#*basically no good ones I just remembered that being polite and well behaved could count as a good quality technically speaking

[starpros-sunshine]

banger music taste there seb

Thank you thank you it's pretty much exclusively people from at least 40 years ago and jpop. No in-between.

#my taste in music is one of my few exquisite qualities #i have no good ones a lot of bad-ish ones and a few exquisite ones #acvording to peer review i havw very good tastes #except in food but...yucky texture.... #*basically no good ones I just remembered that being polite and well behaved could count as a good quality technically speaking #Vani🐈 #you have very good taste too if I do say so myself i can see we share some preferences on that scale

[islesnucks]

BACKUP BABYSITTERS - MAT BARZAL X READER

It's here! once again thank u @softbarzal for inspiring this

Word Count: 3.5 k

Warning: none

Summary: your date with Mat is cut short when a friend asks you to look after her daughter, but then he tags along

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Add yourself to the taglist!

“Please, please, please. I have to stay here for like 3 more hours and I already called the babysitter and she can’t stay longer. Just put on a movie and I promise she won’t cause any trouble.” your friend basically begged you from the other side of the phone.

“It’s not that I’m worried about taking care of her, I love spending time with her, but I’m in the middle of a date Lili.” you told her, turning your head to look at Mat who was sitting back on your table. He sent a small smirk your way, probably because he saw your furrowed brows.

“Shit I forgot that was today.” There was a long silence but you knew what was coming next. “Can’t you leave early? I know I’m asking a lot and I promise I’ll make it up to you.” You could sense the desperation in her tone and you knew she wouldn’t be asking this if it wasn’t really the only option, so there wasn’t much to think about. Even if it meant leaving Mat not even halfway into the date, you had to do it.

“Ok, sure tell the nanny I’ll be there in 15.” you said and heard Lili let out a deep sigh making you smile. Being a single mom wasn’t easy and if you could help your friend in any way you most surely would.

“You are the best. Seriously. Best human being in existence.”

“I know, I know. Now get back to work before they fire you.”

“Love you, bye.”

“Love you too.”

Mat watched you talk on the phone, intrigued but trying not to be noisy. It was clear to see you were in distress and that caused him to worry. Soon you were making you way back to the table. He felt a bit of deja vu seeing you walk to the table like you had done earlier that night when you arrived at the restaurant, gorgeous as ever, taking his breath away. Only that now instead of that beautiful smiled that would appear whenever you looked at him, you had a concerned look on your face, which only made him worry more. You were just trying to come up with a way of telling him you had to leave right now without it sounding like a lame excuse to dip.

“Is everything okay?” he asked as soon as you were next to him.

“Yeah, just a little change of plans.” you started to say, without taking your seat and grabbing your coat from behind it. “I have to leave, like right now.”

“What happened?” He was genuinely preoccupied which warmed your heart. 

“Remember my friend Lili? The one that has a daughter of 5?” you asked and he nodded. You had told him about her on one of your first dates some weeks ago. “There was some problem at her office, she has to stay longer and the girl that babysits for her can’t stay the extra hours so she called me to see if I could go take care of little Amy...”

“And you said yes.” he finished the sentence for you. 

“Yes. I’m sorry. I promise I’m not making this up.” you were quick to add making him chuckle. “I really was enjoying this but she’s my best friend and Amy is like a niece. I can’t not help her.”

“Don’t worry I totally get it. We can raincheck, no big deal.” he said grabbing your hand in a reassuring manner. “Do you have a ride?”

“No, but I’ll order an uber-”

“Don’t. I’ll give you a ride.” he quickly said standing up, not letting go of your hand.

“You really don’t have to-”

“I’ll take every extra bit of time I can get with you miss.” Your cheeks turned red at his comment and he smiled down at you, loving the effect he had on you.

After making your way to the counter and failing to convince Mat to split the check for the food you weren’t even able to finish, you walked to his car hand in hand.

On the ride low music played in the background as you made conversation and Mat took advantage of every single red light to sneak a kiss or two. However the ride was shorter than you would have wanted it, in a couple minutes you were in front of Lili’s house.

“I’ll walk you to the door.” he said taking off his seat belt. You open your mouth ready to tell him he didn’t have to, but before you could Mat added: “Don’t even try to stop me, every minute counts, remember?” He leaned in to give you a final peck on the lips and then rapidly left the car to go around and open the door for you.

“Such a gentleman.” you joked taking the hand he was offering.

“I try my best.”

He closed the door behind you and gently moved your hand so it would be wrapped around his arm as you walked up to the door. Once there you rang the bell and within the second the door was opening showing you a really stressed teenager.

“Hi you must be Y/N, right?” she asked, already putting on her coat and grabbing her backpack. You nodded. “Thank you for rushing here. I really wish I could stay but I have another kid I have to babysit. Please tell Lili I’m so sorry-”

“Don’t worry she gets it.” you tried to calm her down.

“Amy is in the living room-” she started to say only to be interrupted by the 5 year old suddenly appearing down the hallway. Her eyes went wide and she smiled as she ran down the hall screaming your name.

“Aunty Y/N!” she screamed before jumping into your arms. You couldn’t help but laugh, wrapping your arms around her and positioning her on your side, resting her weight on your hip. Mat was beaming beside you, eyes full of adoration as he watched the sweet exchange.

“How’s my favorite niece doing?”

“I’m your only niece.” she remarked making you and Mat laugh once again.

“You’re getting too smart.” you joked poking her side to make her giggle.

“She already ate but there’s some food on the fridge if you get hungry, and we were about to watch Frozen 2.” the babysitter said as she crossed the door, clearly on a rush to leave.

“Wait do you have a ride or something to get to your next house? It’s already too late to be walking outside alone. I can give you a ride if you need.” Mat said before the girl could leave. You looked at him, a bit surprised by his words but at the same time not at all since you knew how gentlemanly he could get. How he could go from behaving like a kid to an adult within a second still amazed you. 

“Oh don’t worry I have my car, but thanks!” she replied, pulling out the keys to the car. “Bye Amy, see you tomorrow.” she added waving to the little girl.

“Bye!” Amy replied waving back to her. The three of you watched making sure the girl got back to get her car safely and once she was gone you closed the door and turned to look at Mat.

“That was such a dad thing to do considering she’s probably not that much younger than us” you teased him.

“I was being polite.”

“I know. I loved it.” you said giving him a wink and made your way to the living room before he could respond.

He watched you walk down the hall with the little girl in your arms and had to tell himself it was way too early in your relationship to start fantasizing about what your kids would look like, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from doing it.

“So we’re watching Frozen 2?” you asked Amy as you placed her on the couch and sat beside her.

“Who is he?” she asked referring to Mat, completely ignoring your question. You surely weren’t about to explain to a 5 year old the concept of dating and boyfriends. Plus you and Mat hadn’t talked about where your relationship stood, so you actually had to discover that yourself before telling the little girl. But as you looked for the right words Mat appeared on the living room and answered.

“I’m Mat. I’m a friend of your aunt.” he said followed by his best smile, but you could tell he was a bit nervous meeting the kid. Especially because he knew kids had no filter whatsoever so she was gonna say whatever came to her mind. He just hoped it was something good.

Amy looked him up and down, sword of examining him and Mat could have sworn he hadn’t felt that judged ever since his fitness test at the scouting years ago. You tried to hold in the giggles as you watched the grown man standing a bit awkwardly in front of you, being extremely intimidated by a 5 year old. Amy then scooted close to you and lifted herself on her knees putting her hands around her mouth and reaching your year to tell you a secret. Nevertheless she was still a loud young kid so what intended to sound like a whisper ended up being loud enough for anyone to hear.

“Is he the cute hockey player you and mom talked about?” she asked and your eyes went wide and face red. You looked at Amy surprised she had just said that and then looked at Mat, who was looking away pretending not to have heard that but the wicked smile on his face said he had.

“We really have to start being more careful with what we say around you.” you jokingly reprimanded her making her giggle. “But yes he is.” 

Your eyes went to Mat after saying that, wanting to see his reaction. Proud smile and puffed out chest, it was clear to see he liked hearing that. Mat was a man that thrived on praise, everyone knew that, but he was happy just hearing that you talked about him with your friend. It made him feel important, like he was part of your life and he loved it. He had talked about you to everyone who was willing to hear really, he actually couldn’t shut up about you sometimes and that resulted in his friends teasing him constantly, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was that apparently you were as into the relationship as he was, that couldn’t make him happier.

Amy nodded and then seemed to think about something serious for a moment before turning back to Mat.

“Are you going to watch Frozen 2 with us?” she simply asked like it was the most casual thing ever. You started panicking a bit, heart raising on your chest. This was the first time Mat met someone from your life, it didn’t matter if it was a 5 year old girl who didn’t really understand what was going on. You didn’t want to rush things only to end up scaring him away like it had happened with other guys you’d dated.

“Well Amy, Mat has other things-” you started to explain to her, trying to get out of what could turn out to be a really awkward moment.

“If you aunty is okay with it, then sure I’d love to watch Frozen 2 with you.” he replied with the sweetest grin in his face, but you still feared he just felt some kind of obligation to stay because Amy was the one asking.

“That’s sweet Mat but you really don’t have to. I’m sure there are thousand things you’d like to do rather than watching a kids movie.”

“First of all, Frozen 2 rocks, I wanna watch it. Secondly for the third time tonight, everything I’m doing is because I want to not because I feel like I have to.” he reassured you, washing away once and for all any insecurity left in you. You smiled at him, biting your bottom lips in disbelief, wondering how you had gotten so lucky. 

“Then I guess Mat is staying for movie night.” you told Amy and she stood on the couch and started clapping. “But I have to warn you, Mat eats all the popcorn.”

“That’s not true!” he replied, taking his hand to his chest in pretended offense.

“Ok Mat and I will go make some popcorn and you Amy go get your stuffed animals because we can’t watch a movie without them, right?” you said and Amy was instantly rushed to her room making both of you chuckle.

You stood up and grabbed Mats hand, dragging him across the house to the kitchen.

“Is Lili going to be fine with this? You know, she doesn’t know me and I’m hanging around her daughter, I don’t want you to get in any trouble.” Mat said leaning against the isle as you walked around the kitchen grabbing everything you needed for the popcorn.

“I’m like her second mother, Lili trusts me and I trust you to be around Amy so there won’t be any problem.” you told him as you put the bag on the microwave. Those words meant more to Mat that you would have guessed, you didn’t noticed but his cheeks went a bit red and he couldn't contain his smile. He couldn’t understand why you letting him into your life had such and effect on him, and he couldn’t quite put a name yet to the bubbling feeling you caused on him, but he would later realize it was love.

Soon you felt a pair of arms wrapping around your waist and his chest pressing against your back as he rested his chin in your shoulder.

“Thank you, it really means a lot.” he whispered into your ear, squeezing you a little. You knew the action was supposed to be cute, but his hot breath against your skin sent shivers down your spine.

“Could you be any more perfect?” you said turning around in his embrace to face him after turning on the microwave, being met with his all too familiar smug smile that made you roll your eyes and chuckle at the same time. He was about to reply something cocky surely, but you decided to erase that smile of his with a kiss.

You placed your arms around his neck, bringing him closer, as his hands stayed firmly in your waist. His lips fitted with yours in perfect rhythm, like it was meant to be. You wanted to deepen the kiss so badly but a voice inside your head kept on reminding you there was a really energetic, curious little girl around the house that run into the kitchen any second from now. And just as you were thinking that you heard her.

“I’m ready!” her voice traveled around the house from the living room to the kitchen, making you and Mat instantly stop kissing. There was a moment of silence and you looked at each other before you broke out in laughter. 

“That’s our cue.” you said freeing yourself from Mat’s embrace. Then you opened the microwave to get the popcorn out as Mat handed you the bowl you had set aside earlier. As soon as you put the popcorn in said bowl Mat’s hand was reaching to grab some.

“Don’t.” You jokingly slapped his hand which made him look at you with furrowed brows. “It’s still hot, you’ll burn yourself.”

“I already kissed you and I’m fine so...” he said with the cheekiest smile, making you roll your eyes at the cheesy comment. Then grabbed some quickly taking it to his mouth, only to start groaning in pain one second later.

“I told you it was hot Mathew. I thought I’d be babysitting one 5-year-old today, not two.”

“I didn’t think it would be that hot-” he started to defend himself but was cut off.

“When are you coming?!” Amy shouted again.

“We’re going! We’re going!” you replied between giggles, grabbing the bowl with one hand and Mat with the other and making you way back to the living room.

When you made it to the room you found 2 stuffed animals carefully placed in the couch facing the tv and Amy next to them wrapped around the Frozen blanket you had gifted her not too long ago.

“I see you have everything ready.” you said placing the bowl on the coffee table.

“Mat sits next Sammy and Eddie.” she pointed out signaling Mat to sit between a stuffed dolphin and a cat, which he instantly did. “And aunty sits with Eddie and me.”

You bit your lip trying to hold in your laughter as you took your seat between your niece and the stuffed cat she had obviously placed there intentionally so you wouldn’t be next to Mat. But the moment he looked at you lifting his eyebrows in amusement a giggle escaped your lips. 

“What’s funny?” Amy asked watching as the two of you exchanged looks.

“Nothing, nothing. Let’s watch the movie.” you replied, grabbing the control and starting the movie. Amy snuggled to your side and you could feel Mat’s arm behind your head as he stretched it on the back of the couch.

Within 20 minutes Amy was already asleep with her head in your chest and your left arm wrapped around her holding her close. That’s when you decided to put away the stuffed cat that served as a barrier. Mat looked at you confused, not wanting to do anything that could make the little girl dislike him.

“She’s asleep.” you whispered to him, he had been too focused on the movie to notice. “Sorry about Eddie the cat, she can be a little territorial.” you explained making Mat smile.

You tapped the new empty seat next to you signaling him to move closer and Mat scooted over to your side, placing his arm around you as you gently nestled into his side, trying not to wake Amy up. 

“And sorry about tonight, I know this isn’t what you had planed.” you said turning you head to face him.

“Stop apologizing Y/N. I have you by my side, that’s all I need.” he told you and even though his face was barely visible, poorly lit only by the light emitted by the tv, you could see a certain spark in his eyes that showed you how honest he was being. “Also this movie is actually great.” he added, making you laugh.

“You’re earning a lot of points tonight Barzal.” you said stretching your neck to kiss him briefly before cuddling back to his side. He then placed a kiss on the top of your head and went back to watch the movie, which he was clearly enjoying.

Lili arrived at her house over an hour later. She wasn’t surprised when she opened the door to a completely silent house, expecting you to have put Amy to bed by then. However she was surprised when she walked into her living room only to find the three of you asleep on the couch.

Amy had changed position and now was laying on the couch, still wrapped in her blanket, with her head laying on your lap as your arm was placed over her. Mat and you hadn’t moved that much, his arm still wrapped around your shoulders and your head on his chest, but now his head was resting on top of yours, moving your hair a bit with every deep breath he took.

Lili smiled to herself as he took in the scene. This was actually the first time she had seen Mat in person, but she was not mad at all, she actually found it quite cute. 

She carefully lifted her daughter in her arms, trying not to wake neither of you up. Amy’s arms instantly wrapped around her neck as she watched you unconsciously snuggle further into Mat’s chest now that Amy had left your side.

Needless to say you and Mat woke up the next morning really confused, not even remembering falling asleep the night before, and with terrible neck pain, but you woke up next to each other which was enough to make it a good morning.

-

hope you liked it! likes and reblogs are always appreciated!

Tagging those who asked to or seemed interested:

@spencereidbasis @2manytabsopen @spencereidbasis @bbbbruins @softbarzal @dreamer1430 @matsbarzals @hockeyandsht @barzysandmarnersbitch @shawnsreputation @glassdanse @tazeboes @barbienoturbby

Also here you can add yourself to my taglist for barzy or the other players i write for

#mat barzal #Mathew barzal #mat barzal imagine #mathew barzal imagine #mat barzal x reader #mathew barzal x reader #mat barzal imagines #mathew barzal imagines #mat barzal fic #mathew barzal fic #mat barzal fluff #mathew barzal fluff #isles #isles imagine #isles fic #new york islanders #nhl #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey #hockey fic #hockey imagine

[robininthelabyrinth]

Delight in Misery (ao3) - part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

- Chapter 6 - 

It was strange, Lan Wangji reflected, to be in public again after so long an absence. Stranger still to be addressed by strangers, to be called the Second Jade of Lan, or Lan-er-gongzi –

He wished that they would use his personal title instead. It might reduce the awkwardness.

Though, he reflected, it was likely that nothing would really reduce the awkwardness inherent in the situation, for all its old nostalgic familiarity: his brother walking in the lead, he and his uncle one step behind him, the representatives of the Lan sect in all their glory, beauty, and righteousness.

Looking at their tranquil expressions and sedate pace, one would never know that Lan Qiren was still furiously angry at Lan Wangji for his decision to abandon his sect and family, now made several times over; that Lan Wangji had been shockingly disrespectful by Lan standards in his response; that Lan Xichen had ordered that neither of them were permitted to speak until they could behave civilly (he’d used the term “like human beings”) once again.

It had been a very quiet journey to Koi Tower.

Luckily, even once they arrived, their customary reserve meant that no one noticed the tensions between them – not even the normally astute Lianfeng-zun, who greeted them at the door, much less his father and brother, and certainly not Chifeng-zun, who was listening to another sect leader speak with the stiff and stern expression that, after several years of keeping company with Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji now recognized as please stop talking to me.  

(Lan Wangji briefly considered that he ought to suggest that Jiang Cheng spend more time with Chifeng-zun. They shared a history as young men who assumed control over their sects too soon as a result of the same enemy, and he knew Jiang Cheng highly esteemed Chifeng-zun – but then he rejected the idea as unnecessary and likely full of potential political pitfalls, especially given the Jiang sect’s role in the Jin sect’s current one-sided rivalry with the Nie sect.

As the Second Jade of Lan, he didn’t need to worry about political concerns, or at least not those beyond the basic premise of ‘don’t lose face for the sect’. His uncle and brother handled everything of that nature, just as they always had, holding up the sky for him and allowing him to focus on cultivation and his own interests, only he had been Jiang Cheng’s secret sounding board for too long now to fail to think of the potential problems anyway.

He found to his surprise that he missed it.)

Jiang Cheng would have noticed the tension, but he had yet to arrive – they had agreed that it would make everything easier if he would arrive to the gathering a little late, minimizing the amount of chatter they would need to endure about the two of them before the formal events began.

This would be Lan Wangji’s first discussion conference after having “left seclusion”, as people were calling it – his uncle with notably more sarcasm than usual – and the first test of his new public relationship with Jiang Cheng. They’d settled the public fight aspect with some degree of enjoyment, having a spar that extended throughout the rooftops and alleyways of the Lotus Pier, matching Bichen again Sandu and Wangji against Zidian, and the rumors had run wild ever since then. Finally, Jin Guangyao had intervened in his father’s name to “force” the compromise they’d all agreed upon: that Lan Sizhui would fall under Lan Wangji’s personal supervision, as was his right as the (assumed) father, but that he would remain at the Lotus Pier for most of the year to avoid a sudden and traumatic readjustment.

That this coincidentally would result in Lan Wangji spending most of his time at the Lotus Pier had largely passed unnoticed. Most people were far, far too busy gossiping about Lan Wangji’s mysterious Jiang sect wife, each one adding new salacious details atop the other. Some of the nonsense he’d heard…!

At least, he comforted himself, none of them would be rude enough to actually ask him about it directly.

“Lan-er-gongzi!” a voice called, and Lan Wangji would have stiffened if his back hadn’t already been straighter than a board. His uncle coughed and stroked his beard to conceal his expression of amusement – he probably thought that having to deal with Nie Huaisang, inveterate gossip and useless person extraordinaire, was exactly what Lan Wangji deserved.

He was probably right, too. Lan Wangji had brought this on his own head.

“Nie-gongzi,” he said, very reluctantly, as the Second Young Master of Qinghe Nie showed up with a feckless smile, promptly clutching at his arm and insisting that they go catch up and indulge in nostalgia about their shared school days.

Which ones, Lan Wangji wasn’t sure – Nie Huaisang had attended his uncle’s classes three times over before passing, and whether or not that final pass had been fairly earned or whether his uncle had simply yielded to his desire never to see Nie Huaisang’s face in his classroom ever again, Lan Wangji remained unsure.

Still, it suited him not to be forced to make nice with all those sect leaders pretending that they weren’t gawking at him, and so he permitted Nie Huaisang to drag him off to some unoccupied garden he had somehow managed to uncover, the other man chattering in his ear like a magpie the entire time.

“ – supposed I really should call you Hanguang-jun now, but that just seems so formal, though at least I remember it. I barely remember anyone’s title. Though now that my big brother’s sworn brotherhood with your big brother, I could probably just get away with calling you Wangji-gege –”

“No.”

“You’re so mean!” Nie Huaisang wailed. “Aren’t we old friends?”

“No.”

“Well, we’re close enough to count, anyway,” Nie Huaisang said. “Jiang Cheng’s my friend as well, you know; you can’t keep him to yourself just because you’re angry at your family! That’s just selfish. Aren’t there Lan sect rules against being selfish? I assume so, though I admit I’ve forgotten more of them than I’ve learned…don’t tell your uncle that, I’m afraid he’ll revoke my sympathy pass.”

Lan Wangji reflected briefly that it was good that Nie Huaisang was self-aware enough to recognize that the pass mark had likely been given out of sympathy rather than for merit, but then returned to the more critical point of what Nie Huaisang had said.

“Why do you think I’m angry at my family?” he asked. And what was that about Jiang Cheng?

It was critical that Sect Leader Jin, among others, not suspect that Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng shared a closer relationship than apparent – even Jin Guangyao had agreed with that – and if they had been sussed out so quickly, and by Nie Huaisang…

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes at him. “You may be an unreadable stone wall, my – er, acquaintance, but do you really think I can’t tell when your uncle is upset? Me, of all people?”

This was a good point.

“And if your uncle’s upset at you, again, of all people, and you haven’t apologized or made up to him yet, that means you’re the one that’s angry,” Nie Huaisang concluded. “And anyway, why else would you agree to stay for so long at the Lotus Pier if you weren’t angry? You and Jiang Cheng must drive each other up the walls.”

Lan Wangji relaxed minutely. That was a reasonable explanation.

A moment later, he tensed up again – he was abruptly convinced, albeit without any logical basis, that the explanation was too reasonable, meant to put him at ease, designed to allow him to move on with the conversation without thinking too much or questioning too deeply. No one else had put the facts together the way Nie Huaisang had, and, most notably, Nie Huaisang hadn’t yet asked a single question about Lan Sizhui, who was, without making an appearance, the main subject matter of the day.

But then, a moment after that, he relaxed again, somewhat unwillingly – this was Nie Huaisang, who’d been born useless, grown up useless, and remained useless. It was a little absurd to suspect him of having figured out something that had duped the entire rest of the cultivation world.  

As Nie Huaisang said – of all people…

“What do you want?” he asked, shaking his head a little to try to clear it. It must be the oppressive atmosphere of Koi Tower, gilded and rotten, that was affecting his thoughts.

“What do I always want?” Nie Huaisang asked philosophically, and then helpfully answered his own question: “Attention.”

Lan Wangji was starting to remember why he’d avoided Nie Huaisang so thoroughly in their youth.

“I’m not telling you anything about Sizhui,” he said.

Nie Huaisang pouted at him. He was still clinging to Lan Wangji’s arm, and Lan Wangji wondered whether it would count as ‘losing the sect face’ if he threw him out a window.

(He wished Jiang Cheng were around so that he could mention the thought to him - he suspected it would make the other man turn purple with suppressed laughter, and probably get some sort of comment about it being the only sort of flying Nie Huaisang could manage, with or without a blade.)

“Fine,” Nie Huaisang said sulkily. “Turns out you’re still no fun, even after all these years. I’ll have you know, Jiang Cheng’s a lot nicer than you. He appreciates all the things I bring to the table.”

Lan Wangji seriously doubted it – unless perhaps if Nie Huaisang was speaking literally, referring to fine foods and liquor – but his mood improved a bit nonetheless at the compliment. Given the Jiang sect’s relatively isolated political position, with all the smaller sects looking at it hungrily, just waiting for it to trip up and give them a chance to snatch away the title of being the fourth Great Sect, it was only good that the second young master of Qinghe Nie had a positive impression of the ever-prickly Jiang Cheng.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Nie Huaisang said, and dug something out of his sleeve. “Give this back to er-ge for me, will you?”

Lan Wangji stared blankly. “His passage token for Koi Tower?”

He had planned to ask his brother later if he could borrow it – perhaps not that night, since it was the first day of the discussion conference and he suspected his brother would want to visit with his sworn brothers, but in the next day or two. That was the only reason he had agreed to go to Koi Tower at all, agreed to visit Lanling at all: so that he might try to steal away at some opportune moment to visit Mo Xuanyu unattended, before anyone noticed where he’d gone, and talk to him about the request for safe harbor that he had made of Jiang Cheng.

Lan Wangji had still been thinking over how he would phrase the request for the token without giving away his suspicions of the boy’s mistreatment, which his brother would likely take as a slight against Jin Guangyao even though it was fairly obvious to everyone that Sect Leader Jin was keeping Mo Xuanyu as a weapon against Jin Guangyao. He hadn’t yet managed to think of a way to do it.

And now – how had the token ended up here, in Nie Huaisang’s hands?

“Well, yes,” Nie Huaisang said. “I wanted to talk to you privately, without everyone eavesdropping, so I asked him for it. Da-ge never lets me use his, he says I’m a menace to both people and property, and for some reason san-ge never lets me take his. Probably because he’s always so busy all the time.”

That sounded – very much like all three of them, in fact. Nie Mingjue, bluntly refusing; Jin Guangyao, politely eliding; his brother, yielding in utter capitulation to the first bit of begging, confident enough in his own righteous reputation to not worry about the consequences…

An idea appeared in Lan Wangji’s mind.

It was not the sort of idea that might naturally come to a member of the Lan sect. Perhaps his uncle was right in saying that he’d been lingering at the Lotus Pier for too long.

“Nie-gongzi,” Lan Wangji said, looking at the token. “You are right.”

“I…what?” Nie Huaisang frowned. “Are you getting sick, Lan-er-gongzi? I’m never right.”

“I am angry at my family,” Lan Wangji continued, deciding to ignore him. He did not specify why he was angry – let Nie Huaisang assume, as everyone else assumed, that it was because they had not retrieved Lan Sizhui earlier, and for sticking him with the ‘compromise’ of having to stay at the Lotus Pier, no matter how far that was from the truth. “I have not had the opportunity to vent my feelings.”

Nie Huaisang blinked at him. “You…vent feelings?” he said, sounding doubtful, but a moment later he brightened, as Lan Wangji had expected he would. “We could play a prank on somebody! That always makes me feel better – something petty and ridiculous, so that they won’t get really angry, but still know that you’re upset.”

Lan Wangji nodded.

Nie Huaisang appeared somewhat dazed by his agreement. “We could do so many things,” he marveled. “I mean, the possibilities are countless. We could throw paint at something, we could put water on top of a door, we could…”

“I do not want to be publicly associated with it,” Lan Wangji said.

Nie Huaisang pouted, but tapped his fan against his cheek, thinking. “That makes things harder, but not impossible, I suppose…oh, I know! Why don’t we pretend that you’re your brother? You two look like peas in a pod, but for the color of your eyes and your expressions – if I’m hanging around and calling you er-ge and no one looks too closely, they would have no idea it was you involved.”

That was precisely the idea Lan Wangji had hit upon, and the one that he had hoped to lead Nie Huaisang towards suggesting. He had gotten to the point much quicker than Lan Wangji had thought he would; it seemed, useless as he might be, Nie Huaisang was still apparently capable of accepting at least some guidance.

(Unless perhaps...but no. It was Nie Huaisang.)

“This evening?” he suggested, and Nie Huaisang nodded.

“That’ll give me time to think of a proper prank,” he said happily. It was as if he’d never encountered a care in his life, Sunshot Campaign or no. “Don’t you worry, Wangji-gege! Leave it all to me!”

Lan Wangji returned to the main hall, the token tucked into his sleeve, and said nothing when his older brother smiled at him, faintly apologetic, nor when his uncle turned his face away from him. By that point, Jiang Cheng had arrived, scowling as usual, and he was mingling, speaking with the smaller sect leaders with a stiff and stern expression that said please don’t talk to me – Lan Wangji really would have to see about convincing him to invite Chifeng-zun to the Lotus Pier, politics or no politics – and he and Lan Wangji stared at each other briefly before turning away from each other, whispers sprouting up around them like grass.

Why must we put up with people? Jiang Cheng’s expression eloquently conveyed, and Lan Wangji didn’t disagree in the slightest. Life was so much easier in his little room back at the Lotus Pier, where he could shut the door and not let in the world – sometimes he wondered if all of this was really worth it.

Later that evening, he was reminded that it was.

Mo Xuanyu had been invited to the opening ceremonies, sitting in the main row with the important people of the Jin sect – directly beside Jin Guangyao, as if everyone didn’t know his purpose already – but he hadn’t spoken at all, keeping his face down and demeanor as withdrawn as possible. Sect Leader Jin had found an opportunity to praise him for his humility and obedience, and even Lan Wangji, who did not like Jin Guangyao, was indignant on the man’s behalf in the face of such obvious humiliation.

Etiquette dictated that no one could intervene in another man’s family affairs, but Chifeng-zun had rather loudly remarked to Lan Xichen – as if only just remembering – that it must be good to have his brother (subtext: notable for being humble and obedient) out of seclusion at last, inquiring as to whether Lan Wangji was planning on attending any night-hunts in the near future and, if so, whether he would be bringing his son, for whom he cared so deeply, along.

Lan Wangji was accustomed to being the other person’s child, held up as a positive comparison to the annoyance of the person being compared, and it took Jiang Cheng’s eyes crinkling with barely concealed laughter for him to realize that the person he was being compared favorably against this time was Jin Guangshan, absent father extraordinaire, and not poor Mo Xuanyu.

Later, when his brother slipped away to meet with his sworn brothers, as Lan Wangji expected, and Jiang Cheng was gone reluctantly to take Jin Ling to visit with his grandfather, Lan Wangji headed out with Nie Huaisang, who had come up with some prank involving feathers and glue that Lan Wangji wanted nothing to do with.

“But it would be funny,” Nie Huaisang argued.

Lan Wangji blamed Jiang Cheng for the fact that he even considered it.

“We can simply walk around in the guise we agreed,” he finally said, banishing that unhelpful part of him that loved chaos a little too much – the Wei Wuxian part, perhaps. “That will be confusing enough.”

“Oh, all right,” Nie Huaisang said. “But the feathers are hidden in the linen closet off the main guest hallway if you change your mind.”

With Nie Huaisang complaisant, it was easy enough to gradually make their way through Koi Tower, seeming to stroll without any apparent goal but in fact edging closer to Lan Wangji’s destination: the Jin family quarters.

“Wangji-gege – oops, I mean, er-ge,” Nie Huaisang said after he had exhausted at least three other pointless topics. “Why don’t you trust me?”

Lan Wangji looked at him, surprised by the question.

Nie Huaisang was pouting. “You clearly have a goal,” he said. “I know I’m not much, you know, but I’m not nothing. I could still help. If you wanted.”

Lan Wangji opened his mouth to refuse on instinct – the idea that Nie Huaisang could be helpful to him in any way seemed utterly absurd, utterly impossible – but then he paused.

Attempt the impossible, he reminded himself. After all, was it really so long ago that he himself had done what he had never dreamt he could do and chosen to leave his sect behind?

For a life at the Lotus Pier with Jiang Cheng, no less?

Maybe even Nie Huaisang could overturn expectations.

“I want to speak with Mo Xuanyu,” he finally said. “And, if he is unhappy, remove him from Koi Tower. Is that something in which you think you can assist me?”

Nie Huaisang blinked at him, just once – he did not appear nearly as surprised by the request as Lan Wangji thought he probably should be – and then smiled.

#mdzs #lan wangji #jiang cheng #nie huaisang #my fic #my fics #delight in misery

[gaeilgeoirgay]

Naimhde

This is also part of Pósadh Eagraithe :The Series and I hope you like it! It’s from Han Solo’s POV when he first realises that 1. Boba’s alive and 2. Boba is married to Din meaning that 3. He can’t shoot Boba :(

Ao3 Link

Naimhde= Enemies

Look, Han Solo was having a good day. Emphasis on was. Ben had slept through the night again so Han got his full recommended hours of rest. Then Leia had had the morning off from the Senate so they had all gone to the park together. Luke was on planet for once with the green frog child so Ben was able to play with him. Leia had told him days ago that they were required to attend a ball that was being hosted to celebrate the Republic getting a treaty with Mandalore so he’d already gone through the seven stages of grief about that.

Now, he’s at said ball and across the room from him, Boba fucking Fett is smirking at him. Han snarls at the look the bastard has on his (apparently very scarred?) face but Leia puts a warning hand on his shoulder. “I know that’s Fett but he’s the leader of the Tatooine crime syndicate now, and rumour has it he’s taken over a couple more of the Hutt Space planets. He’s powerful, Han, and he probably hates us enough. No fighting.” She hisses into his ear.

Of course Boba Fett came out of a fucking sarlacc pit to become a godsdamned crime lord. He shouldn’t have been surprised. And he clearly has some sort of power in Mandalore because Mandalorians aren’t naturally deferential but they seem to treat Fett with an extra bit of respect.

A silver Mandalorian comes over to Fett and says something lowly to him. Fett nods and saunters over to Han and Leia with the other Mando striding ahead of him. “That’s the Mand’alor, their king. No one knows his name or species and he never takes his helmet off in front of non-Mandalorians. He signed the treaty as ‘Mand’alor the Reclaimer’ and his people adore him. He’s rumoured to be absolutely deadly, so once again, Han, I don’t care if he’s coming over with Boba Fett, behave.” Leia whispers and Han suppresses his urge to punt Fett into the nearest star.

Contrary to popular belief, Han is smart enough not to piss off the ruler of a warrior culture that are supposedly the greatest fighters in the galaxy. He got lucky with Fett the first time, he’s not making the man’s whole planet mad at him by fucking with their king.

Their pretty intimidating king, he’s not gonna lie. There’s a veritable armoury on the Mand’alor’s person and Han can see the familiar shape of a lightsaber hilt at his waist. Leia had mentioned something about a ‘Darksaber’ and Han does not want to find out the difference between a Darksaber and a lightsaber firsthand.

The Mand’alor inclines his head in a regal greeting as he halts in front of Leia. “Senator Organa, it’s a pleasure to meet you in person. Luke mentions you often.” He says in a low, smooth voice. Huh. Han is absolutely loyal to Leia but if the Mando king ever offers a threesome…..

Wait, how does Mando know Luke? Leia seems confused too but she hides it well. “The honour is all mine, Your Majesty. I wasn’t aware you were acquainted with my brother though?” She says politely, voicing the question in a much more eloquent manner than Han would’ve.

Mando chuckles and answers her with a smile in his voice. “Cuun ad, Grogu, is one of Luke’s students. He’s the small green one with an affinity for frogs.” He explains and Han raises an eyebrow. Luke had said that Grogu would never grow to be taller than maybe hip height but Mando is of fairly average height for a humanoid species. 5’10 or ’11 maybe.

Leia smiles brightly. “Yes, I do know Grogu. Luke mentioned his father was a Mandalorian. That would be you, then?” She says, relaxing slightly. Talking about children is a safe topic, even when Boba Fett is part of the conversation, and no, Han is not letting that go, he’s a Senator’s trophy husband, he’s mastered the art of polite glaring.

Fett speaks up then, still smirking. “Both of his fathers are Mandalorians. I adopted Grogu when the two of us said the riduurok.” He says, looking directly at Han as his brain freezes in its tracks.

Boba Fett is married? Boba Fett is married to the king of Mandalore? Boba Fett is a father?

None of that computes. Han Solo and Boba Fett are not supposed to have anything in common and Boba Fett is most certainly not supposed to be a regular human being with a spouse and kids and apparently a job, if being a crime lord counts as one. But clearly he is and Han is mad about it. It may be irrational but the bastard froze him in carbonite for three years and he’s gotten away with it. Whenever Han imagined Fett it was as a corpse being digested by a plant monster, not as a successful husband and father. Oh, Han is so mad.

Leia squeezes his hand a little tighter than necessary and Han grits his teeth. No fighting. He can do this. He really doesn’t want to do this. Chandrila’s sun is actually quite hot, he knows Beskar has a high melting point but he reckons it wouldn’t hold up against a star. He could just get in the Falcon, with Fett, and then space him beside the star. Boom, problem solved.

Leia is congratulating Fett and the Mand’alor on their marriage and subsequent child. To be completely honest with himself, Han may or not be considering telling Luke to get Grogu into therapy. Having Boba Fett as a father would definitely fuck a kid up.

He tunes back into the conversation as the Mand’alor answers Leia and immediately wishes he hadn’t. “Yes, children are the most important part of our culture. I adopted Grogu before we got together and I actually only met Boba a little while before Luke began teaching him. Boba always knew Grogu was part of the picture and honestly, the kid loves him. His second vow after the riddurok was a gai bal manda for Grogu.” Mando says, helmet tilted towards Fett. It’s probably the armoured equivalent of a sappy look and Han resists the urge to scowl.

He doesn’t know what a riderock or a gabblemanda is but it’s clearly important to Mandalorians and Fett is smiling broadly at his husband. Ugh.

“Oh, that’s incredibly sweet. How did you two meet?” Leia asks and Han screams internally. “When I first Found Grogu, my tribe took on the Hunter’s Guild so we could escape. I was trying to find more Mandalorians and I came across an areuttise on Tatooine who had Boba’s armour. I helped him take down a krayt dragon that was attacking his village and in exchange, he returned the armour to a mando’ad. Boba tracked me to Tython and said he would help me protect Grogu if I gave him back his armour. We were attacked by Dark Troopers and they took Grogu for Moff Gideon. Boba helped me get Grogu back and once he’d taken over Tatooine, he joined our efforts to reclaim Mandalore.” Mando explains and Leia smiles.

“That sounds romantic. The first time I met Han I threatened him.” Leia says anecdotally and Han shoots her a betrayed look. Fett is so going to use that against him somehow, Han just knows it. Instead, Fett just shakes his head and explains further. “Both of us are sol’karta, ‘aromantic’ in Basic. The Mand’alor’s council were concerned about finding a Rid’alor and I was suggested. I accepted, as the Mand’alor is one of my closest friends. I love him dearly but we’re not in love with each other. We’re best friends raising an adorably mischievous ad’ika.” He says and the Mand’alor nods.

Huh. Han can’t say he’s ever heard of an arranged marriage where both parties are friends from the start. He’s sure that some spouses end up as friends but politically arranged marriages in the Core tend to be loveless affairs. He almost finds himself congratulating them on finding a good balance but then he remembers he would be congratulating Fett. Nope, he’s not doing that.

“Oh really? Luke did mention that Grogu has a habit of disappearing on him.” Leia says and Fett laughs. “Yeah, his Force osik enables him a lot. I never realised how much of parenting was going to be coaxing a grumpy toddler off of a ceiling.” He jokes and ugh, Han can relate to that and he’s mad about it. Leia says something in response but Han is too busy glaring at Fett to hear her. The bastard is still smirking, plus he’s not even paying attention to Han, like Han is beneath his notice.

“I know you two have a son, right? If you’re ever on Manda’yaim for diplomacy, perhaps they can hang out together. I know when I was a child, I hated being in boring meetings and Grogu would definitely appreciate a friend.” Fett suggests and Han nearly explodes. Boba Fett’s hellspawn child is not going to corrupt Ben!

“Oh, Ben and Grogu met earlier today actually! Luke is on-planet at the moment and he brought Grogu with him when he heard that your people would be here.” Leia says and Mando’s helmet tilts. It probably means something in Mando Armour Language but Han has no clue what. “Is Luke still on Chandrila?” He asks, seeming curious. “Grogu is due to come home to Manda’yaim next week but if Luke is here, then I might ask if we can bring him home now to save Luke the trip.”

Leia smiles and tells Mando where to find Luke. Mando says his goodbyes and leaves, but Fett stays. They seem to have some form of communicating that Han can’t understand because Fett doesn’t seem confused at all by his husband’s departure without him.

Fett rocks back on his heels before levelling Han with a smug grin. “If you ever feel like going into Fett Space, drop by my palace on Tatooine. I love getting visits from old friends.” He says before bowing to Leia and leaving to follow Mando before Han can splutter a rebuttal. Fett Space! Is he serious?

Apparently he is, as the New Republic receives a missive a few days later, announcing Mandalore’s official recognition of the former Hutt territories as under Boba Fett, their Consort’s, unequivocal rule. It means that if the Republic ever aggravates Mandalore, they would essentially be going to war with the majority of the Outer Rim between Fett’s planets, Mandalore’s vassal planets and the seemingly endless planets that have allied themselves with Mandalore instead of the Republic.

Han isn’t too concerned about the political ramifications, seeing as that’s Leia’s remit and he’s mostly retired, but fuck, he’s mad that he can’t even think about dropkicking Fett into a star without inciting a galaxy-wide conflict. And the bastard knows it. Every time he comes to Republic events as either the Mand’alor’s spouse or as the leader of Fett Space, he acts like the perfect model of decorum so Han can’t even argue that he was provoked.

Han is forty-three, he shouldn’t be having aneurysms but every time he sees Fett his brain stops getting the message. The worst part is that Leia has become friends with the Mandalorian king and Ben is fond of the green child, so Han is forced to interact with Fett on a far too regular basis. Forget Fett, Han is considering launching himself into a star.

Sadly, Leia won’t let him. So Han has to put up with Fett for just a while longer. Speaking of, how old is Fett? Can Han get away with measuring coffins yet? Please say the bastard is at least ninety, he was around during the Clone Wars, there can’t be much left in him. Please, Han is going to lose his mind if he has to play nice with Boba Fett again. And again. And again.

(systems away, Boba’s ears go hot and he knows that Solo is plotting his death once more. Grogu coos and Boba looks down to see the womprat chewing on his pendant again. He chuckles and grabs something softer for Grogu to gnaw at. He has more important things to think about than Solo.)

#posadh eagraithe the series #han solo #boba fett #din djarin #leia organa #bobadin #hanleia #aromantic boba fett #aromantic din djarin #ao3 #fanfiction #star wars #the mandalorian

[zoinkshaggy]

BASIC QUESTIONS

First name? “Sha– uh, Norville.”

Surname? “Rogers.”

Middle names? “Matthew.”

Nicknames? “Shaggy.”

Date of birth? “November 4th, 1995.”

Age? “Twenty five.”

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

Height? “6′0.”

Weight? “150-ish.”

Build? “Uh, long.”

Hair color? “Brown.”

Hair style? “I had dreads for awhile, but now I keep my hair short. Not short. Medium length, I guess.”

Eye color? “Also brown.”

Eye Shape? “Like, normal?”

Glasses or contact lenses? “Neither.”

Distinguishing facial features? “I’d say probably my smile.”

Which facial feature is most prominent? “Smile.”

Which bodily feature is most prominent? “My legs and arms, ‘cause they’re, like, twenty feet long.”

Other distinguishing features? “That’s it.”

Skin? “Oilier than I’d like.”

Hands? “Callused.”

Make up? “I don’t wear any.”

Scars? “Nothing important.”

Birthmarks? “Nah.”

Tattoos? “No! Needles? No thank you!”

Physical handicaps? “None.”

Type of clothes? “I really like sweaters. Sweaters will always be my favorite. They feel safe. It’s a little too hot for that here, though.”

How do you wear your clothes? “How they come.”

What are your feet like? “Kind of big, I guess. Two left feet, that’s what my mom said ‘cause I’m such a klutz. Uh, I should buy some more socks and shoes. Some of my socks have toe holes and my shoes are kind of coming apart.”

Race / Ethnicity? “I don’t have my birth parents around to ask, but I know I’m Spanish.” 

Mannerisms? “I have a habit of, like, playing with my necklace or hair or bracelet — my hands don’t always like being still.”

Are you in good health? “It’s alright, I think.”

Do you have any disabilities? “No.”

PERSONALITY

What words or phrases do you overuse? “Like. I use it, like, a lot.”

Do you have a catchphrase? “Zoinks.”

Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? “I definitely think I’m more optimistic, but I have my moments.”

Are you introverted or extroverted? “Introverted.”

Do you ever put on airs? “I… don’t know what that means.”

What bad habits do you have? “Overeating, not eating healthy. Sleeping in too late. Chewing my nails, only sometimes.”

What makes you laugh out loud? “Usually myself.”

How do you display affection? “My idea of affection is kind of, just, hanging around someone. Hugs can be nice too.”

Mental handicaps? “My anxiety.”

How do you want to be seen by others? “A person they came come to and trust.”

How do you see themselves? “Better than I used to be.”

How are you seen by others? “Probably… nervous.”

Strongest character trait? “My loyalty.”

Weakest character trait? “Getting stuck in my head.”

How competitive are you? “Not at all.”

Do you make snap judgements or take time to consider? “Like, I take too much time to consider.”

How do you react to praise? “I don’t know what to say. I guess I get kind of flustered, you know?”

How do you react to criticism? “Just kind of shrug it off.”

What is your greatest fear? “Ghosts, spiders, heights, bees, guns... losing Scooby.”

What are your biggest secrets? “I don’t really keep secrets.”

What is your philosophy of life? “We’re all just here for a little while, so we should make it easier on each other.”

When was the last time you cried? “It’s been a few months, actually.”

What haunts you? “Zoinks. Hopefully not any ghosts.”

What are your political views? “I don’t pay enough attention to politics to have any views, really. I’ll vote for whoever Velma votes for. She knows what she’s talking about.”

What will you stand up for? “I will always stand up for my friends.”

Who do you quote? “Usually if I’m quoting someone, I don’t even know who I’m quoting.”

Are you indoorsy or outdoorsy? “Indoors. I like walking Scoob and everything, but, like, there’s too many bugs outside.”

What is your sinful little habit? “Putting mustard on ice cream.”

What sense do you most rely on? “Taste. But also hearing.”

How do you treat people better than you? “The same.”

How do you treat people worse than you? “The same.”

What quality do you most value in a friend? “Kindness.”

What do you consider an overrated virtue? “I wanna say courage. Biased opinion.”

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? “I’d stop worrying about everything.”

What is your obsession? “Good food.”

What are your pet peeves? “When people are mean for no reason.”

What are your idiosyncrasies? “Gotta make sure I turn all the lights off before I leave.”

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Is your family big or small? Who does it consist of? “I guess it’s kind of small. I have my dad, my mom and my sister, Maggie. I haven’t seen my real parents since I was a kid.”

What is your perception of family? “I don’t think family has anything to do with blood, it’s how people treat you.”

Do you have siblings? Older or younger? “Maggie, she’s younger.”

Describe your best friend. “I’ve known her since, well... it feels like forever, but it’s only been, like, a decade and a half. She’s the best person I know. She’s so smart and funny, and she’s beautiful. She has a beautiful soul and... just... everything about her is beautiful. She makes me feel safe, it doesn’t matter what’s going on or how much my mind is racing, if I know she’s there it just feels like everything’s gonna be okay.”

Ideal best friend? “I’ve already got ‘em all.”

Describe your other friends. “They’re great. They’re all unique in their own ways, you know? Freddy’s headstrong and he’s the coolest guy you’ll meet, Daph is such a warm energy and she’s a great conversationalist, Buzz is genuine and he’s loyal. I know everyone thinks so, but I really do have the best friends.”

Describe your acquaintances. “I guess that would be the people I work with. Like, they’re okay.”

Do you have any pets? “Yeah, I have Scoob, but he’s more like my brother or something at this point.”

Who are your natural allies? “Probably the Mystery Inc gang.”

Who are your surprising allies? “I guess it’s surprising I’d fit in with them, huh?”

PAST AND FUTURE

What were you like as a baby? As a child? “I was happy. I can’t remember much from being that young, but I know I was traveling with my parents, I remember I felt like the world was so big and exciting. I felt so loved. I guess I kind of lost that feeling when I was adopted, suddenly the exciting stuff was just, like, scary. I was an anxious wreck as a child, that’s all, honestly.”

Did you grow up rich or poor? “The Rogers family is well off. I wouldn’t say rich, but, like, well off.”

Did you grow up nurtured or neglected? “I don’t wanna say they neglected me. I did feel that way a lot, but some of it was... me, I guess, myself worrying. Yeah.”

What is the most offensive thing you ever said? “I hope nothing.”

What is your greatest achievement? “Is it sad to say everything I’ve done in this last year? For awhile it felt like I was just getting by, but right now, I feel like I’m really living. I got a job, like, it’s not much but it’s a job, I’m doing better in school, I’ve got Velma now, really got her...”

What was your first kiss like? “It was with my favorite person. Kind of later than most people’s, I guess, but worth waiting for.”

What is the worst thing you did to someone you loved? “Come into my mom’s life, probably.”

What are your ambitions? “I’ve been thinking I might wanna go to culinary school.”

What advice would you give your younger self? “I would just tell him that nothing is wrong with him, it’s okay to go your own pace and, like, it’s all gonna be okay, little guy.”

What smells remind you of your childhood? “Corn dogs and pizza. Apple pie. Playground mulch. Hair spray and perfume. Dirt.”

What was your childhood ambition? “I just remember wanting to stop being so scared.”

What is your best childhood memory? “It’s so old it’s blurry, but I remember one of my birthdays, I guess it was my last before I was adopted. We were traveling, my parents were happy, I was happy. It was the last time everything felt okay for awhile.”

What is your worst childhood memory? “There’s a few. Most of them involved panic attacks alone in my bedroom.”

Did you have an imaginary childhood friend? “Not that I remember.”

When was the last time you were crushed with disappointment? “Sometime before I moved to Elias.”

What past act are you most ashamed of? “I’m ashamed that I let myself get separated from my parents, that I couldn’t figure out how to get in touch with them. Maybe shame isn’t the right word. I just wish I knew how my mom and dad were doing, my other mom and dad.”

What past act are you most proud of? “Taking whatever the first step was to stepping out of my shell.”

Has anyone ever saved their life? “I feel like Scooby Doo saved my life.”

Strongest childhood memory? “Another birthday. My first one with the Rogers family. I ended up crying in the bathroom. I was so confused and overwhelmed, I felt like the only person in the world. I just wanted to go home. I don’t think that feeling will ever leave me.”

LOVE

Do you believe in love at first sight? “Yes.”

Are you in a relationship? “I’m with Velma.”

How do you behave in a relationship? “I don’t really know what I’m doing, I’m just trying to make her happy.”

When did you last have sex? “I-- uh... that’s personal.”

What sort of sex do you have? “Like, w-why are you asking that?”

Have you ever been in love? “I am right now.”

Have you ever had your heart broken? “Yeah, but it wasn’t in a relationship.”

CONFLICT

How do you respond to a threat? “Run.”

Are you most likely to fight with your fists or your tongue? “Like, neither.”

What is your kryptonite? “All you can eat buffets.”

If you could only save one thing from your burning house, what would it be? “I assume Scooby and Velma don’t count, so I guess I’d probably grab my favorite shirt or something.”

How do you perceive strangers? “Scary.”

What do you love to hate? “I don’t hate anything... except maybe lima beans... and there is no love there, like, at all.”

What are your phobias? “There’s a lot of ‘em.”

What is your choice of weapon? “I’m more of a hider. If I had to use something, I’d probably grab whatever was blunt and close to me.”

What living person do you most despise? “I don’t despise anyone.”

Have you ever been bullied or teased? “Yeah.”

Where do you go when you’re angry? “I don’t get angry. When I’m sad, I just go home.”

Who are your enemies and why? “The bad guys the gang and I try to stop... because we’re trying to stop them...”

WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES

What is your current job? “Right now I flip burgers.”

What do you think about your current job? “It’s not too bad. It pays the bills for now. Maybe one day I can get a real cooking job.”

What are some of your past jobs? “This is my first job.”

What are your hobbies? “Just chilling, mostly. Smoking, eating.”

Educational background? “I’m in college.”

Intelligence level? “I’m not the smartest guy you’ll meet, but I’m trying.”

Do you have any specialist training? “No.”

Do you have a natural talent for something? “I don’t know if it’s a talent, but I have a lot of knowledge on the supernatural. Weeding out what’s real and what’s not, though, that’s the hard part.”

Do you play a sport? Are you any good? “No, I’ve never been good at sports... I hated gym class.”

What is their socioeconomic status? “I recycle, but I should do more.”

FAVORITES

What is your favorite animal? “Dogs.”

Which animal do you dislike the most? “Anything that bites or stings.”

What place would you most like to visit? “I think Antarctica would be pretty cool. Ha, ba-dum-tss.”

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? “I remember Topanga Canyon being so pretty...”

What is your favorite song? “Two Princes, Spin Doctors.”

Music, art, reading preferred? “Music.”

What is your favorite color? “Green.”

What is their password? “Scoobydoobydoo420 --- like, wait, why are you asking?”

Favorite food? “Like, that’s too hard!”

What is your favorite work of art? “Uh... Mona Lisa?”

Who is your favorite artist? “I don’t know artists that well.”

What is your favorite day of the week? “With my work schedule, it doesn’t really matter.”

POSSESSIONS

What is in your fridge? “What isn’t in my fridge? Let’s see, right now I know there’s barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, honey mustard, honey, shredded cheddar cheese, American cheese slices, a wheel of Gouda, ketchup, ranch, spicy barbeque, sour cream, strawberry and grape jelly, apple jam, butter, margarine, milk, chocolate milk, Almond milk, strawberry syrup, cherries, a half eaten Philly Cheesesteak, ham, turkey, black forest ham, broccoli, Reeses cups, water bottles, apple juice, leftover brown rice, at least one eggplant, eggs, one slice of buffalo chicken pizza, cabbage, few different Lunchables, green peppers, one red pepper, mild salsa, medium salsa, a microwaveable Calzone, strawberries, raspberries, cream cheese, a bowl of chili and... actually, I think that’s it. Don’t get me started on the freezer.”

What is on your bedside table? “My phone and an old water bottle, probably.”

What is in your car? “I don’t have a car.”

What is in your bin? “Candy wrappers, empty Chinese takeout boxes, probably some junk mail.”

What is in your purse or wallet? “My ID, debit card, a little bit of cash, Scoob’s service dog certificate, a picture of Velma.”

What is in your pockets? “Scooby snacks.”

What is your most treasured possession? “I’m not attached to any specific items, really, just people.”

SPIRITUALITY

Who or what is your guardian angel? “I don’t know, I’d just like to think I have one.”

Do you believe in the afterlife? “I’m not sure. When I think about it, I get a little freaked out.”

What are your religious views? “Uh, I- I don’t know.”

What do you think heaven is? “I think it would be this safe place on the clouds where everyone you love is waiting.”

What do you think hell is? “Bad.”

Are you superstitious? “I guess, yeah.”

What would you like to be reincarnated as? “I guess being a dog would be pretty fun... anything like that. I don’t think I’d wanna be a human again. It’s too much.”

How would you like to die? “Not... painfully...”

What is your spirit animal? “A sloth.”

What is your zodiac sign? “Scorpio.”

VALUES

What do you think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? “Breaking them down. Making them feel like they’re not important, they don’t matter, they have to change who they are to be loved.”

What is your view of ‘freedom’? “Having the chance to choose.”

When did you last lie? “Like, I don’t want to lie, but this guy at work asked me if I liked his new sunglasses, and I didn’t want to be rude and they were pretty expensive, so I said yeah, but... I really didn’t like them.”

What’s your view of lying? “I hate doing it, I don’t want to be lied to.”

When did you last make a promise? “Last week.”

Did you keep or break their last promise? “I keep my promises.”

DAILY LIFE

What are their eating habits? “Whatever I want when I want it.”

Do you have any allergies? “Not that I know of, but I bet I’m allergic to bees, I feel like if I got stung I’d die, so I try to avoid them.”

Describe your home. “It’s just a small apartment. It feels like home when Velma’s there, though.”

Are you a minimalist or a clutter hoarder? “Can I be both? I’m trying to do better about clutter, it’s usually just clothes and trash, I don’t have many belongings.”

What do you do first thing on a weekday morning? “Kiss Velma on the head. Get ready for work. If I’m off, I’ll cuddle a little longer, then we’ll have breakfast.

What do you do on a Sunday afternoon? “Take my shoes off, sit on the couch and watch some TV.”

What do you do on a Friday night? “Whatever Velma wants to do.”

What is your soft drink of choice? “Dr. Pepper.”

What is your alcoholic drink of choice? “I don’t drink much. Mike’s Lemonade is enough for me, and it tastes good.”

MISCELLANEOUS

What or who would you dress up as for Halloween? “I like dressing up as ghosts with Scoob. I think I was the Hamburglar last year. Maybe me, Scooby and and Velma can all do matching costumes this Halloween.”

Are you comfortable with technology? “I guess.”

If you could save one person, who would it be? “Velma.”

If you could call one person for help, who would it be? “Depends on the situation. Freddy, Daph or Velma.”

What is your greatest extravagance? “Food...”

What is your greatest regret? “I don’t think I have any.”

What is your perception of redemption? “Noticing that you need to do better, then striving to do it.”

What would you do if you won the lottery? “I’d pay off any bills my friends have. Put some funding into the Mystery Inc. I guess I’d save the rest.”

What is your favorite fairytale? “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

What fairytale do you hate? “Like, Little Red Riding Hood makes me feel... weird...”

Do you believe in happy endings? “Yes.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Being comfortable in your own skin and surrounding yourself with people that are good for you.”

What would you ask a fortune teller? “I’d ask how my birth parents are doing.”

If you could travel through time, where would you go? “I’d go back and spend another day with them.”

What sport do you excel at? “None, no sports.”

What sport do you suck at? “All of them. Especially baseball.”

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? “I’d like to be able to turn invisible. Not to spy on people. Just to hide when everything got too overwhelming.”

#yes i did every single one #took me longer to figure out what's in his fridge than do the rest of this task + graphic #watask #tasks.

[lilohno]

BASIC QUESTIONS

First name? “Lilo.”

Surname? “Pelekai.”

Middle names? “Makamae Kailea.”

Nicknames? “Weirdlo, Freaklo. My dad used to call me Sport.”

Date of birth? “March 11th, 2002.”

Age? “Nineteen.”

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

Height? “5′3.”

Weight? “119.”

Build? “Small.”

Hair color? “Black.”

Hair style? “Long.”

Eye color? “Brown.”

Eye shape? “I’ve got big eyes.”

Glasses or contact lenses? “Neither!”

Distinguishing facial features? “My dimples or laugh lines or whatever they are.”

Which facial feature is most prominent? “I don’t think anything stands out that much.”

Which bodily feature is most prominent? “My hair.”

Other distinguishing features? “Hm, nothing.”

Skin? “Tan.”

Hands? “Small.”

Make up? “I don’t wear makeup often. There’s no point. It’s just going to smear when I get in the water, and I’m always in the water.”

Scars? “A small faded line on my right shin, who knows how I got that.”

Birthmarks? “I don’t have any.”

Tattoos? “Nani would kill me. I should do it.”

Physical handicaps? “None.”

Type of clothes? “I like muumuus, shorts, tank tops and grass skirts.”

How do you wear their clothes? “I rock them!”

What are their feet like? “Usually shoeless. I don’t mind flip flops and sandals, but I’d rather be barefoot.”

Race / Ethnicity? “It’s a mixed bag.”

Mannerisms? “Overexaggerating.”

Are you in good health? “Yes.”

Do you have any disabilities? “Nope.”

PERSONALITY

What words or phrases do you overuse? “I don’t think I overuse anything.”

Do you have a catchphrase? “No, but I should. That’d be cool.”

Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? “Depends on the day.”

Are you introverted or extroverted? “Extra extro.”

Do you ever put on airs? “I am who I am, you get what you get.”

What bad habits do you have? “Letting my emotions control me.”

What makes you laugh out loud? “Stanley, he’s the funniest guy I know.”

How do you display affection? “I’m a gift giver, a hand holder and a hugger. I’ll also take a lot of pictures of you. A lot.”

Mental handicaps? “Sometimes I feel like I’m emotionally immature.”

How do you want to be seen by others? “Cool! I want people to think I’m cool.”

How do you see themselves? “Different. There’s not a lot of people like me.”

How are you seen by others? “Weird.”

Strongest character trait? “I would say my resilience.”

Weakest character trait? “Refusing to ask people for help.” 

How competitive are you? “Why, what are we playing? You’re going down, buddy!”

Do you make snap judgements or take time to consider? “I consider… whether or not the snap judgement I just made was good or not.”

How do you react to praise? “I get all smiley.”

How do you react to criticism? “I’m okay with criticism if it’s actually criticism, if it’s someone being bossy or mean, I’m gonna get mouthy.”

What is your greatest fear? “Car accidents.”

What are your biggest secrets? “You’ll find out over my dead body!”

What is your philosophy of life? “Where there is love there is life. That’s by Gandhi.”

When was the last time you cried? “On the plane ride here.”

What haunts you? “The time I told my mom she was the worst mom ever. I didn’t mean it. I hope she didn’t remember that.”

What are your political views? “People should be able to love who they love, race and sex shouldn’t change a thing, and if it’s your body, it’s your choice.”

What will you stand up for? “Everything I believe in.”

Who do you quote? “My mama and my daddy.”

Are you indoorsy or outdoorsy? “Outdoors! I wish I could just hang a hammock up and sleep on the beach every night.”

What is your sinful little habit? “Sneaking pictures of strangers.”

What sense do you most rely on? “My sight.”

How do you treat people better than you? “I try to learn from them.”

How do you treat people worse than you? “They’re only worse than me because they’re a bunch of stinky bullies… and I still treat them better than they treat me.”

What quality do you most value in a friend? “Uniqueness and goodness!”

What do you consider an overrated virtue? “Tolerance. I shouldn’t have to tolerate someone else being annoying if I don’t feel like it.”

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? “I wouldn’t change anything about myself. I like myself.”

What is your obsession? “Elvis freaking Presley.”

What are your pet peeves? “Being told what to do.”

What are your idiosyncrasies? “Before we moved I had to feed Pudge the fish every day. I hope someone is still feeding him. I hope he didn’t get mad at me.”

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Is your family big or small? Who does it consist of? “It’s small. Right now there’s only me and Nani, but my mom and dad still count too. And Stanley, Stanley is my chosen family.”

What is your perception of family? “Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

Do you have siblings? Older or younger? “Yeah, I’m the youngest.”

Describe your best friend. “He’s accepting, he’s funny, he likes me for who I am, he’s willing to learn and grow, and he’s loyal.”

Ideal best friend? “Stanley Jookiba.”

Describe your other friends. “I don’t have any other friends.”

Describe your acquaintances. “I don’t have any of those either.”

Do you have any pets? “I wish.”

Who are your natural allies? “Just Stanley.”

Who are your surprising allies? “Is Stanley surprising? If so, him. If not, no one.”

PAST AND FUTURE

What were you like as a baby? As a child? “I was happy. I was loud and headstrong and I stuck out like a sore thumb when I tried to bond with other kids. I haven’t changed all that much.”

Did you grow up rich or poor? “We did okay until it was just me and Nani.”

Did you grow up nurtured or neglected? “Nurtured. There was so much love.”

What is the most offensive thing you ever said? “Anything I said when I was mad at my parents. I didn’t mean it. I wish I could take it back.”

What is your greatest achievement? “My wall of Polaroids. They’re beautiful.”

What was your first kiss like? “This kid at school said I was too chicken to kiss a boy, so I kissed him. He didn’t like it much.”

What is the worst thing you did to someone you loved? “I’ve caused a lot of trouble for Nani. I don’t think she even cares.”

What are your ambitions? “To stop ocean pollution once and for all.”

What advice would you give your younger self? “Hug your parents every chance you get, and keep being you.”

What smells remind you of your childhood? “Sand.”

What was your childhood ambition? “To be the best hula dancer, just like my mom.”

What is your best childhood memory? “All the times we sat outside laughing at the silly constellations m mom would make up.”

What is your worst childhood memory? “The night my parents never came back home.”

Did you have an imaginary childhood friend? “I had a few.”

When was the last time you were crushed with disappointment? “When Nani told me we had to move.”

What past act are you most ashamed of? “One time I got into a fight and bit the girl. I got in trouble. I don’t know if I’m ashamed though, she deserved it.”

What past act are you most proud of? “The hula dancing competitions I won.”

Has anyone ever saved your life? “In a way, I feel like Stanley did.”

Strongest childhood memory? “Surfing with my dad. I’d sit on the board with him when I was too young to even walk, and he’d paddle us out to the middle of the ocean. I always thought it was so cool.”

LOVE

Do you believe in love at first sight? “Maybe.”

Are you in a relationship? “Ew, no.”

How do you behave in a relationship? “I’ve never been in one.”

When did you last have sex? “No, no, no!”

What sort of sex do you have? “And I’ll say again, ew.”

Have you ever been in love? “Only with Elvis.”

Have you ever had your heart broken? “I had to go to gravestones to tell my parents I graduated high school. Yes, my heart has been broken.”

CONFLICT

How do you respond to a threat? “Swingin’.”

Are you most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? “My fists.”

What is your kryptonite? “Shaved ice.”

If you could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? “The last picture I have of my parents.”

How do you perceive strangers? “Interesting. Very interesting.”

What do you love to hate? “My big sister. I love her, but she’s annoying.”

What are your phobias? “I… I don’t like cars or storms very much.”

What is your choice of weapon? “My fists of fury!”

What living person do you most despise? “Freakin’ Mertle Edmonds.”

Have you ever been bullied or teased? “That’s all the kids back home did.”

Where do you go when you’re angry? “The beach. The ocean drowns out all of my feelings. Or I go into my bedroom and scream into a pillow.”

Who are your enemies and why? “If I had an archenemies it would be Mertle. She brought it on herself.”

WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES

What is your current job? “I don’t have one, but I really need to get one. It’s getting harder and harder to afford film.”

What do you think about their current job? “Well, if you’re talking about school, it’s okay, but I’d rather be in Hawaii.”

What are some of your past jobs? “I get it! I’m a freeloader, okay? Don’t rub it in!”

What are your hobbies? “Surfing, swimming, photography, crafts, hula dancing… I may or may not dabble in a little black magic.”

Educational background? “I’m in my first year of college.”

Intelligence level? “I’m a smart kid, don’t doubt me.”

Do you have any specialist training? “No. I’m not in the CIA.”

Do you have a natural talent for something? “Surfing!”

Do you play a sport? Are you any good? “Does surfing count as a sport?”

What is their socioeconomic status? “I’m probably on the bottom.”

FAVORITES

What is your favorite animal? “Fish! I also like dogs! But fish!”

Which animal do you dislike the most? “Humans.”

What place would you most like to visit? “I’m not interested in being anywhere but home. That’s where I’d go.”

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? “The ocean.”

What is your favorite song? “Blue Hawaii, but it’s a close tie between anything Elvis.”

Music, art, reading preferred? “Music.”

What is your favorite color? “Um… blue. Maybe.”

What is your password? “K1ngElv1sTh3K1ng.”

Favorite food: “Kalua pork.”

What is your favorite work of art? “Reflection Of You by Walfrido.”

Who is your favorite artist? “Elvis!”

What is their favorite day of the week? “Saturday.”

POSSESSIONS

What is in their fridge? “Pineapple slices. Nothing else. Well, whatever Nani has in there. I haven’t been grocery shopping yet.”

What is on your bedside table? “My lamp, a couple of seashells and one of my dad’s old books.”

What is in your car? “I don’t drive.”

What is in your bin? “A ripped up drawing I messed up on last night.”

What is in your purse or wallet? “I keep our last family picture in there or under my pillow. I have my student ID a few emergency bucks too.”

What is in your pockets? “Probably sand, some old candy and ants.”

What is their most treasured possession? “The only picture I have with my parents.”

SPIRITUALITY

Who or what is your guardian angel? “I know it’s my mom.”

Do you believe in the afterlife? “Yes.”

What are your religious views? “I just know there has to be something else.”

What do you think heaven is? “The place my parents are waiting for me.”

What do you think hell is? “Scary…”

Are you superstitious? “Very.”

What would you like to be reincarnated as? “Ooh, I wanna be a fish! Or a whale! Or maybe a dolphin!”

How would you like to die? “I don’t want to think about that. Please don’t make me think about that.”

What is your spirit animal? “The humuhumunukunukuapua’a.”

What is your zodiac sign? “Pisces.”

VALUES

What do you think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? “Belittling someone for who they are, making them feel like they have to change.”

What is your view of ‘freedom’? “Being able to swim whenever you want.”

When did you last lie? “I told Nani that it was okay we had to leave. It’s not okay.”

What’s your view of lying? “It’s not a good thing to do.”

When did you last make a promise? “A few months ago.”

Did you keep or break your last promise? “I keep my promises. All of them.”

DAILY LIFE

What are your eating habits? “I eat a lot of fruit. I love fruit.”

Do you have any allergies? “I wish I was allergic to broccoli.”

Describe your home. “Home was Kaua’i, the bedroom I grew up in, my parents’ house. What we have here isn’t a home, it’s just a house.”

Are you minimalist or a clutter hoarder? “I’m a hoarder.”

What do you do first thing on a weekday morning? “Hit snooze.”

What do you do on a Sunday afternoon? “Take a walk on the beach.”

What do you do on a Friday night? “Stay up too late watching alien documentaries and YouTube conspiracy theories. Don’t tell Nani.”

What is your soft drink of choice? “Fanta.”

What is your alcoholic drink of choice? “I cannot legally answer this question.”

MISCELLANEOUS

What or who would you dress up as for Halloween? “I’ve been all sorts of things! I’ve been a vampire, I’ve been Elvis more than once, a witch, a princess… I think I want to be a mermaid this year.”

Are you comfortable with technology? “I’m uncomfortable with how easy it is for people to hide behind a screen and be mean to each other.”

If you could save one person, who would it be? “Stanley.”

If you could call one person for help, who would it be? “Nani, if I had to.”

What is your greatest extravagance? “Camera film. That’s where all my money goes.”

What is your greatest regret? “Taking my parents for granted.”

What is your perception of redemption? “Saying sorry and meaning it. That’s all it really takes to be redeemed, isn’t it?”

What would you do if you won the lottery? “Buy my house back.”

What is your favorite fairytale? “The Ugly Duckling.”

What fairytale do you hate? “The Princess and The Pea. Who can feel a pea under that many mattresses? You can’t! Being a princess doesn’t give you some sort of other wordly status! It’s frustrating!”

Do you believe in happy endings? “I don’t know anymore.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Kaua’i is happiness.”

What would you ask a fortune teller? “I’d ask them if my parents are watching over me, and if they’re proud.”

If you could travel through time, where would you go? “I’d go back to the night my mom and dad died, and I wouldn’t let them leave the house. I’d make sure they stayed safe at home with me.”

What sport do you excel at? “Dodgeball. I like chucking the balls at people’s heads.”

What sport do you suck at? “Football, it’s too confusing.”

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? “The ability to breathe underwater!”

#wow i love her #walttasks #tasks.

[midnightactual]

Critical Analysis & Tactics IV (CAT-4): Yoruichi vs. Soifon Part B

Click here for Part A!

06. There are two highly interesting points during this fight where Yoruichi and Soifon’s perspectives of one another undergo a shift, which reveals the extent to which they had misunderstood one another. Yoruichi’s occur in chapters 157, as she increasingly realizes that Soifon not only isn’t playing around or trash-talking, but is actually serious about trying to kill her:

Here she goes from surprised to fairly pissed-off looking, in a way that almost seems to suggest: You’re taking this rather too far, aren’t you?

This is probably the moment when she fully realizes Soifon’s commitment, and it’s confirmed by a similar moment in chapter 158 when Soifon actually stabs her with Suzumebachi.

Soifon’s realization that she hasn’t quite understood Yoruichi comes earlier, in chapter 154. After trading a few introductory blows with Yoruichi, her first real move is to summon the Onmitsukidō:

I count at least 20 soldiers here. As we all know, Yoruichi dispatches them with ease. One must wonder then why Soifon tried this approach at all. Look at how relaxed and confident she looks while talking down to Yoruichi. Look at what she says. She wasn’t sending at least 20 guys in to get beat up for the hell of it—she legitimately thought it would work!

She’s completely surprised and very clearly shocked when it doesn’t.

Yoruichi then (very playfully!) chastises Soifon for this. However, the truth isn’t that Soifon has forgotten who she’s dealing with, it’s that she never knew in the first place. As we later see in Soifon’s flashbacks in chapter 159:

Whenever Soifon thinks about feats that qualify Yoruichi as being “frighteningly strong,” the very best she can remember is Yoruichi beating up three guys. If the best you’d ever seen someone do was beat up three men, then sending twenty at them would seem like a pretty reasonable course of action! This tells you how thoroughly Yoruichi hid her actual power from Soifon during the latter’s time as a bodyguard (for reasons I’ll explain later), and how woefully Soifon underestimated Yoruichi.

The reason Soifon was cocky throughout the fight, to the extent of even suggesting that she was a better warrior than Yoruichi had been then, is that she had absolutely no idea as to what Yoruichi’s actual capabilities were. She seemingly allowed herself, with hindsight, to believe Yoruichi was a talented but spoiled rich noble brat whom she had surpassed by leaps and bounds in the century since. But she believed that because she had never seen any evidence to the contrary—Yoruichi had never let her see it.

This might sound absurd. After all, who would believe that a Taichō could only defeat three opponents at once? But nonetheless it is, as we have seen, something which Soifon behaves as though she believes. Maybe we’re supposed to imagine these are larger numbers (although, as I’ve said before with the size of Las Noches: why not just draw that if that’s what you wanted to show?) but it bears mentioning that Soifon literally never questioned why, if she had invented Shunkō, the keisen shōzoku was already perfectly suited for it:

I’d suggest that Soifon’s own remarks in chapter 138 that, “Right or wrong, it doesn’t concern me. All I care about is my honor and my duties as a Captain of the 13 Court Guard Companies,” reveal that she isn’t particularly interested in questioning her own experiences, let alone her orders.

07. All of the above points come together when the battle escalates to the mutual Shunkō reveal in chapters 158 and 159. Skipping over the explanations regarding it, we come to the real crux of this fight.

We discover that Yoruichi was not only prepared to use Shunkō during this fight, but that she could have used it at literally any time—she just didn’t want to.

We discover that Yoruichi had sufficient skill to curve her blasts with Shunkō around Soifon, immediately after she’d said, “I still can’t control it very well.” This leaves one to wonder what controlling it ‘well’ would look like, as well as making it clear that this was just a demonstration of power—Yoruichi didn’t miss. (Nor did Soifon block; she’s standing there simply dumbfounded.)

We discover that Yoruichi kept Shunkō from Soifon for the latter’s own good, presumably much as she kept other things form Soifon for the same reason.

We discover that although Yoruichi is surprised and impressed by Soifon’s growth, she’s of the opinion that Soifon isn’t ready to use Shunkō. (Perhaps, just like bankai takes at least a decade of training to really use efficiently, it takes a century or two—or more—to really use Shunkō without endangering oneself.)

We discover that Yoruichi is indeed vastly more powerful than Soifon, being able to easily nullify Soifon’s Shunkō using Hanki. (Notice Yoruichi’s growing discomfort visually from this page onward, with her expression becoming increasingly concerned.)

We discover that Soifon without Shunkō stands no real chance against Yoruichi. (And although she can turn it back on, it’ll just be nullified again.)

We discover that in total, Yoruichi remains just as far above Soifon in the present as she’d been in the past (not that Soifon’d had any actual idea how far that was then), and that the seeming equality between the two earlier in the fight was nothing more than a mirage created by Yoruichi’s physical weakness, not any actual parity between them.

And we discover that Yoruichi could’ve killed Soifon at any point in the fight had she so desired, a fact which Soifon herself becomes intimately aware of, cracking her morale and prompting her to begin asking “Why?” only to finally reveal the source of her animus: “Why didn’t you... take me with you?”

In the face of that question, we see Yoruichi having another realization. She realizes that all of Soifon’s hostility stems from a sense of abandonment and betrayal (which we learned from Soifon’s own flashbacks, as she herself characterized it as, “... A betrayal... by my personal god”).

And finally, after Soifon has fallen to her knees in anguish, we see Yoruichi looking genuinely sad for the first (and to my recollection only) time. It’s because she realizes that this is all her fault. Yoruichi’s priorities in the past with regard to Soifon seem to have been to:

protect Soifon from emotional harm; she went out of her way to include and nurture Soifon within her bodyguard unit’s activities, and far more remarkably, concealed the extent of her own abilities so as to not make the existence of her bodyguard seem pointless

protect Soifon from physical harm; Yoruichi concealed an ability like Shunkō from Soifon not just for the sake of the above priority, but to prevent Soifon from considering its use too early and thus injuring herself

protect Soifon from political harm; Yoruichi didn’t leave any kind of message or say goodbye, let alone take Soifon with her, precisely because she didn’t want Soifon in the line of fire of Aizen’s conspiracy

Her overriding agenda with regard to Soifon was to protect her from things she wasn’t ready to know, but making that judgment was a kind of patronizing hubris on Yoruichi’s part, and what she missed was that she failed to protect Soifon from psychological harm. She didn’t seem to fully understand the degree to which Soifon idolized her, and thus didn’t anticipate the kind of effects her departure would have upon Soifon in the long term.

Yoruichi entered this fight expecting to pick right back up where they left off with maybe some token resentment, only to find her protégé trying to kill her and to soon discover that she’d hurt and twisted her grievously... and that it was all her own fault. In trying to protect Soifon, she’d turned her into an enemy.

Soifon, meanwhile, was forced to reckon with the fact that in a certain sense, she never truly knew Yoruichi, because Yoruichi had never allowed her to. Given the importance Soifon places on martial prowess and being a warrior, that must be a hard blow to take. Soifon is ultimately in a superficially similar position to how Momo is to Aizen, but Soifon is forced to realize that fact herself, in a deep and visceral way. She herself is forced to understand that, “Adoration… is the state furthest from understanding.”

It seems obvious that the two immediately reconciled to an extent, given they’d soon confront Aizen together, and that they likely talked about these things at least some in the following week which Yoruichi spent in Soul Society. However, that doesn’t detract from the facts that:

Yoruichi was never in actual danger during this fight

Soifon’s parity with Yoruichi only manifested in basic abilities

Soifon only had that parity in basic abilities because Yoruichi was out of shape

Yoruichi still heavily outclassed Soifon as a fighter overall

Soifon had radically underestimated Yoruichi’s abilities in the past because Yoruichi had concealed the true extent of her power

Yoruichi’s earlier and later performance of basic abilities were as far removed from Soifon’s as were their abilities to use Shunkō during this fight

It is furthermore evident that Yoruichi’s control of Shunkō would continue to remain ahead of Soifon’s into the future. Soifon, while having improved dramatically beyond Yoruichi’s wildest expectations, never actually caught up to Yoruichi or posed a truly lethal threat to her. (And this is perhaps part of why Soifon seems to easily settle back into a deferential role to Yoruichi in the anime, omake, and subsequent materials, although they never share time together in the rest of the manga.) This fight ultimately wasn’t really about abilities so much as a failure to understand one another.

#Out Of Character #Long Post #Meta

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

With You In My Head (Football Time, Part 2.)

Series description: Every twenty years, the Cullens invite their friends to their hometown to play a game of baseball in the mountains. Yet this time, they managed to get more players than that - so, it was football time.

Part summary: Carlisle’s friends were invited to play a game of American football with the shapeshifting friends from the La Push. Yet as it turns out, there is another, way more serious issue arising for Seth Clearwater.

A/N: I cracked myself with cougar joke- but really. Take this as a joke, please, it’s really intended as one. Also, I am kinda pleased with how it turned out, so naturally, it’s full of typos and I will have to rewrite it tomorrow. :¨)

Warning: Usage of imprinting for comedic purpose only - there will not be any pairing included in this mini. Take it as a running joke. Jasper fully owning his yeehaw potential and Emmett getting owned by everyone basically (HIMBO ENERGY 9000). 

Word count: 4.1 K

Tagging: @nemodoren​, @missdictatorme​, @imaginesofeverykind​ 

Play list:  ✨ Twilight Crackheads ✨

Master lisr: H E R E 

A long silence was inevitable. Yet it wasn't a weird silence, no. The newcomers were just a bit weirded out by the strange coincidence of a vampire clan forming a friendship with the shapeshifters... Which were supposed to vampire's mortal enemies? They happened to be the observers for that occasion, watching how the Cullens behaved, talked, and responded - so they would know how to behave once they join in.

Ariadne was first to introduce herself to the wolf pack, being as polite and nice as she would be to anyone. Y/N first dragged Emmett aside to have a small talk with him before entrusting herself to the unknown group of men... And one woman.

"Neither of you had mentioned any of this, monkey-man. What's this supposed to mean?" - She wondered in whispers that were almost too quiet for a vampire to hear. Edward felt that she's unnerved by the number of shapeshifters present, but there was a different problem arising with Seth Clearwater. This couldn't be. Things like these weren't supposed to happen. Seth wasn't the one who was worried about it - the other were. - "Don't worry about them, come on. They're our friends and any of them wants, neither they're planning to do it. Hey! Jake!" - Emmett cried out into the group of people chatting and laughing at the small talk. Whoever Jacob was, he wasn't fond of Y/N from the first moment he had laid his eyes on her. She could be unfriendly too, no problem, but it wasn't exactly that he didn't like the woman.

"What's up?" - Jake asked Emmett as he ran to a couple of vampires standing aside, performing a handshake with this vampire dudebro. - "Name's Jacob, hi." - He was polite enough to offer you a hand and on top of that, he was trying to keep his emotions down, even forming a smile on his lips as you shook his palm back. He was hot. Not in the sexy way, his skin was boiling.

This was, after all, the first time you've been even close to a shapeshifter, let alone talking to one. You didn't have any idea about their astonishing, almost overwhelming physique or temperature. Not everyone was looking like Jacob, though. There was a woman, who was looking pissed off to the highest degree, and even though you could see the muscles forming under her skin, she was small when put next to someone like Jacob.

There even was a boy who was fifteen years old, at the maximum - maybe he was even younger. He was tiny in comparison to the other shirtless men, almost a bit too slim and the boy was bawling his eyes at you. Quickly, you glanced back to Jacob. - "I'm Y/N. From Canada." - "That's her?" - Jacob, still keeping the facade on, seemed to be excited to meet you. - "Have you been telling stories about me, monkey-man?" - You asked, now being seemingly more relaxed. Maybe Emmett was right. The pack couldn't be as dangerous if the Cullens trusted them. And the friends of your friends were your friends. - "Only the best ones, Canadian." - Emmett whispered with a huge smile while all three of you walked back to the bigger group of people. Chloe with Aaron were already in the small crowd as well, chatting with both the shapeshifters and the people they already knew.

Soon after Jake led you to the crowd, he got a signal from Edward, who has been already distancing with Alice by his side. - "What's that supposed to mean?" - Jacob let go suddenly, just seconds after they entered the woods. It was like a sudden burst of anger. - "So you know it?" - Alice asked quietly, having Jake ironically scoffing at the silly question. - "I can hear Seth's thoughts in my head, Alice, they're incredibly loud." - "I agree on that. It was like a bomb that exploded all of a sudden." - Edward muttered out, putting his palms over his chest, furrowing at his two comrades.

"Did you know that it'll happen?" - Jacob asked, looking at Alice only. The small woman breathed out, not knowing what to say at first. - "Not too long before. We were just entering the meadow when I looked at her and couldn't see anything." - "Well, that's great. You want to tell me that the idiot not only imprinted on your vampire friend, but that she'll stay with him?" - Sure, Jacob could at least try to keep it down, but... Seth was just digging his own grave.

A grave no-one could help him from.

"I don't think so," - "This is not what she would do." - The vampires jumped to your defense right away. No. You were a wild card at times, mainly when you were up to some mischief with Emmett, but this was way beyond what you'd do. On top of that, Edward knew you've noticed Seth gazing at you with adoration. And Ed could clearly say you were beyond terrified when you saw it. - "Future is a tricky thing, Jacob. She may decide differently, thus changing how the future will play out." - Alice was doing her best there.

Yet no matter what they were about to do or to say, there was nothing that could change Seth's future. The boy had imprinted into the woman; no matter what was about the happen, the boy had shifted his whole world around her. It was... It was similar to being a slave. A slave who would be everything she would need and expect. It was a happy slavery if you will. - "It doesn't matter. If she stays here, that will be terrible. But if she leaves, it will be even worse. The boy had just forbidden himself from falling in love with anyone else. The only one he'll be thinking about is her, everything he's going to want is Y/N. Can't you see it?" - Jacob breathed out, trying to work things out. Embry and Leah sure noticed already, hearing his thoughts. And if they didn't feel the sudden shift, they'll notice as soon as they'd turn into wolves.

Jacob was sure of one thing - Leah will murder Seth or Y/N as soon as she would notice. This relationship meant only bad news. How could this happen? How could this work out in any space or time? - "Can we do something to help him with this?" - Edward asked silently while listening to the rising audacity of Jacob's thoughts. But the Quileute boy only shook his head in despair. There was nothing left to do. It was all said and done.

"We better get back or they'll notice something's off... And you know that I can't lie to Esme." - The shapeshifter smiled sadly, turning back to the meadow, walking there.

Y/N and Emmett already seemed to be in their elements as they were standing in the middle of the meadow, making fun of themselves. They were sure as hell were captains of the two teams which were about to be formed. The way Seth was watching them was as endearing as it was terrifying. Edward could hear what you're thinking - and you weren't happy about the boy giving you the ultimate happy eyes. Well, this was about to be one sad heartbreak.

Yet he decided to let the things go for a moment as you suddenly took the t-shirt you had on, jumping to bump into Emmett's chest with yours. Which seemed funny, since you were smaller than the naturally tall, bulky vampire; and despite that, you could defeat him in tree climbing competition.

"How does it look? Did they start choosing teams already?" - Edward asked Carlisle as they stood next to each on the meadow, but his father just smiled and shook his head. - "They need to measure their egos first. But they're almost done." - Carlisle smiled and Esme did too, kissing her husband's cheek. - "Imma go first, then!" - Y/N cried out happily, leaving Emmett standing there with an unbelievable laugher. - "Who's playing? I just want to be sure." - You asked the other people. Bella, Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Nessie stepped aside. Nessie wanted to play too, but the other Cullens were too afraid that she might be too fragile for this.

Alice and Esme never played American football, neither they planned on changing it. And despite this, this seemed too dangerous for them. Bella didn't want to go against Jacob in this game and Rosalie... Well, Rosalie was about to join, she just didn't know it yet. - "Okay, okay, okay." - You said dramatically and put entwined fingers in front of your lips, walking around the players as if they were figurines in a very nice store glass. - "I want Edward because he can run like a greased lightning." - You looked at Emmett, performing a high-five with the other mentioned Cullen.

Emmett chose Sam Uley as his first teammate because he knew what a big wolf he is. You were about to have some serious trouble dodging him once he runs to you at his full speed. So, just for the sole purpose of pissing Emmett off, you picked Jacob. And he was a damn good choice, you just didn't know that yet. When Emmett had taken Carlisle, you had picked Jasper. Then you picked Leah, the only girl playing in the wolf team - and she seemed to be quite into it. Emmett got Embry - and the rest you didn't remember by name. But the teams were fairly promising, as you got the better portion of the fast Cullens, Aaron and the werewolves didn't seem to be some ladies as well. Two people were remaining - the young, slim boy and Rosalie, who still didn't know she's playing as well.

But you and Emmett planned on getting her onto the field. - "Rosalie, you're his. I want that boy." - You looked at the blonde woman, not realizing you made Seth very happy with those words you didn't even mean seriously. Jacob looked at Leah worriedly. She already had some suspicion about what was going on, but Jacob made her sure with the one glance. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, wondering what kind of a sick joke this was. - "That's right, you're mine and you're playing with us." - Emmett yelled at her, having a huge smile on his lips.

"I don't want to play. You're like animals when you get into it." - Okay, this was kind of offensive from Rosalie, but everyone got her point. At that moment, the first thunder shook the ground. This was about to get serious. - "It looks like she's scared!" - Sam joined your cause, earning a big smile from you. - "Yeah, she's kind of a pussy, you know?" - This made Rosalie put her palms on her lips and to run her tongue along her lips. - "The only way you can prove yourself is to play, our beloved car-girl." - You finished theatrically, leaning your elbow into Emmett's shoulder to support your head.

Jesus. How could Rosalie forget that you and Emmett knew her so well? One thing that could make her do something she didn't want was to tell her she can't do it. Rose could be melodramatic herself and her pride was kind of fragile. Edward nodded to confirm that Rosalie's joining the game, making everyone grin like little kid's. Quickly, she took the cap she had on her head, threw it to the ground, and stomped her way to Emmett, promising him some revenge just with her gaze. Rosalie was also seriously competitive, which was a fun challenge for you to overcome.  

"Okay, listen up, team!" - You cried out and ran to the other side of the meadow so Emmett couldn't hear your tactics. - "Eh, I can't play football." - Was the thing you started with, making most of the people chuckle. - "Leave that to us, we can handle the tactics." - Jacob smiled at you, patting your shoulder as you snickered nervously. - "We can communicate telepathically, only thing we need from you is defense." - Jacob looked at Edward, earning a nod.

"Jasper and Edward are quick, it's a problem to outrun them. We could use that to win - you will win the shootout, and we can do the rest. Somehow." - You tried to help with the strategy, earning a grin from Jasper himself. - "And she's telling she can't play football." - The blonde southern boy said. All you did as a response was that you kicked his cowboy boot with a smug smile. - "Listen, the only real tactic is to kick Emmett's ass. It doesn't matter whether we win. I want everyone to have fun." - You said and looked at everyone. Leah, the Quileute girl, was watching you with an ice-cold look, but you let that slide.

After a few minutes of thinking of the possible strategies, you finally figure out the composition of players, letting her shapeshifter to change into their animal forms. Bella was already ready with her camera and watching you walk to the middle of the meadow. Alice was hugging her shoulders and Edward heard a thought that had amused him because he was cracking a big smile. Suddenly, you heard a voice next to you. - "Hey." - It was the young boy... Who was supposed to be changing right at the moment and the one who was creepily staring at you the whole time? With a raised eyebrow, you stopped and turned to face him. - "Something's wrong?"

"No." - The boy furrowed and shook his head, laughing nervously. He was heavy breathing as if he was trying to stay composed throughout the whole conversation. - "I just... I just wanted to say hi." - He breathed out once again, giving you a huge smile at the end. Unknowingly to the whole situation, you nodded with a funny expression. At that moment, Jake called after him and it was as if the boy had just broken out of a trance. As he was running back, he yelled at you. - "My name's Seth. Nice to meet you!" - Accompanied by an honest smile, he had disappeared into the woods. Confusedly, you nodded after him and set on your way to Emmett once more.

Edward, who heard Seth's thoughts the whole time, was grinning as he was standing on his position. Now, there was the part you were very passionate about - the game itself. Daringly, you cracked your joints and leaned to Emmett. - "Don't you hold back, boy." - You mumbled in amusement. Emmett glared at you back - just when he was about to grab you and ruffle your hair, you moved away, bumping his other shoulder.

"You know that's not my style." - Emmett answered, clearly being in the right mood for a competition. Rosalie already had this grin on her face, promising you to kick your ass for calling her out. Suddenly, every vampire looked behind you - naturally, you looked that way as well. - "Here they come." - You heard Alice say, smiling at the sight. Sure, these creatures were your mortal enemies. There was nothing worse for a vampire than a shapeshifter. But when the wolves weren't trying to bite your head off, they were beautiful. Smelly as hell, but beautiful. Majestic, you were confident to say.

"Let's fuck 'em up!" - You cried out, jumping with enjoyment. - "Yeehaw!" - Jasper finished, making you laugh. The man was a southern boy and everyone knew that. It was the point of many jokes - and there was so many of them that Jasper joined you instead of fighting it. Just like with the cowboy hat you made him wear earlier - Bella now had it on her head, looking astonishingly hilarious.

The game was quite hard to watch - and it had to be stopped almost every second minute because you were moving on the meadow back and forth. Esme, who was the referee, made sure that the game was as fair as it could be. No-one had any idea how it will play out. Not even Alice, who was unable to forecast the result solely because the wolves were playing.

When talking about wolves, they were fun to play with. First, you were worried that you might hurt someone - yet as soon as Sam Uley had knocked you on your back, growling into your face as he climbed down, you realized that they weren't gentle flowers that needed to be treated with tenderness. Since then, you took down at least three separate wolves, until you made sure you're progressing closer to touch down. Once, you ran into Emmett at full speed, hearing something cracking. When you took one glance under your sports bra, you realized it was you. But since it wasn't anything too serious, you knew it will be alright in no time.

The first one to score was Emmett's team, which only fused you further into the game, making you want that to win it. And let's say that you and Jasper weren't afraid to come into the game with everything you got. Once, Embry had to move from your way because you almost kicked his jaw - you didn't want to do so, but you almost did. And when the thunder started for real, with rain, the cold air, and the actual thunder shaking the ground, the game became almost violent until one of the wolves scored the first point for your team.

Nessie and the rest which was standing aside were mesmerized by the whole thing. They'd never seen the Cullens play anything else than baseball, which wasn't as much contact sport as football was. Every time your shoulder crashed into Carlisle's chest as you both fell to the wet grass, you saw Esme and Bella looking if you're okay. And the shapeshifters weren't too gentle with themselves either.

Once, Jake and Sam got into a telepathic argument about a foul, which had to be resolved by Edward and Esme. In the end, it wasn't near a four and your team even had the right to move one zone closer to their end zone. Edward was perfect at always maneuvring Rosalie out to foul herself out, mainly because he knew what he's about to do. Yet through the time, she became fed up with his mind-reading thing and started to think about some pretty nasty things, making Edward unfocused. Which led to another point for Emmett's team. At that point, you took a timeout and let the Quileutes have some food, and drying time.

Bella, in the meantime, showed you what pictures she was able to take - Rosalie was running with the ball pushed on her breasts, having a murderous expression in her face. You and Carlisle were laying on the ground and your hands were pinning him down since you were just getting up. There was a still photo of Leah, as identified by Esme, where it almost seemed she's smiling at the camera. Jasper was talking with Nessie as you were laughing at the photos before the wolves came out of the woods once more. It was time to finish the game.

The weather was getting worse and worse and each of you was getting more and more violent with the game itself. While before each of you made sure to pick the other one from the ground with laughter, now, there was no sign of a smile anywhere. There were more fouls and many chances for Emmett to turn around, but one of the smaller wolves was fast enough to stop him every time. It was Seth, who was desperately trying to make an impression on you - he didn't realize you didn't know which one he was and every time he saved your team's ass, you just petted the back of his head, as if you were patting his shoulder.

After some time, you managed to score another point, making the game a draw. It was 2-2 now. - "The last point wins everything." - Esme said as she stood in the middle of your formed teams. - "Give it everything you have. Game!" - The woman cried out. And if you were desperately trying to win before, this was something way more brutal than that. You and Emmett got more and more vulgar, trying to make the other one make a mistake, Rosalie was running for her life and the wolves were pushing off the ground on more occasions than before.

But in the end, you saw Edward running for his life, yelling at Jake to clear his way. And suddenly, both the smaller wolves who were smaller than the other were following Jacob forward to help Ed forward. You didn't wait for anything and went to take Sam down, Jasper held back Emmett and Aaron straight jumped after Rosalie to pin her down. Suddenly, you saw Edward laying on his back with the ball in his hand, somewhere in the end zone. And when you realized you won the match, you jumped at Jasper and let him hug you as you cried to the iron-grey sky excitedly.

This was a majestic, tight victory about which you would brag for at least forty years. - "Take that, monkey-man!" - You jumped off Jasper, giving high five to the rest of your team. Then you picked Edward to the air and carried him around the meadow like a trophy. Jesus, you were such children at times. Emmett, even though he lost one of the most important sports games in his life, was smiling widely and clapped, cheering for your victory.

When the wolves transformed back into their human on a dry place, they put the waterproof clothes and walked back to the meadow, taking a picture with the rest of the players - which was funny, since all of the vampires were dirty from their heads to their toes, yet the Quileutes were as clean as newborn babies. As players should do, you shook hands with each of your opponents, now having a clear idea of what these shapeshifters were like. They were cool and fun as well.

What was even better was the absence of any injuries, expect the small crack on your chest, which you knew will quickly put back together. That made Esme very happy. Most of the shapeshifters decided to walk with you back home, only Sam and Embry had to leave sooner than the others. Everyone was in a great mood - you wouldn't be able to recognize who won and who lost the game. There was a small group at the back - it consisted of Jacob, Leah, and Seth, discussing the whole imprinting thing. They knew exactly how Seth felt about you since they were in his head the whole game; just like he was in theirs. Although both of them knew how hard it was for the boy, there was no way to stop it. Imprinting was inevitable. Now, Seth's world was shifted and it couldn't be changed. Edward, who heard their thoughts, had asked you to climb off of Emmett's back and to walk with him.

This was something you and monkey-man called the walk of shame. Whoever lost at any game you competed in had to carry the other one on their back the whole way to the house. Yet when you saw the emotion in Edward's face, you knew something serious had happened. And willingly, you got off Emmett's back. - "Is everyone okay? Did we hurt Ness?" - You mumbled frantically while following Ed to the back of your humble parade.

"No. Yes. It's tricky." - Edward added, not knowing what to tell you. - "Hey. By telling him all that stuff, you're not helping anything. Let these two talk and figure it out." - Edward stopped Leah and Jake from scolding Seth. As previously, the boy was staring at your muddy face and hair in adoration. Dear fucking lord, you could practically hear Grover Washington playing in the background. - "Yeah. I can deal with it." - You agreed and pushed your palms into the pockets of your jacket, nodding at both Leah and Jacob. Whatever the 'it' was.

Sure, you had your suspicion, but you couldnt be sure. - "That's probably the best idea." - Jake nodded and took Leah's elbow, dragging her along. Edward patted your back and followed the two Quileutes down the path, leaving you in simulated privacy. You and Seth stood there in the gentle rain for a moment, grinning nervously while looking to the ground, waiting to be truly alone. Only then you wanted to try to resolve the matter. Whatever was this boy's problem, you wanted no-one to know about it. It would be rude to talk about it if everyone could hear, just because you didn't even know Seth. When you knew Edward can't hear what you were saying, both of you started to follow the parade back to the Cullen's house.

"Are you sure about that?" - Jake asked when Edward told both of them that you didn't plan on something with Leah's younger brother. Hell no, you were weirded out by the kid. - "Trust me. She's not the cougar type." - Edward grinned, reminding Jake of one of Bella's many jokes.

#the twilight saga #twilight crackheads #twilight saga #twilight renaissance #the cullens #the quileutes #jacob black #embry call #sam uley #forks washington #emmett cullen #rosalie hale #alice cullen #jasper hale #edward cullen #bella cullen #renesmee cullen #esme cullen #carlisle cullen #we stan #we don't stan cannon and smeyer #no #uh #here you go #leah clearwater #i really enjoyed making this #it was so fun tbh

[darkagcs]

💀  * [ benjamin wadsworth + cismale + he/him ] —— have you met oliver garcia-moreau? they are a twenty-two year old junior currently studying history. they live on decker house, and word around campus is that this gemini is adaptable + intelligent, as well as neurotic + insincere. i wonder if they’ll make it out alive. switching languages mid-conversation. piles of half-read books. cigarettes held between trembling fingers.

well this took fucking forever but HEY GUYS!!!!! admin dana here to with her idiot genius child, oliver.

𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

(tw: somewhat detailed emotional abuse, brief reference to physical abuse)

if you ask oliver where he’s from, he’ll basically short-circuit. born in serbia (in the good ol’ days of FR yugoslavia) to a mexican-french couple, and with a childhood spent moving all around the world thanks to his mom’s job as a diplomat, he doesn’t really have much sense of cultural identity.

on paper, being a diplobrat was pretty cool; by the time oliver hit puberty he was fluent in four languages, proficient in a couple more, and had already seen more of the world than most people do in a lifetime. not only that, but he lived only in the nicest houses, got the best education and was driven around in fancy cars, all expenses covered.

still, there were some downsides. some are obvious, like having to say goodbye to your friends and basically restarting your life every three years. others most people don’t think about, like how stressful it can be for a seven-year-old to attend political events where he’s required to behave perfectly or face the consequences.

no matter how many times his mother harshly told him to just suck it up and power through, oliver always panicked before attending any event of that sort, both because of how overwhelming being around so many people could be but also out of fear he’d screw up and make his mother angry — which he always found a way to do. still, with time (and his mother’s scoldings and slaps and pinches) he learned: he was not to speak his mind; when asked how he was doing, he was supposed to lie and say he was doing great, sir, thank you. he was to speak only when spoken to, and his interests — especially the most eccentric ones — were to be kept to himself.

as time went by, he mastered the art of socialising. he learned how to read any room, to charm anyone, to talk his way out of anything. he learned what people wanted to hear and how to say it. but most importantly, he learned how to hide his real self. he crafted a mask of perfection, presenting himself as the princely, polite young man his mother demanded he’d be — but still not one good enough to satisfy her. 

she controlled every aspect of his life. if she didn’t like a friend he’d made, she’d forbid him from seeing them again. if she didn’t like a book he was reading, she’d make a show of tearing it to shreds. if he didn’t behave as immaculately as she wanted him to, she’d lock him in his room without dinner. but she always justified her own behavior. “you must learn how important image is,” she’d tell him. he’s still trying to unlearn these teachings.

for years his life was nothing but this cycle; moving to a new country, creating a new persona to match it, making some friends, saying goodbye, rinse and repeat. it was both tedious and exciting, and oliver hated it even if he’s grateful for so much of it.

he’d only been to the united states a couple of times before he decided to go to college there. there was something about america that just seemed normal. he applied to holloway on a whim; getting into college really isn’t that hard when you’re a rich polyglot with recommendation letters from world leaders. what is hard, as it turns out, is living life on your own when you’ve never had to do anything for yourself, and never got to decide what your next move is going to be. not only that, but being on his own has made him realise he doesn’t really have any idea who he is or what he wants.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

always proper and polite.

very persuasive, especially when it comes to authority figures.

great at reading people but only as long as he’s not emotionally involved, at which point he overthinks every little thing and is unable to get a clear image of what’s going on.

comes across as confident, but is insanely insecure with major imposter syndrome.

can come across as a pretentious asshole, not realising how privileged he is and far removed from most people’s reality his life has been.

at his core, a big nerd who’s incredibly passionate about his interests (especially history) but only lets that side of himself show with select few people.

king of overthinking. his thoughts’ thoughts have thoughts.

desperate for a purpose and/or direction. wants to make life count for something. feels completely lost and has no clue at all about what to do with his life.

acts like an extrovert because he’s been conditioned to do so, but is really more of an introvert and rarely shares his real feelings so he’s like an open book where 80% of the words have been censored out and another 10% is in a dead language.

actually pretty easy to get into his bed, though his princely vibe might make it seem otherwise. desperately craves human connection/doesn’t get attached easily/is afraid of commitment so really he’s more than fine with casual sex (though he’s the type to make them both coffee the morning after or leave a note for the other person instead of just leaving without a word).

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎

(tw: illness?) partially deaf on right year from a bad case of meningitis when he was 13 that also left him with a slight limp. he absolutely hates it, despite it being nearly imperceptible.

learned spanish and french simultaneously while growing up, but feels more comfortable with spanish than any other language and usually speaks it when talking to himself. if he’s around other spanish or french speakers he might switch language for a few words in the middle of the sentence.

so much anxiety!!!!!!!!!!

really bad insomnia.

straight-A student now that he’s in college and studying something he’s truly passionate about, but was actually not very good in high school and mainly got accepted into holloway because of his background.

so bi it hurts.

mom friend energy. if he’s truly your friend, he’ll make sure you’re doing okay and taking care of yourself.

has superficial knowledge on an incredible amount of different subjects.

addicted to caffeine.

weed turns him into a conspiracy theorist.

an absolute mess. can’t handle the most basic house chores. won’t remember to do laundry until he’s down to his last shirt, changing the bed sheets takes him hours, can’t even boil water.

fascinated by old stuff and doesn’t care much for technology. barely even uses his phone. has auto caps on and texts like a grandpa in general.

awful driver with an awful-ler sense of direction.

actually not as rich as he sounds?? like he has money, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not like... yacht-owning levels of wealth. his family mostly just led a luxurious life without having to pay anything for it thanks to his mom’s job, so he finds money to be a confusing concept.

have you read the raven cycle? because not to be super embarrassing but a certain dick gansey might give u a sense of what im going for here. (also sprinkle some amy santiago in there)

HERE is here connection page, HERE is his pinterest board and HERE are some stats.

#holloway.intro #01. *･ﾟ∙ * the head is too wise; the heart is all fire / oliver.

[nemesis-mess]

Challenge 1: First one down

A / N: No excuses I know is late but... translating a whole fic is a nightmare, thanks to @lady-indiana​ for the rp and the amazing opportunity to know her character, also thanks to @arin-schreave​ for the interesting interview.

enjoy it!

word count: 4523

The only thing that surrounded me was darkness, the pain in my chest was unbearable, I struggled, screamed and fought desperately trying to get rid of the grip of those hands that pressed on my neck leaving me breathless and ending with any trace of life that was left , I knew that none of my efforts or attempts to get rid of those hands would work, it was clear I just had to ...

wake.

I woke up suddenly, disoriented, airless and scared, in the middle of that huge bed witness of my night torments, I carefully ran my hands down my neck making sure that all that had

Three taps on my door startled me a little even when I already knew what it meant, my door opened and the three beautiful women who worked for the palace entered my room.

"Lady Nemesis are you alright?" Asked the girl with black hair and eyes named Selene, one of my maids.

I looked down at my hands and took a deep breath before I nodded affirmatively at her as a response.

"Lady Nemesis we have to prepare you for today, it's a special occasion" a dreamy sigh came from the lips of Samantha who looked at me with illusion, her eyes radiated joy, I could clearly notice that she was too excited about it, Giselle otherwise just nodded at Samantha's comment.

"It has nothing about special" I said honestly as I got out of bed and walked in the direction of the bathroom to take a shower.

I came out wrapped in a towel and the three girls started working on my makeup, hair and clothes, a whole process that I didn't think was as long or as elaborate, but in the end it was much more complex than I thought, the three of them walked around me applying products on my face, brushing my hair and choosing my wardrobe, but at leats that complicated process gave its results because when I saw myself in the mirror I was undoubtedly surprised.

One of the few things that worried me was that they would try to gradually turn me into a princess, but my maids were right with their decisions, the girl in the reflection was me.

&

I opened the doors of the room wide, I arrived a few minutes after the others selected but it was something that didn't matter, I took me  few seconds to see the room in detail and scan the whole place with my eyes, without a doubt I was beautifully decorated tall windows to let in the bright sunlight, carefully crafted pictures, huge chandeliers, and a whole host of other things that made the dining room look like something out of a movie but the truth is that how the palace looked was my least concern, there were several tables arranged in the room, so I walked with a sure step to the seat that had surely been assigned to me. It didn't cost me much to find it. It was in the middle of the filmmaker girl and the nature girl, little did I knew about the selecteds and little did I wanted to know since I didn't need them to do my job.

The murmur of the voices of the selecteds was silenced at the moment the princess safiya entered the room denoting a certain air of elegance and security, she offered a smile in a polite way while standing in the middle of the room with a clipboard in front with both hands "Good morning. I'm sure you're all ... eager to start seeing as you're meeting my brother shortly, so I'll try to keep this brief." An ironic smile formed on my face when I listened to Safiya, she could not be wrong if she was talking about the other girls, but I was sure that meeting the prince didnt make me eager in any way, assuming how we felt was a big mistake . Safiya continued, lifted the clipboard to scan what was on there "Normally, someone else would be leading these lessons, but I was asked to be a replacement. Let's begin."

I sighed lightly exasperated, aware of what was coming.

Let's start with this little nightmare called etiquette lessons.

Safiya began to read the script she was holding "I hope you all had a restful first night in the palace because now our work begins. Today I will ..."

Bla bla bla I stop paying attention to Safiya's words a few seconds after she had started, everything was so boring and irrelevant, royalty was definitely ridiculous in a undescriptible sense and nobody could deny it, so I would rather concentrate on reading the body language of the selected that surrounded me, although that it was not a very funny action I can assure that it was better than listening to the stupidities of how to behave around people who in the end turned out to be the same as anyone, but the presence of someone new in the room distracted my attention of analyzing work.

Felicity was there with all of us in the room, in front of me was the protagonist of  Arin's "drama", the face that is and was the cover of numerous magazines, that of which whispers were still heard in the hallway, in front of us and looking at us with her brown eyes was the prince's ex-fiancée.

Safiya was probably just as surprised as everyone but began to exchange whispers with Felicity, not giving much importance to the presence of 35 girls around her.

"My sister sent someone to replace her. Lucky for us" she said muttered before looking at her clipboard to continue with the boring lesson.

The only thing that crossed my mind in the middle of the whole lesson was how irrelevant this really was, how it was possible that sitting or eating at the table was much more important than teaching the selecteds something they really needed, the etiquette lessons were the perfect definition of wasting time.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't pay attention to absolutely anything again, the last thing I heard and that for me was the sign that the lessons were already over was the hypocritical "and don't forget I'm here to help you" of felicity, unfortunately it didn't sound very sincere to me or to anyone who had the slightest use of reason.

&

It didn't take long for me to be guided to a nearby room, a beautiful room but in which I could only look at the enormous number of cameras willing to judge and analyze all kinds of interaction between Arin and me, at the end of the day the country had to get a little distracted and what better way to do it than by showing them closely the selection process that was basically a reality show.

After seeing the cameras I out my eyes in the prince, the one I had seen countless times.  When I got close the first thing Arin did was direct his eyes to the name tag that I was wearing and he started to greet me "Good morning, Lady Nemesis, please have a seat" with his right hand he gestured towards the sofa.  

Without hesitation, I sat down and directed my gaze at the guy in front of me "Good morning ... Arin? Prince arin? Your highness?" I answered his greeting politely, but the other words came out of my mouth with a large dose of sarcasm "How do you want me to call you?" I gave him a fake little smile with this last question.

He sat next to me and shifted his body to face me "Whatever makes you most comfortable is fine with me." In that case Arin would be. He pulled at his cuffs which to me was a desperate way of showing that he was relaxed when he was clearly tense "How has your morning been?"

I frowned at his question "My morning ?, Do you really want to know or this is just a protocol you have to follow with all the girls?" I spoke without holding what I thought, his question sounded forced and prepared as if it were predetermined, many people could take it as something common and an act of good education but I noticed instantly that it was not just that. I stopped for a moment and looked him in the eyes filled with an insatiable curiosity "but most interesting how is your morning going?" I rested my head on my right hand waiting for his answer, I was sure that interviewing 35 girls among whom your future wife was probably, was something that should make your morning different and interesting.

Arin looked at me and blinked slightly surprised but a smile formed on her lips, a smile that seemed genuine "My morning is going well, thank you. Did you sleep well?"

A little chill ran through my entire body as I remembered the nightmare I had "No, despite the big room and the amazing beed this place is not as comfortable as it seems" I was partially honest it wasn't just about being uncomfortable in the palace, It was about those nightmares that had been making my nights difficult for a long time. I ran my hands over my dress and looked at it.

"I'm sorry to hear that" no you don't. Arin frowned and looked at the cameras (which I had forgotten about for a moment) before looking at me again "Which province are you from?"

I thought about it for a few seconds, it was almost as if I had been left blank by that easy question "Columbia ..." I replied skeptically.

He simply nodded and continued, "How are you liking Angeles in comparison?".

What kind of questions were those, boring, monotonous and above all, empty, I had noticed at first but now it almost seemed really like Arin had prepared a script. I sighed and a small smile formed at the corner of my lips "Arin ... do you really want to know all this crap?" I looked him in the eyes clearly surprised "are you supposed to meet your wife this way?" I pointed to the cameras that were recording each of our movements, making reference to the fact that it was the emptiest way of meeting what was supposed to be his future wife, I lowered my hand and settled it on my lap, but now it was my eyes that talked and said that I was outraged "believe I'm enjoying this as much as you do"

He shifted uncomfortably "I'm sorry, Lady Nemesis. What do you prefer to talk about?"

I probably just bothered Arin  but I wasn't going to keep quiet about something I didn't feel was right or made me feel even a little uncomfortable, yet he didn't have to bear the blame for it completely "Don't be sorry about anything " I looked at the ceiling as if somehow magically this would help me find the words I was looking for" I want to know about you, I like believe there's something else in there ... a human being "and although the last thing I said sounded a bit rude , I really meant it. I relaxed on the sofa couch, I spread my legs a little and decided to forget about everything they told me in the etiquette lessons they gave us about an hour ago "what makes you you?"

He was really puzzled by my question and frowned more in confusion "You already know the most important things about me. I know hardly anything about you."

He had not understood.

"No, I don't" I wrinkled my nose, now I was the one who was surprised. I was little interested in what the magazines or television said, I knew that everything was exaggerated or lacking of truthfulness but he was not willing to show me much beyond that ... not now. "the same things you know about me are the same things I know about, but I get it I went too deep to be the first time i know you" What was on that sheet of paper in which I applied to the selection said exactly the same real information that I knew about Arin, even less, so in the end he could knew more about me than I did about him. I Looked at my nails as an instinct for evasion and muttered "it's a bad habit" used all my life to find information about people, to read them, to know them was something I had gotten used to.

Arin paused, clearly thinking of what to say "Well, the best way to get to know me is with question ..." yes and no ... he paused again and blurted out the next question "What do you do in your province? "

I put my index fingers in the middle of my hesitating lips, that was the kind of generic question that for many people would be easy to answer, but for me it was the kind of question I preferred to avoid, so I chose to be partially honest again. "mmm just some dirty work" run my hand through my hair carefully so as not to ruin my maids work "what do you do here in angeles?"

He sat up a bit more straight, you could still see from far that he was tense and that the scene of the interview made him feel everything except comfortable "I mostly attend meeting. I don't have time for much else."

"I think this selection came in the perfect moment to spicy your life a bit" flicked my tongue and look around "I'm sure it's time to break that comfort zone a bit" ... and it was true, things happen in a perfect way and at a perfect time and this selection was what Arin without being very aware of it needed in his life, Arin needed a change of this measure in his life.

He nodded at my words "Maybe it did come at a good time." He looked at his watch and then he looked at me, which for me was the clearest sign that the little time we had at our disposal had ended "It's been a pleasure, Lady Nemesis" He stood "I hope you enjoy your stay in the palace. "

I got up from the sofa and went to the door of the room but before I left I turned around and saw Arin standing there with an expression difficult to read "Good luck with ..." I looked around and a big smile formed on my lips "whatever this is".

I turned around and felt his gaze on me, until the door closed behind me and welcomed me back to the wonderful dining room where those finely decorated tables were positioned, with flowers, silverware and full of selecteds that exchanged words between them and filled the room with a soft murmur from which I couldn't escape.

As breakfast was a buffet, I prepared to take the food I wanted, a little bread, fruit, coffee and anything that looked delicious was on my plate, took the seat assigned to me and prepared myself to eat until that something slightly distracted my attention, on my right side filmmaker girl sat where it belonged and when I tried to continue with my breakfast a word came from her lips.

"hi!" She greeted with great enthusiasm a broad smile directed at me.

I turned my head and looked at her curiously because I didn't consider such a sudden approach normal "hi ...?" I took deep breath as a way to relax a little bit as I felt slightly tense "mmmm you are the filmmaker girl, right?"

My words seemed to annoyed or overwhelmed her as her smile narrowed a bit and she looked taken back "Yeah, that's me. You're ... Nemesis ... right?".

"Yeah that's me" I held out my hand to her politely introducing myself "filmmaker girl is not such a nice way to call you, your name is ...?" I looked her straight in the eyes waiting for her answer.

She took my hand without hesitating, not even a second. "I'm Indiana, but you can call me Indie. It's nice to meet you too." Her gaze fell on the other four tables in the room "This is pretty wild, right?".

If i was being able to have the freedom to call her by her  nick name, she also deserved the possibility of calling me by mine "If that's the case you can call me Mess" my gaze followed hers and I took the trouble to see all the girls in the room again "it doesn't impress me, just a bunch of girls desperate to fit in the royalty"  I looked at my nails for a few seconds and then I looked at indie "I guess that doesn't sounds nice, tell me indie what do you want in here? " the curiosity of knowing why  she was there in the palace and in the middle of a selection was something that gave me some curiosity and I wasn't going to deny myself the opportunity to find it out.

A small spark of amusment could be saw in her eyes combining with intrigue for what I said earlier "Well, I guess I came to look for ... love."She shooked her head and her words began to slair faster "I don't know, that probably sounds cheesy. But, really, I want to make a change in this world, for the better. And the way to do that is by being here. I don't ... I've never really had a family or anyone really close to me. So, if love happens along the way ... " I listened carefully to every word that came out of her mouth . Indie shrugged with a laugh that seemed almost like she was trying to soften her words "That would be nice." she squinted her nose and her smile took a playfully touch "And how about you? You aren't impressed by the girls here, so what sets you apart?"

She definitely sounded cheesy, but with her words were honest and I really aprecciate that.

"I have to admit that sounds cheesy" At that time I was the one with the playful smile "but it's a good reason" The following was said in a lower and calm voice "oh ... indie don't take me wrong, is not that I'm not impressed by the girls even though is true, is just that this situation as unusual as it is, it doesn't really impressed me " I fixed my hair and put it on my shoulders with great care" I ' m not different to any of these girls, at the end nothing sets apart of them "I giggled because it was ironically true" look at me, I'm here with a dress trying to fit into the royalty "And finally I cringed resigned shoulders.

"I suppose we are all trying to fit in, huh? It is pretty ... intimidating."

"Mmmm I would not say intimidating, I think is more ... fascinating, is watching the human being adapt itself, we were made for this" I started to play with the fork almost unconsciously and let the little emetal utensil slide through my hand "but if it doesn't bother you let's stop talking about this whole situation tell me more about you" keep talking about the selection the only thing that would cause would be something inside me to shake. I put my head aside and gave way to my next question "what filmmaking provides you that makes you love it that much?"

She widenned her eyes again by the directness of my statement, but still smiling, also she looked slightly impressed by my forwardness "Um, it's not a problem. "Filmmaking ... filmmaking is everything to me. I mean without it, I certainly wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"Let me tell you that that is a really strong statement, I guess it provides you more than what you can express"

Indie nodded when she listened to my statemente and I realized I hit the right spot.

That feeling, that passion that indie felt for filmaking was something that I fully understood but on my scale. For a few seconds I was aware of my actions and stopped my tinkering with the fork, if safiya saw me I would definitely be report and ... some nonsense that would make me uncomfortable and angry in the end would happen "is just the start of this ... thing and I 'm already making mistakes " the stress was noticeable in my voice "please tell me I'm not the only one hating this manners things "

"Trust me, you aren't the only one. The only reason I have any idea about what I'm doing right now is because when I got sponsored to a three, my sponsors forced me to take etiquette lessons. Not nearly as intense as these, but still ... " Indie rolled her eyes, a funny expression but that graphically couldn't describe better how I felt about the manners "they are a pain to learn. And to do. "

when I got sponsored ... were words that stuck in my memory.

"I'm not sorry for what I'm going to say but etiquette lessons are useless, they're just made to please others" I sighed annoyed remembering this morning's lesson, but the fact that I could speak it and say it out loud to someone was as if a weight was taken from me, it was something I needed to say before explote at a bad time "the crown should have more important thing to focuse on it, so I agree they are absolutely a pain to learn and to do "

I flicked my tongue and blurted out another question, I wasn't to be left with the doubt "you were a four?

"Well ... actually I was a six. And then I got sponsored to a three. Now I'm a two."

oh ... wait ... a six?.

"Well ... that's a pretty big change" It didn't bother me showing that I was impressed and I was sure that adjusting to such a change shouldn't be easy for absolutely anyone, including her "I guess it has been a good one, surely you have a good perspective of life ".

She nodded a little "It sure has been an interesting life." The curiosity was more than clear in her voice and in her face "Anyways, how about you? What do you do?".

The question.

Again.

I gave indie a smile full of confidence and it was that my next words were not a lie, what I was going to say was a honest and right "what do I do?" I sighed "I'm sure that's something you don't want to know ... or anyone and if you need some piece of advice is better if you stops asking" my smile took a friendly air at the end.

What I do was not only difficult to explain, it's also private and saying it could get me in trouble at the palace.

She squinted playfully, It wasn't the reaction I expected, I expected ... something different, but I liked her reaction "Oh, now I'm definitely intrigued. After all, a character that doesn't reveal their backstory at first, always has the best one. "

That was definetly a very good way to see it.

"You may be right but at the end we would never know" I raised an eyebrow and what came out was not exactly a question  "first impression about him"

"Well, he seems a little ... hesitant. But, very kind. He was for me, anyway. What about you?"

"Mmmm I don't know, it was interesting ... you know?" I looked at indie because in my head there were a million thoughts and ideas fluttering ithat I needed to organize before continuing to speak "it's like he's trying to hide himself" I took a sip of juice and shrugged "or maybe I I'm overthinking it and is just how he is "

"I kind of got the same vibe. He seemed nervous, I guess. Polite and everything, but it'll be nice to get to know him better. It's hard to know someone after one short conversation."

"He presented himself as how he is for the public, for the cameras, and everyone knows that's just a mask, you're right when you say is hard to know someone after one short conversation but is enough to get a good taste of who is going to be around you" Arin had shown himself to me as he was on TV or in a magazine and deep down I knew there was much more than that. I bit a strawberry and gave myself a chance to enjoy its flavor. "I guess I'm talking too much"

"No! Don't say that! It has been fun talking to you. And anyways, this conversation has been somewhat short, and I already think we should be friends." She smiled but... did she say we should be friends?

"Wow" I looked at her and showed her that her proposal had been impressive for me. I wasn't used to being offered a friendship in such a short time and much less in the middle of what was a competition "friends?". I cleared my throat and looked at her making sure she was serious "Don't get me wrong but you are conscious of what you are saying?"

Her gaze dropped to her hands and she was slightly confused but dispite the confusion and negative impact my words could create she smiled "I mean ... we don't have to be ... if you don't want to. You seem nice though, and you are very intriguing to me." She squitend playfully "Why? Is there a reason we shouldn't? After all, you wouldn't even tell me what you do for a living."

Plus that, having a friendship was having to eventually open with her, let her know a little more about me and if things went well in the end she would end up finding out about my work, something that I supposed a person like her would not like it much.

"I'm not saying that we shouldn't be friends" I said giving her a questioning look "I'm just impressed, nice is not a word with people usually describe me" I raised one of my eyebrows and smirked "there's a lot of reasons but that's up to you "In my consciousness it was clear that I had made the necessary warnings.

"Well then, we should be friends." She nodded reassuringly.

It was clear that she didn't take a minute to think about her answer, but it was better that way, it was better if she let herself go.

"Feeling risky today?" I reached out my hand again but this time representing that we were closing some kind of  deal "I like that".

Indie shaked my hand with a chuckle. She had accepted "I'll admit that you are slightly terrifying, but I don't think you give yourself enough credit. It's refreshing, and you are nice."

"Slightly terrifying, refreshing and nice" I muttered to myself, I laughed and nodded a little, I liked the terms she used, the perception that indie had of me was different and I liked that "you girl are filling me of curiosity, I'm dying to see how this thing goes. " I looked at indie squinting "and I'm referring to everything".

#nemesis lincer #challenge 1 #theselectionoc #selectionoc6 #selectionoc #covid-19 #((I HATE TRANSLATING))

[oblvvicn]

Arthur Charles Meyers - Character Development

Who are you?

BASIC CHARACTER QUESTIONS

First name? Edward Arthur

Surname? Jones Meyers

Middle names? Charles

Nicknames? n/a

Date of birth? October 29th,1977

Age? 43

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

Height? 6 ft 1 inches

Weight? 198 lbs

Build? Average

Hair color? Black

Eye color? Green

Glasses or contact lenses? Reading glasses

Distinguishing facial features? None, really..

Which facial feature is most prominent? That damn fine chin according to Tara.

Which bodily feature is most prominent? His hands have only been the that he’s looked at his whole life and saw himself in- for that alone they’re most prominent because of the truth they hold.

Other distinguishing features? He’s a pretty plain jane  

Skin? While the tan he used to have from his days under the sun has gone, it’s not saved his skin from the hands of time. Wrinkles settle into his forehead, and around the creases of his eyes.

Hands? Arthur’s hands carry the truth of him, it’s easy to look at them and see the callouses that haven’t left after years, and the faint scars that remain on the back of his hands. They’ve seen years and years of hard work before he started writing, but those years cling to them and weathers them.

Scars? Most of Arthur’s scars are from at least 20 years ago, if not more- So they’ve faded beyond the point of recognition for the most part and blended with his skin. Faint silver slithers are still seen if you look close enough.

Birthmarks? He’s got a faint birthmark stretching across his shin to his calf. It’s mostly hard to distinguish these days.

Tattoos? He’s not got any tattoos.

Physical handicaps? Nothing outside minor lingering injuries.

Type of clothes? Arthur mostly wears white button downs tucked into trousers, and on more formal occasions such as work, he’ll wear a suit jacket and tie along with it. Different varying levels of formal trousers of course, he’ll hardly be caught in jeans. On his days around the house, those white button downs turn to plain white t-shirts.

Race / Ethnicity? White , Caucasian

Mannerisms? Arthur while is a bit blunt quite often, is polite- especially to those he doesn’t know. Old habits die hard they say, and it’s hard for him not to be on best graces with those he speaks to.

Are they in good health? Relatively, smoking as much as he does doesn’t do well by his lungs- and drinking takes its toll some mornings.

Do they have any disabilities? No.

PERSONALITY

What words or phrases do they overuse? He doesn’t really have any.

Do they have a catchphrase? You’re lucky if you speak to him enough to get one.

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Despite what it may seem, Arthur’s more of an optimist. He’s often pretty certain of things working his way.

Are they introverted or extroverted? Introverted.

Do they ever put on airs? Most of his life

What bad habits do they have? Smoking and drinking the most obvious, and his immediate response to flee when too much pressure is put on him.

What makes them laugh out loud? Mostly naive youth with promising hopes, but you can usually get him with a solid joke.

How do they display affection? Through honesty, even if that is in slithers of personality.

Mental handicaps? He has a mild case of PTSD

How do they want to be seen by others?

How do they see themselves? Arthur struggles to look at himself and see, well himself. He sees anyone but. Mostly he looks to himself and sees a crumbling world dissolving in his hands, as he tries constantly to patch it back up.

How competitive are they? Not very.

Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider? Snap judgement when under pressure, the rest will work itself out.

How do they react to praise? Depends on who it’s from, he mostly won’t give much of a reaction to avoid people using praise as an attempt to suck up.

How do they react to criticism? He usually takes it with a grain of salt.

What is their greatest fear? Being unraveled to the point that he’s forced to face everything that’s true about him. Being forced to face that there’s perhaps nothing true left to him. In a similar sentiment, perhaps his past catching up to who he is today.

What are their biggest secrets? Besides their whole life? I mean mainly that his whole identity is a lie.

What is their philosophy of life? Start again, maybe this time you’ll do it right.

When was the last time they cried? He can’t remember.

What haunts them? His own demons.

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? Pretty much a mix, I’d say mostly indoorsy?

What is their sinful little habit? Do affairs count?

What sense do they most rely on? Sight

How do they treat people better than them? Like they’re on the same level.

How do they treat people worse than them? Like he’s a good role model.

What quality do they most value in a friend? Loyalty?

What do they consider an overrated virtue? Morality

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? He thinks he might like to be human.

What is their obsession? Mortality.

What are their pet peeves? Someone speaking to him when it’s really not necessary.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of? Which one? jk, jk, i swear - his immediate relatives, he doesn’t have any alive, and it was small even before that. He does have a wife, and two children, but that’s not to say for very long.

What is their perception of family? Arthur honestly, doesn’t really have one. He’s used to it being him alone in the world.

Do they have siblings? Older or younger? None.

Describe their best friend. Before Wade, it was their boss who was the closest thing to his best friend. He wasn’t a secretive type himself, but that wasn’t to say he didn’t have his own secrets- they just happened to be ones Arthur knew of. They understood eachother on some level, and he at least understood what Arthur needed. He knows he was expecting him to leave, they’d both made their peace with that a long time ago.

Ideal best friend? Someone who understands that Arthur will never be around for long.

Describe their other friends. He mostly keeps people at arm’s length.

Describe their acquaintances. Anyone else who might have been considered a friend, really was just an acquaintance. Mostly work colleges, people in the neighborhood who he’d attend dinner parties with, people in social circles at soirées.

Do they have any pets? None

PAST AND FUTURE

What was your character like as a baby? As a child? Arthur or well,, Edward was a quiet child- He was stoic before he knew to be a young boy. He would never speak out of line, or step out of line, he was easy to forget as he spent most of his time trying to blend in.

Did they grow up rich or poor? Poor

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected? Neglected

What is the most offensive thing they ever said? He’s known for being quite brutal sometimes, there’s a few things up there.

What is their greatest achievement? He couldn’t tell you. He doesn’t think he’s achieved much in life.

What was their first kiss like? The boy would remind him of summer, with the breeze in his laugh and the way his hands crushed strawberries like they were blood dripping from wounds. He was light, and graceful, and didn’t know what pain looked like except when he would stare into Arthur’s big eyes and he’d see that mirror to his soul. They kiss as they’re playing knights, berries sweetly staining lips, and Arthur lost his breath. He didn’t see the blonde boy after that.

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? Arthur’s never really felt that strongly for anyone, so it doesn’t take much for him to do others wrong.

What are their ambitions? To do something right this time.

What advice would they give their younger self? Think about it.

What smells remind them of their childhood? Hay bales, and mulberry bushes, and tractor exhaust, and whiskey, and cheap cigarettes, and sprinklers on freshly mowed grass.

What was their childhood ambition? To be someone worth living.

What is their best childhood memory? re bio: kissing that boy

What is their worst childhood memory? He does his best not to think about those thanks. re bio: all of it.

Did they have an imaginary childhood friend? No.

When was the last time they were crushed with disappointment? When he was sent to boarding school.

What past act are they most ashamed of? Re: all of it

What past act are they most proud of? He doesn’t have a moment he’s proud of.

Has anyone ever saved their life? When he served in the army, it’s easy to say everyone there would take part in saving his life. Let alone the nurses who cared for him each time.

Strongest childhood memory? He doesn’t let himself dwell on moments like these, but if any were to be the strongest it would be the one by the fireplace in the stone kitchen sitting besides the man who wasn’t his father. They ate in silence, it was long after they boy should have stopped feeling like a stranger in the home, but he knows he still is. So he thanks him for the meal as they bathe in the flickering light. His eyes run across the man, taking every wrinkle in, every scar and blemish on his skin like they have their own story. Like the freckles can line up his past and expose something. And the boy asks, because he sees it in his eyes, and hears it when he opens his mouth. “Why are you so alone?”

LOVE

Do they believe in love at first sight? No.

Are they in a relationship? Technically.

How do they behave in a relationship? Around his partner he comes off as the almost perfect partner, caring albiet a little distant at times. But he’s not behaved to say, spending nights with others, and sometimes leaving on impulse with a call in the morning with a lie. Business trips usually, last minute calls- he’s not ideal.

When did you character last have sex? Probably with his wife?

What sort of sex do they have? Who wants to know?

Has your character ever been in love? He thinks he might have been with that boy that tasted of sunshine.

Have they ever had their heart broken? No.

CONFLICT

How do they respond to a threat? He often brushes it off without much thought, or pretends it’s not gotten to him. Alternatively if it’s to do with certain things, he’ll leave.

Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Tongue

What is your character’s kryptonite? Being known.

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? He’d let it all burn.

How do they perceive strangers? Depends on what use they are to him.

What do they love to hate? He can’t think of anything.

What are their phobias? Mild fear of heights, but that’s mostly not a big deal.

What is their choice of weapon? He’s not going to fight you.

What living person do they most despise? Himself

Have they ever been bullied or teased? Teased as a kid for being so quiet, but it never bothered him.

Where do they go when they’re angry? Away.

Who are their enemies and why? You, you nosey bitch.

WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES

What is their current job? Highschool English Professor

What do they think about their current job? He doesn’t think much about it.

What are some of their past jobs? Journalist, Mechanic Hand, Farm Hand, Secretary, Copy Writer

Educational background? Studied English Literature at College

Do they have a natural talent for something? Saving a situation with what to say.

Do they play a sport? Are they any good? He played some water polo in college but was never that good at it.

What is their socioeconomic status? Upper middle, closer bordering upper class.

FAVORITES

What is their favorite animal? He likes fish, they’re chill.

Which animal to they dislike the most? Do ants count?

What place would they most like to visit? Somewhere no one knows him.

What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? He was lieing there, heat smouldering around him and his breath barley caught staring up to the sky. It was pale and glistening in his eyes as his head spun, he knew everything around him, the fear that raced in his heart. But for this moment, he saw birds flying overhead, and everything was still.

What is their favorite song? Arthur will say he listens to Tchaikovsky- sometimes he does.

What is their favorite color? The off white of old book pages.

What is their password? It changes every month, he’s careful with privacy. This month it’s 423.RiceWhite

Favorite food: Lamb Chops and relish.

POSSESSIONS

What is in their fridge: He’s still at the motel, so cream, some beer, maybe some leftovers.

What is on their bedside table? His reading glasses. Maybe a book.

What is in their car? Whiskey in the glove box, along with his wedding ring and a road map. A map book under the passenger car seat, maybe his briefcase from work.

What is in their bin? Coffee grinds, a takeaway box, beer bottle tops.

What is in their purse or wallet? Arthur Meyer’s ID, and ‘old library card’ , he often keeps a fair amount of cash on him as he doesn’t like to use card, however still has one bank card under Arthur’s name. He doesn’t keep any personal memorabilia in there.

What is in their pockets? His wallet, keys, and maybe a napkin he was scratching on when he was in the diner. Also a pen.

What is their most treasured possession? His car keys, they’re his way out.

SPIRITUALITY

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? He doesn’t have one.

Do they believe in the afterlife? No.

What are their religious views? Raised catholic, isn’t anymore. However goes to church in town for appearance.

What do they think heaven is? He doesn’t think it exists.

What do they think hell is? He doesn’t think it exists.

Are they superstitious? No, he doesn’t think the universe cares enough about what you do.

What would they like to be reincarnated as? God he hopes he isn’t.

How would they like to die? by the hands of someone who understands him, alone somewhere where no one identifies him or even finds him.

What is your character’s spirit animal? A crow perhaps?

What is their zodiac sign? Scorpio

VALUES

What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? They’re restrained.

What is their view of ‘freedom’? Existing.

When did they last lie? Probably in this questionnaire.

What’s their view of lying? It serves a cause.

When did they last make a promise? To his wife that he’ll be back.

Did they keep or break their last promise? Lol, you guess.

DAILY LIFE

What are their eating habits? Oh boy.

Do they have any allergies? Nope.

Describe their home. Well right now,,, it’s a motel so it’s as lovely as you think.

Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? Minimalist.

What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Make coffee.

What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? Read the paper with some tea.

What do they do on a Friday night? Grade student work.

What is the soft drink of choice? Root Beer.

What is their alcoholic drink of choice? Whiskey.

MISCELLANEOUS

Who is their hero? He doesn’t have one.

What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween? Himself.

Are they comfortable with technology? Relatively.

If they could save one person, who would it be? It would be two, and it would be his kids.

If they could call one person for help, who would it be? He wouldn’t.

What is their perception of redemption? It’s just a concept.

What would they do if they won the lottery? Nothing different tbh. Save it for a rainy day.

Do they believe in happy endings? No.

What is their idea of perfect happiness? He’ll let you know when he finds it.

What would they ask a fortune teller? What’s true?

#middle:prompt #i wanted to die #anyway here's this

[juliabohemian]

Nostalgia Bias

I recently came across a meme on Facebook, posted by a friend. The meme consisted of a reactionary joke about how Millennials don't know how to drive stick shifts or read in cursive, and that if we want to keep them quarantined, we should put them in cars with manual transmissions and give them the directions in cursive.

Ordinarily, I would keep scrolling past something as inane as this. Actually, that's not true. Ordinarily, there wouldn't be anyone on my friend's list, on any social media platform, who would post reactionary humor. I was truly surprised to see it at all, especially coming from this person, who has always seemed reasonably intelligent.

The first thing wrong with that joke is that it suggests that the generation struggling the most with staying quarantined are the Millennials. Which we know is not true. It is the Baby Boomers. Though Gen-X appears to be adapting best to the whole mess. Go team.

The second thing wrong with that joke is that we still teach children to write in cursive, in elementary school, as of 2020. The third thing wrong with that joke is that there are plenty of Millennials who know how to drive a stick shift.

One could just as easily say the best way to keep Boomers quarantined would be to lock them inside and hook up everything in their homes to smart devices. Ha ha. Isn’t that hilarious? Because old people can’t use technology, right. Yeah, except for all the ones who do. Betty White and Patrick Stewart, for instance.

I couldn't help myself, of course. I had to make a comment. Why? Because I genuinely thought that the person who posted the meme would realize that it was bullshit and be willing to acknowledge that. Needless to say, that's not how it went. I got the answer that I have gotten so many times in the past "yeah, I mean, that's TRUE I guess...but that doesn’t matter because it was rude of you to point it out.”

Was it, though? Ruder than the joke itself? Is politeness to a single individual more important than the feelings of an entire generation of people being maligned by a bad joke? I believe it was Dr. House who posed the question:

"What would you prefer, a doctor who holds your hand while you die or one who ignores you while you get better? I suppose it would particularly suck to have a doctor who ignores you while you die."

Now, I would like to point out that, as someone on the autism spectrum, I don’t socialize in the traditional sense. I relate to people by exchanging information. For me, that takes the place of socializing. That's probably why I am an educator. I like to teach people things. When I see something that I know is absolute bullshit, and I think there's a chance that it can turn into a valuable teaching moment, I cannot resist. Because it isn't just the person who posted it that is going to see my comment, but many other people as well.

Social media is wrought with misinformation. It’s pretty hard to avoid it. I cringe whenever I hear people using words like autistic or schizophrenic to describe the behavior of an ordinary, neurotypical person. Those are conditions for which there are specific diagnostic criteria. The same goes for diabetes, which you definitely cannot get from eating a bag of candy. 

So, what is it that makes people behave this way? Why would perfectly NICE, well meaning people willfully and knowingly spread misinformation? The simple answer is, they don't know it's misinformation. Which is the result of something called bias. 

Bias affects our critical thinking skills. It allows us to hold views that are completely incorrect and even harmful to others. And as we share misinformation that is based upon our bias, even via a format as harmless as a meme, it spreads. And it affects other people's views and behavior. 

The primary source of reactionary humor, such as that which I referenced above, is something called nostalgia bias.

Nostalgia is basically the belief that things from a previous era are superior to their modern counterparts, without the benefit of any objective analysis. Why are they better? Because they're old, obviously. No further analysis is required.

There are two types of nostalgia, historical and personal. The simplest way to differentiate between the two would be to consider historical nostalgia to be the product of anything that happens outside of yourself and to the larger group, such as your community, state or country. Personal nostalgia refers to that which affects you personally, your immediate family, your extended family unit, your school or workplace.

Psychologists have found that personal nostalgia (as opposed to historical nostalgia) can be a stabilizing force that anchors people emotionally and helps them to overcome trauma and loss. But on the flip side, historical nostalgia is likely to prevent people from being open to change by making them dependent on the memories of an idealized past.

I can't even count the number of times I have found myself on YouTube, watching a music video for a song that is (at least) 20 years old or more, and I made the mistake of scrolling down to read the comments. Because, inevitably, there will always be someone in there saying something to the effect of "they don't make music like THIS anymore" and/or "the music they make these days is crap!" And I roll my eyes because such a declaration is purely nostalgic and pretty much the antithesis of critical thinking. 

I am 42 years old. I remember hearing people say that “new music sucks” in 1984. Which is a relatively long time ago for me. But comparatively speaking, a mere hiccup for mankind. I suspect that people have been making such sweeping statements since long before I came into existence. They were bullshit then and they’re bullshit now.

There has always been bad music. Always. Just as there has always been good music. But what does it mean for music to be good or bad? Well, unless you’ve been academically trained in music theory or have acquired decades of performance experience, not a whole lot. For the average person it means that you either like it or you don’t. If you like it, it’s good. If you don’t, it’s bad. Really it’s only a valid measurement for the individual in question. Even if you manage to find 500 people who agree with your opinion, it's still not an objective measurement. Because art cannot be objectively measured.

It's important to consider the fact that genuinely bad music rarely survives to be appreciated by future generations. Meaning that the music that does survive represents the most popular, most commercially successful, most critically acclaimed work of that era. There's a reason why you aren't hearing Milli Vanilli on the oldie's station. Although, I suspect that is more likely related to the whole lip syncing scandal, but I digress.

It's also important to consider why people like or dislike things. Is it actually because they’re good or bad? Unfortunately, no. It's entirely a matter of personal taste. There are things that I like that I know are probably bad. Low budget, found footage horror films, for instance. No award winners among them. Some of them are comprised of video taken with a cell phone. But I love them all the same.

Like all art, music is very personal. We can hear a song and are immediately transported back to a specific time or place. For many of us, music is an escape from reality, or a window to another world. Thus, music is very much connected to our memory of events and the feelings that we attach to those memories. This is what contributes to our skewed perception that something is better because it is old. In actuality, it is better for us, personally, because it represents memories and feelings that we enjoyed or that we still enjoy. As more and more time passes, those memories become increasingly idealized in our minds. So much so that nothing new could possibly compare.

The arts are important to society. It is not logical to suggest that newer generations are producing inferior art, simply because their art does not appeal to older people. New art doesn’t need to appeal to older people, because it’s not really FOR them. They aren’t the intended audience. It’s not a reflection of their generation's interests, values or struggles. 

For some older people, new art is a reminder of mortality. It is a reminder that they are aging, or that they are no longer as relevant to society as they once were. And they deal with the discomfort of that by rejecting or invalidating new things. Which is a miserable way to live.

So, think critically, my friends. Even when you’re assessing something as harmless as a meme. Look for bias and when you see it, don’t be afraid to call it out. And as you get older, try to stay as open minded as possible. Or else, someday, someone might lock you inside a car with a manual transmission and give you an instruction manual written only in cursive.

#nostalgia #nostalgia bias #reactionary bias #rosy retrospection #cognitive bias #willful ignorance #self deception #juliabohemian #I hate everyone #yeah I have autism #juliabohemian rant #juliabohemianrant

[theluckyyyoneee]

Superficial

Seokjin is very picky about, well, everything. What he eats, his clothes, who his friends are and most importantly who he chooses to date. You don’t add up to his qualifications, with your messy hair and carefree attitude, something he lets known to you when he mistakenly thinks you’re staring at him. College AU!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3: Finale

Pairing: Seokjin x Reader

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Word Count: 2.2+k

not my gif^

“This is the break room, there’s a vending machine and a coffee machine, you guys can relax in here during your breaks.” You informed the small group of freshman, their youthful faces filled with amazement as they took in the moderately sized room. 

You smiled at their expressions and was about to move on when you heard your name being called by a familiar obnoxious voice from across the open building. 

Face scrunching up in a grimace, you slowly turned around and faced a beaming Seokjin, looking effortless in some ripped jeans and pink sweater.

A pink fucking sweater that looked really good on him.

Forcing yourself out of those kinds of thoughts, you controlled your expression and shooed him away, knowing his next class was clear across campus and that he had no time to fool around. 

You could hear his infamous laugh clear from where you stood as he waved goodbye enthusiastically and literally skipped away.

Feeling your energy drained just from his presence, you sighed and took awhile to reboot while the freshman girls you were touring swooned.

“Oh my god, that was Kim Seokjin!”

“How is he so handsome!”

“I can die happy now!”

“Y/N unnie, you know him? He called your name just now,”

At that last comment, you looked at them to find their expectant eyes already trained on you and you choked out a small laugh as you slowly nodded. “Yes, he’s my friend.” You trailed off, the word friend leaving a weird taste on your tongue.

“Really? Can you introduce us to him sometime please?”

“I heard that he used to be kind of mean but over the last few months, he’s been really friendly to everyone!”

Yeah, he better be fucking friendly, you thought to yourself silently, urging them to follow you down the hall to the admins office. All that time you spent teaching him right from wrong, all the social niceties he had never learned really drained you for months. 

But you couldn't help the small smile that graced your lips after dropping them off to pick up their schedules that all your time together seemed worth it now that he was behaving like a proper citizen.

You really weren't planning on having anything to do with Kim Seokjin ever again.

You really weren't.

But damn that Min Yoongi and his way with words that it feel like you were the one who needed to apologize.

So naturally, the first day after your break had ended, you were on your way home after classes and who did you see sitting all by their lonesome on a bench, just staring up into the sky like he was filming a movie or something?

Yep, that's right.

The words that had kept you up countless nights were currently repeating over and over in your head and you exhaled a heavy breath and made your way to where he was, sitting next to him so silently and swiftly he jumped and screamed a bit louder than you were expecting, fighting off a laugh at his unexpected cute behavior.

But before you could even get a word in, his expression displayed recognition and before you knew it, he was seated next to you once again, spewing apology after apology.

"I'm so sorry, I've had awhile to think about what I said and I was an asshole. I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am, and I'm going to stop being so superficial. I realized I want people to like me for me, and not just for my appearance and-"

You felt a headache coming on just from his rambling and you hurried to cover his mouth with your hand before he could say another word, taking a moment to relish in the profound silence you were blessed with as he continued to stare at you wide eyed and you quickly removed your hand from his mouth.

"I forgive you. I forgive you, before you start all that ranting again." You told him and you hated the way your heart rate increased with the sight of Seokjin's beaming smile that could blind even the sun.

"Really?"

You nodded with a smile and made a move to stand up. You had said all you wanted to, so you figured there was no use in staying any longer. "I wish you luck in…" you trailed off, not really knowing what to say. "trying to become less superficial?" It came out as a question, but he was still smiling at you so you shrugged and took a step to be on your way before he caught your wrist.

Looking at him in confusion, you blinked at him while you watched him struggle with his words. "Can you… will you help me?"

You didn't know what he meant by help, but you agreed for some reason and willingly put yourself through hell for months, and this was basically what you went through:

"So it's not polite to go up to someone and rate them from a scale of one to ten?"

"…Oh my god, no."

"…And it's not okay to refer people to plastic surgeons?"

"What the fuck, no!"

"And pulling out a mirror to look at myself while out with someone is a no, too, then?"

You remember being really dumbfounded by that one.

"I'm fucking leaving, I can't do this,"

"No, wait!"

Somehow, even through all that, you found joy in his company even though he was a literal ball of energy that never tired out, you had fun being with him and his unexpected sense of humor that was a mix between dad puns and knock knock jokes.

Another thing you really did not see coming.

Yoongi and you had so much in common, it was like you were the same person but in two different bodies. Naturally, the more time you spent with Jin, the more time you spent with Hoseok and Yoongi.

You and Hoseok got along fine, he was a bit more on the flirty side than you were completely comfortable with but then you realized that it was just his personality, but you felt a lot closer to Yoongi than you did with him.

Having the same taste in music and books, the two of you took care of each other casually and often without realizing it. The two of you had the same ‘you-don’t-wanna-mess-with-me-but-once-i-like-you-i’m-really-nice attitude.

And then Hoseok had decided to try and tease the two of you.

"So what's goin' on between you two, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down in a provocative manner and the two of you sent him a glare in regards to his question.

Yoongi was currently helping you out of your jacket as the four of you sat at his kitchen table as Seokjin watched intently, not even joining in on the conversation like he usually would. His expression was deadly serious and his jaw was clenched shut.

Sifting through his behavior over the last few weeks, you decided that Jin was indeed acting a bit strange, even for him. He was a lot more clingy and touchy, and you hated the way your body reacted whenever his hand would find the small of your back, or reach to push a strand of your wild hair back behind your ear.

Or how he would get that little pout when you told him you had plans with someone else, demanding you to give him their name and their number, their address, etc.

Which set off bells in your head, telling you that he was jealous, but you shooed that thought away.

Even though he's become a much better person, you didn't doubt that you were far from his type.

Like he said, he didn't date girls like you.

And why did those words that once infuriated you make your heart ache in the present? 

A pained yelp escaping from Hoseok's mouth shakes you out of your thoughts and you laugh and stick your tongue out at him as he switches his glare to you.

Yoongi totally just kicked him underneath the table.

"Nothing's goin' on between us," Yoongi's gruff tone answered to him as he rubbed his leg with his hand, pain still etched on his handsome, yet annoying features. But he shocked you by throwing an arm around your shoulder and pulling you close, something the boys in front certainly did not miss.

"Even if there was, we don't have to tell you anything."

"Ah, oppa," you teased him with a smile as you leaned further into his embrace to which he was suddenly pushing you away with a look of disgust to which you made a face at him.

The chair Seokjin was sitting in scraped across the hardwood floor as he jumped up and stomped away to who knows where with a scowl on his face.

“Oh, looks like lover boy’s jealous~” Hoseok sang after him, but you just shook your head at their antics and tried to not that dangerous feeling hope of him seeing you as more than a friend consume you.

But by the time a few hours had passed, Jin still hasn’t shown up and you cursed yourself when you realized he had been in his room all along.

“Okay, what’s up?” You sighed as you took a seat next to him.

“What?” His head hung low and his enormous shoulders caved in on themselves as he didn’t even try to lift his head to look at you.

“What do you mean what? Why are you so upset?”

He heaved a heavy sigh and readjusted his sitting position so he was facing you. His bottom lip jutted out in a pout and he looked at you with those damn puppy dog eyes as he said, “Why do you treat Yoongi better than you treat me?”

“What?”

“Do you like him more than you like me?”

“...What?”

"I know you're still mad at me for calling you ugly…"

"You didn't necessarily call me ugly...” You muttered.

"Right? I didn't! But that's what you called me!"

"I called your personality ugly, you're actually very handsome, Jinny,"

He faltered a bit with his next verbal attack at the compliment or the use of the nickname you rarely ever used on him-you didn't know which-and cleared his throat, his cheeks and tips of his ears tinted a pink that matched his sweater.

"…Do you still think I'm ugly?" He uttered those words so softly you almost didn't hear him, lucky that there was no other noise at the moment, and you knew what he was referring to but you couldn't help but tease him a bit.

"I never called you ugly~" You sang with a grin and you saw a ghost of a smile finally crack his gloomy facade. He shoved you softly with his shoulders and you shook your head at him, still smiling. “No I don’t think you’re ugly. You’re actually very likable and sweet once I got to know you.” You answered truthfully, watching him duck his head as a shy smile graced his plump lips.

“Enough to be your boyfriend?”

His words made you freeze and if it wasn’t for your chest elevating with your staggered breaths one might mistake you for a statue. Eyes wide, he shot his head to look at you from your ongoing silence and he rushed to say, “If you don’t like me that way that’s fine, I just figured I’d ask anyway but I know that you probably like Yoongi...”

“You said you didn’t date girls like me,” you told him, not completely believing the words that were escaping his mouth at the moment.

A grimace graced his features as he remembered himself telling you those words and his eyes were downcast as he said softly, almost to himself, “That was the old me... I just... I really like you and you’re so beautiful-even more beautiful than me-which is saying a lot! But I understand if you don’t want t-”

Placing your hands on his defined jawline, you tilted his head towards yours and kissed those lips you’ve been dreaming about for the last few months, noting how soft and plump and warm they were.

You pulled away softly and a bit hesitantly and you had trouble looking at his awestruck expression straight on, feeling your body flush. “If you’re really serious about wanting to be my boyfriend... then I’ll do you the favor of accepting, I guess.” You tried to play it off, but your facade crumbled as he exclaimed in what you guessed was joy, squishing your body to his in a giant hug.

Your cheeks burned with the numerous times he thanked you, heart beating erratically as he brought his face close to yours once again, whispering another ‘thank you’ and kissed you with more passion than you’ve ever been kissed with before.

“Ya Min Yoongi, we have people making out in here!” Hoseok’s voice suddenly screamed from the now open door and the two of you broke apart, embarrassment filling the both of you at being caught in an intimate position, which not too long later turned to annoyance.

Exhaling a heavy breath, you closed your eyes to calm yourself down as you felt and heard Seokjin spring up from his seated position and heard the once calm Hoseok screech as they chased each other through the house.

You hated Jung Hoseok. That cheeky bastard.

tag list: @pwinny00 @fuckthatfeeling 

it’s finally over omg! i had so much fun writing this and i just wanna say thnx to everyone who read it and enjoyed and the ppl telling me how much they liked it rlly makes me happy!

#bts #bts au #bts bias #bts kim seokjin #bts seokjin #kim seokjin #bts drabble #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts imagines #bts yoongi #bts scenarios

[demaury]

A battle you don't know about (ao3)

Lucas gets annoyed one time too many by the hottest customer he never had

And there he is again, Lucas thought, somewhat bitterly, somewhat haughtily, as he pulled himself away from the countertop when the bell chimed.

He couldn’t quite prevent himself from looking up at the huge clock above the door, even though he already needed to have a third and fourth hand if he wanted to get every order out before people started screaming at him and his manager came back pestering him. 

It was rush hour in the small coffee shop, and the two lines snaking their way through the coffee shop, in front of him and his fellow barista Imane, were leaving them absolutely no rest whatsoever. It used to be quiet, Lucas often thought, generally when the orders started piling up. A quiet job and a quiet workplace, with quiet afternoons where Lucas could get a couple of customers but also get some work done for uni on the side. It had crashed when their manager, Alex, the chillest dude he had ever met, had resigned and had been replaced by a blonde chatterbox called Daphné, who took it upon herself to make it the new place to be. Ever since, they basically transformed themselves in octopuses with barely enough time to catch their breath twice all through their always understaffed shifts.

It was hell. Really. It was stressful and hot and Lucas was now used to burn himself on such a regular basis than he couldn’t even begin to count. People were being people, which meant they were rude and sometimes impossible to satisfy, with stupid questions and long-ass orders that just made Lucas want to roll his eyes. Problem was, he’d stopped waiting for his father’s monthly allowance to live — so he had to make some cash, one way or another, and he wasn’t really fond of selling his body to buy food. So here he was. You would think that meeting cute customers was a nice opportunity, but the hot ones rarely got interested enough to give a number, and when they happened to do so, Lucas generally found himself not interested enough to pursue it.

So there was no point in being even remotely fazed by the fact that Eliott-the-hot-customer purposefully chose Imane’s queue. Particularly when it happened every. Single. Day. At first Lucas had been really, really dumbfounded. He could still remember the first time he had strolled in, one quiet afternoon — before Daphné came in the picture —, at some point last fall. He had this brown jacket on that looked so comfy, with dark, ripped skinny jeans and an adorable smile on a too-perfect face. Every single thing about him was perfect, Lucas had decided as soon as he had witnessed Eliott’s wide smile and soft laughter, his eyes crinkling as he talked quietly to Imane — so soft, so gentle, that he had surprised himself thinking he might, somehow, be her boyfriend.

Boy had he been wrong.

(And not just for the boyfriend thing.)

Eliott (he had found out about his name while casually spying on Imane when she wrote it on the Styrofoam cup) wasn’t nice. Eliott was a fucking jerk. He never took off his earphones, to begin with, which was on the short-list of the things people like Lucas hated the most. At all time of the day, there was always that annoying, loud music blasting from them and he couldn’t believe Imane didn’t find it rude herself.

“It’s okay, he’s always been super nice to me. I know him through my brother, so,” she had shrugged before turning her back to him.

That was how Lucas had been left with no other choice but to feel, on a daily basis, the weight of being hated by a stranger, for absolutely no reason whatsoever. It wasn’t even like he had ever gotten the chance to mess up his order, considering that Eliott was always obstinately going for Imane. He could still vividly remember that time where Imane had already her hands full with four customers, and that Eliott had strutted in. Lucas was still tying his apron since his shift was only starting, when he made him sign to come over to order.

“It’s fine,” Eliott had shrugged, without moving an eyelid. “I’ll wait.”

And with that he had at least doubled the volume of his music, so much that the two girls waiting before him turned their frowning faces back to him. It was stupid, really, but how was he supposed not to take this personally, as yet another rejection of some sort? His cheeks had heated up like he had been slapped, and ever since Lucas had stopped trying to look polite. He had stopped smiling whenever the bell would chime for him and he had stopped pretending like he cared that Eliott chose Imane instead of him. If he wanted to wait fifteen minutes for his drink, it was his problem.

He was fine with it.

Or at least he liked to think he was, which turned out to be a bit far from the truth. It was a Tuesday morning, and Imane had called in sick just thirty minutes before Lucas was set to open — which he found out when Daphné called him.

“Are you fucking kidding me? How do you expect me to manage all those customers on my own?!”

“Don’t be dramatic, Lucas,” Daphné replied far too cheerfully at this hour, “I booked Chloé to replace her, but she’s going to be a little late. Alexia will take over this afternoon as usual.”

“Great, now how am I supposed to handle the 8.15 rush hour on my own?”, he protested adamantly.

“Well, I sure hope with a smile on your face,” she chirped before hanging up, leaving Lucas dumbfounded and profoundly annoyed to stare at his phone.

He wanted to scream. He really did, but the worst part was that he didn’t even have the time for that. Chloé wasn’t a bad person per se, she was actually cordial and efficient and she was handling the espresso bar better than Lucas could ever dream of. On a strictly professional level, she was just as good of a coworker as Imane was.

On a personal level? That was a nightmare. She hadn’t given him more than two words in six months, ever since he had been forced to tell her blatantly after a month of hitting on him that no he wasn’t interested, no it wasn’t because he had anyone else, no she’d never be a girl for him considering he didn’t want a girl in the first place. Back then he was going through his finals and was stressed out because with his third roommate moving out, his friend Yann and him had struggled to pay rent for a little while, so having a twenty-year-old girl with a headache-inducing enthusiasm constantly hit on him when he was as interested in dating her as an ice-cube was to find itself in the middle of the fucking Sahara, there was a tiny, tiny possibility that he might have voiced his opinion on the matter a little bit too harshly.

To his credit he had apologized after that, and although Chloé had mumbled that she forgave him at the time, they had never really talked ever since and so far, successfully managed to avoid finding themselves working side by side. Of course it had to fuck up.

It was a little bit after half-past eight that Chloé made it behind the countertop to help him with the remains of the 8.15 rush, but Lucas already felt like he had been rolled over by a truck and sweated so much that his shirt would never smell anything else but coffee and sweat.

“Thanks for coming,” he groaned more than he said as the last customer walked out.

Chloé shrugged and went to grab the apron she hadn’t had the time to put on yet. Lucas wasn’t proud but he found himself pulling a stupid face at her as she was retreating. That was all her fault anyway, he wouldn’t be in this situation if she wasn’t behaving like she was 13. His mind snapped back into place when the bell chimed, but the smile he put on automatically tightened as he saw Eliott walk in.

“Isn’t Imane here?”, he asked after a second, his pace faltering a little as he remained in the doorway.

Lucas barely held back a scoff. “No,” he said bluntly, then he added: “I know how to make coffee you know. She doesn’t hold the secrets of the universe and she certainly didn’t come up with the recipe on her own.”

Eliott’s brow furrowed and he fidgeted a little, his hand still holding the handle. “Uh. Sorry. I gotta go. Bye,” he mumbled, backtracking outside.

“Bye?” Lucas repeated incredulously. The bell chiming might have made it all the more comical, but it felt like the bell on a fucking boxing ring. He rushed from behind the counter and made it to the door faster than if his life depended on it — way worse, his pride depended on it. He caught Eliott a couple of feet further down the sidewalk. “Hey, what’s your fucking problem?”, he spat out, furious, as he grabbed Eliott’s arm and forced him to turn over.

Eliott’s eyes looked a bit alarmed, panic flashing through them as he recoiled a bit, but even like that they managed to look beautiful. Why did he have to piss off the hottest guy in Paris? What had he done wrong?

“My problem,” Eliott repeated flatly once the initial shock dissipated. “I don’t-“

“Cut the crap!” Lucas interrupted, and he glared at the woman who walked by them with a disapproving glance. “You’re always looking down on me, you’re always going for Imane even when she’s got a shit-ton of customers, and don’t even get me started on all those ‘goodbyes’ and ‘hellos’ you never fucking returned because apparently the shitty dubstep you’re always too rude to lower well and truly damaged your stupid brain!”

Eliott slowly reached up and took off his earphones, so fucking slowly that Lucas thought he might give up on his rule of never throwing hands with someone taller than him (and since he was shorter than most guys it made for a very peaceful life in the end), just for the sake of it. But then Eliott looked at him. Like, really looked. The stormy grey color matched the cloudy sky riding low above Paris that morning.

“I’m not looking down on you,” he said, and he sounded earnest.

Lucas made the ‘bitch really’ face that Yann always called him out about (because apparently it was rude, but he wouldn’t need to be rude if people didn’t do things he needed to react rudely about in the first place).

Eliott pursed his lips a little, fiddling then starting to fold his earphones. “I think you’re cute,” he said in a small, wavering huff.

Lucas’ heart might have skipped a bit, and his anger faded away in a blink. “W-What?,” he said stupidly, taken aback.

The guy looked really uncomfortable and Lucas felt suddenly hyper-aware of the rain starting to drench him, the canopy above their heads managing to pour even more water on him than to actually shelter him. Maybe he shouldn’t have gone running in the street with only a tee-shirt on, uh?

“I- I think you’re cute,” Eliott repeated.

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

He hated the way his voice seemed to become a plea now that his anger had vanished — or maybe it was just frustration, he had always been pretty lame at putting name on his emotions.

Eliott looked down. “The place is often super crowded and loud. Imane knows my usual order and that makes it easier for me,” he said, chewing onto his lip. “I- uh. I’m hard of hearing so it’s kinda tricky.”

“Oh.” Lucas wanted to slap himself. Once, twice. A hundred fucking times. “I’m sorry,” he blurted immediately, feeling his stomach and half of his organs dive in the vicinity of his shoes. “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” Eliott mumbled, waving with his hand, his earphones dangling a little. “That’s just awkward now, so I’m just- I’m gonna go, you’ve got customers waiting.”

What do I do now? Lucas thought in panic. He should probably just go back inside and go give a hand to Chloé — aka the job he was paid for. After all he had already done quite some damage that morning and it wasn’t even 10. Nevertheless, he found himself quickening his pace to catch up on Eliott, grabbing his arm more gently than the first time.

“How about you come in?”, he said quickly. “I sort these, and then you’ll give me your order and I’ll write it down so that you won’t have to wait for Imane and Imane only next time?”

Eliott blushed. Was someone like him even supposed to blush? He would have given half the Screen Actor Guild a run for their money in a beauty contest. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” Lucas said. “I’ve been an ass. It’s the least I can do.”

*

When they walked back in the coffee shop, the bell chiming cheerfully contrasted with the angry expression on Chloé’s face. Lucas shrugged it off and walked behind the countertop as she handed their orders to the trio of girls on her side. Lucas took the opportunity to grab a notepad and a pen so that he could make sure he didn’t mess another chance at not being hated by Eliott.

“So, we have a double chocolate chip frappe, mocha sauce and whipped cream,” Lucas summed up, then he looked up at Eliott as he tore off the paper sheet from the pad. “I didn’t know we sold our soul to Starbucks but, eh, that’s gonna be fun.”

Eliott smiled. One of those smiles that made his eyes crinkle. One of those smiles that made Lucas feel warm, even though his tee-shirt was damp from the rain and that he knew he would start shivering in a couple of minutes, when the adrenaline would run out and that Eliott would be gone.

He didn’t want him to leave, for once.

(And not just because Chloé would start pestering him as soon as she would hear the bell on Eliott’s way out.)

He felt himself go ridiculously self-conscious as he scribbled down his name on the cup, which was stupid because for one he didn’t exactly need to since Eliott was the only customer in the coffee shop at the moment, and also because Eliott would probably not even think the slightest thing about what his handwriting looked like. Just man the fuck up, he admonished himself.

“There you go,” he smiled as he handed him his order. “I promise it’s going to go faster next time.”

“Thanks,” Eliott said, nodding at him with a small smile. He grabbed the cup and with a final nod, he was gone, the bell chiming as the door shut itself behind him.

Lucas didn’t really know how long he stood there, staring at the door, but when the next few customers arrived he executed himself as if on autopilot. The terrible feeling didn’t leave him for the rest of his shift, even when he made it to his flat to change his clothes in a hurry before heading on campus for his afternoon classes. This time he didn’t struggle as much as usual to put a name on it: he felt like shit, plain and simple.

He was walking back to his flat after the end of his day when he received a text from Imane.

goodgalimane

[phone], here, Eliott’s number

lucallemant

what am I supposed to do with this?

goodgalimane

for *some reason* he thinks you’re out of his league

and that he made a fool of himself

and that he’s never going to be able to look you in the eye again

and now *i’ve* got the flu

and i'm tired of telling him that you’re just a stupid goblin with big hair and an even bigger mouth

in short, you owe him that, so text him already you moron

#skam france #text #elu fic #lucas lallemant #eliott demaury #mine #* #my fics

[prorevenge]

How to subtly deal with higher ranking assholes in the military.

It was back in my navy days. Back in the Navy I was in the aviation department, attached to a carrier and there was this one guy in another shop, a first class Petty Officer, so basically untouchable by someone like me in the lower ranks. Now, I could very well have risen higher in rank as I never partied, never did anything troubling things. I was, am, and almost always will be a fairly polite and well behaved man. But unfortunately in this command, you basically need DSLs to get rank. You military folks should know what those are. But as polite as I am, I HATE sucking up to people I find petty. So unfortunately I never made rank... ever. So there was a 0% chance of closing the gap between me and this other guy.

Now, I am a tad religious, and one of the things I did when I was in the navy was throw a small portion of my money into a Tithe account for charities, over the years that account can get kinda fat. This is an important fact, remember it for later.

Now, This first class, let's just call him Polly. Textbook douche bag. Physically fit, throws people under the bus at every chance, always tan, shows everyone his abs in random conversation (seriously, he unironically did this regularly) I've never seen him without his designer sunglasses on, and he had a sleeve tattoo of flames over one of his arms. Never did any work or supervising, the ONLY thing he did as everyone slaved away is brag about all the "puss he crushed" in the last port.

Now, normally I just ignore people I don't like. But as he was about doing his thing I guess he had same self confidence issues or whatever as he started to mess with me. Now one of the things that is annoying as hell is it's always the short ones that try and pick a fight with the tall guy. I'm six seven, and I don't quite know why... but I guess he needed to prove something, So as I was getting ready for night shift he strolled by and just started saying everything he could to try and anger me. I ignored him but later on other days he would flinch at me like if he was going to take a swing. He would try and publicly embarrass me and one day he went a little too far. As I can't quite prove it was him, but I found used toilet paper in my bunk.

Later he would speak loudly of how untouchable he was when I was around, that he knew people and would could get anyone who hit him dishonorably discharged in a snap. And as fun as it would have been to put him in his place physically, I prefer to do things in a way that can't come back to bite me in the ass.

So, it wasn't until we pulled in and he was just a few days from leaving the command to another. I was close to my four years being up so I wouldn't really get a chance. Then this event started. Now, the funny thing about Tithe money is you have to give it to religious causes, or to help someone other than yourself, and our command had an interesting fundraiser.

You could donate money to an orphan's Christmas party or something like that, but the amount of money donated would go towards a name. And the top twenty names no matter their rank or position would work the galley for the weekend. Now, this is a lot worse than you think... sure cleaning dishes kinda sucks... but he had such EXTREME pride and an ego a mile wide, but not only that... everyone else that the whole ship hates is also working with him, this is also important for later...

So I donate towards his name. Now the day comes to count up the names and money, they announced the names, how many people voted, and how much money was made.

Third place was some chief in air frames, he had about twelve people who collectively put two hundred dollars on him. second place was a third class from the reactor, over twenty people donated against him getting around 500 dollars.

Now... first place. Petty officer Polly, one donor... two thousand dollars.

I was going to put all that money into a worthy charity just like it, but this... this was good. _^

The children got a good Christmas party, and the most stuck up prideful "untouchable" Petty officer in the navy got recognized as the most hated Petty Officer on the ship, and I lost nothing. I was literally going to do something exactly like that with the money already.

Now, you might say "so what... a little tap on his pride and cleaning dishes?" Lol... noooooo XD He was in there with the other 19 most hated Petty officers, chiefs, and officers on the ship, do you know what that means?

Every single tray on a ship with 5000 sailors was filled to the brim with either the most disgusting or the most difficult shit possible. Usually just filled, smothered, and encrusted with peanut butter, which had to be cleaned off by hand before put into the dish washer. Now the fun part they didn't tell us. The higher you were on the list, the less desirable position you got. So when I turned in my peanut butter covered tray which a friend of mine generously puked onto for good measure, I got to smile at Petty Officer Polly elbows deep in the sink with a broken garbage disposal, scraping the shit off everyone's plates. With the shitty setup he had... he basically marinated in that at 100% humidity for 16 hours a day over the weekend.

And I might add that many of us decided we needed seconds on breakfast, lunch, and dinner... sometimes thirds. Mostly for peanut butter and whatever my friends would be willing to vomit up onto my plate.

Thankfully, we pulled into port pretty soon after that and he never really learned that I was the one to put two thousand dollars on him. I was tempted to tell him just so would try and get some physical revenge out off base. But I knew he would cry to his supervisors and testify against me if I kicked his shit in, even in self defense.

But yes, I will always fondly remember the tale of Petty Officer Polly, the biggest Douchebag and piece of shit in the navy.

(source) story by (/u/Laffett)

#prorevenge #by /u/Laffett #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #last10

[hookedontaronfics]

Aber Girl series - Saturday

Title: Aber Girl - Saturday Part 2 of 3. Find Friday’s adventure HERE. Rating: T Pairing: Taron x OC Warnings: Cursing and alcohol use A/N: Some confessions force Morgan to reevaluate her own memories as well as beliefs she has long held onto. Could giving one chance to Taron really be so bad? A Triple Shot [3-part] series. Plenty of cute fluffy Taron to come in Part 3. I hope you enjoy! x

I woke up to my alarm going off and my arm on absolute fire. The painkillers I’d been given at the hospital had long worn off, and I still needed to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy before my shift. I could already feel that this was going to be a long day as I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes. 

The events of the day before still lingered in my mind, and I tried not to dwell too much on Taron’s face, but for some reason found it difficult to do. His stupid, pretty face. I didn’t remember when he’d gotten so handsome, and I immediately banished that thought from my mind. It’d do me no good to think that way.

I stood up and shuffled across the floor, the cold seeping through my feet and making me shiver. I managed to get out of my pajamas and maneuver a clean shirt on around the cast, wincing slightly when the fabric brushed over my hand. I hadn’t counted on how difficult it would be to get myself into my jeans one-handed, and I ended up tipping over onto the floor with a shriek. I instantly heard footsteps running up the stairs and realized my bum was still hanging out in the air, clad only in my underwear. “I’m fine! Don’t open the -” I tried to say but my father swung it open anyway.

“Morgan, are you, oh… oh my god, I’m so sorry,” he said, turning a bright shade of red at my predicament. He instantly stepped backward and around the doorframe, but I could hear him standing there still, panting a bit because he was out of shape.

“Oh my god,” I agreed.

“Well, to be fair, nothing I haven’t seen before. I used to give you baths as a kid, you know,” he said awkwardly.

“Dad!” I yelled, absolutely mortified. I groaned, pushing myself upright and wriggling my pants on the rest of the way. I cursed a few times while I wrestled to get the button clasped.

“Language, dear,” my father reminded me, before peeking in again. “What in the world happened there?” he asked, concerned as I adjusted the sling around my body and settled my arm in it.

“Work accident,” I sighed.

“Honey, why didn’t you call your mom and me?”

“I didn’t want to bother you,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek against the swell of pain that nearly made me gasp out.

“You didn’t walk to the hospital, did you?” he asked, stepping into my room again and pulling me into a careful hug, sweetly patting my hair like I was five years old again.

“No, I got a ride from-” I stopped myself, but my dad didn’t seem to notice.

“We would have come and gotten you,” he said as I extricated myself from his hug.

“I know, and I appreciate it, but I’m really running behind already and I don’t want to be late, so can we talk about this later?” I asked, shooing him out of the room.

“Sure, dear, your mum’s got breakfast ready downstairs,” he smiled at me, and I nodded my thanks as I headed to the bathroom to finish getting ready. I swallowed a couple over-the-counter ibuprofen, hoping it would take the edge off, and did my best to not jostle my arm too much.

I wisely chose a heavy wool peacoat this time, something I could manage to button on my own, if a little clumsily. As I hurried down the stairs, I nearly caught my purse strap on the edge of the banister in my haste. The last thing I needed to do was tumble down the stairs and break my other arm. I had that kind of talent for tripping over air, it seemed.

As soon as I breezed into the kitchen, my mom tried to worry over me too. I appreciated my parents’ concern, but I really did need to get to my job, a job I would probably be late for now. I likely had a good excuse with my arm in a cast, though; you had to use any advantage you could. “Love you guys, got to go!” I called, grabbing a buttered crumpet off the plate and stuffing it in my mouth as I let myself out of the house, the door slamming behind me.

Despite the sun shining fully that morning, a blast of cold air still greeted me and I pulled my coat collar up against the wind. Aber winters always made me wish I had my own car, but between student loan payments and saving to get my own apartment, I didn’t have any cash to spare. I hurried into town, finishing the crumpet and stopping at the pharmacy to pick up my medicine. I nearly cried at the price of the pills, but I needed them so I handed over my credit card. This was going to set me way back, I thought.

I was grateful when I finally turned the corner to the bookstore, rushing inside for the warmth and taking a moment to breathe in the scent of books as I always did before going to find my boss.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, knocking on the open office door. 

“Couldn’t have texted me first?” my boss asked, entering some numbers before looking up from the computer. I dumped my coat off on the rack and sighed as she did a double-take over my cast.

“Had a minor mishap at work yesterday,” I said, as she quickly gestured to the other chair for me to sit.

“We’ll have to fill out an incident report then,” she said, and I groaned inwardly until she informed me my medical bills might be covered since it happened at work. I gave her the basic details of what happened but had to pause when she asked me if I knew who the customer was; Aber was a fairly small place and you got to know your neighbors if you lived there long enough.

The silence stretched out between us as she waited for me to answer. “It was … Taron Egerton,” I replied, a bit painfully. “He’s been visiting home again, I guess,” I added, biting my thumb while my boss did what most people usually do at the mention of his name - She grew flustered about the fact that he’d even been in our store and tried to pry details out of me that I couldn’t supply.

“I don’t know what he was here to get, I was busy doing my job,” I said in a huff. It was embarrassing, really, watching a 50-something-year-old woman get beside herself over him. 

We finally wrapped up in the office, got the store open and I went about my day, trying to put Taron out of my mind. Saturdays in Aber were typically busy for most retail businesses along the strip, and I enjoyed having a laugh with my co-workers who were also on my shift. Between helping customers, we’d come up with a game where everyone tried to spin the most ridiculous tale as to the cause of my accident, and we were in fits when Andreyah bounced through the door, the sun making her auburn hair glow brightly.

“Special delivery!” she grinned at me, handing me a cup of coffee, knowing my order by heart.

“Oh my god, I love you a latte,” I deadpanned, and Andreyah shoved me playfully in my good arm.

“You and your puns,” she groaned, as I breathed in the rich aroma of my drink.

“I know, it’s great right?” I giggled.

“Yeah, don’t quit your day job,” she grinned, leaning casually against the counter while I rang up a customer as best I could with one arm. Everyone so far had been patient, and I was grateful for it. I handed the customer, who was rather cute, his bag and gave him a cheerful good-bye, watching him walk toward the door. Andreyah caught my gaze and snickered at me. What? I mouthed to her as the good-looking man pushed his way out the door, just as an all-too-familiar face came in.

“Oh god, no,” I said, instantly crouching down behind the counter and upsetting a display of bookmarks in the process.

“Morgan!” Andreyah hiss-laughed, unable to contain herself as Taron strode in, having seen me despite my best efforts. He walked up to the counter and peered over it at me, his green eyes taking in my awkward position.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone probably on the far side of rude.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, and I wanted to hate him for being a such a damn gentleman. 

“I survived,” I snapped, and he looked deflated at my tone. I stood up and we stared at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat and I looked away.

“Also, I never bought what I came here to get last night. I was wondering if you could help?” he pressed on. Andreyah made an “ooh” noise and wandered off to browse, leaving me with Taron. It was going to take me a while to forgive her for that.

“I can’t, I’m busy,” I said, righting the display and starting to pick the bookmarks up off the counter.

“Morgan,” he said, placing a hand on mine. Perhaps it had been an impulse on his part, but it both angered and thrilled me at the same time, and I was confused at my brain’s response.

I dropped the bookmarks back on the counter and in an attempt to distract myself I grabbed my coffee and took a sip, looking across the shop to try and find any other colleague who was available, but everyone else was already helping a customer.

“Oh fine,” I said. “And only because I’m doing my job,” I added for good measure, shoving my hand in my pocket. “So what are you looking for?”

“Well,” he said, copying my move and also shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s nearly Christmas and I wanted to get my sisters some books,” he said, his face lighting up with a grin at the mention of the girls. He adored them, and so did pretty much the whole town. I’d seen them in the store before with their mum, and they were polite and well-behaved and cute as a button. I had no problem with his family, as they’d done nothing wrong.

“Alright, well, what do they like to read?” I asked as I led Taron to the children’s section. “We’ve got everything from mermaids to unicorns. It runs the gamut of cute,” I said. 

“Gamut of cute, eh?” he said with a grin, his gaze passing over me for a moment, but I ignored that fact as I pulled some of my personal favorites off the shelf. I may have gotten distracted and read a kid’s book or two while shelving, but could you blame me?

I forgot that I hated him while I helped him shop, getting lost in my passion for books and actually laughing when he started to read one of the stories in a goofy voice. After about 15 minutes or so, we ended up with an interesting and varied stack of books, each one I felt the girls would love. Clearly, their brother had a generous heart and deep pockets.

I followed him as he carried the books back up to the counter, and started to ring his purchase up. I noted him rifling through the bookmarks out of the corner of my eye. “Ah here, add this,” he said, choosing one and adding it to the stack. I added it to the tab and ran his card, focusing on that part of the transaction while he bagged his own books. I wasn’t about to argue.

“Thanks again,” I said, giving him a not-entirely-genuine smile, just happy to have him out of the store.

“Wait,” he said, looking behind him to make sure no one else was in line. “Let me take you out for a coffee. Or a beer, something. Give me a chance to explain,” he fairly pleaded with me. The offer was actually tempting, as I would relish the chance to tell him off again, I told myself. Or maybe I was just curious to figure out a piece of my past I’d always thought I knew. He fidgeted slightly as I deliberated with myself. 

“Here,” he said, pulling out the bookmark he’d just bought and jotting down his number on the back of it. “You don’t have to decide right now. I’ll be in town all weekend. You can let me know,” he said, pushing the bookmark across the counter to me.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll uh, let you know,” I said, wishing I’d sounded more sure of myself.

“Take care of yourself, Morgan,” he said softly, giving me a half-smile before turning and heading out the door. I slowly ran my fingers over the tassel of the bookmark, spreading out the ribbons and lost in thought until another customer came up. I shook myself out of it, sliding the bookmark, and Taron’s number, into my back pocket before ringing up the customer a bit absent-mindedly.

“So what’d he want?” Andreyah asked, finding her way back to the counter, a couple of books tucked under her arm.

“Just books for his sisters,” I said, choosing not to tell her about the standing offer. I’m not sure why, but this felt far too personal to me, and her enthusiasm wouldn’t help me here.

“That’s really sweet,” she said with a dreamy sigh as I rang up her books.

“Don’t you get started on about how dishy he is,” I said with a laugh. “I need you on my side here!”

“Alright, alright,” she laughed, holding up her hands. “But he did come in to check up on you too, so…” she said, trailing off.

“So what?” I asked. “He’s the reason I’m hurt in the first place,” I said, realizing how much that reverberated through my life.

“Maybe it’s time to do some healing, Mori,” Andreyah said softly, staring me down until I felt uncomfortable. “Alright, I should go. Don’t want to get you in trouble with your boss. We’ll talk later, alright?”

“Of course,” I said, giving her a smile despite the cracks I felt opening up inside. I waved and watched her go, finishing my coffee and doing my best to survive the rest of my shift. I was grateful when I was free to go. I swung next door to The Grail, grabbing my favorite go-to snack, as their hummus and pita were the best around. When I took a seat near the window, I felt something snag in my back pocket. I’d completely forgotten the bookmark, and I pulled it out and stared at the neat digits printed there.

I pulled my phone out and stared at the screen for a long moment before finally dialing, waiting for the other end to pick up.

“Baby sister! So good to hear from you!” my brother answered enthusiastically on the second ring.

“Hey Dex,” I grinned, using my favorite nickname for my brother. I could never be in a bad mood around him.

“How are the old folks?” he asked.

“They’re just mum and dad, you know,” I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I was overwhelmed with everything that had happened, and hearing my brother’s voice elicited a pang of longing. I missed my brother terribly, even if he didn’t live that far away, just down the A487 in Cardigan. We’d always been so close growing up.

He must have heard the tremble in my voice. “Is everything alright, Morgan?”

“No, not really. I kinda need my big brother right now,” I said, trying not to cry in the cafe. No one needed salty tears in their hummus. “Can you come here?” I asked pitifully.

My brother paused for a moment. “Morgan, I’m an hour away. It’s a bit of a drive,” he reasoned.

“I know. But this is about Taron,” I said, listening to the silence on the other end of the line. “Hello? Dex?” I asked.

“What about him?” Declan asked quietly.

“He’s back in Aber and we’ve had a bit of a run-in. He said there was shit about what went down between you two that I don’t know.”

Declan sighed heavily, and I could imagine him running his fingers through his long hair the way he always did when he was agitated. “I haven’t thought about that in years. Why has it come up now?” he finally asked.

“It’s… a long story,” I replied. “I’m not sure I’ve been the kindest person.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Dex replied.

“Hey! What does that mean?” I asked indignantly, jabbing a piece of pita into the hummus with more force then I’d meant to.

“Morgan, I’ve known you my entire life and I’ve never once seen you give someone a second chance.”

“So you’re saying I should give Taron Egerton a second chance. Taron, of all people?” I scoffed around a bite of the pita.

“I just don’t see the point in carrying a grudge on something that happened over a decade ago. I’ve forgiven him and moved on with my life. He’s mostly the one that took the blame over his mates for what happened. Morgan, you should know he’s never said an unkind word to me in his life.” I nearly choked on the piece of pita I was chewing.

“What?” I managed to ask, an uneasy feeling beginning in the pit of my stomach.

“You’ve always been protective of me, sis, and maybe there was a time I needed it. But you’ve built walls around yourself to do that and I think you’re only hurting yourself now.” There was a reason my brother gave corporate presentations for a job; he had the motivational speaker thing down pat. Meanwhile, I just felt like I was crumbling.

We talked a bit further and when we hung up, I’d made my decision. I typed Taron’s number into my phone and opened a text message. <One chance.> I sent, feeling suddenly and stupidly nervous.

<One chance is all I need.> he replied back immediately, followed by a time and place. I was surprised, because it wasn’t where I’d expected him to choose. I finished up my snack and walked back home, having a little time to kill and feeling like my world had turned upside down. The revelations my brother had revealed tore a bit at the edges of the anger I’d held onto for so long.

When the time to leave arrived, I was almost a nervous wreck. I asked my parents if I could borrow the car for the evening, and thankfully they agreed. I didn’t want to charge a cab ride if I didn’t have to, as I couldn’t have walked to where we were meeting. I made the drive over to Ysgol Penglais, following Taron’s texted directions, wondering if he was half-crazy. I slowed my speed a bit on Cefn Llan since no one was behind me, searching for his car, and pulled off the road behind him when I spotted it.

“What the heck are we doing here?” I asked when we’d both exited our cars, my breath coming out in white puffs.

“Just trust me,” he said, giving me a wicked grin before walking up and down the hedge row that bordered the school. He must have found what he was looking for because he beckoned me over, and we managed to squeeze through the small break he must have known was there all along. We ran across the grounds, half-bent over as if that would conceal us in the open, but it was a Saturday evening and no one was there anyway. The windows were all dark, Taron leading me around to a particular one and, to my surprise and with a little effort on his part, he managed to slide it open. He clasped his hands together and offered it to me.

“Are you out of your bloody mind? We’re not breaking into the school!” I said.

“Oh come on, live a little,” he smirked. “My mates and I always used to do this back in the day.”

“I’m not your mate,” I said, cringing slightly as that sounded different coming out of my mouth than it had in my head. He just shook his head in amusement and beckoned me to put my foot in his hand.

“Oh what the hell,” I said, wondering if this was the dumbest thing I’d ever decided to do in my life. Taron was surprisingly strong, boosting me up into the window with no trouble, and I balanced on the ledge a bit precariously for a moment, finding it difficult to not use both of my arms. I managed to jump down safely to the other side and waited as Taron hefted himself up and over with no help at all. I couldn’t help but be impressed. The hallways were darkened, but the windows let in enough light for us to see, and after a few moments I knew exactly where he was headed.

He pulled the auditorium doors open, and we both turned our phone flashlights on as we bumped our way down the aisle, climbing the steps until we were standing on the stage, facing out to an audience that would have been there had this been a production. “I have so many memories here,” Taron said, his voice echoing a bit before he pulled out two bottles of beer he’d stashed in his coat. He took a seat at the edge of the stage, legs swinging over, and I joined him. We sat our phones down between us, the lights shining up and casting strange shadows on the ceiling, but I didn’t feel scared to be there with him. 

He popped the cap off one of the bottles and handed it to me. I took a swig and waited for him to say more; he knew why we were here, and I desperately needed to know what had happened. “I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am, and what’s done is unfortunately done,” he started, a slight tremor working its way into his voice as he tried to recall the events of those days. I sat and listened, drinking my beer and looking over at him every now and again. The way the light shone up highlighted the lines of his jaw, and when his eyes met mine from time to time, I could see the softness of his eyelashes. It wasn’t what I had meant to be thinking, but I’d have been truly blind to not see how he filled out the jeans and shirt he was wearing.

“We were 15, and we were stupid. I don’t think any of us meant to hurt your brother,” Taron finally said, drawing to a close. “I knew the bullying was wrong, and I should have stood up for him. But I was questioning myself, my own intentions and even my sexuality, and I thought if I defended your brother then I might’ve been the next one on the chopping block. It was cowardly, and I’ve held that close to my heart for a long time,” he spoke into the darkness, and I couldn’t help the sympathy that dug its way through me.

“Your silence made you complicit, don’t you see that?” I asked sadly.

“Of course I realized it later, after some counseling and maturity caught up to me. And I tried to talk to you about it, once. I was about to graduate and felt the need to make amends for all the dumb shit I’d done in school,” he replied, which was news to me. The few interactions with Taron I remembered from school days had mostly been him teasing me or showing off for his schoolmates.

“The thing is, Morgan, at some point you stopped being just Declan’s little sister and started being someone I rather fancied. I never said anything because I always thought you were off-limits.” You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium; I’m pretty sure I had forgotten how to breathe. “Anyway, I’m sure that ship has long set sail for me. But I hope you can at least forgive me.”

I truly didn’t know what to say, stunned into silence at his sudden confession. I was pummeled every which way by the different emotions coursing through me, memories replaying in my mind that I suddenly saw in a completely different light. “Holy shit, I’ve been such an idiot,” I said. I’d been so focused on protecting Declan that I’d never once thought to ask what it meant for myself.

“No, not you. It’s always been me being the idiot,” he said, turning to me and sweetly cupping my chin with his hand. “For all my years of acting, you’d think I’d have gotten better at this. I’ve been the one too afraid to admit my feelings out loud,” he continued, his eyes boring into mine. I’d never experienced this kind of raw honesty from anyone before, and I couldn’t hide the way it made me feel. 

“And now I think I’ve gone and lost you,” he said, searching my face. “You’ve hated me for so long. I don’t know how I could possibly change your mind.” He seemed so crestfallen that I felt it echo in my own chest.

“One chance. One day,” I said with a sudden smile. “You get one day with me tomorrow to change my mind.”

I watched the grin spread across his sweet face, brightening his eyes, and it was all for me. “I could give you the world in one day,” he said, brushing his thumb across my lips. We stared at each other for a moment, the space between us suddenly feeling very, very small. I sucked in my breath as he leaned in closer and then the auditorium doors swung open, scaring the shit out of me. I reacted, banging my forehead into Taron’s nose. “Shit, I’m sorry!” I gasped as a disembodied voice called out “What are you kids doing in here!” I doubt the janitor could see us clearly either.

“Come on!” Taron giggled, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. He headed for the backstage, knowing the place like the back of his hand, and we weaved our way in and out of props until he found a back door. We pushed our way through it, laughing and breathless, the janitor’s shouts still echoing somewhere behind us as we tore off down the hallway, back toward the window and our escape.

I lay in my bed later that night, recounting our mad dash back to the cars in the waning light, the way he’d laughingly pulled the sticks from the hedge out of my hair and how he’d promised me the best day of my life tomorrow. I was still fairly buzzed from the beer and the way Taron had looked at me, like I was the only girl in the world. I finally understood that particular Taron effect now that I’d chosen to finally see the man he’d grown up to be. He was no longer that lanky, awkward teen straight out of my memories, the one I’d hung every last school-year ache upon. My insides felt like they’d been melted down to nothing and reshaped overnight; I was not the same Morgan I had been the day before. I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face, truly looking forward to exploring Aber in a different way, with someone I found I rather fancied after all.

The sweet tale continues on Sunday. Read it HERE.

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