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#I can’t believe I have this book before all of Australia and anyone who ordered the waterstones special edition lmao
survey--s · 2 years
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Have you ever felt like you were dreaming even though you were awake? Not really.
When was the last time something just seemed too good to be true? Uhh, I don’t really remember.
Do you believe eyes are like windows to the soul? No.
Has someone ever whistled at you while you were walking? Sure, I don’t really understand why any man thinks that’s supposed to be flattering or complimentary though lol.
Are you guilty of texting while driving? Nope. The consequences here are HUGE if you’re caught - six points and a massive fine. Just not worth it, even if I did feel safe doing it.
Have you ever caused a lot of noise in a library? No.
Do you complain a lot? Not really. I mean, I might rant on here or something, but I don’t like complaining much in real life.
Have you ever been to a music festival? Just small local ones.
What was the last thing that completely took your breath away? I couldn’t tell you.
Are you a competitive person? Yeah, sometimes ha.
Have you ever been in a relay race? Sure, in school sports days.
What cereal tastes soo good that you always eat more than 1 bowl? I find one bowl of cereal is plenty tbh - all the milk makes me feel really full for some reason, haha. Maybe I’m just weird.
If your life was a movie, what would it be rated? I have no idea, something mundane hahah.
Are you more of a talker or a listener? Listener.
Have you ever called in at a radio station & dedicated a song to someone? Not called, but I’ve text and had it read out on national radio before, lol.
Would you ever go to a protest or be involved in a protest? No, I find large crowds really overwhelming and upsetting, tbh.
Have you ever tried to walk on a foot that fell asleep & then tripped? Yeah.
When playing rock, paper, scissors which do you usually pick? Rock or scissors.
Have you ever tried to write a book? Nope.
Don’t you hate it when people blow smoke in your face? I mean, in real life I don’t know anyone who does things like that.
Have you ever been hit by a chunk of hail? Sure, loads of times.
Do one word text messages annoy you? It depends? I mean, sometimes texts don’t really require more than a one-word answer.
Do you have high standards? Yeah.
Have you ever had something to say but you couldn’t get the words out? Sure, been there, done that.
Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle? Sure, I often change for riding in my car at the side of the road, lol.
Did you ever have your brothers or sisters clothing handed down to you? I don’t have any siblings, but I did get hand-me-downs off my cousins when we went to visit them in Australia.
Do you have the same routine day by day? Hmm, my work hours/routine is different each day depending on which dogs I walk, but overall my routine is pretty similar, yeah.
Would you ever go on a walk to raise money for cancer research? I’ve done runs for cancer research in the past.
If you were treated unfairly at work, would you go on strike? Nah, I’d be looking for another job, and I’ve been there several times in the past.
If God were standing in front of you, what would you say or do? God doesn’t exist, so that ain’t gonna happen.
Would you ever try any extreme sports? How do you define “extreme”?
Do you know how to snap your fingers? Yeah.
Do you plan your outfits for the next day or just randomly choose? I normally plan them the night before so I can just grab my clothes and go (and spend more time in bed in the mornings, lol).
Are you a bossy person? Hmm, I can be but more in my personal life than at work. I just like things to be done a certain way and it irrationally bothers me when they aren’t.
Do you control your attitude or does it control you? A mixture of both depending on the situation.
Is it true that if you don’t love yourself, you can’t love another? No, but I do think you need to love yourself in order to be in a happy, healthy relationship with another person.
Would you ever give blood? What blood type are you? I’ve tried to give blood before but they couldn’t find a vein - and they tried for ages lol.
Is there anything that you believe should be banned for any reason? I’m sure I could think of plenty of things.
Do you share a bed with anyone? Yeah, Mike and the dog, lol.
Do you ever try making your dream up before falling asleep? Yeah, I’ve done that a few times when I’ve been struggling to sleep for whatever reason.
Do you get angry easily? Irritated, not angry.
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mooncactus · 3 years
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so what is the truth.gif
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oh-boy-me · 3 years
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I just read both the australia and museum post and the chaos levels are top tier, but like imagine the chaos that ensues if lord diavolo discovers about amusment parks and immediately just buys tickets to disneyland. Lucifer is basically the dad trying not to loose his children(lord diavolo included). Lord diavolo wanting to ride a loopy rollercoaster and just having the time of his life! (Also I highkey see diavolo ordering lucifer to make a disneyland in devildom tbh) Also mouse ear headbands!
This..... this took forever
Hey there anon!  Sorry it took literally a year to answer this!  If you’re still into Obey Me, I hope this was a pleasant surprise.
Also for the first time ever a scenario post is being put under the cut for length purposes.  This scenario is 2.6k words Jesus
Please note that the last time I went to Disney was in 2015, so anything that’s newer than that is taken from the extensive reading of Disney advice blogs I read in preparation for this post.  Anything older than that is likely from experience.
Also, I tried my best to keep this spoiler free for the attractions that can be affected by it.
--
So the Devildom DOES have the concept of amusement parks.  I slept on this ask for so long that we’ve learned about Devil’s Coast.  It seems to be more akin to a smaller-scale theme park, though.  Small-ish.  I’m used to NYC idk what constitutes as small.
Something like Disney World is on such a larger scale!!  When Diavolo heard about that, he knew they had to go.
They are going to Disney World in Orlando because it’s the only one I’ve been to.
Lucifer is REALLY getting tired of these field trips, but there would be no weird animals, and there would be no sobering lessons on global extinction events at a family-friendly amusement park.  He.  He can handle this.
Solomon has actually been banned from all Walt Disney theme parks.  We’re talking blacklist-level banned.  He’s barred from ever entering any Disney park ever again.  However, this was back in 1976, so this must be, like, his son or something, right?  There’s no way this is the same guy.  Thought the security guard who let him in.
What did Solomon do to get banned?  When asked, he only gave a curious hum.  “Yeah, I wonder.”
The place is split into four parks, so they’ll spend one day in each.
Barbatos continued to flex his power as the only one in the group with a brain cell, being sure to get them all fast passes.  He even set time back just for the passes while they were booking the rides they wanted to cut the lines for, so if they don’t get used he’s going to be very snippy.
Also for convenience sake this is taking place in an AU where everything is the same but COVID doesn’t exist to shut down some rides and attractions.
Day 1: Hollywood Studios
MC and Simeon basically have to coerce Lucifer into letting everyone run free instead of making them all line up with a walking rope all day.  He relents on the condition that everyone checks in periodically so he can at least know they haven’t killed anyone.
Nobody will check in except for maybe Beelzebub and those at Purgatory Hall.
Levi immediately gathered his fellow Star Wars fans (which basically meant calling over Mammon Belphie and Asmo and then pulling in two unsuspecting people suddenly given the title of “Star Wars fan”), and made a beeline for Galaxy’s Edge.  There’s a LOT to do there and damn it if he wasn’t going to hit all of it.
First up for their group is the interactive Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run.  They fail the mission.  Levi’s pretty pissed, but everyone agrees that it was fun nonetheless.  They really felt like they were doing a mission in the Falcon!  Plus, the gameplay element was totally up the alley of most of this group.  Simeon does feel a little nauseous from Luke’s jerky steering, though.
Did you know that Diavolo loves Toy Story?  He does.  He’s very much enjoying the Slinky roller coaster with Barbatos.
Barbatos would rather be spending time at the shows and performances, but oh no god forbid we don’t get an autograph from Doc McStuffins.  Lucifer please come find him and save him.
Lucifer somehow wandered into the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration.  He wants out.  Barbatos please come find him and save him.
In general, Lucifer isn’t a fan of these sorts of places, so honestly he’s just hiding from the others and waiting for today to be over.  Barbatos told him that there are parks that don’t revolve around rides and characters, and he’s holding out for those.
Luckily for them Diavolo wants to do LITERALLY everything, and that does include the shows, so Barbatos and Lucifer can have at least some fun today
Levi, Asmo, and Beel are about to start their relay for getting character autographs when Satan shows up out of nowhere and starts dragging everyone over to the Tower of Terror.  Solomon bars all attempts to flee on a certain Avatar of Greed’s side.
The line to the Tower is so long, and honestly?  Satan feels like the ride didn’t live up to the literal hour they waited to get on.  Like yeah it was fun, but way too short.
He voices those thoughts, and Levi, who Satan knows is afraid of heights, is pretty fucking livid and drags him to Rock n Rollercoaster as revenge.  Satan hates roller coasters.
As for the others, Asmo and Luke have a lot of fun on the thrill rides.  Mammon and Simeon do not.  Beel is a little spooked by them but still manages to have fun, while Belphie and Solomon think they’re alright.
Eventually, Simeon gets too sick to move, and they assign him to Luke.  They say it’s because he’s too short to ride some of the rides (even though he’s literally not, screw you guys.)
Barbatos messes with time a lil bit so they can enjoy the Fantasmic Show and Fireworks to wrap the day up.
Levi is very jealous of Diavolo’s Doc McStuffins autograph.  Somehow Asmo has Buzz Lightyear’s number.
Day 2: Animal Kingdom
Satan is vibrating
He literally instantly sprints to the Kilimanjaro Safari.  And good for him; that’s something best done while the sun isn’t high up.  The whole gang actually agrees to check that one out, and while Satan isn’t thrilled to be within 50 feet of Lucifer, he’s glad Simeon is there because he remembers how his presence lured animals out in Australia.
Simeon also finds himself pulled along the trails by Satan and parents watch in horror as a gorilla gives him a friendly pat on the back.
If you didn’t know, Animal Kingdom is divided into the two continents of Asia and Africa, as well as the secret eighth continent Avatar (2009).  Diavolo heard great things about the Flight of Passage ride, but he totally forgot to tell Barbatos about it, so they’re stuck on a three hour wait line now.
Levi takes Luke on the Everest roller coaster because Simeon saw it in the distance and looked like he was about to cry.  Levi wouldn’t shut up about how the yeti effect needs to be fixed and Solomon had to explain that the effect literally couldn’t support itself.
Simeon, having escaped a roller coaster for the first and only time on this trip, grabs lunch with Lucifer and Solomon and they enjoy the Lion King performance together.  Solomon’s the only one of them who’s seen the movie, but the others still found it fun.  Solomon keeps making up random plot points that don’t exist, though.  Remember when Simba was captured by pirates?
Mammon found the Bugs Life show very scary.  Normally Asmo would laugh at him, but he’s afraid of any bug he’s never seen before and at least Mammon was afraid of the things that were supposed to get you.  They agree that bugs are still not their friends.
Satan has many things to say about the Dinosaur ride and most of them aren’t good.  Belphie thought it was pretty ok, though.  Lucifer can’t believe there was a sobering lesson on a global extinction event at this family-friendly amusement park.
Diavolo is still in line.  Barbatos abandons him.  He accompanies Luke to the kiddie fossil thing and actually finds it more tolerable.  Oh yeah that’s the other secret ninth continent, Dinoland.
Beel and Belphie spend most of the day together at the various petting zoos.  Belphie comes back knowing more than he ever wanted to about conservation.  He thought Rafiki’s Planet Watch was going to be about watching other planets, not this one!
Asmo gets very interested in the costumes of the performers, as well as the parrots in the bird show.  He could probably make some really colorful designs with those as inspiration.
Nearby, Mammon runs into Kevin and squawks in surprise.  The zoo staff spend the next two hours trying to find the bird that escaped.
Diavolo says the ride was worth it, don’t worry.
Honestly this park has a lot of stuff that wouldn’t translate well to a funny scenario post so this part might be a little short compared to the others.  I can only talk about a zoo for so long.
Anyone remember the Honey I Shrunk the Kids 4D show?  Apparently it closed in 2016 to make room for more Star Wars stuff.
Anyway, at the center of it all there’s the Tree of Life, which is really pretty all day.  Lucifer is thrilled to have a decently obvious meet-up place, too.  They get to catch the brief awakening show at night.
They’re very bummed to learn the Rivers of Light show isn’t happening anymore, so Levi pulls it up on his phone so they can watch it in spirit.
Then Satan learns about the Wilderness Explorers badges and the others spend the rest of the time preventing too much collateral damage over the fact that nobody told him.
Day 3: Epcot
Finally, Lucifer thinks.  Boo, Luke thinks.
Beel didn’t expect this park to be that interesting to him (he’s much more into the wonder and immersion of Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom), but then he learned about the restaurants.  China, Norway, France, Mexico, Germany, Morocco, Italy, Japan, Canada--Canada?  Huh.  Canada.  There’s so many different restaurants from so many cuisines to try, and yeah he knows that it’s definitely not the same as going to the place and it’s overpriced (sorry Lucifer), but it’s all right there.  He makes certain to take MC on a deluxe Epcot restaurant tour.
Oh yeah MC.  That’s the first time we’ve heard from them in a while.  They’re doing whatever you want them to I guess.
Levi buys so much from the Japanese gift shops that he has to go back to the hotel for a bit to drop his bags off.
Satan and Diavolo aren’t much better, but their stashes are more varied.
Also, Diavolo found Mouse Gear, and bought everyone a pair of ears.  Lucifer says that everyone has to keep them on because it’s what Lord Diavolo wants, but he is by far the most upset about them.  Mammon snaps a picture and Lucifer throws his DDD into the lake.
Asmo and Belphie decide they’re gonna take it easy this day, and they nab Solomon and Barbatos for some exhibition hopping.
Luke finds Mission Space and please father no Simeon thought he was safe he thought he was safe here no please
Aside from that, though, Luke honestly finds this part of the park boring.  He’d have been more interested in these attractions elsewhere, but as a kid he’s in Disney for roller coasters and Mickey Mouse.
Simeon is very grateful that Luke doesn’t have much that he wants to do, because it means that he can enjoy the Gran Fiesta and Living with the Land boat rides and have a single moment where he doesn’t feel like he’s about to be sick.  He’s not even afraid of the rides; he just gets motion sick easily.
Asmo makes sure to see the Chinese acrobat show, and Mammon catches that with the show-hopping gang since there isn’t much he wants to do here either.
Epcot has alcohol and Solomon hasn’t been able to drink in ages so he really wants to spend some time doing that with MC.  No demons allowed, thank you very much.  He doesn’t hold his liquor as well as he’d like you to believe, but he just gets really talkative when drunk so it’s ok.
Epcot is a nice day to take a breather and Lucifer and Barbatos definitely needed a breather before tomorrow.
Day 4: Magic Kingdom
This is the day Diavolo has been waiting for.  The crème de la crop, the best park for kids and kids in a future king of the Devildom’s body.
Also I feel like now is a good time to mention that this probably isn’t a reasonable order of events because I don’t remember the map layout of these places idk Disney city planning
This time.  This time, Levi, Asmo and Beel are gonna get those autographs, dammit.  Levi doesn’t even know who half of these characters are but hell if he’s not getting their autograph.
Mammon actually really loves the mascots too, but he’s embarrassed about it so he’ll only try to get one if he can use the guise of MC wanting one.  MC, please help him out
Belphie isn’t big on rides, but he does have a soft spot for the more retro ones like Dumbo and Seven Dwarves.  And like I said before, Beel loves Magic Kingdom for its wonder.  So Belphie is perfectly happy being led (read: piggybacked) around by Beel today, because their favorite attractions match up pretty well here.
Actually, Beel’s favorite Disney movie is Lilo and Stitch, but.  RIP Stitch’s Great Escape ride 2004-2018
Diavolo and Lucifer take a moment to enjoy the Carousel of Progress, and they reflect on how much the Human World is always changing and how much about it they still don’t know.  It really does make them think, like.  Grandma found the VR games at Christmas!  The Devildom doesn’t have grandmas!
Mammon is terrified of the Haunted Mansion ride, and Satan has literally never felt so much schadenfreude in his life.
Mammon’s afraid of most rides to be fair, but he likes water rides, so Levi eventually takes pity on him and they go on Splash Mountain together more than once.
The Peter Pan ride broke down
Luke wanted to go on Space Mountain and Simeon was the only one around, so.  RIP Simeon ????-2021
Diavolo was That Guy.  If you know, you know.
Beel accidentally spun the teacups way too fast.  Not even Solomon got out of that one unscathed.
Following that, Solomon manages to drag Barbatos onto the Jungle Cruise while Lucifer is busy.  What is Lucifer busy with?  Riding the Buzz Lightyear shooting ride over and over until he hits every single target and gets a perfect score at a Disney ride, something that is normal to want and possible to achieve.  Anyway, Barbatos finds it really charming and Solomon finds it a nice break that he didn’t know he needed.
While looking for a food place that sells water for a reasonable price, a kid runs up to Asmo asking for a picture and autograph.  He’s kind of confused, but goes along with it to make the kid happy.
Turns out, Asmo’s so naturally charming that they mistook him for a prince.  Other groups see that family and follow suit.  Mammon eventually catches wind of it and shows up to charge a fee.  The parents are pretty sure Disney doesn’t charge fees like that, but their kids really want a pic with Asmo so they hand over the two bucks.  (“Oh it’s so low” come on Mammon’s not a dick to children.)
And that’s the story of how Mammon and Asmo ended up in Disney Jail.  You’re very much not allowed to pretend to be a cast member and then charge money for it.  Lucifer has to bail them out as their “guardian,” and as punishment they aren’t allowed to opt out of It’s a Small World.
Small World isn’t that bad imho, and those like Diavolo, Satan, Simeon, and Levi would like it a lot.  But Lucifer has been playing parent all day, Belphie does not like the noise, and Solomon has literally been on this ride at least fifty times.  Very mixed feelings on this one, but it feels fitting to end with that and a fireworks show.
All in all though this wasn’t the worst trip Lucifer’s been on (cue everyone applauding for some reason).
Barbatos by far had the least fun of them all because for four days he was stuck in a park where the mascot is a fucking rodent and he wasn’t allowed to annihilate Mickey Mouse where he stood
“Disneyland Devildom when” “Lord Diavolo, no”
Masterlist
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steve0discusses · 3 years
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S5 Ep 15 Pt 1: The Gang Gets Lost in India
Ah, back to Yugioh classic. Sort of. We’re going into the second filler arc before Bakura, which I have been told is kind of nonsense. And youknow what, from the first scene--this is the first scene by the way--yeah I can see the nonsense.
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We got Yami cosplaying as the Chrysler building, we got Yugi saying WTFWTF, we got...this thing?
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This thing tells us “Join my game, Yugi!” and then the demon just kinda bounces.
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K, bye, I guess.
(read more under the cut)
Waking up from this nightmare, Yugi reveals that he has outgrown his good pajamas. Or maybe he just overused them like I did to my favorite pajamas during quarantine (which, not gonna lie, I hand sewed my favorite pajama pants back together 2 or 3 times like they were the Velveteen Rabbit. Quarantine pajamas and me were like best buds for a year there.)
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RIP Yugi’s good pajamas.
It’s fine. I’m fine.
I can get used to Yugi in his normal ass old man pajamas without any cute stars on them. I can accept this. He’s getting older. So much older that for a second I thought he was learning Hebrew, by the looks of his books on his counter. I thought...wow, is Yugi actually attempting to learn a language spoken around the time of ancient Egyptians???
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But uh...I went a searching and unfortunately that’s not Hebrew, and if that is a language, I don’t know what it is. Pretty sure it’s just random marks because this show has to be translated in so many languages. Man. For a second there that looked like really sneaky world building, but nah, Yugi is still kind of a dumbass who has yet to attend a solid year of school.
Also, I got to take in this mustard yellow as if I’ve seen it for the first time.
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It has strong building blocks energy. It’s...so much yellow and it’s extremely the vibe of that one set of animal crossing decorations that I have because it’s a very common recipe, but, can’t figure out for the life of me how to fit into any room.
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What am I supposed to do with these, Nintendo? Other than recreate Yugi’s Muto’s haunted game store/house?
Like I live in the Bay area and we have wild painted houses so you can see them through the fog (back when we...still had fog, RIP California) --but this is a little much. This is such strong Protagonist energy but as a house.
Also, I’ve don’t think I’ve brought this up before, but like...Yugi is loaded, right? Like he’s way too good and humble to ever say he’s loaded, and they sort of make it seem like he’s not (when compared to Seto Kaiba) but damn, this location of his real estate sure is something. That and Grandpa’s tiny shop seems to run on a constant deficit and his family just doesn’t care.
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We flash back a bit to Gramps sneaking out, and Yugi is like “oh great, my only Father figure I ever talk about is getting a backpack together and just...leaving without any notice, huh? Without telling me you were going to go? Didn’t think that would maybe be a little off putting?“ and Gramps is like “Yes?”
Like Gramps nearly died going to an amusement park a few episodes back so I can see why Yugi is a little bit concerned.
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Down the street at a little town lottery, Joey is getting further into gambling (I don’t know what those little street lotteries are called, it’s in a lot of anime--but kinda looks like mom lotteries for moms.)
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I’m not sure why India is on Joey Wheeler’s bucket list, seems a little random, but he went to Pegasus’ country, after all and that’s barely even a country.
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Joey going nuts on a lottery machine instead of going to school was pretty peak filler, so I’m not really minding this stuff so far.
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And then, just to spook me, check this out:
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I can’t believe they even let them back into a classroom. In my nerd school, if you missed one too many days, you were sent to the bad schools to be someone else’s problem. But in Yugi’s case...that either IS his school or...Yugi is failing International School, which is just a thing he’s allowed to do, because, as I said before, this kid has got to be loaded. Even Seto Kaiba was like “I’m not spending money on this school anymore. That outfit is like 50 bucks a jacket.”
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Youknow, I have seen all the other characters knock on Tea’s choice of cute ass monsters for the last 5 seasons, and she has never once changed them out. She is holding onto this scary seraphim thing with the many wings like every child with their first Pidgey. She does not care.
Also how is this thing cute?
like the front of this orb has a face with hearts on it but like...it is kind of remarkable what Yugioh decides is cute. Magma golem: not cute. this thing? This thing that looks like it’s a chibi version of the last chapters of the bible and will sound the trumpets of the second coming? So cuuuuute.
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Tristan used to be the Janitor/hall monitor/square archetype. Like hell he can walk around with that 00′s R+B soundtrack.
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Joey appears in order to get us the hell out of school, and the art team retires this school background for the rest of what I assume is this entire series.
Goodbye school. Maybe you’ll come back with Bakura. Which would be weird, since rumor is that arc takes place in ancient Egypt.
On their walk home, Tea lets out in an inner monologue that no one could hear that after 5 straight seasons of his BS, she’s sick and tired of Pharaoh being the center of attention all the time and she needs a freakin break.
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TBH, as she was thinking in her head like “Pharoah is just so freakin much” Yugi switched over to Pharaoh and was like “WHATS UP TEA, THINKING ABOUT ME??” and I thought for a split second maybe he read her mind with his Pharaoh powers.
And like...maybe he did? Seems like a thing he can just do but chooses not to tell anyone about. I mean would you tell anyone? I wouldn’t.
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So, unlike Miho in Season Zero, who at least had the decency to try to take her Mother to Australia, Joey Wheeler has wisely decided that the 3 other ticket holders will not be the 3 other members of his immediate family. That would have been the most awkward trip between Serenity, his mother he hasn’t really spoken to in 7 years, and his absent father who was written out of the series for being a raging alcoholic. They would have not even made it to the plane.
Instead he’s gonna take the ghost in Yugi’s head and call that an adult (two tickets in one, really). It’s honestly not that bad of a plan, since his only other father figure, Grandpa, is MIA, and his only other, other father figure, Roland, charges like 300 dollars an hour and wants stock options and health insurance.
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And honestly they should have taken Roland because he’s one of their best plane guys.
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So they take the smallest little Amelia Earheart plane in the world, going from Japan to (checks map) India...which 2 times the distance this plane can go and it crashes...which is exactly what would happen if you took a teeny tiny plane over the Himalayan mountains without refueling that thing.
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We call this a magical incident later in the episode, but this is just basic math.
So, fun fact, (and probably why I discuss planes so often on this blog) two of my Grandfathers were pilots (well, three, since my grandmother remarried another pilot), which sounds like a crazy coincidence until you recall that their generation was in WW2 and we just shoved children in planes for 20 years and called that normal.
Anyway, to save on travel costs, my engineer Grandfather built his own plane out of junkyard parts, which, as you can imagine, is a living nightmare, and it was held together by like duct tape and gasoline (which at one time used to be cheap). Tempted God every day that Howls Moving Castle touched the sky.
And while I only know it from photos since I wasn’t exactly born yet, it looked exactly like this plane. So looking at this, all I can think is...yeah...that’s what you get for flying to India in a tin can car. To this day I cannot trust any plane of this size.
So, they climb out of their wreckage virtually unscathed and into familiar Californian territory.
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At least Joey thought about bringing a tent.
It’s interesting how our cast has become so accustomed to this that they’re not even all that shell shocked. It’s just another day in the life.
So next time we shall find out what India has in store for us. Or if we’re even in India...because again...feels a lot like this BG team doesn’t do any research into their landscapes and every place feels a whole lot of the same. But...at least they didn’t put any Arizonan mesas in India.
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lovlydovlyjaycie · 3 years
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Ævi - Frontlines
Hey again! This will be a continued series. The first Ævi series is in my masterlist and is only four parts. This is going to be a ongoing series, so there is going to be a lot more of Ævi to come. :)
Summary: Y/n or also known as Ævi has lived through varies of world events. Now it is 1941, she has excepted that some things cannot be changed so Loki has convinced Y/n to go to New York and live a normal life, a life Y/n always wanted. Or as normal it can be, because new introductions lead to events that didn’t go down in the history books.
Warnings: Fluff
Characters: Y/n, Loki, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers
Part 2
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Two weeks later
Bucky POV
“How about Dottie?” Steve asked. He was asking me if I went on any other dates with her. But truth be told. After I had met Y/n I couldn’t think of anybody else. I sighed and took a sip of my coke, we were sitting at a diner. “No? Buck you still got your mind on this girl? It’s been two weeks.” He tried to reason. He was right, but a girl like y/n I have never met before. “She was somethin’ else Steve.” Was all I has to say. “How was she so special?” Steve asked. “She was beautiful, you had to see her. She had this beautiful smile and this glistening in her y/e/c eyes. She carried herself in a way that was just so graceful. And she was so kind. and her laugh, Steve, you had to hear her laugh.” I sounded crazy, but that one encounter with her was what that did to me. “Well if it is meant to be you’ll see her again.” He tried to cheer me up. I looked out of the window at all the people that were walking around going places, work, home. “Maybe it wasn’t.” I said quietly. I wanted to look for her, but she would definitely think I’m crazy if I succeeded in that and I wouldn’t want to scare her away. In the corner of my eye I saw a woman walking the same walk as y/n did. I tried to get a better look, as much as I could with the window being in the way and the people on the street. I could only see her back. She had a yellow dress on with the same hairdo as y/n had that night. “It’s her.” I couldn’t believe it. I immediately stood up and walked out of the diner as fast as I could. I kept a quick pace to keep up with her. “Y/n!”
I must have startled her, she turned around a little shocked looking to who ever just called for her. “Y/n.” I said again coming closer. “Hey.” I gave her an awkward wave. “I saw you from out of the diner and had to say hi.” I quickly explained. This might have been a mistake, because she still hasn’t said anything yet. “Uhm, hi, Bucky. I didn’t think I’d see you again.” She said the last part a little more quiet. “Oh, uhmm-.” This was a mistake, a stupid one. I mean of course what would anyone think if some guy ran up to them after only seeing them once for an hour two weeks ago. “No! I didn’t mean.. Sorry.. How have you been? It’s been like, what? Two weeks since we had an escape?” She said making light of this awkward situation. I laughed at that. “I’ve been doing good. Just grabbin’ some food with a friend of mine at the diner over there. How about yourself? You look beautiful.” Shouldn’t have said that last part. She is probably gonna run away screaming. But then I heard her angelic laugh, that made me smile. I hadn’t heard it in so long. “Thank you. I was actually on my way back home. Not doing a lot today.” She told me. “Well.. If you want you can join me and my friend, Steve, for some milkshakes? Only if you want.” Please say yes, please say yes. “Steve? I think you had mentioned him when we met, right? He left you alone on the dancefloor.” I snorted at that. “Yes, him. Other than leaving me behind on the dancefloor he’s a good pal.” Again she gave me a beautiful laugh. “Well, I would like to meet him then.” That made me sigh in relief, I was so happy seeing her again. And now I get to spend time with her. And Steve will now know I wasn’t just drunk talking to myself the other night. “Great follow me.” I put my arm out for her to take and she did. I could smell her perfume, it was some sort of citrus, it smelled amazing. Keep it together Buck.
We walked in the diner to the booth I was sitting with Steve. I waved at him and he looked at me with big eyes. “Steve, this is Y/n. Y/n this is Steve.” I introduced. Steve stood up and patted down his clothes quickly before he put his right hand out. “Pleasure to meet you ma’am.” He said I snorted. Y/n took his hand. “Nice to meet you Steve.” She responded. I motioned for us all to sit down and a waiter came over. I ordered us all some smoothies. “So.. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Steve started as I gave him a glare. I had only seen her once before. “Oh, he has.” Y/n gave me a look. I was busted. After all the ways I could’ve embarrassed myself, this is how, with Steve. “He has now? What are the things he has told you?” She asked Steve. I swear if this kid embarrasses me more. And by the look he gave me he was going to embarrass me more. “Oh, well just that he can’t stop talking about how beautiful and funny this dame is he met at the dancehall. Ahh.” Under the table I kicked Steve. That is enough. “Did he now. And it was me right? Or did you meet another beautiful dame there after I left?” She asked me narrowing her eyes and smiling at me. “What no! It was you definitely you.” I stammered rubbing my neck awkwardly. If I had known I was going to be this embarrassed I would’ve sat at a different table. Who am I kidding, I would still embarrass myself then. All she did was laugh again, that made me smile. The milkshakes couldn’t come fast enough and when they were placed in front of us I took a big gulp, hoping to cool myself down. Didn’t work.
After a short moment of silence Steve continued small talk. “So what do you do for a living?” Steve asked. That intrigued me as well, I didn’t know this. “Uhm, well my family invests in anything that seems interesting all over the world. We have a lot of connections and houses all over the world because of that.” Interesting. They must know exactly what to invest in then. She seems like she or her family have a lot of money. “Where over the world do you have houses.” I wondered out loud. “In Sweden a few, but that’s where I am from. Then we have a place in Norway, Italy, France and the Netherlands, Australia and now I’m looking for a place here. I have been staying in a hotel so far. And I used to have a place in Germany, but.. you know.” The war in Europe, we are all hoping this ends soon. Germans or Nazi’s taking over killing. “It is awful that that is happening.” I stated not really knowing what else to say. “Is your family in Sweden still?” Steve asked. “Yes, but luckily Sweden has been neutral so far.” Y/n looked down so I gently took her hand. “I’m sure it will all be over soon.” It had to be. She looked at me and nodded. She held my hand a little tighter. Considering the topic that made my heart beat a lot faster and I was almost scared she could hear it. Cause I certainly did.
Y/n POV
I held Bucky’s hand a little tighter. Considering what I know I still wished he was right. I wished that that awful nightmare would end now and that it would be the end of it. But millions of people would still die and I couldn’t do anything about it. Over the years I had tried to stop or help with world events that would lead to a lot of deaths, but always it would do absolutely nothing. If I tried to kill someone that would late cause a lot of tragedy, something always seemed to go wrong and someone else would die. Believe me I have tried to kill Hitler himself in WWI, but I missed. I tried to get him in to a painting school as a last resort, but he got denied. Always nothing seemed to work. And everything that went down in the history books that I know happened exactly like it was written. It was a sick game knowing exactly what was going to happen, but I could not do anything to stop it. Loki had seen that it was getting to me and wanted to leave earth and go back to Asgard, but that was too hard for me. If I did that it felt like I wasn’t even trying to do anything, even if it was small. I keep getting in my own head about this situation, so I decided to change the subject. 
“So have you guys been keeping up with football or baseball?” I asked. I didn’t really care much for it, but they might. “Yes! Next month our team is playing, but it is impossible to get any tickets the baseball game.” Bucky said excitedly. “I’m telling ya, we just need to show up there and hope that others might not show up, so we can take their seats.” Steve responded. Alright they love baseball. I smiled. “Who’s playing?” I asked. “The Dodgers against the Phillies and it’s gonna be here in Brooklynn.” I’ll have to look into seeing if I can get tickets for that for them. They seem excited about that.
After some more time and more small talk Steve excused himself. “He seems nice.” I noted out loud. “He’s a good kid, but seems to get himself in trouble a lot.” Steve didn’t seem like a troubled kid. “How come he gets in trouble so much?” Genuinely curious. “He wants to stand up for what is right. Fight against the bullies you could say.” “But that is not bad.” I told him. “No it’s not, but Steve is not a big guy or anything and seeing that the bullies usually are the big guys gives him a disadvantage.” I see what Bucky means now. “You fight any bullies?” I asked him squeezing his left hand. It made me smile. The first time I met him I couldn’t let go of his hand and now again. It didn’t feel uncomfortable even though we barley knew each other. It felt like the opposite, it felt like we had known each other for a very long time. “Not like Steve has.” He said smiling. “Here’s your check.” The waitress interrupted. This was the first time Bucky had let go of my hand to reach for his wallet. Instantly it felt empty. “Let me-.” Bucky started. “Oh no you don’t have to pay for my-.” “I insist.” He said as he put his hand on my purse. 
As we walked outside I looked at my watch and saw it was getting late. ”Oh, I need to go it’s getting late.” I told Bucky. “I can walk you back, where ever you need to go.” He said with hopeful eyes. Honestly I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. It felt nice seeing him again. So I nodded in response and we walked back to a hotel I had a room at in Brooklyn. It wasn’t very far from the diner, I really was almost back before I saw him. “I am happy that I saw you again Bucky.” I told him honestly. “I’m happy that I saw you walking outside. Honestly I had been hoping that our first encounter wasn’t our last.” We both smiled at that. “So you and Steve were not lying that you couldn’t stop talking about me.” I said jokingly. He laughed at that, he had such an amazing laugh, so light hearted. “No, he was telling the truth.” I thought that was very sweet. I walked slightly closer to him and our hands were slightly brushing up against each other. I wanted to grab his hand so badly. I decided to do it when I man walked in-between us separating us a little farther. We both let out a breathy laugh at that cause of the awkwardness. We tried again getting closer and closer when another man tried to walk between us. Bucky quickly grabbed my hand and put it us so the man walked under us. The stranger seemed a bit shocked at that, which made it all the more funnier. We both started laughing and Bucky pulled me closer. “This time I’ll make sure it won’t happen again doll.” He said half jokingly but also serious. Because of that I felt my cheeks heat up. “Such a charmer.” I noted, but I couldn’t look him in the eyes as I said that, cause I knew I would turn more red if I did. 
We walked around the corner of the block. “Well this is me.” I said a bit sad. “Thank you for walking me back, even though it was a short walk.” I was looking at our hands not ready to let go yet. “Of course doll, no problem.” And he put on his charming smirk. “Before you go. I was wondering if.. Would you like to see me again, maybe?” I gave him a big genuine smile. “I would like that very much.” And his smirk turned in a full smile. “Great can you do this Saturday at six?” He asked eager of my answer. “I can do Saturday.” “Alright it’s a date I’ll pick you up here then.” He said happily. “Ok! See you on Saturday.” I stepped closer and gave him a kiss on his cheek. I slowly stepped away and let goof his hand. I waved at him before walking inside the hotel and hearing a “Yes!” From Bucky who was still standing outside. He’s a good man.
-
As just closed the door of my room I heard a knock. Loki. I sighed and walked over. “Where have you been?” He asked already stepping inside. “What are you concerned now?” I asked Loki. “You said you’d be back by three... It’s almost five. Where have you been.” I rolled my eyes. “Not like I can’t protect myself or anything. Not like I have this weird energy shielding me.” Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. “You said three, it’s almost five now. Where have you been?” Loki asked more calmly this time. “Nowhere in particular.” I said not really wanting to answer him. Because I already knew his response if I told him I saw the guy from the dance. “Y/n. I don’t like to play these games.” He started. “Since when? I thought you were the trickster God? Or has that changed in the time I was gone?” “Y/n..” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Alright fine. The guy I met at the dance was at this diner that I walked passed and he asked me to go for milkshakes. And I know what you’re gonna say, but it was just a milkshake, nothing more.” Loki walked up closer to me. “Was it?” He asked. “Well.. He asked me out for this Saturday.. and I kinda said... Yes.” I answered and Loki sighed. “Y/n, you’re going to get hurt, again... You need someone that is not.. what’s the word.. Die. They grow old and die and you’re still you. You need someone who can be there for you, not someone that you have to be there for them.” He has told me this so many times. “Who is that person than?” Loki got quiet at that. And I decided to leave it at that. “I’m gonna go take a shower.” I said as I was walking towards my bathroom. “Oh one last thing.. It is just a date. It doesn’t mean anything.” I said as I closed the door of my bathroom.
It doesn’t mean anything. It is just a date. Nothing more. Bucky is just.. a random guy I met and I am going to see him for a third time. After that I am not going to see him anymore. It doesn’t mean anything. 
-
Saturday
So that was a complete lie I told myself before the date. Bucky was wearing a very nice tuxedo and had his hair done. He had given me some flowers, tulips. They looked lovely. I wasn’t excepting this much. And the date itself.. He did all the things right. He made me laugh, he made me feel comfortable. “Bucky you’re being too kind tonight. This restaurant? The flowers? You? This has been amazing!” I said genuinely and took his hand again. Taking his hand every time felt good. “Really? I was nervous to take you to a restaurant like this.. I thought, maybe it wouldn’t be up to your-.” “No, all of it was perfect.” I interrupted him. After that I excused myself to go to the ladies room, but I went to the host instead to pay for dinner. I am not letting him pay this time. “Alright we can go.” I told him when I came back. “I just need to pay for tonight doll then we can go.” He told me. “Nope, we don’t, I payed. And before you say anything, you can pay me back by taking a walk with me right now. I don’t want this date to end, not yet.” I put my right hand out and he took it and we walked out.
Outside we were both enjoying the cool night breeze. “It’s cloudy today.” He noted. “It is.. you can’t really see the stars.” He nodded at that. “You have to be lucky to be able to see stars in a city like this. Did you live in a city in Sweden as well?” He asked. “No, I.. It’s a island where I lived and they are basically stuck in time. Not really noticing what is going on outside of that island.” I decided to tell him the truth on that. I don’t know why I did. Usually I would lie and say Stockholm, but with Bucky I didn’t want to do that. It wasn’t even a thought to lie. “That sounds interesting to live like that. What do you prefer?” And I honestly didn’t have a answer for that. I loved the island Kattegat, but I only went there when I wanted to take a breather from the world and live the life.. Bjorn.. always wanted to keep alive. The Viking life. It was something for me to hold on to for all this time. The world was moving so fast and Kattegat always stayed somewhat the same, at peace. Kattegat was my vacation and the rest of the world was basically my work. “I like both. What about you?” Was all I had to say. “I like the city. It’s fast paced. It’s the future. I mean have you seen Stark industries? What they’re doing there you won’t find on a secluded island.” I laughed at that. “Stark? he sounds familiar.” Bucky’s eyes lit up. “He is this brilliant guy and rumor has it he is building a flying car. Before you know it everybody will have flying cars! trust me.” I laughed at that. “And his name is Stark?” He nodded his head. “Howard Stark is his name.” I hummed at that. “I have heard of that name I think.. a long time ago.” And I am pretty sure I have it sounded so familiar, but it was such a distant memory. Over the years a lot has happened and I have been better at remembering faces than names. Especially from before I got sucked back in to time. 
A cold breeze went by and immediately Bucky gave me his jacket. “What a gentleman.” I said and he smirked. “Always doll.” He said. I couldn’t help but smell his jacket straight away. It smelled like fall, the woods. We got to a pier and could see the New York skyline. “Isn’t that a sight.” He stated. “It is as I stepped closer to his side. He put his arm around my back and I rested my head against his shoulder. “I really liked tonight.” I said out loud, but it was more meant for myself. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. And I’ll be sad to go back home soon. “I did too. I would like to see you again.” And Bucky looked down at me. “I would like to see you again too.” I said turning my head towards him. “Tomorrow again?” He said softly. Our faces were close I could feel his breath on my skin and smell his cologne better now. Wood, grass and peppermint. “Tomorrow again.” I answered back getting closer to him. Bucky inched closer as well and our lips were almost touching. He rested his forehead on mine and our noses bumped. He was waiting, trying not to overstep any boundaries. I didn’t know if I should tell him I probably wanted to kiss him just as bad as he did me. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. For a short moment we just took each other in. His soft lips against mine. I put my hands up against his chest and he moved to put his hand on my neck and one on my back. Pulling each other closer.
Loki is going to kill me if he finds out.
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Let me know what you think :)
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be11atrixthestrange · 3 years
Text
Step 8: Navigating Arguments
Also, for all those asks for a Romione first time... this the chapter for you!
From 12 Fail-Safe Ways To Charm Hermione Granger
As your relationship deepens, expect disagreements to surface. All couples fight, but pay attention to the way you fight. Do your best to establish healthy and productive habits by focusing on your own feelings and actions, and never attack your partner's character. Remember that you're arguing with someone you love.
******
Ron and Hermione were no strangers to fighting, and ultimately, Ron was thankful for that. Their friendship was based on an argument— If Ron hadn't called her a nightmare back in their first year, she would never have ended up crying in the girls' bathroom. And if she hadn't been crying in the girls' bathroom, she wouldn't have needed saving from a Mountain Troll.
That was the argument that began their friendship, but there were many more that defined it. In the third year, he thought he'd never talk to her again because her cat definitely ate his rat. But as it turned out, Crookshanks was innocent, his rat was really a middle-aged killer, and he missed her so much that he would have forgiven her even without those valid reasons.
Their fight at the Yule Ball in their fourth year also stood out as a defining moment. Hermione still thought of that as the moment when he finally realized she was a girl, but she was wrong. That was the moment he knew that other people realized she was a girl, and he convinced himself he was entirely undeserving of her attention.
He still cringed when he remembered their estrangement during year six, which Hermione now referred to as 'The Lavender Days." It might have taken a canary attack, but that fight showed him that they ultimately felt the same way about each other. Dating someone else for five months might not have been the most efficient way of discovering that, but it ultimately worked..
They could fight like dragons, but they always resolved them, even back when they just called each other friends. Their fights didn't end when their relationship began, and it would have been naive to assume so.
They argued about where to spend holidays, and splitting their vacation time equally between the Burrow and Australia frequently required a spreadsheet and a third party. They argued about dirty dishes, and messy rooms, and what to make for dinner. They even rowed about muggle movies, and whether to watch a romantic comedy or an action film. Ron only doubled down on his opinion there, because he believed more men needed to admit their love for romance films.
Ginny and Harry jokingly referred to their bickering as foreplay. Despite his initial embarrassment at their observation, he knew there was some truth to it. Their arguments remained a constant feature of their relationship as they progressed from friends to lovers, but making up— that got much better.
Before, when they were just friends, making up meant a handshake, or a hug, or a promise that they could talk to one another again. Now, making up meant hours in the bedroom, under the covers, naked. He'd developed a certain pride in how many ways he could say "I'm sorry," without speaking a word, and she'd gotten quite good at convincing him that all was forgiven.
Today he was pretty confident that they could get through any fight, but it hadn't always been that way. The first few major arguments of their relationship didn't have a solution in sight, and it took time to figure out how to row with one another in a way that didn't deepen their divide. When long estrangements ceased to work, they had to figure out how to fight productively, which took time. Sharing his feedback on their relationship was risky, but Ron soon found out that with that risk, came a big reward.
******
Harry and Ron both moved into Grimmauld Place and started Auror training soon after Hermione and Ginny left for Hogwarts. The long, empty schedules of summer felt so far away when they were suddenly faced with twelve-hour training shifts. Ron jumped into training enthusiastically because it was something to do, and it filled his time enough to get his mind off of missing Hermione.
He looked forward to writing her lengthy letters once a week, describing his days in as much detail as he was authorized to give. It was no substitute for talking to her, but it was the closest thing he had, so he cherished that time. She wrote back too, and he tried to imagine what it would be like to be with her at Hogwarts, based on the details she provided in her letters.
Luckily, Ron didn't have to wait until the Christmas holidays in order to see her. Her birthday fell on the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and he was able to get a day off of Auror training to meet her. It was a weekend to remember— they started at the Three Broomsticks, and caught up over a few rounds of butterbeer. Ron learned of all the details about school life that she hadn't mentioned in her letters, and she surprised him by agreeing to take a few shots of firewhiskey. They inched closer to one another with each passing sip, and it wasn't long before Ron was grateful they'd picked a booth in the back of the bar, hidden from view.
He could have stayed there all day, with Hermione in his lap, tasting the alcohol on her breath, but eventually, Madam Rosmerta forced them to leave. Madam Rosmerta who? Ron could hardly remember why the barmaid had caught his attention for so many years at Hogwarts. Bloody mental, he was. Madam Rosmerta was far from his mind when he pulled Hermione into an empty alley behind the bar, slipped his hands behind her thighs, and picked her up. He pressed her back against the brick wall as she wrapped her legs around him, and he wondered how many more secret Hogsmeade snogging spots they'd never gotten the chance to discover.
School must have picked up in October, because her letters were shorter. He still enjoyed reading them, but even more, he wished he could be there to relieve some of her stress— preferably in an alley behind a bar. He did his best to fill in the gaps, kept his letters as long and detailed as possible, and hoped that they'd be able to catch up fully during their next Hogsmeade weekend.
It was the end of October when he saw her again. They had planned to meet at the same place. Unfortunately when he arrived at the Three Broomsticks, the private booth they had enjoyed last month was taken, so he set himself up in one nearby, and simply hoped Hermione would see him.
She came rushing in after Ron had already finished his first butterbeer, and apologized for her lateness. Although he was well aware of her tendency to lose track of time in the library, there was a part of him that felt slightly offended. He didn't want to spend his only day with Hermione brooding, so he ordered a few more rounds of drinks, and listened intently as Hermione filled him in on the details of the previous month. She spoke of her homework load, her Head Girl duties, and lamented her lack of free time to write to him. He slipped his arm around her, stroked her hair, and pushed aside the hurt from earlier. It wasn't long before she was leaning against him, stroking his thigh, and he turned to kiss her.
It wasn't as frenzied as last month. She never made it to his lap, and Madam Rosmerta didn't need to kick them out. When they strolled down the high street, and he tried to guide her into that empty alley, their empty alley, she resisted.
"I have to get back to the library, Ron."
She looked away when she said it, and Ron assumed it was so she didn't have to see his face fall. He sighed.
"That's ok," he said, and he wrapped her in his arms for another kiss before letting her go. It was shorter and more chaste than he wanted it to be, but he cherished the contact either way.
He continued to write to her after that weekend, and she continued to respond, but her letters grew shorter and shorter. It seemed she had written most of them in the library in between essays. Based on her rushed responses, school was overwhelming. She had taken on more NEWTS than anyone else, and it was all starting to catch up to her.
He wanted to believe that was the only reason behind her disappointingly concise letters, but his resentment was growing. He was busy too, and he still looked forward to spending hours writing to her, because had no one else he wanted to share his life with. An old insecurity began to resurface with every hastily written note— he knew it was mental, but maybe she had someone else to talk to, so writing him felt redundant.
Before their November Hogsmeade weekend, Ron booked a room at the Hog's Head. He knew better than to think she'd be able to spend the night with him, but it meant that she could see him two days in a row, and there'd be a place for her to really unwind, away from the prying eyes of anyone at the Three Broomsticks. They still met at the bar, in the same private booth as their first trip.
Even though he expected her to arrive late and slightly frenzied, he was still annoyed when she did. He offered her a butterbeer, partially hoping that she would catch his stiff tone, but she didn't even notice. Hermione started rambling on and on about her schoolwork, her Head Girl duties, and the stress she felt at school. He listened intently as she described her daily life in detail, and he couldn't help but wish she had included it all in her letters.
They left on their own when the pub closed, and no one had to kick them out. Hermione turned toward the road that would take her back to Hogwarts, and Ron reached for her hand.
"Don't go back yet," he said, pulling her back around to face him. "I got us a room."
He expected she'd need some convincing, and was prepared for it.
"Ron, I can't stay the night—"
"I wasn't expecting you to!" he assured her.. 'I just figured we could use some alone time. And then you can come back tomorrow." He tugged on her arm, trying to pull her into his arms, but she resisted.
"Ron, I can't—," she looked at him apologetically. "I don't have any free time tomorrow."
"It's a Sunday, what else have you got?" he was still holding onto her arm, half-heartedly trying to pull her into a hug, but she just stood still, unresponsive to his touch.
"I have a meeting with the prefects, four essays to finish, and I need to start revising for exams."
"That's a lot for a Sunday," said Ron, noting the hint of frustration in his voice.
"Well I scheduled everything on Sunday to make room to see you today, so yeah, it's busier than normal."
Her words felt like a punch in his stomach. "Well thank you for making room for me, Hermione, I'm sorry I'm hard to fit into your schedule."
"Ron," she said, sounding hurt. "You can't be mad about that."
"Well, I'm upset," he returned. Something, whether it be anger, frustration, or hurt was boiling up inside of him. "It kind of sounds like you don't want to be around me."
"That's not true!" she said. "I just wish you had told me."
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"I hate surprises," she said. "If we had planned this out earlier, I might have been able to schedule around it." She had slipped out of his grasp and was now facing him with her arms crossed.
"Plan it out? You hardly write to me anymore. I have no fucking clue what's going on in your life, how am I supposed to know what your schedule looks like if you don't talk to me!"
She took a step back, looking affronted. "Ron I write to you every week."
"And you hardly say anything."
"Well I'm sorry my letters aren't detailed enough, I'm doing my best to keep up with yours."
Ron froze, playing her words over and over again in his head. She was making room for him. Doing her best to keep up with his letters. Adjusting her schedule to fit him in. All of it sounded like he was just another chore on Hermione's to-do list. A burden.
"Do you still want to be with me?" The words were out of his mouth before he could think to filter them.
She stared at him, her lip quivering. "Of course I do. Why would you say that?"
"It just sounds like I'm stressing you out," he shrugged. He felt his own face burning hot, and even though it felt like a regression of their relationship, he willed himself not to cry in front of her.
"It's not you—," she started.
"Is there someone else, Hermione?" He braced himself for her answer.
"No! How could you think that!" She was crying now. He wanted to run to her and wipe the tears from her face, but he willed himself to stay rooted to the spot.
"I just had to ask," he said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
Ron watched the image in his head of how he'd planned the night dissipate. He and Hermione were supposed to be enjoying a bottle of wine in their private hotel room right now. He'd hoped they'd spend this night reconnecting, both verbally and non verbally. He definitely hadn't planned for them to be standing five feet away from each other in a cold alley, arms crossed, and holding back tears.
"I really should go back," she finally said, avoiding his eye contact.
"Fine," he said, resisting the temptation to pull her into a hug, kiss her, and tell her he loved her. He knew she wouldn't respond with the level of enthusiasm that would make him feel any better.
"I'll see you at Christmas."
"I'll see you at Christmas," he responded stiffly. He waited until she walked away before he let his tears fall, and disapparated back to Grimmauld Place.
Ron approached letter-writing with far less enthusiasm after their fight in Hogsmeade, but was grateful for some correspondence, however flat it seemed. They wrote to each other simply to make plans for the Holidays. Hermione was planning to spend the first week of Christmas at Grimmauld Place with him, before spending the second half in Australia with her parents.
He was pleased to learn that he was still invited to visit her parents, but unfortunately, Auror training didn't leave him with a long enough break to join her. His anxiety to see her again was growing, but he had no idea what to expect from their reunion. They had a lot to discuss since their last Hogsmeade date. Although he was committed to a calm conversation, they didn't have the best track record when it came to rational discussions.
Luckily, any tension he felt quickly melted away when she arrived. He felt a wave of relief when she collapsed into his arms as soon as she saw him, almost knocking him over.
"Hi," she murmured into his shoulder.
"Hi," he said, chuckling. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." She held him at arm's length, and lovingly brushed some of his fringe away from his eyes.
Ron smiled and tightened his grip on her waist, tugging her closer. Their lips met, and she moved her hands from his shoulders to his hair, and at least for a few moments, they forgot about any potential arguments on their horizon.
The conversation didn't come up until later that night. When she slid under the covers with him and her head landed on his chest, he automatically turned toward her and tangled his fingers in her hair before kissing her firmly on the top of her head.
"I love you so much," he told her.
"I love you too," she said sincerely. The unexpected wave of relief he felt indicated a fear he hadn't yet recognized he had. "You know that, right?" she continued, now looking up at him.
Her head slid off his chest and they turned to face each other. "Yeah. I know that."
She turned her gaze to her hand, which was tracing the scars on Ron's arm. "What went wrong?"
He knew they couldn't avoid the conversation any longer, so he took a deep breath before answering. "I know you love me, I just didn't really feel that way over the past few months." He felt her stiffen in his arms, and he tensed too, preparing for an angry retort.
But it never came. Instead, Hermione's eyebrows furrowed and she propped herself up on her shoulder. "You don't?" she asked in a small voice.
At this point Ron was aware of his own insecurities, and knew full well that Hermione might call them out. There was a part of him that wanted to shove this conversation under the rug, because he thought he shouldn't be insecure, and it might come across as needy, and she might not find that attractive. But he also knew that this was simply how he felt, it was affecting them, and it was valid even if it didn't make sense to her. He took another deep breath, and spoke with a shaky voice. "I questioned it a lot over the last few months, to be honest."
Hermione's eyes watered with tears, but she didn't say anything. She gently nodded for him to continue.
Ron hadn't really prepared to elaborate, which he now realized was a mistake. He didn't have a solution for her, and he didn't have a reason to tell her that didn't sound like blame. But he had her attention, so he continued, hoping the fact that his words weren't perfectly curated didn't come back later to bite him. "We hardly spoke. Your letters were so short. I couldn't help but feel like you rushed them, which made me worry you thought writing to me was a chore. Then our Hogsmeade weekends didn't go as planned, and I just kind of spiraled into thinking that you didn't miss me, which made me worry that you didn't love me—"
"That's why you thought I had met someone else? I had no idea you felt that way," she said, cutting him off. She snaked her arms around his neck so she was pressed up against him. "I'm sorry, Ron."
"It's ok," said Ron, even though it wasn't.
"I was just so stressed with school, and I couldn't really spend time with you, so I did my best to focus on classes so I didn't miss you too much. I thought if I could just get through this year, then we could go back to how things were over the summer. And honestly, I did think of writing to you as a chore, because it was a horrible substitute for actually talking to you, and just made me miss you more. I dreaded it."
Ron's stomach sank when she said that. Writing to Hermione was his favorite part of the week, and the fact that she didn't feel the same way really stung.
They laid there silently for a while, as neither seemed to have much to say. What was there to say? He hated it when she didn't write, and she hated writing to him. It seemed like there wasn't a solution.
"What do you want me to do?" she eventually asked.
Ron winced. He didn't want to tell her she had to do anything. He just wanted it to be simple.
"Ron, I'm not good at this," she said.
"Not good at what?"
"All of it," she said, motioning around her like she was referring to the room they were in. "I'm not good at being a girlfriend. Reading your mind. Knowing how to make sure you know I love you. Writing it in a letter doesn't feel sincere to me."
"That's not true," he told her. "You're a good girlfriend." Although she had a point, something was missing, and there were many times this past fall when he had felt like he didn't even have a girlfriend. He didn't know if he could make it six more months like that, unless something changed. "I just hate how much happened this fall that I knew nothing about. I just want to know everything. Sorry if that sounds needy."
"So you want me to write to you more. Is it that simple?" she asked earnestly.
Ron groaned. "Hermione, it's not a want. I need you to write to me more."
She looked at him contemplatively. "If it means that much to you, I can do that."
"Really?"
She nodded. "I didn't know how it made you feel when I didn't write."
"Even though you hate writing to me?"
"Ron I don't hate writing to you. It just stresses me out and makes me sad," she turned to look him in the eyes. "But it's better than knowing you feel like this."
"Thank you," he said. He pulled her back in for another hug, this time turning to his back so she was on top of him. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it felt a lot better that she knew how he felt. "I love you."
"McGonagall did say," said Hermione thoughtfully, before she shook her head, evidently deciding against continuing that thought. "I love you too."
"What did she say?" asked Ron.
Hermione sighed. "She said I could use her floo in emergencies. But on second thought, I don't think she would consider needing to see my boyfriend an emergency."
"Can you ask her?"
"Ron—"
"Please."
Hermione sighed, then nodded. "I'll ask her. Because I love you."
Ron beamed at her, then captured her lips with his. A year ago, Ron had just returned to the horcrux hunt, and would never have dared to tell her he needed more from her. Back then, he was simply grateful she was speaking to him, and he figured he'd spend the rest of his life making up for leaving her. They really had come a long way, and maybe he had finally done enough to earn his keep.
Ron felt her snake her arms around his neck, which only made him want to kiss her more fervently, so he did. He pulled the hem of her shirt up and off her head, before tugging at his own, and tossing both to the side of the bed.
He smiled at the view before him. Some things he would never get used to. His lips crashed back into hers before he trailed kisses down her neck, dragging his hand from her breast to the buttons on her jeans. She helped him slide her jeans off until she was down to her knickers, and then shimmied his way back up to her smiling face for another kiss. He kept his lips on hers as he kicked his own trousers off, and when they broke apart, she moved her mouth to his neck. Ron felt her teeth gently bite down into the soft flesh of his neck and he groaned almost involuntarily.
"Fuck, Hermione."
He felt her hand slide down his body and slip inside his pants. She smiled approvingly at his very evident excitement to see her, and shifted lower on his body, trailing kisses down his stomach. Ron propped himself up on his elbows just in time to see her tug his erection free from his pants, and slide her mouth over the tip.
"Merlin," he heard himself say before he collapsed back on the bed in surrender, tangling one hand into her messy hair while the other gripped his bedsheets. His heart rate picked up when she dug her fingers into his thigh, and he knew she had to feel his pulse against her tongue. He quickly lost interest in controlling the volume of his voice, and it didn't take very long before he felt himself spill into her mouth and unleash a string of expletives when she swallowed.
He had barely recovered when she kissed her way back up his torso to his neck. She turned to her back, and tugged his arm so he shifted on top of her. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.
He pressed his lips to her neck, contemplating his many options for returning the favor. "Love you too."
He placed his forehead on hers to look her in the eye, and felt himself growing hard again when she bit her lip and looked at him shyly. "What do you want me to do for you?" he whispered, before leaning in for another brief kiss, gently tugging her lower lip with his teeth when he pulled away. "I'll do anything for you."
Hermione smiled sheepishly at him. "I did the charm."
Ron raised his eyebrows. "The charm?"
She nodded.
Ron felt his stomach tighten in nerves. At this point, they had pretty much done everything they could do without having sex. They'd been dancing around the topic for quite some time, so he had an inkling that it would come up over the holiday. But he stopped himself from getting too hopeful since things had been feeling off between them. "Are...are you sure?"
She nodded again. "Do you know your charm?"
"Yes," he said. "I know it."
"So, you should do it then," she said. "Unless you need more time to recover."
They both glanced down between them, where Ron's erection was awake and ready to go. Hermione chuckled.
"I don't think I need any more time." He shifted off of her and reached for his wand, before pointing it at himself and muttering the incantation that his brothers had embarrassingly made him memorize years ago.
Hermione hooked her fingers over the hem of his pants, and slid them down his legs. He stepped one leg out at a time, until he was completely starkers. Even though she had seen him naked many times before, he suddenly felt exposed. His face was red when he tugged at her knickers. She lifted her hips for him and he pulled them to her ankles, before she kicked them off and onto the floor where the rest of their clothes lay.
He steadied himself on top of her, shifting his hips between her legs. "One more time, you're sure?"
She nodded and opened her legs wider in answer.
Ron looked down and used his hand to rest himself at her opening. "Just tell me if you need me to stop, ok?"
"I will," she said.
He pressed forward, guiding himself slowly into her, watching her facial expressions for any sign of discomfort. When she looped her arm around his back and encouraged him closer, he pressed a little more firmly, and watched his erection start to disappear inside her.
He heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up to see she was wincing.
"Sorry!" he said, and he started to pull out, but she gripped his hips with her hand to stop him.
"No, stay," she said. "Just go slow."
Ron took a deep breath and pressed himself back in until she winced again and he stopped. "Is this ok?"
"Yes," she said, a little more high-pitched than normal.
"Ok," he answered, but he didn't move.
"You can go further."
"I don't want to hurt you," he said as he dropped a kiss to her lips.
"It's not that bad," she said sympathetically.
Ron chuckled. "That's what every guy wants to hear on their first time."
"That's not what I meant," laughed Hermione. She wrapped her legs around his lower back and pressed him the rest of the way, letting out another sharp exhale as their hips met. "Ok, let me get used to you."
Ron stayed perfectly still, save for his lips, which went immediately to her neck as he kissed her right below her jawbone. "Get used to me, huh?"
"Well yes," she said, running her fingernails up in circles on his back. "You're quite big."
"That's more like it," he said. He gently tugged some of the soft skin on her neck between his teeth, and could almost feel her rolling her eyes.
"Ok, you can move now," she said.
Ron propped himself back up on his forearms, and dropped another kiss to her lips, before he slowly started moving his hips back and forth, sliding in and out of her. "This ok?"
She nodded, and he continued. It wasn't smooth or graceful by any means, quite clumsy actually, and Ron was grateful for all the time they had spent in bed together before this moment. He was with the only person he trusted to share this awkward attempt at sex, and the self-consciousness he could have felt was far overshadowed by his gratitude for Hermione in that moment.
He watched her focused expression, which was distinctly different than the one he saw when she was about to let go, and he was relieved that he knew how to please her in other ways. He had a backup plan.
He steadied his hips to kiss her again. "I love you so fucking much," he said when he broke free. He knew he wouldn't last much longer, so he propped himself up on his arms again and picked up the pace of his hips. "Fuck, Hermione," he said as she tightened her legs around him and tugged on his hair, and soon enough he buried his face in her hair, muffling the sound of her name that escaped his lips.
He collapsed on top of her, and she untwined her legs from behind him. With one last kiss, he rolled off to his side, and turned to face her, smiling. "I love you too," she said. He ran a thumb across her cheek.
He smiled. "That was brilliant. For me."
She simply smiled.
"I'm sorry you didn't—"
"It's ok," she interrupted. "I didn't expect it the first time."
He slid his hand from her cheek to her breast. "We still have time," he said, eyebrows raised. She grinned and closed her eyes as dragged his fingers down her body, gently parting her legs for his fingers.
"We have our whole lives," she said. He smiled as she bit her lip, and he slipped his fingers between her thighs.
Our whole lives, he thought. He could deal with that.
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softlass27 · 3 years
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Flufftober Day 20 – Enigmatic continuing my trend of "canon if robert was still here" fics some context for those who aren't up to speed on the show: bernice recently offered to sell the salon to leyla or mandy – whoever could come up with the money first. mandy won (thanks to paul's dodgy gambling winnings) so now she owns it – despite the fact that she knows sod all about how to run a business. and she's already made the place even more hideously tacky than it already was.
AO3 link here
Aaron sighed as he closed the front door behind him, rolling his aching shoulders with a wince. Having just spent six hours on a scrap run, he was officially knackered. All he wanted to do was order a pizza, have a cold beer and curl up with Robert on the sofa for the rest of the night.
As he kicked his shoes off and walked further into the house, he saw Robert sitting with his laptop at the kitchen table, surrounded by a mass of paperwork.
“Hiya,” he sighed, dropping a kiss on the side of Robert’s head on his way to the fridge.
“Hello,” Robert said around the pen that was held between his teeth, grinning brightly.
Aaron took the cap off his beer bottle and took a long gulp, before pulling up a chair opposite Robert.
“Busy?”
Robert hummed, stretching his arms over his head. “Can I run something by you?”
There was an enigmatic look in his eyes, like there was something he’d been dying to tell Aaron all day.
“Go on, then.”
“I spoke to Bernice this morning.”
Aaron blinked, nonplussed. Of all the things he'd been expecting, it wasn't that. Far as he knew, Robert and Bernice had barely had contact since she'd buggered off to the other side of the world.
“Bernice? She coming back to the village or summat?”
“No, the opposite actually. She’s definitely staying put in Australia.”
“Okay… what does this have to do with you?”
“She’s decided to sell the salon,” Robert said, fiddling with his pen. “And she wanted to give me first dibs on it.”
Aaron frowned. “As in… she wants you to be the new owner.”
“Yep.”
“You?”
“Well don’t sound so – ”
“You’re her first choice.”
“Technically, Nicola was. Bernice wanted her to take it over, since they’re family n'all. But since Nicola’s just bought the cafe, she can’t be taking on another new business right now, so she turned her down. I’m second choice, apparently.”
“Why?”
“If it doesn’t go to family – which I am, sort of – she wants it to still be someone in the village. So if not me, then the next option would have to be Leyla or Mandy. Which… ” He shuddered. “Could you imagine the amount of leopard print Mandy would assault the place with? Talk about an eyesore.”
Aaron stared at him, still trying to comprehend what he was hearing.
“Do you know anything about salons?”
“A bit… ” Robert looked slightly hesitant all of a sudden. “Chrissie owned about half a dozen of them while we were together.”
There was an uncomfortable, but brief, jolt to Aaron’s system at the mention of Robert’s ex-wife. It would probably always be there, but hearing her name didn’t actually bother him, not anymore. He smiled encouragingly, gesturing for Robert to continue. Robert smiled back, resting his elbows on the table.
“Okay, so I used to help her out with them sometimes. Go over the books, help her with pitches, come up with marketing ideas, that sort of thing. So it’s not totally new to me. And it’s not like I’d actually be the one cutting anyone’s hair or doing nails or anything.”
Aaron snorted. “Well I should hope not, not after what you did to my hair on lockdown.”
“How many times, I’ve said I’m sorry! It grew back, didn’t it?”
“I had to wear a hat for two months.”
Robert rolled his eyes. “Anyway, it’s a business like any other, right? As long as I can manage the finances, beat the competition and get decent staff, it should be a piece of cake.”
Aaron nodded slowly.
“You think it’s mad?”
“No, “ Aaron said quickly. “Just… I can’t believe you'd want to work with Mandy of all people, for starters.”
Robert gave him an odd look. “I wouldn’t be working with Mandy. She’d have to go. In fact, she’ll be the first thing to go.”
“Good luck telling that to my lot.”
Robert waved an unconcerned hand in the air and powered on. “Honestly, staffing issues would be the least of my concern, there’s loads of stuff that would need changing.”
“So you wouldn’t just keep the place running as it is, then?”
“No, Bernice sent me some stuff to look at and I’ve spent all day going through it. Long story short; it's completely outdated, the whole thing needs a total overhaul,” Robert said, shuffling through some of the paperwork. “It’d be a totally different place by the time I was done with it.”
He pushed a handful of printouts in Aaron’s direction, showing images of trendy-looking salons with sleek, shiny hairdressing stations and cream-carpeted beauty rooms.
“Something classy and modern, more gender neutral. Less tacky pink,” he said with a grimace. “Properly trained, competent employees, not ones who show up looking like they got ready in the dark. That means no Kerry and definitely no Mandy. Vic’s always complaining about how she has to go all the way into town to get a decent haircut or have her nails done. Do you know anyone in the village under the age of 50 who actually goes to Bernice’s place?”
Aaron cast his mind back to the time they’d both watched Marlon sprinting out of the salon with half-dyed hair, screaming at Kerry to stay away from him, and shook his head with a chuckle.
“Don’t think they ever get any men in there, either.”
“Exactly!” Robert grinned, pointing at one of the printouts showing examples of leather barber chairs he'd researched. “So that’s already about half the residents who don’t even consider setting foot in the place. Which is ridiculous, when you compare that to businesses like the HOP or the cafe.
“And if we were aiming for a younger, more diverse crowd, it would need social media, too. Bernice didn’t even use Instagram, for God’s sake. And then there’s Take a Vow; Leyla’s business is really taking off now and there’s loads of deals we could do with her – hen dos, wedding packages, that sort of thing. I bet if we did everything properly, we could double the client numbers – and the profit – within a year.”
Robert’s eyes gleamed with that passionate energy he always got when talking about new business opportunities. It was a look that Aaron hadn’t seen for a while, and he couldn’t help smiling at him with slight bemusement.
“You really want to do this, don’t you?”
Robert paused, before shrugging.
“I can pretty much run the haulage with my eyes closed. The only thing I really like about it is that I get to spend most of the day with you,” he winked, causing Aaron to roll his eyes fondly.
“My heart’s not really in it anymore, especially since Jimmy and Nicola have pretty much ditched everything for the cafe and left me to run it single-handedly,” he scowled, before fixing Aaron with an earnest expression. “I wouldn’t mind a change, a new challenge… and I reckon I could make a good go of it. But I’ll only do it if you’re onboard; Bernice has given me a couple of days to think it over, we have time to decide. So… what do you think?”
“I think… you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Robert’s face lit up, overtaken by a wide smile. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Aaron nodded, laughing at his husband’s excitement. “If it’s what you want, then of course you should go for it.”
Robert leapt from his seat and yanked Aaron up with him, pulling him in for a kiss.
“Best husband ever,” he murmured happily, grinning against Aaron’s lips.
“Don’t you forget it.”
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katherinemallory · 3 years
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#6 A sign from the stars
You can find the previous chapters here: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
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In the last few days it seemed I hardly recognized myself. One Friday I stayed at the MI6 Headquarters much longer than usual, because I needed to finish all the work before the weekend. I wanted to prevent anyone from bothering me on one of my free days, so I did everything I could to make sure I didn't forget about anything. It was getting dark outside the windows, as 8 P.M. got closer, so I drew the curtains before I sat in my armchair.
I was trying to relax and regain the energy. I've just finished preparing some of the documents I had to deliver directly to M, but didn’t intend to go there just yet. I needed a short break. I waited there for 15 minutes, doing absolutely nothing, apart from listening to the cars that were passing by the MI6 Headquarters outside the window. Then I locked my office and went to the last floor.
I was wondering whether Eve would still be working that late in the evening. My assumption was that she would stay in the building as long as Mallory was there. But with Mallory... you could never know for sure. No one was fully aware of his schedule... perhaps for safety reasons.
The corridors on the last floor were empty and it felt like the whole building has been abandoned. You could hear quiet phone conversations from behind the doors, but that late in the evening it felt a bit as if the ghosts had invaded the place.
I knocked on Eve’s door twice, but didn't hear that welcoming voice in response. I was extremely tired, barely could see anything with my eyes, and I wanted to go home so badly, that I ignored the basic savoir-vivre rules and went inside even though I had not been invited.
There was no one sitting behind Eve's desk. The lights were off, and with all the important stuff left on the desk I felt like a burglar.
Great, I thought. There is no one around to assist me. I can't leave these documents here, not making sure they would go directly to Mallory... but I can't step into his office either if he's not here!
To me it seemed like he wasn't there. The omnipresent silence suggested that the office was empty, but I didn’t have much choice. Damn it, I'm going to check if the door is open...
I placed my hand on the doorknob and pushed the famous maroon door. To my surprise, the door has opened, but no one greeted me, which meant I've just broken into M's office.
The interior looked quite mysterious. Just as in the previous room, the lights were off, but the office wasn't covered in total darkness, as someone didn't draw the curtains next to the M's desk. The city lanterns’ light was trying to reach the book shelves behind the desk. For a moment I wondered what kind of books does my supervisor enjoy the most.
I went straight to his desk, my moves being extremely clumsy. The only thing I had in my mind was to do it as quickly as possible and leave. 
When I stopped in front of the desk and placed the documents on it, I felt my heart *racing* in my chest. I tried to remain calm. Calm down, Kath. You *had* to deliver this directly to Mallory... and you just did it. Calm down. There's nothing wrong with you being alone in your supervisor's office. I had trouble with convincing myself of that. That is probably why I didn't hear someone coming inside.
I didn't hear the footsteps. I realized that someone has joined me only seconds before being hugged from behind. I felt the warmth of a man’s body.
"Someone has broken into her supervisor's office?" whispered a pair of lips that gently kissed me on the neck, refusing to wait for my response.
A familiar voice had come from the lips that kissed me. I knew exactly who that man was.
"I came to bring you... the documents... you had asked for... earlier today... sir," I said, staying still: having M's desk in front of me, and unable to see the face of the man who was still holding me in his arms.
"Thank you, Katherine," he replied, while he moved his hands to my waist. "But it would be a waste of time... to come here only to bring me documents."
He kissed my neck once again, this time more predatory, and turned me around.
At first, I only saw his silhouette in the office's darkness, but soon recognized Mallory's face thanks to the dim light coming from outside the window. I was both astonished and thrilled, and, as a result, unable to move. He held me tight in his arms, looking deeply into my eyes.
"I *couldn't* wait any longer," confessed Mallory and smelled my hair. "Since your first day in the section I've been thinking about you..." he made a pause and hungrily glanced at my lips. “So I stepped in when I saw you here. I just hope..." he whispered, "... I just hope you're okay with that."
I couldn't believe my own ears, but I knew exactly *what* I wanted to do and *how much* I wanted to do it. I seductively bit my lower lip and then slowly raised my right hand and caressed his cheek, admiring his face for a brief moment.
"The feeling's mutual, sir," I said breathlessly and kissed him.
My hands laid on his chest, impatiently exploring his body in the dark. He continued to kiss me passionately as he lifted me onto his desk, while I started to unbutton his shirt. We got lost in the moment completely: he, caressing my hair and my back, and me, sitting on his desk, with my hands taking off Mallory's braces...
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
I opened my eyes, as the alarm clock rang. I looked around, expecting Mallory to be lying in my bed next to me, but I was the only person in the room. So, that was only a dream... such a shame, I thought, as I touched my neck as if I were a man who intended to kiss me. 
I wasn't in the good mood. Who would like to come back to reality after such a night? But I got out of bed to turn the clock off and to check my phone. Still no response from 007... You have really screwed this up, Kath.
I wasn't sure how many days or weeks have passed since my failed mission and the infamous conversation I had with Bond. I stopped to count them.
The life in the double-0 section has slowed down, but there was one thing to look forward to. All of us had to attend a one-on-one meeting with M who has been trying to figure out if there's a leak in the section.
I looked at my wall calendar only to discover that today was the day of mine "interrogation" with Mallory. Maybe that's why I had such a spicy dream tonight... cause my heart gets crazy before our every meeting... And let’s be honest Kath, your subconscious wants him *really* badly. 
The truth was that I missed Mallory dearly, as I haven't ran into him in the recent days. It was an uncomfortable feeling - to miss someone you don’t know much about, but at the same time be aware of the fact that this *someone* makes you unable to sleep at night. I found myself regularly thinking about his mysterious green eyes and dark brown hair. I *loved* looking at him when he was giving orders to other double-0s, talking to Eve, or even just wandering around the corridors. The way he moved like seemed fairly attractive to me... Was I being ridiculous? Was I really in love with him? I wasn’t sure, but I was *craving* for my next meeting with Mallory.
I was nearly ready, drinking my everyday cup of Earl Grey and eating breakfast, when my phone rang unexpectedly. I had to stand up to pick it up.
It was Eve. Did the hour of my "interrogation" change?
"Hello, Eve, what's up?"
She sounded a bit strange, as if she was afraid to tell me why she has called me.
"Hi, Kath," she said in a faint voice. "Have you... left your apartment already?"
"No," I replied. "But I will do it in 15 minutes time."
"Well... in that case... don't leave your place then."
The way Eve said the last few words made me feel really worried.
"Why so? Eve, what is going on??" I said nervously, but determined to uncover the truth. "You sound differently than usual... did something happen??"
"Y-y-yes," faltered Eve. "Do you remember our last conversation about M when you said..."
"Yes, I remember," I interrupted her. "Though I’m not sure what that has to do with this..."
"Well Kath... I'm really sorry to tell you this, but... 003 who had his meeting before you... he tried to assassinate M."
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed and fell on the couch. I began to tremble. "He tried to do WHAT...? Is M alright???"
"He was taken to the hospital a while ago," responded Eve. "A stab wound to the left arm. 003 attacked M with a letter opener from his own desk..." she made a pause and then sighed. "It was really awful, Kath. I was behind the door and could do absolutely nothing! I didn't even know something was going on there! M must have pressed this button under his desk to signalize emergency... the guards came into the office very quickly and took 003 to the isolation room but... M's arm has been already covered in blood. When I saw him I nearly fainted... and then I thought of you... since you feel something for him..."
"How serious is his injury?" I asked immediately, being surprised by my ability to remain rational.
"I have no idea, Kath. But I'll keep you posted."
"Thank you so much Eve... I really appreciate that you've called me..."
I suddenly realized that something was not right. Again, I was surprised by the fact I was able to think straight in such an emotional situation.
"... but Eve, why you've told me to stay home? I can come to work and continue with the documents..."
"No, Kath, I'm sorry, but you can't," she said. "003's last mission was set in that area in Australia where Abbruscato wanted to buy mines... and since you and Amanda were both so close to him... you're first ones on the list of suspects. I'm sorry, but..."
She didn't have to explain this to me. This is how the world of espionage looks like.
"... but we're under arrest," I said calmly as I opened the curtains, and looked through the window to see the street. "The guards are coming right now, aren't they?"
"Yes, they left a while ago. They will stay at your door until the investigation's over."
I became quiet. 
"Katherine, are you still there?"
"Yeah...” I answered, staring at the street and tucking the hair behind my left ear. “Thank you, Eve. Thank you so much," I said briefly and I hanged up.
After a while, I was sitting on my couch, looking on my cup of cold Earl Grey. 
I didn't want to talk anymore. To anyone.
Just as in my dream, I couldn’t move. It seemed like I lost the ability to feel anything because of the unexpectedness of the news. If someone came to me and wanted to hurt me in any way, I wouldn’t care at all. I just wanted to know how’s Mallory.
So this was the real meaning of my dream... It was a warning. A prediction. A telepathic sign from Mallory? A sign from the stars telling me something terrible has happened to the man I love?
Wait, did I just think that? Did I just call Mallory the man I *love*?
***
To be continued.
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rin-archives · 3 years
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pov | Chan’s Room Playlist
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Pairings: hwang hyunjin x gender neutral reader Word count: 1,636 TW: extremely fluffy and soft
a/n: another one finished! i hope you like this one. and i hope it doesn’t sound too cliche or cheesy hehe. if you’d like to request anything from the songs that chan has played in chan’s room, you can do so here: click me!!
play: pov by Ariana Grande
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It’s been a year since your relationship with Hyunjin has gotten out in school. You’re the quiet but smart and always number 1 in class type of student while he’s one of the supposedly bad influences in school.
The way you met was an accident.
You were on your way home from the book store and you happened to stop by at a cafe along the way. You didn’t know that he was working there until he was the one who took your order. Both of you were surprised and speechless for a while but you were able to come back to your senses and placed an order.
He handed you a buzzer with your queuing number on it before you made your way to an empty table that was by the glass window. You were just minding your own business until a warm mug of your coffee made its way to your table. You looked up and saw that Hyunjin served it instead of buzzing your queuing number.
He was close, you both were, you could sort of feel each other's breath coming out your mouths. You gulped, knowing what he’s capable of to make you shut up. Well, they were only rumors but you were preparing for whatever was about to come your way.
“See you at school.” he said.
That was all he said before he left you alone and went back to work. You were obviously stunned and confused about what happened. You thought he was going to pour the hot drink on you or something but he didn’t. He didn’t do anything to harm you.
In fact, the next few days after you found out that he worked at the cafe, he didn’t come after you like you thought he would. Were the rumors false then?
He was known for beating up someone in a dark alley, skipping class and getting into trouble a lot which was why you stayed away from him. Everyone did, except for the girls that really wanted him. But after that encounter at the cafe, he really didn’t do anything at all. You were disappointed at how you believed in those rumors. You knew better, and you even told yourself that you weren’t going to believe in things like that. You felt disappointed at the same time feeling guilty because of how you thought of him. You wanted to apologize, even if you didn’t have to, you thought that you needed to.
The week after, during the long weekend break from school, you went to the cafe. This time however, it wasn’t just him that you saw. You saw his friends who were also working. They were spread out in different areas.
“Wel- oh! y/n!” Jeongin came up to you. You knew him because he was your lab partner for a couple of weeks until everyone got reassigned. “It’s nice to see you here. Do you want anything?” he was smiling as he asked. He’s always been like that and you found him really cute for it. “Um, is Hyunjin here?” you hesitantly asked. “Yeah, he’s preparing coffee right now.”
He wasn’t looking at you weirdly or anything, but he thought it was odd that you were looking for Hyunjin and the fact you knew that Hyunjin worked there. “I’ll tell him to come talk to you - only if you buy something first.” you agreed, and you really wanted coffee anyway. Especially if it was made by Hyunjin. The coffee he made the first time you went here was really good, so you ordered the same thing and waited at an empty table at the corner of the cafe.
While you were waiting, Han Jisung or Han by his friends, saw you waiting at the corner. “What’s y/n doing here?” he said. Hyunjin’s ears perked while he was carefully finishing the coffee he was making for a different customer. “Oh, she came here to talk to Hyunjin.” Jeongin responded so casually. “Oh~? Why would he want to talk to our Jinnie?” Han nudged Hyunjin’s arm with his elbow, obviously teasing him. “Just get back to work.” Hyunjin stared at him for a bit before he also got back to work.
Felix, their resident baker, approached you and offered a free sample of his brownies. “Oh, wow. This is good, Lix!” you got another piece from his tray. He joined you for a bit to keep you company. You were also friends with Felix since both of you help out in the library every Thursdays. You got to know that he lived in Australia for most of his life and came to Korea a few years back. You were very surprised that he also knew how to speak French, which meant free French lessons for you in exchange for helping him out what’s missing from the sweets that he makes.
“Thanks for always helping me out, y/n.” he said with that bright smile of his. “Of course, Lix! I can’t say no to sweets - and to you.” you smiled back. “Well, then I better get back to passing out these free samples. Catch you later.” he got up and left after waving to you.
Just then, Hyunjin came to your table and served your coffee like the last time. He was waiting for Felix to leave before he approached you with your order. “O-oh..thank you.” you felt small in front him. Not because he’s taller than you, but you just felt so tiny around him. “Jeongin said you were looking for me?” you nodded and told him that he can sit down if he’d like.
“Um..” you were playing with your fingers as you tried putting your thoughts together. Finding the right things to say - or rather finding the things to say without offending him. “I- um.. I wanted to apologize.'' He was surprised. You didn’t do anything so why were you apologizing so suddenly.
“That day, when I found out you worked here. I thought you didn’t want me telling anyone. I thought...you were going to come after me and torment me or something.” You hung your head low, feeling embarrassed as you sincerely apologized. You were about to make a run for it until you heard him laugh. His laugh was unique and happy sounding. You were surprised that he laughed like that.
“y/n, I meant it when I said “see you in school”. I didn’t mean it in a threatening way.” he giggled lightly. “The rumors got to you, huh?”
It was like his whole demeanor had changed. Or maybe it didn’t change at all because you saw him as what you heard from the rumors. Hyunjin wasn’t that type of bad guy in school, it was only his aura and the way he dressed but in reality he’s funny, creative and hard working.
Your second visit to the cafe gave you a chance to get to know him without the rumors. At the same time, that gave him a chance to ask you out because apparently, he’s been into you for the longest time. He just didn’t have the courage to speak to you in school because he knew about the rumors. “If you knew, why stay quiet?”
“There wouldn’t be any point in proving them wrong. I’ll let them believe whatever they want to.”
Last year was really something for both of you. The moment the people at school saw you and Hyunjin together, it was like that scene from Twilight with Bella and Edward. Everyone who looked couldn’t believe it and couldn’t take their eyes off the new couple.
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3 years later, you and Hyunjin were still together and you moved in with him after graduating university. The cafe that they run was still up, but you also opened your own business near the cafe. You opened up a bookstore across the cafe and Hyunjin would help on his day off.
Changbin and Chan came by to drop off some new books that had arrived. You told them that you would get them yourself but they insisted on doing it for you. “Thanks guys. I could’ve done it myself.” you said as you put the books away. “No big deal, y/n. We’re off to the cafe after this anyway.” Changbin was also helping put the books in the right shelves while Chan was moving the boxes in the back.
“You know, you never told us why you opened up a bookstore.” Seungmin, who was doing the inventory suddenly popped out of nowhere. You shyly smiled as you put the books away. “Yeah, y/n. Why did you open up a bookstore?” Chan said.
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“When did you realize you had feelings for me?” you were leaning against Hyunjin’s chest as you asked him.
“So suddenly?” he was talking about the question. He chuckled and put the book he was reading on his lap. “Hm..it was when you and Felix were in the library.”
“You go to the library?” you playfully gasped.
“Babe, please. Of course I go to the library.” you let out a soft chuckle and let him continue.
“It was...the way you were organizing the books. The way you blew your hair away from your face when you get confused. The way you tap your finger on your lip while looking for a book. The way you turn your head back to Felix whenever he calls you.” you were starting to get shy as he states his realizations.
“You were so mesmerizing in my point of view.” he ended it with a kiss on your cheek. Your face flushed at the sudden contact but you loved it. You loved the way he made you feel. He knew how to make you feel soft and loved.
You loved the way he sees you in his own point of view.
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dailyaudiobible · 3 years
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09/23/2021 DAB Transcript
Isaiah 41:17-43:13, Ephesians 2:1-22, Psalms 67:1-7, Proverbs 23:29-35
Today is the 23rd day in the month of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is a joy and an honor to spend a few minutes of this day with you around this Global Campfire that we make each day, it's oasis to let God's word wash into our lives. And, so, let's take that next step forward together. We are working our way through the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament and we’re just getting going in the letter to the Ephesians in the New. We’re reading from the Evangelical Heritage Version this week. Isaiah chapter 41 verse 17 through 43 verse 13 today.
Commentary:
Alright. I want to just requote Paul in his letter to the Ephesians just a couple of verses today for us to look at. “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved.” Like we could just sit there, and we should. We should take each part of this and just contemplate it at different points of the day. “It is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Again, “this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” This is a reasonably well-known passage. You've probably heard it before, but have you ever just sat with it? “It is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God.” That is really really good news. That is the good news. You…you can't get good enough. You can't work yourself into this. That's not what's going on here. God is trying to offer a gift freely. Your part is to believe that the gift has been given and then life is transformed. And then what we do falls in line with who we are and who we are, according to Paul, is God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. So, we can see that we have good work to do, and that good work is part of us being in Christ, But the fact that we can be in Christ, there is nothing we can do to make that happen other than believe because it is a gift, it does not come from ourselves. We cannot earn it in our own power, which also means this cannot be stolen from us. We could reject a gift. We could walk away and abandon the gift. We can treat a gift as it's…as if it's garbage but this gift is the restoration or renewal or re-creation, the making new of our inner selves. The transformation of our Spirit, the…the changing of who we truly are. Do we not spend our whole lives trying to tweak who we think we really are? And normally what we’re doing is trying to tweak our behavior, trying to tweak our personality so that it's more effective at coping with the world and getting people to do what we want them to do in some form or fashion, otherwise known as manipulation. What Paul is talking about here is so much deeper, so much deeper than all of that façade, all of that mask wearing. It is at the essence of what is core, what is deeply true of us, what is created in the image of God. This gift transforms us, changing everything about us, including what we do. There's like not a whole lot of better news than that. I mean would you rather have your…I mean this is an odd question…but the phone call that makes you rich or the awareness that you are being transformed into something that has the Spirit of the living most high God involved and within? I can't say much about the phone call that will make you rich but this second piece, this is already true. Let's spend some time contemplating it, contemplating this truth and what it might mean. That we can spend some time thinking about what this might mean, that we can live true, that this cannot be taken from us, that our identity no matter what anyone might say cannot be altered. We are children of God. Think about that today.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, we invite You into that. It's the reality that's been spoken to us from the beginning. It's a reality that the Gospels reveal. You came and were willing to sacrifice Yourself in order to give us this gift. And yest we just kind of live as if it's just a thing, like it's just always been here, and it's just a thing. We’re just trying to figure it out and we’re just trying to be better when You have offered us the gift of utter and complete transformation if we will utterly and completely surrender to You. Come Holy Spirit, help us to think on these things today, we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
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And, of course, if you have a prayer request or encouragement there are number of ways to reach out. If you’re using the app, you can press the Hotline button. That's the little red button up at the top. You can't miss it. You can press that and share your story from wherever you are in the world or there are a number of telephone numbers that you can use depending on where you are. In the Americas 877-942-4253 is the number to call. If you are in the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 is the number to dial. And if you are in Australia or the lands down under 61-3-8820-5459 is a number to call.
And that is it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello, my DABalonians DABaruskis, my DABster's what's going down? This is Casey Sean Peirce from beautiful sunny Eloa. How are you today? I wanted everyone to join me in prayer if you could if you would be so kind for the beautiful Shemira Pierce my wife. Heavenly Father please bless Shemira and give her extra piece and extra joy and strength to…to do the things she needs to do in Jesus’ name. Amen. If anyone else wants to pray for her that’d be super cool. I'm not really that good at prayer. She recently quit doing all drugs and tobacco products and alcohol and she's got a lot of family issues that she's dealing with, that she's talking to a custody lawyer right now. We're handling a lot of kids in and out of the house and with different parents, her biological kids. Her mom lives with us. There was a reason she drank and did drugs, my wonderful wife and now that we don't that it kind of takes away what was protecting a lot of things that she needs to just overcome now. And, so, if anybody can help her with prayer to do the things that she needs to do that would be great. I love all you guys. God bless you and God bless your day.
Hey everybody my names Kara I live in North Carolina, and I just wanted to put in a prayer request for one of my friends. About 10 days ago she lost her son who's only 19 years old and it was very unexpected and suddenly. And his funeral was on Saturday. And I saw her for the first time since this has happened, and it just broke my heart to see her. And I just pray that she feels lifted up and comforted and finds peace. And I just I'm asking for all you guys to pray for her period she she's…she's having a hard time and she also has another son that's his…the other boy’s twin. So, I can imagine that would be very difficult. So, yeah if you guys could just pray for her and with her up, I would really appreciate it. I love this community and everything it stands for. And thank you Brian for having this community. It's definitely kept me going in difficult times. So, I appreciate it. Love you guys. Bye.
Heidi DAB family it's Shanda from South Dakota. I was doing my Bible study this morning and I felt prompted to call and ask for some prayer. We did our festival and it turned out great. Thank you for those prayers. However, my son was assaulted shortly after pretty badly. Had someone not stopped he feels like maybe he wouldn't have lived. And the people that are salted him are still threatening him. He feels like he needs to go buy a gun for safety. And I am praying for him. And I still have some fear. He's my baby. I'm just calling to ask for prayer for his safety. I'm just in this place of praying to the Lord and…and going back and forth. I trust the Lord and I trust His plan and I know He has plans for my son's life. I still just feel a little fear. I am praying for all of you, and I thank you so much for your prayers. Have a great day everyone.
Good morning, everybody this is God's Smile here. It's a beautiful morning and I just wanted to share a little…little __ I had with the Lord. As the lights are drawing in, I've noticed by the time I'm able to get down the stairs. And, you know, I only get about an hours’ light before I notice it starting to draw in. And I thought, wouldn't it be lovely if I could just get up in the mornings and be able to get downstairs physically. So, here I am at 9:00 o'clock in the morning. Thank you, Jesus for that. Isn't He great? He even hears the sighs of our heart. So, Brenda I would like to pray for you because you rang in about your mom in a nursing home and it's on lockdown due to COVID and it's not been easy on a dementia ward. And she's had a hard time remembering conversations and when she last saw your family. She loves the Lord. She's been a pastor’s wife for 35 years and she feels abandoned. Father God thank you that you’ve not abandoned Nancy. Thank you that Jesus lives inside her and Your precious Holy Spirit. Father I ask for Your peace to be…to abound Lord, that Your grace would impart Father and a stillness in Nancy's heart to know that everything's OK. And I know You do this with me Lord when I'm in distress and I have faith and trust in You that You will calm her and soothe her Lord and let her witness be from Brenda the next time she calls. And times ticking away and Bob’s chirping away. I'll have to go now guys. Kiss kiss. I love you. Bye-bye.
Good morning DAB family I've got a prayer request and also a praise report but before I start this story, I'm a bit sick so hopefully you can hear me OK, my voice sounds alright. But my praise report is that I…I got my university results back and I graduate with a first. And I can't even explain like. Like I got it like a week ago and every single day since, I just keep thinking about and I’m like oh my goodness, how on earth did I graduate with a first. Like so grateful, so happy and like I…I just owe everything to God because like if someone had told me I was going to graduate a first I would have been like oh, stop it. Believe it or not people said yeah you will, and I was just rolling my eyes like ok please like stop expecting so much from me. And I did. And I just…like it's honestly the weirdest feeling but like the best feeling at the same time. So, that’s some good news because I struggled a lot especially like balancing uni stuff and work. Well…I did it, but my prayer request is for my brother. He's just so lost. And like we had a conversation last night and it just honestly just made me really realize how lost he actually is, and it's just been on my mind like the whole night even when I was sleeping and when I wake up today. It's been on my mind like and like the love I have for my brother is so much like I don't love anyone else the same way that I love him, and I care for him, and I want him to add like have the best life he can possibly have. But like I just don't know what he's doing. And he's drifted so far away from God it's ridiculous. Like he's just…he's not even putting in any effort to spend time with Him. And like He's just doing…he's doing what he wants, and I don't know whether or not he cares that what he's doing is like not what he's supposed to be doing and if like…I just…I…I don't know but I just I guess I…I…I I'm just asking for you guys to pray for guidance and wisdom and for him to actually have a relationship with God…
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scrapironflotilla · 4 years
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Anzac is so much more than Gallipoli
Another Anzac day has come around and with the lock-downs and global pandemic it seemed like it would be different. But having a listen to the news or a quick scroll through the other blue hellsite, F*c*b**k, it looks like this Anzac Day is more similar than different. The reverence, the mystique and the myths are all still there, with a massive dose of social media self indulgence. So I’ll probably stay away from that today and instead talk about some history.
I don’t have a favourite aspect of the Anzac legend. I don’t think I even can. The very concept of the Anzac Legend bothers me. This is our recent history. Its members, who have all died, are still within living memory of many millions of people. The events are so well documented that we can follow some of them minute by minute in the diaries, letters and reports created by the participants. I understand the desire to turn these stories into legend and myth, especially in a country like Australia after the war and certainly in the last decades of the 20th century.
I understand how the virtues and values of the AIF made for such fertile imaginative ground in an inter-war world. The romance of war, lost on the battlefields of Europe and the Middle East, was much harder to destroy far away in the colonies, where people experienced little hardship compared to those on the continent.
I understand how and why the AIF became a legend. But I don’t think I can believe in it.
But what does it matter if I believe in it or not? It’s important to tens of millions of Australians and the government tightly controls public commemoration and the Anzac brand. The military indoctrinates its members with to strive for an unattainable Anzac perfection. A newly minted army officer once told me that during his training his instructors had screamed at these cadets, ranting at them about how unworthy they were, how they could never live up to the Anzac reputation and how they could never lead a digger.
It draws hundreds of thousands every 25 April to dawn memorial services across the world, in events whose gravitas and sombre communion even I can’t deny. It’s this secular religion that makes the legend a reality that we have to contend with. The history may vary widely from the myth, but the myth is potent enough and popular enough to be able to divorce itself from the past. “The AIF”, historian Peter Stanley points out, “has become revered as [our] romantic nationalist mystique”.
The last two or three decades has seen a steady dismantling of the Anzac legend, at least in academic circles. All its basic tenets of natural fighting prowess, mate-ship, equality and the rest have been questioned, criticised and reassessed. But this new understanding hasn’t moved far beyond academia. The short spike in Anzac TV series during the centenary showed the same romantic tragedy and nationalist triumphalism. Popular histories from the 50s and 60s were reprinted and a new slew of books turn up on shelves, from children’s books to all kinds of history and dozens of romance novels. The legend remains deeply entrenched in the Australian imagination. Little in the popular realm even attempts to challenge it in light of new understanding. Even for those in academia the revision of that history has produced harsh reaction from the right, I’m exactly one of those “cadre of academics” associated with those elite, Canberra institutions, that noted crank Bendle talks about there. But that’s the strength of this legend. Its followers take any attempt to examine it and broaden it as denigration. Lest anyone think I’m exaggerating here, just have a look at what happened to ABC presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied after she tweeted the words “LEST.WE.FORGET. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine...)” on Anzac Day 2017. She was attacked by the press and government ministers and bombarded with rape and death threats. There’s no doubt much of the faux outrage was inspired by racism and misogyny, but you don’t even need to attack Anzac, but merely recognise that Australia’s history is less than perfect, to be met with a violent, histrionic reaction.
To imagine that the Anzacs were perfect, individually and as a whole, is wilful delusion. They were men and as such fallible. It is no dishonour or disrespect to recognise their humanity in all its complexities. We must know and understand their failures, their embarrassments and their crimes (for they are many and varied) to better place their successes, victories and virtues. To deify them and to force them to represent only what was best, without recognising the fullness of their character, good and bad, robs them of the complexity of their own stories. It robs them of their humanity and us of our history. But while I struggle with the Anzac Legend, I also think there are some little stories that deserve better recognition.
The Anzac mythology upholds a very particular character as representative of the AIF, but little about this legend is uniquely Australian. The language used to express the values, that of the larrikin, the digger and above all else mateship, may be particularly Australian but the values are not. Irreverence and camaraderie are close to universal.
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These aren’t values to be denigrated in any way. But they’re representative of most militaries in war. But the AIF did have a character unique to the Australian experience. Much is made of the fact that the AIF was an entirely volunteer organisation. From a population of fewer than five million more than 330,000 men and women served in its ranks between 1914 and 1918. Conscription was put to the people in referenda twice and twice it was defeated. People joined the AIF for the duration of the war. Few pursued careers in the military and although many had prior service it was in the militia, the part time army.
The ranks were filled from the cities, the suburbs and the bush by civilians. Even the officer corps was fleshed out by the professional and middle classes of lawyers, bankers, teachers and the like. These men saw themselves not as regular soldiers, but as civilians in uniform. They saw their role as merely a job, not a calling. They were there to fight the war, to defeat Germany, or the Ottomans, and to go home and back to the farm or the factory.
Australia had one of the strongest trade union and labour movement in the world in the early 20th century. It was the first country to vote a labour government into office and ideas of unionism, collective bargaining and fair work practices were strong in the minds of many working Australians. The language they used and the tactics they employed to deal with the discipline and hierarchy of the military demonstrates just how powerful these beliefs were. Soldiers routinely referred to their officers as their boss, refused orders they thought were unfair and protested their ill treatment by military authorities. They released soldiers imprisoned under field punishment, refused to salute officers and rejected the distinction between officers and other ranks imposed by the British army. They went into clubs, restaurants and hotels set aside of officers, believing strongly that they had the right to drink or eat where they chose.
They took strike action when they felt too much was asked of them, when they were refused rest or when they felt hard done by. When battalions were to be broken up due to lack of replacements in 1918, they mutinied. Refusing orders to disband, they ‘counted out’ senior officers sent to negotiate with them. Counting out consisted of soldiers on parade counting down from ten to one, before shouting a final obscenity at the officer concerned. It was a powerful form of insubordination that humiliated officers when it occurred.
In autumn 1918, after months without leave, Australian battalions took to strike action when they were ordered back into battle. After being promised a fortnight’s rest they were ordered back to the front for an offensive after just a few days. Unhappy troops - veterans, mostly - refused to move. The battalions were well understrength after months of fighting and the men felt they had been lied to, that they had sacrificed enough and that they were being overused. The soldiers took action in the way they knew how. They shot no officers and destroyed no property. For men used to fighting for their rights in the workplace it was natural that they would turn to collective action in trade union style.
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(Ex-union organiser and Labor prime minister Billy Hughes, seen here with some of his beloved men. Hughes was a favourite of the Australian troops who dubbed him ‘the Little Digger’)
And so it was in the 15th Brigade, under the command of Harold Elliot. Called Pompey by him men he was a courageous and fatherly figure, both liked and respected by the men under his command. It was his unique character that allowed Pompey to negotiate with his men, although rant and then plead were the words used by diarists, and convince them to follow his orders. Other officers, less well known and less admired by their men failed in similar efforts.
The civilian attitudes made them difficult soldiers to discipline. The standard punishment of the army, called ‘field punishment’ was particularly odious to Australians. Field punishment consisted of being bound to an object, a post or a wagon or gun carriage in the open for a number of hours. Due to the danger of artillery this punishment was not just humiliating but also potentially fatal. Diaries and letters from soldiers are full of stories about field punishment. They usually tell of Australian troops coming across British soldiers undergoing field punishment and freeing them, fighting with guards and military police.
There was a powerful resistance to the dehumanising and anti-individualising aspect of military discipline and authority. The AIF by and large saw themselves as civilians first and soldiers second. They understood the need for discipline and obedience and as more than one Australian noted “we have discipline where it matters”, on the battlefield. But the trappings of military culture and authority were repellent to the Australian working man. Strict obedience to hierarchy and the seemingly pointless requirements of military discipline were not only alien to Australians but went against their own values. Mutual respect was the key to the AIF as most of its officers discovered.
This side of the AIF, the strength of its civilian values is one that ought be remembered and celebrated in Anzac. The ideas from the labour and union movements, the fair go and mutual respect deserve a place alongside mateship and the larrikin as part of Anzac. The men who fought for the eight-hour work day and living wages were the same men who filled the ranks of the AIF and who fill Australian cemeteries in Europe and Turkey.
This is a part of the Anzac story that deserves a better place in our telling of it.
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hyunjoochung · 3 years
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Raise Three Fingers for Democracy
Exhibition Information Board
Updated on May 4, 2021
Title: Raise Three Fingers for Democracy
An illegitimate takeover
On February 1st, democracy in Myanmar was taken hostage in a brutal coup. The proxy military party won a humiliating 33 of 476 seats in November elections that were declared free and fair by the election commission and international observers. After demands to seize the ballots to recount personally were rejected, they launched their coup in the early hours of the morning, arresting over 200 elected officials returning for parliament, including de-facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Unprecedented nationwide protests broke out in a country still finding its democratic voice after a half-century of repression. A civil disobedience movement (CDM) formed. Doctors, teachers and government employees refused to work, joined by other essential sectors. Peaceful, creative protests filled the streets: families banging pots every night at 8pm, days of silence, highways blocked by 'broken down' cars.
Gradually, and then systematically, this was met with horrible brutality. The same military that perpetrated a genocide against the Rohingya now issued orders to shoot protestors in the head. They raid homes at night, and have arrested over 5,000. They have killed over 700 people, including over 50 children, like 6-year-old Khin Myo Chit, shot in the belly to teach her family a lesson. They have tortured over 20 people to death in custody. The internet has been shut down to all but 0.5% of the population. Media outlets that refuse to publish propaganda have been outlawed.
Freedom of the press (54 words)
This now-illegal newspaper can give you a picture of what is happening right now. It’s journalists continue to report while on the run.
[QR code & Screen set to: Mizzima reporting from a safe house]
To understand the nature of the military and their police stooges, you only need a few entries on the lists of this civil organisation tracking and verifying killings, arrests, indefinite detention and warrants:
[QR code & Screen set to: Link to PDF]
Freedom of expression
But there is still hope. The majority resists. People continue the fight every day. A symbol of hope is #threefingers. Used before in other Asian countries where democracy is under threat (the milk tea countries), it has gained major prominence in Myanmar. A group of Myanmar artists, illustrators and creatives used images of this symbol of resistance from the very first day. Since, you can see it in marches, at funerals, through the prison bars, in messages of defection, in the United Nations General Assembly, and where support can be found. It can be carried with you everywhere, and it can mean everything to those who show it.
These artists who first raised these totems of democracy in Myanmar are now putting out the call for support. Already artists, illustrators and cartoonists from around the world, from the UK to Korea, to Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong and farther have begun to return the call. Now, they need more people to join in. The fall of democracy is a worldwide phenomenon – this is just the latest front. They need YOU to stand for democracy, and help them delegitimise this brutal regime.
At night, after a day of beatings, shootings, horrors, frightened of gunshots and raids, losing hope, the young people continuing this fight can look at these artworks, songs, dances or messages, and see hope, solidarity and others that still believe in what they are risking everything for.
Every #threefingers raised builds awareness and support for human rights, freedom and democracy in Myanmar.
Message from our founder
(VIDEO: “We Will Win” by Latt Thone Chuang)
Quote
“At a very basic level, art plays a very practical role. It gets people energized, it makes people emotional, and it gets people to organise and get things done.
Art helps to frame the direction of the protest movement.
Art can also create hope and resilience. It takes people to another level and can help uplift the mood of the people.
I believe art – in all its forms – can give strength to people.
That’s what art can do.
It’s important to keep creating because you can’t handcuff ideas.
You can’t kill art with bullets.
– Maw Khun Thit, Latt Thone Chaung
Night arrests
At night, gunshots and flashbang explosives can be heard across the town. Security forces raid homes, trying to arrest and intimidate dissenting voices. Having suspended laws requiring warrants to search, they leave family members with no knowledge of the charges, location, or condition of their loved ones. Communities set up unarmed neighbourhood watch groups, local men and women who stayed up all night, banging pots to warn of approaching security forces.
Killing children (104 words)
On 23 March, security forces entered the home of 6-year-old Khin Myo Chit and her family in Mandalay. They asked her father if anyone was hiding in the house, and accused him of lying when he said no. When the girl ran to her father's arms, they shot her. She died before they could reach medics. Her last words were: "I can't father, it's too painful". Her brother was arrested and the family are yet to learn of his charge or whereabouts. Khin Myo Chit is one of over 50 child fatalities. All but one on record was shot.
Ethnic minorities
The coup instigator, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, was found by UN Investigators as the perpetrator the Rohingya genocide and publicly stated he would 'clear up the Bengali problem'. The coup has led to the formation of a National Unity Government of protest leaders, a government that previously had to keep the military on side, and ethnic minorities targeted by the military including the Kachin, Karen and Chin. The Rohingya, the most known of these minorities internationally, are anti-military and are showing the three finger salute themselves.
Targeting poor communities
Since the start of the coup, many noticeable groups have been targeted: elected officials and election monitors, doctors for treating injured protestors, government employees and bank employees for refusing to work. But the violence has been worse in neighbourhoods where poor or factory workers live and work. With the least access to medical or legal help, and the least ability to escape or hide, they continue to risk the most for democracy.
Internet shutdown
Internet and mobile phones were inaccessible to all but the super rich until after 2014. A sim card cost over $3000. Then as democratisation opened up the country, it swelled to over 80% smartphone coverage. Over the last 2 years, Myanmar’s military has conducted the world’s longest internet shutdown over eight townships and a million people in Chin and Rakhine states, to suppress information about its actions there. Now this darkness is returning everywhere: just 0.5% of the population have access to the internet, only then to stop the banking system collapsing. And yet these short years of information have taken root – people know now that they deserve more.
Creative freedom in danger
For fifty years before 2012, art and expression was repressed in Myanmar. It left just one art school, teaching stuffy figurative pastiche. Censorship was visible every day, in newspapers with black bars, banned books, arrests of cartoonists or performers. Art lay dormant, but never died. In 8 short years, expression flourished fearlessly once more. Now over 35 artists, directors and performers have been arrested, and more than 200 are on the run from arrest warrants. Yet, they continue to speak out and use their expression to fight oppression.
Can you help them?
These artists need your words, pictures and actions to amplify their calls. They need you now to fight for democracy under threat in Myanmar and everywhere.
Message of hope
Quote 2 (with Nobel Aung artwork)
“The most inspiring thing has been the unity of people. We all have the same objective. This was apparent since the very first night of the coup. People continue to bang their pots and pans every night at 8 pm to make noise, every day even until now. We are not scared of guns anymore but the military is scared of the noise we make. We give courage and inspiration to each other.”
-Nobel Aung, illustrator and animator
Founder of Raise Three Fingers
Mandatories:
About:
Raise Three Fingers (formerly Art for Freedom MM) is a campaign founded by artists and creatives from Myanmar to bring the global art community together, stand up for democracy and highlight the humanitarian crisis unfolding since the military coup on February 1 2021.
Founders:
Art for Freedom MM
Using Art and Illustration to uphold human rights for Myanmar.
Latt Thone Chaung
We are here to celebrate all forms of creative protests against the military coup in Myanmar.
The Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation (UK)
Home to some of the UK’s finest cartoonists’ talent.
Collaborators:
Fine Acts - A global nonprofit creative studio for social impact
Human Rights Foundation - We partner with world-changing activists in creating innovative solutions to unite the world against tyranny.
Arts Help - Founded on the principle of art making the world a better place, Arts Help is the #1 art publisher, with a community of 2.5 million members.
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fandom-necromancer · 3 years
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Questions for you (if you're ok answering): what is your favorite fic that you've written and what is your favorite that you've read of somebody else's
Okay, first of all: I love getting questions! I just tend to overshare so I hope that’s okay XD That’s a hard one, though. For one because I have a shit memory, but also because there are so many and I can’t decide. So, this will likely get long and I’ll put it under the cut not to disturb people that aren’t interested!
Shorts
My favourite one I wrote lately was likely the Cyberpunk AU for the Secret Santa? Because I could write whatever I wanted really and it was the first one in a long, long time that I sat down, had no idea what to write, began writing, was sucked in and a few hours later I was sitting there with a story that I absolutely loved. And that has become such a rare occasion lately because nothing is really fun anymore because Corona keeps me in a constant down phase? Idk. That was cool.
Also, the “A little distraction” series was fun! It’s an old story from last year and when I reuploaded that one, I was blown away how many people wanted more of that. As this had been planned for a longer story initially I had to condense into a short, it made me happy too, because people would have liked to read the longer version too, maybe? If I had ever written it? It was just really cool.
The Halloween short with Gavin being an eldritch shadow monster most people overlook completely was fun also because of the same reason as the Cyberpunk AU. I got lost in that one so hard. Really fun to write.
My all-time favourite short story  though is likely the pebble series. It started as a joke in my head but when I sat down to write it, it just felt natural. I kinda really projected on Nines in there and I think I like his personality there the most from all the fics I’ve written about him. They are both just really cute in there.
You can also look for the top ten stories in my opinion from last year’s anniversary if you search my blog in the tag #One Year of Stories and I think the real tag was something like #Last year revisited? I’m not sure though because tumblr and searching blog tags is horrible, hence the archive project XD. Should be around June 2020.
Big stories
I would say A Soldiers Purpose, but that doesn’t count as it isn’t a fic anymore while I rewrite it to be an original Story. Plan to publish that as a “real world” book in German and English hard copy as well as eBook and it should be international publishing? I’m not that sure as I’m still comparing self-publishers and some only serve Germany, US and Australia whats weird but okay. Although I believe with ISBN it should be available almost everywhere just not in stores? I always planned to have it ready before I finished my bachelor thesis but we will see if that is happening (I guess not but I will try). 
The Werewolf AU, definitely. It started as a vent fic to get me out of a really bad place (I guess anyone who read Somebody to die for knows it’s pretty dark) and I mean I’m here now and while I’m not happy I’m definitely happier than when I wrote it so... win? But now that I’m writing Wolfheart I really want to give them a happy ending and hopefully once that story ends the whole personal reason I started writing it ends too, so yeah. Maybe a really personal reason but I’m really invested in that story.
My favourite fic I have ever, ever written though will be one you never get to read (thankfully, hopefully). It’s super old, it’s German, it’s uploaded on a different platform I hope no one of you knows, it’s under yet another name of mine and it’s absolutely objectively bad. The writing is bad, the plot is okayish and I literally killed off the gay characters without noticing that as something bad because I was a very different person back then. But I love it to this day regardless because it got me through some hard times.
Also, as a last comment to my own stories I love my longer stories on AO3 far more than these shorts. Not because they are more fun to write or anything but because I feel like I put a lot of effort into them and put a lot of soul into the stories. But yeah, that’s to that.
Other’s works
My favourite fics I read are so, so damn many… I generally write more than I read but with the amount I write I guess it cancels it out. Also some are pretty old because I mostly read fanfic on the bus and now I haven’t really left the house for a year. I’ll try to keep it short. They are not in any particular order I just went through a few sites of my history. Really I just enjoy everything reverseAU, SoulmateAU, Mute!Nines and them all being softies. Also just the dbh stuff because I’m not sure you would be interested in other fandoms.
Accident by sv926 Soulmate AU, I really dig how the personality of Nines and Gavin are displayed and that it isn’t a “We are soulmates all is perfect now” storyline (although I like that too). Amazing.
Traitor by Skye_Willows, Stujet9rainshine If hurt/comfort was a fic. MedieavalAU. I really love the portrayal of manipulation and how Nines tries to save Gavin from it all. Also Nines is a painter so I’m in.
Soft Spot by Headfulloffantasy A story I really regret not reading earlier. Casefic with amazing characterisation and a plot that leaves you on the edge. Every time you think you got an overview of what happened or an idea of how it continues there is another facette revealed that you just didn’t expect. Can’t wait to read the next chapter.
XVIII by Sandara Cuteness overload but also prepare for the feels. It’s an ReverseAU that is set during the game events. It’s so damn well written I just love it.
Feral Nines by Kaini Nines whump. Kinda. I love it so much. Broken Nines is my weakness and also Mute!Nines. You get a lot of feelings reading this.
all the lonely nights in your life by  willgrahamssadness SoulmateAU that hurts but picks you up and shows you all the fluff in the end. I love it.
Safe and sound by a_calipygian Soft Reed900. With a lot of hurt/comfort. Lovely story about healing and found family. 
The Lion Tamer by celexdraw Equally cute as their drawings. CircusAU I didn’t know I needed but it is so well done. It is a happy story but has enough darkness to make me miss my busstop.
Despite it All by Jennilah Another SoulmateAU I absolutely love. Also has Hannor content I think but I didnt get to read that part yet.
Scrapyard Rookie by Pence Reverse AU that caught my heart. Really cute but with a little bastard GV if I remember correctly.
Sleeves by BloodthirstyMerc More Mute!Nines talking about Gavin’s past self harm. Super cute and comforting and aaaaa.
These Violent Delights by MechanicalBones Will absolutely destroy you. Is amazing and everything I ever wanted. Can recommend to those who too enjoy holding back tears on the bus.
Static Truth and Hunter Hunter Hunted by whatsanapocalae Both are super cute, super angsty and so, so comforting. The author has a really nice writing style too. Got to these fics because i wrote their Deus Ex stuff and discovered they write dbh too.
Rewind the Film by connorssock,Sylvestia Allen60. You will cry. And you will like it. I’m happy it was like 11pm on a bus  no one uses coming home from uni when I came to the part that hits you right in the feels. You have to read it.
Heavy In Your Arms by CatiDono More ReverseAU with Gavin whump. It’s also kinda a reset story. I usually don’t like these, but it starts after the reset so we never get to see the Gavin from before, just the onset of “I used to be a person before and there is someone loving me and grieving but I don’t know them but they are nice what do I do?” I really enjoyed this, although it’s kinda a heavy thing to read.
A mute Gavin one I can’t remember who or where it was from. I think it was on tumblr and timewise before the cornpocalypse but I’m not sure. Could be from connorssock? definitely on tumblr and Gavin lost his voice due to injury. I will try to find that again.
Also one from tumblr I can’t remember the name of, but it was homeless Gavin with Nines helping him. I think that one was from dumb-ways-to-deviate?
I could go on, but I already told far to much when you asked for like... 2 stories? I’m just excited to talk about stories XD
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gumnut-logic · 4 years
Text
Fanfic Asks 2
This one is for @hedwigstalons who asked for A F L Q along with @fictivekaleidoscope , @willow-salix , @coffee-and-lenna and @janetm74 who all asked for Q. You guys are so kind to me ::hugs you lots::
-o-o-o-
A. What was the first fandom you wrote for?
Star Trek: TOS…I’m a Trekkie from way back. Discovered it in 1986 through books in my school library (it wasn’t on TV and hadn’t been since 1975 of which I had the vaguest of memories…and yes, I’m old :P ). I wrote my first fanfic as a teenager, by hand in a notebook. It was submitted to the local club printed fanzine (which I still have lying around here somewhere along with a stack of classic printed zines). Looking back, it had a strong concept behind it, but it was horribly written. I do not have an electronic copy, though sometime ago I thought to re-write it, but never got around to it. You can find my second ever fanfic, written when I was eighteen on FF.net – Goodbye, Spock – it was a movie tag, written in early 1991.
F. How long have you been writing fanfic?
Hmm, I think I’ve given that massive number away in the last question :D Yeah, since I was about eighteen, possibly a little earlier. ::does the math:: Okay, that number is scary. Next year it will be thirty years since my first fanfic ::headdesk:: but having said that, I didn’t really start writing until the internet arrived with my first computer and maturity gave me the ability to finish things (sometimes). I really jumped in with Stargate SG-1 fandom in 2003. From that point on I wrote continuously until I had children in 2008. Then I stopped and didn’t really start up again until July 2018 when TAG hit me like a ton of bricks. The last two years have been amazing and I have learnt so much.
Oh, and if anyone ever says writing fanfic is wasting time or will never get you anywhere, writing fanfic and participating in fandom has done wonders for introvert little me:
Led to me getting my job – writing is a skill that can get you many places
Taught me how to blog and how to manage a blog – valuable skills in or out of business
Teaches you multiple online tools – chat, publishing and other multimedia applications – you’d be surprised how many people are not comfortable using many online tools. I use my experience every day on the library floor.
Allowed an introvert to reach out and learn how to converse and gain confidence in conversation – online interactions has many advantages
Is excellent for mental health…and equally unhealthy if you’re not careful – which leads to learning about yourself and managing conflict (unfortunately…which is why I have zero tolerance for fandom wank and will not participate in or create nastiness – I’m here for fun and to hopefully make things more fun, not miserable)
I’ve learnt to type. My first novel length fic was 75,000 words long and hand written before being typed into the computer – let’s just say that that three months back in 2003 finally enabled me to break the touch type barrier :D Which is a skill that I use every day.
If some one does say you’re wasting your time, they obviously have no idea what they are talking about – ignore them. As long as you’re balancing your fic writing with life in general, things are okay (I got addicted at one point and things were not okay, so don’t do that).
In summary, apparently I’m old, been writing forever and have found it a very valuable exercise which will no doubt lead me even further into interesting places.
 L. What is your favorite fic idea that you don’t think you’ll ever write?
I tend to write most things or forget them. There was that random fanfic idea I posted a few days back. It’s a cool idea, but I don’t have time at the moment. ::opens ups fic planning book::
Ideas sitting, not yet started, but might be:
Eos gets hacked by the Hood and injures two brothers before John realises it and saves her.
Episode tag to 3.21 that explores the Mechanic
Alan’s Vlog: I have a note for the next story that I haven’t yet written.
The Kermadec sequel
A fic idea I had the other day inspired by a news article – that one might actually get written at some point.
A sequel to V. T. Green (which apparently is my most popular fic) – which I had a concept for, but haven’t written down, by the looks of it. Oops.
A sequel to Bo where Virg gets buried in an avalanche – this one was started.
Eh, I have lots of ideas, most get lost in the mess that exists in my head. Sometimes I write a note down, but then I forget what the note means. I usually have to grab the inspiration when it strikes.
 Q. If you could pick one fic of yours to rewrite, which would it be?
Love and Sacrifice – I wrote that fic out of order and smushed it together and it shows. It is also full of technical holes. The plotline sucks because I wanted a certain scene and forced it. But it is such an integral piece of the series that I can’t alter it much. The whole of Warm Rain was written in bits. I usually write in order and that experiment shows that I’m not great at writing out of sequence. Most of the fics work okay, but Love and Sacrifice, while having some good scenes in it, is poorly constructed.
A Little Distraction and a Little Too Much Attention suffers from self-indulgence. Virgil wasn’t supposed to get hurt – I should have stopped at A Little Distraction, but apparently, I can’t help myself and the results weren’t great.
Two fics instead of one…there are more, but I’m not supposed to publicly criticise my fics – I do enough of that in my own head :D
-o-o-o-
EDIT: @weirdburketeer reminded me of something I meant to list but forgot regarding the above reasons why writing fanfic is not a waste of time.
The friendships! My goodness, how did I miss that? I flew to Sydney to meet a good fanfic writing friend in both 2004 and 2005, another friend flew all the way from Chicago (as part of a business trip) to Australia and made a special trip to Adelaide, just to meet up with me. It was frickin’ amazing!
And this fandom....I have met some absolutely amazing people here. You guys have influenced me like you wouldn’t believe. As I have said on many occasions, this fandom is just amazing ::drags you all into a massive group hug:: And yes, I have some fantastic friendships forming here ::loves you guys to bits::
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dead-peppermint · 3 years
Note
*insert all the emojis*
(so I'm assuming it's for these asks)
well. This is going to take a long time...
☝ - How tall are you?
I don't know an exact measurement, but tall afagsgrdg
✔ - Sexual Orientation
lesbian!
🚬 - Do you Smoke?
no
🍷 - Do you Drink?
no
♒ - Do you Take Drugs?
no, except of course for my prescribed ones
😳 - Age you get mistaken for?
idk, probably like 16 or something (I'm 14)
💉 - Have Tattoos?
no
✏️ - Want any tattoos?
maybe??? Not sure yet
✂️ - Got any Piercings?
no
✌ - Want any piercings?
no
👌 - Best friend?
person who is not on Tumblr :3
♥ - Do you like anyone?
as in... do I have any crushes? If so, then no. Never have and never will (at least probably) :3
🎤 - Top 5 favorite bands?
uhhh, is Averno a band? If so, that's number 1. Yeah, I don't really listen to bands though, I just listen to musicals, so I don't know for the others :/
🎶 - Top 5 favorite songs?
hMMM idk, like, SuperNova from Over and Out, Satisfied from Hamilton, more like all of Over and Out (and all the other Averno songs), and all of Hamilton. Yeah, I'm terrible at picking favourites arsgsgcb
😒 - Biggest pet peeve?
Oh no I have so many-
I was just recently talking about people saying things like 'I'm not doing nothing' because that means you are doing something, because g r a m m a r, so that's one. Also literally any bad grammar adsgdvc
uh, yeah, I can't think of any others but I know I have more
📝 - Story from your childhood.
You expect me to remember my childhood? afsgdgcb
ok fine, well, from like grade 3-4 I had this friend and every time we were alone together at recess and lunch we would play this game we called Stick People, and we would find sticks, give them leaf clothes, and just play games of their lives. Man do I miss those days 😔
💬 - I wish…
Idk, I wish to skip high school but still have learnt everything I needed to, including social skills? Actually no, I just wish there was a better schooling system.
‼️ - Something you’ll change?
Idk??? Probably many things in my life but idk what yet??
💦 - What makes you horny?
Um. Hm.... uh... vampires? Bellatrix? idk man
🌟 - A wish you’ll wish for?
didn't I just basically answer that-
🔥 - Something spicy you like?
Well I don't really like any spicy stuff
👃 You hate the smell of ….
Petrol. I just thought of this because today my friend was like "mmm, petrol smell, yay", but I've never liked the smell
👊 - Something you hate?
uhhhh, Trump? atsgdvdv Also other. famous people >:(
🚶 - Are you single?
yes :3
💬 - Can we text?
idk, sure
💌 - Fan mail me?
idk who you are, anon-
💍 - Marry me?
same again 👀
💘 - Be my tumblr crush?
wait so other people choose crushes too?? It isn't just an aro-spec thing??? At least that's what it sounds like from the wording
💭 - Favorite foods?
spaghetti, figs, cheese, can't think of anything else rn
☀ - Story about your day.
uhhhh, you expect me to remember my day?? atsgdvc
Ok well so a few days ago I finally managed to fill out this form thing to see a psychologist, and I specifically selected the SMS option instead of the call one for when they need to contact me to book an appointment, but then they called me whilst I was at school instead, so now I have to call them back, and. s t r e s s. How does one phone call??
ALSO I'm just adding this now before I publish because it just happened: my mum was going to go on a date with a girl??? And I'm O.o I never expected that but that's kinda cool?? I don't know if it's actually going to happen anymore, but-
WAIT OH MY GOD MORE TEA!!
apparently my mum has kissed a bunch of girls before and slept with one??? But never gone on a proper date with one before???
And she says she bi, but mostly leans towards guys :0
this- I- I'm- :D
💘 - Top 5 celebrity crushes?
no.
🎥 - Top 5 favorite movies?
Hmmm, good question, idk. Oh wait, maybe like, one of the Iron Mans? I just like Tony hehe. Yes, I just got into Marvel after watching WandaVision because the trailer looked interesting (and I actually didn't know it was Marvel until I started it oop) which is a terrible place to start in the MCU but whatever, and people mentioning Iron Man used to make me cringe, but then I watched his movie and I- I see what the fuss is about now lol. I also didn't think I would like Marvel because I never liked superheroes until I watched The Umbrella Academy because they're kind of? Meant to be superheroes? But now Marvel is yay :D
Oh wait that's just one. Uhhh, idk, A Dog's Purpose? Honestly I can't remember movies oop
📺 - Top 5 favorite TV shows?
1. The Umbrella Academy! :D
2. I mean. I both love and hate BBC Sherlock. Because ew season 4 and oh my god the QUEERBAITING. But also Sherlock :D he amazing :D and yay Benedict Cumberbatch :D. So idk, maybe Sherlock is second but idk?
3. hmmmm.... WandaVision? Or oh wait- or The Good Place? idk the order, but let's just plop The Good Place, WandaVision, and uh, hm, Buffy the Vampire Slayer somewhere here I guess.
✏ - Random fact about yourself.
uhhhhh, I guess I say I'm a Wiccan but do I actually ever do any wicca? Rarely
✈️ - Where are you from?
Australia, mate atsgdvdrtf
🚀 - Where do you wanna visit?
hmmm, I'm assuming this has to be a real place, so maybe.... Ireland?
😍 - Do you have a crush?
wait so liking someone ISN'T the same as a crush? But the answer is still no
😷 - Something you hate eating?
b- bread- I used to like it but it's suddenly become extremely hard to eat for some reason, also I've randomly become repulsed by 2-minute noodles, so, sad :(
🙈 - What makes you shy?
s o c i a l s i t u a t i o n s. Any and all of them
💃 - Can you dance?
I mean, not in any fancy style you have to train for, but I mean, I'm capable of moving, so. Yes.
💏 - Do you love anyone?
my friends :3 /platonically obviously. Maybe one of them queer platonically 👀
👟 - Favorite shoe(s) to wear?
runners? idk?
🌴 - An island you would visit?
I've been there before but Tangalooma, which is just off the coast of Queensland, I went when I was a kid, and I loved it. Though maybe it's not as amazing as I thought it was as a kid, but I still wanna go back and see if it is anyway
🌎 - A country you would visit?
Again, Ireland
🌀 - Favorite type of weather?
nice??? Weather??? I have no idea atsgsgdv
🔮 - Do you believe in luck?
I mean sure
📱 - What kind of phone do you have?
iPhone (no idea which type tho, it's my brother's old one)
📅 - Favorite time of the year?
I really have no idea
📚 - Career goal you want?
hmmmm, well I wanna be a psychologist, or an actor, or teacher, or author, or all of them :3
🍴 - Favorite food(s) to eat?
did we not already have this question? -_-
🍭 - Favorite Candy?
idk, those soft banana lollies? At least they were a few years ago, the last time I ate them
🍇 - Favorite fruits?
figs :3 and, hm, really any stone fruit
🚘 - Dream car(s)?
ew, cars. atsgdgdv But no I don't have any dream cars
🚔 - Have you ever been arrested?
no 👀
🚑 - Have you ever driven in an ambulance before?
no
🎫 - Do you have a license?
no
🚼 - Do you have or want kids?
I guess I want them?
🔞 - Are you under 18?
yes
🐶 - Do you own a pet?
yes, four! Two bunnies, a cat, and a dog :3
😔 - Something that makes you sad?
oh so much, my dear friend. So much.
😡 - What pisses you off?
Also a lot atsgdv
😏 - What turns you on?
isn't that the same as what makes you horny? Idk, I am but a child
😈 - Are you a freak?
???? um??? Idk???
💪 - Do you work out?
nope
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ewoodx · 4 years
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ETHAN WOOD SEASON 3 !! [GREGG SULKIN , MALE , HE/HIS ] do you hear [PHENOMENAL BY EMINEM ] coming from the beach ? oh, that has to be [ ETHAN WOOD] . they are a [ TWENTY THREE ] year old [PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER ] from the outer banks, and they’ve been living there for [TWENTY TWO YEARS ] . they were chosen to be on the show because they are a [ KOOK] , but really , I heard it’s because they can be [ ILL TEMPERED  & DEMANDING ] . if you get to know them though , they’re pretty [PROTECTIVE & ENERGETIC] . they might become a quick audience favorite due to their [ SIGNATURE SMIRK, PRETTY BOY CHARM & RIPPLING PECTORALS]
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Hello hello hello !! I’m Ally & this is the updated bio for Ethan Wood, your favorite arrogant, footballer with a hot temper && a secret heart of gold..I promise ;) Shoot me a message if you’re interested in plotting.
BASICS:
Full name;  Ethan Alexander Wood
Nicknames; E, Wood
Age; 22
School; UNC
Birthday; August 19th
Height; 5’11 but he’ll tell you he’s 6ft
Parents; Oliver and Heidi Wood
Siblings; two brothers: Julian (older) & Damian (younger)
Occupation; Striker for Inter Miami FC 
Birth place; the eight, OBX 
Current location; Miami 
Sign; Leo
(+) ; protective & energetic.
(-) ; ill-tempered & demanding
Sexuality; heterosexual
Pogue or Kook; Kook
Character Inspiration;  zach siler (she’s all that) chuck bass (gossip girl), mickey milkovich (shameless), damon salvatore (vampire diaries) tim riggins (friday night lights) asher adams (all american) billy hope (southpaw) joe kingman (the game plan), ares (greek mythology) 
EARLY YEARS;
Ethan Wood was born and raised to do one thing and one thing only: play soccer. Being the middle child of legendary University of North Carolina starting forward Olivier Wood and renowned athleisure wear designer Daphne Wood, there was only one path for this budding young soccer prodigy. And it was to follow in daddy’s footsteps donning the prestigious Carolina blue and white of his father’s alma mater. 
His childhood was pleasant, raised on his family’s estate in the coveted Eight and filled with family getaways and father/son trips to UNC/Wake Forest rivalry matches. Matches that he hoped to one day play in. Young Ethan was a natural talent and he picked up the game rather quickly, spending every free moment practicing in the yard or scribbling down strategies. He wanted nothing more than to make his father proud and carry on his legacy. 
HIGH SCHOOL;
Ethan was sent to one of the finest private schools on the island that money could buy. Of course, he wasn’t there for his grades and what he lacked in brains, his skills on the field made up for. He made varsity soccer his freshman year and then went on to become captain during his senior year, reveling in all the perks that came with being a star athlete: parties, hookups, popularity. As Ethan’s athletic abilities along with his ego continued to grow, so did his competitive edge, arrogance, and hot temper which is known for getting him into trouble on and off the pitch. He’s no stranger to an alcohol induced bawl and struggles to keep his temper under control. 
COLLEGE;
It’s no secret that in the OBX money talks and Mr. Wood had deep pockets. A library donation and a legacy later, Ethan finally realized his dream and secured a spot on his beloved UNC soccer team. His temper being the reason for the trouble in the first place. It didn’t take long for him to become the frat star worthy of his reputation. Sure, he had to overcome those pesky freshman years, team hazing, and locker room banter, even spending the half a season on the bench for his hot headed temper. Nonetheless, he managed to make a name for himself even if slightly tarnished.
SEASON 1; 
Fresh off his college graduation, Ethan returned to the Outer Banks with his sights set on playing professional soccer in the upcoming season. Before entering the real world in the fall, he joined the show for one last hurrah and boy did he get what he signed up for. The summer was filled with all sorts of shenanigans, parties, booze, and hook-ups. 
Ethan rounded out the first season of OBX rather unscathed, save for a secret hook-up and an unlikely friendship that he formed with a pogue. He gained some notoriety from the show and it was a perfect launch for his new life in the public eye.  
SEASON 2; 
Ethan started footy training in the fall after the reality show ended, and he played for Inter Miami FC, a team owned by David Beckham himself. He took up residence in Miami for the soccer season and traveled the country with his team becoming the soccer star he always wanted to be. His rookie season was one for the books, and if you thought his ego couldn’t get any bigger, check again. 
In his off time, Ethan maintained his growing popularity by making appearances at all the Miami hot spots and keeping up a rather impressive social media presence, constantly posting his fitness routines and workouts in addition to his nights out. This earned him a reputation off the pitch, and his name managed to find its way into the local papers and magazines. He did his best to keep in touch with his friends from the show despite his busy schedule, and even visited the OBX whenever he could. 
With his first professional soccer season in the books, Ethan returned to the reality show for another summer, much to his PR team’s dismay who was working to clean up with reputation, not add to it. It was another summer filled with partying, booze, and messing around. A well deserved celebration after a triumphant soccer season. Ethan grew closer with his housemates and even started forming stronger connections with some of them as family, friends, or more. 
POST SEASON 2;
High off another successful season of Outer Banks, Ethan went back to Miami with a newfound air of confidence about him and an extra pep in his step. He worked and trained twice as hard, determined to play even better than last year. He managed to  keep up his scoring average and earned ‘man of the match’ in several games. Ethan spent less time in the OBX, but instead invited his buddies to come matches and come visit whenever he got the chance. He loved to preform and there was something about having the cast around that made him play even better. 
With only a handful of games left, Ethan suffered an injury that cut his season short. He tore his MCL and spent the months leading up to the summer recovering and going to physical therapy in Miami. His PR team advised him against returning to the show to focus on getting in shape for the upcoming season, but Ethan couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend the summer in Australia with his crew. 
POGUES VS KOOKS;
Ethan got into his fair share of Pogues vs Kooks scuffles back in high school. Nights filled with stupid boyish banter, booze, and blows. He likes to think he’s above all the rivalry now— playing pro ball and all—  but sometimes he still struggles to truly let go of the past and be the bigger person. He’s an athlete though and though, and rivalries are all just a part of the game.
HEADCANONS;
Despite the ever present confident air about him, Ethan is super generous especially when it comes to nights out and tipping. He is always happy to pick up the tab and doll out rounds of shots for him and his buddies at no charge. As selfish as he can be sometimes, he loves it when his friends are having a good time and is a firm believer in the more the merrier.
To help him keep his tempter on and off the pitch under control, Ethan got into boxing/mma and incorporates it into his workouts whenever he can. He can be found either going to a gym to practice his upper cuts or on beach working on them on his own. He does it mostly for fun, but every now and again finds himself having to throw down. 
For the most part, Ethan can’t really cook, but on the off chance he’s not sneaking out after a one night stand, he makes a killer breakfast, usually in his boxers.
He has secret love for astronomy and mythology particularly hero myths and the stories behind the constellations. Growing up, he always found them fascinating and was the only one of his brothers who would actually sit and listen to his grandfather babble on about them. Those were some of his most cherished memories, and he often celebrates his goals by blowing a kiss to the heavens to dedicate them the ol’ man. 
Moana is his absolute favorite Disney movie, and he will never say no to watching it. He also thinks Maui is the shit and knows all of the words to “You’re Welcome” by heart. Beware, he will actually belt it out if asked.
WANTED CONNECTIONS;
let’s make ‘em jealous; There’s no denying that Ethan and this person have chemistry. They are super flirty and all over each other, but in reality it’s all a rouse. They aren’t really into one another and are merely using each other to stir up some drama, cause a scene, and make the ones that really do catch their eyes jealous.  [OPEN]
the role model; Ethan didn’t really have many positive role models to look up to growing up, mainly just his father and his toxic masculinity. This person helps Ethan balance all that out and helps him deal with all those pesky emotions he was taught to keep suppressed inside in order to “be a man.” This person also keeps him in check and isn’t afraid to give him a much needed smack to the upside of the head when necessary. [OPEN]
the rival; To say Ethan is competitive is the understatement of the century, and he and this person have a rivalry for the ages. The two don’t like each other and this person never fails to get under Ethan’s skin. It could have even started back in school and carried over to now. Perhaps the reason Ethan had some trouble getting into UNC for soccer? Bonus points if they have to put all their differences aside and work together at some point for a common goal. [OPEN]
the hook-ups; Ethan really isn’t the type to stick around after a hook-up and is usually out before the sun comes up, never wanting to get attached. If anyone wants to give him a much deserved slap upside the head or just wants to keep things casual and flirty, let me know! [OPEN]
the real bros; for those looking for a second muse, Ethan has two brothers xD. Julian and Damian (names can totally change! I just headcannon them all ending in -an) He has one older brother who rejected the athlete/UNC/kook life leaving Ethan with the pressure to fill daddy’s soccer boots. They had a fall out and their relationship is shaky at best. Ethan also has a baby bro who he is definitely closer with. They get on rather typically through harmless banter and school boy shenanigans. He also has an innate protectiveness over him because he is older. [OPEN]
Totally open to anything and everything, so feel free to shoot me a message!! Also if you read all that WOW. You are the real MVP.
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