?

Goats. :33

76. What color is your underwear?

...Black? (weird question but, alright)

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Depends, but I’ve always liked vanilla.

78. Favorite ice cream flavor?

Pretty much anything with cookies in it.

79. What color shirt are you wearing?

Dark blue.

80. What color pants?

Black with red stripes.

81. Favorite TV show?

Right now, it’s Umbrella Academy.

82. Favorite movie?

Pretty much any Pixar film.

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

Haven’t watch either. and I don’t think I will.

86. Favorite character from Finding Nemo?

Idk umm.. Gill maybe?

87. First person you talked to today?

Either Galexion or Joyce.

88. Last person you talked to today?

I think, Spoony.

89. Name a person you hate?

*sigh* Idk.

90. Name a person you love?

Pretty much all my friends. :’))

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?

One of my sister’s “friends”. she’s such a fucking bitch. a fucking snake.

92. In a fight with someone?

No.

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

I don’t think any.

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?

Again, I don’t think I have any. (of my own, that is)

95. Last movie you watched?

Oof, I don’t know.

96. Favorite actress?

I don’t really have one.

97. Favorite actor?

Again, don’t really have one.

98. Do you tan a lot?

Nah. (I’m as white as a ghost actually)

99. Have any pets?

2 cats. :3

100. How are you feeling?

Okay. (tired though)

101. Do you type fast?

Sometimes. not alot though.

102. Do you regret anything from your past?

Yup.

103. Can you spell well?

Nope. hahah.

104. Do you miss anyone from your past?

Yeah.. sometimes..

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

No..?

106. Ever broken someone’s heart?

I-I hope not...

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

Yes! I was REALLY young though. :’)

108. What should you be doing?

Lots of things... u_u

109. Is something irritating you right now?

No.

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?

Yeah...

111. Do you have trust issues?

No. but rn someone is really testing my trust.

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?

I... I’m not sure.

113. What was your childhood nickname?

Idk, I can’t really remember rn...

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?

The furthest I’ve been is tennessee. and that’s right next to us. lol..

115. Do you play the Wii?

Yeah. (I have different 3 Wii’s actually lmao)

116. Are you listening to music right now?

Yeah. Love Hurts. from Incubus..

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

Fuck yeah!!!

118. Do you like Chinese food?

Not really.

119. Favorite book?

Oof.. Idk.

120. Are you afraid of the dark?

No, not really.

121. Are you mean?

I... probably am rn...

122. Is cheating ever okay?

No. never.

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

Shoes?

124. Do you believe in love at first sight?

Of course. heheh. uwu

125. Do you believe in true love?

Ofc! >u<

126. Are you currently bored?

Yeah. :T

127. What makes you happy?

Goat boys, my friends, music. etc.

128. Would you change your name?

Nah, I like it. :3

129. What your zodiac sign?

Aries/Pisces cusp. :>

130. Do you like subway?

Nah.

131. Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

Well, I’ll probably have the same feelings. heheh.

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

(didn’t I do this one before?)

133. Favorite lyrics right now?

“Pardon me, while I burst a flame, I’ve had enough of the world, and it’s peoples mindless games.” - Pardon Me from Incubus. (and lots of other lyrics, but that one is stuck in my mind)

134. Can you count to one million?

Hell no. lmao

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

Pretty much all lies I’ve told. (I can not lie for shit. which can be a good thing I guess)

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

I like them opened, but sometimes I gotta close them ‘cause of my cats. :T

137. How tall are you?

5′8.

138. Curly or Straight hair?

“Straight” hair.

139. Brunette or Blonde?

Brunette.

140. Summer or Winter?

Idk.. I think winter. uwu

141. Night or Day?

Both. but mostly night sometimes.

142. Favorite month?

March. :>

143. Are you a vegetarian?

Nope. lmao.

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?

Milk or white chocolate. dark has always been kinda gross. Idk.

145. Tea or Coffee?

Neither. hot cocoa. :3

146. Was today a good day?

Eh. it was a day.

147. Mars or Snickers?

Eh. neither really.

148. What’s your favorite quote?

Ah.. Idk. I can’t really think of any...

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

Sometimes. :0

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? 

Um... I can’t rn. it’s a bit late...

[nerdiests]

It’s a bit late, but here it is!! Day 6 of Kaminari Week!! And happy birthday to Kaminari. 

check it out on ao3!

prompt: Happy birthday, Denki! - birthday/happiness/memes

Kaminari Denki hadn’t had a real birthday party since he was twelve. He hadn’t made many friends by his thirteenth birthday, and decided to not have a party that year. Or the two years following. His friends hadn’t even known that his birthday was coming up, and they only found out after the fact. A couple weeks after, actually. Sero brought up that his birthday was coming up, and he wanted to invite the group. Then Ashido got curious about everyone else’s birthdays, and Denki let it slip that his had already passed. That had garnered multiple reactions. Mainly ones from his group of friends that they’d be prepared for next year. And it was next year, and not a single person had acknowledged his birthday. So here he was, walking back to the dorms after class to play some Super Mario, when he got intercepted by Kirishima.

“Hey, buddy, you said you’d been meaning to go pick up some new games, yeah?” Kirishima asked. Denki narrowed his eyes slightly. This was. Suspicious. It was also Friday though, and that meant it’d be more likely to get an off-campus pass on short notice.

“Yeah… There’s this game store I’ve been meaning to check out too, hoping they might have some new modules I could pick up, and maybe some new board games? And I need to check the video game place I swing by, see if they’ve got any discounted games I could grab,” Denki said, Kirishima hanging on to each word.

“Well, you’re in luck dude. I meant to leave campus today, got some stuff to pick up, and I grabbed a pass for off campus stuff, but they accidentally wrote down that two people had to go! And you were the first person I thought of,” Kirishima said. Denki paused momentarily, pondering. If this really was true… It was too good of an offer to pass up.

“Sure, I know that the game shop and the video game place are both in the same general area, what’re you picking up?” Denki asked, and Kirishima pointed up at his hair.

“Gotta get some more dye, my roots are starting to show again,” Kirishima said. Denki nodded solemnly. He didn’t understand the magical world of hair dye, seeing as his streak was au naturel, but he knew about Kirishima’s constant dyeing of his hair. It wasn’t exactly a mystery to the class at this point.

“Understandable. I think there’s a place to pick up dye at the mall the video game store’s at, and the game store is a few blocks away from said mall,” Denki said, before adjusting his backpack on his shoulders.

“Lemme just head back to the dorms and get changed, it’d be better to head out in casual clothes anyways,” Denki said. There was a quick flash of alarm on Kirishima’s face, but it was gone as soon as it had come.

“Gotcha, Kaminari! I’ll walk with you,” Kirishima said. Denki narrowed his eyes again. Kirishima was already in casual wear… Hm.

“Sure,” Denki said, only slightly skeptical. After all, talking to someone whilst walking is always a nice pastime.

Kirishima successfully navigated Denki up to his third floor room without letting him get much of a glance in the common room or the kitchen, which Denki wasn’t going to question. He wanted to go out and shop for what his brother had called his “nerd stuff” just as much as Kirishima wanted to get his hair dye. Denki did find it a bit odd that Kirishima had accidentally gotten a pass for two people as opposed to one… Hm. Denki wasn’t going to question it though, he got a free shopping trip out of the happy accident.

“Let’s head out,” Denki said, grabbing his wallet off his nightstand. Kirishima nodded, giving Denki’s shirt a glance. What? He liked old American cartoons, and he’d wear his old graphic tees with pride. Especially since he’d made this one himself. There wasn’t much Danny Phantom merchandise around, after all. It was an old show.

“Yeah. You wanna stop by the game shop, video game place, or the store?” Kirishima asked. Denki paused for a moment.

“I’ll be a while, so it’d probably be best to let you buy what you need to, then I can go do my window shopping,” Denki said. Kirishima nodded once again, before giving Denki a look.

“Not gonna buy anything?” he asked curiously. Denki shrugged.

“If I find something I’m really willing to blow some cash on, maybe,” Denki said, while Kirishima opened up his room’s door. The two started the walk down to the elevator.

“Hm. Any idea how long you’ll be window shopping for?” Kirishima asked. Denki shrugged again.

“Dunno. Probably an hour or so? And the train ride’s about fifteen minutes or so, and the walk from the station to the stores is a while,” Denki said. Kirishima nodded as they approached the elevator. There was a buzz in his pocket as the elevator arrived. Curious, Denki pulled his phone out of his pocket and noticed the notification from Snapchat, of all things. He could document his adventure today! That’d be fun. The elevator started to go down, and Denki went through the various notifications he had as Kirishima rapidly typed something. The common room was empty upon their arrival, but Denki’s eyes were too glued on his phone to notice the somewhat poorly hidden people scattered around the room. As they left the building and headed towards the gates, Kirishima let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

The train ride wasn’t too lengthy, thankfully. Half of the time, Denki was either playing Geometry Dash as he typically did, or scrolling through various social media that he had. Kirishima stood next to him, typing rapidly the entire time. Denki didn’t pay him any heed, though. Kirishima could do what he wanted, and Denki wasn’t gonna pry.

Luckily for both of them, there was a Walmart nearby the station. The two went into the store, and Kirishima bolted for the beauty section. Denki knew from experience that the hair dye was located there, although Denki hadn’t ever dyed his hair himself. Though instead of following after Kirishima, he decided to check out the clothing selection. Maybe he’d find something cool?

Five minutes into his browsing, he got a text from Kirishima. found my hair dye, where’d you go? Denki paused, taking his eyes off of the cool onesie he’d found, and texted back. clothes. That would be good. Denki went back to looking at the Pikachu onesie he’d found - ironic, heh - until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

“What’re you looking at, Kaminari?” Denki turned around, seeing Kirishima.

“Oh, uh. Nothing important,” Denki said, noticing the box Kirishima held. The hair dye he needed.

“Let’s go then, you’ve got your stuff,” Denki said, turning to head to the checkout. Kirishima lingered for a moment, before catching up. The two bought Kirishima’s hair dye, before going on their way.

“So, what’s your shop called?” Kirishima asked. Denki pulled his phone out to double check, since he’d never been and they did need the directions, after all.

“Classic Comics,” Denki said, pulling up the directions he’d previously had open. Kirishima nodded, typing something into his phone again. Hm. He was really on his phone a lot today. Denki wasn’t gonna question it, though, he’d spent a ton of time on his as well. The two began to walk, with Denki providing the directions needed.

The walk to Classic Comics wasn’t all that long, what with Denki spending most of his time focusing on going the correct direction. Though once they arrived, oh man. Denki knew he’d be coming back here often. It was a bit small, but it had floor space for comics, an extra room for sessions, and multiple shelves full of exactly what he was looking for.

“They’ve got the newest adventure path, holy shit,” Denki muttered to himself, walking towards the bookshelves. Kirishima stood awkwardly by the door, before walking over to the comics section. Denki wasn’t much of a comics person, he much preferred books because he could make the pictures in his mind, and if that wasn’t an experience. Denki didn’t know that Kirishima was a comics guy, though. Denki picked up the module, and checked the price. Oh hell he couldn’t afford this right now, he’d have to come back later. With a sigh, he set the book down. He didn’t notice Kirishima heading over to where he’d been and picking the book up himself.

The board games were phenomenal, and there were a few expansions sets for a board game he hadn’t played in years, but Denki couldn’t get any of them. Didn’t have enough money for any of it. It was upsetting. He did, though, get a new set of black and gold dice. Never know when you’ll need a new set of dice. Plus they reminded him of himself. With his dice in hand, and Kirishima with a few comics in hand, the two walked out of the store.

“Man, that’s a holy grail of what I’ve wanted for months, right there,” Denki said as the two walked away. Kirishima patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

“You can always come back, right?” Kirishima said. Denki nodded to himself. Kirishima was right about that. He could come back in a month or so, and hopefully what he’d seen last time would be there. It might not, but. Denki didn’t want to think about that. He wanted to think about the video game store that was at the mall they’d passed on the way here.

“Time to head over to the video game store,” Denki said. He was about to continue, when his stomach rumbled slightly.

“...And maybe get a snack,” Denki said sheepishly, and Kirishima laughed.

“We could grab something at the food court. They’ve probably got those soft pretzels,” Kirishima said. Denki perked up. He loved those pretzels.

“Yeah, let’s go!”

The walk to the mall was filled with chatter between the two, about menial things. School, mostly. Kirishima nearly fell over when the two discussed their English test from earlier that week, when Denki revealed that over half of his answers were different than Kirishima’s were. Considering Denki’s fluency in the language, Kirishima was screwed. But they reached the mall right as the two were bemoaning the math quiz they’d had earlier that week. Denki knew this mall somewhat well, and he knew that the video game store was right below the food court. Which was on the other side of the mall.

“We’ve got a bit of a hike, Kirishima. Food court’s on the other side of the mall,” Denki said. Kirishima nodded solemnly as Denki’s stomach rumbled again. He needed that pretzel, pronto.

“Let’s get moving then! You need that pretzel, which means we’ve got to go!” Kirishima said enthusiastically, drawing a few stares from other people. Denki paid them no heed, however, because he had one thing and one thing only on his mind. Getting that pretzel.

In no time at all, Denki had his pretzel - thankfully there was a place to get them, otherwise all Kirishima’s hyping and Denki’s excitement would’ve been wasted - and the duo was heading back down the escalator they’d ascended in a rush to reach the food court. The video game store was right in front of them, and Denki’s eyes widened as he spotted the promotional posters. They were having a sale on older games! Score. He played the older games. His parents had bought him some of the older consoles for his birthday in the past, and Denki had multiple speedrunning sessions of the older indie games that he’d played. He was still trying to beat that age-old world record for speedrunning on one of his favorite games. He was getting close.

“They’re selling older games at a discount! Rad!” Kirishima said enthusiastically, and Denki looked over at his friend.

“Yep, I’m gonna see if they’ve got some of the games for the console’s I’ve got,” Denki said as he stepped off the escalator, Kirishima right behind him.

“I know I’ve got an old DS laying around, I might pick up some old games,” Kirishima said, and Denki nodded as he stepped inside. Most of these games he had, but. ...Wait a second.

“They’ve got Majora’s Mask for the N64 holy…” Denki stared, immediately pulling his wallet out. He glanced at the meager amount of cash he had, walked forward, and checked the price.

“Oh eish, I can’t afford this,” Denki muttered. Why did things have to cost money?

“Whoa, dude, you’ve got an N64? Those are ancient, Kaminari!” Denki whirled around. Kirishima was standing there, holding a copy of the Fullmetal Alchemist DS game. ...Denki didn’t know that Kirishima had seen Fullmetal Alchemist. No matter now.

“Yeah, I got it for my ninth birthday and I’ve been keeping it in an excellent state since. It’s one of the consoles my parents have bought me,” Denki explained, glancing at the rest of the shelf. He didn’t spot anything else he’d really want to grab.

“And I’ve got a majority of the older Zelda games, heck I’ve even got the first few through a lot of eBay prowling, but I haven’t been able to find any copies of Majora for its original console,” Denki continued, setting the game down. He gave the case a longing look, before turning away.

“I don’t have enough money to afford this one, though. I’m gonna head outside, I’ll wait for you there,” Denki said. Kirishima nodded, and Denki walked out. He didn’t notice Kirishima pick up the case and buy both that and his DS game. Denki only noticed Kirishima walk out of the store, a third bag in one hand, and his phone in the other. Kirishima grinned as he put his phone back in his pocket, walking up to Denki.

“Let’s head back, unless you’ve got somewhere else you wanna stop?” Kirishima asked. Denki shook his head.

“Nah, I’d be tempted to buy something I know I can’t afford,” Denki said. Kirishima nodded solemnly.

“Then shall we?” Kirishima asked, gesturing towards the way they’d came. Denki nodded decisively, before the two walked back towards the mall entrance.

Kirishima grew progressively more antsy as they grew closer to U.A. Denki wasn’t going to question his friend, but he spent more time on his phone than talking with him, so. That definitely meant something was at least off. Though Denki didn’t have any room to talk, since he’d spent the majority of the train ride back to the dorms reading a Mercedes Lackey book on his phone. So what if he was reading really old novels, he enjoyed the fantastical setting! But they eventually had to get off the train, and eventually they were there, standing in front of the dorms. Kirishima put his phone away again, and Denki shoved his thumbs through two of the belt loops on his shorts.

“What’re we waiting for, exactly?” Denki asked, jokingly. They’d been standing in front of the 1-A dorm for almost five minutes. Kirishima blinked, before opening up the door.

“Right,” Kirishima said, holding the door open as Denki walked in.

The first thing Denki noticed was the complete darkness. It was only… Almost 6. It shouldn’t be this dark, especially in summer. It was still odd that they were having classes at U.A. and training as opposed to… This was probably safer, though. The second thing Denki noticed was the darker shadows in the room. People? Or just the furniture? The third thing Denki noticed was slightly down the hallway towards the elevator, there was a light on under a door. The closet. Hm.

“SURPRISE!” Holy fuck. Denki jumped a solid foot in the air. The lights were on, but. There were decorations up? What.

“Happy birthday, Kaminari!” That was Ashido and Sero. A few more choruses of birthday wishes echoed around the room, notably an overly enthusiastic Iida and a grumble from Bakugou, of all people.

“Y’all… Threw me a party?” Denki asked. This was definitely a surprise. He hadn’t had birthday wishes from classmates in years, much less have them throw him a party.

“We missed out on the chance to get you gifts and wish you a happy birthday on time last year, bro! Wouldn’t be right to not this year, since we know ‘n all,” Kirishima said, before reaching into the video game store bag.

“I know you said you couldn’t afford this one with what you had on you at the time, but. Well. I could,” Kirishima said, pulling out… Majora’s Mask for the N64.

“Kirishima… Dude,” Denki breathed. He still hadn’t believed he’d found that gem of a game, since most games didn’t sell older games, but not only had he found it, he’d had the luck for one of his friends to get it for him? Damn, Denki was lucky.

“Well! Sero and I pooled money together and went out to get that one book Kirishima texted us the picture of!” Ashido said, reaching over to the couch she stood next to and pulling a bag off it. Denki stared for a moment.

“I’m the luckiest guy alive, right now. I’ve got great friends,” Denki said, glancing around the classroom. Everyone was so… Nice. How had Denki lucked out like this? His classmates were wonderful people.

“I’d say so,” Sero said, chuckling. Denki laughed, and he was about to open his mouth to speak.

“We have a set of party games you can choose from! There are a lot of us, and likely time for one such game before dinner and cake!” Iida said, effectively cutting Denki off. His laughs only continued. Even with birthday parties, Iida had to be efficient.

“Hit me with em, Iida.” This was gonna be a rad birthday party. Denki knew it.

[lightsandlostbells]

Skam France 2.10 and 2.11 reaction

Skam France dropped two episodes last week, so I’m gonna put them together. 

this is another angry recap so heads up if you’re not into those

Episode 10

Clip 1 - Mickael and Lisa are very loud

Right off the bat - worst birthday ever. Making it Manon’s birthday was a good way to adapt these scenes into a holiday setting, though.

Are they play-acting so Manon can hear, or is this supposed to be a conversation between them and they’re careless enough to be too loud?

Actually I think this is a real conversation, not a performance for Manon. I think Lisa is sincere and she’s genuinely forgotten Manon’s birthday. Also that she really thinks for a second they’ve got to celebrate the pope’s birthday.

Lisa saying she misses Manon is sweet. Pretty sure they’re not going to delve into this family relationship or anything but it’s nice especially considering Lisa seems quite cantankerous. 

Lisa telling Mickael to open the door faster made me laugh for some reason. She doesn’t have time to prolong the drama.

This whole conversation is funny but poor Manon, she just wants to shut out the world.

Clip 2 - Mickael gets real

Manon’s actress continues to do a good job. She looks so tired and beaten down by everything.

Mickael and Lisa are both cute in their rendition of Happy Birthday! Lisa has so much more energy than Linn. 

“We’re sorry to steal from your cupboards all the time and ruin your life like leeches from hell.” lmao I love Mickael. 

I was apprehensive following the previous scene, because we got a funny conversation between Mickael and Lisa, but not the more serious and caring side of Mickael and the talk with Eskild that was in the original clip. I was worried because overall his character has felt less nurturing than Eskild and he hasn’t seemed to have as close of a bond with Manon - there were a few moments that were played more for humor than to indicate a strong relationship. It made me nervous that they were taking Mickael more in the direction of “gay comic relief” rather than showing his more substantial sides. So the fact they followed up the earlier conversation with Michael talking to Manon in a heavier way here was reassuring. We get to see his more caring side. He sympathizes with her and acknowledges how much he talks about his life but offers to listen as well. The actor is great and I hope they continue to give him the meatier material, especially in S3

I know he’s saying it because he’s worried, but telling a person with an eating disorder she has to eat entirety of her tray maybe isn’t the best advice? Though I doubt he knows about her ED.

Clip 3 - Charles shows up

I do think it makes it more random and less sense that she’d be like “go party with your friends, Charles” when it’s her own birthday. Or does he know that? He has to know that, didn’t he get her the cake? He’d probably see it on social media?

This is in my opinion the best Noorhelm scene of that relationship, and it almost was of Marles, too. Charles/William acts like a decent person, comes in semi-confrontational but gets his priorities straight when he sees that Manon/Noora is breaking down and panicking, and tries to calm her down and support her. The original scene of him lying down with Noora was genuinely touching and supportive.

They were on the right track and then they botched it. I have an anxiety disorder. I have had panic attacks. I know how scary they are. You don’t  “help” someone with a panic attack by physically picking them and making them leave despite them crying at you they don’t want to go out. What the hell. Why would they add that?

I mean I feel like there’s some weird gender shit going on here, with Charles being the alpha male type and then Manon being the fragile woman and it’s OK for Charles to ignore what she’s saying because Charles Knows Best. Not to mention this is the show’s idea of a swoon-worthy moment. We gotta get the guy carrying the girl around like a little doll. 

Lol, I even saw some weird justification of this moment along the lines of “Well, if she really didn’t want to go out, I’m sure he would have respected that.” She’s crying and telling him she doesn’t want to go out. What more does she have to do to get the message across? Does she have to physically fight him?

Clip 4 - Birthday cake

Well, the cake looks pretty, and at least they wrote in a new scene to acknowledge her birthday.

Also, don’t totally love that he took her phone away. I get it, he probably wants her to just chill, but in connection with everything else, it’s just another small way he’s jumping in and making decisions for her. I would not have been as annoyed if this wasn’t a pattern in their relationship or if this wasn’t immediately following a moment where Charles overrides Manon’s pleas on how to handle her own panic attack.

This scene of them on the rooftop felt like something out of a kdrama in terms of music and slow motion staring at each other. Or at least how I remember the kdramas I’ve seen.

I don’t get why he needed to take her to the rooftop other than the #aesthetic since he just carries her back to her room. I know it’s where their first date was, but she was freaking out and panicking when he tried to make her leave. I really can’t get over that! Whyyy did they need that moment?

Did Charles look at her phone? Sort of dilutes the impact of him not reading her Facebook messages. 

He muted the volume on her computer at least.

Episode 11

Clip 1 - Charles writing

I guess Charles was up writing this article for a while since it’s like 5 in the morning.

Confession time: I’ve never really liked that William (and now Charles) wrote the article for her. I know it’s considered to be one of the better things he did for her but even when I was watching S2 for the first time, I was like 😕 “Can’t they give me something to like about him that I don’t have reservations about?” I don’t think this was a terrible horrible thing he did, and admittedly I am bringing personal feelings into this situation, but it’s just something that I would not be OK with if someone did it for me without telling me first. I would be really panicked and upset if someone did this to me even if they meant it to be a kindness. He wrote the article and submitted it without her consent. Her name is on it. That means she’ll be held accountable for whatever the article says. Consider that Manon and Charles have been disagreeing on tons of topics so far - in fact Charles’ ability to make Manon rethink her opinions is a point that has been explicitly made about their relationship. So when it comes to the article, how can you expect that Manon and Charles would agree on the same points? Someone can be well-intentioned and still say stuff that’s a bit clueless, or make a mistake, and then it’s Manon who would be responsible. This only works if you assume Charles was a great writer with the right opinions - it excuses the action based on the outcome, without considering if the action itself is appropriate. (Which, to be frank, is true of many actions in this season.)

I would’ve preferred if he’d written it and then shown it to her to get her approval before sending. (“But that would have ruined the surprise/she wouldn’t have agreed to send it” - uh, too bad? She should get a voice in this. I get that she’s dealing with serious anxiety, I know what that feels like. But lol, imagine the resulting anxiety if Charles had sent out the article and it had a bunch of errors or some questionable opinions in it and Manon was criticized for it.)

The best case scenario is that he just took her notes and compiled them into something cohesive, which was somewhat implied, but she didn’t have enough notes to make a long enough article without him injecting his own thoughts.

Clips 2 and 3 - Manon and her girls

Did Charles make her tea? Now that’s a nice gesture.

Charles is watching her sleep, just to bring in those true Edward Cullen vibes. Manon was right about this being Twilight!

Lmao, explain to me why she had to wear that tiny dress? That looks like something I’d have worn to a middle school dance when I still had braces. It’s not Norwegian Constitution Day where the girls are going to be dressed up. It’s Manon’s birthday - she can dress however the hell she wants. She doesn’t have to dress up, she could wear her normal clothes. She could roll over to the party in sweats and a nacho cheese-stained T-shirt. 

The music and imagery in the last two clips has been getting super soap opera-ish.

And when Manon shows up, the other girls are wearing their normal clothes, jeans and comfy clothes. Again, why did Manon need the dress?

Heh, how much did they pay for the rights to sing Happy Birthday? Or is it only in the US that you have to cough up a pretty penny to use it on TV?

I looked it up and apparently the song was officially recognized to be in the public domain in 2016! Good to know.

The girls are very cute performing Happy Birthday, though. Love the placement of the birthday hats at jaunty angles.

I’m not really qualified to talk about this as a non-Norwegian but I’ve read a bit about the patriotic themes in S2, and how it’s fitting that Noora tells the girls on Constitution Day (how living in a free, democratic country means you have to believe the law will protect you from assholes like Niko) and that ties in to the overall motifs of the season, and so that’s obviously lost here. It’s a missed opportunity, especially with the article. I think if they tried harder they could have written, you know ... something that related more to this adaptation and French youth, instead of repeating a speech that specifically about Norwegian culture. That’s the bare minimum, my dudes.

Like when Daphne says they need to go to the police because they’re in France and the law will protect them ... I mean, sure, but it’s just one of those things that lacks the thematic relevance of the original as it’s not a national holiday at the time.

(They’re going to do 21:21 for S3 without any changes, aren’t they? Goddammit. I will believe them that they’re changing the storyline when I see it and not just hear it.)

A minor nitpick: I also feel like it’s kinda odd to read her article aloud? It made sense with Noora since it related to the holiday they were celebrating and could fit into their festivities but this is just a random article. In that case I’d find it weird if my friends just started reading something I’d written out loud. I mean it’s one thing to congratulate her for a job well done but IDK, felt out of place. 

But Emma only gets a few lines in, so thankfully we didn’t have to hear the whole thing awkwardly re-purposed for this remake.

Poor Manon with tears in her eyes. Her acting continues to be very good. Manon is more openly emotional and sad than Noora, who seems more like she freezes or shuts down or tries to close herself off.

Hug pile :(

Loved to see Daphne be at the forefront of taking Manon to the hospital and supporting her while they’re there.

Clip 4 - Justice

Nico is such a rat.

Also his ass is dumb.

But that’s no surprise.

Manon is more no nonsense and less playing with Nico than Noora was. 

Actually I preferred that they cut out the line about not dropping the soap and had her throw her drink in his face instead, good job, Manon! That was satisfying.

Clip 5 - The point of no return

So. This is the part when watching the original series where I knew I could never like William or Noorhelm. 

I’m going to go into a personal tangent, skip if you want. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned how I got into Skam in one of these recaps so my apologies if I’m repeating the story. 

I discovered Skam completely randomly during S3, via a YouTube recommendation. Of all things, strangely it was because I had watched a preview for the show Eyewitness, which was an American remake of a Norwegian show about two boys who witness some murders while making out in the woods. I enjoy crime stories/mysteries and the premise sounded intriguing, so I watched the first 10 minutes of the pilot that the network had put on YouTube as a teaser, and then some interviews talking about the show. Eyewitness turned out to not to be my thing and I didn’t watch more than a few episodes, but because I’d watched it, YouTube started recommending me clips from other shows with gay couples, including Skam. One night I was bored and decided to finally click on one of the Skam clips. I was hooked right away, impressed by the writing, directing, acting, and chemistry.

This was still really early in Skam’s viral spread during the fall/winter of 2016. There wasn’t nearly the amount of information and organized how-to-watch-Skam guides available in English at this point. I learned about the social media concept and real-time distribution of the show from reading the YouTube comments. The first clip I got to watch in real time was the pool scene. If you were there at the time, you might remember the 10-day hiatus between episodes 5 and 6. That was when I decided to watch seasons 1 and 2. Before that point, I had not heard a single bad thing about Noorhelm, William, or S2. In fact, I only heard overwhelming praise from the YouTube comments - people commenting that they missed William, encouraging people to watch the previous seasons and singling out S2 as an amazing storyline (and a number of people saying S1 was boring but to stick it out to S2), telling people Noora and William’s relationship was fantastic. I mention this because for some reason, certain fans are under the impression that people decided to randomly hate S2/Noorhelm/William based on opinions they read on Tumblr and it’s only bandwagon hate. So this is just to say - I did not go into S2 with any negative expectations. I wouldn’t even say I was hyping it too much in my mind so that I was bound to be disappointed. I just expected it to be decent television.

I watched S1 in like a day and loved it. I especially admired how all of the characters had both good and bad sides, and how the characters who easily could have been demonized, like Ingrid and Iben, were made into human and sympathetic figures by the season’s end. Did not love William’s behavior at all, thought he was a creep, but hey, he apologized to Vilde at the end of the season! That must be the character development I saw people mention in the comments! And so I reasoned that S2 would redeem William and manage to sell me on Noora/William. It wasn’t my preferred storyline but I loved S1 and I loved what had been released of S3 so far, so they could probably make me enjoy it, right? And besides, S1 had been pretty good in a lot of ways about sexism and gender roles, I trusted the show to continue that into S2.

So I started S2. And I saw William text Noora even when she’d rejected him. Okay, I thought, not a great start, but it’s the beginning of the season. Surely this behavior will be addressed, and he has plenty of time to change his attitude. And I saw William use Vilde in order to finally get Noora on that date. Yikes, I thought, I thought he was supposed to get better? This is textbook male entitlement. I didn’t feel OK with his behavior.

But OK, we’re only on episode 2! So much time to turn it around! And then we learned that William apologized to Vilde in exchange for a date with Noora. Errrr, that makes his apology a lot less satisfying and much more self-serving, I thought. And then I watched William take Noora on a date, and Noora confront William with his shitty behavior toward her and Vilde, and to my great bafflement, I saw William not express regret for his actions, but instead justify his actions not once, but repeatedly, with reasons that were flimsy at best and appalling at worst. I saw Noora tell William he had manipulated her in order to get her on that date and William deny it and turn it back on Noora. The scene made me furious. At that moment I hated William even more than I’d disliked him in S1 - because S1 was supposed to show him at his worst and ended with a moment of him displaying some self-improvement. Why the fresh hell would we then get this scene that effectively erased that character growth in order to show how selfish his motivations really were? I hated that scene. Hated hated hated it.

We were still early in the season, though. And episode 3 had admittedly a nice scene of Noora and William hanging out together - it was a nice scene because Noora was so cute, though, not because of much to do with William, and marred by William saying some misogynistic crap and then not owning up to it when called on it. But all right. It was progress. 

Throughout the season, however, there was a pattern, where there would be a moment where William seemed decent for a fraction of a second, only to show his ass and do something I found obnoxious, entitled, or awful shortly afterwards. The midseason peak was him bashing a bottle over a dude’s head, justifying it, and belittling Noora for not understanding his Great and Important motivations for bashing a bottle over the guy’s head. This was followed by a scene I found horrific in which the show’s designated voice of reason told Noora that she needed to understand why her boyfriend bashed a bottle over a guy’s head, or else it was unreasonable and just like how war begins or some shit like that, in response to Noora’s objections to her boyfriend being violent. Viewing this scene was deeply surreal, as I was aware that this was the voice of the writer telling me why I should like William or why it was wrong for me to dislike William. The scene’s message made no sense in context.

At this point I had realized I probably wasn’t going to like William - in addition to his crappy behavior and attitude, he wasn’t written in a particularly compelling or 3D way, and the performance wasn’t charismatic enough to hold my interest (although I want to stress that it wasn’t the deal-breaker and I could tolerate mediocre acting for a well-written complex character). Yet I held out a little bit of hope that there would be an 11th hour revelation or redemption arc where we could see how much William had grown and the sexism and male entitlement that had been threaded throughout the season would be addressed properly. We got William calming down Noora from anxiety in what I thought was a genuinely lovely scene. I didn’t much care for him writing the article but it wasn’t something I hated him for. For a moment, things seemed like they might turn around.

And then, we came to this clip. The point of no return.

A scene in which William gets in Noora’s face, towers over her, doesn’t hear her out, shakes her off and leaves her crying in the middle of the schoolyard. 

That would be bad enough as it is, though I can maybe understand his reaction in the heat of the moment. Maybe. But it wasn’t until I read the text messages afterwards that I was well and truly done. Noora texts William like an hour after this scene happens. She explicitly says that if anything happened between her and Niko, it would have been assault, she blacked out, and she’s pressed charges against Niko. And William ignored her for days afterwards.

This is so unbelievably cruel that it killed any hope I had for this storyline, it killed any possibility that I could like his character or root for this relationship. He knows she might have been raped and he ignores her when she is pleading for him to talk to her. He doesn’t reach out to her on his own, either; it takes Noora tracking him down and demanding his attention. I don’t remember him ever specifically apologizing for this behavior (if he did and I forgot about it, feel free to remind me). He apologizes for Niko. Not for himself.

Imagine Noora, who still thinks she may have been assaulted, who is still dealing with the trauma, having to also deal with the boyfriend she loves abandoning her and shutting her out. Imagine how tender William was with her earlier in the episode as he saw she was breaking down, and how it feels when he withdraws that tenderness after he finds out the reason why she was breaking down in the first place.

Let’s not even get into the real-life context of this scene, and how rape victims are often treated like dirt by friends, family, and romantic partners after they come forward about their assault. Let’s just mention that rape victims fear their loved ones won’t believe them, will blame them, or reject them, to the point where it’s a huge factor in why they don’t come forward, and that what happens with Noora here when William leaves is the embodiment of that fear.

It’s not just that William has flaws. Everyone on this show has flaws. It’s the way his flaws are handled. There is too much baggage with his character in terms of real-life sexism and gender roles, too little remorse and empathy from the character himself, that it’s beyond what I can enjoy in a fictional love interest.

“We don’t know what Niko may have told him.” That’s true, and I did consider that at the time. But you know what? William knows Niko is a creep. If Niko made any kinds of threats toward Noora, if there was any way he misled William other than just saying Noora was a slut who threw herself at him or anything we could have predicted knowing what we’ve seen from Niko, we needed to hear about it once the situation had been cleared up. Julie needed to have William explain so we know he at least had an understandable, non-self-centered motivation for reacting the way he did.

“William was just hurt/didn’t know how to deal.” I cannot stress how much I don’t give a shit about how William was so hurt compared to how Noora must feel in this situation. Noora told him rape may have happened. Why in the world would I prioritize William’s feelings over the feelings of a sexual assault victim in relation to her own potential rape? 

Fuck William. Fuck Charles. Fuck this narrative that is constantly putting a guy’s boner feels and manpain above the female lead’s agency, rational concerns, and mental health. Fuck this narrative that is constantly encouraging us to empathize and understand an entitled dude’s emotions and actions, including sexism and violence, while the same entitled dude shows little empathy or understanding for a potential rape victim, a girl whose self-image was damaged by him telling her she wasn’t attractive enough, or a girl who rejects him romantically. Fuck the double standards of women having to understand and empathize with men when they are behaving like assholes but men not having to empathize or show compassion to women, including when they are victimized, by putting aside their own feelings for a goddamn minute.

Anyway, back to the Skam France clip.

Daphne got aroused from kissing Emma … hmmm

Once again, absolutely no comment from or about the supposedly bi girl sitting right there with them, which might change the context of the scene a bit.

This soap opera music starting as Charles comes thundering up to Manon.

DID THIS ASSHOLE MOVE IMANE OUT OF THE WAY WHEN SHE TOLD HIM TO WAIT

FUCK YOU DUDE

DID HE SHOVE MANON AGAINST THE WINDOW

“Answer yes or no” “I don’t know.” YOUR FIRST CLUE, JACKASS.

oh BOO FUCKING HOO Charles is crying, so glad this is about his hurt feelings and not his girlfriend potentially being raped.

Oh cool and he knocked her on the floor so she’s crying on the ground, great, she thinks she might have been raped and here’s what we have now. 

SHE TEXTS HIM AFTERWARDS. AND TELLS HIM. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AGAINST HER WILL.

HOW DID THEY MAKE THIS SCENE WORSE

General Comments

I was willing to give Marles a chance in the hopes that they would rewrite the worst parts of this relationship, but instead it’s like they’ve double down on Charles’ domineering bullshit and it makes me so angry. That’s really all I have to say. 

I’m not French so if I misunderstood some context, feel free to correct me.

If you got this far, thank you for reading!

[silver-the-cat]

Jack in Wonderland - Part 4 of more coming soon, idk, running out of ideas

((Yay, 3rd day in a row where I actually manage to post another one of these things! Or maybe 4th. Idk, I haven’t really been keeping track. I’ll keep this brief, just another thank you for all the positivity! Without further ado, here’s part 4

Enjoy!))

The world outside seemed so strange when everything else was nearly twice your size. The blades of grass were more like trees, while the trees themselves looked like giant legs of monstrous creature that towered over him. Interestingly enough as well, the bugs that someone would expect to see at such a size suddenly looked just like humans, albeit with bug-like features.

Jack otherwise tried to avoid them, a bit uneasy around a few of them, especially the ones who looked exactly like flies. But they really kept to themselves, paying him absolutely no mind. The two parties simply continued along their way, Jack going in the same direction S-3-4-N’s camera showed the rabbit man running off in while the bug-humans only walked both back and forth down the path.

“Aw, what’s wrong you little worm? Gonna cry some more?”

“J-Just leave me alone, will you?”

“Crying ain’t gonna save you when the birds come swooping down!”

“I-I’m not a worm! I told y-you! J-Just go away!”

There was a rock the size of a medium hill, although it was probably just the size of a pebble if he was normal size. There were three bugs on the rock, one crouching down and covering his head with his hands while the other two sneered down at him, sometimes pelting him with with tiny punches or kicks. The two looked like rather rough looking bees, wearing the usual clothes one would expect from a bully. The only difference between them and the stereotypical bullies was that they had pale, fragile wings sprouting from their back. As for the boy they were terrorizing, he wore a white shirt with a bright blue tie. He also had a bright blue backpack, covered with tiny red spots littering the fabric.

“C’mon! Get up and face us like a real man, worm!” One of the bullies yelled at the poor boy, giving him a small kick and nearly knocking him over. “Oh wait, worms can’t stand up for themselves, now can they?” “Might as well get you ready for the fishes then! I bet the fisherman’s gonna come around any second now!” The other one added with a grin, laughing as he said it even. “He’s gonna need some fresh worms for today’s fishing trip after all!” “I-I’m not a worm….I-I’m not a worm….” The boy kept saying over and over in a small voice, only to have the bullies respond with laughter. “J-Just leave me alone…..I’m not a worm…..I-I’m not….” “Hey! You bastards, leave ‘im alone!” Jack yelled, picking up his pace. The two bullies only looked at him, as if sizing him up. Before they broke out into laughter.

“Look, the little worm has a little worm buddy!” One of them said, even pointing. “Isn’t that just precious!”

“Might as well leave the two worms to their playdate in the mud, I don’t wanna see any of that.” The other said, causing an uproar of laughter once more. Before Jack could even remotely give them a piece of his own mind, their wings started buzzing rather loudly, and they flew off. Jack couldn’t help but click his tongue in slight disappointment, part of him really wanted to teach them a lesson for what they had done. But at least this way nobody got hurt.

“Hey, kid. You okay there?” He called, quickly scaling up the rock. The boy timidly looked up, his face still shiny from tears. “Look, calm down. Got rid of those jerks. But if they had stuck around, I would’ve made sure they’d leave you alone for good!”

“Y-You….y-you’d really do something like that?” He asked, rather shakily. He sniffled, sitting up straighter while Jack settled himself on the pebble next to him. “I….I-I really wanna thank you for standing up for me….none of the other bugs really want to even help me….”

“Well, I wouldn’t just let someone get picked on like that, that’s just a jerk move.” Jack said, trying to give what he hoped was an encouraging smile. The boy smiled slightly, rubbing his eyes a bit.

“Again….thanks….I just seriously can’t thank you enough….but I….I just want to know….” He said, looking right at Jack with a slightly tilted head. “W...Who are you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you….er….anywhere around here….”

“Jack. Just call me Jack.” Jack quickly said, thinking as fast as he could. “And I’m….I’m new around here! Just moved in from a different forest, y’know?” The boy only narrowed his eyes, before he simply shook his head.

“No, my name is Jack, I asked for your name.” He said. “Who are you?” Jack wasn’t honestly sure how to respond to that. 

“Well, honest truth is that most people do just call me Jack.” He finally replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe….oh! Can I just call you Jackie?”

“I wouldn’t mind that at all!” The boy, Jackie, said, eyes suddenly lighting up. “I’ve always been hoping that someone would call me that….but...I dunno if you even want to hear why…..er….do you?” Jack shook his head, giving a small smile. “Ok….so, to most humans, I just kind of look like this fat little blue caterpillar. But all of the other bugs, just like those bees, just call me a worm….”

“So you’re just a catepillar, not a worm? Where did they even get the whole ‘You’re a worm’ thing?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. Jackie merely replied with a shrug, pulling his knees a bit closer to him.

“I’m not sure. Maybe they just wanted to find something to call me. Besides, caterpillars are close enough, aren’t they?” He said, rather sadly. “But I tried to show some bugs that I thought were my friends something I really liked. Something I thought was cool. I….I think I still have it somewhere in my bag….” He slid off the blue backpack, zipping it open and digging around for a few moments. After a few minutes, he finally whipped out a scrunched up piece of looseleaf paper, with what looked like a superhero scribbled in red and black ink. A name was written in the corner as well, almost quickly written as an afterthought.

“‘Jackieboy Man?’” Jack read, taking in the picture and trying not to laugh. The name itself was rather silly, but he could tell Jackie had come up with it all by himself, with all the innocence he probably had at the time. 

“I-It’s a stupid name, but once I came up with it, it just stuck.” Jackie admitted, nervously laughing. “Since I’m a caterpillar, I’ll turn into a butterfly one day, right? I thought that when I do become a butterfly, I could be like a superhero! Someone everyone likes seeing, someone who’s probably loved by everyone. And I’m sure Jackieboy Man would never get called a worm. He’d be everyone’s friend, and able to protect everyone.”

“So, you become Jackieboy Man when you get to turn into that butterfly!” Jack said, handing the piece of paper back to him. “If being a superhero is your dream, you chase after that dream, no matter what happens or what anyone else says.”

“Yeah, sure. The little worm everybody hates is gonna suddenly turn into some big shot hero.” Jackie said, almost a bit bitterly. “Jackieboy Man’s the one with the confidence. I’m just Jackie, the bug the entire forest hates.” Jack slammed his hands down on the rock, pushing himself to his feet.

“Kid, listen up right here and right now!” He nearly shouted, making Jackie jump slightly. “If you keep thinking like that, then nothing’s gonna change for you! You said you wanna be like Jackieboy Man, right? Well, that’s not even going to happen if you keep thinking negative. You just need to have….have….”

“Have...what?” Jackie said, in a quieter voice. Jack had to rack his brain for the word he was looking for. It was literally on the tip of his tongue. He just needed to….

“Hashtag Positive Mental Attitude!”

“PMA! How on earth could I have forgotten about that!” He suddenly exclaimed, snapping his fingers. Jackie merely gave him an extremely confused look. “Heh…..sorry, I mean Positive Mental Attitude. It’s something I say a lot….back before this whole fiasco….I-I mean, before I met you! Meeting you is in no way part of the fiasco!” He said, waving his hands quickly.

“But….what exactly does that mean?” Jackie asked, looking just a little less confused.

“It means you gotta stay positive! You can’t get anything done when you just keep thinking negatively, after all.” Jack said. “It’s gotten a ton of other people and even myself through some dark times, so it would seriously surprise me if it just didn’t work for you!” Jackie just sat there for a minute, looking at the rock and just silently repeating ‘PMA’ a few times, before he slowly stood up as well.

“I...I’ll give it a try too!” He said, with a hesitant, but rather new-found confidence. “F-From today onwards…..I’m gonna become a superhero! I’m gonna be Jackieboy Man!” 

“Aw, look at the little worm, suddenly shouting out to the world like he’s some sort of big shot!” The loud hum of buzzing filled the entire area, causing the two to spin around. It was the same two thugs as before, except they now had about three or four more bees right behind them, all of them glaring down at Jack and Jackie with big, rather malicious grins.

“‘Ey! I told you two to leave him alone!” Jack growled, almost protectively standing in front of the boy. “What the hell are you two suddenly doing back here?”

“New word came from the King, says something about a guy who doesn’t belong ‘round Wonderland.” One of the original two bullies said. “Given how you ain’t no bug we’ve seen ‘round here, we figured you had to be that guy. God knows how you got so tiny, but you look exactly like described.”

“But, seeing as how you’re still with the worm, this is just the perfect opportunity! Why not squash two worms with one foot?” The other one added in, causing a few laughs among the new ones. “Mess with the little worm and get that award the King promised us. How could ANYONE even want to pass up a chance like this?”

“Well, me if you really want examples.” Jack shot back. “Listen, how about this? I go with you guys, you take me to whoever this King guy is, and you leave Jackie completely out of this. Sound good to you, dudes?” None of them even replied. Instead, one of them darted forwards and threw a punch, one that Jack just barely managed to duck under.

“Well great, looks like that’s not an option.” He couldn’t help but mutter, jumping back as another one tried to dart forwards. Jack tried to make a move to retaliate, but a sharp pain that shot up his back as he leaned a fist back. One of the bullies took advantage of this and pushed him right off the rock, causing Jack to hit the ground hard. The back pain didn’t vanish, instead only growing so bad that he couldn’t even stand for a few minutes.

“J-Jack! Oh God, a-are you okay?!” Jackie yelped, about to rush down to his new friend’s aid only to be blocked in by all of the bullies. Jack attempted to stand, only to wince as the injury gave an almighty throb. It looked as if the bullies were about to begin their torment of the poor kid all over again when what looked like a short knife flew past.

“Yo! Step away from the kid right now, dudes!” 

The thugs all turned, just as two men, both of whom seemed to be two different species of beetle, grabbed two of the bullies, hoisting them up by the collar of their shirts. Two different men, one of them acting as if he was the leader of the four, followed close behind. 3 out of these four men wore leather jackets with ‘COOL PATROL’ written in golden letters. The odd man out instead wore a nearly face-length mask that covered everything but his eyes.

“And what the hell do you think you’re doing.” One of the thugs hissed, walking and meeting the leader of the four halfway. “We’ve got business with this worm here, so make like a tree and leaf already.”

“Well, we’re obviously stopping this seriously uncool fight.” The leader snapped back. “You heard me, step away from the kid. Or me and my friends here are gonna have to get a tiny bit physical.” The thug merely growled, looking between the four men, catching a glimpse of the leader’s weapon, a claw grasped in his right hand, and the strange masked man, who held a dagger up in one hand.

“Tch, fine. But this ain’t over, ya worm!” The thug finally said, backing off. “C’mon boys, time to get lost. These losers obviously don’t want us here having any fun.”

“That’s the Cool Patrol to you, assholes!” The leader of the gang yelled as the thugs all flew off once more. None of them gave any indication they had heard, not that any of the four really cared. “Yo, kid, you okay there? Looks like you were almost in for a really crappy time.”

“Y-Yeah….I-I’m fine….” Jackie replied, shaky once more. The leader only gave a smile, holding out a hand for him. “T-Thanks….er...you called yourselves the….the Cool Patrol, right?”

“Hell yeah. We were out, doing our normal patrol like always, when we heard the loud buzzing and could literally smell the jerk coming off of these guys.” The leader said as Jackie took his hand, hoisting the boy to his feet. “What was up with those dudes and them calling you a worm? Or was that just them being total asses?”

“I-It’s something you don’t need to worry about...i-it’s fine….” Jackie said timidly, rubbing one of his arms. “J-Just….a small nickname they gave me….t-that’s all.” The leader of the Cool Patrol only exchanged a skeptical look with his fellow members, clearly not buying something like that.

“Yo, what’s this?” One of the members suddenly said, bending down to pick up a piece of paper. It was the picture he had drawn of Jackieboy Man, which he had accidentally dropped when the thugs had pushed Jack off of the rock.

“N-Nothing! I-It’s an….an….er….an…” Jackie stuttered, trying quickly to think of an excuse.

“A totally awesome picture!” The member exclaimed, grinning widely. “Dude, I’ve never seen a superhero like this, it’s gotta be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!” Jackie froze in place, clearly not expecting that kind of answer. The rest of the Cool Patrol all gathered around, looking at the picture and voicing the same sentiments.

“Nice one, Jackie.” Jack said through clenched teeth, managing to pull himself back up to his feet using the side of the rock. His back was screaming in protest, but it didn’t feel as bad as the initial impact. “Knew at least someone else would think you’re cool too.” Before he could begin slowly climbing back up the rock, something loud and heavy landed right behind him.

Sure enough, a giant, pale gray tabby cat stood behind him, looking right down at him with big, playful green eyes. Jack didn’t even get a chance to back away or call out for help when it literally stretched its neck over him and plucked him from the ground, holding the very back of his jacket and shirt very carefully.

“The hell?! Put me down, will you?” Jack yelled as the cat straightened once more. His yell was audible from where Jackie and the Cool Patrol all were, thankfully enough. “Guys! Help, would ya?!”

“H-Hang on Jack! I’m coming!” Jackie yelled back in response, running and skidding down the rock. But before he could get anywhere near the giant feline, it had already flicked its tail and began bounding off. “Hey! H-Hold up! Bring him back here!” The cat didn’t slow down, instead racing right to a tree before leaping up it, latching on using its claws. Just before the cat and Jack disappeared into the trees, Jack could hear Jackie yell out one last thing.

“J-Jack! I promise, I’m gonna go find you again when I finally become a butterfly! When I become Jackieboy Man! I promise!”

((Ok, so in the lead up to this chapter, I’ve been watching the Cool Patrol video like whenever I see it. I’m glad I did, since it’s like a really cool (heh) song and video as well as somewhat helpful for writing more about Jackieboy Man. So I decided to throw them in with Jackie’s big appearance here too.

But I’ll be honest, I don’t exactly like this one. I feel it’s one of the weaker parts I’ve written, but that always could just be me being too harsh and critical on things I wrote. Idk. Also, I’m not exactly sure if I’ll be able to post more of these as quickly as I have been lately. My school laptop, which I normally write on,is currently broken. So that’s just peachy, ain’t it? This means I might not get it working again until Tuesday, And writing on my phone and family laptop isn’t exactly the easiest.

So, there may be a small delay in updates for about three days, given I do have Monday off of school. Just thought I might as well warn you guys now, just in case. Anyways, onto the tags!

@watermelonsinmyattic

Also, big thanks to @alexisdevil for creating this AU, still absolutely loving it and thank you so much for the support on this, it means so much.

Anyways, see you God knows when for the next part! And sorry my author notes are way to rambly!))

[aghostpost]

Hiiiii could ya be a doll and do a frank + reader where the reader wears heels to work everyday and it turns frank on to the point where he makes a move? Thx darling 😏

A/N: IT HS BEEN FOREVER AND I KNOW I AM TWO DAYS LATE BUT I HAD NO WIFI AND I DIDN’T WORK ON THIS HOE FOR NOTHIN’ SO BETTER LATE THAN NEVER heh heh ♥

“Ya know, if someone told me there’d come a time where I wouldn’t need to use a pad for a customer, I woulda laughed at ‘em. I know there’s regulars and all, but you my friend are somethin’ else entirely.”

I set down the freshly brewed pot of coffee along with the same plate of breakfast I brought to the same table every day for the past five, almost six months: 3 eggs over easy, a stack of bacon and two toasted slices of sourdough bread.

He glanced at me before pouring himself a mug. “Figure I’d make it easier for ya, not switchin’ things up too much.”

“You don’t switch things up at all. Imagine the day you come in here and there isn’t a drop of that coffee; what would you do?”

He huffed a small laugh. “I’d probably lose my mind, hm? Lucky for me coffee ain’t the only reason I show up here everyday,” he said suggestively, drinking from his mug as he looked up at me.

I felt my face tingle a bit but remained cool. “Yeah?”

He nodded and scrunched his nose as he placed the mug back on the table. “Mm. You guys got a real good lemon cake.”

Now that was a bold face lie. After working here for just a single month I knew the infamous reputation our lemon cake had, and after being here for a couple more months that reputation hasn’t changed for the better. “Well I think you might be the only one sayin’ that, so more for you.” I tapped his table with my pen as I began backing away to get back to work. “You enjoy that, Frank.”

“Ya know,” he said just as I turned away, “I always wanted to ask you somethin’.”

I raised a brow. “What’s that?”

“What kinda person wears high heels to work at a diner?”

“Is there a dress code I’m unaware of?”

“I mean, your feet gotta be killin’ you, yeah? Up on your feet a whole shift in those?” he asked, pointedly looking at my feet for longer than necessary, in my opinion…

“You see me here nearly every single day; this is the only exercise I can get. How else do you think my legs got this nice?”

“Haven’t noticed.”

I shrugged, noticing his eyes were lingering on mine as he ate his food. His stare was so intense it ignited my skin. “Your loss. Good thing the ones leavin’ good tips notice.” I smirked and turned to get back to work.

That day he left a generous tip, and continued to do so from that moment on.

“I need two more stacks of Lover’s Flapjacks and an order of Cupid’s Bowtie Pasta, thank youuu!”

I liked holidays at the diner. Dressing up and having some festive options on the menu, it was all good fun. It was also a different crowd from my usual early morning shifts that I took, which normally consisted of a buncha seniors checking for early bird specials. The entrance door wouldn’t stop ringing and I felt like a chicken with its head cut off the way I was running around the place. We were jam packed and unlike some of the other waitstaff, I didn’t have plans for the evening, so I didn’t mind switching my morning shift to work tonight.

The moment I found a second to park my ass in a booth I reclined against the window, kicking my legs up on the bench with a sigh. I took down my ponytail to avoid the tension headache I felt coming, ruffling my hair loose when someone helped themselves to the other side of my booth.

“Feet finally tired then?”

I chuckled and rested against the window. “Have you noticed how toned my calves are? These heels ain’t goin’ nowhere, guy. What are you doin’ here anyway?”

“Oh, was I not invited to the party?”

“I didn’t peg you for the partying type. Besides it’s a little late for toast and eggs, isn’t it?”

“Ain’t that the gift of a diner? Breakfast ‘round the clock?”

I nodded. “Touche. I guess what I mean is I’m only used to you being here in the mornings.”

“That’s cuz you’re only here in the mornin’. I come whenever I could use a refill,” he said before placing a large thermos on the table.

“Thought you came for the lemon cake,” I said with a smirk as I moved to climb outta the booth.

“No no no,” he said. “Don’t let me interrupt your break.”

“Technically I’m not on break, just bustin’ my ass around here; so don’t worry about that.” I scooted off the bench and went behind the counter to grab a pot of coffee, returning to fill the thermos up for him. I sat and unscrewed the cap cup hybrid and poured. “I don’t know how people drink black coffee. May as well just eat the damn beans.”

“I’m not too crazy ‘bout sweets.”

“Explains why you like our lemon cake.” I twisted the lid back on and slid the thermos back to him, and as he reached for it a small shock of electricity went through me as his hand left a ghostly touch when he grabbed the thermos. Our eyes met for the smallest shred of a second before I cleared my throat. “That should last you all of what, four minutes, I’m guessing?”

“That all depends… ” he said as he stared at me, his thumb tapping nervously at on the now warm thermos.

“Oh yeah?” I stared right back, sitting and folding my arms across my chest and rested my back against the booth.

“Why don’t you, uhh… tell me what time you’re gettin’ off, hm?”

My brows shot up in shock and I paused, failing to find words. Apart from when he asked me about my heels, Frank’s never said more than repeated his order day after day. So this came as a surprise if it were leading to where I was pretty damn sure it was.

“You askin’ me out or somethin’, Frank?”

“Well I guess I’m finally tired of seein’ those heels walk away, ain’t I?”

“You been watching me closely, I see… Do you even know my name?” I questioned. He did the obvious: redirected his eyes to my nametag then back to my face, suppressing a grin. I rolled my eyes. “Did you know before that? It’s not like you ever call me Y/N.”

“Ever since you asked me my name I made sure I knew yours. ‘Member that?”

“I do. I wanted to know the guy that visited for about four pots of coffee every week.”

“So you tellin’ me when you gettin’ outta here or not?”

“Well I don’t know. Not a lotta waitstaff here tonight. Everyone actually had plans for Valentine’s Day; I hear that’s somethin’ people like to do,” I said with a shrug.

“You seem dressed like ya had plans….”

“I like to get into the holiday spirit. Just because I’m workin’ doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate, right?” Beneath my apron I wore a simple and plain red pencil skirt, it was Valentine’s Day after all, and a short sleeved button up shirt. It was by zero means me being what I would call dressed up, but for a diner I could see how this looked as such.

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your hair down either…” he commented. It was weird being under his scope, realizing now that he had been paying more attention to me than I thought.

“It’s either a ponytail or a hairnet, and I don’t think the net looks nice with heels.” I smiled as he bent to peek under the table at my shoes. “Oh my goodness- Stop!”

“Now if I have to sit here and wait all night, this thermos ain’t gonna last nobody.”

“Okay okay, uhh… I can try to get outta here in an hour, hour thirty max.”

“An hour thirty, hm?”

“Is that alright with you, Frank?”

“I’ve waited longer for a whole lot less…”

I ignored the burn in my cheeks. This guy was smoother than I thought. All the times he’s come here I’ve never seen him interact with anyone more than asking things of a nearby waiter, or when he leaves and compliments the cook. “Can I ask what we’re supposed to be doing when I get off?”

“I figured you’re dressed a lil’ too nice to just be workin’ tonight. Maybe we go let the city get a better look at those toned calves? Go grab a slice?”

I chuckled. “A pizza date? That’s very romantic of you.”

“S’gonna be half past nine on Valentine’s Day night. If we’re lucky enough for anything to still even be open,  we can go somewhere nice and try to wait for seats, but I’ma need about six more o’ these,” he said, holding up his thermos full of black coffee.

“Good point. But I want pepperoni. And a whole pizza, not a slice! I’ve been here all day, I’m starved.”

He nodded as I rose from my seat. “Yes, ma’am. Anything else?”

I hesitated a little but spit it out. “You know my name; start using it.”

He laughed to himself. “Yes, Y/N,” he corrected. The way he said my name with emphasis made my stomach flip. “I’ll see you in a hour an’ a half.”

“What, are you gonna wait here??”

He shrugged. “S’at a problem?”

“I mean, what are you gonna do, just sit and watch me?” He looked at me as if to repeat his question, his thumb lightly tapping the side of his thermos before he opened it to pour himself a cup. I rolled my eyes. “Just sounds a bit boring is all, but suit yourself.” Before leaving him to head to the restroom to freshen up a bit and get back to work he grabbed my hand. I froze in place and looked at him as he pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

“For the coffee,” he said coolly. He tapped twice with his thumb on the back of my hand before letting go and turning back to the coffee in front of him, a smug grin hidden on his face.

I walked to the bathroom with a little pep in my step as I put my ponytail back into place. I washed my hands and looked in the mirror, annoyed at the goofy smile on my face. “Get a grip, dummy,” I told myself. I went back to the floor to grab change from the register when I looked up and noticed Frank had left, again leaving me with a fat tip he knew I’d otherwise turn down if he were still here.

But I’d get the last laugh: I planned on using that change to buy the pizza, so technically it would still be him paying for the meal.

Just as a gentleman should.

[camiliinha778]

Excerpt from “Supergirl: Curse of the Ancients,” by Jo Whittemore

The rustle of paper.

A soft cough.

And then . . . a violin’s bow hummed across the A string.

booksKara Danvers smiled as the sweet note pierced the near silence. A second later, the note grew into a melody that made emotion swell in her chest. If Kara’s eyes hadn’t been closed, everyone in Noonan’s restaurant would have seen them ll with tears.

Just as swiftly as the music brought her down, it lifted Kara once more, and her smile returned, her cheeks forcing the tears to spill over.

The music stopped.

Kara opened her eyes.

“Miss Danvers, are you all right?” Hannah Nesmith, the curly-haired woman seated across from Kara, asked.

“Oh, gosh, yes!” Kara laughed and removed the headphones she was wearing. “I’m so sorry. That was just . . . amazing.” She removed her glasses, as well, and wiped her eyes with a napkin.

Hannah Nesmith was one of the few (too few, in Kara’s opinion) famous female composers in the country. And Kara, who worked as a reporter for CatCo Worldwide Media, had been lucky enough to score an interview with her and hear one of her latest compositions.

Hannah smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Kara passed the headphones and music player back to Hannah. “Seriously. I have never had a song move me like that!”

Hannah pointed at Kara. “You should hear it with a full orchestra.”

“Oh, I don’t think there’d be enough napkins,” Kara said with a chuckle. “And bravo, by the way, for your skill on the violin.” She clapped, and Hannah blushed.

“I actually play the flute; the person you just heard was Claude.” As she said the name, Hannah’s blush deepened.

Kara pursed her lips. “A good friend?” she asked with the innocence of someone pretending not to pry.

Hannah smirked at her. “You could say that. We play for the same orchestra, but we met during a triathlon.”

Kara’s jaw dropped. “Hold up! You’re a ridiculously talented composer, musician, and triathlete?” She leaned toward Hannah and whispered, “Are you Supergirl?”

Hannah shrugged and laughed. “Maybe. She and I are never in the same place at the same time.”

Kara laughed, too. If only you knew you were sitting right across the table from her, she thought.

Kara probed Hannah about her triathlon hobby, which had, in turn, led to Hannah’s inventing an app for note- taking on the go. Kara flipped through the notes she’d just taken on a steno pad, shaking her head.

“Hannah, I would seriously kill for a fraction of your talent,” she said.

“Oh, please. You and I aren’t so different,” Hannah said. “We’re both writers who speak to people through our work.”

Kara snorted. “Yeah, but my work doesn’t sell out shows at National City Music Hall.”

“But it could sell out a TED Talk,” Hannah replied. “By this time next year, you could be in Vancouver, giving a speech on women in media.”

Kara chuckled. “I don’t see myself going to Vancouver.”

Their server arrived with the bill, and Kara plucked the check holder away before Hannah could reach it.

“Dinner is on CatCo,” she said, even though she was pretty sure her boss, Snapper, would scoff at the idea. She’d once seen him drink from a coffee cup labeled “No More Never Mr. Nice Guy.”

Kara extended a hand to Hannah, who shook it. “This was such an honor, Ms. Nesmith. Thank you for meeting me so late in the day.”

“Anytime,” said Hannah. She leaned toward Kara. “And even though the performances are sold out, I’ve got VIP passes, so if you want to come with someone special . . .”

Kara smiled. Her someone special was Mon-El of 4 Daxam, but his home world had been a party planet, where people were unlikely to listen to classical music. Anything without inappropriate lyrics was probably not going to be on his radar. Still, Mon-El had been spending a lot of time at National City Museum learning about ancient civilizations. Maybe Kara could convince him to expand his interests to classical music as well.

“I’d love to go,” Kara told Hannah. “Thank you.”

“I’ll leave two tickets at Will Call,” Hannah said with a wink. She glanced at her watch and grimaced. “I hate to eat and run, but I’ve got another appointment.”

“Yes, go, go!” Kara waved her away and placed some money in the check holder.

Hannah smiled gratefully and rose from her chair, colliding with a tall, sleek-haired brunette. Kara perked up when she realized it was one of her best friends, Lena Luthor.

“Oh! I’m terribly sorry. Are you all right?” Lena reached for Hannah’s arm, and her eyes widened. “Hannah Nesmith! What are you doing here, of all places?”

“I just finished an interview with CatCo magazine,” said Hannah, gesturing to Kara. “This is—”

Lena’s face brightened. “Kara!” She opened her arms, and Kara stood and stepped into them, smiling.

“Hey, you! What are you doing here?”

They separated, and Lena nodded to a nearby table of suit-clad men and women. “I’m at a business dinner as well.” In a lower voice, she added, “I’m hoping they’ll fund a cancer cure I’m developing.”

Hannah Nesmith laughed and shook her head. “Leave it to you to find a cure for cancer, Lena.” She turned to Kara. “You want to talk talent? Back in school, Lena was a fencing master, a Chess Federation champ, and she finished two MIT Mystery Hunts in under twenty-four hours.” She elbowed Lena. “But you left the coins for other people to find. So sweet.”

Lena ducked her head. “You speak too kindly of me, Hannah.” She squeezed her hands. “Are you in town for a bit?”

Hannah nodded. “I’m at the Wayward Arms if you want to catch up.”

“I’d love that!” Lena’s eyes fitted back to her table. “And now, I really must dash.”

“Go get ’em!” Kara cheered.

Lena winked and hurried off.

“I’m afraid I have to go, too,” Hannah told Kara. “If you have any more questions, please feel free to call.” With a wave, she departed.

Kara watched both women walk away, visionaries and dynamos of the twenty-first century. Back when Kara had 6 been Cat Grant’s coffee-fetching assistant, Lena and Hannah had already been wowing the world with their talents.

The thought made Kara feel a bit . . . unimpressive.

Yes, she was Supergirl, but that was a secret she couldn’t share. As Kara Danvers, she’d finally moved on from being an office assistant, but she was a barely recognized reporter.

Meanwhile, Hannah Nesmith was running triathlons, inventing apps, and composing symphonies, while Lena Luthor was mastering anything she even glanced at.

Neither Supergirl nor Kara Danvers could compare.

Under the cover of darkness, Kara slipped into the alley behind Noonan’s and leaped into the night sky. She knew she shouldn’t be flying around in her regular clothes, but it really was the fastest way to travel. She soared over rows of buildings before touching down on the balcony of DEO headquarters.

The Department of Extra-Normal Operations was like her second home and office. Here, she worked for a Green Martian named J’onn J’onnz who posed as the human DEO director Hank Henshaw. His second-in-command was Kara’s sister, Alex. But as Kara glanced around the control room, she didn’t see either of them. She did, however, spot another one of her best friends, Winn Schott. He was sitting at his desk, a pen held between his upper lip and nose like a mustache while he tufted his dark hair and stared at a laptop screen. 7

“Hey, Winn?” Kara said as she approached him. “Have you seen J’onn or Alex?”

Winn let his pen fall into one hand and swiveled to face her. “Yeah, they’re on the roof.”

Kara balked. “The roof?” “You know.” Winn pointed up. “Big square thing above us that keeps the rain out.”

Kara pinched his arm. “I know what a roof is, smartie. Why are they there?”

Winn grinned and squirmed out of her reach. “Apparently, there’s a big comet coming. Dr. Hoshi brought her telescope, so everyone else is going to check it out.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “But you’re not? Isn’t this what you live for?”

When he wasn’t inventing or hacking something, Winn was absorbed in science fiction and obsessed with outer space.

Winn scoffed. “Please. I’ve been to another planet and have the space rocks to prove it.” He polished his fingernails on his shirt. “Once you’ve crossed the galaxy, everything else pales in comparison.”

Kara smirked. “You’re saying this to a girl who’s crossed several galaxies.”

Winn stared at her. “Let me have my moment, Kara.”

She laughed. “Fine. But I still find it hard to believe you aren’t interested in seeing the comet.”

Winn shrugged. “It’s orbiting Earth for five days, so I’ll have plenty of chances to see it.”

Kara crossed her arms.

He smiled sheepishly and pointed to his bag. “I may have a portable telescope I plan to break out later.”

She nodded. “There we go. What are you working on now?” Kara started to turn his laptop in her direction, but Winn reached out and steadied it.

“Hey, hey, hey!” he said. “I’m doing some personal shopping.”

Winn’s cheeks turned pink, and Kara smirked.

“Are you buying more action figures, Winn?”

He shot her a look. “First of all, they’re collectibles. Second”—he turned his laptop so Kara could see the screen—“I’m buying a gift for Lyra.”

Lyra, an alien refugee from Starhaven, was Winn’s girlfriend. She was a bit of a wild child, but she had a good heart.

“Awww!” Kara squeezed Winn’s shoulder and glanced at the screen. “That’s ador . . . mat.” She frowned. “That’s a doormat, Winn.”

He grinned at her. “Yeah, but look what it says.” He enlarged the image, and Kara read.

“There’s no place like 34.1546° N, 118.3340° W.” Kara shook her head. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s the latitude and longitude for my apartment!” Winn tapped his chest. “I’m giving Lyra a doormat for my home because I want it to be her home, too.”

Kara gasped. “You’re asking her to move in with you?” She squealed and bent to hug Winn. “That’s great! And a really clever gift idea.”

Winn leaned back in his chair and smiled smugly. “Just call me Mr. Terrific.”

“Heh. Now I know a Mr. Terrific on two Earths.” Kara glanced at the screen again. “Wait a minute. Winn? That doormat’s out of stock.” She clicked on a link. “And they aren’t sure when it’ll be available.”

Winn blinked at Kara. “Well, yeah. I didn’t say I was ready for Lyra to move in now.”

Kara rolled her eyes.

“Oh, don’t judge me with your judging judgery.” Winn waved a finger at Kara. “Lyra’s out of town, and I miss her, so I’m keeping busy.” He closed his laptop and slid it into his messenger bag. “That’s why I’m about to meet James for patrol. You’re welcome to join us.”

“James” was James Olsen, one of her closest friends. 10 He’d been sent to National City by Kara’s cousin, Clark Kent, to watch over Kara before she became Supergirl. He now ran CatCo during the day and fought crime at night under the guise of Guardian, with Winn monitoring from a surveillance van.

“Thanks, but I need to talk to J’onn,” Kara said, pointing up.

“If you change your mind, we’ll be out all night.” Winn stood and slung his bag over one shoulder. “You can find us at the corner of Danger and Excitement,” he said.

Winn walked away, whistling “Space Oddity,” and Kara grinned. Then she zoomed out the balcony doors and up to the roof. Several uniformed DEO agents and one in a lab coat were gathered around a telescope; J’onn stood off to one side with Mon-El, Alex, and Alex’s girlfriend Maggie Sawyer.

At Kara’s sudden appearance, the foursome stopped talking and glanced over at her. J’onn, Mon-El, and Alex smiled, while Maggie stamped her foot and groaned.

“Aw, man!”

Alex held a hand out to her girlfriend, palm up. “That’ll be five dollars.”

Kara narrowed her eyes good-naturedly as the money changed hands. “Do I want to know what you were betting on?”

Mon-El raised his hands defensively and greeted Kara with a kiss. “For the record, babe, I didn’t participate.”

“Neither did I,” said J’onn.

“We saw you flying toward the building,” Alex explained to Kara. “Which, by the way, you should not be doing in your street clothes.”

“I’d bet Alex that after you found out where we were, you wouldn’t have any interest in joining us,” said Maggie. “Because you’ve seen enough of space for a lifetime.”

Maggie was one of the few people outside the DEO who knew that Kara was also Supergirl. The fact that Maggie worked for the National City police and had never revealed the secret made her an ally in Kara’s book.

“And I’d bet that my little sister, who has the most curious mind in the universe, wouldn’t miss seeing this comet for anything.” Alex put an arm around Kara’s shoulders. “And I was right.”

Kara gave her sister an apologetic look. “Actually, I came to talk to J’onn.” Alex dropped her arm from Kara’s shoulders, and Maggie let out a “Ha!” before snatching her five dollars back.

J’onn stepped closer to Kara. “You wanted to talk to me? What about?”

With Alex, Maggie, and Mon-El all listening, Kara felt herself blush.

“I was hoping I could start doing more for the DEO,” she said quietly.

Mon-El smiled. “Doing more than protecting this city every day?”

Kara shook her head. “Not as Supergirl. As Kara Danvers.”

“What?” Alex’s forehead wrinkled in confusion, but Kara pressed on.

“I’m already familiar with a lot of alien species, but maybe I could specialize in something,” Kara told J’onn. “Like alien weaponry. It would be good to know what I might face.”

Plus, it’s definitely something Lena Luthor and Hannah Nesmith won’t be experts at, she thought.

J’onn stroked his chin. “We’ve got some artifacts in the subbasement you could look at, I suppose.” “That’s a start,” Kara said with a nod.

Alex nudged her. “Why are you going into DEOverdrive? Is everything OK at CatCo?”

“Of course.” Kara gave her a reassuring smile. “I just want to . . . expand my interests.”

And be a little more impressive without my cape, she added to herself.

“OK,” said Alex, though she still looked puzzled.

“We can head downstairs after the comet appears,” J’onn told Kara. He checked his watch. “Which should be any moment now.”

J’onn beckoned for Mon-El, Maggie and the Danvers sisters to follow him to the telescope, where the woman in the lab coat, Dr. Hoshi, was telling the other agents about the stars overhead at that moment. Normally, she acted as the DEO’s physician. But tonight, the petite Japanese woman stood on tiptoe to point out a constellation.

“Want me to lift you a little higher?” Kara asked with a wink and a smile.

“Kara! Glad you could join us,” Dr. Hoshi said in greeting. “And no, thank you. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground.” She glanced down at the rooftop. “Or the concrete, in this case.”

Kara smiled and gestured at the telescope. “I had no idea you were into astronomy.”

“It’s kind of my secret passion,” Dr. Hoshi confessed. “Tonight, we’re going to observe Caesar’s Comet. Have you heard of it?”

“It was not named after the salad,” Mon-El chimed in. “And if you suggest that, people will laugh.” He cleared his throat. “A lot.”

Kara held back a smile and rubbed his back sympathetically. “I’m not familiar with the comet, Dr. Hoshi.”

“It was last seen over two thousand years ago, shortly after the death of Julius Caesar,” the physician said. “Many Romans thought it was the dei cation of Caesar: proof that he’d become a god.”

Dr. Hoshi turned to the rest of the group before she made her next comment. “It’s also a daylight comet, which means it’s bright enough to see during the day, but since it comes into orbit tonight, I thought it would be fun to witness its arrival.”

She bent over the telescope and made a few adjustments before turning to her laptop.

“This is it!” Dr. Hoshi announced.

Everyone chattered excitedly and shuffled closer to the telescope.

“I’ll adjust the telescope as the comet moves, but please don’t linger too long, so everyone gets a chance to see it,” she said. “While you’re waiting, you should be able to see the comet with the naked eye right . . . there.”

Kara glanced to where Dr. Hoshi was pointing and saw an ice-blue dot against the star-speckled darkness.

“Too cool,” Alex whispered beside her.

Kara turned to answer but was blinded by a brilliant ash of light. All around her, people cried out in surprise.

The whole world had gone white.

Mon-El gripped one of Kara’s hands, and she felt around for her sister with the other.

“Alex!” she cried.

“Kara!” Alex called.

Just as she touched her sister’s fingers, a wave of energy slammed into Kara, knocking her hand loose from Mon- El’s.

She felt herself falling.

Then everyone and everything went silent.

Before Kara hit the concrete, the white light faded to black, and she passed out.