#and this is why i prefer to order stuff to stores at the mall for pickup!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

governmentintelligence · 3 years

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happy birthday motherfucker <3

Here is a birthday fic!!

Words: 4910

MASTERPOST OF THE OTHER BIRTHDAY STUFF

KNOX INSPIRED ART <3 <3 <3 <3 GO LOOK AT KNOX ART

~~~~~~~~ no fun sexy linebreak sorry <//3 ~~~~~

It’s a slow mid-afternoon at Pigsy’s Noodles, home of the longest noodles.

Spirit is wiping down the outside tables, humming to themselves as they do. MK is basically laying on one of the tables, legs bent over the side as he scrolls idly through the restaurant’s email. Yes, email—the main network that nearly every business uses has gone down, citing a massive server outage.

“Ugh, no one even uses email anymore, and especially not for food orders,” MK groans.

“That’s not true!” Pigsy and MK had been going back and forth on this for about the past hour, since walk-in orders slowed. It had been almost thirty minutes before someone came in, and while this was an alarmingly slow state, it was unusual for MK to be waiting for orders to deliver rather than the other way around. “People use email for catering events! And if anyone really wants some good noodles, they know they can call in!”

Mei, leaning with her back on the counter, and Tang, sitting at his usual counter spot, share a look. These two had been ping-ponging their argument on and off since the server shut off earlier in the day. It had been demon related in one way or another, another one of Yin and Jin’s hairbrained schemes that MK interrupted before much irreversible damage was done. They’d been hoping to gain control over the city’s main set of servers, used by most mobile apps.

While they’d been swiftly defeated, it still left a remarkable amount of damage on the servers themselves, leaving most of the city’s biggest commercial apps down, including the delivery app.

“Okay, and how many call-ins have we gotten?” MK looks up, only to be met with a glare.

Tang shrugs at MK’s assertion. The argument’s been going in circles thus far; it feels only fair to try and interrupt it. “He’s not wrong. A lot of delivery’s based out of the apps. This is really why having a delivery app trust is helping to wear down independently owned businesses.”

None of us came here for a lesson in market monopolization and trusts, though, readers included. Mei groans, and MK’s arms flop over the sides of the table.

“I’m too bored for a lesson in macroeconomics,” Mei grumbles.

MK, from where his head is leaning over the table’s edge, makes a sound of agreement. Pigsy and Tang share a look, Spirit can see them through the window, before Tang leans back towards MK’s prone body.

“Hey, never too bored to become even more bored!” Tang sounded too chipper when he said it.

That got MK to look up from where he was tangling over the table, giving Tang a glare that mirrored the one Mei was sending him. Even Pigsy stopped stirring his noodle broth, turning to stare at Tang with his eyes squinted.

The silence is moreso what gets Spirit to look up, and once they see everyone staring at Tang, they stare, too. Mostly out of curiosity and partly out of confusion.

They can sense the tension, however light, from a mile away. It makes them hesitant to come back inside, but they have the dirty rags to throw into the laundry bin from cleaning the table. Then, they have to throw the laundry into the machine and change out the cycles, maybe fold the other load of dishrags and washcloths.

Having Spirit’s three extra eyes on him does get a nervous chuckle out of Tang, though. Pigsy spares him the plight of having to redirect the conversation. “I’m still goin’, til closing. It’s slow for deliveries but we’ve been getting some walk-ins and some call-ins. What if a catering order comes in, you know?”

“Aren’t catering orders supposed to come in, like, days before they want you there?” Mei hops over to the counter now, leaning over the side.

That revelation has MK leaping off of the table, landing light on his feet on its surface. Having his various Monkie Kid abilities has helped with some of the acrobatics he does, including his balance. “HANG ON, YEAH!”

He spins around, pointing at the clock on his phone while he flashed it towards Tang, Mei, and Pigsy. “Indoor seating closes soon! And Spirit just finished wiping down tables!”

Mei picks up what MK is suggesting first, throwing her arms up in excitement right back. “CAN WE GO TO THE ARCADE EARLY?”

Her voice is much too close to a shout for Spirit’s liking as they come back in and toss the towel they’re holding. It echoes around the restaurant, likely too sharp of a sound for anyone else here to hear. Mei means well, though, and Spirit knows the conversation doesn’t involve them.

Until MK says, “YES! Hey—Spirit!”

Hearing their name shouted, however friendly, gets their shoulders to hike. They turn around, expression just a tinge wary, and face MK’s excited grin head-on. “Would you want to come with us?”

Leave the restaurant? Well...it was slow. And Spirit wasn’t a cook, they were a waiter and a busser. If people were eating in the restaurant, it would make sense to have an extra hand on deck, just in case.

But right now, the only person eating in-house was Tang, and he’d gotten to the point where he was washing his own dishes when no one else was around. If Pisgy was okay with them going out….but they wouldn’t want to go to the arcade. It was loud and crowded. Many lights and many people and many machines making loud victory sounds. If they could avoid it, they would want to.

They pull at the sleeves of their shirt. It’s a plain white one, the kind that they prefer wearing to work so they don’t get any of their recognizable clothing dirtied. They only have so many sets in purple, after all, and they don’t want to get any dirty here. Plus the black and the white kind of helps to blend in.

“I don’t know. I, um….” They press their fingers together in thought, holding their hands together in front of themselves as they think.

A grunt from behind the counter drew everyone’s attention once more. Pigsy was still stirring the broth with one hand, watching the conversation over his own shoulder. “Maybe not the arcade with Spirit, you know how packed it gets at this time. All the kids getting out of school.”

There was something tender about Pigsy’s concern. Spirit smiles a little, lips pursed tight in the growing tension, and shrugs.

Mei wasn’t about to take a hard “no,” though. She nods to Pigsy’s suggestion that the arcade wasn’t the right place and then adds on, “How about the thrift mall?”

The thrift mall was a new installation of the city. A collection of thrift stores, auction houses, and antique stores all shoulder to shoulder in a multi-story shopping complex. It had just opened about a month ago and reviews were all positive. Plus, the idea of thrifting was returning to popular culture as something akin to recycling, so it would solve some of the fast designer fashion problems.

On a more personal note, too, Mei had been hankering to get a look at the place. She liked adding her own flourishes to the jacket she’d gotten MK years back, so much so that it was a thing she did to her own (to match with her best friend, duh?!) and to almost anything else she could get her hands on. Vintage patches, from the mid 2800’s, even some from as early as the 2500’s, could be found in the backs of antique stories. If she could get her hands on something from even the 2700’s, Mei would lose her marbles.

She’d been dying to go, of course, but every time she and MK were on their way, something would happen. Usually a demon would attack in some way, shape, or form, something small. Once, they made plans, and MK had completely forgotten he was on shift for delivery that day.

Things just kept misaligning, and MK very much knew how desperate Mei was to go to the thrift mall. Sure, there was the repeated asking, and now there were the current puppy dog eyes.

MK, also very much desiring to go, immediately follows suit. “Can you come to the mall with us?” he asks Spirit, bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly.

And now they were faced with two young adults giving them the saddest looks they’ve ever seen.

The thrift mall was new, yes. It was nearby the demon market, actually, and there were even some stores in the mall that were fronts to people whose names were in their book. It would likely be much quieter, no loud blaring music, no smoke machines or flashing lights.

More...agreeable, in a way.

They’re also pretty hesitant to say no to these kids looking at them like that. Not to say that that’s the only reason they’re going! They haven’t gotten a fresh new outfit, rather than clothes they wear to the noodle place or the variants of their own outfit, literally since Macaque took them to the tailor’s way back when. Clothes were just a societal necessity, not something that they cared much about anymore. Though, if they’re going to a store, it could be nice.

But, at the end of the day, how can Spirit say no to the expressions MK and Mei are giving them.

“If you would want,” Spirit answers.

They have no idea how they get themselves into it, honestly. MK and Mei both hiss a soft “YES,” slap palms, and from there, things go quite fast. They’re still in their human disguise, wary of any other humans seeing them in their monkey form, but they find that that’s for the best. Maybe when looking at clothes, though, they’ll change back. They wouldn’t consider themselves vain, but they’d like to see what looks good on both ends…?

Arriving at the thrift mall is interesting, because it isn’t the world’s most distinguishable location. Spirit lets themselves be pulled in behind the two chattering adults, Mei almost bouncing off the walls in excitement as she recognizes some of the stores.

Very immediately, too, she pulls them into a warehouse-looking location right inside the building. It’s lined with racks and racks of pants, and apparently the upper layer is meant for tops. There are many colors, many styles of clothing that Spirit hasn’t seen in fashion for years. They’re not caught up on pop culture in the slightest, but they catch sight of a band shirt that was definitely from the early 2900’s.

Another surprise is that the store is relatively empty. For a newly opened mall, you would expect crowds of people to be trying to pack into the stores, but this one’s labyrinthic nature seems to be separating the groups of people out a lot better than a regular store’s open flooring would be. Less people to run into when there is simply less road and so much more clothing to look at.

Spirit does their best to follow behind Mei and MK as they go up the stairs, into the similarly packed tops section. They weren’t really planning on buying anything, moreso just look and wistfully desire. But then Mei whips around with a purple varsity jacket, a dusty pink-purple in the middle, and whistles.

“Hey, Spirit, it’s a you jacket!” she laughs.

It does fit uncannily well with Spirit’s own color scheme. They look it over and nod slowly. “It is,” they say.

The peer pressure is on now, though, as MK leans over Mei’s shoulder. “Try it on! Let’s see if it fits!” he says.

Well, now….Spirit puts on the jacket carefully, knowing that it’s at least many decades old. It’s surprisingly sturdy and comfortable, likely from being worn by someone ages ago. It’s a little short but, in terms of width, it fits perfectly. They find that they can zip it up with room to move.

“It’s kind of soft,” they say. “I like it. I don’t know where I’d wear it, though.”

“Hey, you never know where you’d wear something until you’re going there,” Mei responds with a wave of her hand. “I don’t think through my outfits every day.”

“You don’t?” Mei looks pretty put together consistently, so that comes at a surprise.

Spirit remembers Macaque telling them that they need a serious outfit to be taken seriously, that their appearance is their first impression. They try to put a lot of thought into the things they wear whenever it’s not

Mei, however, just shrugs. “Nope! I usually just throw on a shirt and then my jacket over it.”

Interesting. And she still managed to look very cool.

Spirit follows Mei and MK through the aisles, watches as MK climbs on top of Mei’s shoulders to grab another shirt, this one with only one strap on the shoulder and a cute tie off. It looked like a very summery shirt. But it was purple, which Spirit didn’t consider MK or Mei’s colors, really.

Until he, still on Mei’s shoulders, leans towards them. “Hold up that one!” he says as he shoves the shirt into their arms.

They catch it and look over the fabric, soft and sturdy. They hold it up for MK and Mei to inspect, both humming in approval.

That was how the mall visit turned into a Spirit-centric fashion show, hosted by MK and Mei. Spirit was just along for the ride honestly, catching the articles of clothing that were just being dropped into their arms. MK and Mei were like a whirlwind, ripping out anything that looked remotely purple and showing it to the other for opinions. They murmured and schemed together, Spirit catching bits of “too rough” and “too loud” to describe some of the discarded articles.

It takes some time, but after about an hour, they’re walking around with a modest pile of clothes. Spirit thinks there’s a dress in there, even which is going to be a very interesting try. They haven’t worn many dresses.

MK and Mei were being intensely serious about this, too. They were inspecting each article before pushing it into Spirit’s hands, showing them to each other for confirmation. Most were actually hung back up, unfitting in some way or other that they weren’t privy to.

That was fine, though, because they don’t think they could have tried on everything that was purple in this warehouse. It was hour two, halfway through the bottoms section, before the tiredness began to kick in. Socializing was kind of hard, after all.

At least they weren’t having to talk for a lot of it. Mei stopped a few times to ask if they were doing okay, MK asked if they were hungry or if they all wanted to take a break, but Spirit wasn’t tired enough to want to leave just yet. And if these two were having a good time, then who were they to stop them mid-shopping.

At least the tops section went a little faster. Most pants weren’t built to handle fur, squeezing a little too tight, with the added limiting factor that MK and Mei were mostly looking for bottoms to match the tops they found.

The accessories section wasn’t as big as the tops or bottoms sections, of course, but there were still a series of wonders. The socks were in here, surprisingly. After one look at Spirit’s bare feet, though, MK and Mei only decided on one pair. They didn’t even glance the shoes section before grabbing what looked like a straw-woven fedora and pulling Spirit towards the changing rooms.

“It’s time to try on all the clothes!” MK proclaims, and Spirit kind of saw this coming, but they’re still confused.

“Why were you handing me the clothes?” they ask.

MK and Mei stop, both turning to Spirit with blank expressions. It must just now be registering that they never actually asked them if they wanted to wear the clothes, because they share a small glance before Mei goes, “Um….for a fashion show?”

Now, that’s interesting. Spirit’s not going to say no, of course not, but…. “Why?”

“Because you would look so cute in these,” Mei says. “I mean, vintage leather is all the rage now, everyone’s got one.”

She points out the purple leather jacket at the top of the pile and points to the fitting rooms. “It might be cool to have multiple sets of clothes that’re kinda, you know. Styling.”

“You’d be a fashionista,” MK adds on, pretending to swoon.

“What an icon,” Mei catches MK as he pretends to fall. “Stellar.”

They both hold pose, too, as they watch Spirit watch them.

And, come on. How can they say no to that.

Spirit gulps, then nods, almost worried. They don’t know what they’ll look good in. According to Macaque, it’s hard to find clothes that look at least acceptable, so they don’t enter the changing room with high hopes.

The outfits are all fairly modern, and Spirit wants to get the socks over and done with first. They pull on the socks, a deep purple with lilac dots, and notice that it’s a stretchy kind of fuzzy. They’re thick enough but hole-y enough to let their feet breathe in. Then, they pull on the cargo shorts, button up the purple shirt, and head on out for Mei and MK’s look.

They’re both sitting on a bench chatting outside of the fitting room, something about something on Mei’s phone. Probably another funny cat video, if we’re being honest. When Spirit walks out, though, Mei shuts off her phone at record speed.

They both “ooo” at the outfit. “Do a turn!” MK says, and Spirit obliges.

It feels comfortable. Almost summer-y in how the outfit was loose, yet contained itself in enough of a way for them to be mobile. The pants are a lot less tight than they seemed, and the whole outfit makes Spirit kind of want to climb something. Maybe a tree.

“You look so CUTE!” the exclamation catches their attention again as they notice MK clapping excitedly, Mei shaking her fists up and down, both unable to contain their excitement.

It was strange to see them so excited over Spirit’s outfit. They weren’t really expecting that kind of compliment over their appearance, especially after how quickly Macaque reminded them that they were hard to dress for.

“Really?” they ask.

MK and Mei nod their heads so fast it’s a wonder they don’t fly off.

“Hell yeah!” Mei jumps up, hopping to Spirit’s side. “I love the button down on you! The white one you wear at the noodle shop is pretty, too, but the color is,” she does a chef’s kiss motion as she hurries around Spirit for another 180 look.

“No one else is around, you could transform! We should see how it looks with all the fur,” MK suggests.

And he’s not wrong, per se. There aren’t any cameras in the changing rooms and there isn’t anyone else back here, not yet. Plus them being a monkey isn’t too big of an issue when they’re out of the restaurant. Some customers can get rude over the potential of fur in their soup and if they don’t have to change, they don’t always want to.

Spirit changes back, fur poofing out, and it surprisingly slots nicely into the spaces between the threads of sock. Their tail swishes right above their pants and their hands shake, almost in excitement, before they quell the movement.

“And it still looks awesome,” MK does a fist pump.

“Did you really have any doubt?” Mei says with a laugh, and MK shrugs.

The confidence almost washes off onto Spirit. Maybe it does, a bit, as they turn back to the changing room they’d exited.

The next outfit is one of the dresses. They’re feeling spicy, what can they say. It has a cute pink collar, a whole second layer of fuschia beneath a dress with semi-shimmering fireworks.

“You look gorgeous! Oh my god!” Mei says when she sees Spirit.

The next outfit is the one with the hat, along with a pair of jeans and the shirt with the tied off shoulder.

“I love that! The shirt looks so good on you!” is MK’s appraisal to that one.

An outfit with the purple leather biker jacket over a pair of black jeans and a pink shirt.

“You’re such a badass, so stunning!”

A dusty purple dress with white scalloped trims.

“That’s adorable, oh my—that neckline, though!”

Spiked cuffs, a choker, and a collared shirt with a smiley face design.

“You look so cool as a punk!”

Spirit was buzzing by the end of it. They hadn’t tried on this many outfits in this quick succession in a while, but every time they changed clothes, they would exit the room and do a spin for MK and Mei.

And every time, without fail, MK and Mei would applaud and compliment, which was the most surreal part. They weren’t used to that, not in the slightest, not when they were so hard to shop for. The last time, with Macaque, that must be….what, centuries by now? Absolute ages.

They’d assumed shopping would be hard, after that. But with MK and Mei’s cheering, they found it hard to be worried.

That didn’t mean they weren’t tired. They excited the changing rooms and began putting the outfits onto the rack to be taken back, when Mei hopped off the bench.

“Aw, did you not like them?” she asks.

Spirit blinks, surprised. “Um, no! They were really nice. I just, um. Don’t know where I would wear them.”

Mei blinks, as if she doesn’t really understand that sentiment. Spirit scratches the back of their neck, watching her and waiting for a response. It must be weird for her to think of that. She and MK hang out every night, once the noodle shop is closed. Mei must not understand that Spirit simply doesn’t have a place to wear them.

“Oh,” Mei hums.

It’s a fight that she doesn’t pick, it seems, and Spirit’s fine with that. MK sighs along with Mei. “Fair enough, if you don’t want them. I think Pigsy’d be okay with you wearing something flashy around, though!”

“That’s good to know,” they say, and they leave it at that.

Neither of the other two butt in, either, which is nice. Truth be told, Spirit’s not sure where they would wear the clothes, other than to the noodle shop. Plus, they don’t really know where they’d store it. Probably at Pigsy’s place. But would they want to take up even more space than they usually do? They wouldn’t want to just have stacks of it sitting by their hammock. That feels unnecessary.

They still leave the thrift mall with an air of relief and contentment. All of those outfits were really pretty. Very different, sure, but very pretty! Spirit could see themselves in them. Gosh, if Red were here, he would have been ecstatic over it. He has an eye for designs, they know.

While they’re happy to move on to the next store not having gotten anything, both MK and Mei keep glancing at them, as if worried. And they don’t really know what else to say, other than what they already have. The looks make them a little nervous, though.

At the very, very least, they spent a good four hours in that one giant store. It seems to be one of the mall’s super stores. Mei and MK bring Spirit around for a small walk at the others, coo’ing in interest at a vintage electronics store they found—Mei finds a perfect duplicate of the phone Spirit used to have, which they chuckle about. They enjoy being able to see the many emojis that everyone uses! Red’s fire emojis pack more of a punch now, as do Mei’s green hearts. They aren’t shocked at all to find that their phone’s dupe is labeled as “ultra rare,” and that it’s priced in the upper hundred thousands.

There’s also a vintage patch and accessory shop that Mei basically drags MK and Spirit into, though that’s not to say they need much convincing. She does buy a few there, too. Spirit just looks at some of the cuter ones, finding a blue skull that looks almost purple. Periwinkle, the store’s representative calls it. They think it’s cute, though they put that back, too. What need do they have for these things?

Sure, they’re pretty, and Spirit thinks it would be nice to own them. But….well. Where are they going to put it? Where are they going to wear it all? Would they have to do laundry more often? They just don’t really know, you know, and it’s not something they want to commit to.

On the ride back to the noodle shop, MK and Mei make jokes about how they should give Spirit’s old phone away to that antique store. The owner would probably lose it to see another one still functioning. Spirit just laughs along, social battery drained after many hours of working at the store and the four hours they spent at the mall. It feels nice, though. They don’t often go out for so long in such an agreeable space.

It’s a nice moment they think back on, and in their sleep, right before it overtakes them, they think of the varsity jacket. It looked a little like Mei and MK’s.

And that’s the last Spirit thinks of it.

Until a few weeks later.

It’s by closing of the shop that Mei approaches Spirit, holding something behind her back excitedly. She hadn’t been in earlier, since noon, and while MK hadn’t said anything about it, Spirit suspected something was happening. Pigsy had asked a few times, surprised to see Mei out doing something else during a time they’d’ve expected her to be taking up the seat next to Tang, and he’d been almost cagey over it. Spirit had just hoped that nothing was wrong.

But then, when Mei got to the shop, she bounded in with a whirlwind of energy right before stopping in front of Spirit. MK, too, hopped off of the chair he’d been sitting in as he listened to one of Tang’s tales.

Spirit, to their credit, was just washing dishes. And now they were, again, being bombarded with puppydog eyes from the duo.

They didn’t even say anything! They just stared at Spirit, who looked to the side at Pigsy, then at Tang, then back at the duo.

“Um, yes?” they were almost nervous now, despite the expressions, so they dried off their hands and stepped around the corner.

A package is shoved into their arms. They jump, taken aback by the sudden movement, but then look at the package. It’s just wrapped in clear plastic, so they can see exactly what it is. It’s the exact varsity jacket from the thrift shop, the purple one. But it has a special patch on the front, the blue skull they’d seen at the store.

Carefully, Spirit unwraps it. As the sleeves unfurl, Spirit notes that there are elongated white cuffs and a white trim along the bottom. Likely to make up for the space it lacks to fit Spirit’s body. Maybe other alterations were done, too, because it does seem generally bigger.

They flip it around and emblazoned on the back is a giant patch sewn on and hand-embroidered of Spirit’s face. There are two circles beneath their hair, too, in the same blue as the skull. They realize it might represent earrings, to the others. To Spirit, it represents something much different.

Spirit isn’t used to. Receiving things. They just stare at the jacket for a second, as if their brain can’t compute that this is a thing for them, with nothing attached. It was like Mei giving them an upgraded phone. But this doesn’t even have any value. This is just something that they saw that Spirit enjoyed, and then got.

“We know you didn’t know anywhere to wear the clothes, and we were throwing like, full outfits at you. But we did want to get you something, you know? No strings attached, I just wanted to get you something to fit with ours, and this one was just too perfect to leave! I loved making it,” Mei explains, hands pressing together as she watches Spirit’s face with her own wide grin.

“So, like, if you don’t want to wear it around, you don’t have to. There’s no pressure, at all! But we thought it’d be cool if you, uh. If you had the option to match,” MK jumps around, showing his own jacket. “Like you’re part of the team now!”

Part of the team.

Spirit couldn’t remember being a part of anything, not for the longest of whiles. Yet MK, the Monkey King’s whole successor, who they really shouldn’t even be talking to if you think about it, is proclaiming to be on the same team as them?

They don’t know what words there are to describe the feeling, but Spirit’s hands ball on the jacket, holding it tight against their chest. They don’t know when they started smiling but now they notice it only because it’s beginning to hurt their cheeks.

“I love it,” their voice is a whisper, almost afraid to raise it. “Thank you.”

#friends #writing #my shitting writing

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notepadsandtealeaves · 3 years

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Damian Wayne x GN!Reader in: Mall Madness, Pt. 2

12 Days of Batmas || Day 3—Getting Lost at the Mall

MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT || 18+ ONLY ||

↞ previous: alone together || cuddling by the fire

|| ao3 version | 12 days m.list | batboys tag | main blog ||

|| dick day 3 | jay day 3 | tim day 3 ||

Damian Wayne is a man on a mission. Things need to be bought and this task will be seen through with all due efficiency…

Thee Damian Wayne getting lost? Lmao, nah.

↠ Requested By: Not a soul lol ↠ Reader Gender: Neutral ↠ Content Type: SFW fluff ((but my blog’s 18+ if minors want to consume my sfw stuff while still respecting my wishes of them staying out of this space, they can head over to my AO3)) ↠ CWs: I briefly allude to some fade to black action, like very, very briefly, but I thought I’d give a head’s up to anyone who wants it. ↠ Betas? Nah, we don’t do that here. ↠ Total WC: 1k~

If you’ve read the original version of this then you’re probably wondering where the other boy’s sections went—or maybe not, given that there are links at the top of the post lol.

Anyways, I edited it so that they all got their own post as having one mega post was bothering me. Aside from some aesthetic changes and a few minor edits nothing has really changed, so there’s that…

Headcanon || WC: 1k~

🌟 Damian Wayne is a man on a mission. Things need to be bought and this task will be done with all due efficiency…

🌟 …When he’s alone, anyway. If he’s got company he’s got the social grace to take things at their pace.

🌟 Like Jay he’s able to go with the flow, though if I’m being honest he’d be happiest with someone like-minded.

He personally has never really seen the appeal of shopping. Yes, he likes nice things, but honestly? If they could just appear in his closet/office/wherever else that’d be great.

For this reason he does most of his shopping online, but sometimes you need things faster than what even overnight shipping can provide and-or the internet fails you by being sold out and that’s when you have to turn to physical stores.

🌟 All that being said if you want to go shopping for clothes he’s more than happy to do so.

He fancies himself a fashion icon—which, honestly? Fair e-fucking-nough. Dude’s always clean as hell. He likes to look his best, but even more so he loves to see you all dolled up.

He has a particular weakness for eveningwear, but really anything can be made divine when it’s on such a frame as lovely as yours.

Will totally help you find your style/what fits your body type best if you’re in need of assistance.

Will also insist on you modeling your purchases for him, though this’ll be done in the privacy of your home which is honestly for the best as it’s probably gonna end up with you [REDACTED] in short order.

🌟 But no matter what it is you’re shopping for he’s not gonna make you feel like a burden or anything. He agreed to come along and he’s not gonna let his preferences spoil your trip. He’ll be as attentive and engaging as you need him to be, so much so that you’ll probably never know how much he dislikes shopping until you hear one of the others comment on it.

Tim: “You guys went shopping again? This is like, what? The third time this week, right?”

You: “Yeah, well there was a sale and I still had a few last minute gifts to pick up so…”

Tim: “Huh. He must really love you. Like really, really love you.”

You: “Umm, excuse?”

Tim: “You know that D hates shopping, right? Like despises it with a passion. It’s why he orders so much stuff online, why you get your groceries delivered… Did you seriously not know??”

You: *surprised Pikachu face*

🌟 Also an excellent gift giver though for different reasons than Dick.

The exchanging of goods is one of the few things he truly understands. He may not always be able to return your affections in a more traditional way (esp. at the beginning of things) but he still wants to make sure that you know you’re appreciated. Gifting you an item isn’t exactly equal, he knows that, but sometimes it’s the best he can do.

That this often translates to you getting some ridiculously extravagant items should not be surprising. After all he’s trying to match your love with an object. It’s never gonna be a one-to-one, but dammit he’s gotta let you know just how much he appreciates and reciprocates your feelings.

Eventually he learns *cough*from watching Dick*cough* that little items can have just as big, if not a bigger, impact as any precious jewel.

Expect to start receiving things like refills of your favorite tea/coffee/or whatever it is you drink and the like. Also little things that reminded him of you when he saw it, as well as things he thinks you’ll like.

He’ll still get you big ticket items, but they’ll become less of the standard and more of a special thing (but still v. much a thing because he’s got the loot and who gon’ check him?)

🌟 As far as getting lost in the mall—it just doesn’t happen, sorry. I cannot think of any circumstances that someone as highly trained as Damian Wayne would ever get lost somewhere so relatively small and full of landmarks as a mall, esp. if it’s one you frequent.

Like yeah, his brothers are trained too, and no shade to them, but…

Damian was raised to be an assassin from his earliest days, and the League does not suffer failures. The importance of spatial/situational awareness was among one of the first lessons that both his mother and father drilled into him, so as you can imagine he’s hyper aware of his surroundings at all times.

All it takes is for him to go to a place once (maybe twice if the route is especially tricky) and he can tell you how to get around/where all the exits are/where the nearest restroom is/etc.

🌟 Your getting separated is also never a thing that’s gonna happen. He wouldn’t call himself paranoid per say, that implies a level of fear that he would never be so weak as to allow himself to feel, but rather he’s prudent.

Even without his former associations with the League and his vigilante work he’s still a Wayne and that fact alone is more than enough to make him a target. If you’re with him you’re a target by proxy and he’ll be damned if he allows you to be a pawn, or gods forbid, come to harm because someone wanted to get to him.

He’ll watch you like a hawk, though he won’t be intrusive/obvious about it. He keeps things subtle enough that it just seems like he’s being attentive when really he’s already plotted out a plan to body everyone in this store if they so much as blink the wrong way lmao.

🌟 Overall Damian’s GSD approach is perfect for me personally so I would give him a 10/10. His flexibility, lack of complaints, and helpfulness makes him an ideal partner for any type of shopper, however, so still—10/10.

Up Next:

🌟 Day 4: His Favorite Helper Elf || Wrapping Presents

Damian once told you that he falls in love with you all over again, several times a day, every day…

He falls a little deeper every day…

© notepadsandtealeaves, 2020 || Please do not repost, translate, or otherwise alter or distribute my works without my express permission. And for the love of god keep it away from Youtube and TikTok lol…

#((Immy does fan fiction: the Batboys))#damian wayne x reader #damian wayne x gender neutral reader #damian wayne x gn!reader #damian wayne x you #damian wayne x y/n #damian wayne headcanon #damian wayne fluff

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aftgsucks · 2 years

Text

NMFTG CHapter 10

I Am Having A Terrible Time

AKA get in bitch we’re going shopping.

ao3 Chapter under cut

Somehow, in much the same line of confusing dominoes that had turned a little league exy game into a blood bath. Getting a drunk Seth off the dorm floor had turned into going shopping with Allison.

“Help me get him to the car,” “help me get him to Abby’s,” “Coach’s orders. Someone needs to take you shopping and because you keep dodging Dan and Matt that leaves me. Unless you’d rather go with Renee or Nicky.”

If he really had a choice, Neil would rather get shot again. But as Allison was already barreling down the highway to the mall, he just screamed internally and accepted his fate. Although he did glance at the lock of the car door. But ultimately he decided another patch of road rash wasn’t worth the escape.

“I don’t have money on me.” He informed Allison despite knowing it wouldn’t change anything.

“Did I ask?”

He let the rest of the ride pass in silence, rubbing at his dry eyes. Allison parked the car and he followed her into the mall. It seemed like she knew where she was going, he didn’t ask any questions. Largely because he didn’t want to engage and get locked into some stupid conversation.

She walked into some trendy clothing store and then turned to consider Neil for a moment before pulling clothes off racks and handing them to Neil. He didn’t pay attention, it wasn’t like he’d actually wear any of them.

Unsurprisingly, Neil didn’t spend much time in malls. Buying clothes new was too expensive while on the run. And there were far too many people for it to feel comfortable. Anyone could be around.

Allison held up a shirt and then put it back after a moment. Neil blinked a few times to try and get his contacts to stop itching. Then he glanced at his watch, they’d only been there for ten minutes.

He wondered if the silence was awkward or not, he couldn’t really tell and didn’t care to rectify it.

“Once I’ve got a good selection you’ll need to try stuff on so we can find your actual size.” Allison eventually said.

Neil preferred the silence.

“I know my size.”

“Yeah, sure.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyways, are you actually stealing Aaron’s girlfriend or are you bringing your own unbearable personality to the banquet as a date?”

“No, just no to all of that.”

“Come on Josten, you can’t be the loser without a date. Even if you’re not sweeping Katelyn off her feet there has to be someone else. I’m sure any other cheerleader would fall on her ass if you asked her out. Unless, Nicky’s right and you are gay?”

It was too much. Neil couldn’t deal with being at the mall, Allison’s fucking nonsense, his headache, and his contacts. Something had to go and he didn’t think he could get away with murder in a crowded store in the middle of the day. He wished he could.

He dropped all of the clothes.

“Neil!”

“I fucking- just.” He held up a finger and then pulled out his contacts. The relief was instant, late nights with Kevin and early starts with the team meant that he was wearing the contacts more than ever. “Holy fuck that is so much better.” He blinked his eyes, tearing up from the strain. He shoved the contacts into his pocket to throw out later.

“They’re blue!” Allison groaned. “Josten, you just lost me eighty bucks.”

“Why was there that much money on my eyes?” None of them ever made any fucking sense. He spent twenty-four seven with a bunch of freaks.

“That’s not even the biggest pot involving you. Also, what the actual fuck do you not own eye drops? You look like you just hot boxed a coffin for three weeks straight.”

“Eye drops?”

It was rare that Allison looked stunned, her usual modes of facial expression were smug and annoyed.

“Okay, I’m adding the drug store to the list of places we need to go today. You put eye drops. In your eyes. To prevent that.” She gestured to his face.

“Those exist?”

“Yes!”

Neil ducked down and picked back up all the clothes. He wondered if his mother hadn’t known either, or if she’d just deemed eye drops an excessive luxury.

“Can we please go back to shopping?” He asked, uncomfortable.

Allison stared at him for a long moment and then turned back to the rack. The silence lasted barely a minute.

“If I ask you a question will you be an unbearable little shit about it?” She asked.

Neil shrugged.

Allison sighed. “Why do you wear contacts? If they hurt and you didn’t know about eye drops.”

Neil considered being an unbearable little shit about this. But he couldn’t think of anything good enough. So he just readjusted the clothes in his arms and settled on the truth.

“I don’t like my eyes.” It came out quieter than he meant it to.

Allison glanced at him and then handed him a sweater before moving to the pants aisle.

“I don’t like you.” She said.

“Okay.”

“You called my boyfriend easy to kill.”

“Well-” He had, he wouldn’t deny it. Seth was easy to kill.

“I think you’re an asshole.”

“And you aren’t?”

“Let me finish. You’re an asshole. And you’re a Fox.” She squared her shoulders. “When I was sixteen I almost died. No- I’m serious, Neil, put your eyebrow down. I stopped eating and got dizzy and fell off the fucking balcony. I woke up in the hospital with no idea how I got there and all these nurses telling me I was lucky to be alive. If I had fallen in any other way then how I did I would have died or permanently injured myself. I didn’t feel lucky, I hated my body. Ridiculous? I know, I’m amazing.”

She kept picking clothes as she talked.

Her voice stayed steady. “But when I got out of the hospital I realized I had done it for them. My parents. I did everything for them. I studied what they wanted me to study. Talked to who they wanted me to talk to. Wore what they wanted. Watched what they wanted. Went where they wanted. And when they told me I was getting too big I stopped eating. And it almost killed me. And they didn’t even bother to visit me in the hospital.”

“My life wasn’t-” Allison paused for a second. “Isn’t theirs, it’s mine. My body is mine and once I stopped treating it like it was theirs… Well I stopped falling off of balconies for one.” She looked at Neil. “Whoever it is, or was, or whatever that made you hate your own eyes. It won’t make them love you or treat you differently. It won’t change anything. Your eyes are yours not theirs.”

Neil didn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t that simple. It wasn’t? When he was running it was more about hiding than anything else. But he wasn’t running anymore? And sure his mom had hated how much he looked like his father but he didn’t do it for her. He hated the way looked just as much, if not more. It wasn’t about her? It wasn’t. It wasn’t?

It wasn’t.

“Yeah, they’re mine and I don’t like them.” He said, staring at the clothes in his arms.

Allison just pointed at the changing room.

“I don’t-“

“Oh save it, we both know you’re not winning this argument.”

He hadn’t thought this through. Neil went into the changing room and dropped the clothes on the stool. He could do this, he was fine.

He tried the clothes on keeping his eyes on his body and avoiding his face. It all fit better then he was used to, but most of it was okay. There was one crop top that he tossed aside immediately. Despite the fact that he planned on never wearing any of it, he made sure that the things he put in the ‘let Allison buy’ pile didn’t let his scars show.

He tugged back on his own clothes and then gave in. Allison had been right about them being completely bloodshot. She was wrong about them being his though. Completely wrong. Neil looked in the mirror and his father’s eyes looked back. And he was struck with the fact that they would likely be the last thing he saw when he died.

He clenched his jaw and turned from the mirror. He could always get lucky and Andrew or Riko or whoever else he pissed off would kill him instead.

He left the changing room. He watched Allison buy him the clothes. He followed her into some fancier store to get a suit for the banquet. He didn’t pay attention as measurements were taken. As Allison paid for that. He came back to the world once he realized they were standing in front of a phone store.

“No.” He said to Allison. “I don’t need or want a phone.”

“You do,” she corrected. “If you want to keep disappearing to wherever it is you go, you need to be able to tell someone you’re not dead.”

“I don’t think that’s anyone’s business.”

“Well you should have thought of that before joining the Foxes.”

Neil turned around and walked away.

“I’ll meet you outside!” Allison yelled after him. “Don’t get murdered!”

If the walk were shorter he probably would have just gone back to campus. But it had been a long enough drive that the effort wasn’t worth it. So he just went to Allison’s car and sat down on the closest curb, setting the clothing bags down next to him.

He stared up at the clouds until Allison gave him a gentle kick in the leg.

“Here,” she held out a phone.

Neil stared at it.

“What are you allergic?”

The last time he had a phone he’d been throwing his mother’s into the ocean after burying her. “Deathly.” He said.

“You used Seth’s to call me.”

“And I hated every second of it.”

“And you wonder why we keep making bets about you,” Allison snarked. “I know we’ve both had enough of this so just take the phone Josten.”

He reached out and took it from her and then dropped it into one of the clothing bags.

“Whatever, as long as you keep it on you.” She unlocked her car and got in, leaving Neil with the bags.

Neil pulled the phone back out of the bag. It was fancier then he was used to, it had a keyboard with every letter and number on it. He turned it on, all the Foxes were already programmed in. As well as Wymack, Abby, and Dobson. He shut it back off. Just another useless thing to carry to the end.

It wouldn’t do what Allison or anyone else wanted it to. When it came down to it, there was no one among the twelve of them that he would call when his father came to get him because not one of them could save him.

He stood up and shoved the phone in his back pocket. He grabbed the bags off the pavement and tossed them into the backseat of Allison’s car. Then he got into the passenger seat and waited for her to drive.

#aftg #all for the game #neil josten #fanfiction #fan fic #no more fucks to give

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purkinje-effect · 3 years

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The Anatomy of Melancholy, 75: Paper Weight

Table of Contents. Third Instar, Chapter 6. Go to previous. Go to next. TWs: Religion, joint issues, diet/appetite weirdness, brief transphobia adjacent anxiety, minor dehumanizing ghoul treatment. Uh. Not in that order. A slightly longer groundwork chapter, and continuing evidence that I am, in fact, criminally insane. [Updated 2021.07.12.]

“...[F]ixed in a sort of eternity at the heart of the crystal.” -- Orwell’s 1984

______________________________

‘Choly woke to Sticks gently stroking at his long dark shock-streaked hair. He could not discern the time of day without any light sneaking in around the edges of curtains, and recalled their inn room did not have windows. The ghoul drew his attention back to him with a drowsy smile.

“Ready to start the day?”

To resist the draw to curl up into Sticks, ‘Choly stretched out with a yawn, only to jerk his eyes open. He laid on his back for some time. In the night, one of his shoulders had separated and dragged his neck out of alignment.

“--I’m not ready, but let’s start anyway. Angel, be a dear and turn the lights on, please.“

The Mister Handy puffed to life again. Reignition of its pilot light cast dim outlines to the space. Unveiling the Burlington glass fixtures returned the room to unnatural illumination by that strange red-green light which ‘Choly disliked intuiting as gold. By the time Angel had completed the task, Sticks had thrown himself out of bed to dress.

‘Choly managed to sit up, and palpated at his errant joints, using the mindful pressure of his fingertips to coax things back into place. Not dislocating his fingers in the process required what little focus he could summon without coffee or his reinforced gloves, but he could barely move let alone think straight with the strumming stitches radiating through his arm and neck. He squirmed inside, knowing he couldn’t help but force Sticks to bear witness to the strangled hisses and cartilaginous pops.

Angel presented ‘Choly a can, which he accepted half-awake. He put on his glasses one-handed.

“A canister of fresh water to start your day, Sir? I’ve only got the one at present, if you’d like to split it. More is on the way.”

“Would you be able to open it...?”

“I have no sharp implements,” it apologized.

“Give me that.”

Sticks snatched it playfully and held it between his knees while he reattached his Pip-Boy and left hand. He hadn’t quite got to buttoning his shirt just yet. He slipped the glove off his mechanical prosthetic, and produced a sort of multitool from the armature of the region analogous to the metacarpal bones. As the ghoul made use of the folding implement, ‘Choly watched the hand’s exposed mechanical parts in motion, intimating tendons and ligaments, not always attached to something resembling a bone. A dull pop liberated the can’s lid. Sticks took a few swigs and handed it to ‘Choly helpfully, before hiding the tool again and slipping the glove back on. He moved on to finishing with his shirt so he could tie his bow-tie blind, humor to his breath.

‘Choly simply sat there and observed Sticks at length, nearly altogether forgetting gratitude or thirst. Words failed him. Sticks ran his right hand over his one surviving curl of hair. The blond ghoul noticed him staring and sat up straighter.

“What?”

“A pocket knife? That’s allowed?” He kept turning his neck, head held at deliberate angles, seeking that last tweak of alignment his cervical vertebrae wouldn’t yield him.

“See’s never asks me to show my hand,” he shrugged. “Half the time, they don’t even notice it’s not flesh.”

“This isn’t about your hand, and you know it.”

“Hey now. They’re fine with utensils. It’s got to be scarier than a butter knife to make them skittish. Really, though. Don’t mention it. It’d probably risk ‘em taking my whole hand, especially now that it’s wired into this thing.”

Sticks huffed a bit. Angel leapt to assist when his neckwear wouldn’t cooperate.

“Oh, do let me help you with that, Sir.”

“Thanks, chap. Hard to do without a mirror.”

“I brought in a hand mirror.” Unappeased, ‘Choly gestured to Angel for his hairbrush, which he set to using with his head dipped between his knees, desperate to couple the inversion of gravity with cadence of his brushing. Once he sat up again, he looked to Sticks. “Which, would it be all right if we brought in some things from the car? I figure that even if we get lucky today, we’ve paid for a week, so we may as well stay for a week. No sense in rushing things. Might miss something, if we do.”

Sticks tilted his head.

“I could warm to that. What all would you even need to bring in, though?”

“Little things,” he reassured a little too quickly. “Toiletries. Some spare clothes. Nothing too elaborate.”

“I don’t see why not.” He gripped his own knees. “Let’s knock that out. After, we can head to breakfast. Now. You want my help with your corset and stuff?”

‘Choly’s shoulders folded in as he worked at unbuttoning his shirt. His reservations came not from distrust but self-consciousness. Despite having partook in several kinds of sex acts with him already, he still preferred that the ghoul only see him naked from behind, if at all. But, he didn’t care to parse any selfishness or perversion in the offer: he wanted Sticks’s help. He’d be a hypocrite, anyway, to find fault in Sticks’s own enjoyment of the activity, when his very physiology provided the same passive delight for ‘Choly. He pulled the corset to him, and removed his shirt so he could hook the busks. Only then, holding it up against his front, did he relent to receiving help stringing the back. The more pieces Sticks helped him into, the more straightened out and held in place he felt. More clearly than usual, he craved the full-body orthotics set, in the expectation that with them he might feel normal again. Functional again. In any sense. In every.

He objected, mostly internally, that his brain would thrust heavy self-reflection on him so soon after waking. The idea of returning to bed enticed him again. No. Sooner than do so in the bathroom mirror, he pinned up a french twist blind and loose.

The two finished off the water before leaving the room.

They first stopped at the restrooms, where Angel waited just outside. ‘Choly flinched at the doorway, only to scold himself for even thinking he shouldn’t use the men’s room. He remained aware of others the entire time, relieved to go unnoticed and unremarkable. He insisted to himself that the night before had been a fluke.

Exiting the mall made ‘Choly wish he’d brought his visor inside. The garage’s luminosity wasn’t significantly greater than inside the mall, but the shift in hues to natural lighting pulsated in his right-sided cervical migraine. He didn’t think he’d gotten used to the limited color spectrum indoors so soon, yet here he was, nearly thinking seeing any color besides red, green, and gold signified he was seeing colors which didn’t exist. The intensity with which he saw cyan, magenta, and even white, he approximated to an aura migraine. The edges of his vision felt over-illuminated and blurry. If this sensitivity overload would take place every time he adjusted to and from Burlington glass lighting, he decided he would avoid going inside and out with any frequency for the remainder of their stay.

In the garage, mostly only the children paid any attention to the trio. So early in the morning, many inhabitants shared cinder block campfires to prepare community breakfast. On the way to Little Boy Blue, they passed through delectable aromas of sweet breads and pan seared meat.

Sticks opened the trunk for ‘Choly. Once he could tell ‘Choly intended to make use of Angel’s storage compartment to carry his things inside, he tossed in few of his own clothes too. He smirked at yet another of ‘Choly’s outdated behaviors:

“You packed like you’re on vacation.”

“A vacation with a purpose, perhaps. I’m grateful for it, though. It doesn’t seem this hotel has complimentary soaps.”

Sticks snickered.

“To broach a veritable elephant,” Angel stressed, “I must point out that while we may be booked for a week’s lodging here, you only have four Melancholia remaining, Mister Carey. In addition to our primary goal, we should stay on the lookout for toothpaste and mouthwash today. And we may no longer require them for first aid, but do recall that Stimpaks are the most important part of that recipe.”

Stimpaks. 'Choly paled at his oversight.

“Surely four of those things will get you through the week,” Sticks muttered. “You can’t swear off food now, with the biggest restaurant cluster in New England at the other end of the building.”

“...If I can help it.”

Sticks puffed up.

“Not if I can help it.”

The Mister Handy and chemist turned down the invitation to argument.

On their way back inside, ‘Choly saw Maury eating with a group of other settlers. He didn’t want to interrupt their meal, but he still waved. When See’s screened them, ‘Choly showed them Angel’s compartment again. Everything passed muster with security, albeit thoroughly rifled through. ‘Choly welcomed their return to the clear, dark uniformity of the mall interior’s red-green glow. They dropped off their things at the room, then went into the mall proper.

The Concourse seemed to only just be waking up by this hour. Most walked southward like them. Only half the stores looked open for business. ‘Choly looked to his Pip-Boy for the time. Just after nine. He accepted it and slouched as comfortably as he could atop Angel.

He figured most of the people headed to the food court were Laners, while the rest were probably visitors, or at least lived outside the mall. Along the way, he people-watched, eventually making a visual distinction between Laners and everyone else less by their routine and more through their attire. The fashion of mall denizens seemed to posit some commixture of Irish crochet, beaded silk, and embroidered tweed, bakelite and astrakhan, plus-fours and long trailing skirt hems, chemisettes and dickeys tethered with layers of scarves and shawls.

More people packed into the boisterous food court for breakfast than had for dinner. Even getting to the counter with the shortest line took patience, with hundreds seeking their first meals. Sticks ordered himself carrot pancakes, then turned to ‘Choly.

“Are you sure I can’t interest you in breakfast? With the lines like this, I’m not ordering twice.”

Fatigued lyric traced his reply as he patted at Angel’s storage compartment to retrieve his Billerica Golf Course mug with a smile:

“You can interest me in a cup of coffee.”

The ghoul impatiently resigned to a smaller order than he’d liked, and flashed his inn room key fob to net a discount. He requested a plate from Angel, and took it and ‘Choly’s mug to hold out for the server, who confirmed, yes maple syrup, black no sugar, before plating up as requested. Twenty-seven pulls lighter, Sticks let Angel locate their seat with its higher passive senses.

‘Choly sat with his coffee warming his gloved hands for some time, content to let the aromatic steam roll over his face while he watched Sticks dig in with knife and fork. Angel set a Melancholia bottle on the table. Eventually, Sticks’s bites slowed, and he stopped to finish chewing. He cut off a forkful and held it out with a cupped hand beneath, optimistic the craving spurred ‘Choly’s attention.

“The maple syrup makes up for it being carrot.”

‘Choly eyed it. Sooner than admit due impropriety, he let him stuff the bite in his mouth. He had expected the syrup and apple compote to provide all the sweetness, but the finely grated root vegetable mixed into the batter contributed both sweet and savory. Against his better judgment, to quash any question altogether, he mooched a second bite as well with interest.

“Don’t you like carrot?”

“...Blueberries aren’t in season,” Sticks eventually smiled. “Now, I’d happily split these with you... or are you actually happy with that damn silt flour smoothie?”

“I’m only happy with my Melancholia, in that it doesn’t upset my stomach.” He opened it with his reinforced gloves, and thought to himself, This batch isn’t even cherry. It’s mint. “If you want my full faculties, you’ll have me with Mentats, Melancholia, and a cup of black coffee.”

Brow raised, Sticks frowned into his plate as he scrutinized where to cut off his next bite.

“Far be it for me to come between you and your faculties.”

Angel used the dish station at the far end of the food court to rinse their plate, mug, and utensils. Then, they got to skimming stores.

Beginning just outside the Customs House, they poked around any open store which appeared to carry armor or apparel. ‘Choly went by cane for the most part, and tried not to let interesting garments distract him or his cash from his goal. He wasn’t about to spend anything until he knew the price tag on liberating the leather orthotics from whoever might have them. Neither their descriptions nor the product photos in the catalogue produced results.

In one shop, Sticks unhelpfully described the item to the clerk, who immediately pointed them to an array of girdles and brassieres. Beet red and speechless, ‘Choly had to nearly shove away the salesmanship, no matter the young man’s encouragement or respect. Sticks didn’t know whether to find ‘Choly’s reaction revealing or amusing.

They passed crossway between the main entrance and Sutter Grove, only for ‘Choly to stop cold. Like some strange airport reunion, a loud, excited group of Laners fawned over a black woman with a shoulder-length white bob--white all the more stark in contrast to the red-green golden mall-sea. When Sticks noticed ‘Choly had stopped, he backtracked, eyes on the woman sooner than him.

“You need me to help you up on Angel?”

“Such accolades. What do you suppose she means to them?”

“From the look of her, she must travel a lot. They probably just haven’t seen her in a real long time. It’s not important. They’re going to Burlington Glassworks. They won’t have what we’re here for. Now come on.”

Head askew, ‘Choly watched the gaggle drag the overwhelmed yet pleasant woman across the Concourse and to the lighting store.

“I... I want to go in there.”

“Didn’t think you were particularly religious, but whatever. We can take a break and play tourist or somethin’.”

‘Choly almost objected, but figured he’d understand if only he satisfied his curiosity. If he recalled anything from the time before he’d stepped foot in the United States, he knew with certainty he’d been raised to abhor religious observance. At least, outwardly...

Myriad strange shapes the luminescent space, but the motif repeated in the glass art filled with glowing golden red-green fluid, that the neck swirled and looped around the body, then somehow reentered it. Bulbs were hung by these loops from the ceiling, some in knotted strings, while most other bulbs rested in metal fixtures reminiscent of egg cups. If not for the artistic shapes and the hue of light they cast, ‘Choly and Sticks almost considered it like stepping into the lighting department of a hardware store.

“Hierosacristan Fresnel!” The group begged, both in English and what ‘Choly could only presume was French. “Hierosacristan, tell us of your orbit!”

The staff had abandoned their posts in fascination of their visitor. Some showered her with sunflowers. Here, ‘Choly could see the woman wore an ornately embroidered shawl, fur-lined metal armor, and an all-black bodysuit. The woman could only oblige her admirers with a humility strained smile. A dozen or so stone park benches furnished the deeper half of the store, in two neat rows facing the back wall. ‘Choly sat at the last bench to watch, transfixed. Begrudgingly, Sticks joined him, and Angel, behind them.

As she spoke, Fresnel’s deep, silvery voice alternated between English and French, limiting ‘Choly and Sticks’s full comprehension. Her audience seemed more captivated by anything she didn’t say in English.

When she told them, “Qu’Atom vous garde,” they mirrored it in kind. ‘Choly filled in any gaps in the language barrier with presumptions of what little he knew of Orthodoxy.

“Much of my year I have studied in Thomaston... XXXXXXXXXX I wandered the Nashua ruins a bit before coming to the Lane proper... XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX I come to greet the granite... I must travel West before I return to Five Sisters. To report my findings to Grand Mother Skwodovska. But, I savor a leisurely return. My discoveries dictate my orbit. XXXXXXXXXX I Winter at the Lane for the first time... XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX ”

At some point in her speech, she took notice of their visitors. She broke away from sermonizing for the dozen or so practically clutching for her attention, to approach. ‘Choly straightened, expecting her to scold him. But she bowed to Sticks with grace, and held his hand in both her own. The ghoul fell speechless when she smiled up at him.

“What a blessing, that one of Atom’s beloved attends us. I never get the chance to speak with any Undying.”

Sticks let her hold his gloved hand, too, and laid on his charm.

“I’m impressed at our timing. We happen to be at Ant Lane right when such a highly esteemed Child of Atom has popped in.”

Again struggling with humility, she withdrew to stand. Taken aback by the sight of Angel, she hemmed into her fist.

“Forgive my start from the robot. One of my past orbits took me to the Commonwealth, and since my visit to the Cambridge Polymer Labs, I haven’t much liked the company of Mister Handies.”

“Cambridge!” Angel blandished. “Such worldliness.”

She appreciated that it did not take exception with her.

“My brothers and sisters show our devotion in a commitment to travel.”

“Forgive my stupidity,” ‘Choly asked, voice cracking, “but what exactly is a hiero...?”

The intense, robust woman half-sat on the back of the next bench to form her reply. Up close, ‘Choly could make out her face tattoo, of many concentric rings, emanating outward from one eye. Sooner than wonder what it signified, he could only imagine how much it must have hurt. The white bob was a wig.

“You speak Keb? No?” She became more particular in her words. “Among the Children of Atom is an order of scribes, historians, cartographers. We are the Daughters of Radon. We hail from the Rock of Ages. We document and research Atom’s holiest substances, such that any of Atom’s children can safely trace a path and greet everything She has touched. The rank bestowed of Daughters of Radon is Sacristan, keeper of holy spaces. Hierosacristans are the Daughters’ Zealots.”

‘Choly strained to follow along, teetering between looking lost and unintentionally judgmental.

“What interest, then, in granite? I heard correctly, that you intend to greet it? It’s very pretty, but really, I want to understand what has you all so enchanted. Is there correlation between granite and these glass lights?”

Fresnel smiled broad and beaming, nearly sarcastic in a way.

“A visitor from the Commonwealth. I see. The answer is Atom’s touch. We concern ourselves not just with nuclear bodies, but with large sources of granite, marble, and limestone. Anyone could observe these structures, both man-made and still-buried, but it takes the devotion of Daughters to listen to their histories.” A sigh and slouch announced her travel weariness. She pointed above them, to the hanging glass. “Everything is a vessel. We carry our world-soul. Nuclear bodies carry the Holy Light of Atom. And certain stones can carry recorded memories of the worlds which formed this one through Division. The Daughters are committed to documenting these memories, so that the Children can celebrate everything from the past which went into the creation of the present.”

‘Choly fumbled as carefully as he could. It fascinated him, that it seemed more and more that religious devotion tied directly into the creation and maintenance of the increasingly supernatural glowing glass fixtures--let alone that it had anything to do with radioactive material.

No wonder they appreciate Sticks. “And you... listen to the granite here?”

Sticks poorly hid his annoyance with a shift in posture and a grunt.

“Most granite is quite loud. The granite here... whispers.” Fresnel admitted. “The Children often call this place The Quiet Granite. You’re very new, and so eager to learn of Atom’s Kingdom... Are you here to let in Her Holy Light?”

“Until I stepped foot in here, I had no idea this place was a church. I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted to come in to see the lights up close. I’m fascinated that a substance could sustain luminescence without external excitation.”

Though his admission dulled her enthusiasm, his verbiage still held her interest.

“I’m not directly involved in glassblowing, so I know very little of it. The Glow is most remarkable, n’est-ce pas? Even if you’re here merely to marvel at our blessed work, you can still take a piece with you. You should speak with my brothers and sisters here. If you’re more than a scholar or tourist, the local Confessor can direct you to our body of scripture as well. I’m far better suited to geography than sermons.” Fresnel’s attention warmed back to Sticks. “Be no stranger to our space...”

“Sticks.”

“Be no stranger, Sticks.” She smiled, mirthful. “You and your odd friend here are welcome here.”

Before the game of Twenty Questions could continue, Fresnel stood to pat Sticks’s hand... and the top of ‘Choly’s head. The chemist frowned as she excused herself.

“Fresnel spoke directly with you,” a devotee said, behind them. They looked over their shoulders at the nervous man. “Is there anything I can do for you, Undying?”

“It’s Sticks,” he repeated, quickly growing tired of it. “We’re sightseeing, you could call it. I think this fella wants a souvenir.”

The man looked ‘Choly over and nodded, motioning for them to follow him to the counter. He produced an egg-crate tray of walnut sized glass baubles, and picked them up to swirl them around in visual demonstration.

“We’re blessed to meet a Hierosacristan.” He poorly contained his delight. “I wonder if she would permit that I be in her caravan when her orbit carries her onward.”

“Where is she headed next?” ‘Choly asked, moreso making conversation than wishing to know.

“The standard path for all caravans from Ant Lane to Burlington is Route 89, straight through the mountains. But, she mentioned traveling West. The Daughters of Radon follow the orbit of their heart. She may intend another orbit yet uncharted. --Forgive my gushing. You’re interested in a prayer armillary?”

“How much are they?”

The potentially inappropriate question caught in ‘Choly’s throat.

“Fifty-one pulls.”

“You don’t happen to take cash, do you?”

“Certainly. Our caravans do trade with more than just Ant Lane.” The Child picked up the tray’s edge to look at a note on the side. “One hundred fifty dollars.”

So deep in, he didn’t feel like he could say no thank you and just walk away. Not that he wanted to walk away empty handed after such a bizarre interaction.

“Tell me more about them. What makes them glow?”

“There are two aspects to Burlington’s glass artistry. We’re beholden to conceal our craft, but it’s perfectly safe for all Atom’s Children, blessed with the Endurance to withstand Her Light or no.“

In the remark, ‘Choly stifled a shiver at the possibility that the entire mall might be a religious settlement.

“The craftsmanship is remarkable.” His voice cracked. “How long do they last?”

“Years, if they must. But these smallest vessels are intended ephemeral: We encourage that you use them to seal a prayer, then shatter it someplace consequential to disperse the good will into the universe.”

“Are they... still safe if broken?”

“They are not grenades. And to drink its contents would be ill advised, foremost on account of the broken glass.”

“I would never have considered the fluid potable,” ‘Choly lied, having had the thought gifted him. He shakily produced the requested cash, and the Child let him pick one of the egg-like baubles. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you?” His beseeching, bleary eyes suggested more than simple commerce. “Do you require any arrangements? Any accommodations of any kind?”

Sticks eyed the tray with near disappointment, and rocked a bauble around in its cup with one finger.

“...You said they were fifty-one?”

“Take one, gladly!”

Feigning pleasantry, he picked one for himself. It exasperated ‘Choly that Sticks had not attempted to influence the price tag on his trinket, but only his frigid shoulders said as much.

“Thank you. Get to take a piece of this place with me, then.”

“But of course!” The Child nod-bowed to them both. “Qu’Atom vous garde.”

They mirrored the nod, caught in the uncertainty of pronunciation, and the uncertainty of appropriateness that they repeat it back.

‘Choly held his prayer armillary at his chest as they exited the Glassworks. He had no intention of ever break it. The thought crossed him as he glanced down at it, that he could place it in Angel’s storage for use as a perpetual light source, like the light to a glove compartment.

“...Angel,” he asked it, spellbound by the strange, vaguely oily, fluoresceinesque fluid, “you’ve got French programming, haven’t you? That was French, yes? What was she saying?”

“I believe it’s French, Sir. At least, partly. If I’m to understand Miss Fresnel, these Children of Atom worship gamma radiation... as well as something they regard as ‘foreign.’ ”

“Cultists, basically.” Sticks snorted.

'Choly didn’t care whether the Children’s religious motivations made any rational, scientific sense. It still burned him, that they’d given Sticks his trinket for free. The ghoul handed him his with only a vague smirk.

“I, you didn’t want one, then?” He had only starry-eyed gratitude. “Are you sure?”

“Why would I? I let them give it to me so they’d knock it off and let us leave.” The ghoul blurted out an abrupt chuckle and slung an arm around ‘Choly’s shoulders, to grip him a little too forcefully. He kept his voice down, cracked lips inches from ‘Choly’s ear. “Don’t make me go back in there. I get enough of that from you.”

-------------------

A/N: I anglicized the maiden name of Polish-French Marie Skłodowska-Curie, in the expectation that oral tradition would follow phonetically. (I also wanted to differentiate the Grand Mother from both Mother Curie III and FO4′s Curie, while still nodding to the historical figure.)

A/N: I’ve thus far gone all my life not knowing it’s pronounced Freh-nel or Fray-nel. Even my science teachers all pronounced it Fresnel. Hm.

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#fallout #children of atom #fallout 4 #fallout fanfic #fo4 fanfic #sole survivor #ghoul oc #mister handy #melancholy #sticks #angel #child of atom #hierosacristan bernadette fresnel #the anatomy of melancholy

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lipshinee · 4 years

Note

Any soft scenatios or headcanons with Lucifer or Mammon would be precious ^^ welcome to the obey fandom!!!

.Fluff scenario🥺🥺 Okay I chose Mammon bc I’m a simp for this man. It’s like the most cliché thing ever but I still loved writing it bc I’m a sucker for clichés. Ur first kiss w/ Mammon ♡

Warning: a lot of fluff and cheesy stuff

Mammon X reader

Adjusting your skirt, you stared at yourself in the mirror for a few seconds. Your outfits consisted of a light and tight crop-top, a black skater skirt accompanied by your black shoes. You didn’t really feel like wearing something fancy, today you were simply having a fun time with Asmo.

The vibration coming from your phone suddenly caught your attention. As Mammon’s name appeared on screen, your face quickly turned red. « Oi! What’s all that about you going out with Asmo?? » Startled, you didn’t have any time to respond before he sends you another message.

« Ya ain’t going anywhere without me around!! Like I would leave you alone with that pervert <(｀^´)> » You couldn’t help yourself but smile and giggle at his message.

You really can’t tell when you first started liking him. Maybe it was recent, maybe it was when he started getting all possessive with you, or maybe it was just the first time you saw him. However when you realized your little crush it was already too late, he was already firmly ingrained in your heart and there was no way getting him out of there. His smile, his loud laugh, his blue eyes, every single detail about him was intoxicating. It drove you crazy how much power he held over you, a single look from him and you would melt right then and there.

‘Pull yourself together!’ You reminded yourself and responded to him with a simple sticker. After learning that information, it was unavoidable for you to take a few more glances at the mirror before finally getting out of your room. Going down the stairs, you could already hear Mammon and Asmo bickering. « You can’t just invite yourself whenever you feel like it! »

Your laugh caught the attention of the two demons in front of you and they were both silents for a few seconds. Those seconds were all it took you to realize how breathtaking the avatar of Greed was. He was wearing his usual signature yellow jacket that fit him perfectly, his glasses were resting on his head and his white snowy hair was a bit messier than usual, which only made him more mesmerizing.

You must’ve stared for longer than usual because you noticed that Mammon started to get a bit flustered. « W-what are ya lookin’ at?! » You shook your head and responded that you were just spacing out. You could feel your heart pounding so loudly in your chest you were almost surprised no one was able to hear it.

« Darling you look so beautiful! » Asmo said while hugging you tightly. A huge smile appeared on your face, and just when you were about to wrap your arms around him, he was pulled out of your grasp. Mammon was behind the younger demon and was glaring at him. Within seconds, they were arguing once again. You rolled your eyes and stopped them by announcing :

« Can we please go? Otherwise, you’ll be done fighting by the time the mall closes. » You didn’t wait for them to respond and turned around walking towards the front door, they quickly joined you. You decided for a walk since the mall was a bit close and hoped for a peaceful stroll but your wish was quickly stopped by the usual screams of Mammon.

On your way there, you noticed a garden that was full of flowers that looked similar to the ones you had in the human realm. You began to daydream about your life before the Devildom and how it completely changed you as a person. They brought you happiness when you thought you were a hopeless cause, and you were endlessly thankful for that.

You stopped listening to the demons’ conversation a long time ago until Asmo’s sentence got you back to reality. « I don’t understand! If you like MC so much why don’t you ask them out yourself instead of barging into MY alone time with them?! » While Asmo first had an annoyed look on his face, his expression changed into amusement when he saw you and Mammon turning red from his comment.

« H-huh? W-what are ya talkin’ about?! Why would I like a mere human anyway? » He desperately tried to argue, but Asmo wasn’t born yesterday, he could obviously through crushes with ease. Needless to say, he also knew about your crush as well. Actually, it was obvious for about anyone but you two.

You were pretty silent about the whole thing. Looking down at the ground and playing with your fingers, you tried your best to ignore the situation that you couldn’t possibly handle. Staring at you, Asmo’s face lit up, and had you met his eyes, you would have known he was preparing a mischievous plan. Finally, the avatar of Lust sighs and replies with a sad tone :

« If you say so. » Mammon was a bit taken aback. No teasing? He would give up just like that? No way. The demon was suspicious of his brother but preferred to stay quiet. The rest of the walk was really quiet compared to the beginning which only confirmed Mammon’s suspicions.

The three of you were walking around the mall. It’s only been a few minutes since you got here but Asmo has already started to whine about going to Majolish. Not really surprising, it was the avatar of Lust we were talking about after all. Heading to the shop, you couldn’t help but notice the malicious smile Asmodeus kept wearing, and only grew wider once you got in front of the store. Entering Majolish, the demon started to pick random clothes and threw them in Mammon’s arms.

« What the actual hell are ya doin’?! » He was even more confused once Asmodeus pushed him towards the changing room.

« Shh, just try these out, I wanna see those on you! » Witnessing the scene in front of you was quite amusing, even though you were just as puzzled as Mammon. Once he was in the fitting room, Asmo turned around and winked at you. « Well, I guess I have to go now. » What? What was he talking about? You must’ve seemed baffled because he sighed and continued :

« I pushed Mammon over there because otherwise, he wouldn’t have let me go, he doesn’t have the guts to stay alone with you. This way you can finally get the little date you always wanted to have! If he asks anything, just say something came up. »

Bewildered, you weren’t able to place a single word as he mumbled: « I’m way too nice. » and waved at you before leaving you alone. Shit. Your thoughts were racing as the anxiety kept rising. What were you supposed to do now? You weren’t ready for this! You weren’t even sure if Mammon really did like you! ‘Maybe I should just leave as well? Maybe we can just leave the mall right now?’ But the familiar voice behind you stopped all of your reflections.

« There ya go! Obviously, the great Mammon looks amazin’ in any-...Oi, where did he go?? » You turned around and looked at him only to be left breathless. Fuck. To make matters worse, the clothes he was trying on fit him like a charm. His button-down shirt had a few buttons undone which revealed the top of his chest, his skin-tight black jean which showed you perfectly the shape of his ass left you drooling all over him for a while. Mammon practically had to clear his throat for you to raise your head and look into his eyes.

« U-uh, he left. He...he had to go, something came up. » Mammon didn’t seem too phased at first and just replied: « Oh. » Then it hit him and his calm face rapidly turned to a worried look. Oh. He was going to be alone with you.

You both didn’t say anything for what felt like hours. It’s not that you didn’t have anything else to say, you had so many things you wanted to say but nothing was able to come out of your mouths. Finally, the demon ended up saying :

« O-oh, well I guess it’s yer lucky fay! Some people would kill to have me all for themselves for a day, ya know! » He claimed with a confident smile even though you could clearly see the nervousness in his eyes. You were a bit relaxed by the fact that both of you were apprehensive about spending some time alone. Mammon ended up going back to the fitting room in order to change into his own clothes. When you finally got out of the store, the atmosphere felt tense. What are you supposed to say right now? Your mind was clouded with endless speculations and doubts, you couldn't think of a single topic to chat about. Peering at the demon, it was clear he was in the same situation.

Bur for once in your life, you wanted to be bold. What did tou have to lose anyway? You knew you would regret it for to rest of your life if you didn’t take this chance Asmo gave you. Biting the inside of your cheeks, you went ahead and held his hand. His hand felt so warm and so big compared to yours, god it took all of your willpower to not melt instantly. He was the only one able to make you feel like this, he was the only one able to cause this warm feeling in your chest that was always so overwhelming. A single touch from him was enough to make your day, and it drove you crazy.

« W-what are ya doin' right now?! » It was the only thing he could add. As if speaking without stuttering wasn't already hard enough for him, the poor demon was now a blushing mess. You found him so adorable, his eyes were fixated on your hands and the silence didn't feel so awkward this time. Walking around the mall like this made you realize just how much you liked him, you wanted to hold his hand like this every day, you wanted to be in his arms cuddling every night, you simply wanted to be his. After all, he's the reason for your smile. He's the one for you. He's your first man. With him, you felt like you belonged somewhere as long as he was next to you.

Your eyes widened when you sensed him intertwining your fingers together. This time, you were the one freaking out. Especially when he turned you so you could face him. With his other hand, he held your chin with his fingers and approached his face towards yours. He was so close to you, you were certain he was able to hear your loud heartbeat.

« I...I want to kiss you. » His electric blue eyes were piercing through yours, like he was waiting for an answer from you. ‘Can he get any more adorable than this?’ Smiling at him, you nodded your head. And without another word, he kissed you. At first, your mind blanked out from the surprise. His soft lips were the only thing you could focus on. The world around you stopped for a moment, and, just for the time of this kiss, you both were in your little bubble. As if life in itself paused just for the two of you to enjoy every single bit of that kiss.

For so long, you had sleepless nights dreaming of this day, and now that it was finally happening, you had a hard time believing it. It was so gentle yet enough to make your heart explode from his touch. You loved this feeling so much, you were drunk from this warm feeling only he could give you. And when he kissed you, you could feel the reciprocity of his feelings. He liked you as well, the avatar of Greed himself liked you and absolutely nothing could make you happier.

Finally, he pulled away from you, and though you didn’t say it out loud, you were very clearly saddened by it. Noticing it, Mammon laughed and gave you a quick peck on the lips.

« C’mon! Let’s buy some matching stuff. » He said with a huge smile on his face.

And you couldn’t help but notice that during the whole afternoon at the mall, he didn’t let go of your hand a single time. He was hanging to it like his life was on the line if he let go of it, you kept biting your lower lips to stop yourself from giggling like a middle schooler.

You spent hours in the mall, checking every single store available and laughing so hard your stomach started to hurt. You were happy. And he was the reason for it.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me characters #obey me x reader #obey me imagines #obey me fluff #lucifer #mammon #leviathan #satan #asmodeus #beelzebub #belphegor

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seungcheolsbodyharness · 3 years

Text

warnings: theft, breaking and entering, religious undertones, demons, bodily manipulation, kidnapping

wc: 4.5 k

when you look throughout history, you can easily see how greed - for power, for money, for control - has lead to countless downfalls. the romans, the ottomans, napoleon, thousands of names attached to the idea that eventually, taking too much and hoarding it for yourself will eventually bring about an end.

especially when you take that which you were never meant to have.

they say those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it.

you like to consider yourself a fairly average person. you have a good job, you have good friends, an apartment that’s a little smaller than you’d like but is all yours, and every now and then you like to do something new. something fun.

even if your friends tell you that what you consider fun is what they consider boring, but it doesn’t matter much to you. you enjoy yourself, even if you’re still staying inside your comfort zone. you try to reason that eating somewhere new and taking cooking classes are fun, laughing goodnaturedly when they roll their eyes.

“you should try something really new.” they’ll tell you. “something you’ve never done before.”

you were surprised when a coworker had asked you to go speed-dating with her. not unpleasantly, of course, but surprised nonetheless. it was just the sort of thing your friends would push you to do, and you’ve never considered yourself to be shy, so you agree.

which is how you find yourself sitting in a crowded restaurant, sitting in a long line at a long table, and across from a similarly long line of men. men you don’t know, have never met before, and will only speak to for maybe five minutes before your time together ends and they move on to the next person.

all the men you’ve met so far have been nice enough - save for a few who most certainly were not - but definitely not the type of guys you’d be interested in dating. which is fine, you’re here to have fun and meet people more than find a new boyfriend.

that’s how you feel, at least, until the buzzer sounds and the last man of the night slides into the chair across from you. he’s tall and slim, black hair short, his face youthful in a way that makes you wonder if he’s even old enough to be in this bar, and when he smiles at you he reminds you a little bit of that one emoji.

“hi!” he says, “my name is hansol.” he scratches at a spot behind his ear, nodding attentively when you tell him your name. “have you had any fun with this? this isn’t really my kind of thing, but my boss thought it’d be good for me to branch out, so...here i am.” he ends with a laugh and you can’t help but laugh with him, it’s so infectious.

“yeah,” you agree, “a coworker asked me to come with her and then she ended up getting crazy sick, but i was already here so i figured why not, yknow?” hansol nods and takes a sip of his beer and you take the chance to ask if he’s even old enough for that, smile teasing.

he laughs. “i’m thousands of years old, thank you very much.” you laugh loudly at that, nearly doubling over onto the table.

“oh, oh man i’m sorry,” you say, breathless. “honestly, i’m really here because my friends think i’m boring.”

“no,” hansol has the decency to sound shocked. “i mean, we’ve only just met but you don’t seem boring at all. and what kind of friends are they to say that anyway?”

“it’s fine, i know they don’t really mean it.” you wave your hand, almost to wave away the idea that your friends would say something like that in an attempt to be malicious. “but they’re kind of right. i pride myself on doing new things, but even the new things are always kind of safe. i’ve just...always done the safe thing, i guess.”

“well, if you want.” hansol hands you the small, laminated menu the waitress had set down before anyone had arrived. “you should take this.”

you snort at the suggestion, turning the menu over in your hand. “and what will that do, exactly?”

“taking things you’re not supposed to is exciting, isn’t it?” he offers, shoving his own menu into his coat pocket. “i have a...collection of things i definitely shouldn’t have.” he whispers, smile wide.

you raise an eyebrow at him. “what are you, a klepto?”

he chuckles. “i prefer to think of myself as...a collector of priceless items.”

you roll your eyes. “priceless as in you haven’t paid for them.”

“yes, exactly.” he smirks, shrugging his shoulders. “maybe you should come out with me one day. see how exciting it can be.”

you narrow your eyes at him. “are you inviting me on a date to watch you steal?”

he shrugs again. “only if you’d like. i could teach you to dine and dash, too, but i’m not as big on that as my one friend. and man, can he eat. i prefer the tangible stuff.”

you tell yourself it’s a terrible idea. scream it internally, really.

it doesn’t keep you from giving him your number after the final buzzer sounds, and telling him to call.

there’s a bit of a glint in his eyes when he tells you he will.

the call comes a few weeks later, when hansol asks you to meet him at a coffee shop across the street from a shopping mall.

“hey there.” he greets you, smile lopsided and nearly a smirk as he waves to you from a table near the back. “i wasn’t sure you were gonna show up.”

you shrug and join him, taking a sip from the latte you’d ordered. “so….what’s on your not-shopping list today?”

he laughs. “nothing too big. i would hate for you to get too nervous and make a mistake, you know.”

you raise an eyebrow. “see, hansol, i’m just here to watch. that's what we agreed upon. i'm not planning on doing any...shopping.”

hansol hums and his eyes roll back, thoughtful. “i guess i did say that, huh? fine. but once this is over you'll wish you'd made a grab too.” he finishes his coffee and stands. “shall we?”

you shrug and look at him with what you hope is nonchalance, but truthfully your heart begins to pick up speed as you follow him through the shop and out the door, coffee cup clutched almost too tightly in your hands.

you hope it's not too obvious when they start to shake, but hansol must notice because he smiles at you softly and takes one of your hands in his. he squeezes gently as you walk across the parking lot and into the food court, thumb running over the back of your hand as he walks up to the directory.

“what, you didn't already have a place in min?” you ask, but he ignores you in favor of continuing to scan over the map before pulling you in the direction of a crowded department store.

“so.” he asks, “you like diamonds?”

you stop moving immediately and stare at him in shock. he doesn't look back until he feels the resistance via the hand he still held.

“what?” he looks bored and slightly irritated. “not everyone likes diamonds. maybe you're more into amethyst, pearls, rubies even. that's why i'm asking.”

“i don't want anything. especially nothing gaudy and….” you lean towards him and whisper, “conspicuous.”

he rolls his eyes and smiles. “another time then. come on.” he tugs you forward and towards a line of scarves, gloves, purses.

a woman approaches, no doubt to ask if you're in need of any help, but hansol fixes her with a glare that sends her scurrying off in another direction. you think you see his eyes go black, but you chalk it up to the nerves eating away at your stomach.

“hansol.” you whisper, “i don’t think i want to do this anymore.”

he looks at you from the corner of his eye, brows raised. “too much excitement for you already? maybe we should start somewhere else.” he scans the store quickly and nods. “yeah, nothing i really want here anyway. come on.” he leads you in the direction from which you came, back out into the hallway of the mall itself.

“you hungry? some food will probably settle your stomach.”

you narrow your eyes at him and pout. “i never said anything about my stomach.”

hansol rolls his eyes. “your hands are shaking, and you’re obviously nervous, and nerves tend to be bad for the stomach. let’s go eat something.”

you sigh and let him lead you back towards the food court. you settle on pizza, and sit together in one of the tables surrounded by a wall of plastic plants. “can i ask you something?”

hansol nods, mouth full of food, and gestures for you to go ahead.

“why do you like to steal?” it’s something that’s been on your mind since you met him, nagging at the back corners of your brain as you tried and tried to come up with a reason for him to be so interested in having things he shouldn’t have. “i’ve been trying to understand but i just...can’t.”

hansol swallows and takes a sip from his drink, leaning back in his chair. “i just like it. it’s fun.”

“it’s fun.” you try to put as much bored disbelief into your tone as possible. “i find that hard to believe. i’m nearly having an anxiety attack just thinking about it.”

he giggles. “that’s because you’ve never done it. if you’d just let me help you, you’ll see how fun it is. how good it feels. it’s like the best damn high you’ve ever had.”

“i...i’ve never been high.” you tell him, slice of pizza raised to your mouth.

he smiles. “then i think this is exactly what you need.”

you swallow, the food in your mouth feeling like nothing more than a hard lump in your throat. “i - i don’t know…”

“something small, easy, i promise.” he takes your hands in his and looks directly into your eyes and you feel your nerves melt away. “i won’t let anything happen to you. you see, i never get caught. and i don’t intend to start now.”

slowly, dumbly, you nod. it seems easier to just listen to him, you think. you finish your food and you find that he was right, it really did make your stomach feel better. “okay.” you tell him. “i think i’m ready.” his smile is wide and bright as you continue, “but it has to be small. very, very small.”

he nods. “of course. i have the perfect thing in mind.”

hansol takes you across the mall to the craft store. “there’s plenty of teeny, tiny things in here that no one will notice have gone missing.” he says quietly, leading you down an aisle of yarns. “at least until they do inventory.”

you frown up at him, not pleased by his joke, and continue down the aisle without him, eyes scanning for something small, but also loose - something out of a bin, nothing packaged, but also nothing that was out in view of everything else. you had enough common sense to realize that without hansol’s advice.

then you spot it.

at the end of the aisle, there’s a bin full of small foam animals - really small, smaller than even the palm of your hand. easily shoved into a coat pocket or purse. you let the sleeve of your sweater fall down over your hand and hover your sleeve-covered hand over the toys, gripping just enough to grab one as your hand finishes its skim over the top. you bring your hand back to your side, the tiny toy nestled safely in your clenched fist, then slipped quickly into your purse. you scratch the barcode sticker from the tummy of the toy and stick it to the back of a display.

you slowly make your way back to hansol, who’s looking at a row of paint brushes that cost more than you’d have thought reasonable, but that didn’t matter.

“hansol, i - i don’t want to do this. let’s just leave.” you fiddle with your hands and don’t meet his eyes, so you hear him sigh, and can almost feel his eyes rolling.

“alright, let’s go.” you look up at him through your eyelashes, and he gives you a small smile. “don’t worry about it. it’s cool.”

you feel your heart pounding in your chest as you approach the exit, hands trembling where they hide in your sleeves, but you keep your face stoic and even as you step through the security measures just before the doors.

nothing happens.

you walk back to your car with hansol, and you lean against the hood, watching him pace. he’s clearly a little disappointed, probably having hoped to get more done this afternoon. “i’m sorry, hansol.”

he opens his mouth to tell you once again that it’s fine, but you hold up a hand to stop him.

“what i mean is i’m sorry this is all i could get.” you reach into your purse and pull out the toy, a tiny foam whale nestled in your palm. a smile spreads wide across your face, and your heart is beating no longer with fear but excitement.

hansol looks down at the toy in your hand and smirks. “you played me pretty good, huh?”

your smile grows and your hands shake as you speak. “yeah, yeah i did, huh? oh, oh man it was like - like my heart, yknow, it was beating so hard, and i couldn’t stop thinking about what might happen, but then i just did it, yknow, and i peeled the sticker off and - and i stuck it somewhere, but - but you know how sometimes -”

hansol rubs his hands up and down your arms, telling you to breathe, and you take in a heaving breath, cheeks almost sore from smiling, heart still pounding. “so, how do you feel?”

you laugh, sound bubbling out of you as you shrug your shoulders. “you know what, i don’t really know! i just feel - i dunno, tingly? excited? like i’m ready to run a marathon? oh man, i just feel - a lot, i guess.” you giggle some more and hansol laughs back, hands moving down to hold yours.

“i’m glad you had so much fun.” there’s a softness in his eyes that you want to write off as being fond, but you don’t want to make any assumptions. “you wanna go get dinner? i’ll pay, everything above board, i promise.”

you hum, rocking back and forth and your heels. “um, yeah, hansol, i think i’d like that.”

he squeezes your hands and smiles, begins rattling off restaurants he wants to take you to.

hansol takes you on more dates, mostly dinner, but occasionally he’ll mention wanting to bring you along on another one of his...outings. you shrug - the adrenaline kick had been nice, but not addicting, and you haven’t been able to bring yourself to steal anything since that first time.

the two of you are strolling through the park, bundled in sweaters and scarves to ward off the winter air.

“i want you to come with me tonight. it’s not a big deal, no big job or anything, but it’d make me feel good to have you there.” his thumb rubs over your hand, swings it back and forth between you two.

you hum, mulling it over in your mind. “what kind of….job, is it exactly?”

he hums back, “well, ‘job’ makes it sound like i have someone else telling me what to do, and it’s not like that. it’s more like i just see something i want, and i figure out how to take it.”

“okay, so what is it you want to take?”

hansol smiles, eyes shining. “just some jewelry. some art, maybe.”

you peer up at him, eyes narrowed. “art?”

“yeah, you know - paintings, sculptures, maybe you’ve heard of them?” he’s smirking and you wish it didn’t make him look more handsome so that you could be more irritated at him. you make up for it by smacking at his arm.

“of course i know what art is, you asshole.” you sigh. “fine, i guess i can come along.”

his smirk softens. “looking forward to it. i’ll pick you up tonight, late, so try to take a nap.” he leans down and kisses your forehead and you laugh.

“yeah, sounds like a plan, i guess.”

you want to say no to him. you really, really do. but you don’t, and late that night there’s a gentle knock on your door. you’ve dressed yourself in all black, worn your most comfortable shoes. you open the door and hansol’s beautiful smile greets you, but there’s something...off about him tonight. you can’t put your finger on it though, and follow him out to his car.

the two of you drive along in silence, one of hansol’s hands interlocked with yours.

“tell me again.” you say softly. “why do you do what you do?”

hansol doesn’t really reply, just hums. he takes his hand from yours, and puts it on the steering wheel so he can put his other hand out of the window.

“i just do it because i want it. yknow? i see something i want, so i take it. i want something, so i have to have it.” his voice is soft. dark.

you nod, wrapping your arms around yourself to ward off the wind from the open window. “where are we going?”

“you’ll see.”

you frown. “it’s not like i’m going to blab about it to anyone.”

in the dark, you could swear that you can see the glint of hansol’s teeth. he glances over at you, and you see eyes that aren’t human. goosebumps rise up your arms and you shut your eyes tight, pressing the backs of your palms into them to rid yourself of the vision. you open them again, and hansol’s eyes are back on the road.

maybe, you think to yourself, you really should have taken that nap.

the drive comes to an end maybe half an hour later - hansol pulls into the driveway of a large house, all dark windows and doors, cars parked neatly in front of the house. other than being a bit larger than normal, it really seemed like any other house.

hansol parks and gets out of the car, waiting for you to follow suit.

“this isn’t what i was expecting,” you whisper, leaning against the hood while hansol scrolls through his phone.

“what were you expecting?” he responds, not taking his eyes off the screen. “that i bring you to a museum? oh no. not this job.”

your skin crawls. “you said we were here for….jewels? art?”

he hums. “i’m here....” he trails off, begins walking up the driveway towards the door. “i’m here for a trumpet.”

you narrow your eyes at him. “a trumpet?”

he looks back at you, but you can’t see his eyes in the dark. “it’s…part of a collection, you could say.”

you shrug your shoulders and follow him onto the porch. you’re expecting him to do, well, something to the door, but he just....twists the handle and the door slides open without a sound.

he looks back at you over his shoulder, eyes shining as the moon comes out from behind the clouds. a breeze rushes past, ruffling your hair and making no noise. hansol motions for you to follow him, and you do.

the house is silent as he leads you through the halls, the house much larger than it appeared even from the outside. despite the dark, he seemed to know exactly where he was going as he began to climb the stairs up to the second floor. you slow your steps, hesitant, but suddenly there’s a tugging from just below your navel and you catch up to hansol quickly.

“stay close.” he whispers. “it’s in this next room.”

you reach the top of the stairs and right in front of you there is an entrance to a room, barely lit with moonlight through a large window.

“go in.” hansol directs you. “you’ll know it when you see it.”

“wait.” you whisper harshly. “why do i have to go in and get it?”

“just do it.” hansol’s voice is loud and dark and you whip your head around, heart pounding as you look to see if he’s alerted anyone. you wait, and wait, but nothing and no one comes.

“no one can hear me but you.” hansol says, “now go and get the trumpet.”

you don’t have time to dwell on his words before the tugging behind your navel comes again, dragging you forward into the room step by awkward step, feet moving with a mind of their own. your heart pounds harder than you can ever remember, eyes frantically scanning the walls in the dim light. you catch a gleam of something from the corner of your eye, turning slowly to see the light from the moon bouncing off of something unlike any instrument you’ve ever seen before.

and yet, somewhere inside you, you know that this is exactly what hansol is looking for. shaking, without even thinking, your hands move up and grasp the trumpet, removing it from the shelf as slowly as you can so you don’t disturb anything else on display.

the second you hold the trumpet against your chest, the room floods with light. your eyes flash up to hansol, standing just outside the doorway, back away from you. you can see that not just the room but the stairway, likely the entire house, is now alight. your only thought is that you’ve been discovered, but hansol doesn’t seem to be too perturbed which only frightens you more. you hurry to him, shoving the stupid trumpet into his arms, and he smiles at you.

his eyes are black and his mouth is full of knife-sharp teeth.

“thanks, babe.” he says. except his mouth never opens to form words. you think back to what he told you before you entered the display room.

“no one can hear me but you.”

“what are you?” you whisper, unable to move. you can’t be sure if it’s from fear or something...else.

“i don’t know if you really want that answer.” his voice fills your head, making his way back down the stairs. your body follows. you can hear the pounding of steps and voices yelling from behind and above you, but hansol just continues moving forward until the two of you are back in his car.

“now, now.” he says as he starts the car. “there’s no reason to cry.”

you hadn’t realized that you were. shaking, your hands put on your seatbelt as he pulls down the driveway. “what are you?”

he doesn’t answer, just continues driving down the road, back towards town. you start to cry, sobs wracking your chest. your hands shake, and you scream, and you want nothing more than to throw yourself from the car and get away from him. but aside from the shaking, you cannot make any part of your body move towards freedom.

“don’t bother.” hansol says. his voice is harsher, a warped version of what you’d heard in knowing him. “i’m not letting you go anywhere anytime soon. you see, there are...places i can’t get into because of what i am. you, on the other hand - human, pure. you can go anywhere. the angels wards would never be alerted by you. not until we’re already gone.”

“what the fuck do you mean, angels?” your voice comes out shaky and torn, throat raw from screaming.

he looks over at you and smiles, mouth still full of knives. “you asked me what i am, didn’t you?” he laughs and your hair stands up on end. “i’m most certainly not an angel.”

“i want to go home.” you whisper, feeling terrified and broken. “please let me go home, i won’t tell anyone what happened. i swear.”

he laughs again. “of course you aren’t going to tell anyone.” he leans over and presses his lips to yours. “not if you want to stay alive.”

you scream. you wonder if you’ll ever be able to stop screaming out your fear and anguish.

he doesn’t take you home. instead the two of you keep driving, until you can no longer keep your eyes open.

when you awake, you find yourself in a bed in a room, surrounded by piles and piles of...stuff, ranging from unworn clothes to books to art, sculptures and paintings alike.

as weird as your surroundings are, all you can focus on is the pain in your throat - the screaming and sobbing had done a number on you. it was the only thing that reminded you this was not a dream.

you slowly pull yourself from the bed, towards what you hope is a bathroom. you open the door and step inside, turning on the sink and watching the water run red. you sigh, unable to feel anything but hopelessness. you turn the sink off and shut the door behind you, walking back into the bedroom and towards the other door, moving slowly around the things that littered the floor.

you open the door and find more piles in the hallway. you walk forward, down the hall, listening to what sounds like a tv playing and following the sound.

you find hansol, seated on some sort of throne, eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

“how nice of you to join me, pet.” he smirks. his teeth are normal, now. his eyes are not.

“i need water.” you force out. “real water.”

he says nothing, but hands you a glass filled with what appears to be water. you sniff it, find it normal enough, and drink. your throat feels instantly better, almost miraculously so.

“where am i? why is there so much...shit?”

hansol barks out a laugh. “my things are not shit, pet.”

“i’m not your -”

“you’re in my home. my home in the human plane, anyway. you wouldn’t be much use to me if i took you to hell. your soul would be tarnished and the angels would see you right away.”

“i’m not your pet.” you mumble.

“fine.” he shrugs. “assistant, then. point is, you’re not going anywhere until i find the last trumpet.”

you narrow your eyes at him. “what do you even need these ugly ass trumpets for?”

he turns to you, smiling wide, all-black eyes crinkling. “tell me. what do you know about the end of days?”

your blood runs cold.

you wish you’d never gone to that speed date.

#Seventeen #seventeen fanfic #svt fanfic #svt imagines #seventeen imagines #chwe vernon #chwe hansol #svt vernon #seventeen vernon

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little-fam-ily · 4 years

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A Place To Call Home (Fam ILY) Chapter 2

Read it on ao3 Rating: T Warnings: Age regression, mentioned abuse

Taglist: @bunny222

Summary: Logan doesn’t feel things. That is, until he meets Patton. How far is he willing to go for this new boy his heart swells for? Patton’s friend Virgil puts that to the test.

Logan was never one for indulging his emotions. All his life he was taught to repress them, push them deep down inside and never let them come to the surface. Emotions made you vulnerable, weak, prone to manipulation. And he never wanted to seem like he could be manipulated. He needed to be strong, and be able to face whatever came his way. That meant sacrificing feeling, hurting, being. Emotions weren’t necessary anyway.

Then he met Patton. It was a pretty slow day at the bookshop, which was saying something since they were tucked away in the corner of a rarely visited strip mall. Come to think of it, Patton was probably the only customer that day. The only one that mattered, anyway.

The bell rang, and as soon as the boy walked in, Logan was absolutely smitten. At least, that’s what he guessed that he was feeling, since he hadn’t really felt it before now.

He was on the short, chubby side, with a mop of curly blonde hair on his head, and clear blue eyes that could be seen from a mile away. With every step he took the room seemed to glow a little bit brighter, and Logan swore he started hearing birds chirping in the distance.

The boy peeked around for a bit, an awed smile plastered over his face. “Oh, hello there! I’m Patton!” He held out his hand, after noticing Logan behind the counter.

The world seemed to stop for a second. All Logan could process was Patton’s bright smile. He forgot how to breathe, he forgot how to think, and he was always thinking.

“L-Logan.” He managed to stutter out, taking Patton’s hand. It was soft, and warm.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Logan!” Patton smiled. “So, I’m looking for a new cookbook, and I thought of going to Bookman’s, but I always go there and they never seem to have new stuff, so I just thought I’d look at some other places in town, and…”

Everything else around Logan started to blur, including Patton’s voice. He was only able to focus on the way Patton’s mouth moved and hands wavered when he talked. He was getting lightheaded, and knots were forming in his stomach.

“Wow, I really love this place, it’s so cozy!” Patton giggled, having moved further into the store. That snapped Logan’s attention back to reality, and they stared at each other for a few moments.

“I’m sorry, you wanted a cookbook, you said?” Logan said, stepping up from behind the counter. He led Patton over to that section, a little corner near the back of the store.

Patton looked thoroughly through the shelves, inspecting each book to find what he was looking for. He muttered things to himself occasionally. “No, nuh-uh, already have that one…”

Then he let out an excited gasp, eyes settling on an old, worn out, vintage looking book with a leather cover and frayed edges. He flipped through it, looking with awe at the hand-written recipes.

“Oh my gosh, this is perfect! Thank you so much!” He squealed happily, eyes and smile bright. Logan furrowed his brows. “But I didn’t, write the book-”

“Well, no, but you helped me find it! That wouldn’t have happened without you! So thank you.” Patton smiled genuinely, holding the book close to his chest.

Logan’s face flushed a bright red, even redder than it had been all morning. He cleared his throat. “It was no problem, I was just doing my job.” He stated, trying to come off as nonchalant and relaxed, and failing miserably.

Patton caught on to the way he was crushing, with his eyes glossed over and his mouth agape only slightly. “You know, I’ve been really busy lately, but I managed to get some free time, actually tomorrow, so if you’re free, then, maybe we could do something together?”

Logan’s breath hitched. His heart shot up to his throat. “Y-you mean, l-like a, a date?”

“Well, it doesn't HAVE to be a date, but if you want it to be, then, yeah! It’s a date!”

Logan felt like he was gonna pass out. “S-Sure, yeah, t-totally. D-Do you wanna get coffee? Coffee’s a good, date thing, right?”

“Oh, well, I’m not a big fan of coffee, I’d much prefer tea.” Patton smiled nervously.

“Oh, oh yeah, me too.” Logan adjusted his glasses, glancing away. “I don’t know why I said coffee, it was a dumb idea.”

“Well, I CAN like coffee, it just has to be filled with other sweet stuff, like chocolate or caramel or whip cream. Like those really fancy frappuccinos at Starbucks! Although, Starbucks would be too basic, and expensive…”

Patton trailed off in thought, then gasped. “Oh, I know the perfect place! It’s this quaint little coffee shop downtown who also has a great selection of teas. I’m friends with the owner's son! Here, let me write it down.”

He grabbed a miniature notebook and pen from his back pocket and scribbled down an address, tearing the page off and handing it to Logan. “I’m free tomorrow at noon! Does that sound good?”

Logan blinked, looking down at the note in front of him. Oh god, even his handwriting was perfect. “S-Sure, yeah. I can fit in some time.”

Patton smiled. “Great! I’ll see ya then! Here, let me pay for this.”

They walked up to the counter together, Logan almost grasping Patton’s hand. Almost.

Logan took the book, ringing it up and handing it to Patton. “Here you go.” He said with a small smile, admiring Patton’s freckles.

“Thanks! Have a great day! See you tomorrow!” Patton waved, basically skipping out of the store, book in his arms.

Logan let out a breath. Now that he was gone, there was this empty feeling growing in his chest, and his vision did not stop clouding over. What the hell was that?

This was wrong, this was all wrong. Logan didn’t fall in love, especially not at first sight. It was something that just wasn’t done. But the way that his heart was hammering in his chest, the way he could feel his face getting redder and redder, it was getting pretty hard to ignore.

No, he couldn’t let this happen. He composed himself, straightening his tie and going back to his work. But soon his thoughts started to drift back to that curly haired boy with the golden freckled and baby blue eyes.

It was gonna be a pretty hard day tomorrow.

Logan woke up early that day, barely getting any sleep the night before. He got dressed in his best dress shirt and tie, and after his shift, stepped out in the hot sun to meet Patton at the coffee shop, preparing himself for any more waves of those dumb feelings.

When he arrived at the place, it took a moment for him to find Patton, since it was so crowded already. But once Patton spotted him he waved him down. “Hey Logan!”

Patton ran up to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the counter. Logan was startled, but followed as fast as he could.

“Logan, this is my friend, Remy! He’s the owner’s son!” He motioned to the man behind the counter. He had a leather jacket and dark sunglasses. Logan wondered why he would need sunglasses inside.

“Sup.” Remy greeted nonchalantly. He was leaning on the counter, looking at Logan through his glasses. “Hello.” Logan responded, still wondering about those damn sunglasses.

“Well, I know what I want! Logan?” Patton said, turning to him. Logan was snapped out of his train of thought, then looked at the menu. “Um, just a black tea, please. Cream, no sugar.”

“Okay! I’d like, let’s see…” Patton took some time, eyes scanning the chalkboard. “Oh! I’d like a honeydew with popping boba please!”

Logan’s brows furrowed. “Boba?”

Patton gasped. “You’ve never had boba tea before?!” Logan shook his head, still a bit confused.

“Oh man, you’ve got to try some! Here, make that two orders of the boba.” Patton turned to Remy. “Coming right up.” He said, taking down their orders and handing it to the baristas.

“Oh, Patton, you didn’t have to-”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll pay for it!” Patton smiled. Logan was taken aback. He always thought that he would be the one to pay for everything if he ever went on dates, which he thought would never happen, but he was grateful nonetheless.

They got their drinks and sat down, Patton looking out the window. “Yah know, my friend Virgil and I love coming to this place.” He said, taking a sip of his tea.

“Do you?” Logan asked, taking a sip of his black tea as well.

“Yeah! He’s been really busy lately. I wonder if he’s doing okay…” Patton trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

Logan hummed, then looked down at his two drinks. “So, what’s up with this, boba?”

“Oh, right! Well, boba tea is like any other cold tea really, it just has these little tapioca pearls at the bottom! They can also be popping boba, different types of jellies, it can be all sorts of things really!”

Patton continued on, rambling about all the different combinations of flavors and toppings. Logan just stared, smiling slightly. He didn’t catch everything Patton was saying, but tried to listen as intently as possible.

“So? Are you gonna try it?” Patton asked, snapping Logan out of his thoughts. He hummed. “I suppose so.”

And with that, he took a sip of the boba. The pearls shot into his mouth, along with the sweetness of the tea. He cringed slightly, getting used to chewing on the pearls.

“It’s really sweet.” He commented, managing to swallow it all down. Patton frowned slightly. “Do you still like it?”

Logan thought about it for a minute. “While I’m not used to it, and it’s a bit too sweet, and chewy, for my liking, I guess there is some novelty in it, so I can appreciate it at least.”

Patton smiled, a goofy look in his eye. “I guess it’s not really your cup of tea then?”

Logan’s brows furrowed, then sighed in understanding. “Yes, I get it, very funny.”

Patton broke out into laughter. Logan couldn’t help but smile as well. Maybe, maybe he could do this whole dating thing after all.

It had been almost a month since then. Logan pulled into the parking lot, locking his car and walking towards Patton’s apartment. He was supposed to work late that day, but he got off early, and decided to try and do something romantic for him. This was romantic, right?

He slid his key in the lock; Patton had given it to him a few days earlier. He stepped in, trying to be quiet. He definitely heard Patton, but it seemed like he was, talking to someone?

Then he heard the second voice, which was sort of familiar. He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but their voices seemed frantic and nervous.

“Logan! You’re home!” Patton smiled anxiously, peeking from the bedroom. “Weren’t you supposed to be working late?”

“Yes, but I was able to get off early.” Logan said, suspicious. “Is there anything wrong?”

“Nope! Nothing wrong at all!” Patton laughed, trying and failing to keep up his cheery guise. Logan rolled his eyes, walking towards the bedroom, ignoring Patton’s protests. “Wait, Logan, don’t!”

Logan stopped in the doorway. There he saw a small boy curled up in the corner between the bed and the wall, trying to hide himself from Logan. There were coloring books and crayons sprawled all over the floor, and a sippy cup tipped over next to them.

Logan squinted his eyes in recognition. “Virgil?” The boy looked up for a second, eyes wide, then avoided his gaze, shutting his eyes in fear.

“Look, Logan, can I talk to you for a sec?” Patton gently pulled him aside. “Remember the thing that I talked to you about? Where I act like a kid sometimes to handle stress?”

“Ah, yes, age regression, I remember.” Logan recalled the conversation, and recalled that as long as it was helping Patton he supported it.

“Well, Virgil does it too.” Patton admitted. “I’m kind of his caregiver. I didn’t tell you because he doesn’t like people knowing. I’m actually the only one that knew until you came home today.”

Logan blinked. “Why wouldn’t he want anyone knowing. I mean, I understand privacy, but if it’s helping with his stress then it shouldn’t be looked down upon.”

“I know, that’s what I keep trying to tell him! He just has a lot of trust issues.” Patton lowered his voice. “His parents were really neglectful, and kind of abusive. Not to mention he had to deal with a toxic ex a while ago.”

Logan let out a breath of realization. “Ah, I see. Well, if it’s that bad, then I can understand how he isn’t prepared to deal with people. May I talk with him?”

“If he’s up for talking, then I guess you could try.”

Logan stepped in carefully, not making any sudden movements. “Virgil? May I talk to you?”

The boy shook his head vigorously, still avoiding eye contact. Logan sighed, bending down to his level. “I promise, I won’t do or say anything that’s going to hurt you.”

Virgil looked up slowly, but couldn’t keep eye contact for long. “Don’, don’ wanna…”

“I know you don’t want to, and I know that it’s scary. But I’d like to talk with you now so there are no unresolved issues. Do you understand?”

Virgil tried, but shook his head. “Gonna, gonna hate me…” He sobbed, tears spilling down his cheeks.

“Oh Virgil.” Logan sighed. “I assure you that I will not, nor ever, hate you. If regressing is something that brings you comfort and healing, then I am one hundred percent supportive of it. In fact, I am willing to help out, with whatever you need me for.”

Virgil looked up at him, eyes wide in disbelief. Patton had caught that bit of conversation too, and quietly gasped, starting to smile.

“Really?” Virgil asked. Logan nodded. “Really.”

Patton couldn’t contain his excitement any longer. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” He exclaimed, running up to Logan and hugging him from behind.

“Of course.” Logan smiled, turning around to face Patton. “When I said I would be there for you, I meant it. Whatever you need me for, I will be here. And if that means taking care of you, both of you, then I will do it gladly.”

Patton smiled wide, tears forming in his eyes. “You’re the best, Logan.” He said, hugging him tighter.

They broke their hug, Patton now turning to Virgil. “See, baby bat? He’s here for you, just like I am. Do you wanna give him a hug? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Virgil thought about it, but in the end shaking his head no, still hiding his face. Logan nodded. “It’s fine, I understand. If you need me to leave, I will.”

Surprisingly, Virgil shook his head no to that too. Logan blinked, taken aback. “You want me to stay?”

Virgil nodded his head, looking up at him. Patton smiled at the two, pulling them close. “I love you guys so much!”

Virgil and Logan glanced at each other, a mutual understanding between them. Maybe this could work out after all.

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popculturebuffet · 3 years

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The Loud House Reviews: The Cow-Pie Kid and Saved by the Spell

Welcome back Loudiacs.. I .. don’t know what the fandom calls themselves. And given I dont’ know anyone personally in the fandom and the going into the tag is like living in a living nightmare.. it’s easier to keep workshopping a name till either someone tells me or I find one that sounds right. Loudites.. there we go that didn’t take long. Point is we’re back in The Loud House, In The Loud House for the first regular coverage, i.e. when I cover a show as It comes out of the season. And I was lucky enough to actually see the episode same day this time and with a promo that at least gives me images to work with, so yeah, i’m pretty pumped. And not just because I can cross this one off because SOMEBODY has a birthday tommorow.. no not me, that was last month.

There ya go. But yeah the show’s back. I’m excited, your excited, i’m scared because nick dosen’t give a clear schedule out ahead of time so i’m left wondering when one’s going to pop up and when to get it on my schedule now I have one... it’s a good time. Seriously though Nick needs to get their scheduling in order. So i’m happy to be back, your happy to have me here, but probably not happy to have spoilers so let’s take this under the cut and we can talk about cow pies, magic, and ... how this block is weirdly almost all lincoln episodes.

The Cow-Pie Kid: Yeah.. this was the only bit from cow pie kid I could find. Tons of stuff to mine from for saved by the spell. Nothing for that one. Weird. Anyways our story opens with Lynn’s baseball team, who we’ve met before.. and include friends who have played other sports with her and that guy she had a crush on for all of five minutes because the writers kinda forgot L is for Love happened for anyone but Luna and Luann.

Okay look MOST of the love intrests introduced there were not great and while Lincoln needs one NOW, at the time he really did not as the Ronnie Anne thing had not, and still has not, been properly resolved. Still vastly prefer him with Stella and her with Sid, i’m just saying closure would be nice. Look i’m getting off topic point is one besides Sam, who was great out of the gate and not just for being gay.. though that was a lot of it, and Benny, whose objectively a really sweet kid and damn likeable. Luaggie shippers feel free to boo me, I understand.. dosen’t change my mind or the fact Poly exists to fix that. I mean why not both I ask you. Besides them, we had Chazz, a loveable chubby guy who Leni was into and worked at clothing store and knew his fashion stuff. and was charmed by her romantic gesture. He just seemd sweet and it was implied via background stuff they were still dating.. but he hasnt’ shown up since despite her working AT the mall and that being her main arc for the last two seasons.

Just why? What’s wrong with the chubby fashion boy? Why? Did they decide they had too many romance arcs.. at exactly two? I get focusing on sam, because duh, and because that was awesome.. but you’ve had 2 full seasons since then and again Leni and him now work in the same location if not the same store, which in itself is a plot. I don’t ask much from you show.. well okay I do but let me clarify I don’t ask much from you that you could actually do: I know i’m never getting my a diffrent world style spinoff with lori and bobby. I know Zach is going nowhere and i’m just going to have to get over it, I will not, but I DO know you could include chaz and just won’t. So do that at least. I will put up with several more seasons of Zach if it means this adorable love story continues. It’s even easy enough to pick up this late: they are both stupid. Work with that. Gah... coach if you’d please.

Thanks coach. Okay so one tangent later we’re back to the episode. Point is her team is loosing even though Lynn’s the captain now, and while she’s perfectly encouraging it’s not winning games. Lynn is understandably dejected in the car not helped by the sports commentor guys from the game... commenting about it on the radio...

I mean.. I get sports can have dry spots and all that but who covers a middle school basketball team on the radio that isn’t the middle school radio station. I mean I genuinely can’t decide which is more sad... a radio personality doing a children’s baseball game on his own show, or having so much trouble getting one that he’s apperaing on the middle school radio show. And I COULD say it’s just a guest spot but he’s talking like he knows what’s going on intmatiley> Did his daughter ask him to? I mean I know radio’s fallen pretty far but I dind’t think it was that much in the basement. Do a podcast at least man.

Okay before I go on another Tangent point is Lynn feels it’s her fault as Captain.. which granted whoever the coach is should be .. but it genuinely looks like they don’t HAVE a coach. Maybe they had to sack him to pay for the newly refrubished av department? I dunno. Point is she feels bad and Lynn Sr vows to cheer her up.. before stopping for farm fresh eggs. Which.. yeah can’t blame him. He’s a cook, and Liam’s family likely has good prices. He can buy for both home and restraunt at once. I mean he has a van and only one occupant at the moment. Don’t judge him. But this little detour DOES help Lynn’s mood. Her problem is the team lacks a decent pitcher, since Lynn herself was banned for throwing one at a heckling goat. The Lawsuit is ongoing and that made me laugh a lot. But Lynn finds Happy Gilmore style that Liam.. has a really great arm. Granted instead of actuall balls it’s with cowpies because this series really loves a shit joke, hence the title and the new nickname for liam, the cow pie kid.. but compared to some of the series toilet humor it’s a lot less in your face. But with Liam being so good Lynn can’t help but sign him to the team and Liam being a sweetie pie is happy to agree. I have.. not hid even for a second how much I liked Liam or wanted him, and Stella, to show up outside of Lincoln episodes more often, or even get his own again. That day.. has come. Not only does LIam now have a roll entirely outside his friend group, but this episode’s about him and Lynn together.. not in that way.. yet. Someday.. Point is my boy is in the spotlight and I could not be happier. And thankfully.. Lynn’s at her best. What I feared would be an episode about her overtraining him and making him not enjoy the game, htat old chesnut instead.. she just genuinely helps mentor him. She’s tough but fair as she helps him get his aim right as he’s used to firing Cow Pie’s, so the weight distrbution is off. So she helps train him and .. it’s really cute honestly, with her genuinely helping him and showing a softer side and later realizing she had him thinking about it too hard and just having him not think.. and going by instinct naturally works for a carefree and easygoing guy like liam. Wouldn’t be suprised if he went ultra instinct eventually.. but that’s for another episode. They also have a pig pile together.. which sounds bad but is just pigs piling on liam and lynn gladly gets on top of the pigs and god that sounds worse. next scnee.

So Liam gets ahead and becomes the star pitcher for the zanarkand abes.. I mean the Royal Woods Kangaroos, and they just keep wining and wining and wining. Their like glomgold: all they do is win... but probably with less attempted corpse dancing. Problem is as we see during the montage Liam’s arm is slowly but surley getting cramped and while he wins hte next game.. his arm gives out from noodle arm. The good news is with rest, he can fix it, as her injury prone friend Paula, whose somehow allowed to play with crutches despite ALL the legal and moral issues that raises explains. but they don’t have days to rest it. So insane plans it is! So Lynn goes to her sisters for herlp..specifically lisa int he hopes her mad science can either fix his pain or turn him into the hulk. Neither happens.. yet. I mean LIam is so sweet if he IS a hulk, we won’t know yet. But the green door will.. it always knows. IT ALWAYS KNOWS. Lynn bemonas her luck.. before Lucy appears!

I JUST said last month when reviewing 11 louds a leapin that I missed the duo of her and lynn and lo and behold here we are. While we dno’t get much of the two fo them, it is still nice to see Lynn suprised by her scares and Lucy trying to use the dark arts to heal his pain.. which actually works. Lucy’s upgraded from wants to be a witch to full witch.

So yeah her dark magic works and now Liam is fine just fine as the championship game approaches. Until naturally it isn’t. While Lucy STOPPED the pain, she didn’t make anything better, just numbed it so Liam’s arm’s pretty bad and Lisa suggests there’s a 70 perfecnt chance he’ll wreck it if he does so.. and while Lynn is naturlaly, given one of her main traits is asshole, ready to risk that.. she realizes she can’t. Rusty is on her team following her orders.. and no matter how good a W feels.. she can’t trade in someone’s health for one. Honestly bettter than most sports managers ngl. So Paula subs in and misses, loosing them the game.. but Lynn. takes it in stride, having realized she can win next year and having finally realized what being the leader REALLY means. She can work on paula’s curve, give Liam a break, and win next time... which she’ll have because time dosen’t work normally in this show’s dimension and a solid timeline is just a pipedream, so she probably has another year of being 14 to redo this and has become aware of it. I’m scared and excited for what that means. Liam celebrates with a pig pile of two and we get a REALLY fucking cute shot of the two being happy and what not before a pig jumps on them still though.. yeah I ship it now. Liam taps into the space where I thought a black void of misery and douchebaggery was but ti turns out is in fact a heart, something few can do with Lynn and Lynn can protect him form bullies and is perfectly suited for his rough hewn farmboy styles. Point is their cut.e And so was this episode. IT was a really nice return to the series and it was again REALLY fucking great to see one of Lincoln’s firend,s and one of the GOOD ones at that, get a starring roll without him. HOpefully this keeps up and hopefully we see more of these two.

Saved by the Spell:

RUSTY SPOKES IS TRASH (Ring) I don’t have a saved by the spell font that’ll have to do. Point is he is but before we get to Rusty being Rusty, Lincoln is doing magic tricks at the table.

youtube

Point is he’s excited to do it at the talent show. The next day his friends discuss doing something to make them look cool to everyone. WHich.. kids. i’ll level with you. You. are. NERDS. As a massive one in both size and nerdiness myself, there’s nothing wrong with that. 2/3 of you are lovely people. You’ll be fine. But you are geeks, and should be proud of that.. not so proud you evolve into an incel or it’s adjacent form of assholes mind you, but still proud of who you are. You are never going to be that cool by trying to appeal to everyone. Just be yourslef and the cool comes naturaly. Like kool aid, which is naturally made by milking the Kool Aid man. Be you.

But instead they decide to do a dance routine which.. let’s face it.. is probably just this spread across 6 people...

Point is maybe don’t do that. Also when Clyde does a dorky but endearing dance and says their going to shake their groove things, Rusty pipes in with “But cool”... and while sadly not as glorious as EVERYONE looking enitrely done with him like last time we saw this tool, Clyde clearly still does while the rest of hte Lincrew have no idea what the hell he’s on. I think their just.. numb to his stupidity and ego at this point. But when Lincoln shows off his magic they all hide him, fearing that magic.. is well for younger kids and this won’t play so well. Which isn’t an invalid fear: this is middle school and from personal experince, middle school can be hell.. and also one of hte best years of my life which shows the vast gulf between the two schools I was in but was also not the point. the point is kids can be cruel and maybe don’t do this. But lincoln gonna do it anyway because he has confidence.. and frankly given there was an ENTIRE episode about being yourself instead of putting on an asshole suit of armor to avoid being hurt, which Lynn finally took off again last episode, he’s right.. but the rest of them all feel THEIR ALL GOING TO LAUGH AT YOU. and since they don’t know if he has latent psychic powers or not can’t risk him getting pigs blood dumped on him so they plan to find some way to trick him out of it.. Clyde of course gets his stomach in nots because he’s not good with schemes or lying ot his best friend, both of which this is and requires.

Also Stella’s in the lead, as she should be. And she helps as her positive attudie makes what their doing come off as it should: KINDA douchey, but not intentionally so, they just worry about hteir freind getting pummled.. possibly by his own sister but now sh’es possibly with Liam that’s probably not as much of a worry. Or Chandler but frankly he’s going to do that no matter what.. and is probably getting his ass kicked himself by older kids who won’t toldeate his bs, so your clear. But their fears while a bit unfounded are understandable and well inteitoned if misguided, as we don’t know LIncoln’s act at this point or how well it’d go over with a mostly tweenager crowd, who can be the best as we’ve seen in recent tv.. or aboslutel monsters.. same deal. You either get Luz or you get BOscha, the inbetween is rare.

So cue our usual setup of a bunch of attempts to do something in a row, but like I said while i’m not a fan of reptition if it’s done well enough it works and with it’s rather sizeable supporting cast , LIncoln and Friends episodes usdually do make it work. In this case it does as each of the sensational 6, lincoln and clyde asid,e try their hand at it. Liam, being the golden child, just has the most direct and obvious route: swipe his magic stuff.. and runs off without letting them talk it out but unlike Rusty in the next attempt, his plan was actually viable.. he just gets tangled up in the scarves and taps out. Rusty is next ....and his idea is to.. show lincoln his killer dance moves to convince him normally.

Yup pretty much that. And somehow out of the four plans, RUSTY’S is the only one that dosen’t bring up any serious moral quandries. I know i’m shocked too. He just thinks his moves will do it when no they won’t, please stop it hurts to watch and I can’t turn the fuck away. This is my job you redheaded kanker sore! Gah it thankfully ends and is unsurisingly unsuccesful.

Also unsuprisingly, i’ve been waiting since i got that image to use it on Rusty. And as a third dollop of unsuprise I did not have to force it in any way shape or form. Point is it’s Zach’s turn as during the last two he’s been pushing really hard to use some form of brainwashing on his friend.. yes .. really.

Thought Rusty would be the first loud house character to get that one but hey if the shoe fits. Seriously I thought rusty was the creep among them but at least you know.. altering someone’s throughts to suit your own isn’t his go to move. Being excetsivly cocky and coming on too strong is but still better to take THAT out of the Zach Morris playbook than “brainwash people into dooing whatever you say because tha’ts not creeptagious.” And unsurpsingly it does not work.. on Lincoln it woroks on Meyrl for some reason. Thankfully it dosen’t though just.. Zach needs no power epsiecally over the mind.

So UNSUPRSINGLY, Stella has the working plnan.. and also unsuprisingly the last three just did theres by running off, running off and shouting the loudest. Again somehow Rusty is NO LONGER the most obnoxious one of the group. Zach won that title this episode. He’s still the most pathetic.. but i’m the most done with Zach who adds nothing to the dynamic or the planet or anything and I wish would just go away. Your home planet needs you.

But yeah Stella has the winning idea: pretending to be “Yodel Boy”, a student who was humilated at a talent show last year, proving sh’es not only a decent actress (I mean it’s obvious i’ts stella in a wig, padding and lederhosen, but points for the accent being okay and hey she’s in middle school), but also the smartest of them. Only one of those is a suprise. It works and Lincoln agrees.

So the night of the talent show they’ve caught him up to speed and prepare to celebrate, only for clyd eto open the wrong locker and reveal the yodel boy suit. WHy it was in there instead of at Stella’s house where this wouldn’t happen?

But yeah the cat’s out of the bag and lincoln leaves, depressed his friends think that little of him and lied to him. Which.. yeah completely fair. They tried talking to him, it did not work.. they shoudl’ve just left it at that. It would’ve SUCKED if he got bullied true, but it was his choice to go out there and take a risk and do what he loves. As someone whose constnatly self concious and had to fight to start writing like i’m doing now, I envy that kind of youthful confidence and thus wholly support him.

And finally.. so do his friends. Realizing they’ve been kinda crappy, they introduce lincoln instead and work as his assitants.. and.. it works. Stella gets sawn in half, Zach gets astounded by a card trick, and Liam wears a bunny outfit which is just.. precious. Good boy. Best boy. It’s a huge hit.. and we also get to seesome of the new background kids including one with pink hair who looks kinda nb. I’m just saying one of you should take a crack at them, they seem nice. But for now our heroes are haield as heroes, and the other 5 apologize to lincon and they do their now cemented and fucking adorable group hug. Happy ending to a pretty great episode, with decent gags, a good relatable plot, and Rusty being just the right amoutn of obnoxious. Good stuff. So that does it for this week. If you liked this review like or reblog it, check out my other work and come back later today for some duck content. and every week once the show returns. Until the next rainbow, it’s been a pleasure.

#the loud house #lincoln loud #stella zhau #clyde mcbride #lynn loud jr #liam honeycutt #who finally has a last name!#FINALLY #zach gurdle #rusty spokes #lucy loud #lisa loud #saved by the spell #the cow pie kid #animation #reviews #nickelodeon

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #346

“i was in a car crash (or was it the war?) / but i’ve never been quite the same”

Do you take lessons for anything? No. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? Not to my recollection. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? I don't wear makeup frequently whatsoever, but if I do put some on, it's always black. Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? Curtains. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? Well, one is a snake and one is a cat, so no, they don't. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? No. Do you remember the last question you were asked? What did you answer? Well, besides in this survey, Mom asked me if I wanted some shrimp she didn't finish. A true stunner, but I didn't want anymore. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Nothing other than what was mentioned. Are you lonely? To be totally transparent, I'm extremely lonely on multiple levels. What’s your favorite magazine to read? Don't have one. Do you like pineapple? Yeah. But keep it off my pizza. Have you ever seen fireflies? Yeah, they're common in the summer here. Have you ever trespassed? Not to my knowledge. My sister, neighbor, and I regularly visited this shack as kids, just exploring and checking stuff out, and someone eventually did approach us and tell us to leave, but idk if anyone ACTUALLY owned the property? We never saw any signs. Do you tell your parents where you are going? Yeah; if I live with them, they have the right to know. Do you agree with the notion that all people were created equal? Yeah. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did. Do you like visiting the mall? Why or why not? Not really, no. Too many people, too many stores I don't care about, too much walking. Have you ever purposely hurt an animal? I've given pets a pop when they've done something wrong, but seriously hurt, fuck no. Would you ever see a therapist? I've seen a therapist consistently since the 6th grade. Are you afraid of heights? Yes. I used to not be, but it's a fear I've developed over time for no apparent reason. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Are you a jealous person? I was literally just thinking about this yesterday how much I hate how I've developed a jealous and envious side. It's not a feeling I used to experience like at all, so it's very uncomfortable to feel. When is your birthday? February 5th. What are you listening to right now? A John Wolfe playthrough of The Sinking City. It's really interesting and is making me wanna read Lovecraft books, haha. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing? Probably at some point. Are you still friends with someone from kindergarten? No. What is the most important thing to you? My mental health. Do you like whip cream? NO. The taste is fine, but I can't handle the texture of it. Are you close to your mother? Very. Are you close to your father? Yeah, but not as close as I am with my mother. Do you walk around bare foot when you're at home? Or do you wear socks? Yeah, I stay barefoot. Do you like chocolate popsicles? Yessss, I love them. Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? Ew, no. Would you rather see the Great Wall of China or Big Ben? Probably the Great Wall. Have you ever written a poem? I've written loads. Would you ever be a tornado chaser? FUCK no. Never, ever, EVER. what is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? I hate barbecue sauce. Your parents tell you that this summer, you get to pick the vacation. Where do you plan to go? As a family? Maybe Alaska. What do you think is a good theme for a prom? Um, maybe princesses and princes? It sounds cute, leave me alone. Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? No. Do you get nervous when you go to the doctor? About what? Not very, but somewhat. I'm always terrified to get on the scale and am also afraid I'll find out I have diabetes with how heavily it runs in my family, and I'm not exactly healthy. Have you ever been to the rainforest? No. As cool as it would be, I would neeeever manage. The humidity would murder me. Have you ever created a website? Yeah, a few. Ever thought about writing a book? Yeah. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? I don't think so, but I have nightmares ALL the time where I'm fighting to defend myself. Do you ever make up stories in your head and wish they come true? Daydreams? Oh, yes. Which is worse: stuffy nose or runny nose? STUFFY. Having a runny nose surely isn't fun either, but at least you can have tissues handy. Which is worse: Sick to your stomach or sore throat? 100% sick to your stomach. I do nooot respond well to stomach pain. Do you think your last relationship was a disaster? Not at all. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? No. Who do you think is the easiest to talk to? Sara or Mom. Would you consider yourself to be emo? I don't care for stereotypes, I'm whatever. Do you have a favourite metal band or do you not like metal? I love metal, and my favorite artist is of course Ozzy Osbourne. What is your current desktop picture? My favorite picture of my late dog Teddy. Thick or thin blanket? I like thick ones. Cozier. Who are your favorite bands? Everyone knows my #1 is Ozzy, so I'll list some of my others that just fall behind him (in no order): Metallica, Otep, Marilyn Manson, Korn, In This Moment, Powerwolf, Motionless In White, Rammstein, A Day to Remember, Cradle of Filth, Mother Mother... There's a lot, really. How do you mark through your word search puzzles? It depends on what I have at my disposal, really. I think typically I would just circle the words with a pencil, but I'd prefer to use a highlighter. Have you ever sewn something? No. What did you eat for dinner last night? Mom made shrimp scampi with a side of white rice. It was delicious. Ever been grounded? If so, for what? Yeah, on multiple occasions. I think the longest was when I ran away from home. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No; I've only seen the first one with Tyler. I did, however, have the video game as a kid, and I LOVED it. I could never beat the final stage, though. :( When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) Months ago with my niece. She was hooked on playing Uno with me because I always let her win. Have you ever drank cherry Coke? Omg yes, I LOVE it. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Have you ever eaten a bug? No. Do you like pranking people? No. Did you ever take a cooking class in school? No. Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? No. Do you use Skype? Only to talk to Sara. Have you ever participated in local magazine cover girl searches? Definitely not. Have you ever been called a skank/slut because of the way you dress? No. Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? Two are. Describe the most romantic moment you’ve ever had. I'd rather not because it'll really set off my PTSD. Have you ever cheated on a test? Nope. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? N/A Did you often read for fun when you were a kid? I read A LOOOOOT as a kid. I was a total bookworm. When was the last time you were scared? Excluding in nightmares that I don't remember, uhhh probably back when my PHP therapist surprised me by whipping out a poem I'd written and sharing it in front of the whole group. It wasn't the "bad" kind of scared, but I sure did feel fear. What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? "Disturbia" has always been #1. There's this '80s synthwave remix of the song that I adorrrreeee. Can you speak binary? Nope. Would you rather live somewhere that had hurricanes or tornadoes? I've dealt with hurricanes all my life and they don't terrify me NEARLY as much as the mere idea of a tornado, so. Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? None that were mine personally, but coincidentally, I didn't like two dogs my little sister had. The first one was just mildly annoying, and as much as I hate admitting it, I literally hated her last dog. When was the last time you saw hail? Maybe like... a month ago or something like that? Time is kinda blurry for me on this. We had an absolute downpour of hail one morning, then just... nothing. What is on your mind right this second: I have this at-home sleep study tonight and I'm pretty much obsessing over "what if I don't have a nightmare?" when, for ONCE, I want/need myself to. To be real, I don't know exactly what will change in my life if I do have a sleep apnea diagnosis or something that we're not already doing, but. Mom more than anyone just wants professionals to see that something is seriously wrong and needs fixing. Have you ever given a nickname to your pet(s)? Both have them, yeah. I think I call Venus "Miss Venus" more than her real name, then she's also "baby girl," "pretty," "beautiful girl," etc. I call Roman just "butt" a lot, haha, then there's "son," "Mama's boy," "bud"... When was the last time you shaved your legs? Not since last October. Nobody sees my legs, so I just don't care. Do you ever try free samples at the store? Sure, if I'm actually interested in the food. Do you like boys with long hair? That's actually my preference. Do you like rootbeer? It's not insufferable, but I'm not really a fan. What is the best fast food place, in your opinion? Sonic. Do you have faith in yourself? What a question to end it on, 'cuz I don't have a fuckin' clue these days.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''down in the park'' by marilyn manson

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hamiltalian-creates · 4 years

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Brothers Will Be Brothers 2

Summary: Virgil and Dee meet Remus and Roman at the mall and learn something not so shocking about them. Remus wants to play matchmaker, but Dee isn’t so sure about it.

Pairings: Brotherly Anxceit, Creativitwins, queerplatonic Dukeceit, implied Prinxiety

Words: 2,633

Warnings: Remus is Remus

[Virgil: Hey, Roman, u free?]

[Roman: Unfortunately so. Patton and Logan are binge watching Harry Potter again and they kicked me out for criticizing it as much as I did :(]

Virgil chuckled to himself. Roman never did know when to shut up.

[Virgil: My brother and I are going to hang out at the mall with his bf and I don’t want to just third wheel it, so he’s making me ask you to join.] [Virgil: want to come?]

[Roman: Of course! I finally get to meet this mystery brother of yours]

It wasn’t that Virgil purposefully hid Dee from his friends. It was just easier to distract himself from his worries outside of the house.

[Virgil: Great, I’ll text you in a bit w the time]

Virgil sighed and put up his phone before heading to the shower to rinse out his hair. He hoped Dee wouldn’t embarrass him to death.

[D: Hey, Rem, Virgil wants to officially meet you. Meet at the mall in a few hours?]

[Remus: OF COURSE?!?!?!! IS THAT A QUESTION?!?!?!?!?!]

Dee smiled to himself.

[D: It might be a bit awkward, he’s convinced that we’re boyfriends.]

[Remus: romance... barf.] [Remus: I’ll just explain when I see him! Easy peezy, lemon squeezy!]

Oh, simple minded Remus. When were things ever that simple?

An hour plus a hair wash and conditioning later, the two brothers were off to the mall, their respective “dates” on the way to join them.

“Promise you won’t go full dad-brother and humiliate me?” Virgil asked as he slumped in the front seat.

“Oh, I promise nothing,” Dee corrected. “If he doesn’t love me at my dad-brother, he doesn’t deserve me at my cool brother.”

Virgil groaned. “Stop trying to meme! You’re, like, 30.”

“I’m not even 21 yet!”

“Yeah, but mom and dad would’ve been a little over 40 and since you’re taking their roles, it averages out. So, that actually puts you at mid thirties.”

Dee smiled and shook his head. “Faulty math, but okay.”

Virgil smiled to himself and scrolled through Instagram as Dee drove, feeling relaxed for once.

When they got there, the two headed into the Barnes and Noble and waited, Virgil taking the liberty to wander through the aisles while Dee sat at the cafe and ordered himself a drink.

While he waited, he felt two familiar hands on him, one covering his eyes and one on his neck.

“Guess who? Guess wrong and off comes your head!”

Dee smiled to himself. “Is it Virgil?”

“Nope! You know who it is, Dee-Dee!” Remus pulled Dee into a tight hug and kissed his cheek. “Where is that little emo brother of yours?”

Dee shrugged. “Probably browsing the horror section.”

“I knew I’d find you in the horror section!”

Virgil jumped as Roman appeared behind him, putting away the book he’d began thumbing through. “And I’d find you in the kids section if you were here. What else is new?”

“Uh, I am meeting this brother of yours and, apparently, his boyfriend! That’s new!”

Virgil couldn’t fight back his smile. Roman was always so excitable, like a child on Christmas Day. “Yeah, whatever. We can all meet outside, unless you wanted something from the cafe?”

Roman shook his head. “Me and caffeine in public? Honey, that is a recipe for disaster.” Instead, he grabbed Virgil by the hoodie sleeve and pulled him out of the store. “What’s with the hood? First, we can’t see your hair at school, now not even at the mall, where nobody knows us?”

“I just did something to it.. No big deal.” He pulled down his hood, revealing his new, purple hair, and felt himself get kicked into freeze mode as Roman let him go. “If it looks stupid, blame Dee. He was being all sentimental and wanted to dye it for me.”

“No!” Roman exclaimed, a bit too loudly for Virgil’s liking. “I mean.. No, it looks really nice, Virgil. It fits this edgy thing you have going on.” He vaguely waved at him, gesturing mainly at the patched hoodie and combat boots.

Virgil tutted. “Alright, princey, don’t be weird because I found a look you couldn’t pull off,” he said, a clear joking edge in his voice.

Roman rolled his eyes and laughed a bit. “Fine. Where is this brother?”

Virgil checked his phone. Dee saw his text, so where was-

“You?!” Roman called out as he turned around, mortified.

“You!” Remus called back as he came out with Dee, clearly excited. He went over and pulled Roman into a bone-crushing, not-exactly-reciprotated hug.

“Woah, what’s going on here?” Virgil asked, trying to pry his friend away.

Remus let go and smiled. “Oh! Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself. The name is Remus Duke, half brother to this little drama queen!” He patted Roman’s head, who didn’t seem to quite hate the affection, but he clearly wasn’t a fan.

Virgil felt his mental jaw drop. This was the dumpster fire brother that Roman had described on multiple occasions?

“Oh, you did mention you had a brother, didn’t you?” Dee commented as he joined the three, pulling Remus away from poor Roman.

“Yep!”

“Half brother,” Roman corrected. “Same birth giver-”

“Different sperm giver,” Remus finished.

Virgil nodded. “Remus has his mom’s last name, Duke, and Roman has his second mom’s name, Prince.”

“Well, don’t say it like she’s any less my mama,” Roman added. “Mom and his dad broke up and mom found mama and they had me.”

Dee nodded, trying to keep up. “Well, isn’t this one hell of a coincidence?”

Roman nodded. “Yep.. Remus, I thought you were aro.”

“Still am! Dee’s my bestie, not my boyfriend, Virgil.”

Virgil hid an embarrassed blush behind his pale foundation. Okay, that explained that.

“Queer platonic partner! I finally found a name for what Dee is to me,” Remus hummed as he pulled said partner into a tight hug.

Roman smiled a bit. He and Remus were so different that they didn’t get along well most of the time, but he was still glad to see him this happy. “Well, why don’t we actually walk and talk instead of crowding the path?”

Virgil nodded. “Yeah, come on, you two are making a scene.”

Dee rolled his eyes. “Well, lead the way, then.”

Roman smiled and grabbed Virgil by his hoodie sleeve. “Hot Topic?”

“Hot Topic.”

Dee grabbed Remus’s hand and followed the two younger teens through the mall, stopping at Virgil’s favorite store. He preferred to wait outside, but Remus ran right on in to browse.

“What about that nerd store you like?” Virgil asked as he walked with his friend.

Roman shrugged. “Eh, I can go there later. You invited me, I figured I should ask you first.”

Virgil nodded and looked through a few t-shirts. “Thanks, Princey..”

Roman nodded and watched his friend. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but he’d developed a certain fondness for the emo boy. He wasn’t sure if it was a crush, but it definitely wasn’t what he felt for Logan or Patton, not at all. But he wasn’t sure Virgil would appreciate being put on the spot like that, so he didn’t say anything for now.

“I think I’m going to wait outside. I’m not really interested, but you keep looking,” Roman said after a few minutes, leaving as Virgil gave him a nod.

Remus saw his brother leave and slid right on in beside Virgil. “Hey there, Virgil. I heard you wanted to give me the boyfriend talk?”

Virgil was still mildly mortified by how wrong he’d been. “I didn’t know you weren’t into him like that, you guys just do a lot of couple stuff. I know when he goes over to your place at night, he makes it totally obvious when he comes home in the morning.”

Remus shrugged. “What can I say? I know how to work with what I have.”

Virgil’s nose scrunched up. “That’s so gross.. That is my brother, you know.”

“I know, but what’s the point in hiding it when you basically know everything?” Remus asked, grabbing the shirt that Virgil had been eyeing. “Nightmare Before Christmas? Seems right up your alley.”

Virgil rolled his eyes and stared at the ground. “Yeah, whatever, I’m a dark teenager. It’s just technically still a Disney movie and that’s Roman’s thing. It’s not like I want to accidentally match him, that would look stupid.”

“Aw, I think it’d be cute!” He glanced around a bit before leaning in. “Don’t tell him I told you, but I think he’s got a little crush on you.”

Virgil felt his face heat up as he snatched the shirt from Remus’s hands. “Whatever, that’s so stupid, you’re probably just picking on me, Dee probably put you up to it, I’m just going to go,” he rushed out before starting to leave, only stopping as Remus grabbed his arm.

“Wait, I didn't to embarrass you or anything. I may be aromantic, but I can spy a couple of pining teenager when I see them. Roman’s too much of a geek to ask you outright, so do you like him?”

Virgil hesitated for a second before shrugging. “I mean.. He’s not completely gross or anything. He’s just such a weirdo, I don’t know if I’d ever-”

“So that’s a yes, then?”

Virgil grumbled and sighed. “Yeah, whatever, fine, but if you’re just picking on me, I’ll kick your ass.”

Remus bit back a laugh at that. “Sure you will.”

Outside of the store, Roman nodded at Dee as he sat beside him, only glancing over as the other began speaking.

“So, you’re no good at hiding your crush on Virgil.”

Roman scoffed and laughed overdramatically. “Crush on Virgil? Wow, he’s just a friend. As if I really-”

Dee raised an eyebrow.

“... Yeah, fine, I like him.. But it’s just a crush, I’m not trying to do anything to hurt him.”

“You realize that Virgil’s in a fragile place? That if you were to hurt him, I’d legally have to hunt you down?”

And, honestly, Roman didn’t doubt that he would. “Well... Of course, I’d never even think about hurting him, but Virgil isn’t fragile.. He’s a really tough guy..” And, for the scrawny emo of the group, it was surprisingly true. The two of them bickered like crazy and while Patton always rushed to Virgil’s aid, thinking he’d be unable to handle it since the death of his parents, Roman knew the truth. Sure, maybe some of those comments got annoying, but he could tell that they didn’t hurt him too bad, no doubt due to the fact that he had an older brother.

Dee nodded. Good answer. So this Roman wasn’t just looking to treat Virgil as a damsel in distress. “But he does do very poor in the spotlight, something I feel is quite different from yourself.”

Roman let out the tiniest laugh. “Okay, that is true. But it’s not like I’d force him into drama with me or anything. He can do what he wants and I actually enjoy quiet time with him and our friends. Of course, I’d adore the chance to act with him on stage or to tell the whole school how great I think he is, but I’d keep it toned down, if the idea freaked him out too badly.”

Roman also wasn’t planning on forcing Virgil out of his comfort zone. “One more question: What makes you think I’m going to approve of you as his boyfriend?”

And that one kind of stumped Roman for a second. After all, he has an older brother of his own, but Remus seemed so much less strict than Dee about his little brother. This wasn’t a question he’d ever really thought of, especially since Virgil had been so adamant about keeping his friends and his home life separate. “I don’t know... Honestly, I don’t expect you to, but that doesn’t make me like him any less. If I have to bend over backwards to get your approval, so be it, but I really like him.. Not only that, Virgil is my best friend, I’d never dream of hurting him.”

Dee couldn’t help but smile a bit. Roman was still an awkward teenager, but at least his heart was in the right place. “Alright, fine.. You do seem like a good guy, and you are Virgil’s friend. I guess I wouldn’t have to kill you if you asked him out.”

Roman beamed and let out an awkward laugh. “Thank you.. I promise, I’ll do my best to be a good boyfriend..”

“With your life on the line, I’d hope so,” Dee shrugged.

Roman let out another awkward laugh. “Right... I’d expect nothing less than for a big brother to keep making that joke..”

“Who said I was joking?”

“Dee, are you tormenting my brother? That’s my job,” Remus said as he came out from the store, Virgil trailing behind him.

“This is why I don’t go anywhere with you, you’re more embarrassing than mom and dad ever were,” Virgil grumbled, pulling his jacket hood down over his face with his free hand, the other preoccupied with his Hot Topic bag. “I only have three friends, could you not drive them away?”

“We were just talking,” Dee replied in a far-too-innocent voice. “If he felt threatened by my words, that’s not completely my fault, is it?”

“You are the worst..” Virgil stood beside him and sighed, pushing his hood back down. “Are you done embarrassing me or can we move on to another store?”

Roman smiled and stood up. “It’s fine, Virgil. I have Remus, I get it.”

Virgil nodded. “Right.. Let’s go to that nerd store you like so much.”

“Yes!” Roman cheered, grabbing Virgil by his sleeve and pulling him through the mall, Remus yanking Dee behind them.

Despite the chaos that just came with a friend like Roman, Virgil couldn’t help but have the time of his life. He loved Patton and Logan, but it was great to not have them treating him like he needed to be protected and Remus was there to make sure Dee couldn’t do the same, though he couldn’t be blamed, being an older brother. It was nice to be with someone who didn’t let Virgil’s anxiety define him, even if it meant that Virgil occasionally got overwhelmed. It was nice to have Dee there to help when that did happen. It was just... It was a nice day. A great day, even.

“You’ve been smiling since we got in the car. What happened back there?” Dee asked as the two pulled up at the house.

Virgil tried to shrug it off, but there was no hiding his tiny grin. “Roman asked me out.. And I said yeah.”

Naturally, Dee couldn’t stop himself from feeling at least a little bit of anger, but he hid it. That smile on Virgil’s face said it all, he didn’t need a parent right then, he needed his brother. So, Dee pushed back his protective nature. “I knew he liked you. When’s the wedding?”

Virgil scoffed and pushed him a bit. “You’re such a weirdo. It’s just a date, a first date. We’re talking about it later, though...”

Dee nodded and let them both inside. “Just let me know when so I can clear my schedule.”

“I’d rather date Remus than let you chaperone us, I’m too old for that kind of thing,” Virgil grumbled as he walked towards his room.

Dee chuckled and locked the door behind them, sighing. He didn’t know if it was being a brother or acting as a parent, but either way, Virgil was growing up too fast. And, as much as he hated it, Dee was just going to have to deal with it.

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shes-an-oddbird · 3 years

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Christmas at River’s End Mall

Summary - A Christmas AU in which everyone navigates their seasonal jobs, relationships and Christmas spirit, or lack there of, through woven together tales inspired by holiday prompts.

Chapter 4 - Christmas Traditions

Summary - Elena impatiently waits for the single father she's been flirting with to finally ask her out. Unfortunately while she likes to move fast, he prefers to take things slow.

Prompt - Christmas Traditions Relationship - Mackelena (+Hope!) POV - Elena

“Elena! Come sit with us.”

Elena can pick out the familiar call of her name even through the rumble of dozens of chattering children. And if she couldn’t, Hope Mackenzie made it easy by standing up on her chair and waving excitedly while her father urged her to sit back down.

She grins at the pair and holds up one finger, she only needs a minute more to finish up with the families in line to meet Santa.

Elena enjoyed working as a translator. Many of the kids didn’t need her help and the Santas that worked for Coulson were all bilingual, so she finds herself most often translating the gift requests for Santa to the parents; the kids always assuming Santa spoke English.

She finishes up with her last family and the parents thank her several times before she rushes over to join Hope and Mack.

“Back again, that’s three times already.” She’s surprised, although she’s certainly not complaining.

“Well, it is tradition, we try to come as many times as we can.” Mack explains. He stands from his crouched position next to Hope and she marvels again at just how tall he is. The day she’d met the pair she had spotted them from all the way across the North Pole activity center. She knew she was torturing herself, stopping by their table to see if they needed assistance but her boldness was rewarded. Not only was he a single father with the sweetest daughter in the world but he was definitely interested.

“What’s your favorite tradition?” She asks Hope. The girl lifts the ornament she’s been carefully decorating with silver sequence, it spins, catching the light and sparkling. “Making a new ornament for our tree ever year, although that won’t be it for much longer.”

“Oh, why’s that?”

“The drone light show.” She says simply before returning to her intricate work without farther explanation.

Elena glances at Mack curiously. “It’s this big Christmas light show that’s done using drones, they fly around and flash in time with music, its actually pretty impressive stuff and River’s End is officially on the tour schedule for Christmas Eve, we’ve already got our tickets.”

“Sounds kind of cool, might have to check it out.”

“Maybe you could come with us.”

Hope’s eager suggestion is quickly followed by a warning tone in her father’s voice, “Hope – “

“Well, if you’re not –“ She starts to reply with a sassy tone.

“How about some Hot Chocolate?” Mack interrupts. But Elena puts another point in Hope’s favor. She’d already tried to ask her out three times on her father’s behalf including about five minutes after they met.

“With Peppermint?” The young girl asks excitedly.

“Another tradition?”

“It’s the best one.”

“It sounds like all the traditions are the best one.”

“How about I go get the Hot Chocolate, I know the best place and that way you guys can finish your ornament.”

“You don’t have to.”

Mack starts to protest but she’s already up. “I’ll be back in flash.”

...

Elena didn’t mind taking the stairs all three flights up to Bobbi’s Coffee Shop. It was certainly faster than waiting for the elevator. She dashes into Mockingbird’s and is immediately warmed by the smell of strong coffee, festive holiday syrups and the faintest scent of tea. It’s quiet; a change of pace for the usually bustling café. There is only a small group of teens situated by a big picture window at the back of the shop and, Elena is pleased to see, there is no one in line. She can make a quick in and out and get back downstairs.

Bobbi’s at the counter, setting aside her phone when she notices her.

“Hey Elena, what can I get you?”

“Three Hot Chocolates with Peppermint,” she orders and then after a glance at her watch she adds somewhat desperately, “and a triple shot with anything.”

“Long day?”

Elena sighs and leans heavily on the counter, “it was getting better but – “

“Mack still hasn’t asked you out yet.” Bobbi already knows. She’s an old friend of Mack’s and never hearing the end of not introducing them sooner.

“No, he is a stubborn Turtleman, I’ll be lucky if he asks me out by next Christmas.”

Bobbi laughs as she prepares the drinks, “he’s just being careful, it’s in his nature.”

“But why must he be so cautious, all I want is a date.” She thought maybe it had to do with Hope at first, but the little girl genuinely seemed to like her. And then she thought maybe she had misread his interest, but the occasional flirting was always very direct.

“You’re just impatient, it’s the caffeine, you should cut back.” Bobbi slides three paper to go cups across the counter to her. Elena looks up knowingly.

“Is that your way of telling me you haven’t fixed the espresso machine?”

“The part will be in tomorrow.” Bobbi confirms and Elena grumbles in Spanish that she knows the other woman understands.

“Can’t you make it with that thing?” She gestures to the antique espresso machine that served only as a decoration in the café’s front window. It was an impressive piece, made in Italy more than a century ago. It was also Bobbi’s prized possession even if it didn’t work.

“I wish I could, do you know how expensive it is to refurbish one of those, and mine’s almost good to go, it’s only missing a part too, but I can’t pop online and have it here tomorrow,” Bobbi grabs the coffee pot and fills a fourth paper cup before loading them into a carrier, “here I brewed this strong just for you and Daisy.”

Elena take the drinks gratefully. “Gracias.”

...

“Here you go.” Elena reaches over Hope from behind to place a hot chocolate in front of her.

“Thank you!”

“That was quick.” Mack looks impressed as she hands him his own hot chocolate. She struggles not to roll her eyes. Quick, impatient, he can call it whatever he wants if it get it to click with him. She wants to shake him, although she suspects he may not even budge if she tried.

“What can I say, I like to move fast.”

He nods and gives her a knowing look. It’s then she realizes he really does get it, even if he is still trigger shy. “I’ve noticed, you bounce back and forth around here like a yoyo.”

“That’s would be a good nickname, Dad gives the best nicknames.” Hope says distractedly as she puts finishing touches on her ornament. She lifts it carefully to inspect it.

“Is it done?” Mack asks her.

“Its almost done, we just need a ribbon.”

“I’ll grab some for you, what color would you like?” Elena asks.

“Red, like your sweater.” She nods. Their table is scattered with rolls of green and gold ribbon but no red. She has to snag some off the table clear across the activity center. When she returns Mack and Hope are cleaning up their supplies. She cuts a length of red satin ribbon and Hope carefully ties it through the loop.

“Perfect.” Elena looks between the pair as they stand and put their jackets on. “Will I see you guys for a fourth time?” She trying to buy time.

“I’m sure we will.” Mack says certainly and for a moment Elena finds herself distracted by his smile.

“Daddy, ask her.”

Hope’s gentle prodding breaks the spell.

“Alright, alright,” Mack turns back to her. “Hope and I would like to know if you would like to join us at the Christmas parade this Saturday, if you’re not busy of course.”

Elena fights the urge to roll her eyes. It’s not exactly the invitation she had been waiting for, but it was a start. “Another tradition?” They nod. “I pretty sure I’m free.”

“YES!” Hope jumps up and flings her arms around Elena’s waist.

“Calm down Sparkplug,” he places his hands on her shoulders and pulls her against him in a calming sort of way. “We usually get there early to get a good seat.”

Elena grabs a metallic marker and scrape of paper from the craft table, “here’s my number, just text me where to find you guys and I’ll meet you.”

“Will do, thanks again for the Hot Chocolate, you helped us check another box on the holiday season list, right Hope – Hope?”

Hope is staring up at with smile on her face. Elena looks up and sees a drone from the gadget store on the second floor flying over the balcony and racing around the Christmas tree.

“Daddy can we go back to fly the drone again?” She asks and for the first time Elena things the girl sounds shy.

“We went when we got here.”

“I know, I just really want to go again.”

“Alright, but just for a bit.”

“By guys, see you Saturday.”

“Saturday.”

As soon as Mack and Hope are out of sight, she hears a whisper in her ear.

“Did he do it?” Daisy sounds giddy and over-caffeinated. Not unusual for her this time of year.

“Sort of, I’m going to the parade with them on Saturday.” Elena reports to her curious friend. “Do I have the word ‘caution’ stamped on my forehead?”

“The way you run around here maybe you should.”

“Very funny.”

“Elena!” The pair turn to see Hope running up to them waving something in her hand that sparkles. “We forgot to give this to you.” She hands Elena the ornament they had been working on.

“But this is yours, you need it for your tree.”

“Nope, flip it over.” Elena turns the ornament over in her hands. Written in swirly glitter paint letters is ‘yoyo’. “We made it for you.”

“This is beautiful, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, we’ll see you Saturday!” She disappears back into the crowd. Daisy peers over your shoulder.

“Yoyo?”

“Don’t laugh, its progress.”

#mackelena #alphonso mackenzie #elena rodriguez #aos fic #aos #christmas at the mall #25 days of christmas

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1033

survey by tickticktmr

What's the best food to have at a sleepover? I’d have a blast at a sleepover if my friends and I were to get a square-cut cheese pizza with a box of wings. Cheesy nachos with beef would be great too.

How did you meet the last person you shared a bed with? We were introduced by our respective friends.

Do you like the yellow cheetos better or the orange ones? I don’t like Cheetos, period. Cheese puffs never did grow on me.

Where did you buy the shoes you wore today? My mom got it for me two Christmases ago.

Do you have any half siblings? Nope. But this year I found out I have a half-cousin (and possibly half-cousins) from a trash uncle who apparently fooled around behind my aunt’s back, but I have no desire to associate with her or that entire family altogether.

How many DVD players are in the house? We still have two lying around but we haven’t used either in 6–7 years.

Do you like the last song you heard on the radio? I cried, because I needed to hear the lyrics that were being sung.

Do you know anyone who has been on TV? Sure, mostly some of my friends’ parents.

When going shopping for junk food, what's the first thing you pick up? My eyes usually dart to the Pringles before anything else. And if there’s also any salted egg chips that looks appealing enough for me to pick up.

How would you react if you found out you had a long lost sister? I think my literal first reaction would be to be pissed at my parents for hiding such a secret from me for a long time. It would depend on how they explain the situation if I end up wanting to meet her or if I can do without.

At sleepovers, do you usually stay up all night or actually go to sleep? Hahaha I’m the grandma that passes out. I’ve never successfully stayed up at a sleepover and for some reason I’m always the first one to start getting sleepy. I guess all my friends’ bedrooms are really that comfy.

Is there anything in the room you're in that's really dusty? [continued from last night] For sure. There are some things in my room I barely use or move around so it definitely wouldn’t be a surprised if they’ve since gathered up a fine layer of dust.

Do you know anybody with different colored eyes? Yeah, someone from my high school has this condition.

Are any of your relatives vets? [continued AGAIN from the night before last, lmao send help] As far as I know, no. We’re not really the type of family that produces doctors, and I believe we lean more towards law.

Who cleans the most in your house? Oh my mom, for sure. She wants all chores done a certain way, and she’s always genuinely happy to do everything herself.

Do you own any shirts that cost over $100? No. I think my most expensive shirts are my wrestling ones, which never went above P3000, I think.

What about any shoes? Do you think that's a lot of money for clothes? Yeah, well shoes are generally more expensive so I’ve definitely spent more on sneakers than I’ve ever had on a shirt. I think a pair of shoes that go for P5000 is fine because for the most part it’s also already a testament to its quality. I draw the line at P5000 shirts, because you’re only paying for the label at that point.

What's the movie theatre in your town called? Ours don’t have names. Most of our cinemas are housed within malls, so whenever we make plans to watch a movie we just mention the mall.

How many minutes do you consider late? Idk man, I prize punctuality a lot. People to me are either early, on the dot, or late.

Is there any jam in the fridge right now? No, we don’t really consume jam. We’re not a very spread-y kind of family, come to think of it. We prefer meatier stuff in our sandwiches.

What did you get your best friend for their last birthday? I learned iMovie throughout my UTI-slash-fever horror experience so I can make a video for Gab that compiled her friends’ greetings in time for her birthday. I wasn’t able to get Angela anything because I was still looking for a job then and didn’t have any source of income; and because Gab broke up with me on that day so I was too distraught to be doing anything.

What about your mom's and dad's last birthdays? My dad was abroad for his last birthday. I didn’t get my mom anything because we don’t have that kind of relationship.

What kinds of food do you dunk into milk? Uhm mostly none, because I never really have milk unless I’m at a hotel or at a friend’s, lol. I’ve dipped chocolate chip cookies into milk several times though, and those didn’t turn out bad at all :) I’m a fan of the mushiness.

Do you have any current or past teachers on your facebook friends? A couple of my high school teachers are still my Facebook friends. I never added nor received requests from my college professors, which I prefer tbh because I’ve always viewed college profs as having a more professional vibe compared to my grade school and high school teachers, who were like parents to me.

Are there any baby pictures of you up? Like, the room I’m currently in? No but my school portrait from Prep is framed and hanging on my wall, which is the closest thing. I was already 7, though.

Do you have any friends who have bleached blonde hair? Nah. I have a lot of friends who’ve dyed their hair over the years, but none bleached all the way through. Gabie did, but just for her tips.

How much sugar do you like in your tea/coffee? Lots. I need every trace of it feeling like black coffee removed, haha.

What color is the cereal in your cupboard? We don’t eat cereals in this family; we’ve always enjoyed a classic Filipino breakfast. Sometimes we’ll get cereals I guess, but we never eat them the traditional way; my mom and sister usually just snack on them straight from the box on non-breakfast hours.

Are you wearing any jewlery that a boyfriend/girlfriend gave you? No.

Has a boyfriend/girlfriend ever given you jewlery? Yes.

Have you ever seen the last person you kissed cry? Many times.

Would you rather work at a gas station or be a maid? I hate chores and touching other people’s stuff, so I’ll go with the gas station. I could meet different people from that job too, which sounds more interesting.

What's the closest store to your house called? Just Things. Basically sells hype merch, including the P5000 streetwear shirts I called out earlier, for all the hype heads in my area.

Do horror movies scare you more when they're 'based on a true story'? The biographical nerd in me obviously gets excited, but I don’t get scared. I get more invested when they include snippets or updates about the real-life counterparts and go beyond the vague ‘based on a true story’ banner.

Do you still talk to the last person who hurt you (emotionally)? Yeah but I really need some sort of coin bank thing for it for every time I do so because idk why I still hang around sometimes.

Is there an outdoor movie theatre where you live? Not where I live. But I do know that because of Covid, some malls outside of my city have started offering drive-in cinemas, which were never a thing here before.

What color was the last food you ate? Golden brown, yellow, black, red, green. It was a truffle and mushroom pizza that I treated my family to because I had gotten my first paycheck this week and I would’ve looked like an absolute ass if I spent it on anything else other than my family. I MEAN I wanted to treat them too, of course, but I won’t deny that there’s an underlying reason for me buying the food as well. Welcome to a firstborn’s life in the Philippines (and in Asia, tbh).

Have you ever seen your mom or dad drunk? My mom has been tipsy, but not drunk. My dad never lets himself get swayed by alcohol. He’ll still get a single bottle of beer, but I’ve never seen his demeanor change.

How expensive is too expensive for a pair of jeans? Anything above P7,000 or P7,500, maybe.

After seeing a movie, do you go to a site to enter a review about it? Nah, I’m not the Letterboxd type of person. I’ll sometimes tweet about a movie, but only if I found it good or intriguing enough.

Have you ever done that? No. I’m not the best movie reviewer, so even though I’m aware of Letterboxd’s or IMDb’s appeal I’ve always been too shy to share my thoughts or ratings just in case someone ends up criticsplaining a movie to me.

Would you consider McDonald's a restaurant? I know what route this question is getting to but I’m too tired to defend my thought process, so suffice it to say I love McDonald’s, lol.

Do your parents vote? LOL my mom only started doing so again when I registered - before 2016, she cast her last vote back in 1992. Of course, her opinions were wrong for both the presidential (2016) and senatorial elections (2019) haha.

My dad does not vote and he stopped giving a shit about Philippine politics when he started working abroad 20 years ago and increasingly spent more time overseas than he does in his home country. Which, honestly, as sad and bad as it sounds, I totally understand. He’s completely detached from the goings-on in our country that to make him vote would be just as useful as letting him purely guess his choices.

Are there any creepy pictures up on the walls of your house? We’ve never gotten such a comment before, so no.

What's the last thing you were excited to eat? The pizzas I bought tonightttttt :> I got truffle and mushroom pizza and quattro formaggi pizzas and they were from Motorino, this fancy (and pricey) place I used to go on dates in that I haven’t visited so long.

It’s hilarious because I didn’t even plan on buying any food today as I’m stingy with money...but in my shift today I was tasked to order food bundles for certain media partners we regularly collaborate with. I kept ordering all these fucking pizzas for people I don’t even know and I got so jealous???? So I ended up buying for myself at the end of the day HAHAHAH

Do you ever hit electronics if they don't work? I smack them against a surface, but I rarely hit them with my own hand.

Who’s the most romantic person you ever went out with? I’ve only gone out with one person and, her toxic traits aside, I highly doubt any future prospect would ever come remotely close to her.

Is there anything hanging from the ceiling in your room? My bedroom light.

How would you react if your best friend was pregnant/got someone pregnant? She’s not planning on having a kid any time soon so I would assume it happened by accident, and I would assume she would be in distress. That said, my instinct would be to be there for her and support her in whatever she does moving forward.

Do you know who Lisa Simpson is? Sure thing, she’s my favorite.

Have you ever had a crush on the last person you spoke to online? No. I’ve never even met her.

Have you ever seen the last person you hugged dressed up fancy? Sure, my grandma dresses up for parties and other formal events.

(If your parents married), Do you know where they got engaged? No. My dad didn’t even pop the question; at some point they just sat each other down, had a long talk, and decided they’d get engaged. Idk where it happened though. Maybe while on a date somewhere?

What color was the last cup you drank out of? Copper.

What was the last picture you printed of? I honestly can’t tell you. I’ve printed a number of documents for various adulting tasks lately, but I don’t know the last time I specifically printed out a photo.

What restaurant has the best fries? I’d have to go with Army Navy. Or if we’re going with fast food, Jollibee.

What does your mailbox look like? We don’t have one. Messengers just insert envelopes through our screen door.

Have you ever gotten something stuck on the roof? We have a rooftop, so that’s never been a problem for us.

Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? No. I don’t think I’ve ever been that important for anyone.

Is the room you're in organized? It can do with some fixing, but it’s not terrible.

Would your mom make a good president? She’d be the most organized, neurotic, and punctual president in the history of presidents, but I doubt she’d be of help in conflict resolution or law-making, or any decision-making aspects that go with being president.

The 2nd class you had last time you went to school: ever skipped it? I don’t think I ever skipped that class in the short time I took it before Covid took over.

Do your aunts and uncles have kids? Yeah, nearly everyone does.

Is this survey interesting so far? I liked it.

Do you say fancy or formal? Or something else? Depends on the context. I use both as I think they have different connotations anyway.

Does your English teacher have kids? The last English professor I had doesn’t.

Does your computer make a lot of noise? The fan whirs when the laptop gets too busy. The noise is definitely noticeable considering how quiet my laptop is 98% of the time; but I wouldn’t call it bothersome.

Do you see movies at home or in the theatre more? Home. I watch at the cinema like, a maximum of 5 times a year.

What's your favorite thing to eat during a movie? Potato Corner fries. Non-negotiable.

#survey #surveys

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sope-and-shine · 4 years

Text

Christmas Special: Day 2

-> Pairing: Jimin x Reader ->Idol!AU // Fluff ->Word Count: 2.5k ->Summary: When it comes to Christmas shopping, you’re pretty much a walking disaster. At least the handsome stranger your decided to bother is nice enough to put up with you.

A/N: Not as good as I was hoping it’d be, but I’m pleased anyways.

Christmas is a time for being together and a time for sharing. It’s a time for one to truly express how grateful they are for someone! That expression can be with words or actions, and everyone usually has a preference for one or the other.

That’s what lead you to entering the mall during their extended hours, wrapped in a beige coat with a white scarf tucked around your neck and matching hat and gloves. All you needed was just something for the rest of your slightly larger family, at least one thing for everyone. Gangnam might not be the best place for this, but the extra cost would be worth it in the end. Besides the quality gifts you would be sure to find, the mall sure was a sight for sore eyes at this time of year. Strings of garland wrapped around every railing, lights strung wherever they could find the space, oversized ornaments hanging from the ceiling, and a huge tree decked out in red, green, and gold! The mall was a sight to see this time of year, so going through the yearly chaos of Christmas shopping would all be worth it.

Picking out items for your sisters - and sister in law - was the easiest part. They told you what they wanted, so shopping for hours wasn't necessary with them. But finding a gift for your brother, brother-in-laws, and your oldest nephew would be the challenge you faced today. Your youngest nephew was easy: toys for learning and he’s done. Your next two nephews really only wanted nerf guns, so those could be ordered. Fourth nephew: Kid wants cars on top of cars. But your oldest nephew? He was a challenge just like your brothers. He plays too many sports, and everyone else was probably already covering every single one already. He plays video games, but you weren't about to send him a $50 Steam gift card and call it a day. You wanted something that would mean something to him.

You take the second floor first, entering a bit of a higher end store to take a look at what they have to offer. This store sells watches, clothes, shoes, and even bags! But you need the best of the best for this kid, and you don't want to be the lame Aunt that ends up giving him socks for Christmas.

Approaching their miscellaneous section on the men’s side, you find a nice array of bags, shoes, socks, and watches - not to say the socks might win you over, but they’re really not that bad.

You might reconsider the socks later.

You know he wants a new bag, and the bag in front of you seemed like it was of decent enough quality that it would get him through a few more years of school. And it was blue, so it already hit all of his requirements. But you also know he was talking about wanting a watch - even though he has an Apple Watch, so why does he want a new one? He said some new shoes would be cool, but does he really want shoes?

“Maybe I should just send the socks and the steam gift card and try again on his birthday…” You mutter to yourself, taking a once over of the various pairs of socks they have hanging on the racks. You have no idea what you’re doing anymore. Your last relationship already proved that you don’t know how to gift other humans with presents, but there wasn’t really a service you could call to help you pick out gifts for your family members.

On the other side of the rack you see grey hair tucked away under a beanie peaking over the top. Out of curiosity, you take a quick peek around to make sure it wasn’t just a girl taller than you on the other side - from the way his muscles show underneath his clothes and his jawline you conclude that he is in fact not a girl. With nothing to really lose, you grab a watch and a bag from your side and slowly approach.

“Excuse me?” You ask hesitantly. He seems genuinely shocked at first, jumping back at your call away from the earrings and other jewelry items in front of him. But he regains his composer quickly when you continue, “Could I get your opinion?”

“Sure.”

“I’m trying to buy a gift for my nephew - he’s 14 by the way - and he told me what he needs, but I’m not really sure that that’s what he wants. I have a couple options, but shopping for boys kinda sucks. No offense.” You say, trying your best not to be too overbearing, but still feeling the need to explain yourself.

He chuckles, “None taken, but you should probably just get him socks.”

“See, I’m trying to avoid that.” You sigh. You should’ve known that would be the answer. Why would a random stranger help you with a Christmas gift when he’s obviously trying to do his own thing?

“Well, what does he like?” The stranger asks, taking you by surprise. You stare at him in shock for a moment before opening up. “He’s really into sports: basketball, soccer - the American kind - and track-”

“-He runs for fun?”

“That’s what I said.” You agree. Only two minutes in and already you feel at ease with a total stranger. It was easy to explain how you felt to him, almost like he was used to this type of thing. “I’m at a loss for what to get him because I’m kinda out of the loop being an entire day ahead of him. Everybody else in our family probably got him sports related stuff already.” And that wasn’t a joke either. With a family as big as yours, there’s no way he wouldn’t have new clothes or new gear. If he talked about it, he was probably getting it already. It made Christmas shopping that much harder, not to mention he was a hormonal, teenage boy. “What would you want if you were a 14 year old boy besides video games?”

Your prince-like stranger takes a moment to think before he nods to himself. “Probably a girlfriend.” His response is such a boy response that you can’t help but scoff. “I don’t know if you know this, but buying another human is kinda illegal.”

“If you get caught.” He replies with a playful smirk.

...

“So, the watch or the bag?” You ask, choosing to ignore the look he’s giving you.

His playful composer changes as he reaches out to take the watch from you, inspecting it for a moment and handing it back, “Get him the watch. He’ll feel better about dressing up if he has something like that.”

“I didn’t think about that…” Getting a watch besides the apple watch would make sense. It may be small and slick, but a real watch would be flashy, stylish, and professional all at the same time! But still, you didn’t feel that this was the right thing despite the reassurance. You let it hang by your side and give a small bow to the stranger for his help, “I think I’ll wait for now, and come back if I don't find anything. Thanks for the input!”

“Yeah, no problem! Happy holidays!” He waves, returning to his shopping after you turn to put your items back. You take your leave from the tiny store and search for the next, moving on from store to store after every failed attempt at finding something. Nothing seemed perfect enough for you, and every present you saw was just as generic as the next with the same overpriced hoodies and sneakers. At this point, all of them were about to get a box full of socks if these last few stores flopped. But the department store at the end of the walkway looked promising enough having two levels, so why not hope for the best?

—-

Hoping for the best was probably the best option in hindsight. After a little walking around, you did start seeing items that you knew your extra brothers would be into. Stupid shirts that they’d say they hate but wear for family occasions anyways, glasses and mugs of various shapes and size - most of them looking lewd enough that you have to wonder if they’re actually allowed to be there - and just crazy gadgets that you know they won’t find in stores over-seas. You even had a few more interactions with the man that helped you in the store from earlier, asking him small tidbits about what colors he thought would be best or what mattered more. He was very helpful when he didn’t have to be, and he even assured you that you weren’t being a bother - talk about a Prince Charming. All of it was starting to come together, but your nephew was still ailing you. This kid was your first nephew - you grew up with him like an older sister! How were you supposed to pick out the perfect present?

That’s how you find yourself bent down in front of the display case for the watches intently staring at all of your options. They had gold, shiny gold, matte gold, rose gold, silver, bronze, blue, and every color under the sun that you could think of to choose from. For you to choose! Not only the color, but the style as well. Who puts this much thought into their watch?!

“I personally like the Fossil Luther three-hand with a leather band in all black.” The familiar voice of your stranger says from beside you, having snuck up on you while you were browsing. His presence shocks you enough that you fall over onto the floor from your bent position with a small yelp. “Sweet Jesus! Warn me next time. What’s with the mask anyways?”

“I look cooler with it.” He shrugs. He reaches a hand out and helps you back to your previous position before he scared you, joining you in your intense view of the watches in the display, “I thought you were going back for the other one?”

“Well, I started thinking about what you said. About how it would make him feel to dress up with a nice watch once in awhile. My nephew really means a lot to me, so I want to get him more than just a basic watch.” You explain. You’d known that you wanted to get him something special when you walked into the mall, and this stranger just helped you realize that it was easier than you thought. A watch was a simple gift, but it can also be very special. “I want to give him something with feeling behind it, you know?”

“Yeah, I do.” He agrees, a nostalgic look in his eyes as he looks straight ahead. He stands up to his full height and stretches before he takes a look at the display from the top to look at all the colors. “Can I see a picture of him?”

“You want me to show a total stranger a picture of my underage nephew?” You ask. Of course you were sarcastic, but the momentary flash of panic across his face was still hilarious. But his hand placing itself in front of you to shake was a bit unexpected. “My name is Jimin.”

“I guess that works.” You shake his hand in return, pulling away to grab and unlock your phone to scroll through your sister’s Facebook page. Out of the millions of pictures of both your nephew and your niece, you settle for the picture of him at his first homecoming with his girlfriend. His hair styled back with a little bit of volume, his dress shirt a nice royal blue with matching blue socks and black pants, shoes, and vest. He looked so put together and you definitely cried for a whole hour when you finally got to see his pictures. “So what do you think? He’s pretty handsome, right?”

“Definitely.” He agrees, studying the picture on your phone. He takes turns looking between the photo and looking over the watches before he stops on the display case. He points at a silver watch with a black watch face, three hands, three small circles on the inside, and a black leather band. “You should go with this one. It’s a neutral color, so he can wear it with anything. That, and it’s face is a bit more intricate than others, so it looks expensive, but it won’t completely break you.”

“Thanks. I’m (Y/n), by the way.” You introduce, putting your hand out for a proper introduction. He smiles back, taking your hand in his own, “It’s nice to meet you. Officially, that is.”

You pull away, “I should probably get going so you can find everything you’re looking for without me bugging you!”

“I didn’t mind.”

You smile and make your way to the checkout line, your small cart of items for your brothers ready to be scanned and hauled all the way back to your car on the other side of the mall. Waiting in the line to leave allowed you the time to think back to the man you met today. He was kind - and very cute - and he really didn’t have to help you out today. It was nice kinda shopping with someone else. It felt so much easier than your usual shopping, and altogether made you much more relaxed to go home to your apartment.

“Here’s your receipt, ma’am.” The cashier says, handing over the paper just so you could be reminded about how much money you just spent. You nod your thanks and wish her a good evening, taking your bags and starting your long trek back to your car by yourself. The memories of your stranger would now just be a memory of a missed opportunity on your part.

“Excuse me.” A voice pulls you out of your self pity. One of the clerks you had seen in the jewelry department stood behind you would a small, red box in his hand. He tilts his head a little, “Do you know a Jimin?”

“Yes?” You answer, more of a question than a real response. You meet a cute guy and now other random guys know him too? This is what you get for ignoring stranger danger around the holiday when all the freaks are out. He probably wasn’t joking about the ‘not getting caught for human trafficking’ thing. “He told me to give this to you, and that you should really consider his offer.”

“Um, thank you. I will.” You bow politely, walking away uncertain of what just happened. Weird, but not the strangest encounter you’ve ever had. You decide to just get to your car before you take a look at what it was he wanted to give you that he couldn’t do in person. Removing the paper from the box, you open it to find a case for a watch - more specifically, the case for the watch you just bought - black casing with two glass panels to show off what you put inside. It screamed expensive, and you knew it. A paper on the inside of the box catches your eye and you open it, letting out a small ‘oh my god’ as you read over his note.

~ Hey, (Y/n)! Do you know BTS? Well, we’re having a fan meet this weekend and I’d really like to see you again so you can help me with my shopping this time. Maybe if you do a good job I’ll give you my number ;) Please, come and see me again! - Jimin

You don’t know what made you do it, his cheeky personality or his generosity. Maybe it was the want to thank him, but you knew that you’d definitely be going to that fan meet to see his smile again.

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lovemesomesurveys · 3 years

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[found at: --rainboweyes--]

When was the last time you did clay work/pottery? I’ve never done that.

Do you like art, hate it or just not mind it? I’m not artistic or creative myself, but I enjoy art.

If you had to choose would you prefer dull pain for 12 hours or sharp for 2? I have chronic pain, sooo.

Koala or Kangaroo? I’ll go with koalas. Do you know the words to the national anthem of your country? Yeah.

Is your country ruled by a president, prime minister, queen or other? We have presidents.

Does blue occur in your national flag? Yep.

Talking of flags. Do you like football/soccer? I don’t care for sports in general. <<<

If yes, do you play and what position? If not, leave blank.

Would you rather be a Model, Famous Scientist, Singer or Chef? Out of those I’d say singer. I can’t sing, but in this scenario pretend I can.

Would you rather be a pilot, crime scene investigator or estate agent? Crime stuff interests me from a psychology aspect, but I wouldn’t want to be a crime scene investigator, but also I don’t have any interest at all in the other 2 options, sooo.

Does making others happy really make you feel happy? It’s a good feeling. I don’t feel I make others happy, though.

What color literally doesn't appear in your wardrobe at all? Brown.

Do you actually read the answers others give to your surveys [I do]? I keep up with several of you through your surveys.

Did you ever swear at a teacher in school? Why? No.

Have you ever pricked your finger on Holly or another 'sharp' plant? No.

Speaking of Holly, do you adore Christmas or does it bug you? I absolutely love Christmas.

Have you ever wrote your own short story? Yeah. I used to write short stories all the time when I was like 12/13.

What about a novel? Or perhaps you started and couldn't finish? No.

Either of the above, if this was the case, place short synopsis here: I wrote several.

Do you prefer SciFi/Fantasy/Action/Horror or Rom/Com/RealLife? Are we still talking about books? For the past couple years I’ve read a shit ton of murder mystery/psychological thrillers. I’ve been really into those. I like YA/NA as well.

What do you have a lot of faith in [note: can be anything]? God.

Think of a material thing you want. Name it here (material, made or bought] I just ordered the book for my next Bible study, a set of nice journaling pens, a new notebook, and white-out tape.

Would $100/$60 be enough for this item? It would.

How about $1000/$600? Uh, yeah. I’d have a shit ton of money leftover.

Would you rather have a big house, a lot of kids or a high flying job? A big house. It doesn’t have to be mansion big, just big enough to comfortably fit 4 adults and a doggo.

Have you ever been to a creepy/haunted/abandoned place? No, but I watch a lot of videos about abandoned places on YouTube. I find stuff like that really interesting.

What did it look like and what were the circumstances? This one channel I watch, BrightSunFilms, has found actual abandoned homes that still have all the stuff in there but no one has lived in in like a decade. It’s wild. They found home videos in one! Like that just boggles my mind. I need to know what happened. What’s the story? Why did they just leave everything behind? They look like whoever lived there had to quickly get away like there was a zombie attack or something. Super weird. This guy has been to abandoned malls, stores, amusement parks, hotels, and other random places. It just always trips me out when stuff is left behind, like photos, paperwork, etc. Like why?? Some of the hotels still have the beds.

What's your favorite dip? I’ve been really into spinach and artichoke dip with sourdough bread lately.

Chocolate Cookies or Fudge Brownies? Oh, fudge brownies all the way.

I give you a little baby puppy. What do you name him? I’d have to see him first and see what seems fitting. See what vibe I get.

Is crime a big problem in your area? Unfortunately, yes.

What's your town/city most well known for? Nothing good.

Do you know a Jack? What's he like? Nope.

How about a Lisa? What's she like? I don’t know a Lisa.

Are most your friends older, younger or the same age as you? No friends.

Do you subconsciously hang out with those with the same star sign as you or as each other, perhaps due to certain personality traits? Think about it: No. I don’t believe in astrology, but there was only one other Leo in my former friend group. It’s possible there were others at some point, but I didn’t pay attention to that kind of stuff.

Name 5 objects that you don't have but would like right now? Right this moment? I don’t know, it’s almost 5AM I’m not wanting anything really right now.

When you have children, would you like twins? I don’t want to have children.

Do you know any twins? If so, what are they called? I do; Aleksa and Maci.

If you were given the choice to choose your child’s gender, would you?

What instrument would you love to learn how to play? I wish I could get into the piano again.

Does the sound of knocking/tapping startle you? Yes. I’m such a jumpy person.

What's the scariest story/urban legend/creepypasta etc you heard? One that just came to mind is the one where a girl is driving alone at night and a car behind seems to be following her and they flash their headlights and whatnot and the girl is really creeped out. She drives to a police station or somewhere and the person following them gets out and alerts them that they were trying to get their attention because there’s someone in her backseat and skjsklfjkds that always gives me the chills. It was a story in that “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” book, which I read as a kid, and it always stuck with me. It was a good lesson to always check your backseat before getting in your car!

Do you miss someone currently? I’ll always miss my loved ones who have passed away.

When was the last time you were in hospital? What for [if comfy saying]? Back in 2012 because I had to have intestinal surgery.

When was the last time you went to the dentist? It’s been awhile. :X

Do you get along well with your family doctor/your doctor? I like my primary and the wound specialist doctor I see, but I have issues with my pain doctor.

What personality trait does nearly everyone in your family seem to have? I think we all have a good sense of humor.

The survey’s ended. I hope you enjoyed it. :) Thanks.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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