#I went to walk around my neighborhood and it was pouring rain

[monstermoviedean]

anyone else have the weirdest and most vivid dreams between snooze buttons

#it felt important so I'm documenting it #I went to walk around my neighborhood and it was pouring rain #I was wearing pajamas but it was okay #my neighbors were walking alongside me until they split off #and I kept going and crossed over a wide artificial river #there were kids watching it and they all walked away except one who rode a tiny bike #the mailman called out to me by name and told me to come back later #the line at the coffee shop was too long so i kept walking #i walked past a class of schoolchildren. their teacher stopped me and asked for directions to the arby's. i told her it was up the hill #they were going on a field trip #i kept walking #the buildings across the street were taller and there were huge trees that seemed the height of the sky #i saw a bird and stopped to watch it. the rain didn't bother me #(it never does in real life either) #and someone stopped to watch the bird with me #and i was ready to go home and then my alarm went off

[lbcreations-blog]

Its rain its pouring. The old man is snoring.

Lucifer x human reader fluff

Charecter relationship status with reader: Romantic

Important note: i am very sick at the moment, so slight spelling mistakes and such may appear

Masterlist

You walked to your sliding doors in your house and stared outside of it. The clouds were dark. It was freezing cold and it was raining. No. It was pouring rain. It was bound to get worse soon.

You brought your gown closer to yourself, shivering slightly. It was definitely the time for some fire in your fireplace, but sadly, your lighter does not work, nor do you have any matches.

You wanted to summon Lucifer to help with the fire, but you knew he was busy with Charlie's hotel.

Then suddenly, light flashed for a millisecond, and then a second later, you heard it. Thunder and lightning.

The noises scared you, but you stayed calm, to not freak yourself out. You went to go on your phone to distract yourself. Then your power went off. So you walked to the room where your phone was at and sang a nursery song you enjoyed on the way there.

It's raining,

it's pouring,

The old man is snoring.

He went to bed and he bumped his head,

And couldn't get up in the morning.

Now you were in the room and picked up your phone, and you realized your phone was dead.

OK, you were going to have to summon Lucifer because now you were going to freak out sooner or later. The house was dimly lightened because it was only the evening. So you rushed to the summoning area where you would do your ritual before it gets to dark to see.

You started your chants rushing through them to get him summond to you fast enough. Once he was summond, you practically jumped into his arms, happy to see him and just happy for your fire sorce to here.

Lucifer hugged you tightly he was also happy to see you and to once again see the good that he was banished from seeing by the angels, ofcourse sadly he could only see up to where the neighborhood of yours ended, due to some type of magic.

"Honey, why is it so dark in here?" Lucifer asked. "Well, you see, there is a-" you flinched, hearing very loud thunder and lightling, Lucifer then hugged you closer and tightly against him. "I understand. Let's get a fire going, and we can talk or something if you want to," Lucifer told you.

Lucifer took you by the hand to your lounge. Once getting inside the lounge, he brought you to the couch and made you sit down on it. He then went to the fireplace and then crouched down in front of it, to then ignite a flame onto his tip of his finger to light up the wood in your fireplace.

Finally, some warmth was coming about, and you could actually see properly, but it was not enough. You were still shivering due to the cold-niss.

Once Lucifer stood up correctly and turned towards you to see you still shivering, he quickly conjured up a blanket with your favorite texture and everything.

He then sat down next to you on the couch, putting the blanket on top of you both. He then put his arms around you. You then rested your head against his chest.

You slowly closed your eyes, feeling nice, warm-ish, and cozy. "Goodnight, Luci, i love you," you told him lazily, smiling. Lucifer pecked your forehead. "Goodnight, I love you too, my love," he told you lovingly. You then both were swept into slumber.

I hope you guys enjoyed this little fanfic I wrote while I was having a storm at my home goodnight/day

Taglist: @fatherlesschild2 @whitewingsh @iheartpieck @i-yuki

Taglist request section here

‐L.B Creations

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #lucifer #lucifer x reader #lucifer magne #lucifer morningstar hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar x reader #x reader #fanfic #hazbin fanfic

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's Warm and Clear Evening Date

⚡This post contains detailed spoiler's for a Date which hasn't released in EN yet!⚡

[This date was translated with the help of Google translate!]

✧[Section 1]✧

Rumble —

Under the pitch-black sky, heavy rain poured down. I tightly held onto the umbrella, which I could barely grip, and hurriedly walked into Shaw's antique shop.

MC: Phew, it’s raining so hard... You just said on the phone that you caught someone trespassing in the yard?

I shook off the rain stains from my clothes, looked up, and met Shaw's speechless gaze.

Shaw: I didn't say it was a human.

I paused for a moment, following his gaze to the corner, and discovered a yellow puppy lying on the ground, wagging its tail at me.

MC: Puppy?

The round head wobbled in response to my greeting. Seeing its adorable and innocent expression, it dawned on me that he was a bit of an idiot.

MC: Are you telling me that this is the same puppy that has been intruding into the yard of your antique store for the past few days, digging up the soil?

Shaw: Then who else could it be?

Shaw: If I hadn't caught it in the act today, I'd be wondering if the old man next door was trying to trick me.

Listening to his annoyed explanation, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

MC: I thought it was some misguided thief trying to dig a tunnel to break into your antique shop.

MC: Little pup, were you trying to dig a cozy little kennel? Unfortunately, the owner of this yard is not someone to mess with. You'd better find another spot.

Shaw: ...Why are you talking behind my back right in front of me?

There were rustling footsteps behind me, and as expected, I was hit on the back of my head the next second.

Shaw: This formidable owner is about to faint from hunger right now.

Shaw: Hey, weren't you clamoring for that pork belly chicken from the restaurant at the corner of the street? They're about to close at this hour.

MC: I didn’t want to be this late either, but the heavy rain was causing traffic congestion on the road.

I muttered, glancing over at the cute yellow puppy who was listening intently to us.

MC: What about the puppy? Should we help him find his owner?

Shaw: I've inquired about it; it often roams around the neighborhood. It must be a stray dog.

MC: I see... Then should we take him in for the night? After all, it's pouring outside.

Seeing me gently caressing the little puppy's head with affection, Shaw smiled warmly and reached out to pull me up.

Shaw: Well, we'll figure out what to do with it when we get back from dinner.

He said this while putting his arm around my shoulder, and with his other hand, he held the umbrella and led me towards the door. But before I could step over the threshold, he pulled me back in a sudden 'emergency brake'.

Shaw: …..

I followed his gaze and looked down at the ground outside the yard, and was dumbfounded.

The streetlamp in the rain curtain barely illuminated the road ahead, and I could vaguely see the water pooling up to the doorstep. Large raindrops pelted down relentlessly, showing no signs of weakening.

MC: ....The water wasn't this deep when I entered just now!

Shaw: The antique shop's doorstep was originally built high, but the rainwater has reached here; the accumulated water is probably up to my calves.

The pouring rain splashed around me, finding its way into every opening. I instinctively cringed, and noticing my reaction, Shaw pulled me even closer.

Shaw: If we go out in this rain, we probably won't be able to come back later.

MC: What to do then…

Before he finished speaking, a thunder suddenly exploded in the sky, and then everything went dark.

Power cut.

✧[Section 2]✧

After a moment of silent understanding between Shaw and me, he let out a sigh.

Shaw: Let's go back, the pork belly and chicken soup can wait.

I nodded my head in resignation and followed him back to the antique store. Shaw tried to turn on the lights a few times, but there was no response.

He simply threw the umbrella to the ground and sat down on the sofa.

Shaw: Well, I guess the whole street's dead.

Shaw: Oh... Now it's just the two of us and a dog, completely trapped in this pitch-black store.

Even though he said that, there was no trace of despair in his tone. He lifted his head and gave me a quick glance.

Shaw: What are you standing there for? Keeping watch?

It was only then that I slowed down a bit to get a clear picture of the situation, and dawdled in the dark to Shaw's side.

MC: The rainy season is truly annoying; it has been raining continuously for three days now.

MC: Shaw, if it doesn't stop raining tomorrow, we won't be stuck here forever, will we?

I tugged on Shaw's sleeve, and he instinctively took my restless hand in his, squeezing it gently, providing a kind of reassurance, intermittently, as if comforting me.

Shaw: What, you don't want to stay with me?

MC: That's not it. It's just that when I'm with you, I always feel like we should be doing something romantic and exciting.

MC: Instead of being stuck in the pitch-black pouring rain like this, it feels like we should be doing something adventurous, like surviving on a deserted island.

I said what was on my mind, only to hear a soft laugh in my ear, and Shaw pressed his body closer to me.

Shaw: Something romantic and exciting? Give me an example.

At first, his serious tone carried a hint of teasing, and I couldn't help but retort playfully.

MC: For example, Like going for a midnight stroll or staying up all night watching horror movies, ah...

Boom—

As if in a strange kind of response, there came a deafening thunderclap from outside just then, and the window was being hammered by the large raindrops, making a squeaky sound.

The atmosphere suddenly intensified. I couldn't help but feel my heart race, and a shiver ran down my spine. Yet, at my feet, I suddenly felt a warmth.

I lowered my head and vaguely saw the yellow puppy cowering beside my feet, seemingly trembling with fear.

I touched the puppy's body and found that its fur was a little wet, probably from the rain.

MC: Shaw, do you have any towels or something to put on the floor for him?

Shaw: Troublesome.

Shaw muttered, but stood up quickly and took out a thick towel from the cabinet and spread it on the floor.

The puppy sniffed the towel and the next moment lay down on it obediently.

Shaw: Making a bed for the dog, it feels a bit like survival on a deserted island, doesn't it?

I snorted with amusement at his self-talk.

MC: How did you get carried away by what I just said?

Shaw: What's the difference between this dreadful weather, this pitch-black environment where you can't see your own hand, and being on a deserted island?

MC: The difference is vast. On a deserted island, you don't have amenities like towels, sofas, or a roof over your head. Just having a bottle of water to drink would be considered lucky.

MC: Otherwise, people wouldn't frequently discuss — 'If you could only bring one thing to a deserted island, what would you choose?'

Shaw: I'm not surrounded by such boring people.

I ignored his sarcasm and let my eyes roam around him, and couldn't resist touching his shoulder.

MC: Well, since we have nothing else to do, why don't we indulge in some imagination too?

MC: If you were to go to a deserted island, what would you take with you? No objects or people, by the way.

I deliberately emphasized the word 'person,' staring at him intently in the darkness, hoping he could come up with this blatantly obvious answer.

Shaw paused for a moment, then seemed to burst into laughter. He thoughtfully rested his chin on his hand.

Shaw: This question is indeed a bit difficult. Shaw: Let me think, let me think. Shaw: Hmm..... A lighter? Can't do without fire after all. MC: ...Primitive humans didn't have lighters; they still made fire by drilling wood. Shaw: That makes sense. What about a flashlight? There must be no light on a deserted island. MC: You're on a deserted island; what do you need a flashlight for? You can't just wander around at night, can you? Shaw: Right.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh, as if he had figured something out. I quickly leaned in to listen.

Shaw: I got it! Shaw: I'll take my bass, During boring times, I can play a tune to entertain myself. MC: ….Shaw!!

Realizing he was teasing me, I couldn't help but shout his name at the top of my lungs.

But before I could criticize his behavior, a pitiful 'howl' came from beside my feet.

We both paused, turned on our phone flashlights, and aimed them at the puppy. It was curled up, looking at us with a terrified expression, its ears perked up high.

Shaw: Hahahahaha. Shaw: Damn it, your loud voice scared the puppy.

✧[Section 3]✧

MC: Poor little puppy, I'm sorry... It's okay, don't be afraid.

The yellow puppy lowered his head silently and even leaned towards Shaw.

Shaw: See, I told you, you're too harsh on me normally, always shouting my name. Even he couldn't stand it.

MC: You, you don't accuse me wrongly. I'm not like that all the time, am I? MC: Besides, the dog doesn't understand what we're saying; it was just scared by my tone earlier. Shaw: Pff, trying to twist the truth. MC: It's not twisting the truth! Dog trainers say that even though dogs don't understand human language, they can still sense situations based on tone of voice. Shaw: Isn't that just reading people's expressions? Do dogs have this ability? MC: You don’t believe me? MC: Some people have tried saying kind words to dogs in a harsh tone and saying mean things in a gentle tone. The reactions of the dogs were quite interesting.

After saying this, I cleared my throat and illuminated the little yellow puppy's face with the flashlight. I then gave it a big smile and lowered my voice to a whisper.

MC: Stupid dog ~

The little yellow puppy looked at me with apparent confusion, but the next moment, it enthusiastically wagged its tail at me again, proving me right. I proudly raised my eyebrows at Shaw.

MC: See, what did I say? Shaw: Interesting.

Shaw seemed intrigued and followed my lead, bending down to look at the little yellow puppy.

Shaw: Hey, good dog! Good boy! Cute dog!

He forcefully uttered a few words. His naturally cold voice, coupled with an artificially deep and menacing tone, made me shudder slightly.

Surprisingly, the little puppy still obediently wagged its tail while lying on the ground. It even approached Shaw, licking his hand.

MC: ??? Shaw: This dog expert, can you explain the current situation?

Shaw couldn't help but laugh, confidently crossing his arms, which made me pout in disbelief.

MC: ...It might just be a silly little puppy. MC: I was shivering from your tone earlier, and yet it's still happily wagging its tail at you!

In the next moment, Shaw beside me suddenly drew closer, his warm breath brushing against my ear.

Shaw: Are you sure you were scared by me? Shaw: I heard that trembling in the dark is a sign of the presence of ghosts—

The cunning and sinister tone brushed against my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine, arousing a tingling sensation, and causing my heart to skip a beat in panic.

MC: Shaw!!

I instinctively lunged at him, covering his mouth with my hand. I felt the slight quiver of his skin beneath my palm, as if he was suppressing laughter.

MC: Don't scare me with your nonsense! MC: I-I'm just dressed lightly, and I got wet in the rain, that's why I'm a bit cold...

As soon as the words left my mouth, my wrist was suddenly grasped by a warm hand. Familiar warmth enveloped my entire body in an instant.

Shaw: Why didn't you come closer earlier if you knew it was cold? Saying you're silly wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.

Shaw's arms gently wrapped around my waist, holding me in his arms.

I blinked, realizing that he'd scared me on purpose to get me closer to him.

A person who speaks one thing but means another...

Bubbles of emotions kept surfacing in my heart. I couldn't help but let a smile tug at my lips as I snuggled in his embrace.

MC: Okay, I admit it's not that cold now. Shaw: You're welcome. MC: ...Who said I was thanking you? Shaw: What's wrong? It's only natural for me to keep you warm? MC: If not?

Hearing the teasing tone in his words, I retorted back deliberately. Shaw chuckled softly in response.

Shaw: Okay, everything you said is right.

We were laughing and hugging each other tightly, and the mood was just right when an inappropriate gurgle came from the pit of my stomach.

Shaw: Hungry? MC: A little… Shaw: If you'd be so kind as to loosen your grip around my waist, I'll go and get something to eat. MC: It was obviously you who held me tightly…

Blushing, I grumbled reluctantly and slowly released my grip.

Shaw went to a cabinet and rummaged through it for a long time, and finally came over with a bag.

Shaw: Unfortunately, all the snacks were almost eaten, and I only found a piece of rice cake.

I took the bag, opened it, broke the rice cake into two, and handed it to Shaw.

The little yellow puppy at our feet perked up at the sound and stood up, its pitiful eyes fixed on Shaw.

Shaw made a dissatisfied 'tsk' sound, but he honestly broke off a small piece of the rice cake and fed it to the little yellow puppy.

Shaw: You little rascal, I haven't even confronted you about digging up soil in my yard, and now you're here freeloadin', eating and drinking? MC: Some people, despite what they say, are still generous enough to give the puppy a bite.

I teased Shaw and stuffed a bite of rice cake into his mouth.

MC: Don't blame him for getting the better of you, he just knows you won't say no, after all, dogs can tell who the ‘good guys’ are.

✧[Section 4]✧

Shaw, not appreciating my remark, raised his eyebrows and cast a glance at the little yellow puppy.

Shaw: What's so great about being a "good guy"? Don't label me like that.

His unexpected reaction amused me, and I struggled to suppress the curve forming at the corner of my lips.

MC: Mmm~ You only fed it because the rice cake was too unappetizing for you to swallow. MC: You didn't chase it away tonight. Is it because the shop is too dull, and you need some entertainment? Shaw: No, it's because a nosy person decided for me to keep it, so wouldn't it be rude of me to say no?  MC: So what? What's the point of being a "bad guy"?

Shaw: …..

Shaw, usually so eloquent, found himself at a loss for words as I choked him. With a satisfied exhale, I casually rested against his shoulder, narrowing my eyes.

Outside the window, the wind and rain raged in bursts, but inside the antique shop, not a trace of disturbance could be felt. It seemed like a tiny haven, impervious to the tumult outside.

Early the next morning, the birds outside the courtyard sang crisply, and the clear sunlight was scattered in a charming pattern, bathing my entire body in a warm glow.

I stretched lazily on the sofa, opened my eyes, and looked around, only to find that Shaw and the little yellow puppy were not in the shop. On the table, there was soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks, emitting wisps of hot steam.

I put on my shoes and walked out of the store to see a familiar figure sitting on the front steps of the antique store.

He's got a brand new and filled doggy bowl in front of him, and the little yellow puppy was burying his head in it and feasting on it.

Dappled light played on the upright figure of the young man, outlining soft and captivating contours with a gentle sway.

The fresh air after the rain draped a faint tranquility around him. I couldn't help but linger at the shop's entrance, captivated and momentarily unable to avert my gaze.

Shaw: Why are you eating so fast? Shaw: Don't worry, the sister at the store may be a glutton, but she won't steal from you. MC: ...Why are you talking behind my back right in front of me?

I deliberately imitated his tone and interrupted the communication between Shaw and the little yellow puppy.

Shaw: I didn't say anything by name. Why are you so eager to be on the same page? MC: ……

I was silenced by his forceful words, approaching them and taking a careful look around.

MC: I hadn't even mentioned certain people, who were calling it a silly dog at every turn but still ended up buying it dog food. Shaw: At least we're comrades who've spent a night together, let's just consider it making a new friend.

As he spoke, he touched the little yellow puppy's head.

Shaw: Ah Huang, from now on, I permit you to station yourself here. MC: Ah Huang? That's a corny name. Shaw: So you'll come up with a fancy one?

Before I could come up with anything, Ah Huang, who was eating, had already licked the dog bowl clean.

He stretched in a downward dog motion, wagged his tail at us perfunctorily, and then headed out of the yard without looking back.

Shaw: Ah Huang? Come here.

Ah Huang paid no attention to Shaw, leaving only a swaying and twisting figure behind.

Shaw and I were stunned on the spot at the same time. After a moment, I came to my senses and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

MC: Hahaha, Ah Huang is quite cool. You were thinking of making "friends" with it, weren't you?

Shaw had a face full of black lines, and when he opened his mouth to say something, the sound of the alarm clock suddenly came from my pocket, and I suddenly exclaimed.

MC: I have to go to work now. Don't forget to tell me about Ah Huang's sequel, okay? Shaw: What's the follow-up? Such an "ungrateful" guy ....Well, I'll just let it continue wandering. MC: Mm-hmm, and with a whole bag of dog food added, Ah Huang will be the richest among all the stray dogs.

After speaking, I hurriedly rushed into the shop, grabbed my bag, took the packaged soy milk and a fried dough stick, and ran out of the door.

Just as I ran out of the shop, I encountered Shaw with a rather unfriendly expression.

The mischievous smile at the corner of his lips was too evident. I hesitated for a moment, realizing that this person most likely intended for me to foot the bill for the earlier "wild talk."

I couldn't help but smile and tiptoed, planting a gentle kiss on his face.

MC: Thanks for the breakfast. For this belated treat, I'll treat you to pork belly and chicken soup tonight!

Before he could react, I quickly walked towards the courtyard exit. When I reached the door, I turned around and waved to him.

The gentle warmth of the morning sun swept away the terror of the torrential rain. Everything after the rain appeared tranquil and beautiful, as if reborn.

The sunlight fell on the young man's eyebrows and hair, and there seemed to be light pulsing in his golden eyes.

He leaned against the door casually and looked back at me quietly.

The events of last night flashed through my mind, and I couldn't help but smile. Vaguely, I remembered a question that had been overlooked.

MC: Shaw, yesterday when you answered the deserted island survival question, you deliberately didn't mention my name... MC: Could it be because you are reluctant to take me to such a dangerous place?

Shaw clearly didn't expect me to bring this up suddenly. He habitually raised his attractive eyebrows and his slightly pursed lips seemed to be contemplating how to 'retaliate'.

But soon, he just smiled, his rare soft eyes shining quietly under the warm sun.

Shaw: Don’t you always say that no matter where I go, no matter how dangerous or exciting it is, you will follow me? Shaw: Well, what's there to answer in the first place?

That expression on his face, arrogant as always, seemed to indicate that this answer was the only one, the one he firmly believed in.

Shaw: Besides, what danger could there be on a deserted island? Shaw: Being with me is the safest place in the world.

—

🐶Call: here

#this date is so warm and cozy #not them acting like an old married couple 🤭 #JUST GET MARRIED ALREADY!! #anyways so sorry for not being so active I'll try to catch up with everything real soon! #thank you so much for your patience! #mlqc spoilers #mlqc cn #mlqc shaw #mlqc ling xiao #mlqc translations #mr love queen's choice #mlqc #love and producer

[portal-geist]

⊹𝒢𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊⊹

Hmm...? I recognise this title... Oh, oh no not my scripts! I must hurry! This is...

𝓝𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝔁 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰

It is such a rare occurrence for the neighborhood. You don't see much other than sunny skies and ocasional snow at the perfect seasons but... It seems that today is a rainy day.

It is not as if I mind however, Barnaby too. He just loves to play in the droplets, Frank sometimes observes snails whenever he's unoccupied.

Though, maybe some others will disagree.

Eddie shivers whenever he enters my home from the cold rain, delivering none-stop. Y7/N4 complains about the waters pouring into their circuits as well as Jullie who cannot play around outside due to the mud...

In my opinion, the pouring droplets and the wet grounds creating sounds of faint chimes are such to adore and motivates my inner narrative spirits.

My voice is who I am as I am the voice of the neighborhood.

With my brightly coloured unbrella in hand, I decided to use my eyes for once. It has been a while since I've went out like this.

The light breeze and the sound of rain echoed around the feilds as I stepped out, looking around the other buildings.

The small puddles collecting on Home's windows seemed to make it look as if crying. The floweres around it swayed as if comforting.

Though Home wasn't the one who was in need of help I'd say.

I may have forgot to mention a single neighbor who absolutely despises the rain due to their pride in beauty.

"You seem to be in a puddle of shame, neighbor."

I leaned over the small friend who was crouching down below the apple tree. Completely disgruntled but not wanting wanting to fade their charming act, they attempted to fix a smile on their face despite their eyes not listening.

Unlike myself of course.

"Ah, Narrator, of course... Please do not see me like this..."

Wally put a hand to hide his messed up appearance as I cast my umbrella over him.

"Oh, Wally Darling. It isn't very usual to ast in such a shy manner."

I smugly said.

"Narrator! This isn't a time for teasing! Where are your manners?"

"Apologies friend. I understand your pride and care in your appearance! How about I guide you back to home, hmm? Does that sound fruitful?"

I eyed the fresh, red apples above, proud of my word play.

Ah, well, of course I have a silver tongue, I am the narrator after all.

"...Thank you."

Brushing his clothes off, Wally stood, stepping underneath the unbrella I pulled close to avoid getting any wet.

The first thing I notice about his appearance was...

His necktie! Oh, dear the poor, beautiul necktie! It was such a prized possession of my dear friend!

"Oh my! We shall fix up that tie of yours as soon as we return! Allow me to lead, Mr.Wally Darling!"

I enthusiastically pointed straight, and began to march towards Home's direction, Mr. Darling following close.

I hummed along a familiar tune when walking, knowing very well it would sooth my friend nerves. It is very efficient with children espeacially! Such a useful and pretty talent I take care with.

Opposing the cold breeze, I felt a stare that burned my soul. It was intense, though I didn't dare question it. It will show eventually.

"May I ask you a question, Narrator?"

Wally asked, trying to tidy his hair.

"Hmm..? Of course. Go ahead little sir."

I replied with curiousity.

"Why do you... Always use my full name instead of just... Wally?"

"Why, do you not feel comfortable?"

"Ah, no, not at all! However... I do feel a sort of distance between us..."

Hmm... I thougt for a moment.

"Well, I simply just think your name is very pretty. 'Wally Darling'... Such a icon for such a star, how can I not enjoy it's charm?"

Wally's head perked up.

"It can be a head full but not a mouth full oh nonono... "

He tilted his head at my words, though I continued.

"In addition, I just cannot simply just call you Darling now, can I? Eh, well, if you desire so of course."

I chuckled at the faint blush on the neighbors cheeks as they widened their eyes slightly.

"Hah, ooooh I am only messing around now... Darling..."

I began to laugh joyfully at Wallys small reaction. What a rare sighting! The smug little man being the one to be smugged!

He grunted in confusion as the tinggling sensasion isn't what he is used to feeling, I whatched with amusement.

"Ahahah... Apologies for my mannerisms... Oh? What's Sally doing out on a raining day?"

Across the sidewalk, Sally Starlet was skipping around.

As I peaked at the peppy starligt who bean to twirl around outside, I felt a sudden pull on my clothes. Wally caught my attention as he pointed at the sky.

Following, I saw that the rain had died down, clouds clearing as the blue and open sky began to make its entrance.

"It seems that the rain quickly passed in a swift huh, neighbor?"

I raised a hand and followed the snail paced clouds.

"It sure did now, Neighbor..."

"Oh, look!"

That was when a colourful rainbow began to cast upon the colourful neighborhood. The neighbors came out of their homes to observe the pretty phenominon.

Barnaby tilted his hat, Jullie hopped over to Frank with excitment, Eddie stopped rushing to take a peak as Poppy cam out with a baskett of bbaked goods. Y7/N4 came out of the shop beside Howdy who was being circled around by Sally who kept on blabbering about the sight.

I felt another hand next to mine as if it was grabbing the rainbow.

It looked as if the hand was shooting a beam out o it's palm.

"Look, Narrator! My beam of love for you!"

Wally chirped with a smile.

I looked back at the small neighbor, startled for a moment before chuckling at his cheeky comment.

"Of course, and my hand to catch allll of the love!"

"What? None for me?"

A familiar voice came from behind.

It was Eddie and Poppy, them waving with glee at the two of us.

Wally was slightly startled as he attempted to fix his appearance.

"None for you~"

I replied with a hum, playfully acting greedy. Eddie played along also acting sad, Poppy giggling at the silly expression.

"Awh, well, how about some cookies?"

Wally gasped, grabbing Poppy's little goodiebag.

"Ah, my favourite! Here Narrator."

Wally shared a piece of the baked goods which I took with grattitude.

No one can resist Poppy's cooking, not even Wally's pride in looks.

Eddie looked at his wrist watch before making a shocked expression and began to hurry away.

"Oh no! I better get going! Make sure to leave some love for me next time!"

"Hah, will do!"

We waved off to Eddie as he clumsily rushed off. By the time he was gone, the rainbow had quickly vanished, leaving no trace of it behind.

I looked at Wally to then face Poppy.

"Thank you Ms. Poppy Partridge. I appreciate the delicious gift! I was just about to drop Wally off back at home."

I gestured to home that was next to us.

"Ah, I see. Have a good afternoon then you two. Make sure to stay healthy and grow!"

"I'm pretty sure my growing spurt had ended years ago..."

"Nonesense! There's a lot to grow in life! Isn't that right Wally?"

Poppy looked down at Wally as well as myself. He nodded innocently to the motherly bird and smirked in my direction. I chuckled once again.

"Well then. Ought to get going you two! Home's waiting."

As that, Poppy kindly waved off to go and meet the others.

I looked at Wally who was already facing me. I smiled as I close my open umbrella, shaking off the water droplets and potential mud.

I eyed the sky, the sun shinning a tune. A tune that showered light on me. My voice felt as if visible. Just like a mad man, I can see sound, I can hear colours.

My voice finally being my story.

My light.

"Narrator? Are you alright?"

Wally snapped me back to reality. I looked back down at the small neighbor and tried to recollect my surroundings. I smiled and sighed softly, shaking my head slightly.

"Apologies, let us head into home and get you tidy now, shall we?"

"Ah, you're willing to help me?"

"Of course! What's a friend who wouldn't?"

I posed with confidence, making sure that Wally understood that I'm willing to be a helping hand.

He gave me a smile with grattitude as home opened it's front doors.

I entered from behind Wally, making sure to be respectful of the house's property.

Making sure to look good on camera, to sound godly on air.

I am the voice, I am the sun's tune.

I can hear your glares, Wally Darling.

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

"Why hello, Narrator. You are looking daring today!"

"Oh hello to you as well Narrator! You sure are one to talk hm?"

"They've been talking to themselves infront of the mirror for 1 and a half hours now."

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

(A/N)

Hope you enjoyed!

I'm glad many of you seem to like it :]

I'm probably gonna switch between robot reader and Narrator reader depending on my mood.

If you want me to write more into their character please let me know! :D

I wrote this in a short amount of time so appologies for that...

I am planning on making like a small explanation post about them so yeah. Ideas are very much appreciated and please notify me if you want me to write a certain thing about these readers with certain neighbors :]

Thank y'all so much! Farewell!

#Welcome Home #wally darling #welcome home puppet show #wally darling x reader #Welcome home x you #Welcome home Wally Darling #Narrator reader #poppy partridge #eddie dear #Rainbows #portal geist #fanart #fanfic

[boyswanna-be-her]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm recounting all of this kind of mundane shit about BFR for myself because guaranteed I'm going to be trying to understand/recap this narrative while im lonely in colorado. And honestly I know it's gonna be easy for me to forget details and second-guess shit that feels so obvious to me in the moment. So if you don't want a blow by blow of this absolutely PG romantic relationship, just skip this one for now.

Today was really nice and the first day in a little while where I haven't had anything pressing to do. It was pouring at the clinic today--has been all week. Yesterday I sat in my front seat w BFR and we smoked a joint together and made fun of the one wet protester until the rain passed. Great morning.

We had lunch together at one of my favorite taco spots in my old neighborhood, and then we had to walk back to the thai place where we ate dinner the night before bc they'd left their sunglasses behind. We went to a coffee shop for a while where they patiently waited for me to be done with a working meeting on my laptop. Then we took a walk in the park in between rain. It was just seamless, idk. There's no question that we'll go do the next thing together. When the rain wouldn't let up at the park, I suggested we go to one of my fave places in the city, and I drove us to a giant used bookstore that was a few miles away.

I didn't realize until we got there that they'd never been before!! I try to take everyone I can there if they're from out of town, and it is ABSOLUTELY my favorite place to both take a new date and have a special date with an established partner. I don't feel guilty about taking basically everyone I've ever dated there--a good date is a good date. There's a lot of built-in conversation to be had and it's easier than a bar and free to wander around. We accidentally killed an enormous amount of time there, and we shot the shit about 20th century history which is my jam, so amazing to talk abt it w someone who can hang, READS, and doesn't have anything to prove in terms of static knowledge recall.

We hung out for a little while but they had yoga and I wanted to head home so we split up after that and it felt... weird? Like it always feels like there's this last step we are missing to our goodbyes. They forced a hug one time when we were saying goodbye from the clinic, but it was really early on and RIGHT when I was coming to terms with being attracted to them (like second time seeing them after having the realization) which means I was in ultra robot mode, and also assumed it was one-sided and they were just trying to be nice. Like I literally think I did a one arm side hug and they were so dejected they never tried again. Now we're weeks later and it feels weird that we're not kissing goodnight or something.

But I had the evening to myself and finally broke down and talked to someone from my real life about them. He was very affirming that I'm not insane, and just recapping the timeline to someone made it make more sense in my mind. I didn't even have to present half of my evidence for my friend to say yeah, that's going in A Direction. I just second guess it all for a variety of reasons, but for example when I screenshotted a text and sent it as evidence that I feel like they text me like a coworker sometimes, my friend pointed out that nobody in the history of neutral coworkers has ever crafted such a long and careful text. Which. Touche.

This morning we were back out at the clinic bright and early. My friend was supposed to join us but she couldn't at the last minute. Instead she dropped into the chat and asked if someone could fill in for her. If I didn't feel like we were already attracting attention (spoiler: we are), i would've REALLY preferred to jump in and say "noooo worries, no third wheel needed please." But we are getting a little visible. So I didn't. And BFR's friend jumped in to take my friend's place volunteering with us.

I ended up being really happy the friend was there though! The two of us are more like a couple when there IS a third person there, although the vibe can be a lot to navigate sometimes and I often have to shut down and take some time to myself. It wasn't unwelcome to have him there though. It makes the vibe between me & bfr more apparent, pronounced, whatever. We already have such a shorthand in common which 😍 wrow, communication fluency.

I invited his friend to lunch with us, and he accepted, and it was fun--I took them to my favorite Greek place which is legit like three blocks from the clinic.

Friend went on his way, the two of us moved to the next location: their favorite spot to work. I also love this location bc you can watch the afternoon rain and vape furiously on the porch without getting wet. Like I said, today was the first day in a while where neither of us had much to do in the way of work. They have been threatening to inflict their favorite board game on me for a while now, and it finally happened today. I am notoriously uninterested in board games (more like bored games amiright) but the combo of my biggest fan being excited to teach/compliment me on how AMAZING i am at it (rofl lying but ok) and the inherent fun of the game meant that I, uh, had a lot of fun, unfortunately.

We did two REALLY close rounds, and in the second game they almost fully missed a work call they had at 7:00 (I remembered bc i am insane but I also didn't mention it until 6:50 bc I thought maybe they were goofing on me and pretending like they'd lost track of time). Turns out they had been planning on muting and barely looking at the meeting anyway bc they didn't wanna stop playing--which is flattering but I'm also like "[Redacted], i already very much want the best for you, INCLUDING not becoming completely codependent and risking your living bc im so charming and fun" so there was a lot of me pausing the play and asking about the meeting.

By the time that was over, we were already butting up against the time we were supposed to meet their friends to lift tonight. We hadn't eaten dinner but they offered to feed me at their place which was perfect. We went straight back and holy shit their homemade leftovers were delicious.

Their friends came on time to lift and the first thing out of the mouth of the one who knows me better was "you and [redacted] have really been spending a lot of time together huh?" The two of us made eye contact and kinda laughed and BFR said "yep" and both made the 😬 face and the friend wouldn't let it go and repeated "you guys spend all day together now..." and my 😬 face couldn't get any more intense and he said "all day... today..." i said "yep we're pretty codependent." (I'd made the same not-joke yesterday when I was very truly pointing out that I don't remember what to do with my alone time anymore, and they not-jokingly replied "yeah we've ruined each other." Which like. At least we're aware.) Only later did I realize that BFR mustve been talking to the friend about it bc I definitely wasn't and there was no public talk about it in our shared discord so 👀 bitch i see u chatting in private abt me.

Lifting was incredible as always. Their friends who are a decade younger than us and sometimes join us, sometimes don't, really crack me up and I have such a good rapport with one of the guys that I think I lift better with him around (the one who was giving us a hard time tonight). He dishes out the abuse I give him while lifting, which I love. Between him and bfr, I feel like a fucking all-star lifter in that little garage gym. They talk positively about my form when they don't even realize I can hear them. Even so, BFR will not hesitate to call me out when a lift looks bad or I need a cue.

So yeah. It's nice. Hanging out at their place, being fed, getting let in on a LOT more inner details than I got in the first months of knowing them. That's all lovely. I always try to text them and let them know when I've had a lot of fun with them, and that's just basically turned into a nightly check-in. On Sunday, I got a very coworkery (imo) message from them about enjoying our time together, thanking me for my "wonderful company," thanking me for spending so much time together, thanking me for attending so many events with them, and saying that they are "definitely down to keep hanging out in the future." At the time I felt like "that's a weirdly formal way to put all this" but getting home to tonight's much more neurotic message made it make more sense (along w the feedback from a trusted friend who makes good points). Like it was a careful message because they are being exceedingly careful with me. They know some of my more obvious damage (all the psychic sucking chest wounds are hard to ignore after a few weeks of learning about me, and i've been going out of my way to be quite "warts and all" with them). They value our time together A LOT. And the more that I understand our similarities, the more I know that they're also likely really fucking scared to endanger the chemistry of this friendship by introducing ANY other dynamic.

Im finally getting to the end here. Tumblr will probably eat this entry. I'm posting it before a full edit--RIP anyone parsing this.

But the message that I came home to tonight was FINALLY a little more vulnerable, and essentially said that if I want to spend LESS time with them, I'm going to have to tell them that straight up, and that that'll be ok, but if so they need to lnow because this is the amount of time they want to spend with me (all of it), and they don't anticipate that changing.

So! Guess I'll puke and die now! Literally spent five minutes last night considering how I could smuggle them to Colorado with me. Also I haven't had anywhere to put this but since this is an all-bfr all the time blog now, we are going to go on a trip together to chicago in August! There's an actual reason to go other than lovefest vacation (pretty much a work trip for them that I've been asked to tag along for) but as we are actually finalizing the trip plans, it definitely feels more than a little bit like we are going on a lovefest vacation. Which is all the more reason why it would be great to not be hella conspicuous (even though it's a little fun being hella conspicuous).

Like I didn't need another human to come validate my existence, but I *did* need to meet someone who could threaten the idea that I'm ready to die alone. It's nice. It's all nice!! I'm definitely not crying and throwing up!!!

#i am not doing either of those things but i AM messy #the game is Class War btw #i felt like there were more items i was holding for the tags #prob just more conspicuous evidence that i am Liked and Cherished #if we ever get to the eventual reveal on this person idk what the reaction will be #theyre nothing like anyone i've ever dated physically #chemistry wise it's ridiculous #personality wise it's a win #i think the physical container they come in is part of what threw me for so long #I'm... not complaining that is not a complaint lmao #my biggest fan is more conventionally attractive than me which isn't RARE for my relationships #just like not someone who was on my radar on a physical level #until they started touching me all the time and making me feel like the only person in the room #bfr

[heedeungiiee]

𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮 𝙂𝙮𝙪 - - - 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙞 𝘽𝙚𝙤𝙢𝙜𝙮𝙪

“Finally, I finish this freaking essay!”

You have been working on an essay that is worth fifty percent of your grade for the past two weeks and you were delighted that you are finally finished with it. No more breakdowns, no more staying up late, and no more excess caffeine or else you will die of caffeine overdose.

You saved printed your work and put it in your file case so it won’t get damaged and you won’t be forgetting it for school the next two days. You even saved your document in your laptop just to make sure that all your hard work won’t go to waste and if you need another copy of your work.

You stood up and did some stretching exercises because you were aching all over. Most especially your back and your hands. 

“I think I should walk out in the park to freshen up my mind.” You told yourself as you hurriedly approached your closet to pick something to wear.

The rain just stopped pouring and the birds were chirping outside. The sun wasn’t up but at least the sky was bright and clear. Just the perfect weather and mood for an afternoon stroll.

You decided to wear faded jeans and a large hoodie since you are just going for a stroll; no need to dress that extravagant, right? You just wear a pair of old converse and grab your wallet, just in case you go to a convenience store afterwards. 

You said your goodbyes to your mom who is inside the office printing some work related stuff. 

You started walking your way down to your neighborhood with your hands inside your pocket. You saw children coming out of their houses and playing in the front yard after it rained for two days. Some were even heading towards the nearby park to play with their friends. You smiled just remembering the days of your childhood where you too were also happy whenever you played with your friends after a long rainy day.

You were already in the park just walking and enjoying the greenery of the area. The grass, the flowers, and benches were drenched with rain water but still they look immaculate. You took a couple of photos from the park, mostly the flowers and the lake at the center where a flock of birds are flying in the sky. 

You were just humming to the tune of your favorite song while walking to the brick pathway, minding your own business and enjoying the breeze of the air when you heard a high pitched voice calling for you. 

“Psst. young lady,” the called over you.

You looked everywhere but you saw no one in that area of the park. You just shrugged your shoulders because maybe you were just hearing things because of lack of sleep.

“Over here, miss.” You heard the voice coming from the big oak tree. 

That’s it. I probably lost my mind from doing my essay. You said inside your head.

You stared at the tree for a moment  and for some unknown reason, you started coming near the tree. You just wanted to check if that high pitch voice was coming from there or if you were just imagining it.  

 “I am officially insane,” you said out loud because the little flying figure was so unreal. You only see them in cartoons or movies about fiction characters. This cannot possibly exist in real life. 

You looked around and you gasped in shock when a small human-like figure went flying in front of you. He has a friendly smile painted on his face. He was wearing  a cream colored puffed sleeve polo and light brown slacks; he was even wearing a cute pair of black oxford shoes. His hair was shoulder length and it was curled up a bit. Various flowers were also arranged in his head immaculately, making him more adorable. His fairy-like wings make him cuter than ever. 

Yes, you know you are freaking out because of this tiny creature but you cannot help but admit that he is so adorable.  

The little creature laughed at your reaction in his high pitched voice. “No miss. You are not insane. I am real, promise.” He smiled from ear to ear. You finally calmed down and you kinda admit that he really is cute, most especially his high pitch voice. 

“Whatever flying fairy creature you are, you are cute.” You smiled back at him.

“Thanks. By the way, miss, what is your name?” asked the little creature.

“I am y/l/n.”

“Y/n,” the little being repeated. “I like your name, it suits you really well.” He giggled. “By the way, my name is Choi Beomgyu but you can call me by my nickname Gyu.”

“Nice to meet you, Gyu.” You smiled and lifted your palm up, inviting him to land his feet there. 

When he landed on your palm, you complimented how cute his nickname was and he fluttered his wings as a way of expressing his gratitude.

“Y/n, may I ask you a favor?” Gyu asked.

“Sure what is it, Gyu?”

“May I kiss you?” He smiled like a cute little kid asking if he could buy some chocolate.

You blushed because of his question. You just met this creature and you barely even know him. And now he is asking for a kiss? 

“What will happen if I do so?” you asked out of curiosity.

Gyu smiled mischievously, “You will see.” He smiled and battered his eyelashes at you. Persuading you that you will do it.

What if this is some kind of danger? You thought to yourself. 

You were contemplating on whether or not, give him a peck. After a lot of thinking and Gyu showing off his charms, you decided what is best. 

“Sure, I guess you can kiss me,” you said. You were curious to what will happen and you were praying that this will not be some kind of danger.

Gyu’s face lit up and he started fluttering his wings out of happiness. “Thanks, y/n. I promise you won’t regret this.” He giggled and you giggled as well because he was so adorable.

He flew away from your palm and went close to your lips. You pouted a bit and you felt Gyu’s tiny lips touch yours. 

Moments later, smoke, sparkles, and flowers were everywhere to where Gyu was standing. You panicked a little bit but you remained composed. You wanted to know what surprises await you.

You gasped as you saw the tiny being transformed into a handsome young man right before your eyes. He was still Gyu, but taller and without wings. 

“See, I told you y/n. You won’t regret it.” Gyu giggled, but this time his high pitched voice disappeared and it was replaced by a manly deep voice. 

You blushed and you felt your heart racing because you never knew the tiny being was a handsome young man. You never knew a creature like this existed in this world.

“You look prettier when you blush,” Gyu chuckled and you bowed down your head because you were being giddy for some reason. 

“Hey, look up here, y/n,” he held both of your shoulders. You were only chest level when you are facing each other so he was basically towering over you. “No need to be shy. You helped me do my favor and I want to thank you for that.” Gyu giggled. 

“I am still the same fairy Gyu but taller and without the wings,” he explained. “Did anything change?” he asked.

“Not really,” you managed to say. “But you just got more handsome and your voice sounds amazing.” You tried to say that in a low tone but Beomgyu clearly heard it.

“Thanks for that compliment, y/n. I know you won’t regret kissing me,” Gyu hugged you tightly.

He leveled his eyes to yours and you tried your best to not shy away from his gesture. He pulled you closer to him before smiling cutely at you. 

“Care if I kiss you again?”

Without waiting for your answer, he leaned and gave you a passionate long kiss.

#tomorrow x together #txt #txt choi beomgyu #txt beomgyu #choi beomgyu #beomgyu #beomgyu x y/n #beomgyu x reader #txt imagines #txt drabbles #tomorrow by together #txt shorts #fairy gyu #beomgyu x moa #txt beomgyu imagines #txt beomgy fluff #txt beomgyu drabbles

[thenightling]

Why do I love Halloween so much?

Why do I love Halloween so much?

Well, it's similar to why so many people love Christmas. For me, I have always loved all things spooky. The first two books I ever read were Tiggy went to the Hospital and In a Dark, Dark Room by Alvin Schwartz (author of the Scary Stories to Tell in the dark trilogy). As far back as I can remember I associate my happiest memories with things spooky, gothic, and yet wholesome and sweet. All through the 1990s my mother, little brother, and I would watch "Are you Afraid of the Dark?" on Saturday Night Nickelodeon (Snick) and my mother would make "malteds" (actually milkshakes) for us. And after "Are you Afraid of the Dark?" for many years Tales from the Crypt was on HBO (when we had HBO. I was seven-years-old when Tales from the Crypt TV series started and i was eight-years-old when "Are you afraid of the Dark?" started. At age eleven I was obsessed with Tim Burton's Nightmare before Christmas. My little brother loved The Halloween Tree (animated movie) and we'd watch that any time of year. At age fourteen I was very into Anne Rice's The vampire Chronicles. Any time it rained and especially if there was a thunder storm my mother would say it was a perfect time to watch a scary movie so Jeff and I would pick a scary movie to watch while Mom would get excited at the loud claps of thunder. She loved storms. She often told me she once wanted to be a storm chaser. Everything I love and loved seemed touched by Halloween. Even when I got into Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Morpheus is a Goth, king of dreams and Nightmares, with a seeming favortism for his Nightmares. His familiar with a raven created from the ghost of a deceased human. The Sandman features sorcerers, ghosts, werewolves, Nightmares, demons, goblins, and even a Jack-o-lantern headed character. Almost all of my favorite, happy, childhood memories are tied to Halloween. I think of my mother teaching Jeff and I how to use pillow cases to go Trick or Treating, going back to the apartment, pouring out the pillow cases, and going back out to collect more candy. The smell of carving pumpkins. Mom roasting pumpkin seeds (and always getting them a bit too chewy.) Years later I found I preferred pepitas (The small, darker pumpkin seeds that get nice and crispy when roasted). Pepitas taste excellent as a topping for Panara's Autumn Squash Soup. The last Halloween with my mother (only days before she passed) we carved pumpkins together and put them out on the balcony. That night I went out for a walk in the black cloak with the attached scarf that my mother had given me for Easter. I wasn't wearing it because it was Halloween (after all, she gave it to me back on Easter). I was wearing it because it was warm and comfortable. I went for a walk around the neighborhood watching the kids trick or treat and admiring the decorations and Halloween party music playing everywhere (including my favorite, Danny Elfman). And when I came back to the apartment, my mother was sitting there waiting for me. She complimented how I looked in the cloak and we just hung out together. I miss that. And since I always loved Halloween my Birthday became like a second Halloween where many gifts were often Halloween decorations or goodies. Often horror films were released near my birthday (less than two weeks after Halloween). So Child's Play 2, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview with The Vampire, and Sleepy Hollow were all Birthday movies for me. I guess, in the end I'm just one of the Autumn people or as an online radio station DJ would play when discretely flirting with me...

Halloween Girl. I'd call myself the Pumpkin Queen but there's already someone on Facebook using that handle so I guess I'm still The Nightling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky_FHY8BpYg

#Youtube

[hanmi-xo]

CHAPTER 5: "Happiness in the Rain"

| My Happiness | Chapter List |

Previous I Next ------------------

[ C H A N ]

I watched as the two walked down the quad.

Her hair bounced with each step she took and her oversized cardigan moved with the motion of her stride. Hansol walked along side her and before they could turn down the corner to one of the lecture hall buildings, he turned around to look at me.

I watched as he waved towards my direction as if he wanted me to notice him. He then walked ahead of Subin and the two disappeared behind the corner.

I couldn't help but be annoyed at this whole thing.

I skipped class in hopes that Hansol wouldn't try anything funny. I hardly ever skip class but with the way Hansol has been acting ticked me off.

If Subin knew he didn't have the same class as her, she would be mad. I've never really seen her mad before, but I've seen her disappointed many times.

She was never one to like liars.

Yet, here I was lying to her. I stayed in the library and lied to her about having class later just to be paranoid over my troublesome friend.

It was too late to go to my actual class. It ends at this hour. I am no different from him.

"Why lie about your class?" I mutter to myself. "Why do you choose to bother Subin?"

This isn't like him.

Why Subin of all people?

~

The rain poured with splashes of raindrops hitting every surface of the concrete. I watched it pour as I breathed in the dew air.

Students huddled under cover by umbrella, coats, or by roofing. The sound of their footsteps echoed with the sound of puddles. Though there were many people leaving campus, there was one person who I couldn't take my eyes off.

Kim Subin.

She ran impetuously. She had some of her clothes drenched from the rain while she made her way to pass the crowd.

As always, she went the opposite direction. And I knew where she was heading.

I took out my umbrella and made my way to her. She hasn't changed even in childhood.

She was still beautiful.

I remember the first time I saw her. It was like she magically appeared in my neighborhood.

——

B E F O R E

It was Spring.

The new start of a school year was around the corner and I was excited for the day to arrive.

I was waiting for my umma to come back from work while my halmeoni watched me at home.

The sound of water dropping from the edge of my roof slowed down, and I quickly stuck my head out the door. I watched as the sun finally showed its face from the grey cottons that covered it.

A rainbow could be seen forming as the sun glistened through the hollow parts of the billow of clouds.

I came out of my house to greet my mom since she usually comes home around this time, but when I turned to look down our street where she usually comes from, her car was nowhere in sight. Instead, I saw the Kim's. They were moving bags from their car and I watched in a distance. That's strange.

I don't remember them going anywhere. Those luggage's looked heavy.

"SUBIN!" I heard Miss Kim yell.

Subin?

Out came a girl from their gate. She looked about my age.

She had mid-length hair tied into a ponytail and she had a pale complexion. She looked malnourished and wore an oversized shirt with tattered jeans. She had a few bangs that framed her face but it was unkept. She looked like she's been running errands or something?

I watched her talk to the Kim's before she began moving heavy luggage's that looked like her size. Two younger kids came from the gate and helped carry small bags. I couldn't tell what it was. Clothes?

"The Kim's have kids?"

I looked at my halmeoni who appeared behind me. She too hid behind our gate's door way to watch them.

"But, I was told they don't like kids?" I say in confusion.

I hear the neighbors all the time talk about not wanting kids. During Halloween they never have candy and they always gave other kids and I dirty looks like we were some sort of species.

My halmeoni looked at me with a surprised expression before giggling. "That's what adults say, but there usually comes a time when some of them change their mind."

"Change their mind?" I repeat her words.

Could the Kim's really have changed their minds? How would they magically have a kid though? She looks the same age as me.

(I didn't understand it then, but it was later on when I found out what adoption was...)

I turned back around to look at the girl who was helping her parents. She came back out from the gate with the luggages from her hands gone and stuck her body inside the back seat doorway. She was reaching for something.

I watched in curiosity to what appeared to be a uniform which was much similar to mine.

She's going to attend the same middle school as me? Does that mean I'll see her around school? Will we be classmates?

She came out of the car and saw her turn her head towards my direction.

A ray of sun hit her with a faint rainbow overlay. I felt my stomach twist from seeing her. It was like seeing a painting in real life. She was surreal.

Her eyes were dark but with the sunlight it looked like honey. Her hair bounced with the gentle wind, and her lips were slightly parted like she was thinking of something.

She looked alluring. Was girls supposed to look like this? I've met plenty in class but none of them ever looked like her. She reminded me of the moon with how she appeared like a dream.

She was beautiful.

I couldn't help but awe at her. Was she even real?

"Omo, what a pretty girl," Halmeoni said with joy. "You should be her friend, Chan."

"HUH!" I yelled in surprise from my Halmeoni's words.

"Chan, your cheeks are red," she teased with a finger on her lips to signal my abrupt voice.

I quickly covered half of my face with the collar of my t-shirt.

"No they're not," I huffed and avoided eye contact with her.

As I was turning back around to see if the girl was still around, I felt something hit the edge of my shoes.

A ball?

I picked it up with wonder where it came from.

"I'm sorry!" I heard a feminine voice say aloud.

I stared at the beauty that was far from me moments ago. Behind her was a boy and a girl who looked very similar to her. They hid behind the doorway of their gate and watched me with a look of anxiety.

My eyes wandered back to the girl who seemed to have walked closer to me.

"I'm sorry about that. My siblings were playing and the ball flew out of our yard," she said with such an apologetic tone as if she did a horrible thing.

I wanted to speak, but I didn't know what to say to her.

She was so beautiful...

"Oh no, it's okay. Accidents happen," Halmeoni said and grabbed the ball from my hands before handing it to the girl.

"Oh... thank you," she politely said before bowing and was ready to make her way home.

"Ah! What's your name?" Halmeoni asked her before she can fully turn away.

She stared at the two of us with wide eyes before softly smiling.

"Subin. Kim Subin."

That was the first time I felt myself physically and internally freeze from seeing someone. I didn't know what to say. How I should respond or if I should even say my name back.

"Kim Subin? What a pretty name," Halmeoni delightedly said. She put her hands on my shoulders as she stood behind me.

"My name is Lee Eunkyung, but you can call me Halmeoni Eun. This is my grandson, Lee Chan," she introduced with glee.

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out so I instead raised my hand to wave at her. I felt so embarrassed with how I was feeling.

"Chan is usually very talkative. He's just shy when he sees a pretty girl." Halmeoni giggled which only made me feel more embarrassed.

I couldn't deny her words. Especially when Subin stood there.

She looked at me with eyes that I couldn't read. She smiled, but she wasn't happy. They looked so empty. It was like she was hollow. For someone that seemed surreal, she also seemed sad.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not pretty," she said. Her tone was polite but her words were heavy.

Her eyes looked down at the ball in her hands before looking back at the two kids hiding. She turned back to look at us.

"It was nice meeting you, Halmeoni Eun. You too Chan," she said. "I have to go back home." She bowed to us.

I waved. I was still having trouble to speak for myself.

Halmeoni said her good byes to her in hopes to see her again and Subin just smiled and waved her hand before disappearing into her yard with a shut of her gate.

Before I thought she just wanted to get out of the conversation out of embarrassment.  I was twelve. I didn't know anything. But now that I think about it, she was not just avoiding us.

But she was shutting herself away from the world.

I wanted to bring her out of her bubble, but how could I?

I was in no place to bother her. Yet here I was holding an umbrella over her head.

———

"Chan?" She whispered to me.

Her eyes glistened through the rain. She looked surprised from my presence, but I couldn't blame her for that.

Why would I be here out of all place? Is probably what she might be thinking.

I usually would be heading home, but with the way things were going today, I wanted to stay by her side.

This time, I won't be a coward like I was in middle and high school.

"Your hair's wet," I say. Her face was pale from the cold air that stuck to her face due to the rain. "I'll walk you to the bus stop."

She shook her head and motioned me to stop in my tracks.

"No, no... it's okay!" She said with protest.

I laughed at her silly expression along with her dramatic gesture. She always avoided causing problems from others.

But helping her is never a problem for me.

I looked at the dark sky that continued to pour endless rain. The only thing stopping the rain from hitting us was my umbrella. My eyes met with Subin who seemed to be watching me.

"Keep my umbrella then."

Her eyes looked at me with astonishment. Before she could protest, I gentle grabbed her wrist before putting the handle in her hand.

"Chan!" She immediately said with such shock.

She tried to give it back to me but I quickly dodged her hand that held the umbrella. I ran from her, loosing the one thing protecting me from the rain. She followed after me as I continued to run away from her with my hands in my pocket.

She can't give it to me if my hands stay in my pockets!

"Nope! It's yours now!" I laughed. It was funny seeing her chase me around.

The feeling of rain hitting me felt exhilarating while I sprinted down the pathway. It got my heart pumping from the thrill of not just the feeling of raindrops, but the fact Subin was trying her best to keep up with me.

I ran towards the bus stop while some students and bystanders watched. It was getting darker and from the looks of it, the sun could be setting behind these dark clouds.

There was traffic forming on the busy street signally how late it is becoming. The lampposts were slowly getting lit and the noise of people grew closer as we got close to the shopping center.

I watched as she made her way past people while she huffed and puffed. She may be annoyed by me but I knew she was enjoying the moment.

Her lips were curled in a smile. She seemed to be happy, or I so hope. Seeing her smile was great, but for her to be happy- that's what looks best on her.

I smiled as I made it to the bus stop while she slowed down her pace. She walked towards me with heavy breathing while I tried to catch my breath.

I watched her try to speak but she was too out of breath. She tried to give me my umbrella, but she ended up stumbling.

Her legs got weak.

I quickly caught her.

I felt my hands wrap around her arms to steady her. Her eyes met mine and for a moment. It felt like the world stopped.

Her bangs framed her face as if she was a delicate portrait. Her hair was messy from running, but it didn't stop me from gazing at her.

Was this what it meant to be lost in someone's eyes?

If so, I don't ever want to get out of it.

• • •

Previous I Next

#seventeen fanfic #svt fanfic #svt ff #seventeen ff #seventeen dino #svt dino #oc #romance #fluff #insecurity #college au #fanfic #dino fanfic

[404-writing-error]

Rain

There's something so holy about walking barefoot on a wet sidewalk after it rains

The fresh water is still cold to the flesh, making it tingle with the sparks of lightning that finally found their way to the ground

That is to say, there's something so holy about the rain

Seeing the little paw prints my dog leaves on the dry spot by our door is something only I pay attention to

They dry up within the hour but the memory of them is still there

Even when we go back inside the rain still clings to my skin like it's a lifeline

Sometimes, when the rain is just calm enough, I go sit outside and watch it pour

Revel in the sound of rain hitting the grass while reaching my open palm out into its cool embrace

One time, my best friend and I stood in our driveways and let the rain pour over us

Drenched our clothes and sent drops down our faces while we went back inside to gather our things and jump in the puddles around our neighborhood

That was how we bonded

We coated ourselves in rainwater and danced around the world like we were children again

When my life flashes before my eyes I hope these are the things I remember

I hope I get to hear the way the rain plummeted to the Earth and slammed into the ground like a bullet

One day I'll be in the clouds, looking down at my childhood home

I'll hear the thunder that exploded down the halls every time my parents spoke

I'll catch the raindrops that spilled from my eyes and put them out in the gardens that couldn't grow

I'll sprinkle them over my room and make sure they splatter on the windows

Coat the sidewalk with the slick waters from my cloudy eyes

We're gonna need a lot of healing, and what's more healing than cold water clinging to bare feet after it rains?

#my poems #my writing #original poems #poets on tumblr #writers #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #fanfiction writer #writing #original poem #ao3 writer #fanfic writers #writeblr #writers and poets #poem #young poets #cw: yelling mention #tw: yelling #tw: crying #cw: crying #sad poem #poetry #poets corner #poems on tumblr #sad poems

[rainystrangerthingsimagines]

Would i maybe be able to request an eddie x reader where the reader is newish in town, moved into trailer park on her own and needed a new weed dealer so her new co worker robin/steve sent her to eddie. After meeting a few times they realize they have a lot in common (music, style etc.) and there's obvious sexual and romantic tension. So when the reader gets locked out of her trailer in the pouring rain she ends up at eddies and spicyness or fluff ensues

I gotchu

Cold to the Touch (Eddie x fem!reader)

Warnings: smut.

You had ended up working at the video store. After your dad decided to move you guys, you had to have a reason to leave the house every day. After all, your neighborhood wasn't the greatest. Now however, you had a new problem. New town, you needed a new dealer. You had no idea who to even ask. "Hey uh... Robin. Quick question" you said. Robin looked up as she stocked the shelves. "What's up?" She asked. "Well I... I was wondering if you knew anyone... y'know who... smoked?" You asked. Robin noticed by the hesitation in your voice, you were not talking about a standard cigarette.

"Yeah, there was a dealer in town but unfortunately he got busted. There's one other guy though" she said. You perked up slightly. "Who?"

And that's how you met Eddie. Robin had to handle the arrangements to begin with, you meeting him at a random ass picnic table in the woods. You sat down, looking around you. The air was cold, fall clearly on its way as you pulled your sleeves over your hands. You felt someone's hand on your shoulder and you shrieked, falling off of the picnic table and scooching back to see a boy who seemed to bare a resemblance to Eddie Van Halen. "...Uhhh... are you Robin's friend?" He asked. You stood up, trying to pretend that that did not happen.

"Yeah, uh.. Hi, I'm Y/n" you said. He motioned for you to sit back down. "So Y/n, where ya from?" He asked. "Detroit." You said making him wince. "I've heard Detroit is shit. Is it true" he asked. "If it wasn't, pretty sure we wouldn't have moved." You said. Eddie chuckled slightly, lifting a small lunchbox. You rose a brow, leaning forward a little bit. "Is that a DIO pin?" You asked. He chuckled nodding. "You like DIO?" He asked. You nodded, him turning so you could see the back. "That's badass." You said, looking at the patch.

"I don't get many girls who like DIO." He said. "'We Rock' was one of the first songs I learned by them on guitar." You said. He blinked. "You play?" He asked. "Since I could walk" you nodded. ".....That's just badass now. And lucky for you princess, flattering works" he opened the lunchbox, moving it so you could see the weed. "This could be yours for fifteen." He said. "I think we have a deal my friend." You said. "Now, assuming you're going to smoke this, would you like my number?" He asked. "Yeah, I was just going to give you mine." You shrugged. "Even better."

That was the first time the two of you met. Once every few weeks, you'd meet with him. Eventually you got an invitation to see one of his shows, which you went to. But the band noticed it the first time. That tension. That unmistakable tension between the two of you. You and Eddie's personalities seemed to thrive off of one another. You loved being around Eddie. He was the one, not so bad thing that made you hate Hawkins a little less. He always called you that nickname though. "Princess" he'd call you. You didn't seem to mind it at all.

Everything changed though on a cold November day. You were trying to get into your trailer but unfortunately, it was locked and your dad hadn't given you a key yet. So you were standing in the rain, cold as fuck in a white shirt. None of these things equaled a fantastic time. You sighed, smacking your head onto the door and groaning when you noticed an absence of rain. You turned to see Eddie. "...So did you know we're neighbors?" He asked. You blinked. "...No fucking way, really?" You asked. He motioned to where he lived and you chuckled. "Hey, can I stay with you until the rain dies down?" You asked. "Yeah, come on." Eddie said.

You walked into his trailer, your hair wet and make up slightly smudged. Eddie walked in. "So, you want something warm to drink? Cocoa? Coffee?" He offered. "Coffee sounds nice" you breathed, taking off your jacket. Eddie turned, seeing your bra through your shirt and immediately whipped back around with his cheeks turning red. He put the coffee on, trying to ignore what he could see. "This rain is fucking ridiculous" you breathed. "Yeah" he cleared his throat. "Yeah, it is." He said. You noticed his lack of eye contact combined with a new sense of tension.

"Eddie, are you good?" You asked. "Yep" he said, still not facing you. "You're just acting weird is all. You're not looking at me." You said. "Uh... well" he sighed. "It's your shirt." He said. You rose a brow. "So?" You asked. "So, I uh... I don't want to come across as creepy or something" he admitted. "It's only weird if you make it weird." You shrugged. "It's already weird" he said. "Why is it weird? Did I do something?" You asked, moving closer. He jumped back. "No! No. You've done nothing!" He said.

"Eddie, what's going on?" You asked. "...It's weird because it's you." He finally said. "...What?" You asked. "If I look at you. While I can see that... I'm... I'm going to want to see more." He coughed out. You blinked, your jaw slightly dropping. "Oh" you realized. "Yeah. I'm a pervert, I know" he sighed. "No, I mean, I'm flattered I guess. But uh... shit Eddie if you wanted to see more, why didn't you just ask?" You asked. He blinked, finally turning to you. "What?" He asked. "I'm just saying, if you wanted to see more, you could've asked, I mean, honestly I've been attracted to you for so long you could've literally just said 'Hey, Y/n, I want to fuck you' and I'd do it." You shrugged.

He stared at you for a minute. "....That's not exactly my style but I'm glad to know that would work." Eddie said. You grinned looking at him. "Eddie, out of everyone I've met in Hawkins, you are the one that I like the most." You admitted. "I really like you Y/n. Since the day you recognized my DIO pin." He said. "I like you too Eddie" you said. He looked in your eyes before finally doing what you nearly did for him.

He kissed you. He pulled you close, you practically melting into his touch as he kissed you passionately. He cupped your cheeks, running his thumb over your lips before looking into your eyes. "Y/n, I don't want to push this but-" "I'm all yours Eddie. All yours." You whispered. He swallowed hard, feeling his jeans get tighter.

He kissed you again, this time guiding you as he held you close. You nearly fell onto him as he pulled you onto the couch, you letting out a breathy laugh.

He tugged at the soaked hem of your shirt, you pulling it off of yourself. He swallowed hard, looking at you. "Christ, you're gorgeous" he breathed. You helped him with his shirt, you eyeing his tattoos. "What?" He asked. "That's sexy, I hope you realize that." You said making him smile. He kissed you again. "Well, I certainly know now" he said. You chuckled before his lips connected to your neck, you inhaling sharply. "Eddie" you breathed. It was soft when you said it, sweeter than any music Eddie had ever heard. He moved down with each kiss, down further until he reached your waist band. He pulled your pants down, you kicking them off as he chuckled. "What?" You asked, your voice almost like a whisper. "I just uh... I never expected you to wear pink panties" he teased. You rolled your eyes, him chuckling as he took off a few of his rings. You nearly questioned what he was doing until you felt his fingers. You shivered at the touch, gripping the pillow on the couch. "Eddie" you moaned, his fingers rubbing you. He leaned forward, kissing you. You couldn't focus, your train of thought completely dying out as you felt his fingers slip inside you. You gripped his shoulder, Eddie smirking. "Someone is responsive" he teased.

You felt your cheeks grow warm but you couldn't even form words, he was moving his fingers in such a way, you thought you were going to cum right then and there. You gripped his free hand, him smiling as he watched you squirm. "Eddie- I-I" "I need words princess." He said, you getting frustrated. "I-I" you struggled to say anything. "I need you" you finally said. He pulled his hand back, pulling down your panties.

He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, pulling a condom out. You snorted. "You just walk around with condoms?" You asked. "You mock now, but boy scouts say to 'always be prepared'" he declared. You blinked. "Are you seriously talking about the boy scouts-" you felt him suddenly, you gasping. "Oh my god" you breathed. Eddie smiled, seeing your flushed face. He put his thumb on your chin, kissing you as he thrusted. You whined into his lips. You pulled your fingers to your clit, however, Eddie soon held your hands above your head. "That's my job princess" he breathed.

Your back arched as he kept thrusting, one hand rubbing circles on your clit while the other held your wrists. You felt beads of sweat form on your skin, you were feeling everything. His hands, his cock, the air. Eddie soon released your hands, you cupping his face as he moved, pressing a kiss to his lips as he went deeper. Your eyes closed before feeling yourself tense up.

You felt Eddie cum, you both panting out of breath. You looked at him as he laid next to you. "Well. I'm certainly glad we're neighbors now" you said making him chuckle. He smiled at you, you looking over. "What?" You asked. "Nothing, I'm just happy you're here... I mean... Not to sound cliché but I wouldn't have dreamed that I'd get this lucky" he said. You smiled, kissing him before resting your head on his chest.

"I gotta ask... what's the story with your tattoos? " you asked. "Ah, okay. Which ones do you want to know about?" He asked. You lightly poked one on his chest. "So this one was my first one. Gareth has a matching one." He said. You smiled, listening to his reasons on his tattoos, your head on his chest with a smile.

For once, you found yourself legitimately happy in Hawkins. For once, you found someone new to call home.

#stranger things #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson

[butwaybetterthistime]

You weren't perfect, but you made life worth it Stick around, some real feelings might surface Been a long time since I spoke to you in a bathroom Grippin' you up, fuckin' and chokin' you What the hell was I supposed to do? I know you ain't gettin' this type of dick from that local dude And if you are, I hope you have a good time 'Cause I definitely be havin' mine And you ain't finna see a mogul get emotional Every time I hear about other niggas is strokin' you Lie and say I hit you, he sittin' there consoling you Runnin' my name through the mud, who's provoking you? You should be grateful a nigga like me ever noticed you Now you noticeable and can't nobody get control of you 1 a.m. and can't nobody get a hold of you I'm callin' your brother's phone, like, what was I supposed to do? Even though I knew he never told the truth He was just gon' say whatever that you told him to At a certain point, I had to stop asking questions Y'all got dirt on each other like mud wrestlers I heard he bought some coke with my money, that ain't right, girl You gettin' blackmailed for that white girl You always said, "Yeezy, I ain't your right girl You'll probably find one of them 'I like art'-type girls" "All of the lights," she was caught in the hype, girl And I was satisfied bein' in love with a lie Now who to blame? You to blame? Me to blame? For the pain And it poured every time when it rained

Let's play the blame game, I love you more Let's play the blame game for sure

Things used to be, now they not Anything but us is who we are Disguising ourselves as secret lovers We've become public enemies We walk away like strangers in the street Gone for eternity We erased one another So far from where we came With so much of everything How do we leave with nothing? Lack of visual empathy equates the meaning of L-O-V-E Hatred and attitude tear us entirely Chloe Mitchell

Let's play the blame game, I love you more Let's play the blame game for sure Let's call out names, names, I hate you more Let's call out names, names, for sure

I can't love you this much, I can't love you this much I can't love you this much, I can't love you this much I can't love you this much, no, I can't love you this much I can't love you this much, I can't love you this much

And I know that you are somewhere doing your thing And when the phone called, it just ring and ring You ain't pick up, but your phone accidentally called me back And I heard the whole thing I heard the whole thing, whole thing, whole thing, whole thing

["The Best Birthday": Chris Rock & Salma Kenas] Oh my God Baby, you done took this shit to another motherfuckin' level Now, a neighborhood nigga like me ain't supposed to be gettin' no pussy like this Goddamn, goddamn Who taught you how to get sexy for a nigga? (Yeezy taught me) You never used to talk dirty, but now you goddamn disgusting My, my God, where'd you learn that? (Yeezy taught me) Look at you, motherfuckin' butt-ass-naked With them motherfuckin' Jimmy Choos on Who taught you how to put some motherfuckin' Jimmy Choos on? (Yeezy taught me) Yo, you took your pussy game up a whole 'nother level This is some Cirque du Soleil pussy now, shit You done went all porno on a nigga, okay? And I-I-I-I, I love it, and I thank you I thank you, my dick thanks you How'd you learn, how, how did your pussy game come up? (Yeezy taught me) I was fuckin' parts of your pussy I'd never fucked before I was in there like, "Oh shit, I never been here before I've never even seen this part of Pussy Town before" It's like you got this shit reupholstered or some shit What the fuck happened? Who, who the fuck got your pussy all reupholstered? (Yeezy reupholstered my pussy) You know what, I got to thank Yeezy And when I see that nigga, I'ma thank him I'ma buy the album, I'ma download that motherfucker I'ma shoot a bootlegger That's how good I feel about this nigga Ah I still can't believe you got me this watch This motherfucker is the exact motherfucker I wanted With the bezel? This is the motherfucker I wanted I saw this shit, I saw it, Twista had this shit on in The Source I 'member, Twista had this motherfucker on in The Source That's right, that's right Yo, yo, babe, yo, yo, this the best birthday ever Where'd you learn to treat a nigga like this? (Yeezy taught me) Yeezy taught you well Yeezy taught you well

#Youtube

[velocielily]

The disappearance

We get used to a few things. We neither think about them nor acknowledge their existence.

I was about 10 years old, and in front of my house was a vast expanse of empty land, barring a couple of houses in the neighborhood. Two streets away stood a giant rain-tree with its canopy covering the terraces of four houses around it. Those lucky houses never experienced heat. The winters were moderated by the tree.

My friend Lekha lived in one of those houses. The tree smelled of sweet cork. The tarred road below was studded with its pods, deeply embedding itself in everything.

A few of us would harvest the sweet cork and make cork balls after baking them in a clay furnace.

All of the work and effort was equally distributed among us. Some of our older friends would build a clay furnace after the smell of the sweet cork filled the streets. The small, agile kids used to climb up the tree, terraces of houses to pluck the sweet cork pods.

When about 5-6 balls were made, the next week’s work was to bake the balls in the dried-out clay furnace. We’d collect firewood, fetch matchstick, news papers etc as tinder to develop and sustain the fire. Evenings were spent baking them, and when the moon came up, we’d douse the fire in the furnace and head back home.

The next day, we’d meet to check if the cork balls were hard enough.

One night around summertime, we had our first summer shower. The lightning and thunder caused a panic in the electricity supply board office, and they promptly turned off the electricity supply. But, even without the light, the lightning kept flashing like blinkers.

We had our supper in candle light and went to sleep. The rainstorm battered us for 2-3 hours. In the middle of the night, we heard a huge noise, like someone bombed us from below.

It shook us all out of sleep. My dad went out with the oil lantern in his hand to check what happened. He could only spot other oil lanterns across the street where the rain-tree stood. He couldn’t make much sense of it in the darkness and rain, so he headed back home.

We discussed it for a bit at home, and went back to sleep. The next morning, neither the milkman, nor the newspaper boy turned up although there was no rain.

My parents figured out that our neighbors had walked up to get their supply of daily needs. When my dad walked out of the house, he realized that the rain-tree that stood there like a century’s testament disappeared overnight.

It was lying sideways like it was tired from battering of the rain, with its branches broken and strewn around. The smell of sweet cork pervaded the colony.

The place looked bald, funny, and strange, like it was not our space anymore.

Emptiness in the shape of a tree.

That feeling still fills me sometimes, when I first saw my dad shave off his mustache, or when he tonsured his head sometime back. Or when I see my curly haired friend get a summer haircut. Or when I sell off furniture that have no space in my life anymore.

The lightness of it often tingles our senses.

Emptiness comes in different shapes and sizes. The texture of the missing aspect is somewhat more apparent and real.

Until time pours itself into a cast over what doesn't exist anymore.

[umichenginabroad]

WEEK 2: Weekend in Berlin!

Dobry den! Or guten tag! My roommates and I woke up early Friday morning and walked to the train station, which was very close to our apartment! Our train left at 6:25 and we got to Berlin around 11:30. The train ride there was very relaxing and didn’t feel long- we didn’t pay extra to reserve seats but still had a little pod to ourselves. One tip for trains though: make sure to download movies/homework before you go because you won’t get much service. We stayed at a super fun hostel with a nice common area and bar and it was always busy- we met so many people! In Berlin we saw Museum Island, Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin Wall, and so much more.

On Sunday, we went to the cutest flea market at Mauerpark and I definitely recommend it if you go to Berlin!

We did so much walking over the weekend and my feet are killing me, so if you’re planning on going to Europe, I’d make sure you have really good shoes or insoles. I enjoyed Berlin, but coming back to Prague on Sunday was very refreshing- it definitely is more my vibe and I just love Prague so much!

I found a gym in Prague last week that costed 190 Czk for a day pass and it was so nice! It’s called Xplore fitness and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a gym in Prague. I’ve been mostly going on runs in my neighborhood every morning, but it’s nice to switch it up with the gym sometimes. 

On my day off of classes last week, I sat at Riegrovy Sady for a few hours, laying out in the sun and doing work. It was so nice out and I finished all my homework so I didn’t have to think about it over the weekend!

My classes are getting more difficult but it’s definitely still manageable. I don’t love getting out of class at 7pm everyday, but I have the whole morning to myself to work out or do homework. I also do work during my lunch breaks and on Thursdays, but I never have to work too much at night or over the weekend. 

I’ve also been on the lookout for some good cafes that have drinks other than an oatmilk latte. Almost everywhere I go, they don’t have any flavored syrups or almond milk. I found a couple places that have coffees that taste sugary and like America, which I love. Rose Latte was a super cute cafe with pretty drinks- I definitely recommend it. 

I've been trying to get better groceries to make my own meals and save money, but I'm not the best cook. My go to meals are avocado toast, yogurt with fruit and granola, basic salads, and sandwiches. It’s hard to understand exactly what I’m buying at the grocery store so I kinda just guess based on the packaging (also google translate camera is my best friend). I’m trying to learn how to cook meat because I want to eat fresh salmon and chicken but I don’t trust myself to cook it right now lol. I’ll update if I learn how to cook better meals!!

Weekly favorites:

Coffee: salted caramel coconut milk latte from Rose Latte

Food: club sandwich at Cacao (so American I know, but it was so good)

Restaurant: Zluta Pumpa (fun mexican restaurant in our neighborhood) or Burrito Loco (open until 4am)

Sight: Wallenstein Palace gardens (we went there for class and it was pouring rain but still so pretty!)

Cafe: La Boheme (super cute local spot)

Thanks for tuning in to another week in my life in Prague! See you next week!!

Parker Peterson

Industrial and Operations Engineering

Engineering in Prague

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEPrague #ParkerPeterson #IPESummer23 #CzechRepublic

[sciencespies]

How to Grow a Food Forest

https://sciencespies.com/environment/how-to-grow-a-food-forest/

How to Grow a Food Forest

Not your typical garden, they can help us reimagine how we produce food in a warming world.

I am writing today from my apartment in New York City, on a windy winter’s day. Not a leaf is green on our roof garden. There is no canopy. Only skyscrapers.

It’s a far cry from the garden that Ana Gaspar Aguerri and her husband, Ian Macaulay, showed me in the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica a few weeks ago.

Theirs is a garden that imitates the architecture of a natural forest, one that they say produces all the food they want to eat. There are towering breadfruit trees, ginger as tall as me, sweet potato vines, spinach, taro under the ground. All perennial plants.

I visited Gaspar and Macaulay in late December. It was pouring rain that morning. I snaked uphill on an unpaved winding road in a rental. My teenager was with me, singing Janelle Monáe at the top of her lungs (again). We sat for a while in Gaspar’s kitchen, drinking tea and waiting for the rain to subside. Finally, when it did, I borrowed rain boots from Gaspar and we went walking. The ground was muddy. Heat rose from the wet earth. Howler monkeys leaped through the trees. A toucan had left a half-eaten papaya under a tree. Gaspar didn’t mind. There was enough for humans and wildlife.

Fine, I thought. A food forest in a rainforest. Fascinating. But niche.

Only when I got back home and started poking around did I realize that food forests aren’t niche at all. They’ve been around forever, mainly in the tropics, though enterprising gardeners have created food forests in very different habitats across the United States, from vacant city lots in Philadelphia, public parks in Seattle and Asheville, to schoolyards in South Florida.

The reason I want to tell you about food forests is that they can be useful in reimagining how we grow food in a warming world.

That’s one of my goals for Climate Forward this year. To help us reimagine how to do things. With or without toucans.

A food forest is neither wilderness nor an orchard.

“A food forest is what it sounds like — a forest you can eat,” said Cara Rockwell, a Florida International University professor who studies food forests.

It stems from the multilayered, multispecies gardens that have existed for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, in the tropics, she said. Often, they served as kitchen gardens. Women tended to them.

Like a wild forest, they have trees both short and tall, shrubs and vines, ground cover and fungi. They can have animals, too. Even cattle can graze among fruit trees. The idea is to build healthy soils, create shade, allow beneficial insects to thrive. The idea is not to produce the highest yields possible of one crop, which is the goal of modern industrial farming. Nor are they exactly backyard or neighborhood gardens, with rows of annual crops and flowers. They have several layers, from underground tubers to vines to shrubs to short and tall trees. All play different roles. All, or most, are perennials.

There are many food forests today in the United States, including on public land. I haven’t found anyone who tracks their numbers, though researchers told me that it’s become ever more popular in the last 15 years.

Can it feed us?

That depends.

Gaspar insists that it’s possible to produce enough food for two people on 2,000 square meters, or about half an acre, at least in their part of the world where crops grow year-round. She and Macaulay teach their techniques — based on the principles of permaculture (short for permanent agriculture, which relies on perennial crops) — on their farm, called Finca Tierra. If you go, be prepared to stay in bamboo cabins open on two sides. (They provide mosquito nets over the beds.)

Gaspar, who is Costa Rican, ditched her career as a human rights lawyer to work on Finca Tierra. Macaulay, an American, grew up in Ohio and trained to be an urban planner. Growing food is only part of their goal. Gaspar says the farm eased the pressures of making money to buy food. It freed up more of her time. “It’s about creating a sustainable lifestyle,” she said.

Food forests can meet other goals.

Elaine Fiore has a different mission. She has helped to create 24 food forests on school grounds in Broward County in South Florida. They give children a place to sit still, she said, and learn about how things grow. “I’ll pull a leaf off a plant and I’ll eat it,” she said, “and they think it’s crazy!”

Elaine Fiore, who helped to create 24 food forests at schools in South Florida, at Park Ridge Elementary.Eva Marie Uzcategui for The New York Times

She is planting soursop, jackfruit, cranberry hibiscus, mint. It’s her second year doing it, so the trees are still young. Kids sometimes do yoga in the food forest. They learn about microclimates. They decorate the grounds with toy dinosaurs. At one school, they learned how much iguanas love young sweet potato vines. The reptiles decimated a third of their garden, Fiore said.

Eventually, she said, she hopes the fruits of the food forests can be used in the school cafeterias. In the long run, that can persuade kids to eat a more varied, more nutritious diet, she hopes.

Food forests are no walk in the park.

They don’t need a lot of land, but they need that land for a long time, long enough for trees to grow and mature. They also need to be weeded and mulched — a lot, especially in the beginning — and then, trees need to be pruned to keep fruits within reach. They need caretakers. And managers to figure out who gets to harvest, how to staff, whether paid or not.

Nature can impose its own limits. Jose Ramirez, a Los Angeles-based artist and gardener, has devoted his yard to fruit trees — mango, avocado, fig — with some perennials in the understory, like nettles. But it’s Los Angeles. The earth is dry. There’s not enough water to mimic a forest of the tropics.

There are many models. Seattle’s Beacon Food Forest is open to public picking. The Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill is owned and managed by the city of Atlanta. The Philadelphia Orchard Project works with community groups to manage each orchard. (Some are designed as food forests, while others contain only fruit trees.)

They can be hardy.

Rockwell, the professor who studies food forests, says they are especially well-suited to a climate-changed era, including in Miami, where she lives, where early summer can be scorching hot and dry.

In her own yard, she has 10 edible species in a six-square-foot patch. There’s taro in the ground, longevity spinach close to the ground, passion fruit vines that climb up a trellis, shrubs of mint and chaya. She allows herself one annual crop: collard greens. A mulberry tree filters the sun. On the edge of the yard is a star fruit and a dwarf mango. Both provide shade. Compared to a row of annuals, a food forest like hers can withstand higher temperatures and longer dry spells. “For providing protection from heat, it’s really a no-brainer,” she said.

Food forests can include nonnative species, she said. But they should steer clear of invasive species that can displace native plants. Consult your state or local environmental agency for a list of invasive species.

Garden gnomes are passé at Park Ridge Elementary.Eva Marie Uzcategui for The New York Times

Want to learn more?

Catherine Bukowski produced this guide in 2019: “The Community Food Forest Handbook: How to Plan, Organize, and Nurture Edible Gathering Places”

Cara Rockwell published tips for South Florida.

Essential news from The Times

The shore of Lake Powell in Page, Ariz. Along with Lake Mead, it provides water and electricity for Arizona, Nevada and Southern California.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The shrinking Colorado: States that depend on the river are nowhere near a deal for reductions in water use. The federal government may be forced to impose painful cuts.

Trade wars on the horizon: As countries pursue new solutions to mitigate climate change, policy clashes point to a future of more frequent cross-border trade fights.

Alaska’s rainforest: The Biden administration banned logging and new roads on millions of acres in Tongass National Forest, North America’s largest temperate rainforest.

Minnesota’s lakes: The administration also said it would set a 20-year moratorium on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Sacred land: Indigenous groups are fighting a copper project in Arizona that companies say is crucial for producing batteries and reducing the use of fossil fuels.

Rats and recycling: New York’s mayor said the city would expand composting programs and improve trash collection. The plan is supposed to get rid of rats, too.

You call that snow? Some big American cities are experiencing some of their least snowy seasons in 50 years.

From outside The Times

According to Bloomberg, 2022 was a turning point for energy: The first time the world invested as much in renewables as it did in fossil fuels.

Conservationists made the panda a mascot for the cause. According to Vox, it didn’t help nature as much as they had hoped.

Yale Environment 360 reported that Indonesia is censoring researchers who challenge conservation policies that the government claims are successful.

High Country News calculated the amount of energy that could be produced by putting solar panels in parking lots and on the roofs of big-box stores.

From Politico: Independents funded by an environmental group helped to make climate policy less partisan in Australia. Some say Americans should adopt the same strategy.

Ben Jealous, a civil rights activist, author, investor and nonprofit leader, is the new leader of the Sierra Club.Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Before you go: The Sierra Club tries to move forward

The Sierra Club, the largest environmental group in the United States, was convulsed by the 2020 murder of George Floyd and forced to confront painful questions about its mission and history, including whether its founder, John Muir, was biased against people of color. Now, after three years of turmoil, the organization has appointed Ben Jealous, a civil rights activist and nonprofit leader, to be its executive director

Thanks for being a subscriber. We’ll be back on Friday.

Manuela Andreoni, Claire O’Neill and Douglas Alteen contributed to Climate Forward. Read past editions of the newsletter here.

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#Environment

#Environment

[msmatx]

12.25.22–01.01.23 — Week Fourteen [xmas, civil new year]

On Shabbat and then Christmas Day it poured rain straight. Marc had just left and the rain reflected the mood. Fortunately, on Christmas Day we were invited to spend the day with my dear friend, Augusta, and her family. She is Nigerian with four kids under 12. Her sister lives in TLV with her to help care for her kids while she works at the Nigerian embassy and attends school. I remember the first day of class, she walked in wearing traditional Nigerian attire [AMAZING] and sat next to me. I was determined we would be friends. She’s proven to be an even more dear person than I imagined during that first impression. She has great energy, is always positive, laughs so much, keeps it real, and is very generous and sharing. About a month into our program she was considering quitting because the workload, with a job and four kids, was too overwhelming. While I told her I understood, I also really encouraged her to stay and cited all the reasons it would be worth the hardship. Since that time we maintain our daily check-ins even if we don't have class in person. She had met A+H a few times and she asks about them daily. I was very excited to meet all of her children on Christmas.

We took the bus to her apartment in North TLV; it was raining hard and the kids were beyond frustrated with me. Once we arrived, Augusta quickly put me to work helping me cook the meal. She was determined for me to see how she made all the dishes. We brought foam swords for all the younger kids and they ran around the apartment smacking each other for two hours with the play swords.

We made 'soup' which was a mix of Nigerian dryfish, a huge mound of chopped, kale, collard greens, and chopped onion. She cooked it down without any water, which I was initially in disbelief would work. She kept laughing at me saying, "but don't we need to add water? It's soup!" Sure enough, the moisture from the greens, the salt from the dried fish, and the heat made a soup. She added curry power, dried rosemary, and chicken bouillon cubes. It was amazing. We ate it cooked semolina that was used to scoop up the mash, in lieu of utensils.

We also made rice. She fried the rice, curry, and chicken bouillon with butter and then added it to boiled water in the rice cooker. She had previously made a cole slaw-like salad and roasted turkey legs. It was a feast. The kids were thrilled with the Sprite, Coke, and Orange Fanta. Her youngest son showed Hero how to mix all three beverages, which Hero was thrilled about.

The kids went to Dizengoff mall the week of Hanukkah to see the largest Lego menorah ever built. They had built part of it on the first day the installation started.

We went to our new favorite sushi restaurant, Moon, on Bogarshov. The wonders of moving three blocks over to a new neighborhood is there are suddenly dozens of new restaurants to try! Me walking home with headphones is a perfect snapshot of our life these few months. It’s often a tricky balance of spending time and exploring the area with A+H and meeting my school responsibilities and deadlines. Tuesday nights my classes run until 730, and if I stay in person, I don’t get home until 8/815. So if I want to have dinner with kids I have to make sure I can log in to listen while we walk home. They are almost always so incredibly patient.

Hero has two recess breaks at school. In his second break, he runs upstairs to Atlas’s classroom and they spend the 20 minute break together. Sometimes they think to FaceTime me.

Hero all dressed up for school in front of the Mexican restaurant I refuse to return to.

Enjoying our Friday Shabbat shopping with a stop at the bakery. One of my favorite moments all week.

[eatingcrumbsinthepark]

It was Raining Yesterday so I Walked

I was told to be more mindful about my year-end holiday. I was told to build a plan, to go out or maybe not, and not let the days pass by. I spent days feeling anxious, that the hour is not long enough, that the weight is still heavy on my shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the days ended and it was already time for a brand new day.

I filled my days with eating, alone, whatever I wanted. Or with friends, whoever is asking me for a meet-up. Drinking the sweet makgeolli and soju with grilled meat while it is drizzling outside. Went out devouring the warm Haidilao soup with Ang when it was stormy, and ended the night over another bottle of soju. Strained my voice during a 2-hour karaoke session and felt empty afterward.

It was Monday, January 2nd, which I thought to be my first day at work. That my holiday was over in a blink of an eye. I ran in the morning, a weak and hard 3 km. Then a friend told me that we were in fact still on a new year holiday. I packed up my things and it was raining outside, so I braved myself walking mindlessly to the nearest MRT station under my trusty umbrella. It felt weirdly peaceful, that the rain was hitting the umbrella, the building, and the hem of my cotton pants, that the world was cold but calm. I walked and walked and walked, around the empty neighborhood, and met a few cats curled up, trying to shelter themselves from the pouring rain. It was raining and I walked under my umbrella, feeling peaceful after months, that under the rain nothing seems to matter anymore.